Power of 5

Disney

2011-06-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Jason, Wyatt and I went to Disney last week, while Gabe and EJ vacationed at Grandma and Grandpa's. I'm not sure who had the most fun! We had some long fun filled days. One thing is confirmed...Wyatt is not a thrill seeker :)

EJ is on the Move

2011-05-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Check out EJ's new skills...

Brotherly Love

2011-04-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

I've posted both of these pictures in the past week, but check out EJ's left hand. Too cute.

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

The Top 5 Highlights of Easter 2011
5. Gabe eating all of his jelly beans by 8:30 am church service.
4. EJ pooping nearly to his shoulder blades (up the back is common, but his was a record!)
3. Wyatt's excitement over a $1.99 nerf gun keychain - quote "I've always wanted one of these!"
2. Gabe's cotton candy stuck to his pants, creating bunny tail look alike.
1. Wyatt waking up at 3:00 am wanting to see if the Easter Bunny came

Finally, Our Heads Are Above Water

2011-04-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Whew...the title says it all. It's been a crazy whirlwind, but we feel like its settling down a little now. In fact, we went out for coffee yesterday morning, and it was the first time I didn't feel anxiety with all 5 of us sitting down to eat in public! I don't even know where to begin to fill you in on the last 4 months, so I'll go for the old, boring, Christmas letter like update.
Wyatt: Wyatt is wrapping up his final year at Immanual Baptist. He'll be coming to the Early Learning Village next year and I can't wait to have him with me. However, we will greatly miss the wonderful people at IBC and are so grateful for the experience they gave Wyatt for the past 3 years. He is back into baseball and really enjoying it. His personality is priceless and he often has some great one liners. My goal is to get them in this blog, but at this rate, it will be three a year! Today was a big day, as he rode a bike without training wheels for the first time by himself!
Gabe: I don't even know the words to describe Gabe. The kid is happy 99.5% of the time and is singing about 80% of that. Busy is an understatement, and wow, is he coordinated. He can push buttons with the best of them, but is also a party favorite. He is in his second year at the Immanual Baptist daycare. He often surprises us with a new song, and we have them to thank for that.
EJ: God blessed us when he gave EJ his demeanor. He is very laid back and just hangs out and watches the chaos around him. He's battled with illness for about 5 of his 7 months of life, but we think we're finally getting that under control. He is just beginning to crawl, which gives me a slight twitch :)

Although we don't have a recent family picture, here is one that Jason took of the rest of us at the aquarium over spring break.

And here is Wyatt riding his bike...with a little peek of the other two as well.

Santa Photo

2010-12-12T19:55:00.000-08:00

This one speaks for itself. Ho ho ho!

Gabe, the US Citizen

2010-11-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

Gabe had his day in court this week. Due to the visa he came home on, we had to go to court here in the US to finalize the adoption. This was BY FAR, the least stressful court date we've ever had in regards to adoption. It was pretty simple, just explaining what we do for a living, what we do in our spare time and hoping Gabe didn't poop because we left the diaper bag in the car! Here's a picture of the big day.

5 Months and 1 Birth Later

2010-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Life has picked up the pace...in a major way. EJ was born on September 3 and we've been on the go since. Okay, we were on the go before then, but now its a constant run.
Wyatt is now in an early 5's class and is doing great. He has lots of friends and is growing like a weed. He's playing basketball for the YMCA and is an awesome big brother.
Gabe is one of a kind. The kid is busier than any other kid I've seen. 99% of the time, he has an amazing smile on his face, so we're at least laughing when chasing him.
EJ is doing great. Having never had an infant, we didn't know what to expect, but we've been loving it. He's beginning to smile and the other boys can't get enough of him.
Jason's in the thick of his busy season with work...the football and basketball overlap makes for an at least 6 day work week.
I'm back to work and extremely busy as well. Why is it that 8 weeks of maternity goes so fast?!
Here's a picture of the newest Schlafer. I'd love to say I'll be more consistent with the pictures from now on, but I don't make promises I can't keep!

Family Pictures and Updates

2010-06-09T17:21:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been quite a while since we've posted! Life has picked up the pace on us and we're doing all we can to keep up. First of all, all of the Schlafer boys are doing awesome. When I say all, I'm including the little one in my belly.

Wyatt is just wrapping up his final days of preschool. We went to his preschool performance and once again, I cried. What a sap! He's into baseball now and even earned the game ball one game! So far though, swimming takes the cake with him and he has started swimming by himself without floaties. This is going to be an awesome summer at camp with him. He's gotten lots of travel in this summer already, having already been to Indiana and Illinois.

Gabe is a trip. The kid loves to talk, sing and dance. He's saying a few words..puppy, bubba (bubble), kitty and Ah dah (all done). He is also using sign language for more, eat, please and all done. He's getting a little quicker to warm up to people, but he can still be somewhat timid around unfamiliar with people. With that said, he is now big on waving Hi and Bye bye to people in the grocery.

Jason and I have just been busy. Jason spent a lot of time traveling, while I've spent lots of time, well, growing! Although busy, we have had the best time with the boys and are still somewhat amazed that there will be a third in just 3 short months. YIKES!

We had our family pictures (slide show below) taken a couple of weeks ago by Jessie Owens Snyder. She did an amazing job. If you're interested, check out her website. We couldn't be happier with the moments she captured.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Great Weekend

2010-04-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

It was also a busy weekend. We all enjoyed the wonderful weather this weekend by watching Wyatt's swim lesson (he is so close to swimming independently), Wyatt's tee ball game (his first baseball experience went very well), and an afternoon of fishing with Dad.

Gabe enjoyed walking around the tee ball diamond (those of us herding him were exhausted) and a couple of trips to the playground. We also got out our Little Tykes swing for the deck. He LOVED it.

We also had some friends from UK over. Dalel and his wife Aizhan are from the town in which Wyatt was born. They serve as a wonderful connection to Wyatt's heritage and we'll greatly miss them when the return home to Astana later this month (and early May).

Enjoy some photos (the reason most of you logged on.)

Wyatt's Family Day and More

2010-03-22T17:44:00.002-07:00

Once again, I have become a slacker in the blogging world. I guess chasing two kids will do that! Unbelievably, this weekend marked Wyatt's 4th family day. We celebrate family day as the anniversary of the day we met him. It was really a weird feeling, to think how fast the past 4 years have gone, and yet to realize we've only had him 4 years. Its amazing how in 4 short years, our lives have changed so much and its hard to remember what life was like before him. He's grown up to be such an amazing little boy with so much personality. He's filled the big brother role better than I could have ever imagined. Now, he's been guilty of some not so great choices, but come on, he's a kid. I'd be disappointed if he were perfect. Not a day goes by where he doesn't have us cracking up at something he's said or done. And, it's funny to look back at pictures of his little baby face and you can even see his personality shining then. Not a day goes by when we don't thank God for the true blessing Wyatt is and we're so grateful to call him our son.

So, to celebrate Family Day, we headed to Monkey Joe's. We all love that place. FYI, Sunday at 11:00 is the time to go. It is just opening and its a good time to beat the crowd. Both boys played until exhaustion, which was awesome.

Since its been a while since I've posted pictures, I've attached a couple from the past couple of weeks. They are pretty self explanatory.

The Best Picture Ever

2010-03-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

Here is what you get when you try to take a nice picture with two 4 year olds, one 2 year old and one 1 year old...all with their spunky great grandma. I love it!!

End of maternity leave...well, until September

2010-03-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Intriguing title, huh? I will start by saying today marks the last day of my maternity leave. While I struggle with that, I know that once I get back into the grove, I'll be glad to be back. I've always worked better on a schedule and routine and work definitely gives me that. I also appreciate the adult conversations and I love the people I work with.

Gabe had his first half day of daycare today. We decided to send him for a half day so his first day wouldn't be the normal 9ish hours. He's done great at the YMCA for an hour or so, but this is the longest he's been away. I really think he'll enjoy being around all of the other kids as well. He loves to sing and talk, so they'll be plenty of people to entertain.

Wyatt is not thrilled about me going back. He has loved being picked up at lunch time and is not looking forward to staying all day again. It's funny how quickly we get spoiled, isn't it?! I give him one week before he begs to stay longer, like he used to before Christmas. We are so grateful that we found such a great place for the boys.

Okay, so back to the title of this post. Yes, I will be taking another maternity leave in September. The Schlafer family is expanding again, with a third child. Where from, you ask? My belly! Yep, I'm pregnant. I'm due September 10. Surprise!!! We found out the Monday prior to leaving for Ethiopia. I am now 3 months pregnant and we couldn't be happier. We look forward to a new journey of pregnancy and an infant. It could be interesting!!

Snow, snow and more snow

2010-02-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

So, I have a whole new respect for stay at home moms. Don't get me wrong, I've loved being home with the boys. But seriously, Mother Nature, 5 snow days since last week? Come on, now. The snow did lead us to one of our new faves, Monkey Joe's. It's a kids heaven...a room full of inflatables. To think, us deprived children of the 70's only had moon walks. Tomorrow we're heading to Lillie's to sled. This has really been the only good sledding snow.
Unfortunately, Gabe will have to sit this one out, as his ear infections still were not cured by the 10 days of antibiotics. He's got a stronger prescription now and hopefully that will do the trick. Ear infections or not, the kid is just happy. He's an amazing little guy and we're just thrilled for him to be home and so well adjusted. He's sleeping through the night now and taking good naps. I'm not afraid to admit that I took the shortest nap of the three of us at three hours. Yes, you read that right, three hours. Wyatt clocked in at 3 hours 15 minutes and Gabe went for a record of 3 hours 25 minutes. NICE! Hopefully they'll set a sleeping in record.
And, speaking of sleeping in, I only have 2 weeks of maternity leave left. (Insert gag here). 2 more weeks until 7:30 no longer seems like an early wake up call. 2 more weeks until going back to working out at 5:30 am. 2 more weeks until Gabe and Wyatt are in daycare full time (boo). 2 more weeks until I my naps are nixed. 2 more weeks until I only spend 4-5 waking hours with my boys as opposed to all day. That's the toughest one to swallow. Honestly, it makes me sick to actually come to grips with that one. The past 6 weeks have spoiled me, that's for sure. But, mama's gotta to what mama's gotta do!
Now that I've babbled on randomly, here are some pictures from this month so far.

Wyatt's Lord's Prayer

2010-02-03T18:02:00.001-08:00

Breakfast Boogie

2010-01-31T05:02:00.000-08:00

A little breakfast dance party to get the blood flowing...

Gabe's Doctors Appointment

2010-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Gabe! What a present, going to the doctor. Our visit with the doctor was only 1 hour, but there was some confusion about what blood tests needed to be run, so we had to wait for a call into the doctor and somebody from the state. This meant LOTS of waiting before they could take the blood. After 4 hours, 3 required stool samples (Jason's homework for the next couple of days), 2 ear infections (maybe that explains the difficulty sleeping through the night) and 7 viles of blood we headed home. Needless to say, we all took a nap (mine being the shortest at 1.5 hours - I love maternity leave!)

Gabe's Statistics:
Height: 10th Percentile at 28.5 inches
Weight: 10th Percentile at 19 pounds 14 oz
Head Circumference: 90th Percentile...BIG!

Gabe's 1st Birthday Party

2010-01-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Gabe's official birthday, but since he has a doctor's appointment that will surely include blood being drawn and shots, we decided tonight would be a better party night. It was very low key (as low key as this house gets anyways), celebrating with Kim, Kevin, Sawyer and the four of us. The pictures tell the story. Gabe had no problem diving into the cake. Before it was all over, it was covering his face, in his hair and all over the floor. Isn't that what first birthdays are all about?!

A Sneak Peek

2010-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peek into the chaos of our house. We're loving it!!

Life is Good

2010-01-23T18:19:00.001-08:00

Yes, its been one full week since we've been home and I'm just now updating. Every night I said I was going to do it and then my pillow trumped the blog! Sorry about that!

I have to admit, I'm nothing short of amazed at how well Gabe has adjusted. To think that two weeks ago, he had basically only been in the baby house and to see him now. Wow. He is walking (all over the place!), babbling and lots of fun. He loves to eat, so he fits in perfectly at the Schlafer house. The only thing he's not a huge fan of is sleep. We're still working on a schedule. He's pretty consistent in waking up at 2 am and then for good at 5:30. The car seat isn't a favorite either, but that gets better every time we get in the car.

Wyatt has done very well since Gabe's been home. He gets a little needy with attention with Grandparents, but that was to be expected. He was very excited to show Gabe off at school and is always in tune to what he's doing.

We've been very blessed to have lots of calls, emails, cards and visits from friends and family. We are so grateful for the support everyone has given us through the adoption process. We're now excited for you to follow us as a family of 4!

2010-01-13T02:16:00.001-08:00

Gabe had a lot of time awake last night. He has 3 teeth and the ones that are fighting to come in made for a long night. Yesterday we did some shopping (got a couple of souvenirs for Gabe). Today we're headed back to the grocery to buy some more supplies for the orphanage (formula, cereal, diapers, wipes) as well as some of those same things for us. We also got a neat souvenir for Wyatt from Gabe.

Gabe is having a great day today and we're looking forward to going out to dinner and a GOOD night's sleep.

2010-01-11T21:37:00.001-08:00

We had a great day yesterday. We went back to the orphanage twice. The first time was to visit, the second time was to tie up some loose ends on US Immigration paperwork. While we were in the office doing that, we got to see Gabe's passport. It is hysterical. He is clearly screaming at the camera and his bottom 2 teeth (he only has one on the top) are about all you see in the photo.

Gabe visited the room where he spent the last few months of his time in Ethiopia yesterday and handled it extremely well. He was a bit confused, but preferred Michelle to the caregivers, a true blessing. It was clear that he enjoyed the visit there yesterday, it was wonderful to see the joy that it brought to his eyes when he saw his caregivers and his old roomies.

Between trips yesterday, we went to a grocery store and pharmacy to purchase some necessities for the Orphanage. We asked them for a list of things they needed and the head of the orphanage went to his room and asked the caregivers for any specific needs for his old room. We plan to do this a couple of times more while we're here. We'd like to leave them with a monetary donation, but are still investigating whether or not that is Kosher.

Another highlight from yesterday was the currency exchange from Dollars to Ethiopian Birr. Rather than a bank, our driver took us to a "black market" and got us a better rate. When we parked the car, he asked us to stay in the car, roll up the windows, and lock the doors. "This is not a very nice area of Addis," he said.

Today, we plan to go out to lunch and then to the Market which is alleged to be the largest market in all of Africa.

As you may know, the African Futbol Cup is currently under way and it is a HUGE deal here.

Hopefully more later.

Gabe's First Day

2010-01-10T21:25:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a big day for the Schlafers. At about 2:00 we went to the baby house and picked up Gabe and brought him back to the guest house. It was pretty stressful for everybody. He cried leaving the baby house (so did the staff) and off and on for quite a few hours after that. We took a nap and headed outside to the guest house garden. He was still a little iffy, but began to play and took a bottle. At 6:00, we fed him and he ate about half of his cereal. This is an improvement, as the day before, he would not let me feed him. Then came dinner. It was the turning point. We got giggles, babbles and lots of playing. He's been that way ever since! Last night he did wake up a few times crying. Around 2 we gave him a bottle and that was it. He was cashed until the morning. It's great to see his personality start to come out and to see the transformation of him becoming more comfortable with us.

Today we go back to the baby house to do some paperwork. It will be interesting to see how he does leaving there again. I'm hopeful it does not take too long for him to adjust back to us. I cannot imagine what is going through his little brain. After the baby house, we are heading to lunch and to the store. Then, back here for naps and play time. We are loving every minute of having him with us and can't wait to bring him home to meet everybody!!

We Met Our Boy!!

2010-01-09T07:04:00.001-08:00

Whew, what a day. After waking up in the 3:00 am hour, we were ready to head for Addis. We headed to the airport nice and early (yes, I'm a freak about being early) and headed off for Ethiopia at 8:30. The flight seemed quick as opposed to the monster length one we had yesterday. We landed, got our visas and through customs fairly quickly. However, there was nobody at the airport to meet us. Thankfully, there was a very nice man that helped Jason and called our guest house to see what was wrong. It turns out they thought we were coming tomorrow. They came to pick us up and immediately after checking into the guest house, they asked when we wanted to go to the Baby House. Of course, I said, as soon as possible. So, we headed to the Baby House one hour later (just enough time for us to shower and grap a sandwich for lunch). Poor Gabe was stressed out! Very similar to Wyatt when we met him. We were at the Baby House for about 3 hours. The first half of it, Gabe couldn't be near us without crying. By then end, both Jason and I were holding him peacefully and even playing some with him. He is absolutely precious. We decided to have him stay in the Baby House tonight and we will pick him up tomorrow. Hopefully, we will recognize us and it won't be as difficult for him.

It's now 6 pm and we're spent. Its time to grab some dinner and chill. I will not be posting pictures, because this is a dial up connection, but I've taken plenty and will post when we get back home.

I'm sure we'll sleep well tonight. Finally, the day we've been waitng 1 1/2 years for!!

Dubai

2010-01-08T10:15:00.001-08:00

After a long wait in Cincinnati (we got there extra early because it snowed all day and then we were delayed a couple of hours), we got to JFK which was a chaotic airport experience. We had to leave the secured area to get to the International Terminal, recheck in with Emirates, get a hotel confirmation from another.

we are now in Dubai, boarding a shuttle to our hotel. Then off tomorrow morning to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia...hopefully to meet Gabe on Saturday, but if not, Monday most likely.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayer.

Tomorrow is the Big Day!

2010-01-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that tomorrow, we'll be beginning our journey to Ethiopia. As you can imagine, the last week has been a whirlwind of activity and craziness. Packing, documents, wrapping up work and giving Wyatt as much attention as possible. As for our itinerary, we'll leave Cincinnati at 4:00 pm headed to New York. We leave New York for Dubai at 11:00 pm. We land in Dubai at 8:25 pm and spend the night there. The next morning, we head to Ethiopia at 8:25 and land at 11:25 am. I'm pretty sure we are not allowed to meet Gabe on the weekend, so I believe Monday will be the day we can finally get our hands on that boy!

We're not sure about whether or not we'll be able to post to our blog when we're gone. I set it up so I can email posts, but from what I understand, the Internet is pretty iffy where we are staying. We'll post as soon as possible to update everybody on the trip and most importantly Mr. Gabe.

Christmas snow!

2010-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Wyatt just enjoyed a New Year's trip to South Bend to visit with Grandma Lynne and Grandpa John and enjoyed a couple of sledding trips and snowball fights. Enjoy some footage taken with Michelle's new (and awesome) Flip camera. The favorite of ours is the first one. He's ready to hit the slopes and proved it by standing on his sled the better part of both sledding days.

Travel Dates!!!

2009-12-31T02:21:00.001-08:00

Yep, you read that right. We're working on our travel plans!! We got THE CALL yesterday evening with the news that we should plan to be in Ethiopia from January 9-15. Our embassy date is January 14. WOW! We are thrilled. We're working with a travel agent to book the flights and will hear back this morning. We are still a little shocked. I've been up since 3:30 am...when does Target open?

Gabe Video

2009-12-29T05:13:00.000-08:00

We just received this video from a family that traveled to pick up their daughter in late November. What a great Christmas present!

Merry Christmas from the Schlafer Family

2009-12-24T05:54:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Next Steps

2009-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Now that our court date is behind us (I still can't say that without smiling!), the obvious question is, "What now?". Now we are in a waiting phase (do you see a trend here?). We are waiting for an embassy appointment. The typical time frame from court date to embassy date is 6-7 weeks. Throw a few holidays in there, and it may be a little longer, but we'll see. Either way, my calculations show that to be either late January or early February. It would be awesome if we were there on Gabe's birthday, which is January 27. Until then, the staff in Ethiopia is busy completing paperwork, while we are doing some paperwork ourselves for our travel documents. When we get our embassy appointment date, we can go ahead and book our tickets. We will only be in Ethiopia for about a week. WOW! Then, its back home to start life as a family of 4! We can't wait!

We still have plenty to keep us busy from now until we travel. Jason got a jump on it by putting up the crib last weekend. Wyatt put in his own personal touch. When asked why he put helicopters on the crib, his response was "To protect him". I think he'll be a great big brother!

Wyatt Quotes

2009-12-10T18:00:00.001-08:00

Wyatt saw Gabe's picture for the first time last night. It was priceless. Here are some quotes from yesterday and today.

"Is he coming home now?!" (with his face lit up)

"Can he sleep in my room?"

"Did his teeth fall out?"

"Is he going to eat my shoes?" (don't ask...I have no idea)

"Wanna see my brover" (His announcement as he walks into school holding Gabe's picture)

"Who's belly was he in? I which he and me was in the same belly so we could be twins"

Best of all is this picture he made for him and the envelope it was in.

WE PASSED!!!

2009-12-09T15:37:00.001-08:00

Introducing Gabe Schlafer!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Nothing

2009-12-08T15:29:00.001-08:00

We know nothing about what happened in court. Frustrating is an understatement.

Praying for a Good Week

2009-12-06T05:47:00.001-08:00

We are so thankful for the amount of encouragement people have shown us over the past year and a half with Gabe's adoption. I cannot count how many people have told us directly or through others that they are praying for us and Gabe. Now that we're finally approaching our court date, the reality of the magnitude of Tuesday is really setting in. We know that by the end of this week, we'll either be on cloud nine or devastated. Regardless, we know that it is all part of a master plan that we cannot control.

We have had a lot of questions concerning what happens with our court date. Here are the details as we understand them.

On Tuesday, a representative from the agency we are going through will take our paperwork and Gabe's paperwork to court. If the judges determine all paperwork is complete, we pass. If we pass, we can expect to travel in 4-8 weeks (we have to wait for an Embassy appointment and more paperwork to be completed in Ethiopia). We will not find out our embassy dates immediately, but at least we know it would be in the next couple of months.

If all of the paperwork is not complete or to the judge's standard, we fail. If we fail, we either wait for another court date or they leave our case open and we wait without any end date set (we DO NOT want this).

There are some twists and turns thrown in the court date as well. There is a chance we don't even get heard on Tuesday. Due to my extensive blog stalking skills, I've seen plenty of cases that did not get heard on their court date due to missing paperwork, power outages or people not working that day. Also, we've learned that though our court date is scheduled for Tuesday, we may not hear anything until Wednesday. If that's the case, I apologize in advance to anybody that has to deal with me Tuesday or until we hear anything.

Well, that's it. That's all we know as of yet. Next post is the court outcome. I've got the video montage ready in the event we pass! If we fail...well, we'll just keep on trucking.

Getting Closer

2009-12-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

We're getting closer! I thought this week would drag, but have been pleasantly surprised that it is flying by. Both Jason and I have noticed our optimism for the upcoming court date is shrinking...a coping mechanism I guess. It's hard to not think of all of the things that have to be right on that day for us to pass and the inability to do anything about it. Our work was done when we turned our dossier in (in October of 2008)! Since then, its been out of our hands. I keep telling myself it will happen when its right, but man, I want it to be right on Tuesday!!!

Going Private

2009-11-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

We received our Ethiopian Travel Guide from Little Miracles last week. Included in the guide was a request to make blogs private. For that reason, we are going to make our blog private beginning next Sunday. If you would like to continue following our journey, please email me at mschlafer@yahoo.com. I'll put your email into blogger and you will receive an email inviting you to view the blog.
We completely understand the reasoning behind this request. We're kind of torn though, since we realize how much we've relied on other people's blogs (most of which we do not know) for information throughout the process of adopting both Wyatt and Gabe. Once we're back home, we will again make the blog public.
Have a great Thanksgiving!!

My Helper

2009-11-15T13:13:00.000-08:00

So I'm raking leaves today and trying to cram as many as I can into the yard waste container. Since I am a towering 5'4, I cannot reach too far into the container to pack the leaves down. I started to use the rake and then came up with a better idea. It was entertaining for all...

COURT DATE!!!

2009-11-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

We got a court date!!!! December 8. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US PASS!!!

Busy Saturday!

2009-11-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

I'm finally sitting down and breathing for the first time today. We began the day with the "Worth the Wait" Adoption Awareness 5K. Since Jason was working, I had to push Wyatt. It's been a while since I've pushed him and it felt like he's gained about 20 lbs since the last time I pushed him as well! Andrea and Lillie were there, which always makes Wyatt's day. Unfortunately we didn't have time to hang out with them afterwards because we had to go to Wyatt's first basketball game. The good news is that he actually showed interest in touching the ball, and even shoot it a couple of times. This was remarkably different than soccer. The not so good news...we got skunked! Yeah, those shots of his, they didn't reach the rim :) Its a blast to watch, regardless of the score. And with the YMCA, there are not winners and losers. Yeah right, we're 0-1.
After the game went shopping for a birthday present for one of Wyatt's classmates. After grabbing some lunch, Wyatt went down for some snoozing, which was MUCH needed. I'm now enjoying a piece of leftover birthday cake (did you know that food on and your own birthday cake don't have calories?) and getting ready to take a nap myself. Then off to the birthday party we go!

Wyatt's New Do

2009-10-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

No comment...

Care Package #2

2009-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the families I know of that had court this week have been heard. One passed, two did not. Unfortunately, we still have not been heard yet. But, the good news is, we think we've got a package carrier to Gabe :)

Maybe, Just Maybe?

2009-10-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

We learned a couple of weeks ago that we are what is considered an open court case. Therefore, we should not expect a court date, nor an update until our case has been heard in court. That will happen hopefully soon after all necessary documents are acquired. Of course, you know me, and you know I've been stalking the blogs. I know there are at least 2 families with our collaborating agency that have court dates this week. Maybe, just maybe, our paperwork will be done. Maybe, just maybe, our paperwork will accompany those families to court. Hey, a girl can hope, right?

Church Quote

2009-10-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is the quote that struck me today in church:

"Sometimes your plans have to fail in order for God’s plan to succeed"

What quote is more applicable for the Schlafer Family?

Seriously?!

2009-10-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, I'm driving today to go get Wyatt from school. I'm running a little behind, but realize I'm in good shape to get there just in the nick of time. Its 5:40, I have until 6:00 to get him and I'm only about 10 minutes away. Its raining, and my boss' last words before me leaving work were "go slow, don't hurry, the roads are wet." Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. So back to my journey. I approach the on ramp to New Circle road and hit the typical traffic. The truck in front of me is stopping, so I do so as well. Unfortunately, I did not stop quite as quickly as he did (back to the roads are wet comment) and boom, I smack into the back of his truck. No damage to his truck, but my hood is looking nice...in a ghetto kind of way. I didn't know exactly what to do. Do I call the cops? Just exchange info? What?! Jason was at a dinner for work, so I call my mom. Her and my dad recommend I call the cops in order to make an insurance claim. I agree, get out of the car to talk to the guy I hit and realize I just locked my keys in the car. Fantastic. I try frantically to call Wyatt's school to let them know I'm going to be late. I call 911 to get the cops there. I call Jason (okay stalk Jason) to get him to help me figure out what to do about the Wyatt situation. Jason calls back and gets Wyatt. After 30 minutes of waiting for the cops, Jason and I trump my parents' opinion and decide my car is isn't worth the cost of the insurance claim and rate increase. I call 911 back and tell them to cancel the cops and I exchange info with the guy in the truck. The guy was a trooper. He stayed with me until Jason could come and let me in my car. Jason shows up, lets me in my car and we decide to go to the next exit to get Wyatt from his car to mine.
We get off of the next exit at a Shell station. I get Wyatt in my car and head to the YMCA fall festival. I pull up to a stop light (to leave the parking lot) and I'm in the right turn lane. The light is red and I ease of the brakes to see if I can go. Being cautious (since I just wrecked and all) I decide not to go. However, the car behind me had a little different opinion. Oppsie poopsie, they bump into me. This time, no damage done to either car. In fact, they barely bumped me. Thank goodness.
So, my friends, try to top that. Two wrecks and locking your keys in your car...all between 5:40 and 6:40 on a Friday evening. Not quite my idea of Happy Hour.

2009-10-18T11:33:00.001-07:00

We saw this video today in church. Very powerful. This family has unbelievable strength and faith. Watching this makes me realize its time to stop the whining and complaining about what is not happening and start being grateful for the amazing life we've been given.

Court Update

2009-10-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Nope, still no court date, but we've gotten some updates. The latest update is that dates are definitely being given. In fact, that agency that ours works with got 5 assigned yesterday. They check daily with the courts to see if new dates have been assigned. Unfortunately, the courts are not assigned according to the dates they were filed. Therefore, many families that have been waiting for a long time are still waiting. Many families that have been waiting much longer than us.
So, we're still being patient (well, kind of). Hopefully we'll hear something soon. Maybe I'll get a court date for my birthday!

Wyatt's First Field Trip

2009-10-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today was Wyatt's first school field trip. Thankfully, it happened to be over my fall break so I could go with him. So off we went to Bi-Water Farm in Georgetown, KY. We had a great time! I'll save you the details and just the pictures tell the story.

Courts Open This Week

2009-10-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Ethiopian courts open this week. Andrea (our awesome LMI coordinator) called me Friday and gave me the most recent update on Gabe. They are working on some paperwork that is required to pass court. They were asked to get additional documentation and the staff in Ethiopia, as well as the Ethiopian Family Services, are on the case to get everything complete. Their goal was to have it done prior to the courts reopening. I guess we'll find out this week if that happened or not. It is comforting to know they are going through the effort to call in additional support to get everything needed to declare him officially ours.
We'll obviously update as soon as we hear anything. I can tell you that we have a ton of pictures of the little guy. I cannot explain how huge his eyes are. He always appears happy. It is clear in the pictures that the baby house is a great place and the caregivers genuinely care about the children. That is one of the only things that keeps us sane through this process.

The Great Pumpkin

2009-10-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has a new addiction..."Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". If we've watched it once, we've watched it 1000 times. The kid has been bringing letters home from school for the Great Pumpkin. I can't work up the nerve to break the news that there is no Great Pumpkin. Only 20 more days until Halloween and we can move on to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I've never seen it and I don't know what it entails, but I'm ready for the departure of our pumpkin friend.
In honor of our new BFF, The Great Pumpkin, we got a pumpkin this week. We painted it first and kept it on our kitchen table for a few days. It got promoted to the front steps and within 24 hours a downpour of rain cleared away our painted masterpiece. We headed out to Target and got a pumpkin carving kit. The results are below.

On our way to Target, Wyatt had Jason and me cracking up. The conversation went as follows:
Wyatt: There are 5 people in our house
Us: Who are they? Name them.
Wyatt: Wyatt, Jason, Michelle, Heathrow (our cat) and Bob (Wyatt's fish)
Us: There are 5 living things, but only 3 people.
Wyatt: What are living things?
Us: Things that breathe.
Wyatt: Bob can breathe in water?
Us: Yep
Wyatt: (Without skipping a beat and completely amazed) Holy Smokes, how does he do that?

And Another One

2009-10-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, another delay. The Ethiopian courts are now not scheduled to open until mid-October. I'm speechless. And if you know me, that's hard to accomplish. I wish I was confident this waiting would end soon. Unfortunately, I'm not.

Almost October

2009-09-23T17:27:00.001-07:00

Four months ago, we were anxiously awaiting our court date that was scheduled for two short weeks later. Then came the abandonment investigation. Although disappointed, we understood the reasoning behind ensuring adoptions were being conducted in a lawful and ethical manner. Waiting without knowing when courts would open was tough. The anticipation and race of getting courts reopened and assigned another court date prior to the annual closure was unexplainable. The courts opened and began passing cases in late July. Although we tried our best to not get our hopes up, we were completely deflated when the courts closed again in late August without us having passed court. Blog stalking didn't work in my favor during this process. Reading day after day about families passing was discouraging to say the least. Obviously we were thrilled for those families, but I'm not going to try to kid myself or you into thinking there wasn't some jealousy there. We dreaded the closure, but when it happened, a weird peace came over us. We realized the day to day anticipation was gone. We knew there was no opportunity to be assigned a court date until October. During this time, we began receiving pictures of Gabe. Our son, that we first saw a picture at 7 weeks of age is now 8 months old. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to send him a package and get pictures of him prior to meeting him. The faith and knowledge of "it will happen when its right" and "everything happens for a reason" became our belief in the adventure of meeting our son.
But now here we are...one week before the end of September. One week before October. Two weeks before courts reopen. WE ARE THRILLED that courts will be opening and the opportunity for us to finally meet and bring Gabe home are upon us, yet something weird has happened. The feelings are coming back. The anxious, stressful and desperate need for updates and progress feelings are back. Not what I was wanting or anticipating, but here they are. Please let us get a quick court date and pass!

Why am I blogging this? I'm not quite sure. I guess you could consider it a warning label. Moody Woman on Board.

Wyatt Pops the Question

2009-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Wyatt is home sick today. We've been hanging low - coloring, writing, reading, movies, etc. Lots of mom and Wyatt time. Lots of time for quality conversation. After reading our 8th book (not an exaggeration), "Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born," Wyatt popped the question.

Wyatt - "How do babies get out of tummies?"
Me - "Huh?"
Wyatt - "How do babies get out of tummies?"
Me - "Let's talk about that another time"
Wyatt - "I want to know now"
Me - "The doctor gets it out"
Wyatt - "How, with a needle?
Me - "Want to watch Scooby Doo?"

Soccer Season

2009-09-13T16:28:00.001-07:00

Wyatt's first soccer game was Saturday. Actually, Wyatt's first official game of any sort. While unpacking our chairs from the car and heading to the soccer fields, I remembered the many days my parents spent doing that exact thing. Its hard to believe I'm now starting that very adventure with my kid. We were anxious to see how Wyatt would do. The majority of his first practice was spent playing in the dirt. On the ride there, I was giving him the "no hands, no pushing" pep talk. He definitely listened to the "no hands" part. The "no pushing", well, its all relative I guess. Nothing red card worthy, but enough to make his presence known. A few body bumps never hurt anybody! The game was hilarious. Kids running all over, in one big blob after the ball. Here's some pictures of the initial game. In case you are wondering, he's playing for the YMCA, so they don't keep score. Therefore, there is no official winner. However, I will say (unofficially) the Fire are 1-0...undefeated!

Wyatt the Movie Star

2009-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm going to let Wyatt do the talking here. He's been back in school for 3 weeks. This is one of the first things he learned...

They do a letter of the week in his class. Last week was "A". I've had this song in my head for a week now...

PS...Notice the new hairdo.

Pictures!

2009-09-03T02:13:00.000-07:00

Nope, no pictures for you. But we were so excited to receive lots of emails from Kristine (who just came back with her daughter from Ethiopia) with pictures of Gabe. She was kind enough to take him a package from us; which he has in some of the pictures. He looks very healthy and happy, which makes this wait a a little more bearable. According her her, he's an active, crawling, sweet little guy. Hurry up, September! Courts open back up in October and we are praying for a quick court date!!

What a Week!

2009-08-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

The past week has been busy to say the least. School started for Wyatt last Wednesday, we had our first friend weekend sleep over and we threw in a birthday party into the mix on Saturday. Some things we learned over the past couple of days are:
1. Our house isn't ample for a family of 4...especially 2 boys. If anyone is looking for a house in Lexington, I can hook you up.
2. Bounce U Rocks!! And they can make a killing off of parents looking to zap some energy out of their kids.
3. Preschool is a God send. If you know me, you know this is not anything new I learned this year. I could go on for days about the importance Early Childhood Education. Now you throw in a little personal experience with my kid and I could go on forever. I cannot wait to see the gains he makes this year.

Funny Story of the Week: The letter of the week is "A". I was at the store, so I bought an apple. I get home give him the whole "I got you a surprise at the store, it starts with a letter A. What do you think it is?" speal. His response.... A (emphasis on the long a sound) Lunchable! Wrong!!! The look on his face was priceless when I took that apple out of the bag. It was the look you gave the person handing out toothbrushes instead of the chocolate on Halloween. I guess I better start thinking more creatively about the letter B. Any suggestions?

Oh, and the spider man suit picture. That was taken on our walk today. He was wringing wet from sweat, but he was dead set on wearing that. Some battles just aren't worth fighting.

Reality Check

2009-08-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

It hit me this weekend. I've been blissfully naive in hoping that we could get our court date prior to the closure. However, we believe this Friday is the day courts close until October. We don't know this for sure, as our agency has not given us specific dates, but everything we read (which we can't confirm as accurate, but fairly consistent) points to Friday as the dreaded day. What does this mean. MORE WAITING. Waiting until at least October for a court date. We went from hoping to travel in late June (our first scheduled court date was June 5), to now hoping we will travel in 2009. Am I being pessimistic? Possibly. But sometimes, the optimism can override the reality that has simply slapped me in the face. With that said, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that there is a piece of me that still is hopeful we'll be surprised by a "you passed court" call. A girl can hope, right!?

Enough of me feeling sorry for myself!!! We are so grateful for the past couple of weeks in which we've seen updated pictures of Gabe. Wait until you see these eyes! There is a family traveling to Ethiopia this Friday to meet their daughter and they are taking Gabe a care package from us, as well as taking more pictures. We cannot wait to hear all about him and see even more pictures of our boy!! We cannot thank them enough for doing this for us. It definitely makes the waiting a little more bearable.

Wyatt is Four!!!

2009-08-15T13:58:00.001-07:00

What just happened? How is it that my kid is four?! I remember looking at him (oh about 3 years ago) and thinking, I'll always think of you as a baby. Well, that baby grew into a toddler and now a boy. I'm having a little issue accepting this! It's amazing how every year, I claim "this is my favorite age" and of course, that holds true for 4. Now don't get me wrong, Wyatt was a little more angelic in his earlier years. But this past year, the personality has taken over. The Wyatt spunk that only he has. The spunk that I love more than anything and the same one that sometimes has the potential to put me in the loony bin. Its that spunk that keeps us on our toes, looking at each other and laughing, wondering where in the world did this kid come from!!! Regardless where he came from or what in the world he's said or done, he's our big four year old that we wouldn't change for the world.

Weekend of Camps

2009-08-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend. Friday was Wyatt's family night at his summer camp, so I got to experience Pepperhill camp first hand. My boy suckered me into being the only adult in the pool, but I couldn't turn him down. He went from clinging on to dear life at the beginning of summer to running and jumping into the pool (with a life jacket on). I could have died when I saw him do it for the first time. We also went on a hayless hay ride. This is where I heard Wyatt's first witnessed flirting attempt. Wyatt had been talking about his "girlfriend" Megan all week. So, we're on this ride and the one and only Megan spots him and comes to sit next to him. And then, in a tone you can only imagine, Wyatt says "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Megan right over." What...did I just hear that? I could have died! And I had nobody there to laugh with!

Saturday we went camping with some friends. This was our first camping trip (and my first since I was about 6 and camping in my aunt's yard with my cousins). Apparently Jason and my aunt have a difference of opinion in tents. I prefer the tent that you can stand up in. He prefers the kind that you all but have to slither into. Regardless we all packed our hind-tails in it for some close family fun. Well, until it stormed and the one not-so-waterproof part of the tent was over my face. Being the great wife that I am, I wake Jason up and make him switch spots with him. I have since been shopping on-line for tents because we really did have a blast. Wyatt ate his weight in S'mores and even found a snail on the outside of our tent. It's amazing how much you can relax in such a short period of time without TV, phones or computers!

Finally, Wyatt has been golfing with Jason. Personally, I'd rather eat my arm than shoot 9 holes, but I'm all for the boys going out for an afternoon round. My parents got Wyatt some clubs this summer and Jason's teaching him the basics. Keep it up kid...you either need to be really smart or athletic, cause college ain't cheap!

No Fingerprints for You!

2009-07-29T18:14:00.001-07:00

Are we on candid camera? Is this all a sick joke? Jason and I both take half days to go to Louisville to get our fingerprints done today since they expire in September. We get there are are thrilled to see a waiting room with only one person in it. We go to sign in and then learn that we have to get a number assigned to us prior to getting our fingerprints done and we have to get the number from the office upstairs. No big deal, right...WRONG! That office is closed on Wednesdays. After staring at the man like he was speaking French and our blood pressure going through the roof we head out to the car. After a little venting, we decided to spend the day in Louisville and have dinner as planned at the Ethiopian dinner.

We ended up finding some really cute clothes for Wyatt at the mall and really enjoyed dinner. We weren't quite sure what to order, so we ordered a sampler platter appetizer and a mixed plate for dinner. We each had our favorite and ate ourselves pretty full. Anybody know hoe many Points in Ethiopian food? :) I'm guessing on a day like today, it's all zero Points...including my Dairy Queen dessert!

"Put Me In Coach...I'm Ready to Play...Today"

2009-07-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

The good news is that the Ethiopian courts are hearing and passing abandonment cases as again. Actually, this is fantastic news. Things are moving in the right direction. We are thrilled for the families that are passing court and getting ready to bring those babies home! However, I'd be denying the obvious if I didn't admit, I feel a little burn inside. Like sitting on the bench in a championship game. You're thrilled to be winning, but are dying to be in the game. I feel like screaming "put me in the (Bleep, Bleep) game! But, here we are, still hanging out, spitting sunflower seeds. Hopefully this week brings the news we're dying for.

We're headed to Louisville tomorrow to update our fingerprints. Isn't that interesting. Who would think of all things, we'd have to update fingerprints. I'm perplexed by that. After that, Jason and I are headed to an Ethiopian restaurant. We've only eaten Ethiopian food once and we both enjoyed it, so we're looking forward to another great experience.

Hopefully, next post, we'll be bragging about a court date or some updated pictures...something!! Stay posted...

2009-07-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

We've gotten a lot of questions about the progress of Gabe's adoption lately. Unfortunately, we have little to report concerning Gabe's case specifically. Ethiopian adoptions in general are making progress. As we understand it, the ban is lifted and new court dates have been assigned to lots of families. Unfortunately, we are not one of those families. We are one of the many families still constantly checking emails hoping for good news; keeping our cell phones by our side, waiting for a call to hear the date that's been put on hold a month and a half now. We read lots of rumors about the date court closes for rainy season, but without word from our agency, we cannot believe what we read. Too often I've allowed what I read to give me too much hope and end feeling worse. We know that it all will happen when its right, and that is what keeps us sane right now. We'll obviously update as soon as we hear any news.

On a more uplifting note, Jason and Wyatt had a priceless conversation today before Wyatt's nap. It went as follows:
Wyatt: I want to see Jesus.
Jason: You will someday.
Wyatt: Where does he live?
Jason: In your heart and in heaven.
Wyatt : In here? (pointing to his chest)
Jason: What are you doing? (as Wyatt is now putting his hand in his mouth and fingers almost down his throat)
Wyatt: I want Jesus to see my hand

Never a dull moment with this kid!!!

Love MochaClub.org

2009-07-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Destin

2009-06-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Kim found a good one. Any man that can vacation, get married and spend his honeymoon...all while sharing a 3 bedroom condo with his new in-laws, is a keeper!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Summertime

2009-05-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Wyatt's last day of school was last Wednesday. His first year wrapped up with a performance titled "On the Road Again". I never thought I'd hear my 3 year old sing Willy Nelson. Just like the last one, it was great. We cannot be happier with our experience with Immanuel Baptist this year. It's hard to believe his first year of school is done...but to think we have 14 more to go, I think I can handle it!

On another note, this Friday is our scheduled court date for Gabe. However, the abandonment cases are still be investigated, therefore, we're still on hold. It would take a miracle for the investigation to be complete before Friday. I've become a blog stalker looking for any small detail about the investigation. I found one site where people post what their agency shares with them. Then, that blog links to a venting and rumor blog. I love that one! I think there are a lot of people out there with the same feeling as me...hearing anything at all about the investigation is better than nothing. And even it if is just hearing somebody vent, it helps. I can't help but wonder how much Gabe has changed since the one picture we have of him was taken. I know it will all happen when the time is right...I just hope that is soon!!

Speed Bump

2009-05-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have heard that the Ethiopian Justice System has determined it to be in the best interest of its children to temporarily stop hearing the cases of abandoned children. There is no effect of which we are aware on the cases of children whose parents have relinquished their parental rights. Evidently, the number of cases of abandoned children is rising rapidly and the Ethiopian Government has found several cases of fraud. According to many other blogs we've read, the Ethiopian government is investigating each agency before hearing any of these children's cases. Although our agency and Gabe's case have been cleared, we must wait until all agencies have been investigated prior to our case being heard in court.

A couple of things that we are comfortable are true:

-Ethiopian people and their government care about and love their children and are acting in what they have determined to be in the best interest of those children.

-Our agency (Little Miracles) has always been and will continue to be a true ally for us and for orphans

-Despite being aware of these truths, this is an incredibly difficult setback with which to deal.

Please take a moment to view the video below for a moving look at the positive work some good people to help children. Thanks for reading.

2009-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Drawn from Water from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

At The Car Wash...

2009-05-10T18:15:00.001-07:00

My Mother's Day Present

2009-05-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

Good News All Around!

2009-04-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a great 24 hours! It began yesterday when my sister Kim got engaged! Congrats Kim, and welcome to the family, Kevin and Sawyer. We are so excited for all of them and Wyatt will be thrilled that Saywer will be at Kim's all of the time now.

Then today's big news...We got a court date...June 5! What does this mean?? It means on June 5th our paperwork and Gabe's paperwork go in front of a judge in Ethiopia to determine if we can legally become his parents. The likelihood of passing court on the June 5th...pretty slim. It seems to be the trend for families to fail court the first time. The courts may want more paperwork from us or Gabe. If we do fail, most court cases are reassigned approximately one month later. But, having an initial date is a step in the right direction. We know he'll legally be ours soon, we just have to be patient. Then, a couple of weeks to a month after passing court we head to Ethiopia to bring him home!

Family Day

2009-04-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm late. We celebrated on time, but I'm late getting pictures posted from that weekend. Our family day with Wyatt was March 20. We decided to spend the weekend in Cincinnati to spend the night in a hotel and go to the aquarium. Instead of writing a boring old post, I've decided to write a poem.

Its so hard to believe
How fast three years flies.
It doesn't seem that long ago
We couldn't sooth those intense cries.

Now here you are.
Three quick years later
You cheer for the CATS
And despise the Gator.

You've developed such charm
And quite a bit of spunk.
We call it personality.
Sometimes a punk :)

Regardless, you're sweet as sugar
Most of everyday
You're quick to make friends
Your smiles brighten our day.

You like to push buttons
Mostly of Mom and Dad.
You make up for it with kisses
When you see us sad.

You'll do anything you can
To get a giggle.
Anytime time you hear music
You can't help but wiggle.

You are 100% boy
No lack of testosterone here
Airplane, helicoptors, trains
You hold all of them dear.

You're a miracle of God
We know this to be true.
Everyday we thank him.
For the amazing gift of you.

Referral!!!

2009-04-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this,but, we got our referral for Baby Gabe last Wednesday!! And when I say baby, I mean baby. He's only 2 months old!! LMI called us with the big news last Wednesday. We obviously accepted the referral and now paperwork is being processed to apply for a court date.

Sorry, the rules say that we aren't allowed to post his picture or other identifying information until we clear through the Ethiopian court system.

Wyatt had quite a spring break last week. First, he took a road trip with the University of Kentucky Band and Cheerleaders on a trip to South Bend, Indiana for the Wildcat Basketball game versus Notre Dame. Unfortunately, Wyatt's loyalty swung easily and he chanted at the game "Let's Go Irish!". He then spent the remainder of the week with his Grandparents in South Bend. Mom and Dad headed to Atlanta where Mom ran the ING Georgia Half Marathon. On Tuesday, Mom met Grandma in Indianapolis where Wyatt spent a 1/2 day in heaven (Indianapolis Children's Museum).

Next step in the process to bring Gabe home is for us to obtain a court date...we'll keep you posted.

Star Thrower Dinner

2009-03-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

Just over a week ago we had our Star Thrower Dinner to celebrate international adoption and educate our friends and family about our process and Ethiopia in general. We were humbled by the turn out and funds raised through this dinner. The support was amazing and the night was perfect. A lot of people put a great deal of work into this evening and we cannot thank them enough!!

Gabe Update - We are still waiting for a referral. Fingers crossed, we'll see his little face soon!

Wyatt Quotes

2009-02-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

We had an ice storm Monday and Tuesday, so I've been home with Wyatt all week. With Wyatt, that means lots of conversation. Here were some of the highlights:

1. Me: Sarah, Whistle and Brady are coming over for the Super Bowl.
Wyatt: What's in it?

2. Jason: Saying who knows what, just being a smarty pants (I know...surprising)
Me: Wyatt, Dad is picking on me. Will you stick up for me?
Wyatt: (Gives me a hug, leans into Jason's face and in his deepest voice and scrunched face says) Be nice to Mom or I'll make
bleed come out of your face. (then hugs me again)

3. Jason: Wyatt, do you want something to drink?
Wyatt: From where?
Jason: Starbucks
Wyatt: I want an appletizer (He had an apple fritter last time, and we've been talking about appetizers for the Super Bowl)
Jason: Do you mean an apple doughnut?
Wyatt: Yes, the one with speed bumps.

Never a dull moment.

The Star Thrower Fund

2009-01-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

As you have noticed, we have a new link titled the Star Thrower Fund. Great friends and family have developed The Star Thrower Fund (made possible through Kentucky Christian Foundation) to help orphans and families pursing international adoption. Our adoption of Gabe is the first beneficiary of the fund. Contributions to the Star Thrower Fund are 100% tax deductable and once our adoption is complete, our goal is the Star Thrower Fund will continue to serve its purpose with other families pursuing internatioal adoption. If you would like to donate to the Star Thrower Fund, please click the link to the right. Please enjoy the Star Thrower Story below:

The Star Thrower Story by Joel Barker
Inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley

There’s a story I would like to share with you. It was inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley. Eiseley was a very special person because he combined the best of two cultures. He was a scientist and a poet. And from those two perspectives he wrote insightfully and beautifully about the world and our role in it.
Once upon a time, there was a wise man, much like Eiseley himself, who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently
throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young man paused, looked up and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in they’ll die."
“But young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. “It made a difference for that one!”
His response surprised the man. He was upset. He didn’t know how to reply. So instead, he turned away and walked back to the cottage to begin his writings.
All day long as he wrote, the image of the young man haunted him. He tried to ignore it, but the vision persisted. Finally, late in the afternoon he realized that he the scientist, he the poet, had missed out on the essential nature of the young man’s actions. Because he realized that what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the universe and make a difference. He was embarrassed. That night he went to bed troubled. When the morning came he awoke knowing that he had to do something. So he got up, put on his clothes, went to the beach and found the young man. And with him he spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish into the ocean.

Letter To Santa

2008-12-24T04:23:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

We Need Africa

2008-12-20T04:31:00.000-08:00

Silent Night

2008-11-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

They've been practicing for the Christmas program at school. Here is a sneak preview.

We've Landed...

2008-11-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

Our dossier is now in Ethiopia! That always seems like a big step when everything you've done up to this point arrives in the same country as your child. I feel like I'm having deja vu from a couple of years ago! The anxious feelings I had nearly 3 years ago are coming back again :) I'm thankful that this time we have Wyatt to keep us so busy so we don't go insane again waiting! Next step = referral! As many of you know, we did not receive a referral for Wyatt so this will be a new experience for us. The time frame is 3-6 months for a referral, so it could be a while. Hopefully with the holidays, time will fly.

We've Been Elfed!

2008-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

The Schlafer's have gone country...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Wyatt's Whoopie Cushion

2008-11-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kim, we've found one thing that can make Wyatt belly laugh like no other...a Whoopie Cushion! This video, however, documents the end of Whoppie Cushion #1 (listen for the pop). Note to self: Car seats and whoopie cushions don't mix.

Nursery Rhymes, Wyatt Style

2008-10-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here is Wyatt's rendition of "Little Miss Muffet". Earlier today, he told me that he is the spider and I am Miss Muffet and he'd scream at me, similar to what you're about to see. He has to put that "boy" twist on everything!

Some Random Pictures

2008-10-26T17:48:00.001-07:00

No really good stories to share, so here are some random pictures and a video.

We sat down to eat and Wyatt busted this out. I had never heard it before. It is one of my Wyatt favorites.

This is Wyatt's Fire Station that he made by himself. The firemen came to his school last week. We have heard no less than 50 times that playing with matches is dangerous. I am impresses with his "stop, drop and roll" technique.

Wyatt was a "sketelon" (Wyatt's pronunciation of skeleton) for the YMCA Fall Celebration.

These are the spider cupcakes we made for Wyatt's Fall Celebration at school tomorrow. I think the kids will love them...the teachers may not be fond of the spider rings, but hey, its all about the kids, right?

Wyatt gets a kick out of it when we make pancakes that spell his name. He loves that he can recognize a "W"!

"Sour Cream and Sprinkles" take pancakes from good to perfection. Wyatt refers to whipped cream as sour cream...you should see the faces when he orders that at restaurants.

Another first...and hopefully last!

2008-10-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

Wyatt had his first (and fingers crossed, last) surgery today. He had hernia that he was apparently born with, but we just noticed it. Everything went well, minus the 3 hour wait prior to the surgery, which wasn't too bad, just long.. Thank goodness for the car for him to play with. His behavior was remarkable considering the limit space for 3 hours! We went around and around this little square to occupy ourselves. The procedure itself took less than an hour. By the time we were able to see him, he was sitting on a nurse's lap talking about dragons. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly suprised to say the least. We came home and except for a little dizziness at first, he was pretty much back to normal. He was ready to watch his new movie (Aladdin) and open his presents from Madeline and Grandma. In fact, those were about the first words he said to us...I want to go home and open my presents!
He seems to be in very little pain - just a few complains here and there. He has been on a pretty regular motrin/tylenol schedule though. We'll see what tomorrow holds. Here are some pictures from today.

Wyatt in his car. They took him up to the Operating Room in this. It kept the tears away...well at least until he was out of our sight.

Wyatt reading Mom a book. I never knew "The Last Lecture" was about Nemo, Dora and a pond.

Wyatt checking everything out.

Dad and Wyatt in the waiting room.

Dad and Wyatt calming their nerves by watching some construction while waiting for our name to be called.

We LOVE Fall Break!!

2008-10-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

I've been on Fall Break all week, which means lots of Mom and Wyatt time. He still goes to school while I "work" on my graduate school portfolio. But before and after school, we've enjoyed reading, making craft, playing outside feeding the duck and going to the playground.

Wyatt's quote of the day. He came up to me with a picture of me, my sister and my Grandma.
Wyatt - "That's you. That's Kim."
Me - "Yep"
Wyatt - "Who is that?" (pointing to my Grandma)
Me- "That's my Grandma."
Wyatt - "Where is she?"
Me- "She died." (instantly thinking that was going to prompt way to many questions!)
Wyatt - "Why?"
Me - "She went to be with Jesus"
Wyatt - "You need a Grandma. I'll share mine"
He automatically got on Santa's nice list for the day!!

The simple fact that he is sitting still warrants a picture!

The ducks can be a little aggressive, so Wyatt stands on the bench to avoid any contact.

We always get the "Don't throw rocks at the ducks" speech before throwing rocks into the water.

This is my new favorite picture.

Yes, my kid is from Kentucky. He is giving out a big "Yee-Haw" in this picture. Sad, but true.

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great time carving pumpkins today. Wyatt amazed us when he referenced carving pumpkins at Grandma and Grandpa's last year. This year, the highlight was when the seeds flew all over when Wyatt was trying to scoop them out.

Wyatt's Quote of the Day:
(After being warned that if he keeps making bad choice he'll be on Santa's naughty list - no, I'm not above bribing with Santa in October) "I want to be on Santa's Airplane List"

Finally...Fall!

2008-10-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome Fall! Time for carmel apples and the pumpkin patch!

Soul Mates

2008-09-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Circus

2008-09-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

1 bag of cotton candy stuffed in a cheap hat = $12
1 1/2 packages of fruit snacks = $0.50
1 1/2 boxes of popcorn = $4.50
1 sprite = $3.00
1 coloring book = $4.00
Wyatt's first circus = Priceless

Officially Waiting

2008-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

As of last Thursday, we are officially waiting for a referral. We found out today that the earliest we should expect a referral would be in 4 months. I'm not even going to mention the possible length of time it could take. So, maybe the first viewing of Gabe will ring in the new year, or be our Valentine's present. Either way, we know he'll appear when the time is right. If you've kept up with our blog from the beginning, you know the whole referral thing is very foreign to us. However, we look forward to the day when we can look at his picture and put a face with the name of the boy in a far away place that we already call our son.

Dossier Is In The Mail

2008-09-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

We sent off our dossier to Little Miracles yesterday! It is a huge relief to have that completed and out of our hands. One mile stone down and lots to go. We've gotten lots of questions about when we'll go there and when Gabe will be home. We know the process could take between 7 and 12 months total (we're already 3+ months in). We are not sure of specific time lines yet, but are we'll keep you updated as we find them out!

Wyatt's ABC's

2008-09-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Preschool has paid off...Wyatt knows his ABC's!

"Jesus Loves Me"

2008-09-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

Wyatt's new song. We went to teach him the other day and he already knew the whole thing! I guess we learned what they do in Church.

Gabe Update

2008-09-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

We have definitely been slacking in terms of giving updates on the process of Gabe's adoption - mostly because we are at a standstill ourselves. We are currently waiting for our I-171H from Louisville. This is the document that allows us to bring an orphan into the country and it must be included in our dossier. We still have a little to do on our dossier, but that will take no time. Actually, we could probably get it done in an afternoon, if we'd actually set the time aside and do it. But, until we get that paperwork back from Louisville, we can't send it off anyways. So, fingers crossed, we'll get it in the mail this week!

The Zoo

2008-09-01T12:44:00.001-07:00

We went to the Louisville Zoo this weekend and had a great time. Again, Wyatt's favorite was the cranes. We're all a little baffled by that, but oh well. His quote of the day. He was in a van (see picture) and we asked where he was going. His response..."I'm going to 'Opia to get Gabe. I'll be back in a minute." We about died.

Horse Park

2008-08-24T06:22:00.001-07:00

The Horse Park had a free family day yesterday. We met up with some friends and had lots of fun on the inflatables. We learned a lesson in waiting in lines - which is especially fun when its 90 degrees with a 3 year old! Here are some pictures from his favorite obstacle course inflatable.

Wyatt's Big Wheel

2008-08-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

We all remember doing this...

And the follow up conversation...

First Week of School

2008-08-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Whoever said time flies obviously had kids! Wyatt began school this week. He now goes to preschool for half a day and an after school program at the same church. So far, so good. When we picked him up yesterday he said he had fun, but when told he was going back again, he decided he'd rather stay at home. Join the club kid! So, as you can see from the breakfast photo, he needed a little pep talk, but he did just great! We had a little confusion in the schedule, so we walked him to school on his 2nd day of preschool instead of his first, but hey, its still within the first week!
Both days the teachers have said, "he said something funny today." Am I the only one who gets a little nervous when they hear that? Today's quote..."I have a sister, Gabe. He can walk." Yes, he would be talking about his brother, Gabe, who currently lives in Ethiopia, who we said Wyatt can teach how to walk. I guess for a 3 year old, he summed it up okay!! The teacher was confused, but we understood exactly what he was talking about.
Here are some pictures from the yesterday and today.

Better Together

2008-08-16T20:43:00.001-07:00