Denaiza Quote

So we are in the car driving and Denaiza and Dimitri are talking about ages...... they discuss how Dimitri is still 3 and Denaiza is now 4. Then Denaiza stops talking (I know, stunning) and looks at me, tips her head sideways, real inquisitive like, and says, " So mommy, am I a een egger now?" I wasn't sure that I heard her, so I asked her to say it again, and she repeated "Am I a een egger, like Uncle Brady?"

Well, I figured out what she was trying to say, and quickly told her that, Praise the Lord! NO she is not a "teenager" yet!

3 years ago today....

Denaiza 6-24-08
Denaiza 6-24-05
Dimitri 6-24-08

Dimitri 6-24-05

3 years ago today.........
I was sitting in an airport in Atlanta with my mom and two unhappy babies. The kids had landed in the US for the first time yesterday, in Miami, and we were trying to get to Boise. My mom was such a big help. I don't know what I would have done without her help....and her children's cold medicine!


I had waited SO long for the day when I could bring my kids home.....home to my family, and home to their new home in Idaho. This was a home that would always have food for them. It would always have a clean, soft bed for them to sleep in. A home that would always have arms ready to hug them and hold them and wipe away their tears. It was a very long year waiting for this day to happen.


And then.....it was there, but not at all what I had dreamed of. My daughter hated everybody near her. She would scream and bite and kick when we tried to love her. She was a very angry baby with a lot of hurt in her young heart. I remember thinking that I had made the biggest mistake of my life.


We got to Boise a couple days later and we were greeted by friends. Everyone was so happy to see the kids.


THen life started.....the diapers and the bottles and the late nights of screaming in bed. It was such an emotional rollercoaster for me.


We (Denaiza, Dimitri, and I) have come a long way from those first days in Idaho........a long way from all that frustration and hurt.


God is good. That is what we have to remember. Even when I doubt the decisions I have made, I remember that thankfully God is in control and His perfect plan is playing out.......I am just a tiny fragment of it. It is good to know that HE, the One who made the mountains of the earth, is in control. He will give me the strength to get over the mountains in life. He has, and He will continue to do so.


In some ways it seems like the past 3 years have gone by so quickly. I look at the pictures of when the kids were babies and small toddlers and it seems like yesterday that they were that little. It seems like just yesterday that I was calling Haiti daily to see what the progress was on the adoption papers. It seems like only moments ago when my mom grasped her grandchildren up into her arms for the first time in that Miami airport.


And yet, in other ways, it seems like it has been forever ago since we started our lives together. It was so long ago that I hardly remember when the last time was that I was able to take a shower without one of the kids walking in needing something in the middle of it. It was so long ago that I was able to watch the Food Network instead of Sesame Street. It seems like forever ago that I went a day without changing a diaper or helping on the potty.......but those are all things that I don't mind.


So, here we sit today, in Texas (of all places), eating Cheerios for breakfast, getting ready to play make-believe with a kitchen and dolls and plastic food. Both kids talking a mile a minute. Discussing life's most important topics at the breakfast table....... like why there are so many bugs in Texas...... why that airplane flying by doesn't have Grandma inside it......... why Jesus died on the cross for us...... why Daddy had to go to work and can't play with us........ why Mommy didn't brush her hair before breakfast.......

They may be here contemplating these things.....but I sit here in awe. Looking at their little faces.....with complete admiration in God's work and His amazing plan, full of love, for each of our lives.

How lucky we are to have a Father that cares! He cares about the birds and He cares even more about those who were orphaned in Haiti.

I would have to say God has done great works in the past 3 years to bring us to where we are!


Sitting in the Atlanta airport 3 years ago I would never in my wildest imagination have thought this is were we would be today...........

She is 4!!!!!!!!!

Today was Denaiza's 4th birthday! She looked so old to me last night as I put her to bed. She has grown into such a nice young lady. Her brain is full of creativity and love. Just imagine, a child born into poverty, on the mud floor of a hut in Haiti 4 years ago today, is now a bubbling, bright God-loving child. She loves to sing praises! We are so thankful for her.

We had a little party for her today. She chose to have Mexican food for lunch......that is proof that she is an Adams woman....then she wanted pizza for dinner. When Daddy got home from work she opened her presents. She was beside herself with joy as she opened lots of kitchen things. Then we reveiled her big present, a kitchen! She loves it.

Here are some pictures from the evening. Enjoy!

Monday Morning

So, it is Monday morning, and Tony left before the crack of dawn again.......such is the life. I am just thankful that he was here at all. Pretty soon I won't have that enjoyment.
It is kind of cloudy out right now. I am wishing that it would storm all day. I enjoy the storms, especially if they are during the day.
We have to go get the kids signed up for childcare today. We are going food shopping too. I need to get the rest of Denaiza's presents too...... but really all I want to do is curl up in bed and watch cartoons with the kids......

OOPS! TIme out...

I had some photos to put on here tonight, but my dear husband just reminded me that a new Army Wives is on....gotta go!

Prayer Requests and Praises for this week

Praises:
1. We had a wonderful weekend together as a family! Tony was able to let things about work stay out of his mind on Saturday, and we really enjoyed our time together. It was really fun to have a laughing daddy again!
2. We are thankful that Tony has a job that he can count on and that it provides enough for our family to live off of.
3. No horrible headaches this week!
4. Denaiza did a great job today. She was able to make good choices and helped her brother and dad. We love days like today!

Requests:
1. Strength and wisdom for Tony at work. Prayers that he would be a shining light to those around him.
2. That God would work a miracle and create a new life in the Liles family
3. That the kids would begin to get some kind of understanding that daddy will be leaving for a long time, but that he still loves them and will be back as soon as he can
4. For Brittanny's brother, Bryan, to heal quickly from his knee surgery
5. That Denaiza's birthday would be special for her, even without some of our most loved family members being here

Thank you for supporting us in prayer. We know that through God ALL things are possible, and believe that He is holding us together during this hard time.

We hope you all have a wonderful week, full of happiness and smiles!

You know it is time to go grocery shopping when......

Well, back home, in Boise, I did a pretty good job of scheduling out our family meals a couple weeks in advance. Just like my mother taught me, I would go shopping for all the food only twice per month. I just haven't been able to get settled and in the groove here in Texas yet, so our meals haven't been real planned out. Today I realized that it REALLY is time for us to go shopping. So here is my list of "You know it is time to go grocery shopping when....."

-you are eating fish sticks and chicken in a bag for breakfast
-your dear sweet husband gets in a fight with the 3 year olds for the last goldfish cracker (no children were injured in the process)
-you watch ratatouille and wish you could eat at the Rat restaurant
-you are trying to invent a dish for lunch with these ingredients: green beans, butter, bread crumbs, and butterscotch pudding mix
-the kids opt to go take a nap without lunch rather than eat what you have created
-your husband asks if "we don't have food because gas prices are too high?"
-your almost 4 year old says, "Well, you try to be a good mommy, but can daddy make dinner?"
-Daddy goes to make dinner and starts crying
-Daddy calls Pizza Hut but they say that they will have to call Child Protective Services if there is another order from our phone number in the next 3 days (something about parents are supposed to provide a balanced meal for their kids-HA)
-When dinner finally is served, all 4 people have something different on their plates because there wasn't enough of one thing to feed all 4
And here is the kicker!!!
Your kids ask if they can go eat breakfast at Grandpa's tomorrow morning!

Friday Evening

Well, this week was a busy and tough one. Dimitri was sick. Denaiza was....well Denaiza. Tony had a lot of challenges at work, and Brittanny got to support them all. But this evening was nice. We have created a tradition. Friday evenings, Tony and I sit out on the back porch and talk about life. Tony has a cigar and I have a tall glass of water, and we sift through what we have experienced. I just enjoy the time with my husband. Life here in Texas sure is different. His job never stops. Even as we sat out there tonight at 10:00pm on a Friday night he had 8 calls from work! Please pray for Tony's strength and endurance as he tackles work.
We are all headed to bed now.....excited for 2 WHOLE days with Daddy being home!!!!!

Praise Report

Wanted to let you all know that I was able to see a nuerologist yesterday....and GREAT NEWS: I DO have a brain. I know, I know, you think I should check the doc's credentials huh!
But, really, I was able to get in very quickly to see a nuerologist here in Killeen. He is not an army doctor, and he was very nice. He listened to everything I told him. We are going to try 2 new daily medicines. It should take about 10 days to get up to the real dosage and see some changes. I am looking forward to seeing God work through these meds and the new doctor. Thanks for all your prayers!

Favorites

Here are some of our family favorites:

1. Cookies

Dad - White Chocolate macadamia nut

Mom - Chocolate Chip

Denaiza - "frosting on it"

Dimitri - oatmeal ones

2. Movies

Dad - Roots (not a story about what needs to be done in Mom's hair)

Mom - Hotel Rwanda

Denaiza - "Ariel" aka Little Mermaid

Dimitri - "duh Wat moobie" aka the rat movie aka Ratatouille

3. Dinner

Dad - anything with onions

Mom - anything Mexican

Denaiza - Hamburger Helper (cheese macaroni one)

Dimitri - Chesseburger

4. Color

Dad - Carolina Blue

Mom - light blue and light yellow

Denaiza - pink

Dimitri - green

5. Favorite thing to do with Daddy

Mom - get a hug

Denaiza - swim in the pool

Dimitri - play basketball

6. Favorite Place

Dad - Mexico

Mom - anywhere with Dad (obviously because she is living in Texas!)

Deaniza - Bogus Basin with Brady

Dimitri - "wit gwama"" translation "with grandma"

Ok, that is all for now.....let us know what other "favorites" you would like to know about.

Our First One

Hey everybody! Welcome to our blog!

We decided to do a blog to keep everyone up to date on our life happenings. We also thought this would be a fun way for you all to keep in touch with the kiddos.

Enjoy!