Happy Christmas!

Our hearts are overflowing.

We had a wonderful Christmas together as a family!

On Christmas Eve we had dinner at our neighbors house, and as always had a blast. The kids ran around like crazy and ate cookies and cake like bosses! In an effort to get them all to settle down, and for us to be on our way, the dads told the kids they saw Santa outside!

We're still not sure what they were looking at!

Emilia sprinted to the door, barely getting her shoes on. Yelled goodbye and she raced down the sidewalk back to our house. Once inside she refused a bedtime story or even prayers (normally there is no way we could EVER miss either). She ran to our bedroom (sneaky little sucker) and promptly got into bed, head way under the covers! She wouldn't come up even for a goodnight kiss.

In the morning she woke up, used the bathroom in our master, and got back into bed. What??!?! No checking to see if Papá Noel came?

Nope.

She wasn't having it. She refused to go into the living room to check. Finally Ryan offered to go and get her a flashlight. She agreed. Once she had the flashlight in hand, she just sat at the end of the bed pointing it towards the door.

After we got up and she opened her presents from Santa, we went upstairs to get dressed. She was totally weirded out. We had no idea why!! She didn't want to go upstairs. Once upstairs, she didn't want to go in her room. Then she finally said, "Papá Noel is up there??? He's in my room???" She thought he was still here and was just way freaked out about someone being in our house. I remember her first Easter was much the same ... "That bunny, in our house? Did he knock on the door???"

Last year we started the tradition of skiing on Christmas day, so we headed out to the hill bright and early and spent better part of the day rippin' it up! 

 Happy Holidays!!

"I want get dat brudder now!"

No real news. Nothing really to report. However, we've been talking to Emilia about adopting again, and she's SO EXCITED.

Nepal has a "Perfect Family Law" (I know, I know).

What that means for us is that because we have a daughter already, we can only adopt a son (or sibling group, but one child has to be a boy).

So we're getting a little brudder!!

Nothing is set in stone, and as always with International Adoption things may change.

But we're getting a little brudder, and we're all very excited!!

"If you wouldn't say it about a boob job..."

I know you've seen it, but I mean really! It's just too good not to share again!!

I have never been good at witty comebacks. Never. All those years working at the middle school, and those hormone-crazed teenagers. Still nothing.

I am however really good at coming up with super awesome comebacks about two hours later. My timing is always off.

Except this once.
Just this once I was on the ball ... kind of.

Two weeks ago we had friends visit us from Wisconsin with their 7, almost 8 year old, twin boys, who happen to be Central American. We were about to head into Yellowstone for a 5-day backpacking trip so we wanted to spend the day relaxing. We headed over to the Bozeman Hot Springs for an afternoon of swimming.

Our three children, who look incredibly similar with their beautiful brown skin and dark locks of hair, were playing in one of the smaller warm pools and a middle-aged woman walked up to me and asked, while waiving her hand in the direction of our children, "So ... are they like all three the same, or what?"

I nearly fell out of my chair. I could not believe this woman!!

So I quickly replied, "What the HELL is that suppose to mean?!?"

At this point I was standing up out of my chair (since I almost fell out anyway!)

She was taken aback and replied, "The pools. Are they like all the same temperature? Or ... ?"

OHMAGAWD!!!

The one time I was ready. The ONE time -- and I end up looking like a complete jackass. I was so embarrassed I didn't even bother trying to explain myself. The pool our children were playing in was one of three along the back end of the building. THREE. Like the THREE of them. Ugh

That poor woman. Bad timing on my part, as always.

But really, how often as Adoptive parents do we get asked really inappropriate questions?

There are way more than ten -- What are some of your favorites?

Wellness Drive -- Adoption Fundraiser!

With the help of another Adoptive Mama, we are hosting a dōTERRA fundraiser!!
As a Wellness Advocate I offer this for other Adoptive families over at Funding Forever Families, so it's such an honor to have one to benefit our family!

If you're on Facebook, check out the event! My friend Tanya is doing a giveaway too!

Tanya has also made a recording to tell you all about dōTERRA essential oils. It's about an hour, but it is such good stuff!
https://www.anymeeting.com/WebConference-beta/RecordingDefault.aspx?c_psrid=EF58DD85874F

Feel free to contact me if you want any additional information, or if you have any questions!!

We absolutely love our oils and I would love to share this journey to Wellness with you!

Matching Grant!!

UPDATE: 7/21/2014, our matching grant has expired, but we were able to raise $2,998!!

Thank you doesn't even cut it. Your support is so invaluable. Muchas gracias.



Praise God!! We just found out that we have received a matching grant from Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc organization! Hand in Hand will match all donations made on or behalf, dollar for dollar, up to $3,000!!

If you feel led to assist us financially via a tax-deductible avenue, please send all checks made payable to "Hand in Hand Christian Adoption" postmarked by July 18, 2014 to:

Hand in Hand Christian Adoption, Inc.
Ryan & Jessica Scheel
18318 Mimosa Ct.
Gardner, KS  66030

**it is important not to put our name on your check, rather only on the envelope!

Thank you SO SO much for your consideration!!

Celebrating Mothers

Today is Mother's Day. Today we celebrate mothers of all kinds. Mothers to adopted kiddos. Mothers to biological kiddos. Birth mothers. Foster mothers. Step-mothers. Mother-like figures in all of our lives. Today we celebrate you!

Hubs flew out for work today at noon, so for E and I, today was unlike every other day. Nothing crazy special, nothing out of the ordinary.

She doesn't get it, and that's ok. We just went on with our day like normal. Cleaned the house, made our meals, and went to the grocery store.

Today I am grateful that I get to be the mom of such a sweet, sweet girl. I am not a perfect mother, but I love her to the moon at back. And I get to see that pretty face each and every morning. And I get hugs and kisses each and every evening.

Today I am also heart-broken that I do not get to be the mother to a sweet boy in Kyrgyzstan. I do not get to see his sweet face every day. I do not get hugs and kisses from him. Today, as always, I pray that he is loved and cherished.

First time I laid eyes on E

First time I laid eyes on A

Nepal

It was never our intent to have just one child. It has always been our intent to build our family through adoption.

So .. the time has come for us to start another adoption process. Another crazy, anxiety-driven, ah-mazing journey. This time we will be heading to Nepal.

Way back when, in 2007 when we first started on this crazy train, we briefly looked into Nepal. We've always felt a pull to that part of the world.

And so it begins!

As is only customary in our crazy little family, we're starting things off with a bang! Some local Adoptive Mamas have gotten together and are having a Noonday Collection party and a Clothing Swap fundraiser for us this weekend!

If you cannot contain yourself, and want to support us (err MUST have some of Noonday's gorgeous goodies), head over to  www.heidifry.noondaycollection.com and make your purchases before Saturday afternoon.

Not only will your order will qualify you for an entry for a giveaway of a beautiful pair of earrings, but anyone who buys $100+ gets a $20 voucher from Heidi, and another $20 will go to our adoption fund!!

Please feel free to follow our FB page as well, An Incredible Journey Home! It seems easier to do brief updates to FB, although I do plan to still update the blog :)

xoxo

Attachment Dance

Healthy Attachment with any child is crucial. But with adoption, you have to really prepare yourselves going into it. You have to be proactive. Often times you have to try and make up for years of unhealthy attachment with multiple caregivers.

When E came home last year we were very intentional about our cocooning and our Attachment efforts. We created very strict boundaries with friends and family so that she would start to form a healthy attachment to us. Her parents. Her only 2 caregivers. Her Forever Family.

We've come a long way. There were behaviors in the beginning that really worried us. Most of those behaviors have subsided. Some, we're still working on.

We really stressed "Family" from the beginning. This is our "Family". We only kiss "Family". We only hug "Family". Only "Family" can carry us. You can only hold hands with "Family".

That really worked well in the beginning to keep her from running up to people and try to hug/kiss/hand-hold etc.

Now that our Attachment as a Forever Family is pretty secure, and her language is starting to develop, things are changing. We recently went on vacation with Ryan's family to Mexico. We had to re-explain "Family" to E. She was confused, "This my family too?"

Yes, this is your family. But, we only kiss mamí and daddy. You can hug grandma and grandpa, and Aunt Heather and Uncle Eric, and Ezra. "I can??"

As important as it is to set boundaries, and emphasize family, it's equally important to know when to broaden the definition. Grandmas and Grandpas are family too. And aunts and uncles. And cousins.

Having boundaries is still just as important. But she was ready. She has a mostly secure Attachment to us, and understands that this family is FOREVER. But our family does include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins ...

Holding hands with Grandma & Grandpa at Disney

Riding Mater's Junkyard Jamboree with Grandma

Getting ready to board the plane for Mexico with cousin E

Pool time with cousin E

Today you are SIX

Today is your birthday.

Today you will be 6 years old.

Today and always, I love you to pieces.

Today we will celebrate your life.

Today you are SIX.

Spring Break is Over!

This week was Spring Break for E, and every.single.day she has been BEGGING to go to school. It doesn't help that I was feeling under the weather most of the week, and she was probably bored out of her mind! And we didn't have our normal weekly routine, because, let's face it ... It's Spring Break!

Because of our extended family vacation/trip coming up at the end of this month, we didn't really plan anything fun. Poor girl, with her sick-y mamá she didn't get to do much.

She's so great though. She doesn't quite know what to do to help me feel better, but knows something's not right.

The first day was the worst, and I remember telling Ryan that night that I was amazingly surprised how NEEDY she became all of a sudden. She seems so independent. But as soon as I couldn't do much, she needed me to do everything!

But I'm on the mend, and Monday is just around the corner!

We did get in a ski day this week though, and I was able to take a few videos of her. She's gotten so good in just one short season. There was a moment a few weeks ago where she got scared all of a sudden, and wanted nothing to do with skiing anymore. That was short-lived, and just the trip before this last she was going over the small jump on the bunny hill, and was having a blast!