Blaske Broadcast

2010-04-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2010 Day 7:

Well I know you are all hanging onto your seats checking your status and waiting for my next post so I felt I must do it.. :-)
Today started with a blessing. This time it wasn't Gabriel shaking me to say he had to go wee.

Today I awoke and checked my FB to see a post of Ashlies blog. http://www.aarghistheperfectword.blogspot.com/

She writes about the orpan and their cause. If that post wasn't enough it was an even greater blessing to re-read her post from January entitled BEHOLD where she tells the beautiful story of our wild and crazy family and how we have arrived at this point.

If you only have five minutes go and read her blog today!

Today was a fun filled day. We hoped in a taxi and after circling the round about more than once found our way to the craft market.
Well since we were the only visitor when we arrived we had everyone speaking to us and wanting us to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
These folks, everyone one of them, is extremely talented, the paintings, the wood carvings will take your breath away! I would love a wood carved bed from Africa some day but it wouldn't fit in my suit case :-).
We made our way around and enjoyed the time and are coming home with some wares from Africa.

The highlight would probably have to be Gabriel finding a wood carved horse!

He loves horses, we will have to watch that he doesn't wander down the street unannounced at home once he discovers there are horses 2 houses down.

Tanner enjoyed talking with the vendors and just soaking it all up. After this we went to the Accra Mall for some lunch and then made our way home to the hotel.

Unfortunately we weren't able to connect with the Social Welfare Director as hoped, which I was sad about as I really wanted to meet and see him again. We returned to and hung out at the hotel, sorted our clothes etc and got packed to go.

We were paid a last visit by Romana and her 2 kiddos and then had some dinner while watching, you guessed it some Champions League Futbol! After that it was time to get Gabriel ready for bed.

We spent time talking about the airplane and tomorrow. Not too many questions yet but I imagine tomorrow may be a bit different. We are ready to soak up ALL tomorrow has to offer.

Until then read Ashlies Blog :-)...and who knows I may have my Ode to Tanner up tonite too! He has had a great trip and I am very proud of him! I know he doesn't know where to put everything he has seen and taken in on this trip but it is in and he will be able to pull and reflect on it all at just the right times in the future.

Cya!!!

2010-04-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Tanner and Gabriel wating for chicken dinner at the mall...after a long day of shoppng at the craft market!

Tanner and G-man getting ready to walk to Beacon House for the Exit prayer time and good byes!
Words for this picture....to many to say, none would capture the depth of all that this picture holds!

Dear Tanner

The time we have had together, while not perfect, I believe it has been perfect.

It's been an Oasis for us (fitting we are in Africa) without the many usual distractions.

We flew thru llife leading up and next thing we knew we were at the hotel in Seattle preparing to leave. The next morning we were off and from the 3am wake up all thru the day I couldn't beleive how awake and alert you were.

It was clear you were excited and anticipating ALOT!

Throughout our time in Ghana you have had a twinkle in your eye that can only be from God speaking to you and even if you don't know all of what He has said to you or has planted in you right now hang on to the peace and the good feeling I know He has given you inside.

The explanation and understanding will come in time. You never once complained, except when I was being irritable. :-). Instead you rolled with it all.

I really wish we could have done more with the kids, seen more sights and really been able to let you experience more of Ghana.

That said I am very thankful we were able to do all we have done. You loved on kids and God planted some of them uniquely on your heart and I know you will continue to remember them.

That's how God works He makes matches in our hearts with others to connect us. Sometimes it's to pray for them. Other times you are able to be more involved. It's ALL good.

We don't have to conquer it all but instead just learn to be obedient to the one or ones God has led us to. You and Gabriel have started a special bond and as you have said this time has also given you insight into John n Victoria that you wouldn't have had before.

You have seen that the world is much bigger than our little corner we live in AND
you have ALSO seen how people are different and NOT SO different.
You noticed that people with little can be and are Happy.
You also talked with and shook hands with people who work hard every day, day after day.
You came to the conclusion on your own that the amount of money or things they have is NOT what makes them happy.

Hang on to these things and allow God to continue to develop them in you.

I think it has been awesome watching you grow up during these last several days in many ways. I wouldn't trade them for anything!!

Now as we embark on our journey home in just a few hours, stand guard over your heart and mind because the enemy is a liar and a snake and He will try to sneak up, sabotage and steal what God has implanted.

It's a no contest UFC match though...You WIN and are already victorious!

The battles will come but stand firm dude! I am honored to be your dad and am excited to see these seeds watered more over the years and also to see many of them harvested too!

Love you man!

Dad

2010-04-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

April 27, 2010 (Day 6)

Yes I know I posted a note about “Seeing God Work”.
Consider that Bonus Coverage from Ghana! :-)

Today was a slow day, it began at 530 again with “Dad I have to wee”. Yes!
We then went back to bed again until around 8. We had a potential lunch date with the Social Welfare Director for the Accra Region but it was postponed as he had a conflict.

This is the man who came to the states last August. He has been the man who’s signature is not only on our adoptions but on the 30 or so that have occurred in the last couple of years. He is a wonderful man and definitely has a heart for doing what is best for the children. It amazes me that he remembers them all.

When he was in Washington in August he knew the kids and remembers their story. He was able to see them in our homes. It was great. He remembers John and Gabriel as he has been a part of the social welfare decisions their entire life in Ghana. It will be an honor to see him if it works out tomorrow. With the potential lunch meeting we just hung around the hotel.

Went to the pool, walked and got some Gelato (AGAIN), took a nap, reflected and just paused.

Then we went to a roadside chicken and rice stand for dinner! OH MY GOODNESS!
Would have never gone if it hadn’t been recommended by Beacon House teachers. Wood Shack, open air, cut the chicken up and cooked it behind the shack, reality stuff.

No they didn’t kill it and cook while we were there but we saw it earlier when we walked by. I was hesitant, which is why it took until Day 6 to try it.
I told Tanner after he was eating the chicken that it was probably the one we saw running around there earlier today. He looked at me with one of those “no way” looks and I let it sit.
HA HA He is probably still wondering. Who knows it could have been?!?! If not today’s loose bird it probably was yesterday, right?
Anyway it was delicious and spicy rice…not for the mommy tummy stuff for sure!

We came back and settled in for the night, tried to Skype but the connection is just not good enough for anything except text….so Gabriel and I laid down and watched some Champions Cup Futbol on the television.
Tomorrow we will venture out in a taxi (I guess, really truly would rather not, but must give Tanner the experience) and try to go to the craft market. As I said hopefully we can meet up with Romana and the Social Welfare man but if not we will have an Adventurous Day!

Two sleeps until heading home!

*When I showed the Kids the pic of Gabriel eating chicken and rice....there was a hoot and a hollar...."WE WANT Chicken and RICE.....so off we went to East side Market...got some chicken and in honor of Daddy's brave vendor on the side of the road, chicken dinner...we celebrated with Chicken and Rice!

2010-04-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

April 26, 2010 (Day 5)

Monday morning!

An adorable son asleep on the floor to my right and another pretty awesome one asleep on my left!

Okay truth is the one on the floor to my left was awake before me saying, as he shook my leg to wake me, “Dad I have to go wee” I said awesome, John, I mean Victoria, I mean Gabriel (ha ha ha) lets go!
Very good that he woke me as the alternative I’d rather not deal with!!! He went and layed back down until I was just asleep again and then,…you guessed it, shake me again, “Dad I have to go wee again” Okay Gabriel lets go (Whew)! We returned and Gabriel says to me “Dad, its morning, as he points to the window that has light coming thru it.
I wisely looked at my clock on my phone and deduced, though technically morning, it was not time to get up. Gabriel very politely laid down and was relatively still for another hour or two until I could justify rolling myself out of bed and starting the day.
After breakfast Gabriel insisted on going to the pool, as you know from yesterdays post, he wants to be there but is very low key once there. We went and today he sat down almost right away on the first step. Tanner was gracious again and did every stunt and trick Gabriel requested. Since it was the middle of the day I wasn’t going to stay out in this “close to the equator sun” long so we headed back in.

When I got in I had a text from a friend who had resolved my phone issues and much to my surprise had also got it all set up for me to roam internationally as well.
This was HUGE as it allowed me to communicate with Carrie and also to post photos real time as we went thru the day!
Thanks KEN!!
We decided to go for a walk to the market down the road. Off we went. While on the way I was quite the site texting Ken to confirm it was OK to turn data roaming on as I walked on a dirt road in Africa.
We went into the store and got a few “guy incidentals” (potato chips, plantains and some Tampico juice). We also had some gelato (yummy) and then headed back for some lunch and rest before heading over to Beacon House.

So as our friends on the west coast awakened we were walking to BH one last time. Gabriel played hard with his buddies while I had a great conversation with Romana and Bernard about many things and how we can remain connected and helpful to Beacon House and their cause here in Ghana. As dinner was approaching it was time for Gabriel’s exit. Whew!

(Walking the road to BH one last time....Bh is on the left. This picture of Tanner and Gabriel SPEAKS more than 1,000 words! It will get printed and put on our Wall at home...transitions and attachements are a mile high and deep when you see the scope of what God is doing just by what you can see in this picture.) AMAZING!

The words will not explain how awesome and amazing this is.

Gabriel in the middle and all of the children sitting in a circle around him pray for him and us. Then the house moms and volunteers pray. Then it ended with Mama Shelter leading them in a song of praise and send off as each of them hugged Gabriel as they sang and sang.

The video of this will require a box of tissue I guarantee it! Even the dog (aptly named Romeo) had to give Gabriel a kiss of send off (ewww).

The day was drawing to a close and we returned to the hotel just the 3 of us. Gabriel had some things with him that he had collected over the years at the orphanage but was very quiet, much like when we first met on Friday.

I asked him how he was feeling and he was quiet and I could just tell he was processing ALL of it!

Knowing and trusting it is ALL good but not quite sure of knowing what to do with the feeling inside as he will most assuredly miss ALL of his buddies!

I scooped him up and we prayed and just let it all settle in for a moment.

I then asked him if he would show us the things in his bag and like a light switch being switched on he dove in and with smiles and joy began to show Tanner and I all of it. Good stuff!

Well once again a day of adventure and some life long and life changing memories for us all. I am so thankful to God for how he orchestrates it all. The people God has put in Gabriel’s life up to now can only confirm His love for us all…as the old song says “He’s got the WHOLE WORLD in His hands”

Think about it…the world is Big, and we are all in it with all our problems and needs and yet…He holds us in His Hands. It is in moments like this that God makes himself so very evident to me, His handiwork is around us everyday in His creation, but never is his handiwork more evident to me than when I see how He has and is taking care of some ONE.

In this instance today it was evident yet again that He was and has been taking care of Gabriel and now He has entrusted his care to me.

Thank goodness He is taking care of me too!!! Three more sleeps until the journey home begins!!!

2010-04-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dave and Carrie Blaske

This is a SHOUT OUT to this AMAZING husband of mine!

As these journal entries come in day by day from Ghana, my heart skips a beat.

Not just because of what is written IN them...but because WHO is writting them!

Really...our marriage, partnership, love story is a GOD sized story! As I am here in Washington counting two more sleeps until my 2nd son, husband and new 5th son comes home my heart races with the story of redemption!

Is the picture of us for real...is the silly, fun loving, supportive, God loving man really my husband...YES INDEED!

In the worlds stats...with what we started out with in our marriage, the world says we should have been divorced a long time ago...

BUT GOD.....

He has a plan to bring hope and a future to all who love Him....ya know what...

WE LOVE HIM!

Dave, Thank you for loving God FIRST, loving me next, loving our kids, passionately loving kids in crisis and working hard using your God given gifts and talents to provide for all of us.

God called...we answered...and the adventure of a life time continues!

With all my love!

2010-04-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

April 25, 2010 (Day 4)

Sunday In Ghana.
Today began with breakfast as we listened to the church begin above where we were eating.
We had eggs to quite the groove and clickity clack of dancing heels I presume.
Romana picked Tanner and I up and we were all off to church. It was testimony Sunday, a time where members of the church were sharing how God had made a difference in their lives. The music was awesome, I loved it! Songs were familiar and if they weren’t they were easy to pickup. 2 hours came and went.

Romana was able to obtain another water filter from a member of the church to use at the orphanage. On the way home I heard them discussing how even with this second water filter it is still approximately half the number of filters they should have at the orphanage given the number of people at the orphanage. I am going to see what I can do about that before I leave.

After church it was off to the Accra mall for some shopping, money exchange and of course lunch. Gabriel was asking, quite often, Dad what are we doing after church? I would tell him and he would say then what? So I would tell him and he would say then what? I smiled and said yes we will be going to hotel after we shop and eat.

On the way to the mall we stopped at some street vendors to buy some stuff. Some of you may be saying, did he say mall? Yes I did. In fact if you were to drop yourself into the Accra mall thru time travel (not that you could but I'm jus' saying) you would not think you weren’t in any North American mall in a large city. AC, food court, an apple store (which Tanner loved). Granted it is not real large but it has a movie theatre.
The difference here is that on the way to the mall there are the poorest of the poor approaching your car asking for food or selling something, across the street is a traditional market where you can buy some of the nicest African hand made crafts any where.

The streets near the mall are paved and much like a major city but it is not far and you are on dirt, pot hole, rutted roads. We eventually received our lunch and finished our shopping…nothing happens fast in Ghana!

As we drove you can see the build up and hype for the World Cup of Futbol (soccer) everywhere. In Ghana soccer (futbol) is king amongst sport. As you drive every spare section of dirt has a futbol field set up or a game is being played.

We got back to the hotel, just Tanner, Gabriel and I. Gabriel is quite the character. Expectedly testing boundries already. Oh how hard it is sometimes to not give in to the little adorable smile! Nothing to big just not the immediate obeying I know he can do, when it comes to going to sleep or taking a nap. I am remembering many of the habits and joys we saw with John and Victoria 2 years ago. Very respectful, not to say they don’t / didn’t test but as long as you hold a good line they obey (not too strict but not a push over either,...sounds so easy when I type it...HA)....

As I write this Gabriel is asleep in his spiderman jammies, traditional style, on his side with his head resting on his arm. No pillowsm no covers. Oh I almost forgot, we went to the pool today.

Gabriel wanted to go, had to go, was excited to go but when we got there he was not the fearless jumping beans his brother and sister were. He was happily content to sit on the side with his feet in and watched Tanner jump and swim and roll and do anything Gabriel asked.

As the day draws to a close, I am told we will have full complimentary internet beginning Monday, no more purchasing 2hrs at a time. They ran out of cards today so I have been without again but it looks as though we will have full blown access sometime on Monday for the duration of our stay.
We shall see....as anyone who comes to Ghana knows you just roll with it...
Tomorrow is a big day as we go to the orphanage for the last time and Gabriel says goodbye to his friends and teachers. It is and will be a joyous, tear filled time as the children he has grown up with and workers who have poured into him will pray for him and send him off with blessing!

It will be awesome and draining for sure. But before we go back to the orphanage we will spend the day together which I am sure will prove to be another day of adventure!

2010-04-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

First time we got to SEE Gabriel with Daddy and Tanner....day 3...internet /skype WORKED!

It was a GIFT! My mommy heart jumped for joy as his little face entered onto the screen. He was so very cute getting really close to the camera and saying "hello"

(he also wanted to see the dog, the cat, the kids, the food etc)

Dave is doing an AMAZING job with his journal entries...so I will leave it and let you read on!

ENJOY!

(boy do I love that man!)

April 24, 2010 (Day 3)

We awoke, late I might add, and tried to get ourselves over to the Orphanage as soon as we could.
We arrived as the kids were just sitting down for lunch. Gabriel ran to meet us in the courtyard and gave us both a hug of greeting. Feels very good!
While inside Romana invites us to a fair/craft show for one of the schools in town. So off we went, Romana, Gabriel, Tanner, Romana’s son, Rachael and Grandma Judy.

We spent a couple hours walking around, had some lunch and had an enjoyable time. Tanner was amazed he recognized most of the music. All throughout the day there were kids dancing and singing on stage, just full of life.
I think Tanner thought all the music he listened to could only be heard in America. :-) Ahh expanding his view on how big the world really is. :-)

Tanner is doing great, when awake he is full on not wanting to miss ANYTHING that this trip has to offer, I think he really knows it is special and also doesn’t know if or when he may get to experience something like this again.

After the fair we return to the hotel this time with Gabriel for an hour or so before going back to Beacon House so Gabriel can have dinner and get settled in for the night.

I am SOOO appreciative of how Romana has worked out how to best transition the kids to their families. Each one is likely not exactly the same but I know she has worked out what works and what doesn’t and always is sensitive to what God is leading her to do in the particular situation based on the child or children being transitioned.

Before we head back though God decided to give us a gift of connecting with our family back home. The internet had not been working but this time when I tried I was able to get on and we were able to video skype with Carrie and the kids (all except Brock as it was early and he was still in bed, its Okay Brock we know you need your beauty sleep! :-)

Skype was a joy, though Gabriel was a bit distracted as the hotel had sooo many new things to touch and see what they did. I know Mom and brothers and sisters back home were very thankful as were we! I remembered being the one at home when Carrie was here with John and Victoria 2 years ago. Ahh good stuff!

We took Gabriel back for dinner at Beacon House, made arrangements for church in the morning and then came back to our hotel for dinner and in Tanners case some log sawing…he is out out out again! LOL
As for me as I close this day I am feeling much better, still 5 more sleeps (including tonite) before we get to begin our return but feeling held up and comforted.
Looking forward to enjoying what tomorrow has in store for us as we walk it out step by step….moment by moment….

Dave's journal entry #2 Ghana

2010-04-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Day 2 April 23, 2010 (Day 2)

We arrive at 7:20am in ACCRA.

It is 12:20am PST but we aren’t focusing on that. 21hrs ago we rolled out of bed in our hotel at Sea-Tac and began this journey.
We made it thru immigration without a hitch and found our ride holding the sign Mr Dave Blaske. They helped us to their hotel shuttle, along with numerous Ghanian “helpers” that they did not chase away.
These “helpers” are very friendly and make small talk with you as we walk to the shuttle van.

As we walk I see that there is not one and then two but 5 of them at least by the time we got to the shuttle and I only had 4 bags!!! I wasn’t sure who was with the hotel and who wasn’t.
I knew they were helping and going to want a tip.

This is my least favorite part of Ghana, I feel bad inside but also know they are swindling some also, they are just very friendly. I stepped aside to find some small bills.
I handed one man a $5 and without blinking he says oh give me 20 and then each of us have 5.
I said no that is what I have to give you.
They left without incident, though he did ask again but off he/they went.
I still didn’t like the feeling I had inside, knowing that I have much but I also knew it was fair even though had they asked I would have declined there help as I already had 2 gentlemen from the hotel and myself and Tanner to handle our bags.
Its always an Adventure getting out of the airport unescorted as a foreigner.

As we await the volunteer from the orphanage to arrive we/I unpacked and read thru the information my lovely (but missing travel agent) Carrie had prepared.

I began to get a bit anxious because I did not have any Ghanian funds yet, nor did I have a way to get food or water…yes I was fretting a bit, had the jitters and was quite irritable (ask Tanner)

The volunteer arrives promptly and we began our short walk to Beacon House.
Ahh now the thoughts that race thru your mind, I thought; will he run into my arms, will he smile, will he be sad, excited nervous etc.
One of the volunteers tells me they told him we were coming the day before.
They don’t want to tell them too early as it can be very difficult.

He has known we were going to adopt him for several months but as the adoption process goes you don’t want to get the childs hopes up and then have them dashed.

We anxiously await in the office…and then I hear them coming. The door opens and he slowly walks up to me and VERY quietly says "hi dad" I think it was very soft and meek).

I have to admit I was a bit caught off guard by his meekness, as I was prepared for an excited, exuberant boy.

Of course that’s what I wanted too but I believe God used this moment to help remind me of HOW BIG OF A CHANGE THIS IS IN HIS LIFE. He is leaving EVERYTHING HE KNOWS TO BE GOOD and SAFE!

Yes he wants a family and YES he is excited to go to America and YES he smiled. I smiled at him and gave him a hug, wasn’t sure if I was getting a hug back but that was OKAY I was here and knew that God was breaking in.

We talked for a couple minutes (actually probably 30 seconds) I don’t do well in uncomfortable silences . I introduced him to Tanner, he was still very meek.

As I have watched the video of this here at the hotel I am recalling the depth that is in his eyes! God has a plan for this boy!
Its as though he has been waiting a long time for something (us to arrive) but at the same time you can see he perhaps is ALSO processing that he will be leaving soon as well!
He bites his lip as if to hold back his emotions but presses on and into the situation of us being there in front of him. I asked him if he would like to see some videos of John and Victoria back home. He said yes!

So we watched these and let the “ice break” for awhile. After watching the videos, Gabriel asked if he could go and get his family picture book. I said sure. Off he went and back he came with EVERY picture we had sent him.

We looked thru them all and then he put it in my backpack to be sure it went with us.
Not sure but I think he wanted to double check that I was indeed the man in his picture book!!! LOL.

He was now talking in more understandable volume, questions were flowing, when will we go to America, he was naming his brothers and sisters etc. He went in and out for a bit, NOTE I AM EXHAUSTED, every time he went out I had to catch myself from nodding off.

He came back and thanks to one of the volunteers we had some card games (UNO) and a memory matching game to play and just hang out a bit with. I will post a video of this because the laughing and giggling that occurred warmed my heart and also confirmed to me he was getting more comfortable.

I know many peoples adoption “first meets” are not always easy and even awkward, the family wants so much for it to be as they have dreamt of and played out in their minds eye over and over and yet often times they don’t play out exactly as we have played them out in our minds.

This I know whether as you thought they would be or quite a bit different, they are perfect none the less!

Ours was no different..JUST PERFECT!

It was time for lunch and for me that meant trying to deal with my anxiety about the money, food and my lack of rest!!! What a wimp but being honest!
We went and exchanged some money and I went back to the hotel to try and catch a nap before returning to the Orphanage.
Tanner stayed with the volunteers. I went back to the hotel and battled, yes battled. I was so cooked, if I could find a way to skip the next few days and get on a plane with Gabriel and Tanner in a few hours and just get back to my comfort in America that would be just fine.

I had anxiety, the jitters, I was SEVERELY MISSING my wife and tour guide who on our last journey was here ahead of me so she had it all figured out when I arrived.

I tried to sleep but really couldn’t as the jitters were increasing.
I prayed and tried to focus but I was really feeling like I was losing it. I wish I could say that it left right away but it didn’t.
I continued to pray and speak that He is my refuge and my strength, I knew that I couldn’t get thru all that this trip had to offer without Him carrying me.
Oh and I hadn’t mentioned,…. no phone, no internet so I couldn’t express any of this with Carrie. UGH!
I got up as it was time to head back still feeling anxious and jittery. I drank some water and began the walk back to Beacon House on the red dirt roads, speaking God you are my REFUGE and MY STRENGTH, over and over.
As I walked I began to feel a bit better, no jitters, anxiety leaving…okay thanks God not completely gone but much much better.

I got to the orphanage and met with the Director who gave me all the information and paperwork I would need for my return trip in a few days. She invited us out for dinner (whew, one less thing to navigate while I was exhausted.)
Tanner played and played with the kids and crashed when we got back to the hotel. We went out for pizza (real Ghanian huh but when you can feel the blood flowing and it feels like THICK MUD my body and mind says to me no more adventure! I know, what a wimp!

We retired for the evening and some MUCH needed rest. Tanner slept for 13hrs straight, me I slept for an hour and then was awake for 4, wide awake, then thankfully my body slept very soundly for 7 hours.

Whew a VERY BIG DAY and a VERY LONG JOURNAL, but it was GOOD. NOTE I am writing this at the end of the next day so my hindsight is of course helping my perspective/reflection too…

Thank you Lord for being my REFUGE and MY STRENGTH!

Daves Journal entry #1

2010-04-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...Dave is in Ghana and has put this note on his Face Book page...I thought i would copy it here for those of you non-Face Bookers :O)

At this time the internet is a bit slow, but he was able to finally get it to work on his computer today. Our family got to Skype with him after he had been in Ghana for 24 hours with no communication with us:O) (Romana got a good laugh at me as I kept texting her to check up on them...it was all I could do to, not know how the "first meeting" with Gabriel went. More on that to come in next post. Until then...time for Dave to be the Blogger! Go Dave GO!!!

Great Adventure Part II

(Our Trip to Ghana April 2010)

April 22, 2010

Day 1 (Departure)
Tanner and I make the trek to the airport 3am :-).
Tanner is doing great. After a long wait to get checked in we get to the gate have a breakfast sandwich and finally board our first leg of the journey.

We arrive in NY and make it to our next leg of the journey with relative ease.

It is here in NYC that I am again hit with a wave of emotion (just like the last time just over 2 years ago). As sit amongst many many beautiful Africans I am reminded again of the journey and commitment to this little boys life I/we are making.

That is not to say I/we haven’t made the decision to adopt with great reflection, processing and of course some leaps of faith but God has used this point in my journey each time to “bring it all home”.
I had forgotten he did that last time with John and Victoria but I remembered here when I sat at the gate awaiting to board the plane to Accra.
This time I am not heading off to join my beautiful wife (more on that later), but instead am embarking on this journey with Tanner our 15 year old boy.
Tanner is giddy and it is awesome to see how polite and how he displays a servants heart on the plane helping people load bags etc. I must remember these moments when I can’t get him to wash up or put clean clothes on!! LOL.

The 1st day ends somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean or over the West Coast of Africa, depending on which time zone, PST, EST or Ghanian you are counting from.

"It's Time Mama"

2010-04-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

A dear Beacon House adoptive mama of two great BH kiddos took this picture of Gabriel some weeks ago. She was there to go and get her son and bring him home. She graciously took over a small soccer watch and a letter from us to give to Gabe.
What I did not know until TODAY...was that she took this sweet picture of him and his watch.

TODAY, after a very long and emotional two weeks with new Embassy news and process of investigations, I was able to call my friend and say...."Got it Got it Got it"
"it" being a visa interview for Gabriel!

It was a GREAT DAY! It was a day of shouting God's glory to ALL I came into contact with!
So I shouted to this dear friend...a few seconds after we got off the phone...onto my phone popped this watch pic of my baby...and the caption said "Its time Mama"

TEARS!
Tears of JOY, release tears of stress from the last few weeks of uncertainty, and tears of a friend who knowingly held a BLESSING for me until just the right time!

TODAY WAS THE RIGHT TIME!

Gabey-Baby...and his throwing back of his head SMILE says it all! It is time and we are sooooo excited to go and get him! (we meaning Dave and Tanner are going and WE are all counting the days!)

Let me jump back to this Wednesday when ALL things pointed to Dave having to cancel the trip and WAIT while Embassy stuff fell into place....I wrote this in my journal this Wednesday as I pondered, processed and PRAYED!

"I was reminded by God this past Wednesday morning about Moses when He went up the mountain to get the ten commandments, while he was gone the people set up altars and made idols.

Holy spirit said to me " I am doing something good up on the mountain Carrie, WAIT for me....don't give anything at the alter of fear, anxiety or stress! ...You will like what I am bringing down for you!" So, I am holding on to that!"

For the record....I REALLY LIKE WHAT HE BROUGHT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN FOR ME!

"It's Time GABRIEL BLASKE....here we come!"

Attachment

2010-02-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

Attachment, attachment, attachment....the buzz word of adoption!

In the big wide world of adoption, the word attachment is connected to most conversations in some way.
For me personally, answering the most frequently asked question of "how are the kids adjusting and attaching" is often answered with a smile and the words....."we are on a great journey, each day is a new discovery"

Attachment at the Blaske house has not been looked at as an item on a check list to be checked off...For example: "work on attachment"...CHECK, done...
Nope, it is the ebb and flow of discovery of all of our lives, stories and life situations blending, clashing, melding and connecting day by day for the rest of our lives.

Are we closer in some areas now then we were on that super "gottcha day" March 2008..YES!

In looking back at the almost two years of having J and V home, I can see a pattern of "attachment opportunities" woven into the fabric of our family.

It looks something like this:

CHANGE ='s re-checking SECURITY

~Dave has to work late a few nights in a row....schedule changes

??? Mom, did Daddy give you that wedding ring????

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Ashlie moves to her own house in town

???Mom, did Daddy kiss you on your meeting day???

(J calls our wedding our "meeting day")

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~I get sick and go to hospital for a day

???Daddy, did mommy wear that long dress at the wedding???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Brock gets a job after school and starts coming home after the kids are in bed

???Mom do you get to do your wedding day again???

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

over and over and over and over and over and over

the "wedding/marriage" questions get asked.

Looking back at our two years, these questions get asked at times of change,

and when security in some form is in question!

A few weeks ago, Dave was at a meeting, Brock was at work, Tanner and Tristan were at church and Gabriels passport had come in....CELEBRATION!

I was not even feeling the ground under my feet, I was sooooo excited about the passport. There had been a buzz around the house all day!

In the evening while everyone was gone and doing their thing, J, V and I were snuggled on my bed reading before bed.

We finished the book, prayed and were getting up off the bed when the questions started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What was your meeting day like mommy?"

"Did Daddy kiss you, do you kiss anyone else"

"where is your dress?"

Ahhhhh ha!

I jumped out of bed, went into my closet, climbed up got my wedding dress box down

and

OPENED IT,

It Swooshed out of the box as we all watched the train float across my floor!

GASPS

GIGGLES

LAUGHTER

MORE LAUGHTER and SQUEALS

from J and V as they rolled around on my bed!

I said, V, do you want to put my dress on?

"Y E S MOM!!!" (through LOUD laughter)

Down she hopped out of my bed, and in a moment she had stepped into my dress got zipped up and stood looking with HUGE eyes at me...

"mom it is soooo heavy and so pretty!" and out we marched to the front room where the full length mirror was. Twirling, swirling, giggling she stood staring at herself.

J, what was J doing...WIDE eyed he was attached to my RIGHT leg like a Velcro child, smiling from ear to ear!

How many times have the "wedding / marriage" questions been asked over the last two years? I do not think I can count.

How many more will be asked?

I do not know...but I do know that change brings up the need to check

and re-check and re-check SECURITY...

What could be MORE SECURE for a child than a healthy, happy SECURE marriage!

Who would of known that my special kiss, my beautiful ring, my trailing veil and fantastic dress would be a topic of monthly, weekly and sometimes daily conversation almost 17 years after I said "I DO".....

P A S S P O R T

2010-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

Can I say....."PASSPORT!"

January...WOW, what a MONTH!

In a God size SUPER NATURAL way...January wraps up as being one of the hardest spiritual, emotional and physical battles our family has had since the start of Gabriels journey.

So many people prayed! So many people felt such a DARKness pressing in all around us in Jan.

Jan 27th, one by one the phone calls started coming in.

"Carrie and Dave, we really feel like something has lifted"
"Carrie, the urgency to pray has ceased"
"Carrie and Dave, we have been feeling like we needed to cover you...that feeling does not seem as urgent"

*these were different circles of people, friends, family, adoptive friends, people from other states all pressing in to the throne room on our behalf....all having the same feelings.

God does amaze me!

Also I am blessed to have a circle of people who will listen to the Holy Spirit on our behalf.

Adoption is warfare...so glad we are equipped to FIGHT and do not have to do so on our own power.

FEBRUARY 1, 2010 NEW month, NEW day, NEW news...

Phone call comes from Ghana "Carrie guess what I have in my hand?"

P A S S P O R T

Then some of my favorite words I get to hear from the Director at Beacon House....

"Oh yes, oh YES"

As different families have walked this passport journey in the last few years...each family's adoption journey is soooooo different, but pretty much across the board...PASSPORTS tend to be the section of the adoption process that is very dificult.

The ride is like no other!

Each Beacon House family that I have been able to call and say "your PASSPORT is in" ....has been a JOYFILLED celebration when it is IN the HAND and correct!

I have been able to joyfully celebrate with many families!

One thing I know for sure in the last 2 years of doing the Volunteer BH coordinator job:

...when it is time for a child, who does not have a forever family,

to come home to forever family...a family who will lead them in the way everlasting through the powerful perfect love of Jesus...

The enemy FIGHTS!

Passports coming out seem to be a good target for sure!!

We stand in a position of victory and do not have to fight for victory...even when we can not see the how and why...GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Today we celebrate the PASSPORT....the tireless efforts of the BH Director and staff,

the ALL POWERFUL personal GOD who holds it all in His hands and lets us come along for the RIDE OF A LIFE time if we trust, believe and love HIM only!

I 600 approval, Visa and TRAVEL coming NEXT....will keep you updated!

*the passport on the top is the cover of John's passport...Gabriels is safely still in Ghana awaiting his VIsa / exit!

Daughter!

2010-01-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

The Love of this mommy heart is FULL,

by the KIND and GOD FILLED words of my amazing oldest daughter.

Her view of our family story is on her blog....well said sweetheart!

http://www.aarghistheperfectword.blogspot.com/

We are all praying and thankful for God's PLAN for all of our lives!

"Through the intimacy of our relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out.

As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be.

Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up.

Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace. Hold My hand in child-like trust, and the way before you will open up step by step."

"Jesus Calling Devotional" Jan 25th

Gabriel Blaske

2010-01-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Jesus,
Tonight I sit and look at this sweet tender warrior you have so carefully fashioned by your hand, and I am in awe of Your POWER and LOVE!

THANK YOU for his LIFE!

I PRAISE YOU for all the workers at his first place of care, that cared for him

I DELIGHT that you connected him to BH, put him in the hands of those who speak LIFE........TRUE LIFE to his sweet lil life each day from your word....feed him, teach him, cloth him, show him what PLAY is....and seek out a forever family for him.

Really...it is US! How can that be? How can hearts get connected that are so many miles and oceans apart! Lord I PRAISE YOU for what YOU have done and continue to do!

HOME

There comes a time in the adoption journey where the Spiritual realm knows that there is a HOME for a child...and that progress is getting made to the HOME-COMING.

What was a fight is now an all out war...papers disappear, computers crash, backs get injured, trucks get crashed, family members get sick, sink pipes break and leak all over the floors, process gets back logged...........one waiting child starts to lose hope as his lil child like heart and mind does not understand "time and process" sees the hope start to slip through his grasp of understanding.

C O N F I D E N C E

Dear Gabriel, SON.....from the moment we first saw you in Jan 2008....as we watched your littleness skip around the play area and on the trampoline...we knew you were a very

"sweet" boy.

Many families who have come to BH come out saying

"we are praying for a family for sweet Gabriel"

We prayed for you since then...and being C O N F I D E N T that GOD had begun a good work in you...He chose us to be a part of that work.

WE ARE BLESSED TO CALL YOU SON, for you are a GIFT and already soooooo loved!

Sweet boy....hang on to the WORD of the ONE who created you.

Philippians 1:6 is a life verse for you.

I pray this prayer for you as we draw our swords and hold up our shields and fight well to the finish for you! The finish is not your home coming, but to see you grow in the design God set out for you...the PLANS that He has already started....and will complete.

We are just thankful that we get to be a part of seeing how God does it all,

and BE THE ONES Who's ARMS YOU CAN SNUGGLE UP INTO no matter how old you are.

Sweet boy....the concept of mommy is new to you, and son, I can not wait to play that out each day with you as you!

THANK YOU LORD FOR HIS SW REPORT, PASSPORT, VISA, and TRAVEL to his HOME!

(We know that You know, we NEED these four things and we are confident that you will complete it)

With LOVE....

Snap shot

2009-12-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

Take a snap shot view of what has been happening in the busy Blaske house!

I took the kids to the Lynden Lighted Christmas parade. My much complaining thought was "you can not make a memory if you do not go" so we went and had a great time. We FROZE, but the delight of the kids as they stood in the cold, waving, catching candy and singing to the music of the lighted floats as they passed.....made the freezing worth it.

I like to say that this is "me and mini me" Tristan is 14 and an amazing young man....kinda looks like his mommy...dont you think?

Tradition...for 10 years now, we have made ginger bread houses on Thanksgiving day! Ashlie was very creative this year and did not go for best design or color scheme, but very carefully place ALL the candy she LOVED on to her house in layers...so when she took it home she could munch on it! FUNNY, but clever!

The week before Thanksgiving we did a mini trial run on the ginger bread house making with our dear friends! These three great guys take FUNNY to a whole new level!
The joy in the room when they get to be together is a GIFT that I will not ever fully be able to comprehend!

The girls did a great job! There is a place in my heart that often has a hard time finding words to describe the love and life these two have shared together. To have them here in the USA so close to each other after growing up together in Ghana, really is a God size picture that I have only seen a small view of! LOVE THEM!

Brock and his sweet girl went to homecoming. There is not a dull moment when they are together. They LAUGH more than any two I have been around. (they are pretty good at ping pong too:O) She looked stunning in her purple dress and Brock had to buy dress pants, because he did not own any. Looked smashing!

I love this pic for MANY reasons! The adoptive moms that God has surrounded me with astound me! His Kids did a "Falling for kids" adoption clothing sale in the fall. The event was a fund raiser for families at our church in the process of adopting. This is a pic of 4 of the 9 women that are FRONT line warriors for adoption and kids in crisis that I get to live life with.

The great shirts were designed by the mom in the middle, as a fund raiser for their adoption. We all proudly wear them and she has sold ALOT of them!

*email me if you would like to get one .....bhcarrie@gmail.com

We worked, the community shopped and in the end we are all a bit closer to our adoption fund goal! (thanks K for the GREAT idea!)

Our sweet girl turned 11! In her 11 years, she has seen more "life" than I have in my 40 years.

I continue to be amazed at her pure JOY for all things. He out loud laughter at the simple and sweet things of life. Also her great ability to speak truth and defend the gospel and her deep love for God!

~hApPy BiRtHdAy ViCtOrIa~

In the view of time, things can FLY by or go very slowly.

It is an interesting space to be in, where both happen at the same time.

In a land far away lives a wiggly toothed 6 yr old boy.

He is quick, smart, full of questions and has a smile so big you almost lose his eyes due to his little cheeks pushing up.

He is cared for, gets to play with friends, is taught, and loved ....all the things a child need. Except he is WAITING.

Waiting for his forever family to come and "collect him."

I know I said I would post once a week....and really I think I did okay for some of the time up to now. However...seeing that things FLY by and things go soooooo SLOWLY.....I am caught in a place of life happening all around me all while I wait....to hold this sweet little boy.

Those around me who have adopted or are in process, know the pull that happens daily on our hearts as we trust in the Lord and wait.

I hope you have enjoyed a small "snap shot" into the picture

of the day to day of the Blaske Bunch!

Potty Training the Puppy

2009-10-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have a new member of the Blaske family. (call me crazy...Really call me crazy)

Her name is Juliet and she is an early Christmas present from Ashlie to our whole family.

She is a 3 pound wonder!

It is CRAZY how a puppy can bring kids/family together in great ways!

This a.m....due to the crate training I have chosen to do as the method of potty training, (notice I said "I have chosen"...yes the kids LOVE LOVE LOVE her...and I get to train, feed and be with her all day. Which really is kind of lovely as she sits on my lap most of the day while I work in the office)

Today, 6:00....like everyday (she does not understand weekends) she whimpers, whines and is ready to get OUT of her crate.

Stumbling around, coat for me, slip Daves shoes on, grab leash, treats and off we go to stand OUTSIDE to go potty.

On my way to get the coat etc...out the kitchen window I see a striking neon pink thin line over the mountains forming out of the dark morning..."wow, I bet this sunrise is going to be amazing God....THANK YOU" I say in my heart.

Outside....Jewls wont go(Sunrise is now turning pink to dark orange and getting taller....we stand, use cues, stand some more. She goes! Yeah...treat and inside we go. Go inside, Leash off, coat off, shoes off...strong desire for coffee...walk toward kitchen....see Jewels scooting around under kitchen table...she pauses, squats to poop...REALLY!

Swoop her up...shoes on, no coat, leash in hand, no treats...OUTSIDE again...and NO POOP...

walking, sniffing, use word cues, walking, playing with cat. I am getting CRANKY! Dave opens the door and smiles...seeing me in my jammies in front yard.

Mean time...sunrise has blown up in the entire sky to radiant pink, orange, yellows and very top clear blue dancing off the high clouds...AMAZING!

Jewls NEVER goes...15 mins of standing in the cold.

Bring her in, put her down, lean down to take off my shoes...she squats on the tile, poops and skips off into the kitchen...happy happy happy puppy!

Seriously! Not a good start to a Sunday!

Grumble grumble grumble...cranky cranky cranky...lots of unkind thoughts dancing through my head about my very cozy warm sleeping children at this point!

Coffee...ahhhh, ....Bible.....ahhh,....Holy Spirit, Tap tap tap on my heart....owww ohhh!

Word picture life lesson coming at me FULL tilt! (love it and year for it, but really feel like there is some correction coming...YEP it did!)

God says:

"Carrie, like standing in the yard today...you can SEE a whole big picture of your surroundings, like a 360 view from the place you stand. BIG telephoto lens! You see Me and my power, strength and beauty...just like the commanding sunrise I made for you this a.m.

You love and trust me and look at this view often....where you need to practice is the IN and OUT movement of your picture lens."

My Big Picture NEVER changes! I am UNCHANGING!

"Carrie, do not let the details and situations (ie: puppy frustrations, kid challenges, work loads, Adoption stretches and heart aches) cause you to forget that in the ZOOM in times of situations,

THE SUNRISE that is happening is in that SAME view...you just can not see it because of the close focus needed at that given time. It is STILL there!

"Like a muscle, you must get better at using the lens of your heart to move in and out of BIG PICTURE (where you rest and see me most) and ZOOM focus (where you tend to cry out ot me during times of trouble, but yearn for big pictures times of peace) and be ACTIVE in lens movement for sustainable PEACE in you....now matter what view you see.....move in and out of both views during the times of focus.

When you are cranky, frustrated, hurt or angry...pull back a bit on the view...my power has not changed, this will not change the situations I have put CLOSE by you....but it will cause a deep peace which will allow you to be in ZOOM in situations with my power not your own"

OKAY! Can I say that God uses word pictures to talk to my often...and today I wanted to share this on the blog because the reality of my aching heart for Gabriel to come home has been gaining some sadness as the weeks go by. I have had times in the last 12 weeks of ZOOM focus that has caused my sweet family to have to tip toe around a sometimes emotional, cranky mommy.

God used His Grand Sunrise, a tiny puppy and poop to express His heart for me today!

SUSTAINABLE PEACE using the lens of my heart! THANK you God!

Weekend update!

2009-10-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I paused for a few seconds to look around our house. I decided to pick up my camera and do a 360 in our upstairs and capture ONE moment of BLASKE-ness.
Reason: In moments like this, it causes a great THANKFULNESS to rise up in me to the LORD and all HE is in our lives.
Imagine the noise, the laughter, the frustrations, the play....all going on at one time as life happens.
Ashlie: She is our resident Apple comp WIZ! She was hanging out with us and trying to get some CD music onto Daddy's I phone. Tanner is usually close by because he usually has added some "special feature" or up load to the computer that no one can work but him :O)

There is a BIG play area in John's room, downstairs, and even in the front room...but 99% of the time I find Johnny in the kitchen where I am. Just when I start to feel the frustration about kicking marbles, tripping on toys, stepping over train tracks...my heart stops and I OPEN my eyes to the AMAZING little boy who is MY boy playing in the kitchen to be close to me...and realize, some day the kitchen will be clear and quite and oh how sad that will be! For now...PLAY ON Johnny Man!

Lunches...each day the kids pack their lunches the night before school...or I should say, the idea would be that "each night" lunches get packed. (many a morning there are some mad dashes slathering peanut butter onto bread and shoving into a bag and into the back pack as some child forgot to do lunch the night before runs to catch the bus)

Over all...25 lunches get packed Mon-Friday.....and If Victoria had her choice she would pack every ones lunch. She is a great cook and a great lunch packer.

Reports: Oh I do remember the day of hand written reports....but I guess that dates me a bit. (I could even admit the papers I did in the "typewriter" hummmm!)

Tristan is here working on a Book report/short essay. He has a great Language Arts mind and I enjoy reading his papers.

Science project: 3D model of a plant cell....Tanner had this project in hand for a week...but being the "on top of it all momma" that I am, I did not make it to the craft store to get the supplies until two days before. Here he is with his almost complete project. (thankfully Ash was over hanging out and came up with the idea of "wires" to stick the labels on.

PLAY: Okay, I know John is in here 2 times..it is because he is 2 times as busy:O)

Dave and John have great games of UNO, Sorry, Zingo (thanks Kathy) and lots of building projects....like this one.

Overall, in the span of the few seconds it took me to take these few pictures, it is really good for me to STOP life in motion at times a TAKE in the ACTION frame by frame!

One Weekend, One moment, MANY BLESSINGS!

*no worries all you friends and family wondering about Gabriel:....more to come soon.

We are anxiously awaiting a court date....then we will be on a weekly update on time frame.

Soon that little man will be in our Weekends, Moments and YES we already count him as one of our BLESSINGS!

"V" is for VICTORIA!

2009-09-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

This post is for VICTORIA!
Not for anything special,
Not that All my kiddos could / should / will have a post,
Not that alot of words are needed.....................
Just simply said, there are some days as her mommy, that I gaze across the room at her, or watch her on the soccer field, or hear her beautiful LAUGHTER (larger than life), peek at her trying on my lip gloss, and think.......
Her life tells 1,000 plus stories and I now get to be in them!"

I love you lovie!

God's Economy!

2009-09-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share the delight of helping some friends raise money for their 2nd Ethiopian adoption. They worked hard at setting up a one day garage sale in hopes to cover the finger print and filing fee....and they made over $800.00 YEAH!

They put out this story board of their last adoption and a jug to collect funds for anyone who wanted to donate. People were generous and supportive. We baked brownies and homemade bread to sell and split the cost with this family. The kids sold the food items and had a smile and a story to share as people asked them questions about the new adoption. It is a GIFT to see the whole family involved and making an impact on the community with their testimony.

A few posts back...I posted about "Pickles For Dinner".....well here is our Johnny man putting the money in the jar that his friend from Ghana (Moses) and Moses' brother Joshua gave to our family for our adoption. The JOY of JOYS as John put it ALL in and ALL out several times!

Really...the process of trusting in faith that God will and is bringing the funds all together at just the right time is and has been an amazing process for our whole family.

Yesterday as I was walking down the isle at the store I popped a bag of candy corns into the basket and one of my kids said, "hey, if we don't get that bag of candy, you could put that money in the pickle jar for G"

Oh my heart!

So, in the economy of God, nothing is impossible!

I have heard and have said this myself..."God owns the cattle on 1,000 hills" in relation to adoption and or situations where someone is in need.

Well, I was set back on my heels this week as I re-read that section of scripture and realized that God was not talking about how much He owns and what He can do for us...but rather the whole section was about "sacrifces and offerings" and what kind of sacrifices He is longing for from us.

Ohhhh, was I humbled!

"I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. .......for the world is mine all that is in it...Sacrifce thank offerings to God, fufill your vows to the Most High." Psalm 50:9-12, 14

As I wrap up this post I want to offer up "Thank Offerings" to the Lord for who He is and for His perfect love and plan for our lives.

Lord, you do not need to sell any of those 1,000 cows for me.....you have already given it ALL!

Thank you that you know the plans you have for me and you are working them out for my good. (even the money :O)

Glory of God!

2009-09-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

I know I said I would blog each Sunday...but really the last post was wordy and I know when I am blog surfing it is so wonderful to see the "life" in the pictures people post. So, here ya go...I titled this "Glory of God!" because ONLY God could do what this picture represent...His Glory shouting for all to see! Once in a while God brings someone into my life that "fits" into the plan He has for my life, and it is a GOD size connection in friendship, amazement and thankfulness....Romana is one of those people. Having her in our home this summer and getting to have day after day face time with her was a GIFT!

The WA Beacon House reunion was a week long adventure of seeing God's Glory SHINE in obedient parents who have answered the call on their lives to adopt, Directors and BH volunteer staff seeing the connection of children who knew each other in Africa, then Beacon House, now in WASHINGTON...how can that be?
To see and hear them playing at the park, skipping and holdling hands along the beach, dancing, eating and GIGGLING so loudly as they recall memories, FILLS my heart to a place that does not have words!
(there are 100's of pics...but not having talked to each family represented, I am not putting the big group picture here)
...but close your eyes, picture the beach on a sunny summer day, 19 children all sitting close, older ones with younger ones on their laps, Directors standing behind them and SMILES upon SMILES on the faces of these once orphans, NOW FOREVER FAMILY adopted children! )
Like I said:
GLORY of GOD!!!

"Seasons"

2009-09-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

For me, some of life's seasons change like our natural seasons...meaning gradual small things begin to happen. Examples like the temperature drops just a bit, the shade of the leaves begin to turn on the edges, the sun is down just a little bit earlier.

Then it happens, we wake up one day and there is frost on the ground, the furnace in our home kicks on and we are into a new season. It did not happen over night, and there really was not one big event that brought it all to come into play...but a change of season happened.

This is the place I find myself at this time. In a new "season."
When did it change and what did it change from? Can not really put my finger on it, but I do know who put it all the small changes together to accomplish this change. "GOD"

Anyone who has been in our home, seen my email address or read anything I have had the chance to write, has seen the phrase "SIMPLIFY"
My season has been one of God gracefully setting me FREE based on His wonderful word in Ephesians 2:10 "For you Carrie are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that you Carrie should walk in them"

In this season God called me to simplify my life so that I could HEAR his voice...Homemaking, baking, freezer dinners, homeschooling, taking care of our 4 acres, co-ops, and mentoring women were all things God had for me to invest my time.

I loved and enjoyed all the details of creating a HAVEN in our home, for creating simplicity for my heart and others to live in.
Little did I know that the leaves in my life were starting to change color about this time last year.
We saw God move in many many ways as we put our 1928 home on the market in a down economy, only to have it sell in 20 days, and got to buy a home in town that has to many wonderful things about it to list. Hummmmm, CHANGE was upon us.

Dave and I both knew that having a newer home would set free some of our time we had been spending on our old home with land to up keep. Little did we know how MUCH time.
It will be one year in Novemeber that we have lived in our new home with our new time arrangement. Kid time, family time, office/ministry time and friend time has all opened up.

The realization of the "frost" showing up one morning, and the change being upon me was the realization that baking, homemaking, freezer dinner making, home-schooling etc had all become like a faint call in my heart.
Changes had been happening and were subtle.

Where did it go? Why did I not miss it? Where was the pull and the urge to do all these things?
Now, don't get me wrong, my family is not being fed fish sticks and tater tots in a crazy messy house (okay some days it is just like that) but for the most part the desire and pull to do all of those "HAVEN" things has faded....and guess what, it is OKAY and I am OKAY and the family is OKAY. I am a planner at heart, but God is moving me into a "fly by the seat of my pants" place that quite frankly is FREEing.

I have spent about one year of no dinners in the freezer (family still eating),
Kids in public school (yep...all still loving the Lord and growing, shining the light inside them),
buying Walmart $.79 a loaf bread, (baking bread only a few times), letting the house GO, (knowing that there is always a tomorrow and the chores will still be there) putting the chore charts aways (letting the kids pick what they can and want to do and stuff still getting done) working in our home office 20-30 hours a week for the cause of the orphan (took a computer certificated class to keep office time most effective...yet still keep a window open at all times to my Face Book account...the biggest time sucker of all :O)

Whew...BOY does my life LOOK different!
YEAH GOD for change I did not even see coming.
I could not of organized or planned these changes or even picked these changes...but BOY am I glad He is in control and directing and re-directing.

I guess this weeks post is a glance of what was, what is and a some what question of what is to come.
What I do know for sure is this:
We are all God's workmanship and the things He created for us to do even before we were born are being worked out, day by day, small change by small change, creating NEW and WONDERFUL and sometimes difficult seasons for us to walk in!

Happy WALKING!
Enjoy the Season you are in and know that He is in the loving business of transformation and change!

Pickles For Dinner

2009-08-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

There is a place in my mind that writes blog entries and stores them for later use...but the place never seems to re-surface :O)
To my friends and family who have been looking at the blog this last year only to see the last entry of "smells" to still be sitting there...I apologize. Really.
I came to bed last week and Dave had the computer out and said "look hun, I started up the blog again" I froze....oh the pressure.

The journey we are on is BIG, the size of God's heart is BIGGER...so I will take a moment each Sunday night to update the journey so others can see the GOD size picture too.

PICKLES FOR DINNER!
Dave had pulled up a blog a few weeks back about a family who really blessed our hearts as we read about how their family had a HUGE family size heart to have the whole family engaged in the awareness of the plight of the orphan. They had really great ideas on how to change things within their family to give God room to fund raise.

They gave us the idea to put out a pickle jar and collect change as we could find it, also as a visual for everyone coming into the house to see it and call it to mind that we are praying for our new son.

All we had was a full pickle jar...so for dinner the kids GLADLY each ate ALOT of pickles to empty the jar. (notice I said kids...ohhh yuck!)

One of the things Dave felt God saying for this adoption, this time around was to "not shuffle money around" meaning, don't pull insurance money to pay for adoption costs that we would re-place.......but to not move forward until the funds for each step were in at the time each step payment were due.
Ohhh my panic mommy heart....reality hit the wall....was I willing to hear Dave, was I willing to trust that money would come in...more than that...was I willing to set that time frame in COMPLETE control of God.
Oh the power of a sinful heart. (kinda ugly )
After a few pouts, tears, and silent stares at Dave (with him running his hands through his hair in patient waiting for my heart to line up) I let go of the grip I had on any expectation I wrongly held....and Cleaned the jar....put a verse and a picture of our son on the jar!

The jar was out, small family meeting was held. We told the kids our filing fee was going to be $910, and told them about what Daddy felt God saying about the money....in a few scurry mins the kids were dashing OFF and were BACK with their wallets and change and were dumping money into it.

Day 2...a check comes in the mail $100, also i posted homeshcool curriculum for sale and made a $95 sale in the first 30 mins it was posted, at Ashlies work, someone leaves a $100 donation on her desk, end of day two......almost $300 was in!

*****I WAS ONE ON MY FACE HUMBLED LADY*****
It was as if God was actually reaching out and LOVING me through people!
He really was just waiting for me to let go of my ideas and let Him move!

By Day 7....we had filled and emptied our jar 2 times! (went to a friends house on day 5 and she said " follow me, I have something for you" We went into her bed room and she picked up a HUGE jar of change..."here we want you to have this for your jar" WOW! When we got home, John loaded the change into the pickle jar saying over and over...."oh my brother is coming home, oh my brother is going to like that this money is here for him, oh yeah"
$79.00 was in that change jar alone! End of day 7....we had ALL $910!
HOW?

Pickles for dinner.................thats how!

The willingness of a husband to HEAR
The unwillingness of a wife....turned willing
The willingness of OTHERS to POUR into our lives for the cause of our son!
The WILLINESS of GOD to love us to obedience....He can even use PICKLES!

HERE WE GROW AGAIN!!

2009-08-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Blaske's are growing AGAIN! Join us as we blog forward on a journey to bring another member into our family from Ghana. Our journey with John and Victoria and our other kids continues and now we are thrilled to have been led to GROW again and reach out and add another! We have already seen God's hand and miracles at work in our hearts and in peoples generous prayers and giving.

Stay tuned as we will endeavor to update this blog weekly as we journey toward bringing the next Blaske home to be with us!

Dave

Smells

2008-12-23T13:51:00.001-08:00

I know...funny title...but really, there are a few things that really have an impact on us whether we choose them or not.

Like Music, and smells. For some reason those two things can flash me back to a time and place in a second.

This week I had another one of those moments. Since we moved things are being discovered that may have been hidden for a while. For example, my favorite body spray is "love spell" and I wear it all the time. To me it reminds me of grape fruit, fresh, bold and happy.

As I was fumbling around under the bathroom sink looking for something, I found the bottle of body spray I took with me to Ghana. It is called "Amber passion" (okay silly name..but so is love spell) I thought to myself, "this spray is a little bit spicy and warm smelling, maybe a good one to wear in the winter time." So I popped it up on the counter for later.

Later when I decided to take off the sweat pants I had been wearing for two days (being cozy in our SNOWY Wa weather) and pop into the shower....I opened the Amber body spray and started to spray....

I picked this spray for Ghana because of a very meaningful time I had with the Lord prior to travel when He spoke to my heart and told me to name Victoria...Victoria Amber Blaske. I am kinda "visual" when it comes to things the Lord wants me to know and remember....seems to help keep my heart focused on what He wants :O)

So, I "spray" the mist. and I am INSTANTLY taken back to a FLOOD of memories:

*Taking a bucket shower in the BH guest quarters
*smell of things burning in the early hours of the a.m.
*sounds of the goats and chickens coming into my window at all hours of the night and day.
*Sitting in the breezy upstairs patio eating with Romana
*riding in the taxi...WISHING I could smell the "amber" spray.
*wearing a pony tail every day
*wearing a skirt every day

on and on it went....How could "amber" body spray flood all this back to mind.
It was the one constant thing for 7 weeks that I used everyday.

the interesting thing was that the heat and humidity seems to make it smell less than our dry air here....but It still, obviously impacted me.

Later that night Victoria and I were in the kitchen getting some things ready to bake.

I pulled out our bucket of whole wheat flour and popped off the lid.
She was right next to me.
With out hesitating she put her whole hand into the big bucket and said
"Ohhh Mom, That SMELLS so good!

Where did you get "Tombrown" Ohhhh mom....this is sooooo good. Our family got Tombrown when my Aunt had her last baby. The whole village got to enjoy that day!"

It hit me....."Thanks Lord for the "smell" reminder earlier in the day".......How many daily things (sights/sounds/smells) trigger things in my kids hearts and minds that take them back to things they remember.....good bad or otherwise?

God is soooooo detailed in how he loves us and lets us connect to our kids and others.

Victoria and I spent the next bit of time playing in the flour, (tombrown) with our hands, EATING it PLAIN....(yes that was what she loved and how remembers eating it...it was like watching her eat a "lick-a-maid") We put a bit of water in it because she said that is how they would fix it for visitors, neighbors.

I am thankful this Christmas for so many things....but this week it is for SMELLS and how God is using them to open doors of connection to my heart of how He is SOVEREIGN , and the door of attachment with my amazing daughter!

Can not wait to see what the next "smell" brings....good, bad, hard or wonderful....we remember for reasons we may never fully understand.

MOM

2008-12-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it just hits my heart that ALOT of who I am is because of my awesome Mom!

This post is for you Mom!

We moved...
Big undertaking...

The boxes were in the house, the kids were sleeping in their new rooms, we were IN!
But were we settled?
NO
The next day my Mom drove up from Seattle ready to help us make this house our home.
She did not spend a few hours BUT a few days with us as we made our way around the boxes and became familiarized with the house.

At our old house she Vacuumed the WHOLE thing....ohhh yes, did I forget to tell you that on Wednesday before our Friday move, I hurt my knee and could not walk with my weight fully on my leg? (that is another story....goes something like the Lord saying to my heart.."Carrie you go until it is all done...but you leave a wake of people in your dust...so guess what? you get to slow down and LEAD with LOVE!"
thus the above scenario of my Mom vacuuming :O)

As we wrapped up the cleaning at the old house, we lived life while unpacking. Kids to school, lunches packed, laundry etc...all the while my mom went from closet to closet getting the kids clothes sorted, hung and put in drawers.
Also from cupboard to cupboard unpacking and reshuffling the silverware 3 times until we found the BEST spot for it. (Dave is still not sure about this decision..love you babe!)
Basically she worked while we worked, she worked while we ran around, she worked even when I had to sit and put my hurt leg up.

So Mom, THANK YOU does not seem like it carries the weight that is needed for the love and admiration I have for you...but please know that I love you.
I love you for:
Picking up pictures and not being afraid to hit a nail into the wall to hang the first pictures when I was unsure....in the end it ALL looks AMAZING!

for engaging kids to work along side of you as they told you stories that sometimes lasted 30 mins or more...and you stayed engaged

for eating cheese sticks and ham because I did not have the right kinds of food for you to eat :O( You never complain.

for buying milk and grocery's for us because Dave's check book was packed somewhere.

for sitting under blankets by the fire at the end of a long day and watching Disney movies with us.

for looking beautiful the WHOLE time you worked.....and when you played, and when you sleep...no wonder why Dad loves you. You radiate no matter what you do!

for seeing the "God Factor" in all of life and being willing to let that spill out in all your conversations with me and the kids!

for being a GODLY example of servant-hood!

Some day when I grow up..I want to be like my MOM!

Thanks MOM!
.

Marathon!

2008-12-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Have you ever desired to run 26 miles? (some of you have accomplished this HUGE task and some of you "think" about it...and most of you, including myself pass-out just at the thought of running ANYWHERE!)
Well not so for Victoria!
The school district we live in has a great event for all kids k-5th grade.
From September to November the kids can run "laps" each day during recess.
Parents volunteer to mark their lap cards... laps accumulate into miles and the kids earn little plastic feet that hang on a necklace. These represent the distance they have completed. Her little necklace was full! She proudly wore it each day and hung it on her bed post at night.

The kids who run 25 miles by the middle of November get to run their last MILE around the High School track at night under the lights.
Victoria got to do this with about 130 kids from her school and other elementary schools in the district.

When we got into the car, the sky was clear, dark and the air was crisp. By the time we got to the High School, the wind was blustery and cold. The kids all lined up, music started ( i like to move it move it and who let the dogs out...kinda fun)
This is Victoria in the pink sweats... she RAN her heart out the first 2 laps of the four)

Notice here the PINK cheeks! After the first two laps the rain began, it was like little ice pellets that blew sideways because of the force of the wind. Did that stop her..NO...but she had NEVER run in the COLD like this and her chest and throat began to hurt. We all decided to do the last laps with her. (walking mind you :O)

Here is our super runner on the award stand getting her medal!
It was a GREAT DAY!
In the morning of the same day we all got to go to the Superior court for National Adoption Day....but that is another story!

It was a BIG day for a very BIG hearted girl!

We love you Victoria!

Catch up

2008-11-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

Due to the LACK of Pictures on the blog lately....thought I would throw a few random ones here for all to see. We are a few days away from moving and things are crazy fun busy around here. Thanks to all of you patient friends and family members who keep popping onto the blog with HOPES of a new post! I will let the pictures speak for themselves. (note...some of the pictures have a date ON the pic...grrr...but it is obviously incorrect...2005 Hee hee)
ENJOY! The Blaske Bunch celebrated National Adoption Day, Got to go see our Anacortes Friends (Yeah for Moses.....John's best buddy HOME now, and we are moving...LOTS of new posts to catch up on. Look for them in a bit...let me get my boxes unpacked and computer turned back on....LOVE all of you, Thanks for your SUPPORT and PRAYERS!)

DONE

2008-11-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

Just a side note from my last post....

For the first time EVER.... (that i can remember) today I can say that:

"THE LAUNDRY IS DONE"

With the whole family down to "4" full outfits...
I watched Ashlie, Brock and myself do our loads of laundry today....it hit me....I walked away from the laundry room with the last of the clean clothes to take up stairs, only to look at the laundry system we have set up for the kids...to see it EMPTY!

WHAT???? Can this BE....EVERY ITEM in our home is CLEAN???

YES!

Maybe I am onto something with this 4 outfit thing.

As I celebrated and said things like:
"WOW, you guys do not know how this feels to a mommy heart"
and
"yahhhoooo, no wash tomorrow because there will not be enough to do"
my kids started saying....
"you are going to let us open our packed boxes of clean clothes when we get to our new house....RIGHT???"

Of course I will...but in the back of my mind I am plotting and planning how we can rotate clothes in plastic tubs like we do toys in our house....maybe a two week rotation of 4-5 outfits each in each bucket...hummmm,

JUST a THOUGHT!

For now this mommy is off to enjoy an evening with my family...knowing there will NOT be clothes in the wash or dryer waiting for me in the a.m. or better yet...trying to catch the load RIGHT before the mildew sets in :O)

4

2008-11-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

Many of you have been asking how our "prep" for our moving is going....
Today I have to laugh as I heard my kids say:

"Dad tossed his head back and laughed at you mom"

Why you ask?

Today we signed the closing papers for our home and our new home...Ohhhhh my!!

Who would of guessed that when God whispered in our hearts...
"pre-pare for a new season..time to move"

*that our 1928 Farm House (that had an inspection document with to many repairs to count) would SELL IN 20 DAYS of being on the market. (yes ...this market...the week after the stock market crash...IT IS ONLY GOD!!!)

*that our friends who asked us months ago in what we thought was "jest"
"Hey Blaske's do you want to buy our house?"
that it would be the actual house we did get to buy.
A House full of our dreams....dreams for kids, dream for ministry...and a quote from our 17 yr old son "feels like we are moving into a grown-up version of a house"
(he likes the fact that mowing 1/2 acre is less time than taking care of 2 acres and that the house does not need PAINT, TRIM, WINDOWS or immediate repair)
* I like that too :O)

*that our little John would navigate preparing to move in ways this mama could not have prepared for.

*that a family of 8 with LOTS of stuff in our HUGE out building could prepare to move to a house with a one car garage? Lots more living space, but smaller garage.
(can anyone say Craigs list?) How do we collect all this stuff???

*that it has been 2 months of purging and asking the questions...
"does anyone know what this is?"
or
"if it has not been touched in 6 months...it is OUT OF HERE!"

*that I would find delight in the alley ways of Front Street cardboard recycle bins...FREE boxes! Yeah!

Which brings me to the comment above:

"Dad tossed his head back and laughed at you mom"

We are down to 9 days before we start loading up the U-haul to drive 2 miles over to our new home.
Each week I have set out a plan.
(remember I am an organizer...makes my hubby laugh...and no the boxes are not color coded :O) but there is a method to my madness.)

Due to working the Beacon House Ministry, National Adoption Day and some steering committee's for His Kids...I knew I needed to be purposeful.

So this week the "plan" was to get all kids DOWN to 4 FULL outfits each.
(thus the tossing his head laughing stuff from hubby)
Thought was .....4 outfits each ='s 32 out fits to wash instead of the 1,000 that usually run through the laundry room at any given point.

So for two days the washer and dryer smoked as we WASHED all the clothes and picked out the 4 outfits for each of us.
All the clean clothes got PACKED and yes labeled, ready for loading in the truck.

I asked Dave why he found this so amusing...and he said
" I would of never thought of that, but am sure glad you did...and it made me laugh to see the SHOCK on the kids faces as they described your request of them"

My kids...I am sure, years from now, when we sit around the Thanksgiving table with their families....they will remember the year we MOVED on Thanksgiving Week and Mom made us pack our clothes and only keep out "4" outfits!

Thanks for all of your prayers, support and help as we move...we feel so loved and covered by EVERYONE!

Quote

2008-11-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

I do not take this space to do this very often....but yesterday I was hit by a quote from our youth pastor that has struck my heart.
He was preaching from Job and about "hope in hard times"
One of the points was:
Gods response to Job is that:
God shows us, it is better to know God than to know answers. (Job 38:1-13 19-21, 33-36)
QUOTE:
"Don't Offer experience like it is the TRUTH"
How many times have I had a chance to sit with my friends when they are naked, bald, hurting, in ashes....yet I find my self like Job's friends...using my life experiences as TRUTH.
My circumstances do not DEFINE God. God spends verse after verse talking to Job..."where were you when the foundations of the earth were being laid?....do you hold the waves back on the shore...etc" It is such a loving set of verses from God to Job....
Job answers:42:1-6 HUMILITY
Then Job replied to the Lord: " I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked "who is this that questions my wisdom with such arrogance? It is I and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show you my repentance."

In the circle of daily life experiences we all live in, I find that Homeschooling, adoption, pregnancy, parenting, money advice, house keeping, friendship, ministry ETC....all seem to be OPEN venues for me and others to pass off Experience as TRUTH...I pray that my heart can be like Job and say "I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes, I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show you my repentance"

My Circumstances do not DEFINE GOD!
Thank you Lord for your love for all of us, may we be found to be a people of repentant and confessed hearts before you...FULL of your love and POWER to hear and do what you call us to do!

Princess Victoria

2008-10-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

We are blessed and honored to CELEBRATE the amazing life of our sweet 10 year old daughter! As a family we were FILLED to overflowing watching our friends and family shower her with love on her special day. THANK YOU to all of you for LOVING Victoria and supporting our family as we live each day to SHINE the love of Jesus Brighter than the day before!

We were able to have her party at our "Kids Place" at church with blow up bouncy houses, lots of room to play and of course LOTS of singing...VICTORIA"S favorite thing to do.

10...Ten candles, ten years of life lived far beyond what our hearts can grasp, hopes of 10 times 10 plus years for Victoria to grow in the love of the Lord and use all the life experiences He has allowed...so that she can be the BEST Victoria God designed for her to be!

The other day we were talking about school with the kids and Victoria asked "How many years do we go to school?" We told her and asked her why she asked. She said "because when I get big and done with school, I want to be a nurse that takes care of children like Romana does" She was very excited about the thoughts of getting gifts for her birthday. A few weeks before her party she said to me "Mom, If I get gifts, how can we help the kids at Beacon House have nice things too?" She knows it is hard to send items to Ghana (due to duty taxes etc) so she asked if kids could bring "change" to put in the wishing well. So the families who came brought "change to help change the lives of the kids at BH." I love her heart! Thank you families for the "CHANGE" you have made in VIctoria's life by GIVING toward BH! YEAH!

Blaske's all dressed up as Kings, Queen, Prince, and Princesses! (by the time of the picture Dave had lost his crown and robe...but boy did he look HANDSOME! Thanks for leading our family with GRACE, LOVE and Authority....I LOVE YOU being your Queen!

Victoria's favorite things:
*Spaghetti Dinner (would eat it every day...every meal)
*Dressing her dolls hair, reading, riding her bike, singing
*Favorite movies: Mary Poppins, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Annie
*Prayer she NEVER misses "Lord help the kids at BH, and help Helen's eyes to open "
*pink of any shade on any item is how she loves color
*school, any kind of school work, check list or sticker (yeah I think I have another organizer "do'er" in my house :O)
*loves God...God is not something she adds to her life..but it is a part of her. (I am big time humbled watching her relationship with God...I have a lot to learn)

Okay... I know this has been a long post....but I had to finish with this picture..
On her actual Birthday I went to the school and surprised her with her "first hot lunch at school" We got to get our food, (PIZZA...yeah, so glad it was not Salisbury steak day :O) She was soooo excited to walk her tray down the line, pick her food and sit at the table. We sat, ate, talked, met her friends, ate some more.
As she got up to clear her tray and skip off to the play ground, I found myself in one of the moments that often come, but still catch me off guard. I watched her skip off, turn and say in her Victoria way "Bye Mom, Thank you"
I could feel the knot in my throat start to form...."okay Carrie no crying in the lunch room" It is in those moments where I do feel the Holy Spirit brush my heart as if to say " Isn't she wonderful? watch and learn, have a heart of a child"
I hope to journey along side of whatever God is doing in my life, good times, hard times, desperate times, joy filled times with the out look of a child "Thanks God" as He watches me skip out to play!

Okay-Okay-Okay

2008-10-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Alright all my friends and family who have been politely saying "checking you blog and guess what Carrie...it is the same"
I am sorry :O(

P A P E R - C H A I N !!!
Ever made a paper chain to count down the days until Christmas? Remember the long strips of paper, the glue sticks and the sticky fingers?

72 days ago I cut 72 strips of paper...pink, purple, and green...and my sweet 9 year old daughter sat with me as we glued and numbered each ring as we stuck them together.

How did this come about? From day one in January when I met Victoria she spoke of her "Birthday" and how she can not wait to celebrate with her family. We have had many dreamy discussions about the day God formed her in her mommy's tummy and how thankful we are for her "birthday"
When we got home to America it became a big task to keep flipping our BIG family calender a few times a week to "count and recount" the days until her "Birthday"

So at 72 days we sat and did the above mentioned task of making a paper chain.
At first I did this for my own convenience of not having to count...but what I did not realize was the LONG and GREAT discussions that would come each night as we tore off one link of the chain before bed.

Topics of her bio family filled the nights. IT prompted many discussions about Beacon House and the celebrations of Christmas and Easter and the memories of those precious days. The amount of PRAYERS that get sent up for her Bio family and the need they have was sparked night after night as she put her requests of food and water for them before the Lord. (my mommy heart is in awe so may times at her caring in touch heart for those she loves)

Last night we found ourselves in the Safeway isles picking cake mix and frosting for cupcakes for school and Birthday Dinner for Victoria.
The 72 days have passed...the paper chain had one link left on the wall as I tucked her in last night.
her EYE"S danced as I tucked her in and she said "I do not think my body will let me sleep tonight...I have never had a birthday celebration" I told her, " I know and I am soooo blessed that God knew you were created to be blessed and celebrated and we are just hours away from doing that...sleep well" Smooched her forehead and slipped out of the room.

IT was 11:30 and I was frosting the last cupcake....blew up some balloons, tip-toed back into her room and tacked them to the ceiling for her eyes to see when she first opened them (who knew what time that was going to be :O) and off to bed I went.

Today Victoria is 10! Her 10 years of life have been lived in a way that most of us will not be able to put our minds around. She has the light of Jesus in her eyes...the spark of survival in her spirit, and a thankfulness that runs into the core of her being.
Today we CELEBRATE her and THANK God for the beautiful young woman He hand made in her mommy's womb all those years ago!

Eight

2008-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Eight people in our home, eight years in our home, eight hours of sleep (ha ha ha )
Really this post is an update on the how and where God is calling this family if "8"
When I returned from Ghana in March, the path God was paving for His Kids our Homes we more and more clear.
Although Dave and I had been stepping each time God showed a step....it seemed one step at a time.
Shortly after the kids came to join us we felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit that a new season was coming and bigger steps would need to be taken.
You would think that 5 bedrooms and 4 acres would be PERFECT for a family of 8! Yes it is, but the questions stirring in our hearts is TIME.
This is the first house we have ever owned. The last years in this 1928 farm house have been filled with lots of laughter, lots of kids, lots of mowing, lots of weed - eating, lots of repairs (which of course come with an old house full of great character)
Reality: The question being asked of our hearts at the moment is"
"What do you want to spend your time doing?"
Answer: "Lord...to many things to list right now...but you know our hearts and you know it is NOT mowing, weed - eating, and remodeling our home"
The relationships with God, eachother, the kids, and the LOUD cry of the orphan are all being pushed to the top for us.
This week our acre fence is painted, the gazillion bikes are tucked away, the counters are clean, laundry is tucked into any closed off space (to not be seen :O) and we have "staged" the rooms to look more open and the SIGN of "FOR SALE" is in the yard.
It always is good, even when it is CHANGE and it is HARD work, to move in the direction that God is asking.
We may do it bumbling a bit...but we are doing it.
Thanks for all of you who pray and cover us as a family.
We hope that God will receive all the Glory as he sets this family of "8" in a new season and place.
For those who have helped us "love" this little farm house over the years...you can go and see the pics on line.
www.sskrealtors.com
nwml#28155087
With excitement and love!

Lunch

2008-08-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our oldest son's first day back to school. Pretty low key...he shopped for his own clothes, bought his own school supplies and went in to register and get his books....all on his own. (nice, but gone are the days of mom helping him pack his back pack...here are the days of him picking his parking space in the High School parking lot :O(

Where do the years go?

So....Lunch!
The private High school has the students bring a lunch from home and eat in a "home-room" together with other kids the same grade. (ie...all Juniors)

Brock's home-room teacher is an AMAZING woman who teaches Biology. Brock enjoyed her class last year A LOT!

He got into home-room, took out his "hot-pocket" pizza pocket and popped it into the microwave. Before he could turn, he heard the teacher say

"you might want to get that OUT fast"

Brock popped open the door, took out the hotpocket and turned to look at the teacher.
she says
"that is the microwave I use to heat up the dead frozen rats that I feed to the snake"

OKAY! Brock laughed, she laughed and lunch was heated up in a different way!
When Brock got home from his first day and shared his "lunch" story...we all LAUGHED...thought you might too:O)

Husband!

2008-08-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

I guess this post is being written through some tears because today (Saturday) the last day of the Fair outreach, I woke up at 8:00 thinking it was 6:30.....ready to get out the door and set up the booth...ONLY to find that Dave was already UP and OUT to the Fair and he had let me SLEEP!
*also when i got down stairs to really see a CLOCK....it was not 8:00 but 9:00!!! OHHH my...I guess this mommy was tired! *Babe....thanks for BLESSING me and supporting me in ways I do not even know I need it !

The last few posts have been done by Dave!
There are alot of things to update and post about our "week" of amazing outreach....but getting to posting it seemed out of reach to me. To open the blog and see that my best friend had not only taken the time to post, but to capture a bit of the JOY via Pictures...made me cry! (okay maybe I am a bit to teary normally....but this week with the NEED of "At Risk Children" in your day to day face morning to night has put a bit more tears into my heart in new ways)

So here is a SHOUT out to the man who COVERS me spiritually, Parents with strength love and mercy, is broken in the core of his heart for the orphan, and LOVES me DEEPLY!

God knew you completed me....even before we were created!
I am blessed to be able to walk this part of eternity with YOU DAVE!!!!!

Old Friends Renewed, New Friends Continued, Techno and a Well??

2008-08-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

Warning this post is a bit long but worth it...have your praises ready and your tissue!

We started the day with a wonderful reunion of Victoria and Lydia. The pictures say it all. They hadn't seen each other since March when Victoria came to America. They have spoken on the phone from Washington to Virginia a few times and this week Lydia moved with her family back to Anacortes Washington which is only 1 and half hours away! WOW God Loves these girls!! From the village in the northern tip of Ghana to Beacon House in ACCRA, GHANA to WASHINGTON STATE, their lives are different but they both Love God and have seen Him faithful in their lives that is for sure!!! Today they reunited and spent the day with each other riding rides and enjoying each other tremendously. It was a very joy filled day.

We also got to meet several families in Anacortes that are in the process of adopting more precious children from Beacon House....YES WOW AGAIN! We met some of Lydia's siblings and several families we believe we will have the privaledge of getting to know better in the days, months and years ahead.

Yes JOHN got to enjoy some Cotton Candy too! He had been waiting all week :-)

Finally after many of us returned from the Newsboys concert we met up with Ashlie and Victoria only to find out Victoria had been dancing and having a great time with her friends from next door dancing to tecno music...on stage, off the stage it didn't matter. Victoria was celebrating a great day for sure.

To top it off we continued to make connections with families involved in adoption and / or foster care in our community and raise funds for the orphanages in Ghana, India and Haiti....toward the end of the night a man and his wife told the man who is organizing and supporting an orphanage in Haiti that he would cover the cost for helping him dig and set up a well for this orphanage in Haiti...(approx cost $2500) WOW AGAIN! God is AWESOME!

This was a long post but it was a LONG but Glorious Day from beginning to end!

Or as the Newsboys and the crowd sang tonite...and ALL GOD's Children singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah HE REIGNS! From the African plains to the Fair in Lynden HE REIGNS!!!

Spiderman - Another sighting?!

2008-08-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on a friends blog (click "Land of Lohrer" on our blog to see for your self) they had pictures of spiderman and people wondered could it be true...spiderman lives in Lynden WA?

Some said I thought he was bigger....well today there appears to have been another sighting and he seems to have gotten bigger. Hmmm Whose house does the real spiderman live at?

Hey the date on this picture indicates he was actually photographed before yesterday?!?! Are we being tricked?

Hmm I wonder what would happen if the "two?" "spiderman" ever met?

Fair Firsts!

2008-08-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a couple of days of firsts!
Animals, Rides, Demolition Derby and lots of fun!

The pictures say it all much better than my words!

Looking forward to Friday when Victoria's best friend from her village and orphanage in Ghana will come to the fair as her family just moved to Anacortes Washingtion a town about 1 and a half hours from Lynden! Yippee!!

Its Almost Fair Time!!!! (What is that?!?!)

2008-08-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Every year in August we go to the Northwest Washington Fair. This year it will be special in many brand new ways. First it will all be new to John and Victoria, carnival rides (what are those?), pigs, goats and lots of animals on show and penned up (what is this?) not to mention the FOOD, demolition derby, monster truck show, did I mention the FOOD, and lots and lots of people!

Another special memory for this year is that the ministry God has born in our hearts, "His Kids Our Homes", is going to have a booth at the fair to raise awareness and support for orphans and foster children. God has provided us with an incredible location to be His megaphone about the orphan and foster child right in the mainstream of people. He has raised the funds and many many volunteers to help. He are a couple set up photos for our booth. Watch for more this week. We will be raising funds for Beacon House in Ghana as well as orphanages in Haiti and India that we have begun to network with as well. God is orchestrating amazing things for sure to take care of His Kids!

The Bogarts our great friends and partners helping out as always!!!

WOW....it is beginning to take shape!!

It all begins tomorrow and will be a great time for sure. We look forward to planting more seeds with new people and carrying God's torch for the Orphan and Foster Child to our community!!

Corn and Growth

2008-08-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our kiddos in the back field where the neighbor grows corn for his cattle. We thought it would be fun to take a picture of them as the corn grows and them too....we measured and they are all growing inside and out!

Has anyone seen JOHN!?!?!?

FOUND HIM!! :-) WHEW :-)

Tummy

2008-08-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

In the world of "John" a lot of things are getting sorted out...one small thing at a time. This week he realized that babies come out of peoples tummy!
Story:
We were at the store shopping for food and as we wound around the frozen food section, we came around the corner and had to stop to let a lady pass....this woman looked to be about 8 months pregnant and her tummy was EYE level with John.

We had to do the pause and side step to pass eachother....but not with out the wondering mind of John being able to ask some questions. It went like this.

Pointing about an inch away from her tummy....he says
"you have a baby in there?"
Very gracious lady: " Yes"
John, puts his hands up by his eyes like he is walking up to a window to look inside says: "Can I see the baby"
VGL says: "honey, you can not see the baby because she is inside"
John looks at her face and with out a pause tilts his head up....opens his mouth and with an eating motion with his hand to his mouth says
"YOU EAT THE BABY"
Boy do I love this little man...in his mind...the baby is inside, you can not see it, the ladies tummy is BIG and in his mind....your tummy gets full when you eat!

VGL giggles, says no, smiles at me as if to say "you are on your own with this one"
and as she walks away...John shouts after her:
"will the Doctor take the baby OUT?"

She turns and says "Yes"

The love of God has covered our kids....and each day they are able to piece small pieces of who they are and how they were created by God...together.

No more conversation was needed at that time....you could almost hear John's little mind THINKING and THINKING!

Two days later, after a very busy day, I took him by the hand and went outside to play frisbee, just the two of us. As we played catch...the questions come:
"mom...do cows have cows or people come out of their tummy?"
"do people always have baby people come out of their tummy?"
"mom....who's tummy did I come out of"
Frisbee = fun = thinking = attachment = bonding = ONE AMAZING little boy being able to be safe and loved!

Pool...Burr!

2008-07-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

Kids were begging for us to set up our pool! So, after some coaxing from a friend "Come on Carrie, it will be FUN...do not think of the work, the up-keep, JUST DO IT" we began to set it up!
Here is the pool all ready to go...one thing missing WATER!

When you live in the country and you have a well....it is not easy to fill a 6,000 gallon pool. So you have to call in the WONDERFUL farmer/friend next door to get him to run a connection from the HUGE pipes and hose that he uses to water the corn behind our house towards our pool to fill it up.
Believe me I speak from experience....a few years ago...we started to fill our pool and realized that after 5 hours we only had knee deep water and our PUMP was running and running...that we needed a new plan. Ron "Farmer/Friend/Neighbor" saved the day.
Any guesses on how long it took to fill our pool the "country way"
20 minutes! Not even kidding!

A BIG thank you to you RON! The kids are now swimming everyday...65 degrees outside or hotter, thanks to your generous help! I can say that Victoria came out side after a rest to see the empty pool laying on the ground and gave us a good 10 mins of jumping, hopping, dancing, running excitement as she joyfully expressed her delight in the fact that the pool was there! I LOVE HER LOVE FOR LIFE and her THANKFUL heart!
She swims until she is shaking from the COLD....but she swims everyday!

Alice in Wonderland

2008-07-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Guess what....a little bit of "theater" was introduced to John and Victoria as they excitedly got to watch their brother Tanner play the "Mad Hatter" in a summer theater of Alice in Wonderland! Tanner BLEW our socks off...he can sing and act....guess we have theater in our lives for awhile longer! We miss seeing Ash on the stage but after we heard Victoria singing along through the whole play....I am sure she will follow her sister and brother and give us even longer to enjoy theater.

WAY TO GO TAN MAN!!!

We LOVE seeing you use your gifts and talents the Lord gave you!

Gift

2008-07-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

A picture speaks 1,000 words...we have all heard that before. But really, if you put words behind what this picture represents to our kids and to us....it would FILL a book. A book of history....which was and is "His" story.
To think that God knew before we were even born that we would all be connected and family is truly amazing to me finite mind!
Today Romana arrives back in Ghana, after some time here in the States. The Gift we received was better than anything that could be wrapped up in wrapping.

As parents we got to see the "loop" be closed in the hearts of our children. For the kids to be able to hug the one who saved them, to eat with her, to show her their rooms, toys, clothes, and all their siblings was like watching torn fabric be sewn back together.

Although it was easier with Victoria to see how wonderful this was...John had a few questions "Am I going back to Beacon House?" "Where is Moses?" (the first thing he said to Romana when he saw her :O) *Moses is his friend at Bh who he prays for everyday. and "is this America?" It has taken a few weeks of communication.....but he is more solid than he was and is starting to build in some good attachment.
He got to love on Romana, then he got to wave good-bye to her. Gift!
Do people walk on water? No
Do we give Romana GLORY....no...but we are sooooo thankful for Jesus in her.
Do we stand AMAZED at how God calls people to an eternal purpose, how people respond in obedience and "HIS"-story is MADE! (thanks Romana for your obedience)
We are Blessed to be a part of "His" -story!

oops

2008-06-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

Being that I am not a "computer" person....or a big blogger....my "idea" of keeping posts in the "draft" slot ready and loaded with pictures (remember, like freezer dinners) was a good idea....but here is the deal....
I just pulled the post of "FIRE" out of the so called post freezer....and popped it onto the blog....worked like a gem...BUT it put it in order by date that I started the post....so it is UNDER the bowling post

So, take a "Scroll" on down and see my newest post.
hey, ya learn new things everyday!
Sorry!

BOWLING

2008-06-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

Bowling for our Amazing 13 year old son Tirstan's Birthday! Tris and his buddy looking cool at the bowling alley! We love you big teen age kiddo!

For a while now our family has been playing WII bowling together. John and Victoria are getting the hang of it and we all celebrate when someone gets a strike. (Tristan and Brock are known for getting 5 or 6 in a row....needles to say, I do not win very often) We all went "Bowling" for real....what a HOOT! The kids both said, "here is the place like on the TV game"

Shoes....hummm, since we have been home, shoes always make for interesting conversations. So, you can imagine the questions and fun comments that came when we all got to wear "Bowling shoes"

TANNER...being Tanner....no, he did not get knocked on the head with his ball, but he did have a fun time being silly and trying different ways to see how he could get the ball down the lane. Between his legs, backwards, laying down, closing his eyes...etc!

John...you are my sunshine! He did not stop giggling the whole time we were there. He was the second one to bowl a strike...okay he had bumpers, and it took about 15 LONG seconds for the ball to get down the lane...but when it did, he celebrated with a dance of joy, even it only 2 pins fell!

Victoria....the first time she threw her ball down the lane, she hit a few, turned and looked at me and said "Oh, I am finished, my ball is gone" I walked her to the machine and we stood bent over looking with no words....bumbling up came her ball..."oh Mom, look there it is!!!! How do they manage that?" As we are getting to know her day by day we are seeing how God has wired her. Out of our 6 kids, she is the most competitive. (yes, even more than Brock :O) She bowled her heart out with not one smile until she got a strike.....she was amazed at the whole process, but she had her GAME FACE on for sure. Go Victoria!

Little man! He let the ball go, then would get down to "steer" it with his body, face and words..."go, go, come on, go go....YES!!!" over and over he cheered. the second ball he tossed, his little feet got across the line and he slipped and fell on his back and his little body slid a good three feet into the lane. He looked shocked and all he could say was " Whoa, check it out!"

BOWLING...what a great family outing, celebration! The "new" experiences are treasures of new memories being built into "family" day by day.

Koyotos= FIRE

2008-06-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

These photos kind of speak for them selves....so I won't comment on all of them....but I will tell a quick story! (of course:O)
I do not know if you have ever been to a place where they cook your food on a BIG grill at your table? If not, it is FUN!
Anyone who knows Tristan knows that he is a carnivore! From the time he was little his favorite food was "Steak" (thanks Papa for getting him hooked on Prime Rib )
You can guess that Tris picked this steak house for his big 13 B-day.
New things like chop sticks, and one thing being served at a time (soup, then salad, them sushi, then your main dish) the cook juggling the knives, tossing eggs, FIRE...were all things to put into the minds of two very excited and confused kiddos.

We had prepared the kids a bit before we went. Tried to tell them about the cook and what he was going to do. The cook came out to our table, he started taking out his wares. He placed a few bowls etc on the table, (John..."what is that, what is that...on and in it went as the man put things out) then the cook set out 3 eggs. John "Wow!!!! I LOVE EGGS!!!!" he says at the top of his lungs.
CUTE!
Here we thought it would be all this excitement about the "show" and the EGGS got the biggest reaction.

Well, we thought it was the biggest reaction until the FIRE came. At certain parts of the dinner prep / show, the cook does displays of fire, like in an onion volcano etc. He talked his way through it, as he prepared...John says "do the Fire, do the Fire" so the time comes, the vent goes on, the cook dashes the oil and alcohol onto the onion and 3 foot flame goes up and into the vent....at that second...BOTH kids (who were on either side of me) JUMPED onto me then down onto the floor...both saying "Whoa" rather loudly. When the fire stopped only seconds later, both kids had to be put back into their chairs. When John got back in he got up on his knees, pointed at the cook and in his best deep Ghana voice said, "NO MORE FIRE!!!'
We reassured him it was okay....then laughed and tried to put in our minds what it would be like for us to experience something like that, after growing up in Africa.

The highlight for them was a LARGE bowl of FRIED RICE! Something that BOTH of them LOVE!
It was a very fun night full of new memories and family time. Meal times do seem to make for great conversation and memories....either at our table OR a BIG HOT table that you can cook on with FIRE!!

Parade

2008-06-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a parade!
We are no different, but this year instead of attending we decided to be in the Lynden
"Farmers Day Parade"

A few months ago a friend called and asked what I thought about the idea of a float in the parade and the main focus would be to highlight adoptive families!
Super...but it takes alot of time and organization....both of which I am running short on at the moment. She said "No problem, I will work it all out and get back to you." Boy oh boy that is what she did! By the time we had our first meeting 90% was organized and under control. We had soooo much fun getting the wagon, the hay, the decorations on the float the few days before the parade. (great memories for us and the kids playing in some of the big old barns in Lynden....and Victoria having her first 4-wheeler ride up the hill of the manure pond and back down at great speed....lots of YEEEE HAWS!)

The day comes, and it is a bit drizzly, but that did not stop the families from coming out to ride on the big hay wagon pulled behind the big old flat bed farm truck!
*to protect the kids...I have not posted any pics of them....but boy were there quite of few sitting, blowing bubbles, tossing candy and waving like crazy)

To walk side by side with other adoptive families through the streets of Lynden was such an amazing moment. The faces of each child, each family member, the sacrifices, joys, heartache, journeys.....all unique, all different....but all unified because of Christ living in us!

In the end it was a labor of love, a chance to show the GLORY of God to all who sat and enjoyed the parade. Loving children God's way, one home at a time.
THANK YOU to all the families who worked, rode, supported, and helped make the day a great day for all involved.
Just a fun thing: The His Kids Float got 1st place.....we all know it was the BEAUTIFUL display of kids and families sitting on the wagon! YEAH!

Christmas time!

2008-06-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Or should I say it is "ROMANA Time"
For the past 3 weeks our sweet daughter has been counting the days and crossing them off until the "Day Romana Comes"

*** Romana: aka...Ghana Beacon House Director...the woman who God called to do a very specific job for God in Ghana for the orphan, who obeyed the call and is making a HUGE difference in the lives of MANY!....including our precious kids and our family!
Yes....she is in the the States!

Last night we went to bed at 10:30.....showered, clothes neatly laid out for the next day, prayers for "help Romana to sleep well" and off to sleep we all go.

At 5:30 a.m., what is the noise I hear down the hall? It is our EXCITED daughter AWAKE with her "Bed dressed" and ready to GO!
Me: " Sweets, it is 5:30, everyone is still sleeping, please get a book and read in your bed"
Victoria: "Okay Mom"

5:45....
Me: "Dave what is that noise?"
Dave: Snore

Me: "Victoria....what are you doing?"
Victoria: "Mom, I am getting my necklace on to get ready"
(what she has forgotten is that the necklace is inside the jewelery box that has a spinning bear that chimes the music rather loudly:O)

Me: "Honey, lets go down stairs"
Victoria: "Okay Mom, what is the time? What time will Romana be awake?"
Me: "It is five minutes to six, Romana is still sleeping, but we will see her in 2 1/2 hours"
Victoria: "okay mom"

As I popped into the shower, thoughts of my childhood flashed into my head of waking up on Christmas morning at 5:00, hearing my Mom say...."go back to bed until at least 7:00" Laying in bed and watching my digital FLIP clock, flip one min at a time.

How can we even comprehend the excitment that Victoria feels this morning towards the idea of seeing the wonderful woman who showed up at her village nearly 2 years ago and rescued her!
It is not even like the memories I have of Christmas mornings.....but the anticipation is there for sure!

The gift that holds so much value for Victoria comes out in her dialog with us these last few weeks months.
V: " Mom, do you know that I am thankful for Romana taking good care of me?"
M: "yes"
V: "Mom, she helped me find a family that takes care of me well...can I call her"
M: I am sooooo thankful she helped us find you, yes you can call her.

Pictures: We have a large ART gallery of pictures that are hanging all over our house of Romana, for Romana and about Romana.
Victoria: "Mom, some day will Romana get to come and see our home?"
M: "I hope so, but honey it is a FAR far place to travel from Ghana to Lynden"

BUT here we are this EARLY morning...sitting in the wee hours of the DAY that ROMANA gets to:
see the art work,
see the bed where she sleeps
meet her new brothers and see Ashlie again
see her church and school
see her playing with her friends
and see the heart of a child she has helped find a FOREVER FAMILY!
I guess it really is Christmas in June!

Who would of thought that over two years ago when Romana drove 15 hours through Ghana to a very remote village, and rescued this AMAZING little girl, that we would have the gift of seeing HER in our home.....

A gift of value that comes with to high a price tag to count!

Acres of Fun

2008-06-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mowing the lawn!
In the Spring time in Whatcom County it takes alot of time to MOW the Blaske property!
You can hear the grass growing :O)
This year with the kids, a new excitement has arisen.....Each big boy has taken their turn in "riding" with John and Victoria to mow the 2 acres each week. Squeals of delight have been heard over the whir of the mower!
This week, I decided to give the boys a break and take my turn in mowing!

Victoria and mom on the mower....hummm...it was hard to decide who was doing the driving. She is very "driven" to learn more and more when ever she can. She did most of the steering, but does not understand quite yet the reason why we have to stay in line with the last row we just mowed. We could have a very interesting design in our lawn if we just let her " GO"

"B"

2008-06-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

"B" is for....
BASEBALL.....BIRTHDAYS......BOWLING....and BUSY BLASKE'S!

Tristan is one AMAZING catcher! We have spent a very wet and cold Spring baseball season watching him play...But, we sure have had FUN!
John and Victoria made fast friends with all the baseball families. As you can see, the coloring books and papers are the main focus at the fields. These kiddos can color staight through an entire coloring book in one sitting if we would let them.

So, the posts have been few and far between....but I figured out a way to get some highlights onto the blog for all of you to see! I dumped my memory card onto my computer and now have over 1,000 picutres to choose from ...each one tells a story (do not worry, I will not tell 1,000 stories) BUT what I did figure out is that I can upload the pics on to the blog in the "draft" position. Kinda like having a dinner in the freezer ready when I need it.
This way I will have the pictures uploaded and waiting and when I get a moment I can add the text!
Ahhhh haaaa!
i know it may be a "Carrie" thing, but hey it works for me.
Enjoy the "B" posts up coming....
We have been very busy!

Hair

2008-05-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the lack of pictures on the blog....the pictures are there....just still on the camera :O)
I wish I had a picture of the masterpiece of "hair" John and Victoria had on Mother's Day!
We were able to attend church on Saturday night, knowing that Tristan's baseball team had a tournament on Sunday. (I know it was Mother's day, but really I could not have picked a better day...we got to PLAY, be outside and eat picnic lunch, all while cheering Tris and the team on. *they made it to the Semi Finals...YEAH Bombers!)

The fields were soooo wet that the games had to be moved around to different fields than we usually play on. This ended up being great for John and Victoria, because the field was directly next to the "playground" area of the ball park area.

*there have been a few times while watching Tris play, that the playground is in view...yet it is to far for them to go over and play with out me....so we sit and support Tris with sad faces of wishes of play time .
NOT THIS DAY!

Tris was playing away, Dave was pacing away, I was in my chair...half facing the field and half facing the playground...trying to pull the double duty mom thing.
J and V went up and down the slide to many times to count, ran, went on the swings, etc.
At one point I glanced over to the playground in time to see and group of kids at the bottom of the slide tossing SAND onto the slide as kids came down. It was a cluster of giggles and squeals....in my mind I thought "Oh how fun, I remember doing that when I was little, but those poor mom's on Mother's Day who are going to have to clean those kiddos"
Nice thought vanished as I realized the kids coming down the slide were MINE!
yes....childhood FUN FUN!
yes....a mommy and daughter (I LOVE YOU ASH) who got to clean sand out of kids hair for hours.

Ash and I learned a "sand" lesson that day.
Playground sand does not shake out, wash out or come out of African Children's hair easily.
Needless to say, FUN was had, showers were a MUST.....and 2 MOVIES got to be watched that night as we took turns "planting" Victoria's hair.
Planting now has a new meaning in our house.....it doesn't just mean "braiding" anymore:O)

Husband

2008-05-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Brag, Shout, Exalt....what are some of the ways I can say "I love you"
Hummm!
I just wanted to blog a bit about my man!
Since we have arrived home he has been nothing short of amazing.
Since the kids see me all day everyday, Dave works hard at night when he gets home to be the "one" that the kids interact with.
Help with dinner time chores, night time routines, piggy back rides and wrestling....he is working hard, but having fun too.

I talk to him during the day and I know just a grain of sand worth of information of the details of all the things he is juggling at work....yet he comes home and BLESSES us ALL!
THANKS BABE!

Today he took the kids down stairs and let this tired mommy sleep in. (9:00......Ya hooooooo!)
When I got up he asked if he could have the whole day to do some Daddy time stuff with the kids?
Yep!
* he knew it would help the bonding time as well as help this mommy set up the school work for the week...that is usually a Sunday afternoon task...but what a treat to be able to do it early.

So, off they went....they went to Brock's soccer game about 45 mins away (Brock is not playing due to a torn MCL in his right knee...poor Buddy!) Then off the Seattle Science Center and to the Seattle Childrens Museum, then in typical Dave style took them all to Spaghetti Factory (one of our family favorite places to eat while in Seattle)

It is not so much the places he took them, but the fact that he loves to take them that blesses my heart.
I just got off the phone with him, and they are getting ready to eat. It should be a very quiet ride home because they played hard and ate good.
He told me some very cool things that happened, but I will let him blog about all that :O)

My husband is my best friend, I choose him when it comes time to go places or do fun things....
Today my best friend AGAIN made me realize AGAIN how blessed I am to have him as my Husband/friend!

Way to go my man!

Time / Transition

2008-04-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

WOW, time flies...it seems like my goal to post once a week was a lofty one :O)

"How are the Blaske's?" seems to be the question of the hour by all who see us.
We are BLESSED, busy, a bit tired, did I say BLESSED, and yes still laughing.

About two weeks ago the feeling of "newness" seemed to slip away and things seemed to kick into gear a bit more. Our big kids and our small kids started to act more and more like siblings...."who's sock is this in my room?" and " I think it is your turn to do the dishes" and "does John have to wake up soooo early every day" questions began to get asked. It has been good for all of us to transition to the place of knowing who's space and place is where and when.

Some things we did these last few weeks to help the kids and all of us transition:

* Drove John and victoria to Dave's work. (to anwswer the question that gets asked everyday "where is Dad?"

*Went to the place that has the BIG "M" out side (as Victoria calles it) to play in the play place. The one in Bellingham, creates LOTS of out loud giggles because the slide is sooooo high. My heart is full when I see the joy on Tristan's face as he gets to show the kids the play place as the "big brother" He is so gentle and fun loving with them. (tanner was in CA when we went)
CUTE thing: There is a bench in the play place with a life size Ronald McDonald sitting on it ...made out of plastic...
John took off his shoes, turned to run up the tube, STOPPED, carefully walked over to Ronald, and waved his hand right in front of Ronalds eyes...(like a windshield wipper type of motion) as if to check to see if he would Blink...was he real? FUNNY!

*We had a REVELATION the other day, we realized that by trying to keep the Beacon House routine we were building in more than we thought. We have a clock in our kitchen that is set to Ghana time, so as we "took our snack" (as the kids would say) we would look at the clock and see what the kids would be doing at BH. This has made for some great story times, some times of tears of missing kids/mum's and Romana, as well as setting the stage for what would be coming up in our day. (ie...dinner at 6:00, if beditme routine is done by 7:00 then a family movie)

The kids have had a firehydrant amount of change...new culture, new family, new people, new food,....new new, new....we did not realize that something this simple could cause our hearts to attach in new ways...by old things.

*deer in the headlights: this is a look that Dave and I know quite well by this point. It means I hear you talking, but I do not fully comprehend what you are saying.
Most of the time it is just in everyday conversations.
Funny thing, remember what I mentioned above about the "routine".
It hit us this week that the movie night thing
is kind of a funny "language arts / comprehension" thing that is happening.

We were all gettiing a bit frustrated when it came time to snuggle in, get the popcorn , pick the movie, only to hear John and VIctoria say "Flushed Away" or "Jungle Book"
AGAIN we would all say...you have seen it 100 times.

Ohhhhhh, Dave and I laughed tonight....yes they want to watch the same ones over and over again...they are getting familar with the songs, the funny sayings, it is
FREE FUNNY CONVERSATION
that they do not have to Stop and Think about whether or not they are "understanding" or not.

Very freeing! (kinda annoying, but very refreshing to sit and talk and talk and laugh and laugh about movies with them...with no pause in the conversation)
So, if you see us and want to talk the deep details of "Flushed Away, Jungle Book...now the new favorite...Alvin and the Chipmonks" we will do our very best to give you a good overview. (movies...could give you some hightlights, but as for the kiddos...TWO THUMBS UP...WAY UP!)

*we hung 16 faces that show different emotions (kids faces) with the emotion written below...onto our main wall in the familyroom. WOW...this has been a great talking tool. We found out that the BIG emotion they feel may not have an "english" word they can pull out at the right time to describe what is going on. Victoria may have a lot to say in a certain situation, but often will say to me "Mom, you are not understanding me...it is not like this or that" Now she takes me by the hand and says "mom this face here is the one!" and then we can work things out...sometimes it takes a few shots at it...but unconditional love is a journey and we are taking it step by step.
I said to one of the big kids the other day, "have you ever been given a consequence by someone who you do not know very well or very long? How did it make you feel? We you looking forward to when me or Dad would return, so you felt safe? Were you worried if that person would accept you later even if you were sorry? This is how John and Victoria feel..only times 100....because the peopple the knew and trusted are half way around the world...so building patterns of love, correction, love....are important, but we have to see if from their eyes. It is a journey.

. One of the kids had some behavior that needed correction, we walked through it, there was forgiveness offered, and recieved..yet there still was an awkward stillness of questioning in the air.
Just quietness etc. We gave them space, but were still in the area where they were, so we got out the BIG Walmart tub of bubble gum and started handing each person handfulls of bubble gum.....
Ready, set...who can blow the FIRST bubble? Who can blow the biggest bubble....and off we went. The child started to engage, by taking a piece of gum, still not wanting to look at anyone, but we all kept chomping away.
We sat and blew bubbles for 45 mins...and watched this child blow bubbles, come and sit by me, pop my bubbles, watched Dave try to pull gum out of his beard, bubbles as big as our heads pop all over our faces... laugh and laugh.

It started out as a Holy Spirit moment of a wisper..."do a bubble blowing contest"...okay i said, but what I did not know is that He was going to use it as a stepping stone on the road to "unconditional love"
I am always amazed at how creative and loving God is!

*The power of the dollar store...yee haw! It was an "awww, haaaaaa" moment for me to put them in the car, drive to the dollar store and let them pick out the prizes for the "Blaske Store" We filled up a 3 shelf plastic tub with different values on each shelf...and as the kids get "caught" obeying the first time, beign kind to others, sharing, getting their own body ready in the a.m. or when it is time to go somewhere...etc, they get a star. Stars get counted and kids get prizes that they picked out at the store...INCENTIVE is a Beautiful thing!

*

It is hard to describe to people what it is like to have two new, very amazing children in your home....who you have only known for a few months.....who have lived a life sooooooo different than they are living now. To tuck them in each night, to see their sleepy little eyes greet you in the morning, to put a band aid on a skinned knee, to listen to them pray and pray....who are these beautiful children that You God would trust us to have in our lives to call our own? WOW,

So, there ya have it...How are the Blaskes' doing?....God has his loving hand us, we are FULL of thankfulness, living real life day by day, looking to please Him only...and hoping in the process that "God" in us draws more to HIM!

Blogging.....an opportunity to give you a "snap" into our lives, but something that can not have a real high priority at the moment...so please call or come by...life in real time is soooo much more FUN!!! In the mean time, I will give it a shot when I can!
BLESSINGS!

Horton Hears a WHO

2008-04-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Or better yet....the people in the theater with us "hears" at all....over the laughter!

We decided to take the Blaske Bunch to the big movie theater for the first time all together!
Oh my!
After taking a small "loan" against the house
We all got in, bought the LARGE (re-fillable) bucket of popcorn.
(movie theater really lost money on this option for us hee hee)

We entered into the theater.
Grabbed a booster for John, got all kids situated and seated.
The pre-previews of local commercials were rolling...not to exciting, then the lights go out and pre-views start....

"Is this it? no...it is coming" "Is this it? no...it is coming"
You know how many pre-views they show before the show...you can imagine how many times this question and answer session went on :O)
Kind of like the "are we there yet?" question while you travel.

The movie starts...the characters start to appear on the screen.
One thing you need to know about Victoria...she DELIGHTS in any kind of animal who has a voice, wears shoes, funny hats, WHATEVER!
So her DELIGHT was showing in great forms of giggles and gut laughter.

John sat glued to the screen...not even moving anything except his hand to and from the popcorn to his mouth. Every once in a while he would reach over and say
"mom I like this"

As the show went on funny parts would come and go where the whole theater would laugh...as well as Victoria, but it was the random gut giggles at things she saw that tickled her that had us all rolling with laughter.

I think it was a combination of something NEW, something BIG (seeing those cute characters larger than life) and just plain VICOTRIA at her joyful best!

So, to all those people in the theater who got to enjoy her "contagious" laughter that first time at the theater with all of us....you can give us a call if you would like a re-cap on what happened in the show....in case you could not
HEAR "HORTON HEARS a WHO"

Family...ha ha ha!

2008-04-08T23:14:00.001-07:00

I know I said I would try to blog once a week....but I can say that life is so full and so fun at the moment that it is hard to get to the computer to "play" on my blog!
So, you guessed it....while the kids are in bed, my amazing husband smooches my cheek as he stumbles up to bed to leave me to "blog" at 11:00 at night...here I sit and DUMP a LOT of posts on to my blog. sorry...! Enjoy the posts below!

What can I say, this is our first "offical" Blaske Family Picture where we are all in the same "snap" (as J and V would say) together.
We have all been together, just have not had someone else there to "snap" us.
This pretty much sums up how we are and have been since our feet hit US soil...
LAUGHING!

We are not bi-passing parenting issues, or organization craziness, lack of milk, or shortage of bread (who knew adding two kids would change how fast things disappeared in the house :O) or trying to keep at least enough underware clean so each person can have at least one pair.....BUT, in it all, and around it all there seems to be this crazy kind of LAUGHTER all day and so far...for 3 1/2 weeks straight!

So, see our smiles, hope it makes you smile, and know we are blessed to have all of you in our lives...even if we have not had a chance to meet!
We send LOVE and Joy in the name of Jesus...the ONLY reason why we are so full of JOY....straight your way!

Peace man!

2008-04-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

Date night with the Daddy!
Girls are getting ready for "70's Father Daughter Skate Night" at the skate rink.
Anyone say "cool man!"

SISTER LOVE and PEACE

Daddy-0 and his cool chicks! (minus the mamma...:O)

They skated, did the limbo, had a BLAST...even won the prize..."Funky Fresh Family!"

Way to go "Cool Cat Blaske's"

Books

2008-04-08T22:44:00.001-07:00

This is a HAPPY day!
John and Victoria LOVE LOVE LOVE books!
Each day they read and read, color and read some more.
The library became a weekly outing two weeks ago...just to keep the variety of books coming!
We got library cards and spent a little bit of time teaching them how to pick books and scan them all by themselves and collect the paper that tells them what they have checked out...now they are "Pro's"
They know they can only take 7 books and one DVD a week. (you should see the struggle when they have more than 7 and have to choose)
Tanner and Trstan are seeing the library with new eyes again, and Ash even paid a fine she had obtained (while in Hong Kong....you can imagine it was not so small) but now all is clear and books are coming and going and it is FUN!

Hello!

2008-04-08T22:13:00.001-07:00

What does a mommy do when your beautiful new daughter looks right into your eyes at night as she prepares to pray and says "Mom, can you go and collect some more kids from Beacon House and bring them here?"
Each night we pray and pray for families to come and "collect" the precious children from Beacon House.
It was an exciting day when we got the news that Victoria's good friend from Beacon house had arrived to her new family in America. (about a week or so ago)
We waited each day, to let thm settle in a bit
(boy do I remember those first few days...so much JOY and FUN and soooooo tired)

It was very hard for Victoria to wait because she knew her friend was "collected to her new family" (she also got to meet the mommy when the mommy came to Ghana to file her papers, then had to leave to wait out the Embassy timeline)

Today, I was at the computer working on Beacon House applications of new families looking into adoption at Beacon House. Victoria came by singing a song to the tune of farmer and the del "my mom is on the phone, my mom is on the phone, she is working on the computer and on the phone"

I paused and realized that she had been painting and was finished and was a bit bugged that I was busy....her little tune was her way of saying
"hey....stop and play with ME"

I put my arm around her and asked her if she knew what I was working on...she said "No" So i showed her the papers, she recognized the BH logo on the application and her
eyes lit up.
We talked about FAMILIES who wanted to do papers so they could go and "collect" the a special child to live in their family.
(please read the "collect" word as a vocabulary/culture Ghana thing...)

She was a bouncing girl of JOY...."MOM, MOM, LOOK at ALL the PAPERS.....THIS IS GOOD!"
So she sat on my lap as I typed away for a few more minutes.

Then the idea....
We should email the family who just arrived home in America and ask for their phone number so we could call her friend soon.

We drafted an email and sent it off.
We talked about checking the email later to see if the number was there, got up and went on with the day.
About 15 mins went by and the PHONE RANG!
On the other end was a BEAUTIFUL VOICE!

"Hello, is Victoria there?"

I handed Victoria the phone and after the hello there was a good 2 long minutes of just LAUGHTER....no words!
SOOOOOO much JOY!
The girls talked about airplane rides, new bed rooms, brother and sisters, SNOW (more laughter) food, and so much more.
So I share with you the "Hello" moment!
WOW!
My heart is so FULL!

Let it Snow...NO!

2008-04-08T21:45:00.001-07:00

Any body wondering why it was snowing in March in WA....It could be because of two terrific kiddos in the Blaske house (and a few more terrific kiddos in Lynden...) who had NEVER seen snow...who HAD been praying for snow!
There ya have it!
Each time we open the door to leave the house, leave church, leave the grocery store, the library, the ANYWHERE, both kids say "Ouch, it is COLD" as they lean backwards onto you as you try to walk OUT the door.
Not this day...if you look closely, they are in their P.J's..YES....they woke up, put their shoes and coats on and were OUTSIDE....no "ouch it is COLD" just delightful laughter and lots of tongue sticking out to catch the SNOW.
Victoria got to talk to Romana on the phone a few days later and told Romana that the snow was cold cold and tasted like water. (or as she says "Waatahh")
We loved watching them see their first snow, but now have asked them to move on to praying for some warm weather. Even anything in the high 50's would do!

Where are the "posts"

2008-03-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

Okay all you friends and family who have been following our "Blaske Blog" and are calling and emailing saying...."where are the posts?"
Below you will find a weeks worth of "posts'
I think that I will be able to "upload and download" once a week from here on out...
The Blaske Bunch is having so much FUN transitioning together that my computer time has been few and far between!
Trust me when I say that no post does not mean nothing is going on.....just having to much fun to STOP it all and get it out onto the blog.

It really is a NEW form of BUSY...(anyone else have a 5 year old boy who LOVES to go go go, or a daughter who is a sponge for ANYTHING you can teach her....all while your older kids are still doing life ....lessons, practices, school....and PLAYING with their new bro and sis)
We are seeing new things everyday, all while we are trying to set up a bit of "schedule" for all of us.

so, enjoy the pictures and I hope your heart is lifted up and you feel like PRASING the LORD after you read, cuz that is what we want to do....
GLORIFY HIM!!!
Blessings...one VERY BLESSED MOM OF 6!

Use Your Head!

2008-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Each week we (the Blaske Bunch) go to the soccer field to support the Lynden LYNCS boys soccer team. We are devoted fans...in the rain and COLD, we bring our blankets, gloves and warm coats and sit on the benches and listen to John do play by plays as the ball flies all over the field!
For those of you who know my son Brock...he lives soccer out loud every day 360 days a year. There is always a soccer ball in his car, as well as his cleats, and gear...so he can be READY to play at a moments notice.

When we got home soccer season had just started. High school soccer is...well...from this Mom's perspective...high contact....but there is NO gear or pads....I am learning to not gasp or hold my breath as guys run into eachother.
(of course there are rules and fouls and I understand them better and better each year, but it is still a bit hard for this mom to watch)

This day, Brocks team was playing the Lynden Lions. (public school vs private school...small town rivals) Both sides of the field are filled with guys Brock knows...kind of a FUN game for him and for us to watch.
Below.....score is tied 1 to 1.
What you see here is a corner kick sent right across the goal, and number 7, blue jersey (Brock)
USING HIS HEAD
to put the ball in for the winning GOAL!
Lynden Christian LYNCS 2, Lynden Lions 1!!!!
GO TEAM!!!

Here is Bock running to the FAN side of the side lines after the game, with the team...John running out to give him a High Five!
John thinks Brock is the Best!

Bonding!

2008-03-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

Can anyone say LAUGHTER!
From the moment we got into the car in Seattle to this very night...I can say we have NOT STOPPED laughing!
The joy level on our house has gone through the roof!
Play has a new meaning again. It has been a while since our "buckets" for "stations" have been dug into so deeply.
We have marbles, rescue heros, cars, blocks, puzzles, beads, paints, colors and cooking happening to NEW levels. There is just an excitment of all the new things. Maybe it won't last forever, but for now the Blaske Kids are FILLING my heart with delight!

Dave and I decided to keep the kids close to home to get some routine and daily life stuff set up for all of us. So far so good....it took a bit of time to see who was going to sweep, empty garbage, feed the cat, and get the one on one time with "mom", but it seems to be rolling along. We adjust as needed, change when things do not "fit" the ability of the child set to do the task...but overall...the eagerness to do things is there. John and Victoria are very hard workers and have set a new pace to the old things our boys have been doing for a while.
It is a race now in the morning to see who can "DRESS" their beds the BEST!!!

One of the things that has been great is MUSIC! Each day when it is station time, we crank the music and sing, dance and sing some more. Victoria is so excited to sing to the song of the "books of the Bible" that the kids are all the way through to "lamentations" (today however the kids said, "please not that CD today :O)"
Music seems to be the "beat" that we can set for our day...all types are played, but overall...it is just ON all the time!
Talk, play, laugh, dance, talk, read, work, laugh, dance....seems to be the way of bonding for the Blaske Bunch!
PRAISE you LORD for all you are doing in all of our hearts as we continue to walk each day seeking to please HIM!

More Easter Pictures

2008-03-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

John....he was very content to find an egg, stop, open it, eat it and then look for another. But the time he had done that 2 or 3 times, most of the eggs were gone, but he was okay with it. We always know where John is...just listen for his giggle!

Victoria!!! She is sooooooo funny! She has not stopped laughing and making us laugh since the 14th! We learned some new things about her this past week....she is competitive. When she plays games, she plays to win, when she hunts egss, she does it with a PASSION, when she has a reward set before her for chores or school...she is out to GET IT!
It has been a big motivator to all in our house.

In the end....Sunday night...after Daddy had played dums for Friday night service, Sat service, and two services on Sunday, after stories, egg hunts, meals and great fellow ship at friends house, (more egg hunts) and TOFFEE (candy) galore...the picture says it all! Good NIGHT sleep tight!

EASTER

2008-03-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Up From The GRAVE HE AROSE!
Easter!
This is a great day of celebration!
When I arrived at the Seattle airport on the 14th of March...someone exiting the plane said to the person next to them...."have a great Easter Next week"
I think I gasped out loud...
I guess in my time away in Ghana, it did not even cross my mind that Easter was soooooo close.
So with adjusting at home and getting into the swing of new family life...EASTER came quickly!
Dave and I again were blessed as we started to talk about Easter and prepare the kids, when we realized that they had GREAT deposits into them from their time at Beacon House. (Victoria has a memory like a computer...with no glitches :O)
We were able to go to an amazing Good Friday service and walk the kids through an interactive story of the life of Jesus...it was amazing to worship with them, pray and re-tell the story.
Below are some pictures of our Saturday church/community outreach Easter-Eggstravaganza!
Over 2,000 people came, heard the gospel, played games, ate candy, did an egg hunt and had a fun fun time!
John and Victoria did a great job, even in the crowd. Ashlie works at the church full time in the childrens ministry department....you can see her dancing and singing her heart out LOVING KIDS and LOVING JESUS!
Our weekend was a FULL one, but it was FULL of new and exciting things....Jesus is the ONLY one in ALL of history that died and rose AGAIN...for us! So you can imagine that we had a lot of fun celebrating HIM!

Burrrrr!

2008-03-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Can anyone say COLD?
I have spent he past few days just plain COLD!
I can not imagine how the kiddos feel!

Today we got to go see Big Brother Brock play in a school soccer game.
Kinda cute, because, when we were getting ready to go John said, "Is Brock going to play Ghana Black Stars?" (that would be cool, but no)

Today, I never checked to see what the real temperature was...but it was COLD....
Victoria looked out the window at the hills behind our house and delightfully noticed that the snow had fallen and left a distinct while line....where it was cold enough to snow. (still a bit higher than us, and much to her disappointment...not at our house)

So, you can imagine that standing OUTSIDE for a soccer game was going to be interesting.
The kids blew bubbles with other kids at the field, ran and ran and still had very cold hands.
Victoria told me on many occasions "Mum, my hands are paining me...I can not clap for Brock"
It was a fun COLD day!
They are doing a very good job at going with the flow.
While we are doing a few things here and there, we are finding that they really like the comfort of being home.
Each time the door opens and someone comes in or out (big kids to school...Daddy to work, Ash to work etc) the door, they say "where are we going?"
When I answer, "no where" they say "good"
They also ask each person that comes to our house, (the friend who is kindly bringing us dinner, or the man to repair the window...) "where do you sleep?"
"Do you sleep here?"
There seems to be a comfort knowing who sleeps here and who does not.
Taking Victoria somewhere with out John seems to not be the best idea for him at the moment....as he asks "is she going to sleep somewhere?" " is she coming back here?"
So....with all the adjustment, it seems very important to
1. stay together
2. know who is in each bed
3. go places, but come HOME and do what we do here...eat, play, bath, sleep....and do it all in a familiar schedule.
4. Let mom and dad do the "mom and dad" things....even though Ash, Brock and even Tan and Tris are capable...the kids seem to SEEK us out, if we are not the ones doing the routine stuff.
5. sing and dance at least 3 times a day...some planned and some spontaneous....MUSIC and worship seem to bind us ALL together.

For now, we can say we have not laughed so much for so long in a long time....the level of noise went up in our house, but so has the amount of pure laughter and joy!

I guess the great thing about being COLD is that we get to sit under cozy blankets (Victoria's favorite is the electric blanket) read, drink hot chocolate and get to know them better moment by moment!

Once Upon A Princess

2008-03-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl whose love of life and all things wonderful SHONE out of her eyes like RAYS of sunlight.

She grew up playing with family and friends who deeply love her, let her eat mangos off the village mango tree, taught her how to wash, say please and thank-you, taught her how to pray, and much much more.
Like all princeses, there usually is a hard time in her life...no, she was not ever locked up in a castle, or made to do all the chores, or swept away by an evil witch....but sadness did enter her life.

Through it all she remained "joyfull" deep in her being. All who saw her would say "she is Delightful!"

One day a wonderful woman in a big SUV came to her village and asked the people if there was anyway she could assist the princess with her sadness.

They agreed that it would be best for the princess to have a chance to grow up in a place where she could become the BEST Princess she could be!
The princess got to live with the wonderful lady, who took her to meet lots of prince's and princesses who were alot like her.

At this new place she got to go to school, sing songs, learn LOTS and LOTS of Bible verses, learn how to do chores as a team, pray and so much much more!
A time came when the wonderful lady told the princess that she had found a very special place where she could grow up to be a Beautiful Woman and become the BEST Princess she could be.

So this delightful princess left the wonderful lady's house and traveled to a far far away place...where most things were new to her. Her heart was still full of Joy, but some concern about her prince and princess friends she was leaving behind in the land of Ghana. To help her, she chooses to pray for ALL of them ALL of the time.

Upon her arrival to her new land, one day after entering she went to a church. When she turned around...much to her delight, her eyes saw a WONDERFUL thing....1 prince and 3 princess's that she knew from her land of Ghana....SQUEALLS of DELIGHT, jumping and lots of hugging happened in a VERY good moment for her heart.
(maybe a small bit of sadness was starting to leave her heart)

To her surprise she found out that two of the princesses were having a GREAT CELEBRATION at their castles to celebrate their Birthdays...and could she come!
YES!!!
So off to the land of all things new....BIG fancy dresses, tights, shiny shoes, pink finger nails and crowns.....She was beautiful inside and OUT! She felt like a QUEEN!
As she entered the castle she was greeted by another wonderful lady who had received the two birthday princesses from the land of Ghana about 7 months before.
It was a reunion of great love and hugs!

The life of this princess is PRICELESS...beyond measure, her heart and love for people is amazing....she is all she WAS, all she is and wonderfully transforming into the BEST PRIINCESS she can be!!!
Lovely!
This new mommy and family are delighted to have the opportunity to see this princess BLOOM and continue to grow!
Our hearts are humbled by her hearts BEAUTY!!!
WE LOVE YOU PRINCESS VICTORIA!

If your happy and you know it........

2008-03-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

If your happy and you know it, clap your hands, stomp our feet, do and African dance, fall on the floor laughing...or what ever feels best to do!
It is Tuesday and it is 6:41 and John is STILL asleep....YEAH!
I was awake at 4:00....couldn't sleep, waiting for him to awaken and NO...still he sleeps!

Title to this blog.....Happy and you know it....
Yesterday it was a series of events big and small that resulted in MANY forms of HAPPY!

The kids (all 6 of them) have had so many moments of just pure fun laughter, at tables,
outside, in play rooms.....with each other.

John thinks the boys are "THE BEST"...he finds things in the house that are new and before he will play with them or investigate, he goes and grabs one of them by the hand and says, "Come and LOOK" (which sounds like come and Luuk") as if they also have not seen what is inside the army man bucket!

We quickly realized that shoes the "tie" are not a good thing...not because they do not want to try to tie them...they both are really close to being able to do it, but becasue you have to loosen up the laces to get them off and on EACH time....our first day....total I am sure I spent over two hours (total in the day) helping them get shoes off and on. (to go in and out side etc) So, slip on and velcro here we come!

We ran into town to get shoes and a few things we realized that "oops, did not think about needing that" kind of stuff.
Dave and I decided to get the kids "one toy" that they could have as their own for their rooms, so they could have a "we gottcha day" celebration memory.
It was a series of such fun events we still are grinning from ear to ear.

We walked into the toy isle at Walmart, and the sound effects started right away..."ohhh, wow, Look look"
I expected that....
But
As Dave took John and I took VIctoria....the curtest thing happened.
We went to the baby-doll area.
She started to giggle...."oh mom, there are plenty"
Her eyes danced! (A few isles over I could hear John in his deep loud voice..."wow, wow...MUM come and Look!")
I put my hand on a baby in a round plactic stnd up bag, that had long hair, hair bows, clips, a hair dryer (that worked) and some outfits you could dress her in)
I told her..."look, you could plant (braid) this ones hair"

What happened next was the "happy and you know it .....do all three" moment!
She said, "Can I have this one?" I said, "yes" She said "oh mom, THANK YOU THANK YOU, started to giggle as she turned the bag around to look into it...
The giggles got louder, feet stomping started, hands went into the air and her beautiful African dance (one hand up, one on her tummy, feet stomping as she pivots in a circle) started to happen!

I HOPE the workers on the secrurity video LOVED it as much as me!

John picked "specs" (sunglasses...cute...to wear in our RAIN) and a small metal airplane, and a few matchbox cars. He would not let them go as we finished our shopping. He kept telling us....OPEN IT!

When we got home, I aksed Victoria is she wanted to take out her baby, she said "no"
" i will take her out tomorrow"
So she did....took all the ties and plastic off and promtly put it all back into the bag. I said, you shoudl PLAY with her. She said, "No, I will play with her tomorrow"
She has a plan...it seems to be one of the LONGEST enjoyment!

So, today the baby should come out of the bag....hee hee!

We are a bit tired, a bit giddy, a LOT disorganized, and HAPPY and JOYFUL...to the point where our faces are starting to HURT from the laughter!

Victoria has a special day today....look for pictures later!

Home Again

2008-03-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends and family....yes, it is Monday morning and I think I need to post....it has been a part of my everyday life and it feels good to do it again.
Today at 4:00 a.m. John gets up, "dresss" his bed and comes into my room and says "my stomach is empty" so off we go to get some food and start the morning. (I did however convince him to lay with me for one more hour until I could pry my eye lids open)

Psalm 92 vs 1-2 and 4
It is good to give THANKS to he Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O most High.
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.

For You Lord, have me GLAD through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands!

I guess I wanted to start out with those verses becasue that truly is how my heart is feeling! I asked the Lord EARLY on in this journey to refiine me and show me the places where I had not surrendered and to carry my by His strength and power, knowing i would get to moments that did not make sense, or moments where i did not think I could carry one....AND HE DID!!!
Was it easy...No, did I have to TRUST when things did not make sense in my head...YES, did I have to see that He may have a BIGGER picture than I could see....YES, did I see and do things that He put before me that no one else could of...YES, and YES and YES!
Would I do it again...YES....this part of the journey does not need to be repeated, but the opportunity to BE WITH GOD when you only have HIM...well I think that will re-play in my life over and over again if i am willing!

So, what does on mommy do with, two kids, an airport I have never been in, processing through a process (immigration) I have never navigated, and connections that were a bit unknown? You PRAY and give THANKS and DO IT! and guess what...AGAIN He meets you where you are and gives direction and adventure where my heart was willing to go!
COOL!

The kids did GREAT beyond GREAT!!!
ACCRA AIRPORT
FUNNIEST THINGS: to many people to count asking: "Are those your children?" I would answer "Yes" and they would reply "Are you sure?" *FUNNY!*

I got several questions froom workers like " I am good with kids, and can clean, could I go with you?"

INTERESTING THINGS:
My Visa had expired, and when I went in to renew it (Ghana Immigration) I paid a penalty got my receipt and then was told "come back in two weeks and you can have your passprot back" Ohhhh that was not going to work with me leaving in 6 days...so I took the risk to pay agian at the airport.
That is what I did, it took about 30 mins to sort through things, the officer was very intereseted in a letter I had from Romana (BH Director) and very kindly called her at 6:30 a.m. (THANKS ROMANA for answering even if you do not totally remember what you said What ever it was , it worked:)
The officer asked to talk to the kids:
Officer to Victoria "What is your name?" " Victoria BLASKE" (she says on her own, did not tell her to say that) Officer: "Where are you going?" "America" she says.
Officer: "Why are you going there?" Vic: "I have a family who wants to take care of me" OKAY.....TEARS from the mommy.....She in her tender heart had already worked this all out in her head and answered onher own....GOD YOU ARE WIHT HER!

Officer: Same questions for John, but when we got to the "why are you going to America?" John says "To SWIM" with a huge laugh!
LOVE HIM!!!

We arrrived at 4:45 a.m at the air port, we went through the process of "checking in with an adoption process" and arrived at the gate at 7:00.
It really is amazing to me that in each step of the process and each person who stopped us to ask questions, or pulled us aside to "investigate" set my heart in a place of "Okay....what would you have me do here?" and he provided in each situation!
Everything that happened set us up for position to speak of His goodness...even when it was tough!

SEEING THE AIRPLANE!
squeals of laughter came bounding out as the kids came to the gate to sit to wait to board..the airplane in ACCRA sits out away from the gate and you walk out to it and board from the ground! it looks HUGE, it is HUGE!

"Ohhhh Mom....it is PLENTY!!" look mom DELTA, it says DELTA! (we had been talking about Delta for many weeks and the reality of the plane sitting there was TO MUCH and Laughter was PLENTY!

BOARDING AND TAKE OFF!!
I wish I could of had my video camera on! To grasp the excitment of a take off and the emotions of going....finally going....was priceless! Maybe it was meant just for us, it will forever be in my heart, the memory of squeals, "oh mom, we will fall" or "the houses look like small small....like my BOX for clothes at Beacon House"
Food and head phones on the plane....they had a GREAT time drinking pop, listening to all the music stations on the earphones....DANCING in the seats to each new beat and TALKING AT SUPER LOUD VOICES because they could not hear how loud they were talking....the people in the plane were gracious and just smiled each time they ENJOYED at full TILT the whole experience!

JFK!
We made it throuhg our long flight....with MANY MANY trips to the bathroom, 4 movies, icecream and making friends with the attendants.
We exited the plane and were sent DOWN into a long cement hallway...belwo the airport.
"PASSPORT CHECK" the officers were all saying, I thought, okay...but th lady next to me said "I fly this flight ALL the time and I have never been sent down here."
Okay.....with in 30 mins we all ralized that it was for security as they had set up a sting for a drug bust....not alot of details, but it took 30 mis of my 2 hour lay over I had at JFK.
When you get to immigration you have two options of two lines, "Citizens and Non Citizens" I knew (from the family who had just done this process in Dec That i needed to go in the "citizen line because the kids had "immigrant Visa's"
Two planes dumped into immigration ...about 400 people.
In a series of conversations with officers(as I was put in the NON citizen line...) telling them, as I snaked around the the 12 lanes of roped lines, "I think I need to be OVER THERE" they opened the rope and said "please come this way" and put me int eh citizen line....last one in line (smile)
It was by that time 6:00. (landed at 5:15)...next flight boarding at 6:45 departing at 7:20
By 6:30 I made it to the window of the officer who got to do the job that I had been WAITING for my whole 7 weeks in Ghana....OPENING the ADOPTION envelope and being DONE with the miles and miles of PAPERWORK!
In my heart I was laughing as verses iin James bounced around in my head like my five yr old was bouncing around on the ground (his little body was navigating being awake at 1:00 his body clock time)
CONSIDER it ALL JOY Carrie, do not MISS this chance to PRAISE me, DO ALL things with out complaining....not just the things you understand...Do you trust me?
All these things were flying through my head and I anchored down in my heart and said "okay...Lord, Lets see what you have for us in this section of our journey....are we going to connect? Are we staying in NY for a night? Lets GO! lets WORK hard and see!

So we did, we got through the window, went into the office, had our interview and went to get our bags (that had already been pulled off and set aside due to the length of time) and set off to find out gate at 7;00...YEEE HAW!!!!!

Ever seen a mommy with two kids RUN through JFK? We laughed and cried, we got sweaty and laughed some more.
The gate number on our ticket was 16, when we got there, it said "Dallas" okay....
so off we went on another adventure...to gate 22 (you say, oh not to far...hee hee...it was a HIKE)
The best part of all of it was the FUN we had on the "moving walk-way"
All along the hallways are flat moving walkways...if you get on and RUN you MOVE!
That is what we did....however....not ever having seen a "moving walk=way" the kids approached with great caution....I popped them on with out a lot if discussion....
*remember the plane was boarding*
"okay guys, this is FUN, watch how FAST we can go...lets RUN! LAUGHING And LAUGHING they both RAn....Victoria looked up at me and said "I think I am afraid"
I said, " I think you are AMAZING!!!"
We got to the gate, were the last ones on...sat down and left 20 mins later....
So my hopes of showing the kids a Burger king bruger and fries and a Starbcuks for me faded as we pulled away from the gate.....but boy did we LIVE our verses in JAMES OUT LOUD and in COLOR!!!

ARRIVING!!
Cold cold cold....the kids spent the whole 5 hour flight COLD and asleep!
I got to watch HGTV...home make over shows for 5 hours...kinda fun...but no sleep as kids tossed and turned like jumping beans in the seats trying to get comfortable.

When we were getting off the plane the Pilot said to the kids "welcome HOME"
Do you want to sit in the cock-pit....YES!!!!
They were so kind and we had a good flight!

When we came around the corner we could see a MASS of people and SIGNS of WELCOME!!!
WELCOME HOME!
A WAVE of emotion shot through my heart as John and Victoria saw Dave first and took off running!
Can it be Lord....Can it Be?
Yes!
It was a 10 min exchange of unbelief filled with HUGE BELIEF and HOPE of the LOVE of God over our lives!!!!
The conversations and words spoken as we hugged and kissed, laughed and cried will FOREVER be set in our hearts as a memory of PRAISES to the one and ONLY GOD who could of DONE ALL OF THIS for His GLORY!
FAMILY.....the collection of hand made by God people set together to accomplish the purposes He ALONE has for them to accomplish while here on earth!
That is what we are!
LONG POST....but so was the journey....hee hee!
There are many "firsts " to post about...will do that soon, until then THANKS and PRAISE to all of you who are continuing to STAND by us in prayer and support!
*have not spell checked...no time with John here "living life" by my side...so just laugh at how my brain thinks and spells :O)

Arrival

2008-03-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
yes, they made it safe and sound and are currently enjoying soft warm beds!
I thought I'd upload some pictures of their traveling and arrival in Seattle.
Hope you enjoy!

HOME SAFE and COLD!

2008-03-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family!
Carrie and the two kiddos are home safe and sound and still sleeping!! I think Victoria and John had enough blankets last night to be warm in a frigid Alaskan winter :-).

Carrie I am sure will edit this blog later today or Sunday and share the fun and exciting trip and firsts that occurred on the way home.

It was a SUPER day and full of Gods Blessing! It is great to have them all home and to have EIGHT under one roof!

Dave

One More Day!! (from Lynden)

2008-03-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

The excitement is growing in Lynden. Our hearts are filled with thanks to our Lord for ALL HE HAS DONE! He gave us friends that have stood in the gaps, He gave our 4 kids in Lynden amazying stories to tell themselves of how they have journeyed during this time of 7 weeks themselves without their mother at home.

I am a very proud Dad! Ashlie and Brock did super and navigated life tremendously without Mom and some of the time Dad too. With great friends being willing to stand in the gap and parent teenagers too they were well taken care of. They got to work, school, and took care of home too. Great Job Ash and Brock!!!

Tanner spent time with his cousins and learned alot from his Aunt and Uncle. He wouldn't trade the time for anything I am sure. Tristan spent time with great friends here in Lynden and being the youngest of the family did tremendous too!

Today I got a picture of how excited these 4 really are. Each of them in their own way is excited. Ashlie is smiling and giddy and shaking and saying they are almost here (Note she has been doing that for weeks though :0)! Brock is smiling and saying COOL they will be home tomorrow. Tanner is amayzed at God and how all the praying and stuff is coming to a climax and he can't wait to see them all tomorrow night! And Tristan well dear Tristan inspired me to write this note to you all as he has been relatively quiet, excited but not saying much...until today.

This morning in span of a couple hours he looked at me and said 4 or 5 times Dad ...ONE MORE DAY!!! Oh the joy that filled the air with those words. Words of excitement and thankfulness all at once. When I was driving out of the carport earlier he ran out to say goodbye and then as he was heading back in he said (yep you guessed it) Dad....ONE MORE DAY with a HUGE FRECKLE FILLED SMILE!!

Love It!

Sooo we are off to be as busy as possible until Friday night when we get to ALL EIGHT of us be together for the first time!

Praise God for ALL that HE HAS DONE!
Dave

Funny Thoughts

2008-03-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with a "blog" in mind...it was kind of funny as I lay there thinking of all the funny things I would post...yet NOT getting out of bed to do it.
(John seems to toss and turn all night and keep me awake...then sleeps HARD with out moving from 5:30 - 7:00, but I am at that point awake :O)
So, needless to say, I did not pop out of bed to "blog"
Today the power was off and on and off and on...leaving my shot at the computer random.
ANIMALS
Can you tell the difference between a crying baby and a goat tied up out side your window...in the middle of the night...I can now. They sound very much the same and it was a bit concerning for me to hear the "baby" cry all night.

Lizards, did you know that they are afraid of you, but when the want what you have they will raise their head and bounce it up and down to try to make you squrim...it works.

Also, cockroaches, the BIGGER they are the better....if you only see the BIG ones in the house that means that they are coming "in" for the food but live outside (where you want them to live) if you see the lttle ones inside then they have taken up a home in your kitchen...having babies. (YUCK!)

The free range chickens and goats all gather together for an EARLY meeting EACH DAY and freely talk to each other from about 4:30-6:00 a,m.....then they are quiet!
With the windows open, it is hard to NOT hear them!

Ants...hummm, how long does it take the ants to FIND any crumb you drop or leave on the counter...about 2 seconds, they must call their friends and let them know.."hey she is stirring something on the stove and I am sure she will take the spoon out and put it on the counter any second...COME NOW" so they do, you set the spoon down, pick it up to stir again...only to find that you did not look at the spoon first and you now have about 20 ants in your pan...FUN FUN!

Money
The taxi pulls up, you lean in and ask how much to "Beacon House" and they say 3,000
WHAT!!! oh, the currency has changed but MOST Ghanaians still talk in old currency...it is 3 Ghana Cedis (about 3 US dollars)

The price of a loaf of bread, 1,050 (1 Ghana cedi and 50 pesowis sp)
about $1.50 usd....

When you go to the bank to exchange USD into Cedis...you give the banker your $200dollars and they give you 200 ceids in one cedi bills (like one dollar bills)
OKAY...now I have this wad of money in my wallet that I can not even close...that is okay though because they will give you a little black plastic bag to carry your money in.
I thought this was very odd...until I realized hardly anyone has change for anything...not even a $3 cedi taxi ride...give the man a $5 cedi bill and he looks at you and says "small bill please"
Bad news is when the teller machine gives you all $10 cedi bills...YIKES what will I do with such a big bill. Even the nicer resorts we went to, when we order a soda by the pool and gave a $5 cedi bill...you could see all the staff gathering behind the bar, trying to see between the 6 of them if they could get us change.

Vendors
The sound of air coming out of a tire...sssssssss coming out of a man's mouth toward you is a "call" for you to look his way. (wants you to look at what he is selling)

The sound of small kisses over and over again is also a call from a vendor to have you look his way as you walk or drive by.
*lots of sounds, and kisses day after day, everywhere you go makes you kinda silly in the head...you learn to tune it out...even though you would not mind talking to some of the vendors....just a weird way of getting your attention.

I have already talked about the things you can by while sitting in traffic...I still think selling toilet paper on Front street and 17th would be perfect for me on my way home from drum lessons or school...Today I saw a tiolet seat and some excersize stuff..funny combo!

Sweat
Is it possible to have been here for 7 weeks and not remember a day that I was not sweaty?
Going through two shirts a day...no problem, well, I guess it makes more wash to do, which then makes you sweat even more.

Have not had a hot shower yet...really do not want one, but have figured out a new way to make hot water.
with the bucket shower method, you start with a small plastic bowl that you fill with water from the bucket, dump it over your head, it is COLD and refreshing, but as it runs down it picks up the HEAT from your body, and by the time the water is to your knees, it is HOT...so your feet are ALWAYS in hot water. Cool huh?

I told Dave before he left, on one of our walks, that I know when my body has hit critical mass in the heat dept...my eye lids sweat....yes they do.
I know this because I often close my eyes to let the air hit them while I walk....and it feels cooler. Funny but true.

Cute things the kids say
Fisrt of all most things spoken are at a LOUD very direct tone...not rude, just culture...so it takes a bit to realize that they are just talking to you, not shouting.
"Waaaah-tahh" = water, MANY times a day, Victoria or John will get about 2 inches from my face and say loudly. "Waaaah-tahh" (meaning they want some)

"when do we Take lunch" =what time are we eating

"Ohhhhh Sorry" = oh, sorry...for ANY time ANYONE trips, bumps a head, drops a spoon while cooking, basically any time anything unfortunate happens to anyone...could be me or could be the man at the bank who drops his paper..."ohhhh, sorry"

"you people" = a group of people....like "where are you people going today?"

"I finish all?" = Can I have what is left in the glass or the cup or the bowl. IF you offer them your cup to drink out of...they will ask if they can finish all..meaning..."do you want any more of this mom?"

"ahhh-hemmm" (with a nod of the head) = what we say when we agree like "yes or yeah, or sure, or yep....it just means I hear you and I agree.

"I should go and bath?" = is is time to go take a bath or shower (all they can do here is shower)
"I should go and sleep?" = do you want me to go and take a nap or get in bed for the night...(I like this question, because when i say "yes" they GO and they lay down and close their eyes!

"Plenty" = there is a lot of what ever it is. Like when we drove to the coast and we saw the ocean as we came around the corner, they said, "Oh mum, the water is PLENTY" or when my bowl of rice is a bit bigger than theirs..."mum, your rice is PlENTY" KInda cute.

"ummmm this is good papa" = this is the best of what ever it is...like a mango...the one they had the other day was not so good, the one they had this a.m...."oh mum, this mango is good papa"

"paining" = hurting. If the kids skin their knee, they will say "mum, my knee is Paining me" or my head is paining me or if a braid is to tight, it pains her.

"dressing" = getting the bed ready after a night of sleep...then getting yourself ready. Theses kids are AMAZING...they crack open their eyes, sit up, grap the sheet, perfectly fold it, straighten out the fitted sheet....it is tight and no wrinkles, then place the folded sheet on the pillow, dress their bodies, FOLD the jammies in perfect square and put the little square right below the pillow.
"mum, I have dressed my bed" (heaven forbid you then sit on the edge to put on your shoes....."ohhhhhh mum, you have spoiled it" = I have messed it up.

There are many many more cute things, wait until you meet them....you will soooo ENJOY it, they are delightful!!!

My time in Ghana has been a GIFT! I wanted to walk step by step with out a plan of my own...but be ready for all that GOd had...(it was hard at times....really hot and hard at times..) But He never left me, His strength FILLED me like I have never experienced. I learned A LOT about my self and the state of my heart...His Word has fed me day by day, His people...wow GOd has some amazing warriors in Africa doing His work...so blessed to have met them and been changed by being with them.

I am thankful for all the support and prayers everyone has sent to the Throne room on our families behalf....we FELT IT, we lived in FAVOR and BLESSING...THANK YOU!

SO I will wrap up this very long post...as it is my last one in GHANA (can you believe it) I get on the plane EARLY in the morning with two very excited kiddos.
Love and Blessings to ALL...
See you State Side!

Coming Home!!!!

2008-03-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

I am in SHOCK!!!
This morning started with a very early "rise and shine" to get the kids fed, dressed and out the door by 7:10 a.m. to go to the Embassy!
We got there, got in (with an appointment letter) and SAT. It was an okay sitting time because we had such anticipation of what might happen.
By 10:00 I was called to the window and was able to submit my "visa application documents" then my file was put into the "cue" (or order of appointment)
2 hours later, and many trips to the bath room (that had self flushing toilets, and automatic sinks...Kids got a KICK out of those...not a lot of "potty" happened, but it was a good distraction )we got called to the window for our interview.
It took 45 mins. In the discussion and paper work stuff, we got to the questions about the Visa.
Amazed and EXCITED...we are getting our Visa on Thursday and flying back to the USA and my beautiful family and friends on FRIDAY!!!
Thank you to ALL of you who are continuing to stand with us as we finish our jourey in Ghana.
We started with a desire to walk in STEP with each STEP the Lord had for us and we get to finish the same way.
Some sadness today with the celebration....the D's approval is one day behind ours, so it makes departure times and dates a bit off of our schedule...I will let them tell their story. :O( The kids will miss traveling together, but God must have some things in store for both of our families with the Timing of departure.
We are looking forward to being home!
Today at the Embassy, Victoria reached over and put her fingers on my face "please mum, my hands are cold"
Boy is she going to be surprised when her hands will not just be cold for a few hours in the AC, but for DAYS!!!
So, we are spending our next few days, getting another "hair-do" for Victoria, re-packing, shifting rooms ONE last time, and spending ALOT of time PRAISING GOD for our ENTIRE time in GHANA....hard times as well as good times!
See you all SOON!

APPROVED

2008-03-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yes oh yes! the word APPROVED has once again come across my ears!
Today is Monday! Early this morning I woke up with a word on my heart of "Lord...is it time?"
I had a feeling of anxious tummy....like you have before you have to do public speaking. I went on with the morning until 11:00 when I called the DHS to see if our file was on the director's "radar"
She said, "your file is currently under review, but I will call you by the end of the work day to let you know if it is APPROVED or not"
****when is the end of the day...5:00
THe kids and I spent the day doing school stuff, playing and doing some laundry. After their nap I felt like I was suspended in space and time....needed to be busy, but there was nothing to do....wait...READ the WORD! So I did. I poured over the verses I LOVE and sang praises to God for all He has done. I really did not ask for anything afraid that in my desire to go home...I might ask a-miss. So we (Holy Spirit and I had a time of worship...while kids rode the scooter below.... I am sure GOd was just getting a kick out of my un-easy stomache as I was so excited that the approval may come today!)
At 4:50 my cell phone rings and it is a very joyous Romana....saying "Carrie, the Embassy just called my cell phone looking for you, they would not tell me why, but they left a direct contact number"
I quickly hung up, dialed, almost to fast....remember that they are only open until 5:00....A lady answered, I identified myself and she said, "yes, Mrs. Blaske, your I 600 has been approved, you may come in to apply for your VISA's"
Very calmly I said "THANK-YOU"
**** INSIDE I was BOUNCING around like a ping pong ball****
So, tomorrow a troop of D's and B's will be getting up at 6:30 to get ready and be at the Embassy by 7:30 a.m.!
Jim and I are assuming that his got done as well.....do not know what contact information the Embassy had for them...but nevertheless...we are all going to go in tomorrow!
HIP HIP HOORAY!
THe faithfulness of God is....well....FAITHFUL!
There is ALOT of emtotion in my heart as I type this! I think back to 7 seven years ago when Dave and I realized that we both had the same dream...the dream given to us by GOd Himself to love the orphan....wow, my heart races to think about where we were, where He has brought us and to where He is going to take us!
Hey my handsome husband...are you ready to have your wife and kids HOME???
BIG SMOOCHES!!!

Storm

2008-03-09T13:15:00.001-07:00

While we were wrapping up our pool time with some fish and chips...we noticed that over the resort roof, the sky had become a very dark gray. It was not only gray, but it had BIG clouds...this was unusual for the sky I had seen in my time in Ghana.
We had the kids stop eating and watch the clouds.
It was unlike anything I had seen before. The clouds that were over land were moving toward the ocean..BUT there was a whole set of clouds (a bit higher) coming toward the land from the ocean. It seemed to be happening right above us, so it was amazing to watch these two systems mix and match and crash into eachother. The shapes and movements of the clouds, updrafts and colors reminded me of weather systems you see on National Geographic weather shows. VERY AWESOME!

***looking out over the ocean, a very clear line of the storm over the water...I do not know if you can see the formation of the billowy part of the clouds...but it was so detailed it made me feel very SMALL!!!*****
We walked out toward the beach/ocean, and it began to drizzle...the kids stepped under one of the cabana's and promptly told us that "we NEED to go" it sparked some interesting stories and ideas they have about rain. Some of the memories they have of rain in the village came out.....made me realize that me saying "it is okay that we are out here, I am with you" did not matter and I also felt like I was looked at like "You have no idea!" Really...I do not have an idea and it made me love these kids even more as they talked about thunder, rain and lots of water....they have seen things with Rain in Africa that I have not. I have not lived through a HUGE thunder storm in a mud hut....so as we wrapped up our storm watching, I found my heart drawn to the hearts of my kids and how very proud I am of them!

**** For as far as you could see down the coast, it was flashing lightening and swirrling with beautiful clouds.

***** this is the picture of the resort roof, when it first started....it was a great show of power and beauty!

When we walked back through the resort to go to the front to catch a taxi back to the guest house, it began to rain...kind of like when it rains in WA, but by the time we got through the building it was RAINING!!! so much so that the water was in sheets and cascading down the tile roof in huge sheets. (of course it was all brown water from all the dust that was on top of the roof)
THe streets had standing water in them....no puddle jumping here for me...the cement gutters that run all along everywhere in Ghana carry the "waste" water from buildings and is also on open type sewer for anyone passing by...if you know what I mean. These gutters filled and water was over the road....thoughts of making a splashing in the rain "memory" faded as we drove home.
As we got back to our guest house, it had stopped raining and everything was wet and felt fresh. Lightening still flashed through the sky...but the crashing storm seemed to be passing.
One of the benefits is tonight I do not need to turn on the AC to get to sleep. (usually set it for 2 hours on a timer so REST can actually happen)
The AC has a "room" temperature on the remote. Each day that I have been here it usually reads "30-32 degrees Celcius" Tonight after the rain it said "26" HIP HIP HOORAY!!!! THe kids actually fell asleep with top and bottom jammies on and the sheet!
It is late, the air is fresh and smells clean (no garbage burning next door, and no car exaugst in the air...so I am going to take advantage and get some sleep!
Tomorrow we hope to hear the news APPROVED I 600...come on in and apply for your visa...will keep you updated!

La Palm

2008-03-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ever stayed somewhere that they charge you $255.00 a night?...I have not, and still have not, but in Ghana this very nice "resort" on the beach of Accra has a "day rate" for the pool use.
It is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE!
Today after church, (which was AWESOME!!...sooo sorry you had to miss it Dave....it was just how you thought it might be...WORSHIP off the chart and songs that they sang "open the flood gates of Heaven, let it RAIN....with drums and they sang it about 15 times ...it was SWEET!)I joined in on the Sunday tradition of all the adopting families going to the pool for the whole day...to La Palm we went!

Mr D proved to be a CRAZY man in the pool....he flipped and tossed my kiddos over and over until John started to cry....(this is not a bad thing....it takes A lot for John to have ENOUGH of ANYTHING!) Jim spent lots of time with Jacob, Rachel, Sarah and VIctoria, teaching them how to swim across the pool with breathing....by the end of the day the kids were doing AMAZING! The kids had a lot of fun being able to have friends at the pool with them. They played games and really only rested for about a half an hour to eat a few "biscuits"

John is FULL TILT all the time! He is sooooo funny to watch in the pool! I have little toe print like bruises on my legs and little finger bruises on the insides of my arms where he used me like a diving board to push off of me to go head long into the water from any position! He is used to sleeping for a good solid two hours at nap time....did not get to do that, so by the end of our fun day....boy was he TIRED!
We got to have some good snuggle time for the last 40 mins of everyone else swimming, just John and Mom, under the umbrella under the towel, talking....priceless!

Victoria...what can I say about my sweet daughter! She is so fun to get to know. Today at the pool she said, "mum, come now, you need to meet my friend" SHe took me over to a lady who she new from playing t-ball at Beacon House. Yes, it was a friend of Romana's. We had a great chat. VIctoria is kind and friendly and very fun to watch in the pool. She plays with the kids, yet I often found her alone trying to perfect her skills of strokes or hand stands. She will try and try and try, until she thinks she has improved. It often consists of 1,000 calls of "mum watch me, mum watch me again, watch me now's"
Three cheers for Victoria! Hip Hip Hooray! I am proud to be her mom!
I was looking forward to a FUN day to kind of end our long week of waiting, and that is what we got! It was great....the only thing missing from making our day beyond great was that my hubby and kids were not here with me!
Family, Mom is Coming home soon! Counting the days!
Embassy...here we come! Approval...we are praying you "In and APPROVED" Visa, we are wanting to file....and Delta flight 167...boy do we want to board SOON!
GOd...we are PRAISING you all the way to the END, for your WORKS are marvelous and your LOVE perfect and Your timing is NEVER WRONG....

Cooking/Cleaning

2008-03-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

Cooking....hummm, this is a FUN thing!
Jim was on an errand and I offered to watch the girls so they could play, but what I did not expect was ALL the help I got when I started to get stuff out for dinner!
So, I turned on some worship music (nice and loud) and off to cooking we went!

Everyone got to do something, fry the onions, brown the minced meat (hamburger), butter the bread and help cut up the fruit salad.
All in all is was a successful evening, we just had to do a bit of teaching about "licking" the cooking spoons and also the edges of bowls to "taste" the new things.
I took the few pieces of fruit I had left and tossed the cut up pieces with yogart...boy was that a fun one..."what that is?" "Icecream on the fruit?" "ohhh, please let me taste, please please"
In the end I took a few spoons and gave them each a taste....what a HIT!
3 friends in the kitchen...cooking and washing (boy can these kids wash!!!)
When we sat down for dinner "Stroganaff" (sp) it was a good time of trying new things and trying to say the new words of the new foods.
Lots of giggles from the girls as they tried to expain back to me, how you have to hold the handle of the pan when you stir, how you should not lick the spoon each time you stir, and how you need to leave the lid on the rice while it is cooking or you will "spoil" it.
Each day it is so fun to work, play and laugh together....we are ALL looking forward to getting home and COOKING and CLEANING in our homes. I bought some Banku to take home (not cooked yet) so we can cook Ghana good together and they can giggle at me while I try to make it taste right. ()

RAIN

2008-03-07T00:45:00.000-08:00

This is the day the Daddy got on the plane :O(
We all got up and got him out by 7:00. THe kids and I made some breakfast and sat out on the patio to eat. All of us were a bit quiet...except for the random qusetions from John "will you leave mum?" (a few bites...) "will you leave me at Beacon House" ( a few more bites...) "is Brock coming here to see us" ( a few more bites..)
In the midst of the questions, a noise came that I had not heard in Africa before...the sound of RAIN hitting the metal roof and the cement.
We all stood up and watched the rain fall!
It was only for a few mins...but it was a moment of "refreshing"
The air smelled of rain, the kids talked about how in the North (where they are from....Victoria and the D's kids) the rain helps things to not be DRY.
It was like God gave a moment of "newness" to what was a sad morning!
We got the colors out at the table outside and sat to do some school.
With in a few mins, Victoria said, "please mum, it is cold today"
(okay it is 80 instead of 100...but OKAY!)
Yesterday when Dave and I packed she saw the "zip lock bag" packed with her "TRAVELING HOME CLOHTES" in it.
We took out the hooded zip up light weight jacket and put it on her. SHe promptly put her hood up and said "now I am not cold!"
(boy are they in for a SHOCK when it really is COLD!)
SO here is a picutre of my sweet darlings wearing their jackets in Africa...because it was "COLD" the day it rained in AFRICA!

Luggage

2008-03-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

The room we are in is a BIG mess...as Dave and I are busy trying to send as much home with him as possible so I can manage the two kiddos by myself with as little luggage as possible.
Next to the desk were my two empty suticases, I was on the computer trying to skype Ash, and Dave was in the room packing.
John had been coloring on the floor next to me for a while, when we got up, climbed into the suitcase and realized he "fit" he shouted to Dave (in the room next door)
"Hey Dad, You can take ME!"

I started to laugh and he said agian " Take me, Dad, take me"
So Dave came in snapped these cute pics, then zipped him almost all the way in and began to wheel John all around the room and outside patio...SQUEALS and GIGGLES galore for as long as DAve carted him around!
HOw do you explain travel to America to a 5 yr old boy from Ghana? Each time we get into a taxi or arrive somewhere he will say "are we going to America? or is this America?"
Today we did get to talk to Ash on video skype...and the first thing John said to her was "are you in the air-o-plane?"
He knew she left, but thought she was still in the plane.
As we get Dave ready to go in the morning...it will be a sad time and a confusing time, but like always, God will protect the hearts of the kids and the MOMMY!

Daddy is going to America

2008-03-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

Today is thursday...the day of packing and re-organizing and answering 100 questions about "planes" "suitcases" "Ashlie" "who is going and who is staying" etc....
For some reason last night and today seem to be the "most sticky and humid" but maybe it is just an "awareness" of some sad hearts that Daddy is leaving and the elements seem to bother us a bit more. (hummm)
This a.m. I read this Psalm...73
vs. 21....Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
(this is the constant state of the reality of the "old man" in me....that has been made new, but boy do I need a reminder often)
vs. 23 NEVERTHELESS.....(don't you just love the "neverthelesses" in the word!)
I am continually with YOU;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your Counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besdie You.
My Flesh and my heart fail
(boy do they....)
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion FOREVER!
vs 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all YOUR works!

So as we continue to prepare for Dave to go back to America, we STAND on this word and know that we have had 6 weeks of seeing God's "NEVERTHELESSES and BUT GOD moments" even though our hearts fail at times and our strength may go weak!
PRAISES to HIM and HIM alone!

Closing Prayer

2008-03-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Today we had the priviledge of going to Beacon House and having them pray for the kids. I know Carrie will blog about this from her perspective tomorrow but I wanted to get mine in too. :0)
*** it is Carrie here, I read my amazing husband's post...and while I do have 4 weeks of life and love for all those at Beacon House...Dave, my best friend, covering and love of my life, said what was in my heart about out night of good bye's at Beacon House...WAY TO GO Babe!!! I love living life with you!
I will upload some picutures of our night.

This is a tradition and as I sat I couldn't help but feel the emotion and heart of God as I looked at Victoria and John sit in the middle of all of the children at Beacon House and be blessed and prayed for. I know Victoria remembers doing this for others and I am sure it was special for her now and will be even more in the future. Each and every child prayed and then the wonderful house moms and care takers prayed, protection, guidance and blessing over us and the kids...these ladies are gifts from God!

They pour into all of these kids from where ever they have come from and whatever their condition and they pour and pour Gods Love and Instruction into them and we get to receive the fruits of their labor of love.

Mama Shelter, Sada, Vivian, Lydia, Evelyn, Dorcas (hope I haven't forgotten anyone) and of course Romana! Even in my short time around you I am grateful that God has used you mightily in the lives of John and Victoria and soo many others.

Thru the tears of joy the night ended and all of us went to our seperate beds but in my heart I am still praising and thanking God for each of you!

I am so glad that we will be able to frame the photographs of you with the kids and talk and pray for you when we tuck John and Victoria in bed.

Thank you for the wonderful gifts you have been to John and Victoria...I look forward to seeing you all again someday and looking back and laughing together and of course praising God for what He has done.

Dave (The Lucky Guy who married Carrie!!)

Pictures

2008-03-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

After a wild game of "Hide and Seek" tonight, led by the very brave "Auntie Trudy"
(another adopting mom here at the guest house where we are staying)
the kids are now fed and settled in.
Hide and seek was quite fun to watch....as John had never played and could not get the hang of "staying" in a spot until he was found. When he did, he kept laughing, so he gave himself away quickly.

The D kids and the B kids are all lined up on my bed watching "Jungle Book 2" on the DVD player.
Dave and Jim sit and chat, so I thought I would grab this moment to upload some pics for you all.
Each one takes about 4-7 mins....so lets see how many I can get before one of the kids need something from the room next door.
Ohhhhhh, note for the day.
Jim, Dave and I went to the book store today and got great curriculum books for the kids.
(the kids got to stay with Trudy and watch a movie, color and eat choc chip cookies that she braved making with measurment guessing and interesting ingred's...they worked and were a HIT!)

We found great books, like the kind they sell in the USA, but CHEAP!
Now John and Victoria have all the books they need to jump in when we get home.The ones we brought with us and the ones we got from Beacon House are almost done.
They will sit for hours and color and do the work books....excited to see that continue at home.
Then we went to the BAKERY...Yeah and Hip Hip Hooray! Jim and I bought Bagels..yes real bagels and muffins....Dave of course is not a "bread" person, so he got a good laugh at us.
We then walked back from there to our guest house....about 3-5 miles
(I am guessing, but it was a good long walk...addiing more sun and color to my WA body )
Being very hot and a bit tired, I decided to use my cherished bagels to make tuna sandwiches for dinner...deciding NOT to cook! They were very good!
So, that is a day in the life of a mom and two dads who are filling their time while the days go by.
Here are some pics for you!

Daddy and John...being Daddy and John!

John and Victoria on the path back to our room at the coast.
Even though they are not bio siblings, they really treat eachother very kindly and sibling "like". It is awesome to see how God is knitting them together.

FEET!
(just a cute pic with a lot of good memories to go with it!)

Blessings to all of you!
Movie is done and off to bed they all go!

Missing My Kids

2008-03-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

Today....Today is Tuesday. Ghana is getting ready to celebrate It's Birthday...Independence Day!
We have been seeing jets fly over head, getting ready for the big day.
I sat out on the patio this a.m. and thought about how much fun it would be to have the Blaske Bunch all together here to ENJOY what Ghana has to offer! The people the places the food and of course the SUN SUN SUN!
I know it is hard for our kids to have soooooo many weeks go by with out their Mom, but I just wanted to take a moment to tell them HOW VERY PROUD I AM OF THEM for walking in the LIGHT of the LORD during this time of separation!

Kids, Daddy and I are BLESSED deeply by your willingness to sacrifice for God's purposes! Your reward is BIG and Deeper than you will know and it will come in a season you are not expecting!
We love you! We are counting the days until we can all sit and LAUGH around the dinner table, see who can burp the loudest, do the most push ups, play WII bowling (and see the mama WIN)trips in the car to go get Blizzards, late night talks on the end of our bed, tickles before bed, crazy moments trying to get out the door to church, and so much more!
Being yor parents DELIGHTS our hearts!
BIG SMOOCHES from us to you!
Dad will be home soon, and mom with kids to follow!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who are loving and supporting our kids while we are away....WE COULD NOT DO THIS WITH OUT YOU!!!

Fun in the SUN!

2008-03-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

How do you try to put the events of four days of travel , sights and fun down in a blog? To top it off, how do you write about two very extraordinary children that you are getting to know while you go and do all of these fun things.
It is A LOT to get your brain around.
So, lets see if I can hit some of the high lights!
ELMINA CASTLE!

We toured the castle with a guide! It was a great homeschool moment...but really, as we toured it became more and more sad to stand on the very ground where there was such horrid abuse and lack of insight to the value of human life.
All around the ocean pounds, the fishing village is a bustle and the vendors sell their wares, but there in all It's HUGE white-ness stands this castle as a reminder of the history of the people of Africa!
COCONUT GROVE RESORT

Does this place look like a post card...well it is! Really, I have never been any where tropical with huts and lounge chairs and pool side service etc!
When we drove up, I felt like we had left the "real world" and entered into vacation land. The room was nice, with AC, the pools were clean and great, the food was served outside under the cabana huts with music playing and the Blaske's had a different kind of fun for a few days.
While we have been getting to know the kids each day, there is just something to say about "playing" and playing hard that brings out the best in everyone!
Our kids were in the water more hours than they were out!
We sunscreened EVERYONE and hit the pool or the beach....still Dave and I are a bit on the RED side! Stacey...you would be so proud... I sat pool side and enjoyed the SUN!

Victoria has proven to be a fish! While our time in Ghana with her has made us realize that she is alot like Ashlie....reading and drawing and a bit on the drama side of things (grin) she tends to not enjoy the "athletic" type of activities. But we found out that swimming is her thing.
John tends to try things at 100 mph...the pool was no different. After the first 10 mins in the pool we realized the level of the pool was lower due to the huge amounts of water John was ingesting! He laughs and giggles at EVERYTHING...the down side to this kind of happiness is that an open mouth in the pool ends up with lots of water in the nose and tummy! Dave and I both worked with him and by the middle of the first day, he had it all figured out and he was a WATER jumping, kicking, underwater crazy boy!
BEACH

Here is my very awesome husband on the beach with the kiddos!
The trip was a great time to bond and relax, laugh and enjoy some more "first's" (like John having ice cream...that was a fun thing!)
Cape Coast was different and beautiful, Coconut Grove Resort was a "Resort" and all in all....it is Ghana and we LOVED it ALL!
*internet is acting up....so I will try again tomorrow!
Until then....we love and miss everyone....although it is HOT and HUMID here, it is nice to not look so much like we live in WA .....red is better than white....can anyone say ALOE!

Divine Connections

2008-03-03T01:26:00.000-08:00

Carrie and I awoke this morning getting ready to navigate and organize our days remaining in Ghana. As Carrie was getting ready I was reviewing the blogs of some of our friends who have gone before us! We know that some of you know the Lohrers and some of you know the Hansen-Quinne families, however if you don't we want to encourage you to read their latest blog entries as these devine relationships that has God has uniquely connected to us in the last year have been for just such a time as this! There is sooo much depth in their blogs and the sharing and perspective they have! Amanda, Phil, Sam and Maria thanks for taking the time to share your lives and allow God to fill us up thru your experiences and words!

I (Dave) can't help but be overjoyed and excited about the momentum God is creating in our small town and within His Kids Our Homes regarding adoption. God is grabbing peoples hearts and more importantly people are stepping out in faith, not one family or two families or one step or two steps but many steps after many steps! It is our prayer that thru the stories being shared that all those who read will be not only blessed but spurred on to be obedient to the call God is knocking on their hearts about.

Thru all of the various family adventures, there is a bit of a "megaphone" being used right now and it is bringing ALOT of awareness to ALOT of people that previously may not have had the opportunity to learn and see that it is possible to take the first steps and then the next and so on. If you are one of them be encouraged! If you are wondering what you can do...ASK God and Listen to what He tells you.

I am continually being reminded and encouraged and spurred on by the teaching we received over a year ago in Dream Realization School at our church regarding how God gets things done. God gets things done thru his people but if we look at any effective ministry God is getting things done thru people that He has divinely connected for His purposes at a given point and time.

A year ago we had just shared the vision for His Kids Our Homes with our Pastor and others and today we are in Ghana and developing a relationship that will I am sure astound us 1 year from today! A year ago we did not know the Hansen-Quinne family and many others we have come to know as we have begun to sound the megaphone about the worlds and our communities hurting children.

With so much of our focus lately having been on the international adoption and the amazing things He is doing in Ghana it is important to remember international adoption is not for everyone and what is SO IMPORTANT is that each and every one of us is seeking and listening to God and stepping out in faith in the area He is leading us! It is thru the devine connections that God is putting before us that He will knit together His Complete Plan, together, by each of us being obedient to God, He will continue to do amazing things! Some of our plans are interwoven and some of our plans may take us to seperate corners of the world but today we are reminded and praising God for how He devinely uses all of us to carry out His purposes!

Millions and Millions of children throughout our community and world needing support and help, it can at times appear to be an impossible task to make a difference....NO PROBLEM for OUR BIG GOD as HE is the DIFFERENCE MAKER!!

Blessings on your day!
Dave

Relationship

2008-03-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

After being here and realizing that EVERYTHING in Ghana works best in relationship...well I guess now that I think about it, it really is the way God designed it to be....I think most of the time we think it is to much work to function this way...but boy does it have great reward when we do.
But anyway....realtionship....
I posted earlier about the generous offer we got from a woman who lives in Cape Coast, to stay at her home.
That is what we did.

(this is the wall in Kathryn's house...an artist painted it for her, as you can see, it is beautiful and amazing. It is about music in Africa, and in it are many traditional symbols.) She use to teach "African Art History" at Whatcom Com College.

What we did not know is that God had some "relationship" building to do.
Her name is Kathryn....and guess where she lives...Yes, in Cape Coast...but only for 6 months. The other 6 she calls Bellingham WA her home. (Hummmmm our neighbor)
When we arrived we were amazed by her "welcome".
We ate a bit of fried rice (which pleased the kids to no end) and then took a trek up to a Bed and Breakfast....friends of hers owned. It happened to be where they have made a lagoon and have crocodiles.

(this big guy...think it was a girl...but anyway, "it" was laying on the other side of the wall....I did not have to zoom....it was pretty cool)
She wanted us to see the birds fly in at night...they spend the day at the beach then fly in to some trees around the lagoon from 4-6. That is what we did. From an open air cabana we sat and viewed the birds fly in. First there were only 5 or 6, but by the end of the hour there were hundreds. Very beautiful.
She is a woman of many talents, but what she does in Ghana is a GIFT of great worth.
She works with a non profit org to fund schooling to children in Ghana. It is a great story....one that we needed to hear! Dave and I are thankfuf that God arranged another opportunity to open a door for His Kids to make a connection to make a difference in the lives of children.
She holds and auction each year to fund raise for the kids.....I know we will invite all who want to come. She gets items from Africa and sends them to the States and sells them at the auction.
Dave and John got to play with one of the items in a very fun way.
It is a drum...a really nice drum. Kathryn let John try it our first night there.
This kid has a "beat" in his head that never quits.....so guess what, he gets to playing on this drum and we all sit AMAZED at what he is doing.
So much so, that Kathryn called her friend to come over and give Dave and John a personal one hour drum lesson!

Here we all are with "Kofi" the GREAT drummer...after our hour long, very clear and good lesson. The boys had a BLAST! The girls did too! I have great video of the lesson!
We wrapped up our stay with this gifted, wonderful woman by exchangine numbers, emails and ministry infomation. Wow....we are blessed and thankful for the connections in "relationsip" God is builing in us and through us while we are here in Ghana.
*more posts to come.....with some pretty cute kids skipping on the beach and splashing in the pool...but for now, the internet is to slow, and my sunruned body is crying for some REST!
Until tomorrow....BLESSINGS!

Bad day

2008-03-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know you are all scratching your heads...but yes...of my 5 weeks here, I have not met people who I have not enjoyed....until the day we left for the coast.
This will be short...because there are so many fun things to share about our trip to Cape Coast.
However it started with a twist of Ghana we had not seen before.
We decided to take an AC Ford van for our 2 1/2 hour ride to the coast. People we knew had done it, so we were game.
As you drive around Ghana, there are street vendors galore walking the in the roads, and along side the road. They of course want you to buy things, but with a smile and a "no thank you" or a " that is nice, but not today" works and they walk on to the next person.
Not this day. We were told that the station where you catch the van was a busy place and to tell anyone who offers to help you with your bags, "no thanks, I have them"
IN a WHIRL of traffic we pulled up to the station (picture thousands of people, street lined with big buses and vans and vendors all shouting to get you to look at what they are selling)
A group of men stepped up to my window as the taxi stopped, a short conversation happened, and before I knew it on of the guys was touching my arm through the window.
I told him "Please do not touch me" and we started to get out.
Trying to keep the kids safe from the traffic (that DOES NOT stop for people...not even kidding....people RUN fast to cross places) keeping my purse around my neck, dodging the guys who were still persisting to "help us" I walked to the back of the taxi.
Dave opened the back, reached his hand in to get our bag and in a very slow motion type of moment I see Dave spin around, grab the guys hand out of Dave's shorts pocket and say "Hey, get your hand out of my Pocket" the guy instantly went into a very amazing amount of American swear words, dancing all around Dave in his face.
In the same moment a second guy behind Dave had his hand on Dave's other pocket....it became very clear that they were working as a team to get and steal what they wanted by causing confustion and a scene.
It felt like mins of HUGE adreniline rushing through us as we tried to navigate our way AWAY from these men.
NOTHING was stolen....and due to my awesome husband and his ability to hold his temper and keep calm in a very CRAZY situation...we ended up be shaken but fine.
At one point I was praying out loud....as the guy was raging around....we needed protection and that is what we got!
We found the van....after two tries of walking in the wrong direction.....sat in the van for two hours waiting for it to "fill up" with people so we could leave.
During that time, we met a very nice man named George,...who gave our kids cookies and distracted us from the "bad day"
During that two hours....vendors passed by every second and wanted us to buy some thing from them...you can imagine that at that point we were not to excited to talk to them....they were probably like ALL the wonder people from Ghana we have met...but we were alittle shaken.
This is a picture I took from sitting inside the van while we waited.

WE DID MAKE IT TO THE COAST.....enjoy the next few blog entries of our great time...but this is how it started.
Praise the Lord that His mighty hand is always on us...even when it is a bit wild!

Disappointment vs Discouragement

2008-02-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family!
Wow, it has truly been an amazing DAY!
Let me back up by saying that yesterday we were able to go to the Embassy and after many weeks, President Bush coming to visit, a holiday (for the staff to thank them for all the hard work they did for his visit) we got the news that our I 600 and I 600 A were merged together!! HIP HIP HOORAY!
It was a smooth day, got to see the DHS and the Consular section with no problem and off we went with HIGH hopes of getting a phone call maybe even this week saying we got our approval.
Today....after a series of events we came to realize that the head Director, who is the only one who can "sign off" on I 600 approvals..(which is what we need to get our Visa) will be out of the office until the 7th....possibly returning to work on the 10th.
From day one in Ghana...Dave and I have rested in "God's timing is not ours..we will go and do what He asks"
A bit of air got sucked out of us with the news. (human emotions of "missing our kids desperatly...it has been over 4 weeks here in Ghana for me, knowing there is HUGE sacrifice being given by MANY family and friends on our behalf...etc)

Dave and I went on with the tasks of the day after the news...I made "Banku and Chicken" for our kids and for my brave husband who had not had it yet. It was fun to watch it all play out, as we sat around the table eating with your fingers...getting our kids to teach us how to make that great little spoon with the Banku. Vicoria had a good laugh...! Dave ended up washing his hands "after the meal" instead of before....some how the kids hands, even though they are using them...end up being clean.
As we get to "blend" our cultures, it is so fun to learn from the kids and watch them laugh at us as we try to understand some of their ways.
In the middle of clean up from that I said, "I need a Coke or a Fanta!" So off we walked across the street for a bit of a break.
Questions went through our minds...."has our view of God's timing changed? No. Have our hearts become bitter or frustrated, no.
Are we considerinig trials PURE JOY? this is a hard one...but really as we talked it became clear that we DO NOT want to miss ANYTHING God has for us or our kids while we are here....
Is it HARD!!! YES AND YES AND YES....but today this verse came to mind over and over.

Hebrews 12: 3 "For consider Him (Jesus) who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and DISCOURAGED in your souls.
vs 5a..My son (carrie and dave) do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be DISCOURAGED when you are rebuked by Him, For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives"

I think back to my 4 weeks here and see the very HAND of God on divine realtionships, blessings of prayer and healing, and chances to SEE with my heart and not my eyes. Would I trade it...NO and NO!
Physically it is hard, emotionally...well God has put a supernatural strength in me.
(for situations like today, when I got to go again to the orpphanage where our precious boys spent 4 of his 5 years, and take Dave to see it with his "eyes")
Left to my own and all the emotions that could RUN like wild fire...I would be a MESS. There are things daily that break your heart here.
This is the tough stuff..but it is the stuff that the Holy Spirit is using to give us opportunity.
Some of what we see in our selves is ugly. But God is the polisher and maker of new things.
We are dissappointed, yet not discouraged...we serve a God who is in control, and we will continue to REST in knowing that what He has planned is far ABOVE anything we could desire.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU who are praying and supporting us as we continue to love HIM with all our hearts!
We are packed and off to the Cape Coast for a few days of "play at the Beach...to PRAISE the Lord, renew our hearts and enjoy this great time of getting to know our new kids"
Here is an example of God's timing and amazing FAVOR we have been seeing this whole trip.
I was researching hotels at the coast today, and was able to call a friend of Romana's who lives there. I called to ask her what she would reccommend as far as places to stay and things to see while we were ther...because she lives there.
She said" oh, please come to my house and stay...I would love to have you"
OKAY!!!! Praises to you LORD! Things like this are a BONUS...but really we are seeing that each time we "lay it all down...and believe me, sometimes it is 10 times a day...and with some struggle..He meets us with PEACE, PROTECTION, and today it was PROVISION!
Carrie and Dave...count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience...but let patience have it's ,perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:1-3

It appears that patience is not something you ask for ...it is MADE in you!
We want to lack NOTHING...not even our I 600 approval so we PRESS on....thanks for Pressing with us.

Fun and Random!

2008-02-26T03:32:00.000-08:00

Well the last couple days have been one of settling in at the guest house in our room that is at a constant 31 degrees celsius or perhaps that is only as high as the thermometer goes!!!

The kids are enjoying seeing the D's kids and playing with them. The girls Rachel and Victoria are little singers. When they are with each other coloring or even just standing at the market waiting for us they start singing all the songs they know..Away in the Manger, So High you can't get over it, so lower you can't get under it, Father Abraham, Im trading my sorrows, Open the eyes of my heart....so neat.

Small Town:
The first 3 days of being here Jacob D and John B wore the same shirts...no planning just happened....hmm you think there was a sale on these back home in Lynden :-)

Bath Time (sorry G rated no pictures)
Okay then so bath time with John is very energetic. Carrie thinks the water tickles him. He is a wiggle worm and squirms around on the floor of the shower laughing and giggling...after he is done he stands up, soaps up and is finished...last night I just stood there and laughed at him and he looked at me and laughed back...funny kid. Of course the bath time is not very efficient (but the floor gets clean too)!

Craft Market:
Yesterday we went with the D's to the craft market. My main objective was to get an African Djembe (drum) Mission accomplished. I get to pick it up on Friday. While looking thru the shops the kids got some drum lessons and we found many other fun memory items to bring back to America with us. Very cool! If I could figure out how to get the hand carved furniture back to America I would buy a bed, coffee tables etc...they are amayzing and the men are very talented who build these.

Cool Cats:
Just some pictures of the Blaske Kids looking cool in one of the D kids sunglasses!

Friends and Family at Home:
Just another note of thanks to all of the friends and family back home who are serviing us so Incredibly! As you all are aware life hasn't stopped just because we came to Africa. We could not be doing this and walking this amayzing journey without your support and prayers!!! Thank you, thank you, Thank you for the peace you give Carrie and I that our kids at home are being loved and covered.
Blessings
Dave

Mommy

2008-02-25T01:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, can you believe my blogging awesome husband!!!!
I thought I better get some of my thoughts OUT before to many days go by and I lose the thoughts I have!
I will break it up in a few posts, I think! (I went down stairs this a.m. to start our wash, went over to talk to Jim and Laurel for a few mins....the girls..Victoria, Rachel and Sarah were washing the clothes....OKAY so now I have a few mins to blog before we all head off to the craft market!)
NORTH!
How do you gear up for a 15 hour bus ride with two kids?
OUR KIDS DID AMAZING! Dave did a great blog about this, but I thought I would add a few "Carrie-ism's" for all my friends and family at home to let you all LAUGH at the sheer AMOUNT of STRETCHING I did.

4 back packs, stuffed with gifts, food and TOILET paper, two kids all in "air plane" type seats...no leg room etc. Every time we needed something out of the bag it was a shuffle of GREAT measure. You all know how I am an organizer....after a few hours, I started to go into "whatever mode." It did not matter that thinigs were ALL undone, just happy if we could shove things into the bags.. The kids never complained. The most asked question was, "Water, mum, water"
How do you keep giving kids water (which they needed ) when you do not know when or if the driver is going to stop....hummm!

BUS
We asked ALOT of questions as to how to travel to Bolga...Air conditioned bus, or Non-AC, a bus that has random stops or scheduled stops, a newer bus or an older one.
(we had 3 choices of company's, one being government)
On the way up...AC bus at Night with hopes the kids would SLEEP!
Sleep....well, the AC was soooooo loud and freezing it was hard to rest.
Rest was not an option mostly because the bus had a small TV in the front (close to where our seats were) and all along the bus ceiling were speakers.
The conductor put in "VHS" tapes ALL night, with the sound BLARRING...bad sound, static etc.
I maybe could of taken the sound, but the CONTENT was HORRID!
The first few were soap opera type...with affairs, prostitution...YEAH, not even kidding. This was bad, but it got worse. The next few were all about a village and the people in the village..relationships and daily life. It started out with a 10 min witchcraft ritual of cursing certain people in the village....complete with chanting and sacrifices and wailing...HORRID! Then it finished with the scenes of the people they just cursed walking down the road and being attacked by the curse....BLOOD spurting out of their mouths, stomaches coming out ...can not even tell you!
We turned on the DVD player Phil and Amanda let us borrow and shoved the kids cose to the window so they could not see. (Phil and Amanda...I bet you did not know that your DVD player was going to protect our kids spiritual hearts huh! How do we thank you?)

Our Escort Bernard (amazing Christian man) and Dave and i closed our eyes and sang worship songs OUT LOUD and got MAD at the Enemy!!!
So the bus on the wy home...you got it...Non-Ac government bus! yeah, windows DOWN, NO videos and a much better trip!

RESTROOM
I know some of you are wondering how this all works here...there is to much to say, and alot you do not want to read about...but for the sake of getting to LAUGH at me..I will add a few things.
On our trip back...we stopped late at night in a town to go to the bathroom. It had been about 6 hours and we had NOT stopped! OKAY time to go!
I was told to wear a skirt because you never know when you are going to get a chance to go, and when you get the chance...squat and take it!
Everyone got up on the bus to depart, it was a bit CRAZY and noisy. I said to Bernard "Please, Victoria has to use the restroom and me too"
We weaved through vendor after vendor shouting "bread...Eggs, plantians" Bernard walked us through an alley packed with people, into a building...and pulled out chairs for us to sit down.
I looked around, confused and said "do we need to buy something to use the restroom"
Bernard looked blankly at me....I realized he had taked us to a "resteraunt"...Oh my good gravy...I looked at him and said "SORRY...Toilet!" Victoria at this time is DANCING and starting to cry.."it is coming, it is coming!"
We walked around again in the dirt and vendors and came to a cement building with no roof. (the walls were about 6 feet high, with a womens side and mans side. There was a table outside with a man collecting money...you pay to go.
I braced my self, took Victoria in and held my breath...(gagging) telling myself "You are FINIE..go and get out!'
The floor was cement, about 6 feet by 6 feet with a small ditch along the back wall.
Victoria walked right in, squatted and did her thing.
I had my shoulder bag around my neck, tiolet paper in my hand, had to balance with out falling over all while holding EVERYTHING. I had visions ov plopping over backwards onto the ground. Ohhhhh, what I failed to mention...the floor was 1/4 inch of wet liquid.....you know what I mean.
Just when I thought I was going to make it with out losing my sanity...a lady came in and squatted...PROBLEM...she was on the floor about 2 feet above me...so as she did her thing...it all ran towards the drain past my sandals! (anyone laughing yet?)
I went out side to the table and saw that they had small buckets of water (which were to used for other things) and I did not even ask...I just filled one and went back to the entrance and DUMPED it over my feet!
OKAY-YA!
We walked back to the bus in the dirt (wet feet) bought GREAT bananas, settled in and drove off!
I almost used a whole BOTTLE of our hand sanitizer on all of us!
Can any one say stretch?
So....this post is to long. So I will try another one later. I will let you all go now and ponder the gross story I just put out there for you!
*no spell check...and no time to proof read...so just laugh at this "homeschool mom" and enjoy!

The Trip Up North

2008-02-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

The trip North to visit the village where Victoria lived prior to coming to Beacon House we knew would be a lot of things. Difficult, emotional, joyful, memorable, pick an adjective it was all that and more.

We started by arriving at the bus station in time for a NOON departure. We boarded the bus at 2 and left at 3pm. The trip was full of adventure, awful movies blaring in your ears, a fan belt that needed to be replaced and lots and lots of bumps and dirt. We arrived in Bolga at 5am (14hrs later). Along the way we stopped several times, nearly each time there were vendors selling many many things, most not recognizable to me. One treat was the bananas. They were small but very flavorful, different than the ones in Washington (better in my opinion). We caught a bit of sleep (2hrs) and had breakfast at the lodge and were off to the village.

As we traveled we again saw many vendors, children selling many items. Children and adults walking with anything and everything you can imagine on their heads or walking with carts, many had donkeys pulling carts into town from their villages.

As we drove Victoria was getting more and more excited. We kept driving further and further....everywhere you look there was dirt, every once in a while you would then come up on a group of mud huts with thatched roofs and some with no roofs. These were the beginning of the villages. There were school buildings and people walking to the fields.

Victoria kept saying look for the BIG WATER. Soon we came to the BIG WATER. It was like an ocean. Its a man made watering hole that she remembers getting water from. We drove for another 10-15 minutes and we came to Vea. Victoria was so excited and looking for people she knew....the night before and all morning she talked about seeing baby Helen, Olivia, Martha, Timothy, Joe, Esther, Mary, Jennifer, Uncle John and Patricia (Johns wife). We initially went to the wrong families area, right village, wrong group of mud huts, this was okay though because we got to see Victoria's friend Philip's family. Philip is also at Beacon House. We met Philip's brother and father and some other relatives while there.

Finally we arrived. We parked and began the walk into Victoria's family grouping. It was hot, smoggy and dirty but all we could notice was little Victoria's joy as she ran ahead and met her friends on the trail who knew she was coming, we couldn't keep up or video except from way behind. It was a moment that will be etched forever in our minds.

We arrived at the village and were greeted by Uncle John (Pastor John). He is the man that against strong cultural guidelines/traditions took Victoria in and did his best to raise her until he just couldn't any longer. Words can't explain how our hearts are bound to Uncle John's. He is an amayzing man that loves the Lord Jesus Christ.

After greeting Uncle John we proceeded into the center of the group of huts where the women had gathered (lots of them of all ages) and were already dancing traditional dances to the Lord and in honor of us coming. Very humbling as we didn't expect this and just wanted to meet them and see where Victoria had spent most of her life. Dancing went on and on, lots of stomping, clapping.

They would all clap a rhythmic beat and sing and then one by one they would come to the center and stomp and dance their hearts out. From an older lady to teenagers to Victoria and even a young 5 or 6 year old. Very neat. In case you were wondering yes they did call Carrie and I out at different times to dance as well....yes we have video but these portions of the white people dancing will likely never be seen by anyone but us... as lets just say our dancing was not the same!!!

We handed out toy cars made by several gentlemen in our church, a few beanies and of course toffee (candy). One of the funny moments was watching the older grandmothers in the village look at and play with Victoria's (cabbage patch) doll she had brought. The kids played and played with the cars and some raced the beanies around on the cars.

After awhile Victoria took us to see the large Mango Tree. While there Victoria impromptu style began to lead the children in worship songs. Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord, Father Abraham and Jesus Loves the Little children...all of them with motions. Reminded me of her Big Sister Ashlie!!

As it became time to leave we were able to pray and receive a blessing from Uncle John and Patricia...what was even more unexpected was the gifts Victorias family gave to us. A live guinea fowl and some ground nuts. This was a HUGE sacrifice for them to do (They don't have much and this is not the time of year where they are harvesting and making more! Very moving!

As we began to leave I could not believe what we had just been thru. It was all very surreal. On the drive out of the village Carrie and I talked about the definition of happiness. In the western world we would look at these people and see sadness and even say we couldn't imagine living like that. I can say that these people were happy, do they live a hard life by our definition of hard...I suppose but the point is they live a happy life the one that God has given them.

To be honest I am still overwhelmed by it all as it was ALOT to take in.
Pictures, stories, can never compare to what is etched in my mind. I will forever remember this experience God knitted together so perfectly for many many reasons. I know He will continue to teach me and remind of his faithfulness and provision thru the images I witnessed this day.

As we drive out the joy on Victoria's face was one to be cherished forever. Victoria God has a perfect plan for you and it is going to be one of amayzing proportions.

Was it worth two 14hr bus rides each way, complete with potholes, dust, the backaches, lack of sleep etc?

ABSOLUTELY!

ARRIVING!!!

2008-02-22T16:50:00.000-08:00

Okay (wide awake, makes no sense but still the truth). Remember read the previous blog posts from today before this one so it all makes chronological sense:-)

So it is Tuesday the 19th of Feb and I land in Ghana amidst much fan fare....military troops lining the runway and a limosine waiting at the base of the stairs for me?

Well I soon remembered the troops were there in preparation for President Bush arrival and the limo must have been some US dignitary that took my business class seat(not really those seats are expensive)!

Okay so on to customs...where the officer took my passport and said I had to provide an address for my stay in Ghana....fortunately I had a phone number and was able to get out of line call and get the address, get back in line and successfully get thru customs.

I then proceeded to baggage claim and out the door to navigate the next series of check points before I would get to see my wife and the new blaske kids. I proceeded to the first check point and the officer said did I know that Pres Bush was coming today..I said no I thought it was tomorrow. He shook my hand and said enjoy your stay in our country sir and sent me on my way...no further delay!

So as I walked thru the final door way and exit passages I began peering thru the glass looking for my babe and kiddos. I saw them before they saw me...I waved and nothing waved back...then I looked again and confirmed yep it was them I waved and maybe even jumped a bit then I saw Victoria in her pink outfit jumping and pointing along with John jumping....In my mind I ran like the movie scene but it was truly a brisk walk with my 150lbs of luggage in tow.

I reached them and they jumped for joy, we all three hugged and kissed and the kids said we go to America now!!! It was short, very surreal and very very good!

We then climbed into Bernards car and made our way to Beacon House for a short stay ,first bucket shower..cold and refreshing and then off to the bus stop to head up north.

The kids are amayzing and Ghana is as well.

The trip up North was Amayzing in so many ways and I am now getting tired so I will save that one for tomorrow.
Dave