Camp Joy -- Girls and God

This will be another first for the girls.  They are going to bible camp.  They absolutely loved Bible school a couple of weeks ago.  Auddy was complaining because it didn't last long enough each day.  Well bible camp will be ALL day long and all night too.  Rachel is taking them to Camp Joy. The camp that she worked at over the past several years.  Rachel will be the nurse at camp for the week.  The girls will get to stay in a cabin with a bunch of girls and thier cousin, Sydney, also went with to camp. I pray that God will touch their hearts in a special way this week.  The camp this week is for 11-13 yr old girls and they will get to do lots of GIRLY stuff.  Plus they will get to go to canteen every day and spent their money on candy and drinks.  It will be interesting to see how they do with that because they really haven't gotten to take their own money to the store and buy something yet.  There will also be games and singing and campfire and a speaker.  I hope they have a blast!

Islande celebrates 6 months in the US with a trip to Grandma's

Islande is staying with Grandma CG this week.  This is the first time she has been away from home for more than a night since she got here.  Don and I are guessing that Grandma and Ed have a little more "noise" than usual in their home.  Islande loves to talk and ask questions, in fact, she hardly ever stops asking questions!  Sounds like they are having a blast!  Auddy is home with mom and dad.  She is loving the one on one attention.  She has picked a stack of books for us to read to her every night.  On Monday, she got to go to Hope and Sydney's to play for the day and today, Tuesday, she went to Bree's house.  Bree took her swimming at the Benson pool! fun, fun, fun.  Do you want to know how you can tell if Auddy has a good hand of UNO? She just giggles and smiles.  Bree and Auddy played several games of UNO today.  Auddy's favorite game is UNO.  We even played a few extra games when she got home tonight.  We have discovered that Auddy loves corn on the cob just like all the rest of the Sperrs!  At first she didn't think she would like it "me no like" but after she tried it, she is hooked!

Auddy and Hope in the boat

Rachel and the girls at Don's Father's day outing.

Islande and Grandma Betty

The one that didn't get away!

Summer is going sooo fast!

Wow!  It's hard to beleive that July is almost gone!  We have had a busy summer with many firsts and many funny sayings and events.  The girls are getting more comfortable all them time and gettting more used to us and the US.  Rachel has been home for the summer taking care of the girls while I am at work.  That has been great!  They absolutely love to be with her, she has taught them all kinds of fun stuff and they love to travel around with her and listen to her cool music in her car.  My idea of cool music just isn't as cool!  The other wonderful thing about having her home this summer is that she and the girls can do a little laundry or dishes and cooking. 

Our schedule so far as been :  TRAC every morning from 8 to 11 at the UMM.  (so no sleeping in) -- this is a reading program that the girls have gone to every day for the 1st 6 or so weeks of summer.  It was completed on July 14th.  They had small group or one on one tutoring from college students who are going to school to become teachers.  Reading and Vocab have been huge for the girls.  They are both improving and learning more words all the time.  Their sentence structure is still a bit confusing but they are catching on little by little.

The girls had swiming lessons for 2 weeks in June.  They were in Level 2 and did not pass this time but they are getting more comfortable all the time in the water.

Next we had Basketball camp -- both a dribbling camp and a regular basketball camp.  They loved that!  The whole dribbling thing is just a little too time consuming for ISlande so when she really wants to get to the other end of the gym in a hurry, she just picks up the basketball like a football and runs with it.  They both loved the camp and loved getting treats and prizes and playing with their friends at camp.

We sent the first week of July at Lake Darling with all of our friends.  We have rented a cabin during that week for several years.  The girls got so much more comfortable in the water and even learned to tube and tried skiing.  We all had a great time and great weather and the girls were great entertainment.  Islande loved, loved, loved to fish. They went fishing every morning for 2-4 hours and she caught something every day.  She and Dad even got a 5lb 3oz walleye one day, she was all smiles.  Auddy kept trying to hide a fish ( a live one) to take home as a pet.  By the end of the week, we decided she would be better off with a gold fish in a tank than a stinky perch in a pail.  We broke down and got her some fish and borrowed Michelle's fish bowl to try the fish pet thing for a while.  We are down to 2 fish, we started with 4.

This past week, the girls went to VBS at our church. They had a blast!  Auddy came home the first day and said it was "too little".  In other words, it should last all day instead of just until noon each day.  They were singing VBS songs all week long!

This next week, Rachel won't be here, so we are winging it with various friends and a few dr appts etc.
Rachel is in Haiti for the week with a team from our church.

Pics to follow!

Grand old time at many graduations!

The girls have loved GRADUATION parties!  We have gone to at least 8 in the last 3 weekends and they have figured out that there is GREAT food at graduation!  haha... They average at least 8-10 meatballs per party and managed to each eat 4 or 5 pork chops at Tanner's graduation over the course of 3 hours while we were helping.  Food is so exciting to them and they really do love to eat and are hungry all the time.  We went to the cities this past weekend for 2 different graduations and ended up staying over night and going to the "waterpark of America" by the Mall of America today.  We all spent 5 hours in the water! floating down the river and flying down all the water slides... It's official, they love the water.  They start swimming lessons tomorrow.

May ... Sunshine and bikes!

May had flown by! The girls' english is getting so much better.  They still talk Kreyole to each other but are getting better about communicating with us.  We have had lots of firsts again.  Auddy learned to ride bike on her own.  She has really been struggling .. Islande caught on so quickly so this was tough for Auddy.  On Monday, the weather was so nice and we went out to show Grandma the bikes and the garden we had just planted and Auddy tried again and it just clicked and she could do it!! She is so excited, she rides around and around the yard!

They are on the AgCountry softball team. They had their first game on Thursday... and they won! Both girls even hit the ball!  They are loving Softball.

Jesus likes me...

Auddy told me that "Jesus likes me" (meaning her).  When I asked her how she knew that, she told me that she is still living.  She lived thru NO Food at Madam Lucean's and the Earthquake in Haiti and she is still alive so Jesus must like her.  So simple but she is right!

Tammy Trent in Morris -- The girls got to meet her personally!

Tammy Trent did a concert at our school ( arranged by our church) .  She was awesome!  and the girls got to meet her personally. She is quite energetic and fun to hear and watch.  She did some cool dancing and the girls wondered if I taped it so they could practice and do it just like her!  They were so funny and enjoyed it all.  

The girls are also starting softball pretty soon so that will be exciting too! One more week of Trek (a reading program that they go to after school. It's taught by university students that are going to be teaching majors). School is going well too.

Weekend at Grandma's

The girls and I went to Grandma's right after school on Friday.  They had a great time!  They slept in the bed together, went to bed late and then.. 45 mins after we tucked them in.. major noise!  Auddy yells "Islande boom!"  -- what's that?  Boom is fart in Kreyole.. so they both had do get out of bed and were running around all excited.  While we were getting them both settled back into bed, the two cats got in their room and when the lights went out, the two cats crawled under the covers in bed with them.  They didn't get much sleep Friday night.  Saturday morning at 6:53am , they were both awake and woke me up too... so goes the morning.  Grandma even got them to take a nap on Saturday afternoon! That was another first!

Catchup! - I haven't posted in forever...

 I keep posting to Facebook but not here... Let's catchup! 

April 19th -- Our good friend, Leila, lost her brother-in-law today.  We went to her house with food and had a chance to talk about death again.  They are always so curious. 

April 18th - Sunday -- We went to the Konsvinger church today to give a presentation to the kids about Haiti.  The girls did good and were given a blanket by the Sunday School classes.  They each ate 6 cookies at snack time, food is always such an issue. They both love tomatoes and hot sauce. I think Taco Johns has to refill all their salsa dispensers after we leave.  


April 15th -- Everyday we have another funny story.. Everyone tells me that I should write them down and I haven't.. but I promise to try more....Last night I took both girls to Walmart for the first time... by myself.   Thank you Lord that Walmart wasn't that busy.  I had them each push a cart so they were trying to keep up with me instead of me chasing them around.  We got two carts full of groceries... all the big stuff like paper towels, kleenex, etc .. especially Corn Flakes.  They eat one large box.. 18 servings - Every 4 days.  Just those two little girls.  They are always hungry.  We bought 8 boxes of Corn Flakes.  I hope that lasts a month. We also had pizza for supper before we shopped so that nobody was starving.
Wednesday -- they went to a swimming test and Islande was soooo excited because she made it down the slide by herself.  Both of the girls love to swim and love the water.  
 
April 13th -- I was awake in the middle of the night last night. started thinking how much my life has changed in the last 3 yrs/3 months... same house, same guy, same job .. same faith but just about everything else about it has changed..the song from Sunday keeps going thru my head. So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandond,...

April 8th --Auddy did Islande's hair last night and it looks great! Tonight, I parted her hair for her and then she cornrowed it and that looks great too.. we have solved the hair problems!

April 4th -- We had our first "non family" supper guests and the girls did well. .. It was fun to have  Amy and Doug and family over.

Easter:  Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross.. and thank you for Easter! What a fun holiday, we had a great day! Great church service, lots of wonderful food and so much fun and games... easter egg hunt, crockett, learning to play baseball and bat, hoola hoops etc

March 31st -- On Monday I was prying the snow pants out of Auddy's hands... tomorrow they both think they should be able to wear flip flops and shorts to school. Has the weather really changed that much? Or is it just because "everybody else in school is -- MOM!"

March 29th - I am exhausted! Is this what our "new normal" is going to be like... life is a rollercoaster ride. Glad God is in control, he has proven to me over and over again that I sure am not. 

Snowpants or Tennis shoes?

Wednesday:  Mrs Thompson and I are trying to convince the girls that they don't need to wear their snowboots and snowpants on the playground everyday.. this morning, Auddy was about in tears when I told her she could leave them home.. we will see how tomorrow morning goes! Tennis shoes or boots and snow pants .. what should we do? But it's cold MOM!

Tuesday:  Don got out the old little bike and the girls were thrilled.  They cleaned it up and got an extra "parent" handle on the back so we can help balance them and they are learning to ride!!

Monday: Finally figured out that a "reward" with a sucker in the morning works like a charm to get everybody ready and in the car by 7:45.

Sunday: Got to meet and visit with 3 different families from Willmar who have adopted kids from Haiti. Two of the families have even lived in Haiti at Children of the Promise orphanage so they could speak Kreyole too. Very fun and interesting! 

 

Mom and Ed are Married!

Mom and Ed got married on Saturday! Everybody had a new dress, new shoes and sweater.  They were so excited about the clothes. Ed and Grandma were married in the United Meth Church in Jamestown. The reception was at the Buffalo Grill.  The girls had to look twice at the buffalo head on the wall then they asked if there were any of those buffalo in MN.  They had a very nice wedding and everything went wonderfully except for one thing... Auddy. It was too much for her and we had a rough time with her.

Call to Haiti....

Islande talked with her family in Haiti last night. She wanted to find out if they got the tent that the Nuests brought to Haiti for them. They got the tent, they were very thankful, their first house ever...She was sooo excited! Imagine what they have been going thru... they sent their daughter to live in another country and they just want to know if she is ok. On Friday, Don's cell phone had 5 calls from Haiti, the only number they have of ours is his cell phone. She got to talk to several family members but her 5 yr old brother wasn't there, he was out walking around.. the mother didn't know where he was.. very telling about the discipline that Islande had when she lived in Haiti.

Nobody wanted to go to school today.. what a struggle... just didn't feel like it. Needless to say, they went anyway. Then went to bed a half hour early tonight (7:30) so they wouldn't be so tired tomorrow morning. It's 7:45 and they are both singing from their beds, (Islande at the top of her lungs) to let us know they weren't happy about the earlier bed time.

Kids say the darndest things...

last week...
Islande says "In Haiti, Don say MN cold! but I no cold MN" (she didn't believe him) Now she says -- "Don right !! MN Cold! Snow gone then I sleep in green (grass) with Molly (the dog) and kitty (the cat)!" -- haha

The girls were soo excited today to see grass!! Even if it is dead grass from last year. The snow melted next to the school so they saw grass, Islande even got down on her hands and knees to feel it and smell it.. then she just smiled and laughed.. there really is grass in MN!

On the way to school on Thursday ...
driving to school this morning -- all three of us singing away to "He Reigns!" -- a squirrel runs across the road... Auddy yells BIG RAT -- like hit it! Islande screams don't get it .. they are both instantly screaming and trying to figure out if I hit it or not. -- 2 seconds later.. back to singing! Our life is a roller coaster ride...

English, English, English!

Wow... I never thought communicating could be so difficult or learning a new language could be soooo hard.... and I am not the one trying to learn the language. I wish we would have tried to learn a little more before the girls got here. We have some obstacles in our way right now. Both of the girls are in school now every day. They are both getting lots of help and catching on .. which is just great!! However, school is getting them so worn out that they just can't function when the day is drawing to a close, especially Auddy. We need to rethink everything... She is so tired that she can't communicate and she is hungry and just needs to veg for a while. I have been so bent on teaching them English with flashcards, labels, games, you name it... (maybe it's that type A personality in me)so that we can communicate and maybe I just need to chill and be happy with making it thru the day without a crisis or a melt down. We are expecting them to function like our bio kids and it's just not going to happen right now... shifting down a few gears.

Buy a house for $85 for a family in Haiti

The rainy season has started in Haiti and tents are badly needed. The Coleman company is providing tents to JIHM at a reduced cost.

The owner of Country Market in Alexandria has donated the use of his airplane to fly tents to Tom. Dennis Conn will be flying the tents to Tom between February 25th and March 5th.

Check out the link on the JIHM website if you would like to send a tent to a family in Haiti. The $85 will cover the cost of the tent and operating cost for the airplane.

www.jesusinhaiti.org/default.asp?contentid=68

Unic of Minn International Adoption Clinc

UM Intl Adoption Clinic has been great! So informative.. we have learned so much about the the girls, their health and what to expect with the trama that they have been thru. Wow have we got our work cut out for us! Auddy's recent growth spurt has put her in the top percent for her age and she isn't thru yet. No wonder she is so hungry.. they are both hungry much of the time but they are still very fussy about what they will eat.. that presents a challenge. Auddy loves spaghetti and Islande says she loves fish but she seems to love just about everything if she is willing to try it. They both are very concerned about Haiti and the people they have left behind in Haiti. They will defend it to the end, they are very proud of their culture and country. We had the same excellent translator today. He speaks fluent Kreyole, he was sooo helpful. He took the time after the appointment to talk to the girls about what they understood about this adoption. Auddy is much more accepting of the new circumstances. Islande is struggling with identity and therefore, rebelling and trying to figure out where she fits in this world. Her parents were not honest with her about what was going to happen. They didn't tell her straight up that they were relinquishing parenting rights. They made it sound like a vacation to Disney with no rules or consequences. She is disappointed that things aren't what she expected. She is survivor with a very strong personality and bright so she should make it. Auddy's favorite word is WOW and that explains what she is feeling and experiencing now. She is overwhelmed! School is so new to her and she is very far behind and everything is foreign and strange to her. She is more reserved and needs to get used to it all. If I would to put myself in her shoes.. at 11, getting moved to a different culture, a different language, different family, and different expectations and everything new to me, I am sure I would be overwhelmed too. I remember going to Haiti for the first time. We spent 9 days there and I was so happy to be home. We were adults with a wide range of experiences and we knew we were coming home soon and yet I just couldn't wait to have familiar foods, familiar smells and to be home. Praying, praying, praying.

Our first week with both girls..

One full week with both girls at home! We really had no idea how this would all work... They talk Creole with each other non stop. Islande's english understanding has really gotten much better but I believe that her english took a step back this week because now that there is two, they aren't so eager to learn english. Auddy knew and understood quite a bit of english before she got here or should I say with body language and pointing, it amazing how much she could figure out. She is still afraid to speak tho. They both need to work on their nouns and vocab. They both seem to understand the basics of what we are saying but doesn't have the confidence or words to express themselves. Islande is talking for her a lot because Islande just simply talks so much more. Islande is such a social butterfly! She wants to go some place every chance she gets. She is not used to be home with just our family because her family never had a home. If they were in a home, it was someone elses. They each have their own room but they really want to be in the room together. In the first week, we have had many firsts and now on Tuesday will be another first... Auddy starts school. Islande loves school so we hope Auddy will too. Mrs. Thompson and all of the kids will be ready for her! The french kids from the university will continue to help with the language barrier. They are great!! With Adam and Rachel, I used to have a pretty good idea of how they would react to certain things and situations.. with these two, I am wrong most of the time. I just can't predict reactions. Everything is so new... it's a very humbling experience most of the time!

Auddy's first week at the Sperrs

Auddy arrived from Haiti to Miami on Monday night at about 8:30 -- I was able to come into customs to finish up the process at about 10:30 on Monday night. We ended up processing her customs ppw in the main terminal in Miami instead of in the private plane terminal like we did with Islande. The customs' workers were very helpful and even gave Auddy a little bag with some food in it. It was another "God" thing that she was even on that plane and that they allowed Paul, Barbara's son-in-law, to bring her thru customs... you see, Auddy got Barbara's spot on the plane! Barbara was the one listed as the official escort and Paul was not listed on any of the docs. By the grace of God, they allowed Auddy and Paul to come into the US without the proper authorization. Paul has been helping Barbara bring in kids but never had done it by himself. God worked many miracles that day! (plus Auddy's ppw from the prime minister of Haiti was not signed until Monday morning!) Auddy and I got to Minnesota and home by Tuesday night about 10:30.

Wednesday, we stayed home during the day and let Auddy and Islande get to know each other better. They have talked Creole none stop ever since. Wednesday night, we had the shower! Wow! It was wonderful to see everyone and see all of our church and family support! The gifts were unbelievable! Everything was just perfect! The girls are already enjoying their new goods... they are both very worried about what it THEIRS and what is OURS. We are working on the organization of our house and our lives... I have to say this week was overwelming!

Thursday, Grandma went to school to see it all and help with the classroom planning. Auddy got to see the school for the first time and everybody went to bed early!

Friday, More firsts... the first valentine's party for both girls... first 4-wheeler ride, first snowmobile ride, first tractor ride and sled ride for Auddy.

We are on our way to the basketball game tonight. Islande LOVES basketball and has been asking about going to the game since she woke up this morning!