I'm in Haiti...

Here we are in Haiti... it's been incredible so far. We arrived on Friday and got Jalon Saturday morning. He was quick to love on Jon and I but was hesitant with the kids. Although he is used to having other kids around... he was taken back by my 2 blond hair, blue eyed, aggressive babies :) Within a few hours they were playing and as of today they are already acting like siblings. Jalon doesn't speak any Engish and my Creole is limited to a few words and phrases but we all communicate well. I am convinced the language of love is a powerful language!!! Jalon has learned a few english words... his first word was NO... why is that EVERY child's first word????

We recived quite a shock today... although we were first told that Jalon was only 5 years old... we are now being told he might be closer to 7 or 8. There is no way to know for sure how old he is, he doesn't have a birth certificate. But we are in the process of ordering one. He is very small, we bought him all size 5 clothes and they are even a bit too big. I have been feeding him like crazy, giving him boost suppliments twice a day and loads of vitamins. I am praying that when we leave, the Pastor at his orphanage will keep up with this regiment.

We are meeting with a lawyer tonight, I'm not sure what to expect. I am just going to go in believing God is in Control and with Him ALL things are possbible!

Right now Jalon is looking over my sholder at the laptop. I'm sure he has no idea what it is or what I'm doing... He is so curious about evrything! He is such a smart boy!

I wish I could post some pictures but I have no way of doing it from here so yall will have to wait til we're home in Texas.

I have a couple concerns I would ask for yall to pray for...

#1. We have 2 hurricanes headed right to Haiti. The 1st arriving on Wed. and the 2nd and more powerful one arriving on Thur. They are expecting 110 mph winds. We are planning on flying home on Friday but could be evacuated before then or we could be stuck here longer. Please pray for us... and Pray for Jalon. I don't know what I'll do if we are evacuated and I have to leave Jalon behind to stay in the storm. It will break my heart!

#2. I ask for yall to pray for our health. I know I have felt run down since I have arrived here and although the children are fine, they are being exposed to elements that cold get them sick. Please pray for God's covering and protection to be on us.

#3. I am a litle discourged with the whole adoption process... Please pray for God to move mounatins and give us supernatural favor!

I love you all and am so thankful for your support and prayers! You guys are amazing and I am so thankful for you!!!

xoxox Jen

Hey yall... we're about to leave for Haiti. We are scrambling trying to make sure everything is ready! I am so anxious about getting to see my little Jalon. I just can't wait. The kids have gotten him some gifts and we made him a photo ablbum of our family, grandparents, the house, dogs, cat, his school, the neighborhhod... ect. I am hoping this will help ease the transition once he gets here. I realize it will barley give him a glimpse of how his life will change but at least he will have a pictre to look at that will help. I will try to get on here while we are in Haiti.
if not I will blog and post pictures once we get back!

keep us in your prayerws!!!!

8 More Days...

Only 8 more days until we leave for Haiti!!! I am dying to see Jalon Petersen! Yesterday I went out and bought him some essentials for our week together... clothes, underwear, shoes, a toothbrush, ect. It got me so excited. I can't wait until we bring him home and he is finally ours!I am dying inside without him!!!

We ordered some Language CD's. We are wanting to learn Creole. Since Jalon doesn't speak any English it would help him to settle in better if we were able to speak his native language. I know he will learn English much faster than we will learn Creole BUT I want him to retain his native language forever so if we use it in the home he will be more likely to remember it. This is important for me. He is a Haitian and I never want him to forget that, I won't... I am forever in love with Haiti!!!

We have been collecting essentials for the people in Haiti and will be bringing that back with us. All of our friends, even strangers in our community have been so amazing and have been donating to us. Baby formula, medicine, food... all these things are so expensive in Haiti and we are so blessed to have people surround us that just want to help. I am overcome with gratitude! God is so good!!!!

We leave in 2 days for a quick trip to Slitterbahm for the weekend then the mad rush to get ready to leave for Haiti... I promise to post before we leave.

Love y'all... Jen

It's been awhile...

Hey yall, it's been forever since I have updated this thing! There is so much to tell but I know that yall are NOT gonna want to read it all and I am NOT gonna write it all! So this is how I am gonna do it...

Vacationed alot... Family went to Hawaii for 11 days, it was GREAT!



Jon went to Venezuela and saw God's miraculous working power... however We experienced some trials in our family this year but God is faithful and we have overcome!!!

April we went to Haiti on a missions trip... God worked miracles and I met my son... story to come later!!!





OMG.. I need to mention, I CUT ALL MT HAIR OFF!!! Jon was a Little mortified BUT he's getting used to it!!!!



My favorite niece graduated from HS and has just left to join Hillsong in Australia. We went to Phx for her graduation. Got to see all of our friends while we were there which was great including our BFF's Danny and Stephanie.



Our niece's bestfriend moved in with us (Melannie) she's been alot of fun, but now she's gone and will be going back to Southwestern A/G University in the fall.



We went to Orlando for 2 weeks on a Disney World Family vacation. Mom and Dad along with our niece Rachel and nephew Perter joined us for the last week. We also got to see our BFF's Tim and Tamara while we were there... sooooooo much fun!








Jada got to go to the Dallas Cowboys Cheer leading Camp this summer which has been amazing!!!



We are getting ready to go back to Haiti in a couple weeks. I won't be able to bring jalon home with us just yet but i am believing God for Great things...

That's it for now... I promise to try to keep up with this thing. Life has been hetic and we've been so busy living and not blogging :)

Valentines...

Jon is the Master planner. He ALWAYS plans everything and does it quite well! He has a gift for it and I never have... or maybe I just haven't had the opportunity???

At my house we do everything up real big... Birthdays, Anniversaries, Holidays, heck, even weekends! And Jon is always surprising me. Concerts, dinner at my favorite place, a weekend trip to the Bahama's... he's amazing.

I realized recently that I have NEVER in the 13 years we have been together planed something and surprised him. (And no babies don't count!) So this year I wanted to plan out valentines day for Jon. Well of cource this freaked him out a little. Ok ALOT! Mostly I think because he knows that I am such a procrastinator and he was afraid that I wouldn't make reservations fast enough and we would end up eating at Golden Corral Buffet. But little did he know I HAD A PLAN!!!!!!!!!

So the day before I refused to tell Jon anything except he needed to dress in basketball shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops. Jon was so confused, he insisted on knowing where we were going, and when I refused to tell him he decided he wasn't going! HA... like I was taking no for an answer.

The next day, I came in the office at 2pm dressed in a t-shirt, yoga pants, flip flops, my hair in a pony tail and no make-up on and told him we needed to leave. Again... he was very concerned with the way we looked and when I told him we were dressed appropriately, well that just confused him even more! But.. like a good husband he went.

I first has us scheduled for a 1hr couples massage, followed up with these amazing spa pedicures. (admit it men even you need them every once in awhile!) After that we drove into downtown Ft. Worth and checked into the Renaissance Hotel... so beautiful! Once in the room Jon was able to change into more appropriate attire and we took a horse drawn carriage ride to dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse. The next morning we woke up, ate an amazing breakfast in the hotel's restaurant and went to see Bride Wars. good movie, I recommend it.





It was such a great time... and he was surprised every step of the way! I think now, he might even let me do a little planning :)

Oh and Jon had these beautiful tulips delivered to the house for me... and i surprised him by having chocolate covered strawberries delivered for him. YUMMY!!!!

Blog

Hey yall, I haven't been very good about updating this thing... It seems like someone in this family has been sick or hurt for the most part of January and February.... so blogging has been the last thing on my mind.

Jada~Faith broke her arm last month and it was quite the ordeal. Apparently she was being chased by a boy and ran into a brick wall at school. Poor thing, she broke her wrist in 2 spots and had to have a cast on for 6 weeks.



Jonathan has battled sinus infections and the flu 3 times last month. I thought the school was never gonna let him come back.

I have had 2 bouts of strep throat, a sinus infection, and the flu twice. There is nothing worse than momma being sick.

Juicyfruit had her hysterectomy and Jellybean had his vasectomy in January so they too needed some extra TLC...





Jonathan did find a way to keep them calm!



We did have some great times too!


Jonathan's soccer team won the Championship...



We threw our annual Superbowl party, and even though the cardinals lost we still managed to have a good time!



We even managed to sneak in a few date nights...





All in all, we've had a great start to 2009. In our house it's all about fun! Everyday is an adventure, and we're up for anything! Jon always says, a Family that Plays Together Stays Together!!!

Christmas...

Christmas is my favorite time of the year...I love everything about it. For me it starts in September. The kids are going back to school, the weather changes and so does our beautiful landscape, we got Monday night football, all our favorite shows come back on tv, before you know it Halloween is here then you blink and it's Thanksgiving. Next thing you know you take a nap on a chilly afternoon all cuddled up in your favorite blanket in front of the fireplace while your sugar cookies are baking in the oven and you wake up and it's January 15th.
Where does the time go? I prefer to NOT sleep at all and savor every enchanted, memorable, delicious, twinkling~blinking, delightful, miraculous moment of pure heaven. CHRISTMAS is the most WONDERFUL time of the year!!!!

This Christmas was especially crazy and busy for my family...In a nutshell this Christmas we spent time with friends and family here in Texas and in Arizona... we flew to Las Vegas... and we celebrated the beautiful birth of our savior Jesus Christ with all our loved ones.

Here are a few select photo's of the holidays...

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT OUR HOME IN TEXAS...


MOM'S CHRISTMAS PARTY IN PHOENIX (THE BOYS WENT OFF TO THE PHOENIX SUN'S GAME)...


MANUEL'S WITH MY SISTER AND NIECES AND NEPHEW (I LOVE THEIR FRIED ICE CREAM)...



LAS VEGAS WITH MOM&DAD...




CHRISTMAS EVE AT MOM&DAD'S HOUSE...


CHRISTMAS DAY STARTED AT MOM&DAD'S BUT MOVED TO THE GARCIA'S...


DECEMBER 26TH WAS CHRISTMAS WITH MY SISTER AND GRANDPARENTS...



ZOO LIGHTS WITH THE DELGADO AND HINKLE FAMILIES...


DATE NIGHT WITH OUR BFF'S THE MARSHICKS...


OUR NEW YEARS EVE PARTY @ THE GARCIA'S HOME...



NEW YEARS DAY WITH THE BFF'S AND FAMILY THE MARSHICKS, DELGADO'S, SEASHOLS, GARCIA'S, HINKLES, MOM&DAD, AND THE FAMOUS JESSICA WEST...


SOME ADDITIONAL PHOTO'S OUR OUR WONDERFUL VACATION IN PHOENIX...






And now I have woken up from my nap!!! As I sit here and look thru the hundreds of photos' we took capturing every precious moment we got to spend with friends and family, I thank the Lord for how truly blessed we all are. It's not the material items I look back on BUT it's the time we had to share with people we love the most that brings us true joy.