To Old Friends...And To New Ones

For my dear old friends who always provide excellent service in welcoming the traveling Ark, and for those dear friends I've not yet met...this repost is for you.

There was nothing good about the afternoon of my first teaching job as a newly married woman. I imagine the same holds true for my dear husband. The last thing I suspect a new husband wants to do is saunter home from work where your wife has been creating---or at least attempting to create(we won't even MENTION Mexican Chicken Suprise or the healthy cake sans eggs) as a warm and cheery homestead and tell her that plans have changed.

Instead of three years in Georgia, you've now got a three-year all US Army expense paid tour of Deutschland. Good-bye new job. Good-bye first home. Good-bye family and friends (who this bride cried about leaving when we married and left the Northeast for points unknown aka-the South). But the Army wasn't interested in my opinion, as I would soon find out.

Although I suspect the thwack with the saber on my rear end with the accompanying, "Welcome to the Army, Mrs. Marcoux!" should have clued me in.

At the very least, I guess I can't say they didn't warn me.

So, off we went to live our first three married years across the pond. It was one of my first experiences with seeing first hand how God provides:

You miss your friends? Here are 10 other ladies who miss theirs, too. And I'd bet that you've got a few more things in common besides.

You miss your work? Here's an assignment, the first of many, that will challenge anything you ever learned in school. It'll take nine months before the position opens, but that'll give you time to sharpen your skills. And if you're smart-SLEEP!

You miss the holidays back home? You won't believe the Christkindlmarkts here, and those fireworks you thought were the blitzkrieg? Why that's New Year's...right outside your bedroom window.

You think the food is strange? One word-schokolade.

Worried about being alone for birthdays, celebrations, baptisms, deployments, etc...Here's where I do my best work. You see, I am about to place in your life people that will lift you up and allow you to do the same through all of that and more. You will look back on the time you spent here when your three years are up; and wonder, how it could all be over so soon. Of course, you'll be happy to land on terra firma in the USA again, but nowhere (and trust me, I know) will ever be like the place where you became a family.

And years later, after spending a brief, but wonderful evening reconnecting with some of those same friends; and watching them pull their van (yes, the one you're dreaming about) out onto the road in the early dawn, you'll smile knowingly because you'll know that--once again--I was right.

Geography and the Ark

We spent the better part of the day yesterday in downtown Chicago. Unbeknownst to either the Captain or myself, The Boy had achieved the highest score in his school during an oral geography bee; which earned him a chance to take a written test which would determine the top 100 students in the state (grades 4-8).

Wouldn't you know if that Boy didn't just score in the top 100! We always knew his eerily strange knack for remembering and navigating to places wasn't just a quirky inherited postal gene, but a bona fide skill. This award did wonders for solidifying his family nickname of "On-Star."

Having not studied for either test (how do you study for a test you don't know you're taking?) he decided to stick with his healthy ambivalence for test taking and not crack open atlas one for the competition.

So, yesterday we headed down to the Field Museum for the Illinois State National Geography Bee. The winner would score an all-expenses paid trip to the National Geography Bee in Washington, D.C. and $100 (I'll let you guess which was more enticing to The Boy).

We declined the invitation to spend the night before the Bee downtown for fear that it would be one giant Krelboyne-fest. And based on the atlas toting youth who had decided to study for the Bee, it seems our suspicions were well-founded. But pocket protectors and coke-bottle glasses aside, it was a very nice, well-organized competition. The Boy did well, but didn't make it into the final round, which in the end was probably okay. I don't know that he would have known what to do with the overly emotional moderator when she announced between tears and sighs the winners.

Besides, I'm not sure that our nation's capital is quite ready for a visit from The Ark.



Want to see how much you know about Geography? Try some of the sample questions here or take the daily quiz here.

On the Road With the Ark

I wish you could all have joined us as we traveled to Wisconsin last month for a little family getaway-Ark-style!

For Christmas, the Captain and I gave the arklings a group gift--time away as a family! We planned a two-night stay at our favorite hotel/waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells (who was offering midweek room rates that we could not pass up---$124/night for 9 people including the daily water park passes!) Since we were not out to break the bank on this trip, we packed a cooler and filled our little hotel kitchen with breakfast and lunch items so that we only ate out twice for dinner--a treat in and of itself! During the day, we spent the majority of the day at the waterparks (there are several indoors) and brought a few favorite board games and DVDs for the evenings.

Heading off the first day, the children heaved a dramatic sigh as we rolled right on past the Dells and continued North.

Our destination?

The Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.



But before that, because we're just that type of family, we drove past that destination and clear across the Mississippi River into Minnesota.

Why?

Because we'd never been to Minnesota before. And let me tell you, the first few miles of I-90 West are terribly exciting. Perhaps next time, we'll even let the kids out. (All kidding aside, we'd really like to make a trip up to "the cities" as our Minnesotan friends call Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Maybe next time.)

Unfortunately our wanderlust threw a little kink in our schedule, and we arrived at the shrine at 3:30 only to find it closed at 4:00.

What terribly scatterbrained person would have scheduled out a million and one details only to neglect the hours of operation? I don't know, but it sounds like the same kind of person who would schedule a trip to visit Caddie Woodlawn's homestead and realize, while driving, that the directions were oh-about 200 miles or so-off.

Note to self: do planning for next trip while awake.

Anyway, we finally made it to the shrine, and to the Dells and even squeezed in a field trip on the ride back home.


If you're ever in Southern Wisconsin, be sure to stop by the Milton House to learn a great deal about the Underground Railroad and Midwestern life during the late 19th century. If you think your kids might not be interested for the hour or so long tour, the promise of actually walking through the underground tunnel that was used to shuttle fugitive slaves along on the Underground Railroad will definitely hold their attention.

"Runaways entered through the cabin to the rear of the inn and then through a trap door in the cabin's floor to the dirt tunnel that led to the basement of the inn. "
from the website

Checking In and Checking Off

With some of the recent hubbub around here, our "to-do" list was growing ever so long. But, finally, things are beginning to be checked off!

One of the most crucial was checked off just the other day when we placed an order for this, adding not one, not two, but THREE more seats to my Suburban!

Now, we can all fit comfortably as a family in one vehicle. And (as an added bonus) we have two new empty seats to fill! ;-)

New Hero

Driving back from my favorite corner store, Naomi, Mr. T and I were singing along to our Patriotic American songs cd when we found ourselves stopped at a red light. Sitting in the left turn lane, I watched as the cars to my right streamed past making their turns on red. I noticed, perhaps out of some paranoid sense, that the drivers all seemed to be staring at our vehicle and then trying to peer through the window. Finally, my fears were realized when a middle-agish sort of man in an SUV like mine motioned wildly for me to roll down my window. Dumbstruck, I rolled it down.

"Did you know you have a box of chalk on your bumper?" he inquired.

Of course I do, I wanted to reply, I have seven children.

But instead, I politely answered, "Oh no! I had no idea. Hopefully, I'll make it back home without losing it."

This good Samaritan took a brief look up at the still red light and slipped his car into park before jumping out and rescuing the runaway chalk box on my bumper. He proudly handed it to me through the open window, hopped back in his car and drove away.

Look out, Bagger Guy! I think you've been replaced.

Departures and Arrivals

We're departing now for the airport!

We'll be arriving home later...one larger than when our journey began!

Meet you at the baggage cla

Publish Post

im!

Late Night Phone Calls

Twice last night I was rocked from a deep sleep to the sound of the phone ringing. Lo and behold! The Blackberry has-at a minimum-phone service in Ethiopia. And I was awakened by The Captain who called to say, "We're here. I have cell phone service. Oh, and we're just waiting to be picked up by the orphanage director to go get Baby Girl. We'll call you later, bye." ACK!
And he really expected me to go back to sleep? (Although I was informed if they were going to be sleep deprived, we were ALL going to be sleep deprived. Sounds like a woman in labor, don't you think?)
About an hour and a half later the phone rang out again. He was calling but this time with our darling daughter in tow! He said she's a "real cutie", but she has a nasty upper respiratory infection and was started on antibiotics yesterday. It's also very rainy there.
Hopefully, these are not chicken pox related symptoms. Also, the travel seems to have caught up with Beulah and she was feeling a little under the weather. Again, praying that she'll be feeling better today.

More updates as I have them...

Look kids--Parliament...Big Ben!!!

Normally, I curse the Crackberry with all my being, but today not so much. Now, if it only has service in Ethiopia...6 days to go!

Ark on Wheels

Any one who has been reading here for a while knows that the $64,000 question on the Ark has been about which vehicle would be chosen to carry our growing family.

Well, the vehicle has been chosen and it is...drumroll please...

the SAME Suburban we've been driving for the past 3 years.

What?!? How will we fit nine people into an eight passenger SUV? Do the words "double buckle" mean anything to you? No, no, I'm just kidding. Especially for those of you in the law enforcement industry, I would never *dream* of breaking the seatbelt law.

It was not an easy decision. And there were several factors that played into our decision:

• The love we feel for our current 4x4 vehicle--it's not just transport for us. Think Knight Rider and David Hasselhof. Or (more pleasantly) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Dick Van Dyke. It's one of us.
• The Captain's religious differences with the uber-conspicuous extendo-van.
• The price of gas leading to the falling SUV market--leaving us with a vehicle worth $5,000 less than it was 6 months ago!
• Shocking as it may seem, dealers have no shortage of demand for 12 or 15 passenger vans and--even amidst the gas crisis--and aren't ready to deal yet.

So, we went back to the drawing board. And decided that the best vehicle for us was the one we already had with a little tweaking. We decided to invest in a fourth row for the Suburban. It will give us two additional seats, which is one more than we need---at least for now---and will buy us some time at a relatively low price.

But don't worry, those of you who see us during long car trips. We won't disappoint. We've also decided we'd do a few test runs during this interim period. We'll be renting the gargantu-van to do our long trips to see which ones, for future reference, we like best!

101 Uses For A Happy Meal Box

Use #84: Battle Helmet. The Army and their Kevlars have nothing on salty, greasy cardboard.

Looking for a new vehicle?

If you've been reading here for a while, you know we are. Here's some useful advice. These are the Top Six Things Not to Tell the Salesperson. I might add a seventh "Don't Tell"--Don't tell the salesperson you need a car to fit any number over 8 people because not only will you become the butt of numerous *hysterically* funny car dealer jokes, they will also only have two vehicles to show you.

This or this.

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Thanks to the beauty of Blogger's scheduling device, I've literally checked in once over the last week, while the Ark was doing it's live tour across the Northeastern US. We enjoyed several days visiting family and friends. Last night, the Ark finally landed back home, full of the bittersweet joy that returning home after leaving dear ones can bring.

Now it's time to get prepped for our summer routine and kick the prayers into high gear for our adoption group assignment. Of the group that was supposed to form last week, only one family has announced that they're in it! So, we're praying we might hear soon!

Look for lots of pictures coming this week (and perhaps a guest blogger--if The Boy's gracious hostess of a godmother is up to the challenge?) and I'm still going to squeeze in my Home Challenge-Week 3 post before this week is over!

It was good to visit, but as Dorothy said, There's no place like home.

Get Away!

For his Christmas gift this year, I opted to schedule a get-away mini-weekend for my husband and I. (Yes, I know, this ranks right up there with giving him a copy of my favorite book or movie as we both enjoyed it tremendously--but hopefully, he was enjoying himself too much to notice...) Regardless, we spent a lovely evening in the city at a historic Chicago hotel and dined at one of our fair city's famous steakhouses, where we were thrilled to realize that the "smoke-free" restaurants rule was now in effect. (There really is nothing like eating a meal that has NOT been sauteed in someone's second hand smoke!)

Much to my surprise, when we arrived a bottle of champagne was chilling in our room and a complimentary breakfast for two delivered via room service was scheduled to arrive the next morning. Honestly, I don't know how that happened, but I must admit I was quite happy it did!
Needless to say, having an unlimited amount of time in which to shower, dress and get pretty (minus the standard interruptions of "Can you wipe me?", "Can you sign my homework?", "I neeeeeeed more fill in the food/drink favorite of the day," or my favorite, at 7 in the morning, "I have to ask you something important---what's for dinner tonight?") left me feeling refreshed and ready to head back to the troops waiting at home. It also reminded me that it is possible that my husband manages to see the leisurely showered hotel woman through the pony tails and sweat pants that usually greet him at the end of his day, but for good measure, I suggested he snap a mental picture--just in case.


But the best part of leaving, as always, was coming home. Remembering that the little ones who waited there for us were the actual, physical examples of all that was good about being away.

(A few of the photos of the hotel lobby--I couldn't get a good picture of me with my jeans and well-worn shoes from Target clutching my enormous Mom-purse and looking like the suburban mom I am spending a night in the big city)

This conversation may be monitored for quality assurance

Perhaps T*rget has a new training program or perhaps the young man, who rang up N and CB's Christmas shopping bounty really meant it when he shyly said, "Gee, ma'am, you just don't look old enough to have a 13 year old." As I smiled politely at his observation, he sincerely added, "No, really, I would have thought that these two were your oldest."

In other news, T*rget team members are now accepting tips during the Christmas season.

C'mon, he really meant it, don't you think? The fact that I even considered whether a tip was appropriate or not couldn't possibly have influenced his comments.

Early Learner

CB after observing Baby T eating a donut hole: "Baby T sure is smart. He already knows how to wipe his hands on his pants when they get messy."

Betcha didn't know the caliber of whiz kids I was raising.

Come on, get happy!

We knew the day was coming. We've talked about it before. Maybe even more than once.
But the reality of the situation is setting in. We simply don't have enough seats in the Suburban to seat another ark rider-or two, and try as I might, I'm just not as gifted as some of you might think. I've yet to figure out how to drive both the Suburban AND the Taurus at the same time, thus ending our vehicle dilemma.

I know, I know. If I'd only just give a little more effort...

The older ark members are generally resigned totally in favor of the swap of our inconspicuous tank for an even larger one. Among the conversations overhead:

"I just hope they don't get the white one. I mean, it looks like a prison van or something."

"If they'd just let me, I'd start driving now. They can be so unreasonable."

"At least the Suburban wasn't completely uncool. I may as well start wearing shorts and black knee socks with sensible shoes."

"I like the big car!"..."Shhhh-somebody give her a lollipop to quiet her."

Regardless of the passengers' opinions, however, they will soon be riding on new wheels. The questions left for debate are two:

• 12 or 15 passenger?
• Chevy or Ford?

We really don't need the seating for 15 passengers, but it would allow us the option to transport out-of-town guests or all the kids' friends to Chuck E. Cheese's for a birthday party. (Hmmm...maybe I've just answered that one myself.) Seriously, it would also allow us extra space for storage if the fourth (no, that's not a typo) seat was removed.

As for the auto maker...well, we've only owned one Chevy--the Suburban. And it's been a gem since the day we got it. Not a single bit of trouble, but again, it's the only Chevy we've ever owned. We've owned three Fords, however, and each one has had its share of---how do I put this---quirks:

• There was our 1999 Windstar (purchased new) that emanated a sound from the gas tank reminiscent of a fog horn. Waw-wah. Waw-wah. After many months of service, the moaning ceased, but other smaller problems took its place.
• We also owned a 2001 Expedition (purchased a year old). It functioned fairly well until the transmission needed to be replaced less than two years later. Okay, I admit, that could happen to any vehicle. But to have to replace the transmission AGAIN, less than two more years later. I'd like to see the odds on that one.
• And, not to be outdone by its older siblings, our 2005 Taurus went through a phase where it refused to stop running. Yes, even after the key was turned to the off position and REMOVED from the vehicle. Now, if it could have also driven itself and a few of my passengers to and from school, sports and the like, we might have been able to make that work. Unfortunately, no such luck.

So, all you families with large vehicle needs, what do you drive? What are the pros and cons of them? While I wait for your answers, I'm off to check the Suburban to see if it's grown an extra bench seat in my absence.

Do you have any plans?

Ever the inveterate planner, I was trumped by my four year old the other day in the car.

It could have been the fact that it was 7:30 AM and there were six wide awake children in the car I was auto-piloting to school, or it could be that I have given birth to someone who has already "out-planned" me.

CB had been sitting in the back talking with N about playing dentist after the big kids were all at school. (While she has a healthy, okay-perhaps slightly unhealthy, fear of dentists and doctors; she LOVES to pretend to be those very same things.) Overhearing her, The Boy decided to get into the conversation and perhaps antagonize the pre-schooler a little bit.

The Boy (to CB): Hey, CB, are you going to play dentist later?

CB: Yes.

The Boy: Maybe you'll even BE a dentist when you grow up?

CB: No!

The Boy: No?! Well, why not?

CB: Because, she announced decisively, I have other plans!

Pumpkin Picking Pilgrimage

The two littlest ones and I traveled with CB for her first ever school field trip.






For those of you in the Chicagoland area, here is the link to the pumpkin patch. Just a little of my opinion inserted here, however, there were quite a few more scary than cute things at this farm. I think the attempt was made to appeal to a wide age-group, but I'm not sure there was ANY target audience who would have appreciated everything here. Check it out yourself on their website.

How'd You Get There From Here-Part VIII

Before you read this, make sure you read this (Our Referral-Part I)-if you haven't already.

"I've got a couple of kiddos here I'd like to talk to you about..." had me cautiously optimistic. I then knew for certain that this was not a call about the fund raising efforts we were contemplating.
As our agency's director spoke, I began to recognize the baby boy and his older sister she was calling about. I waited until she paused and then informed her that we had already looked into this particular pair of siblings, but that the baby had tested positive for Hepatitis C. As my hopes for a referral began to fade, I explained how we had consulted with multiple medical professionals and the verdict was clear-our family and Hepatitis C was a bad match at this time. There was silence on the other end of the phone for what seemed like a long time. Faintly, I could hear her shuffling papers on her end of the phone and then she responded, "You're right. He did test positive for Hepatitis C, but he's been retested and he doesn't have it."

I must admit at this point, as God whispered again, I remained a skeptical mortal.

How can someone just *lose* Hepatitis C, the way I routinely lose my cell phone? I wondered aloud. She seemed a bit uncertain herself, but insisted that it was true and again asked if we were interested. As she waited for my response, I considered my four children playing in the other room. We had committed ourselves to an adoption which would not jeopardize them in any way, but had promised to be open to God's hand throughout the process. Finally, I told her we would like to see the referral, but would need to have our adoption doctor review the medical records. She agreed and almost instantly, the file sat in my email in-box. My visiting friends rushed in to see the pictures and scan the description of the brother and sister who, for the second time in 3 months, had found their way into our home. Everything looked great, but the menace of the original Hep C diagnosis still lingered. As nap time approached, and my visitors left, I forwarded the referral to my husband at work; where he, in turn, faxed a copy of the medical file to the adoption doctor. Then, we waited. When he finally called after dinner that night, he explained the possibilities:

• First, the lab made a mistake. One of the tests could be wrong, but in his opinion, knowing the caliber of the lab which was used, he believed it was unlikely.
• Second, the baby had tested positive for Hep C at the first test because his tiny, new baby self still contained antibodies from his birth mother, and the test will react to any antibodies-even those of the birth mother. (This is the same phenomenon which people find in testing babies under 18 mos. for HIV, which is why a special PCR test is used to determine if the baby is actually testing positive for the HIV virus, rather than just noting a positive reaction to antibodies still present from the birth mother.)
• Third, the baby had "converted" from positive to negative, which, the doctor explained, was possible but unlikely as this is usually seen in older patients.

Whichever the reason, he believed that it would be best to repeat the test to confirm the diagnosis. We called our agency, who agreed to the testing, but informed us that it could take a week or so to even get the baby scheduled for the next round of testing AND then another week or so to have the results in our hands. While we wanted an answer quickly, we were confident in this plan and decided to go forward with it. Luckily, we had a weekend trip planned to St. Louis, which would provide a much needed distraction.

Friday morning, the Ark started rolling south on I-55 headed for the Gateway Arch. We had a marvelous time in St. Louis (Ed. Note: If you're looking for a Midwestern weekend trip--this was a fabulous, family friendly, low-cost city). On our way home, we had decided to stop and pay a visit to the magnificent grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL. We wound our way around to the Main Shrine and Amphitheater, where as CB and N napped in the cool of the car, the Captain and I took turns visiting the Rosary Courts where we found rows of devotional candles and cards for prayer requests.

I watched as the the Boy and B returned to the car with their Dad. As he hopped in the driver's seat, he handed me a small card and said emphatically that I should go and light a candle and deposit our prayer request. The request leaving, for once and for all, the referral we sought in God's hands. We prayed that God would bring peace to our family and to the children whose file we reviewed regardless of the outcome. Then, we headed back north on the interstate, to await the results of the Hep C retest over the coming weeks.

Monday morning, after the Captain had left for work, but while the children still slept (I know, a miracle silence on the ark in and of itself); I headed to an early morning rendezvous with my computer. To my great surprise, there was a message from our adoption agency. Trying not to get my hopes up, I opened it and found the test results-the ones that were supposed to take nearly two weeks to arrive-were in our hands after one weekend.

And that baby who was tested? What were his results you ask? Why they were negative, of course; and he and his older sister are now sleeping peacefully in their beds a floor above me as I type. The negative test results shouldn't have surprised us. From the beginning God whispered to us that they were our children, if only it didn't take us so long to hear Him.