Underwear Basketball

So, my guys love to play basketball, and Matthew is teaching Jude quite a lot, so we think he's pretty good for a little guy. Why underwear basketball? Because Jude is now mostly using underwear and he doesn't like to wear clothes...he loves to be in his drawers! Take a look...

Helping Haiti

Some have expressed to us that you want to help the people of Haiti, but don't know what to do. May we strongly encourage you to consider sending your resources to God's Littlest Angels? GLA is not just an orphanage, though that is much of what it does. GLA is a Haitian baby ministry. Its staff nurses sick children sometimes so that they can go back to live with their families. It employs around 100 Haitian staff member, providing good jobs for those who work there. Right now, GLA needs more help than ever. Donations are being used to purchase tarps and blankets and other supplies, and the staff is currently packaging these to be given as care packages to families in the two communities near Port-au-Prince immediately surrounding GLA. GLA is using this time to provide humanitarian aid to those in need right within its reach. Please consider giving at the GLA website.

Fundraising for Haiti

Matthew, Jude and I were recently honored - yes, honored - to be present at the Friday assembly at Tobey Elementary School in Vicksburg, Michigan where our niece Natalie attends. You see, Natalie and two friends decided they wanted to do a fundraiser and they decided to do it for God's Littlest Angels orphanage in Haiti, where Jude lived before coming home to us. Several days later, the earthquake struck, and the fundraiser gained new meaning. The school raised funds for a few weeks, and asked Matthew and Jude and I to come talk to the kids at the assembly at which the principle would reveal to the kids the amount they raised. We talked to the children about GLA, its history, and what it does today for children and families in Haiti. Take a look:


After hoping for $500 for the fundraiser, Mr. Mike Barwegen, principle of Tobey Elementary, presented the girls who started the fundraiser with a "check" for $2,516.75. We gave Mr. Barwegen the appropriate information so that he could send the money directly to GLA. It was such a joy to be asked to be part of the girls' efforts, and we were touched as GLA and Haiti have become so dear to us.

A subsequent article was written in the local paper and I will post is as soon as it becomes available online.

Incidentally, this inspired my Dad who works at Bay Valley Foods in Wayland to begin a fundraiser as well. At present time, the team at Bay Valley has raised over $300.

God's Littlest Angels - The Toddler House

I cannot do this justice in my own post. Instead, I've included a link to a blog post created by Molly, who has charge over GLA's toddler house, located about a 15 minute walk from the main house where all the babies live. It gives a poignant look at the strength of the Haitian people. Please click the link and scroll down to the post dated 16 Jan 2010. GLA Toddler House Blog

There's so much information on the web - we could all spend hours and hours online daily. With all that's out there, however, I trust you'll find that the link above touched you and lifted you at the same time.

For love of Haiti...

Our blog has been unfortunately all to quiet these last four months, and particularly this last month in light of what has happened in Haiti. Through the busy days of life, we have shed more tears this last month over the happenings in Haiti than we have in the past two years. Somewhere along the way, God has put in our hearts a love not only for Jude (of course), but for Haiti and its people. We have been heartbroken over the earthquake and the ensuing challenges faced by Haiti, including those exacerbated by UNICEF - more on that later.

A bright spot: no one at God's Littlest Angels was harmed. All Haitian and American staff (just over 100 total) were accounted for shortly after the earthquake. Some nights through the aftershocks the nannies and all the children slept outside in the driveway. Can you imagine 100+ people sleeping in the driveway?! That was only at the main house. Amazing things happened at the toddler house as well. See next post...

Changes Afoot for Baby Jude

Well, life is busy and it's certainly been awhile since our last post. Jude is growing like mad. His life is changing once again as we have sold our house in Otsego and moved. We're in temporary digs for now as we search for another house, closer to family and church, but still mid-way for all the work activities we have.

Another change on the horizon: a new cousin! Uncle Mike and Aunt LeAnn (fondly known as that fine Asian couple Okoma and Akaya as Jude calls them) are beginning the process for their first adoption, so in the next year or so, Baby Jude will have a new cousin to fuss over. Who knows...maybe this will help him learn gentleness. He is a boy to the bone, as we say, full of wrestling and running and wildness.

Pictures below are of Aunt LeAnn helping Jude decorate his own moving boxes so that he would know for certain that his things were coming with us as we loaded the truck. Pushing the stroller up and down the ramp was great fun. There's also one last kitchen project with mama in the old house.

Hope for the sleepless!

Baby Jude is doing wonderfully. A couple of months ago we began taking him to see a chiropractor. We told her of his sleep issues, and she examined him. She found that several of his ribs were out of joint, and that was putting pressure on other vetebrae (it's all connected, of course). I asked her how those kinds of things happen, and she explained that it can happen during the trauma of birth, it can happen just in the normal falling and bumping that little ones do, and any other number of ways; most of the time, it can't really be pinpointed. Matthew and I decided that whether or not it improved his sleep, clearly those ribs needed to be put back where they belong, and better while he's little yet than years later in life. So, he began recieving adjustments. Amazing; within twenty-four hours he began to bang his head much less during the night. In fact, that first night, as we recall, he slept until about three in the morning before he started banging his head or rocking his body. We were tickled. He still cries out in the night most nights, and still picks his head up and lets it fall occassionally, but it's not anything so severe as the slamming and banging he for months after coming home. In fact, I think we're up to about five hours of sleep most nights...doesn't sound like alot, but we'll take it and praise the Lord for it!

Here's Jude waiting for his appointment:


Jude with Aunt LeAnn and Dr. Diane Riddle of Acorn Chiropractic in Hastings. We are so fortunate to have Dr. Diane for Jude. She is very good with him, always allowing him to check out the adjusting instruments so he can learn what she's doing and be comfortable. She's so good with little ones that often he doesn't even realize she's adjusting him!