Saturday, March 30, 2013
$50 for $20 fundraiser
Hello Family and Friends,
We are excited to share an opportunity with you that will help us to fundraise for our adoption as well as benefit those who make a thoughtful contribution in our support. As you all know, We have been on a journey to adopt Misha and Judah from Bulgaria for some time now. We have finally made it to the final stretch and will be going to pick them up any time now, but we still need to raise $2,000 for the final agency fees plus $8000 for travel costs (airlines, hotels, food).
In order to alleviate a portion of the cost, we have partnered with Coupaide to jumpstart a fundraising campaign that will give us the chance to reach out to family, friends, friends of friends, and so on. Coupaide offers $50 Restaurant.com certificates for only $20! Half of each sale will go towards our adoption, which has the potential to make a great difference in regard to the overall cost.
Restaurant.com offers certificates for thousands of restaurants in cities all across the United States. These certificates make great gifts, never expire, and can be used immediately upon your donation.
There are two ways you can support our fundraising campaign:
1.) Purchase a Restaurant.com certificate on our personalized Coupaide website.
2.) Forward this e-mail on to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors – help us to share our story and bring Misha and Judah home!
We thank you for your support and we invite you to check out our campaign!
http://coupaide.com/beck-adoption-fundraiser
(please note, if you are taken to another family's page after registering, please come back here and click the link again to make sure you are buying from us... I'm working with them to fix this problem)
http://continuingourjourney.blogspot.com
Sincerely,
Paul and Ashlee
Friday, March 22, 2013
If only in my dreams
I saw you today. By accident. I had the kids and we stopped to use the rest room somewhere. I really had to go! The bathroom was busy,so many people. My girls waited right outside the door. As I was walking into a stall a woman came in and stood you by a wall and walked into a stall. I glanced over.
MISHA!
"Misha" I screamed!
I ran to you. You were saying "mama!mama!"
I scooped you up. Several ladies came running over. They were telling each other I was his mom it was ok to hold him for a minute. Then the woman took his rom me and I said bye bye, paka paka and you said "bye bye" in English! I was so proud. You were screaming and crying and the women said this is torture to see me and not be able to go with me. I agreed. Those screams.
I woke up.
You aren't here. I can't bump into you at a public restroom. My heart hurts today as I long to have you and your brother in my arms. I miss you so much. My dream felt so real. I felt you in my arms. I saw you as plain as day. That face. That furrowed brow. That smile that lights up a room when you saw me.
I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't. So I prayed. I prayed for you and your brother and I prayed for a march court date and travel dates super soon. I prayed you would remember me when i come back and you arent mad at me for leaving. I miss you so much my love.
The day I get to take you out of the orphanage will be the day no matter what that you will never have to leave my arms again.
Be blessed
MISHA!
"Misha" I screamed!
I ran to you. You were saying "mama!mama!"
I scooped you up. Several ladies came running over. They were telling each other I was his mom it was ok to hold him for a minute. Then the woman took his rom me and I said bye bye, paka paka and you said "bye bye" in English! I was so proud. You were screaming and crying and the women said this is torture to see me and not be able to go with me. I agreed. Those screams.
I woke up.
You aren't here. I can't bump into you at a public restroom. My heart hurts today as I long to have you and your brother in my arms. I miss you so much. My dream felt so real. I felt you in my arms. I saw you as plain as day. That face. That furrowed brow. That smile that lights up a room when you saw me.
I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't. So I prayed. I prayed for you and your brother and I prayed for a march court date and travel dates super soon. I prayed you would remember me when i come back and you arent mad at me for leaving. I miss you so much my love.
The day I get to take you out of the orphanage will be the day no matter what that you will never have to leave my arms again.
Be blessed
Thursday, March 21, 2013
World Down Syndrome Day
Today 3-21 is world Down syndrome day. 3 copies of the 21st chromosome is Down syndrome.
This year I didn't get to do anything or plan anything. We had a full day of appointments for Micah. It was our first meeting with the behavioral therapist. She was explaining things to me that helped me but also hurt because I just know that he has fetal alcohol syndrome. The things she was saying made sense.
With all the appointments and therapies we were able to have lunch together just me and him and that was nice. He wore his buddy walk shirt as did I and he even had mismatched crazy socks on.
Next year will hopefully be better. We will all be home together and have the new routine down, I hope.
We did however finish the night off happy happy happy. Took Big sister to karate and played at the park then put on some Toby Mac in the car and sang and danced. Micah was very chatty tonight. He even ferried to himself at Micah Mac. lol.
Here is a video from yesterday but its the kids fav song and we sung it tonight too just didn't record it. Boy has some serious moves. Haha
Happy world Down syndrome day!
Be blessed
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Finalization Day for Micah
Today at 9:59am Micah was no longer property of CPS, no longer an orphan. We are his forever mom and dad.
Things have been getting better with him and us. Their were diagnosis never told to us by CPS. Why? Because for 5 years he never had any medical care. For 5 years he lived in an abusive foster home where they thought Down Syndrome was something he would one day outgrow. For 4 of those years he was legally free for adoption and homestudies, hundreds of them were sent each year. The case worker was turned in over and over again and nothing was done. Adoption would mean the case worker would have to actually work and he didnt want to do that. So my child was forgotten, not worth a family or love or food or proper care just because he has down syndrome. This happened not in a 3rd world country but in America.
They sit in their offices and are entrusted to so many children. Children who they say are better off not in their biological family. I have to wonder if that is true? My child was taken away from his drug addicted birthparents at one year old. His 14 yr old brother ran away and CPS didnt look for him. They placed my son with a relative and then when they finally went to check on him (only after CPS repeatedly could not get a hold of the people who had my child) he was back with his birthmom. The family member who took him gave him back. Then CPS took him and gave him to the foster family.
At 2 he became legally free for adoption. So many families had tried to adopt him. When we heard about him 4 years later it would take almost another whole year before we found out if he was even still available for adoption. I called, my case worker called, rarely did they answer their phones there. I finally got a hold of someone who told me that there had to be the right number of homestudies in order to get a child adopted. I bought the bull they were selling. We waited.
A lot of what we are dealing with with our child now is from years of abuse. Every kind of abuse, if you understand me. Things we wish we had known before hand so we could have made a decision based on the facts. It was CPS' job to know. It was my child's right to have medical care, a safe place to live, therapy, food, an education. All things denied to him. Because he was denied the basic of human rights he is the person he is today. They robbed him of a life.
If you or I had done that we would be charged with a crime. The child would be removed and we would most likely be in prison. Why is it not the same for a system of people who have the job to protect children. How many more children? How many forgotten children slipped through the very large cracks of CPS and are drugged, prostituted, dead? Who is being held accountable? Was their life like my son"s just not worth it to anyone?
My son's abusive foster parent had his tiny suitcase packed, with the things we had sent to him because it was all he had in the world, for weeks before he was sent to live with us. I told the case worker that he had feelings and didnt he (the case worker) think that my child knew he wasnt welcome in that home? The case worker said No. He didnt believe my child had feelings or could understand that or anything else. Were these people for real? Just because he has down syndrome he cant think, feel, doesnt deserve love, attention, therapy, medical care or every single chance at life?
Did you know my child had a gtube at some point in his life and the foster mom said that he yanked it out and by the time they took him to the dr or called the dr the whole was closed. Granted that doesnt take a real long time but still! The foster mom told me that half the gtube button was still in his belly but wasnt hurting anything so could stay. What?! My child had diarrhea 10x a day everyday for God knows how long and nothing was done. No doctors, nothing. Everyday his school called to tell his foster parents he was sick and each time the paper says they couldnt get a hold of her.
In the first few days home he had no diarrhea. We took him to all his appointments. The eye doctor said that he had a astigmatism and needed glasses. He also needed tear duct surgery that CPS wouldnt agree to, heck they wouldnt even answer their phones when we called to ask permission. The eye doctor was mad! He needed it done before age two and now he is finally going to get it at age 6. The allergy doctor said his stomach problems were a result from that environment. We found out he had a sugar intolerance. He gained 8lbs the month he came home and grew a few inches. He was sent home to us with one package of socks. One pair of size 6 pants. One t shirt size 6 and 2 pairs of PJ size 6. Also 2 diapers. The clothes had the tags on them still.
He was in a size 3t which was a bit baggy.
Anytime I would ask CPS to let me homeschool him, let us move up the finalization so he could have surgery, or anything, they would threaten to take him from me and find him another family. I needed to shut up and go away. Well I wont!
My caseworker turned in his abusive foster home and his caseworker from CPS did not do anything, not even answer her emails. Over the months she has needed paperwork and things and nothing has come to her. I turned in the foster family and as far as we know nothing has come of it.
There is so very much more to this, like the box of broken, dirty and smelly toys sent to us months after he was placed with us. They were all his belongings. Where were the clothes? The shoes? The blankets? So much more to write but I wanted the world to know this is happening.
If not us then who? Who will fight for these children? Who will fight for the least of these? Dont they deserve basic human rights like you and I?
These are what was sent to us when we ask for all his belongings.
This is a picture of him the first day we saw him. If you zoom in you will see how white his skin is. How tiny for 6 years old. His fingers were sucked on so long and so much they were permanently disfigured. (told to us by the genetics doctor.)
This picture is from Christmas at home with his family(4 months home).
Be blessed
Things have been getting better with him and us. Their were diagnosis never told to us by CPS. Why? Because for 5 years he never had any medical care. For 5 years he lived in an abusive foster home where they thought Down Syndrome was something he would one day outgrow. For 4 of those years he was legally free for adoption and homestudies, hundreds of them were sent each year. The case worker was turned in over and over again and nothing was done. Adoption would mean the case worker would have to actually work and he didnt want to do that. So my child was forgotten, not worth a family or love or food or proper care just because he has down syndrome. This happened not in a 3rd world country but in America.
They sit in their offices and are entrusted to so many children. Children who they say are better off not in their biological family. I have to wonder if that is true? My child was taken away from his drug addicted birthparents at one year old. His 14 yr old brother ran away and CPS didnt look for him. They placed my son with a relative and then when they finally went to check on him (only after CPS repeatedly could not get a hold of the people who had my child) he was back with his birthmom. The family member who took him gave him back. Then CPS took him and gave him to the foster family.
At 2 he became legally free for adoption. So many families had tried to adopt him. When we heard about him 4 years later it would take almost another whole year before we found out if he was even still available for adoption. I called, my case worker called, rarely did they answer their phones there. I finally got a hold of someone who told me that there had to be the right number of homestudies in order to get a child adopted. I bought the bull they were selling. We waited.
A lot of what we are dealing with with our child now is from years of abuse. Every kind of abuse, if you understand me. Things we wish we had known before hand so we could have made a decision based on the facts. It was CPS' job to know. It was my child's right to have medical care, a safe place to live, therapy, food, an education. All things denied to him. Because he was denied the basic of human rights he is the person he is today. They robbed him of a life.
If you or I had done that we would be charged with a crime. The child would be removed and we would most likely be in prison. Why is it not the same for a system of people who have the job to protect children. How many more children? How many forgotten children slipped through the very large cracks of CPS and are drugged, prostituted, dead? Who is being held accountable? Was their life like my son"s just not worth it to anyone?
My son's abusive foster parent had his tiny suitcase packed, with the things we had sent to him because it was all he had in the world, for weeks before he was sent to live with us. I told the case worker that he had feelings and didnt he (the case worker) think that my child knew he wasnt welcome in that home? The case worker said No. He didnt believe my child had feelings or could understand that or anything else. Were these people for real? Just because he has down syndrome he cant think, feel, doesnt deserve love, attention, therapy, medical care or every single chance at life?
Did you know my child had a gtube at some point in his life and the foster mom said that he yanked it out and by the time they took him to the dr or called the dr the whole was closed. Granted that doesnt take a real long time but still! The foster mom told me that half the gtube button was still in his belly but wasnt hurting anything so could stay. What?! My child had diarrhea 10x a day everyday for God knows how long and nothing was done. No doctors, nothing. Everyday his school called to tell his foster parents he was sick and each time the paper says they couldnt get a hold of her.
In the first few days home he had no diarrhea. We took him to all his appointments. The eye doctor said that he had a astigmatism and needed glasses. He also needed tear duct surgery that CPS wouldnt agree to, heck they wouldnt even answer their phones when we called to ask permission. The eye doctor was mad! He needed it done before age two and now he is finally going to get it at age 6. The allergy doctor said his stomach problems were a result from that environment. We found out he had a sugar intolerance. He gained 8lbs the month he came home and grew a few inches. He was sent home to us with one package of socks. One pair of size 6 pants. One t shirt size 6 and 2 pairs of PJ size 6. Also 2 diapers. The clothes had the tags on them still.
He was in a size 3t which was a bit baggy.
Anytime I would ask CPS to let me homeschool him, let us move up the finalization so he could have surgery, or anything, they would threaten to take him from me and find him another family. I needed to shut up and go away. Well I wont!
My caseworker turned in his abusive foster home and his caseworker from CPS did not do anything, not even answer her emails. Over the months she has needed paperwork and things and nothing has come to her. I turned in the foster family and as far as we know nothing has come of it.
There is so very much more to this, like the box of broken, dirty and smelly toys sent to us months after he was placed with us. They were all his belongings. Where were the clothes? The shoes? The blankets? So much more to write but I wanted the world to know this is happening.
If not us then who? Who will fight for these children? Who will fight for the least of these? Dont they deserve basic human rights like you and I?
These are what was sent to us when we ask for all his belongings.
This picture is from Christmas at home with his family(4 months home).
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Coffee anyone??
Well yesterday we were given our article 5 for our adoption of our boys!!! I'm so excited. Our car got a flat tire and the washer broke so I knew something good was happening. Haha. Next step is a signature from the MOJ and then a court date! Please pray that this happens sooner rather than later.
So with that happening we still have some money to raise. We need to finish paying for the agency fees which is 2,000. And then travel. Tickets are around 1500. Right now and we will need 4! Then there are hotel fees too.
We have a fundraiser going on that started yesterday. For every 10.00 donation you will get your name put on a picture in our boys bedroom and you will get your name entered in a drawing to win a 50.00 Starbucks gift card. Yum!!!
The fundraiser ends March 27th and the drawing will be March 28th.
Spread the word please.
Please continue to pray for our family and our children. Thank you so much.
Be blessed
So with that happening we still have some money to raise. We need to finish paying for the agency fees which is 2,000. And then travel. Tickets are around 1500. Right now and we will need 4! Then there are hotel fees too.
We have a fundraiser going on that started yesterday. For every 10.00 donation you will get your name put on a picture in our boys bedroom and you will get your name entered in a drawing to win a 50.00 Starbucks gift card. Yum!!!
The fundraiser ends March 27th and the drawing will be March 28th.
Spread the word please.
Please continue to pray for our family and our children. Thank you so much.
Be blessed
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Adoption updates.
We finally have a court date for Micah who has been with us almost 7 months now. It is on the 20 th and they are allowing us to do this via phone so no trip to a Houston court. Thank you Jesus.
We have lots of services in place now and should be starting soon to help us with him.
Our Bulgarian boys
Our USCIS I 800 was approved. As some of you know the countries government resigned. There was talk it would stall adoptions until the elections in May. This has not been the case. So we need to fundraise like crazy to get in the rest of the money for our agency fees ($2000.00) and travel. We are thinking we need about 10,000.00 total. Airfare seems to have really gone up. We can not travel without this money and without paying the agency fees.
I have a fundraiser idea but need it to iron out details before revealing it.
Also please pray for me I have been extremely sick for 11 days now with no end in sight.
Thank you
Be blessed
Friday, March 1, 2013
Long time no blog
So the stomach flu from hell hit us. Yeah going in 5 days now and I'm only starting not to feel like I can lift my head off a pillow. The house is trashed. The washer has never been used so much! That's saying a lot too because I have 6 kids! Paul missed almost a whole week of work which he didn't have, just to take care of us. We had to go to the drs because 2 of the littles hadn't eaten or had much if anything for almost 3 days.
So all that is going on and we are dealing with Micah too. We really believe he has some kind of attachment disorder. Paul and I both truly felt alone. Could we do this? Can we do it? How do we deal with this? What kind of services can we get? Is there a pill to make this all better?
I've gone through many emotions. We've been dealing with this for all of the 6 months we have had him. I just kept silent. When I did speak up to the right people I feel like I was heard and they respected me and tried to help. I'm not ready to throw in the towel. The parents offered support, tips, books, numbers, information. It's all a lot to process.
I found out Texas is number 49 out of 50 in the states who have good services. What's that mean? Texas sucks as far as services go. Great. There is a 10 year wait for some of the crappy services they offer. More great news.
I'm not really saying any of this right because I'm sick. Just pray for us. Pray for Micah. I pray that we can make this work. I pray that we fall head over heels in love with this child. I pray it all works out.
Be blessed
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