Easter 2009

Easter this year was full of so many blessings! Sara was home - so instead of an Easter Basket that was sitting untouched... we had all four of our children home together to enjoy this special day.

It was also a day for explaining the Easter Story...in a new way. It's still sometimes difficult to remember that Sara doesn't just KNOW everything that we already know and understand. But on days like today I have to remind myself that despite the fact that it feels like Sara has been a part of our family forever - we still have to explain some of what we might think are the "simple" things.

The kids enjoyed a lazy day at home after church - and we had our own family Easter Egg hunt. It was a bit chilly - but the sun was shining and it was a beautiful Spring Day!

Sara Lynn Hanks

When we came home from Guatemala with Sara...we decided that just like each of the other children, we would file for a "re-adoption" here in Kentucky, and we would also legally change her name at that time. We knew that technically it wasn't necessary... but we had done this with each of the other children, and we like to keep things consistent. :)

Our process was interesting, to say the least. I will refrain from naming names of any other attorneys (Guardian Ad Litem...)or the exact details. However, I will say that it has been a joy to go through this process with an attorney that has been through an international adoption personally. Jimmie Orr, our attorney, has a daughter named Molly that was also born in Guatemala and has been home for about 6 - 7 years now. So he can not only appreciate the frustrations that we have experienced with the entire adoption process, but he is intimately aware of the circumstances that are unique to Guatemala.

Our judge this time was Judge Tamara Gormely. She was very kind, and when the process was finally complete - she brought out some really nice blankets that some of the ladies at the Methodist Church in Georgetown made for each child adopted in her Courtroom. Judge Gormley was kind enough to allow each of our 4 children to select a blanket that day, making it a truly special day for Sara - as well as each of the other children.

Sara was given the option of keeping her name exactly the way it was - or selecting a new middle name. In the end, true to her sweet nature, she decided to take her Aunt Jamie's middle name. (what a brown-noser....) It's very fitting since her final adoption day is also Chuck and Jamie's anniversary date. (Last year on this day I think Rachel was having her surgery... whew!)

So as of today, April 9th, 2009 she is officially and forevermore:

Sara Lynn Hanks.

Mother of the Year, I am NOT.....

Wow. As I sit down to write this... I hope I can remember everything that has gone on the past six (yikes) months. It is currently September 19th. However, I am going to back up to April... and fill you in on what's been going on. I am so excited that I have finally found my lost memory stick. I was sure that I had lost it forever... and it had pictures from all kinds of significant events - one of which is Sara's 1 year anniversary of her Forever Family Day!

I honestly can not believe that it has been a year since Sara joined our family forever... but it was April Fools Day of 2008... and here we are a year later! In many ways - we can't remember life "before Sara"...

For her special day - Sara wanted to go to Build a Bear. We had gotten certificates from Dolly, Unlce Chad, Austin and Bryson for Christmas... and we had set those aside. I had totally forgotten about them... but Sara doesn't forget much of anything. So she asked to do that for her special day. We went to Fayette Mall and had Chick-Fil-A for lunch... and then set out for Build A Bear to pick out the "animals".

Sara has done really well this past year. She has learned to read and write, as well as speak English quite well. She loves Math - and drawing is still a passion for her. She is happy and easy going - and while I think to a certain degree she still keeps a little bit of a wall up with her brother and sisters... she is learning more and more to open up and trust them to not "hurt" her. It has been a very big year, full of many transitions, and she has weathered them well.

She is still as sweet as ever. She loves to experience new things and has not turned her nose up at a single thing that I have tried to feed her - EVER. She is really very easy to get along with (unless you sleep with her and try to steal the covers....ha ha). She has been a blessing and a challenge all at the same time. I knew that there would be issues with bringing home and older child - but honestly I can say that God really helped prepare her heart so well. She has had a few issues with opening up and trusting us... and yet she feels safe enough with us that she will put on her happy face for other people but let us know at home when she is unhappy about something. I have seen so much growth with her even in the past month. She is maturing more and more each day.

So many people have shared stories with me of the many scary things that can come along with adopting an older child. I have to say - that while it has certainly been challenging... the blessings far exceed anything that I could ever have imagined. Each "first" for Sara is so much more significant... and to watch the wonder that she experiences is so humbling. Just thinking of the many things that she has probably seen in her short lifetime - wondering what she really thinks of her life here.

We are so thankful that God has allowed us to be the Forever Family for Sweet Sara! She is such a special girl!!

Marching On...

I don't think it's possible to journal each and every thing that has happened in the past few months since Kenneth passed away. But we have managed to move forward and find our footing... and make some good memories. It's just "different".

February ended with a lot of activity centering around helping get things resolved for DeeDee. We did a lot of "dividing and conquering"... and put a few things on the back burner at our house. It created new opportunities for everyone... even the first ever sleep over for Rachel and McCaleb at DeeDee's house (with Daddy, of course). They had a big time!

We dog sat for my friend Shelli, when her mother was in the hospital with a serious illness. Most people take food and sit at the hospital with you and keep you company. Not me. Don't misunderstand. It's not that I wouldn't do those things... it's just that I am GOOD at pets. I love animals. Because I love my animals so much... and I know how much I worry when I am away... I know that offering to help take care of someone else's pets is a way that I can HELP... and show my friends love at the same time. That way they don't have to worry about their pets...because they know that they will be here and be given lots of love and attention. Seamus was a complete JOY to care for. He is a 100 pound Old English Sheep Dog... but so gentle and sweet! He might be just a tad bit spoiled... so it got a little crowded at bedtime when he was trying to sleep between me and Tim in the bed. (we have a full sized bed...) He was tickled to death that Tim finally got up and went to sleep with Rachel for the night. He stretched out, laid his head on Tim's pillow, sighed a very contented sigh... and snored the night away.

Later that month, we also lost our "roomies" when Chris and Zeke moved into an apartment she found! She had been looking... and we knew it wasn't going to be a permanent thing having her here... but WOW was that an adjustment!! Zeke was a little shy when he first moved in. He kind of kept to himself...and stayed in his room. As you can see from the photos... he warmed up and quickly made himself at home!!! After they left, I think I suffered from empty nest syndrome. I can tell you right now I'm not looking forward to the house getting any quieter... I am a chaos person. I love the chaos. I am also not a person that embraces change - so once again I had to get used to another "change". UGH.

Before we knew it - it was Tim's birthday. Gee, it seems like those things roll around a lot faster each and every year. I took the kids to the store to shop for Daddy. They are sooooo funny. They picked out a couple of movies, and some socks, and new underwear! Ha ha ha. They are my kids, that's for sure! Practical gifts... that's my motto.

The end of March brought with it some tumultuous times. Ali had a bad reaction to the new medication that the doctor was trying - and we had to make some drastic changes. Medication changes are, as a rule, never fun. More change - more adjustment. We also found a new person to hire at the office for Sales... so there would be more changes for us at work. However, with our last hire of an office manager - we totally hit the jackpot and found someone that is great with the customers, great with the other employees, and a true joy to be around! So drawing from that momentum... we made another hire. Our new employee would start at the end of the month. Here they come...changes....

As March drew to a close - I can honestly say that looking back - the 6 weeks we just lived were the most emotional and difficult that we have lived as a family thus far. April...can't get here fast enough!

Saying Goodbye

Tim with Kennth, Marty and Dale at Marty's wedding

It's currently May... but I am backing up a bit to try and catch up the blog. I'm not sure why I feel the need to do so...maybe it's because our lives have changed so drastically. Or maybe, I think because I desperately want to "catch up" our lives. Mostly I think that we experienced something so shocking to us... that we somehow lost our footing... and I feel the need to get us back on solid ground. If I can do that in some small way by keeping the blog up-to-date... then I feel that at least it's a start.

Last minute advice for Marty, no doubt...before he walks the aisle.

February started off busy already - with the girl's Forever Family Day, and then dealing with the loss of Millie. Nothing could have prepared us for the sudden loss of a loved one.

February 9th, just like many other nights, Tim was working late. Most nights I try to wait up for him... because if I go to bed and fall asleep... when he comes home...I'm up the rest of the night. Knowing I had to go to the doctor the next day - I decided to go on to bed. Sometime about 3:30am, Tim called me and said he was on the way to the hospital. His mother was on the way there with Kenneth. He called back less than 30 minutes later. By the time he arrived - it was too late.

To lose someone like Kenneth from our lives is still difficult to believe. He was a big man with a booming voice. But his personality was also larger than life... he commanded all attention each time he was present in any situation. Even now when we are down at the farm - I expect him to walk in and begin picking on me... which seemed to be a favorite pasttime of his.

The rest of that week is still a blur to me. We had visitation and the funeral. The kids did great...I think it hit Sara and Ali the hardest. Sara has had so much to deal with - and still hadn't been home a full year. It's a lot to deal with - even for the grown ups!

On Saturday following the funeral, the whole family gathered together at the farm. The ice storm we had a few weeks before had left the farm with quite a bit of damage. Everyone pulled together for a work day to help clean up and clear away all the limbs and trees that were down. I know that it was a big help to Ellen - and honestly everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. I think that in some way - it helped to start the healing process and give everyone some normalcy back to a week that was so surreal. But more than that - I think that Kenneth would have been so happy. Happy to see everyone taking care of Ellen... happy to see that the mess was being cleaned up... but mostly happy to see us - there all together - and doing it to honor him.