Starting to settle down...

It's almost October and finally, things are beginning to settle down for us. We have some sort of normalcy and we are loving it! Isaiah is doing awesome! He is at 24 pounds (from 18) and he has gone from 27 inches to 33 inches tall in just 5 months! He is a seriously growing boy! Not only is he growing in size, but in his knowledge. He is so smart! And funny! He is quite the character! We are all in love! Isaiah fits in our family like a glove! He loves going to home school each day with his siblings and he loves to repeat things that we say. Here are some photos of him for your viewing pleasure.

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET CONGOLESE PRINCE, ISAIAH!!!

HAPPY  2nd BIRTHDAY TO OUR PRECIOUS CONGOLESE PRINCE, ISAIAH!!! We are so proud of you! What a blessing you are to us!!! We would do it all over again; You are SO Worth it!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Isaiah did not even want to try the Chocolate cupcake, but...

He Loved the Egg Custard Pie!!!!

Mom and Dad at Isaiah's party...

 Isaiah wouldn't let go of his new car toy, so Nana and Papa had to hold him up with it!

  Isaiah pushing Mater around on his new car toy!!!

Isaiah Micah Simmons!!!

Well, it's official! Isaiah's name is legal! His re-adoption/re-finalization is completed and final as of June 25th! His legal name is Isaiah Micah Simmons!!!! YAY!!! Also, along with that, he is now officially a US Citizen!!!  Wooohoooooo!!!!! Hallelujah!!!! We are awaiting his new Florida Birth Certificate so that we can apply for his Social Security Card and then submit his number for the adoption tax credit. Please pray that he will be approved to receive the refund of $13,000 back from the $32K that it took to adopt. We have a loan that can be reduced a good bit by that $13K. Here are some recent pictures of Isaiah. He is growing and changing and happy! Thank you all for your sweet prayers and support!

Staying Dry?

Where's the fun in that???
Yes, we are preparing for Tropical Storm Debby to make her arrival over the next few days, but why do people keep saying, "Make sure you stay dry", or "Try to stay inside"? We have wind and rain, but right now, no lightening, no tornadoes, no damage...this is the best time to get wet! To play in the rain like a kid and enjoy ourselves. This is the time to allow ourselves to get wet in the rain and have fun with the kids! Stay dry? No thank you. Rain is fun. And it is God's provision for our dry ground and dirty air.
What fun the kids had in the rain today!!!!

On the mends...

So, Isaiah is doing well. He is staying strong at 22 pounds. He is parasite free and ringworm free. He is a happy baby boy! He will be 22 months old on the 13th. Wow. Hard to believe he has been  home for 8 weeks!
He is loving playing with his brother Joshua! His main thing right now is to push the umbrella stroller around the house...all the time! Haha... He is so funny. He is learning to eat new things every day. Some he loves and some will take much time... :)  We took him to Jacksonville for biometrics at the Immigration office. This will allow him to get his green card, which will give him temporary alien status. We are in the process of re-adopting him in Florida. This will make his new name, Isaiah Micah Simmons, final. His final hearing is on June 25th. We will then have his new birth certificate and he will become a US Citizen soon after, so we will no longer need his green card. YAY!!! Things are rolling along nicely... Here are a few photos of Isaiah...

New Photos...

Isaiah has been having a great time with us! He is loving his new family! He enjoys the beach! He enjoys the lazy river at the water park! He enjoys life!!! We tried again to get blood work done, but still unsuccessful. We will wait another month or two for that. He has gained 4 pounds so far...so he is now 22 pounds! YAY!!! His tummy is starting to shrink, which is great news... he is getting healthier!!! 

This morning, I went in to wake Isaiah up and change his diaper and when I finished he got up and said "Mama!" with a big smile and gave me the most precious hug... God is sooo good! I LOVE being Mama!!!

Since we've been home...

Isaiah Micah Simmons has been home for 4 weeks now and how is he doing??? 

This precious baby has stolen our hearts!!! He is fabulous! He is a gift from the Lord! What a joy!

He is slowly warming up to others outside of our family, but inside our family? Well, let's just say that he is letting it all out...and he has more character in his little pinky than I have seen in a lot of adults! 

Our cup runneth over with blessings!!!

Whats going on??? 

Well, right now we are in the process of re-adopting him. Is this a requirement? Yes. Since we brought him home on an IR4 Visa (which basically means that we did not meet him before we went to get him), he has to be re-adopted. We will then apply for Citizenship for him. Once that is done, he will be a US Citizen completely. He will have his new name with the re-adoption. He will have a Florida birth certificate (which means we won't have to apply to DRC if his original is ever lost). 

What have we experienced? 

Well, today for the first time, I took Isaiah to the grocery store by myself. Let's just say that I experienced judgment. On any other day, I smile at people, say "Hello" and they return the greeting...but not today. There were a few, but I would estimate 80% gave me a scowl. I had my usual smile and Hello, but I got a scowl instead. I have been naive about the prejudices in our county. I have not had to experience much of it at all. However, with this new walk that the Lord has called us to, I see that we will be experiencing it much of the time. After a while of this, we took a break away to the bathroom to regroup and say a little prayer. I looked at my precious son and whispered in his ear.... "You are soooo worth it!!!" He laughed and stuck his ear to my mouth again, so I said it again. We played the whisper game for a few minutes and then we went back out. This time, with a fresh spirit. It's okay, no worries. People judge. It happens. But it does not define us. God does. I love His plans for us!!!