HE KNOWS US! Lots of updates!

 Someone lost his first teeth!  Mommies and daddies are suppose to be there for these "firsts".  Adoptive children's lives stem from many losses and we as adoptive families and communities will spend their entire lives trying to plug those holes and gaps with love.  Ultimately our responsibility is to point them to the one that will fill their heart with true healing, Jesus.  Only he can give them the grace, mercy and forgiveness to heal their wounded hearts.  We celebrate the pictures to see our little man in the months proceeding our formal adoption and we relish in the opportunity to be his family!  See you soon little man!

                                Reports said this guy is one happy little dude!

This is Jerry, one of the volunteers who traveled with Lifeline, and helped sponsor many of our shirts!  Looks like he made himself a new friend!

             

 Here's Aunt Katie, with our little man, and Jerry (volunteer) sporting our shirts at the orphanage!                                                      He's just a little guy!

What's it like the day you find out you've been chosen?  Someone has chosen you to be in their family!  For six years you have watched people come and go and now it's your turn.  If you look really closely, Katie is pointing to "Daddy" and if you can see the side of little man's face, he is smiling so hard with excitement!  A moment I will treasure knowing his heart is happy with joy!

This is the photo album we sent along for him to "introduce" his family to him.   He will get to know us through these pictures over the next few months while we await our snuggles and kisses.  We are so happy to have Katie to be our delivery person, but a little jealous too :)  Katie gets to love and meet our kids before us!  But oh so thankful for the hard work she does!

God has always provided but with that said..... adoption is very expensive and we are working on ways to raise the necessary funds.  We have sold about half our 100 t shirts and here are the kids making signs to advertise the shirts at the dirt bike races.  So neat to see the kids proclaim their faith and love of Jesus to their friends by wearing their shirts!  Will you consider supporting our adoption through a donation for a t shirt!  We have children and adult sizes still available. Grey or orange.  Email me at lkietzke@hotmail.com

                          Huahua sporting a T-shirt and a great spoke model for adoption!

 SISTERS ARE THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD!  THESE TWO ARE INSEPARABLE.

Brothers aren't two bad either, they tend to spoil me to pieces and give me just about anything I want.  Especially this one!

We had an adoption picnic with our local agency.  So refreshing seeing all these little faces of joy and love coming together to celebrate their families!  Thank you Lifelink!

  The kids and I were working hard to raise funds to bring their brother home!  The boys hauled the pumpkins down and neatly arranged them.  They only saved the largest one, only because we could not move it!) for our family and are selling the rest.  A lesson in self less love for others.

                       They had a great time in the process of setting up our pumpkin stand.

 Later that night though, Huahua landed in the ER with horrible stomach pain.  After many tests they concluded her intestines possibly twisted or telescoped on themselves.  Since her intestines are malrotated due to her heterotaxy syndrome. this was the likely culprit.  We will look into options for preventing this from happening again.

Within 8 hours she was feeling better but was admitted for observation due to the severity of the incidence and blood in her stool.    She keeps her doctors on their toes!

While I write this she is having her cardiac cathiterization done ( I have 3 free hours!) to help solve why her oxygen level drop during her periods of activity resulting in her bluish tint.  Will update when we have results and treatment plan!

 Yesterday, at the races Huahua and Jordan enjoyed grandma and grandpa time.  Huahua continually pulled Grandpa's necklace on and off for him!

Birthday BOYS!!!!  We celebrated Jackson and Feng Nianjie's birthday's yesterday at the races.  Jackson proudly held his brother's picture and helped him blow out his candle and eat his brownie!  Jackson can not wait till his little brother arrives and he can truly be a big brother to a little brother!

I think he is even giving the larger piece of brownie to Nian Jie, which for Jackson is huge!  Look he turns 9 and all the sudden learns that you really don't need the biggest piece to be happy!  Our parenting is finally getting somewhere :)

We are awaiting to hear about our grant applications before we announce our next fundraiser idea! Please be praying for our adoption process for things to run smoothly and how your family may walk along side of us.  We have had some glitches here and there with paperwork, but second time around I seem to take it in stride.  As I resent a piece of paper overnight to the courier in Chicago for authentication, I walked into the UPS store (Fitchburg), feeling a bit frustrated because I had screwed up the paperwork and caused a delay, "Oceans" was playing. And I said the the owner,  how refreshing it was to have this playing!

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Adoption is a journey of complete trust in the Lord and we will go across the ocean to an orphanage atop a mountain in CQ, where he has called us to bring home our little man, who has waited way too long for a family to call him their own.  He is worthy, He is loved, He is our son!

Adoption 1 update and Adoption 2 update

Yesterday we officially re-adopted Huahua as a formality in the state of Wisconsin.  Yes the second day we were with her in China she was officially our daughter, so I know it felt very odd and like we were just jumping through the hoops.  It felt maybe we should explain we already traveled around the world to find her and had a major heart surgery, etc when the judge asked if we sure we were ready to take on this responsibility.  We just smiled and said yes "I DO." Our most pleasant time was with the other families in the hallway celebrating their 1st time around adoptions, despite also having their little ones for 7-8 months too!  It's just a different world you become accustom too and learn to abide by the rules when you have an adoptive child.  These precious children are ours forever from here on out!  For better or worse!  But we will are always held to the "extra" rules that tend to hang over your family structure.  We understand they are set in place to protect the welfare of the child, but at some point it will be nice just to breathe and be a family without paperwork!

Medically, Huahua is slipping in terms of her breathing/oxygen.  Her oxygen stats drop significantly when she is active and of this is concerning.   She is more labored and needs to stop and take breaks to catch her breath.  She also has more episodes of blue/purple fingers/lips.  She was evaluated again yesterday in the cardiac unit and she will be discussed tomorrow in conference with a team of providers, including her surgeon, cath doc and cardio doc, etc We will need to decide which direction will be best for her both in the short and long term in functioning. Please pray for discernment for Ryan and I, as we process this confusing medical information and decide what is best for her.  More to come on that....

Adoption process....  Things are moving along.
First pray about the process to go smoothly.  We have had really go movement with the paperwork and a excellent USCIS worker today even called me for something she needed...WOW!  And then said she would approve the 800a today!!!!  She was incredible!  Pray that things continue to move along.  Next step dossier authenticated and paperwork goes across the ocean!

Next week...Our son (whom we will name after this visit from Katie) will find out he has a family.  I don't know how that strikes you, but I swing from fear and panic to joy and excitement for him.  He's five, almost six, so this is so different from Huahua who would run around at the orphanage and say I am going to the USA!  Pray for him to feel happy and excited about us and having a family.  The idea of a family is foreign to him.  What is a family?  And we don't look like him.  Pray for him to remember Huahua! (Reminder they lived at the same orphanage!)  Pray for his heart to warm to the picture book that sweet aunt Katie is bringing to him next week,   Pray for  him to snuggle the pillow case with his siblings picture knowing they love him so much.
And Katie will be able to speak with the staff and see what he likes to be called.  I have found it important to keep this so simple, yet vital part of their identity consistent for these children.  Everything in an adoptive child's life is uprooted on gotcha day, and we will not just change his name to make it easier for us Americans to pronounce.   Our daughter was called Huahua, she likes Huahua and if she desires she can be called by Jessica someday, but until that day comes she will be Huahua. (It means little flower)

Financing adoption-  The average international adoption runs around $32,000-$36,000. Travel time really can swing a few thousand dollars (flights/hotel demand) in the wrong direction.  When the call comes that you have travel approval from China, waiting a few weeks till flights "may drop" isn't an option in my book when my child is awaiting for me on the other side of the world!   We are applying for a matching grant to help cover some of the cost of this adoption.  The grant may match the donations we raise. Please pray for the grant to come through.  We will update and we find out more.  We are also busy selling T-shirts if you are interested please let me know   @ lkietzke@hotmail.com

                                 
      Kid shirt's are $20           Adult shirts are $25               Deal of the week  3 shirts for $60

As we know, God is the ultimate provider and will see this through to the end!



Pray for our son and his academics this fall to receive some schooling....I believe until now he was label not likely to be adopted, physically disabled-- therefore not worthy of education.  Not in this household!  God redeems, loves and this young boy is now a son and going to have every chance at life we all deserve.

Pray for his physical needs, as we are really going into this with pure faith where he is with his orthopedic needs are concerned.  We know he has had 6 previous surgeries and will require additional intervention.  Pray for his needs not to progress and just remain stable until be comes home.

The three biggest have started school this week.  An adjustment for us all, especially Huahua, as she asks where they are all day along!  And when does she get to ride on the bus?  We will all start back at AWANA next week and Bible study where she will be involved in "her classes".

Her lastest fashion statement is wearing multiple layers of pants!  Like 9-10 pairs, she can puts them all on herself!  Not sure if this is regression behavior, but keeps her quite busy.  And lots of extra wash when we have accidents.  We limit to only 1-2 when leaving the house!  It is still summer and hot outside!

It's a good thing we have the paper, because we go one extreme to the other.  Los of pants or no pants!

Trying on more clothes!

T shirt Fundraiser Help bring our Son HOME!!!

 100 t shirts ready to go out the door....your donations welcome to help bring Feng Nianjie home
            suggested donation, $20 children's sizes XS,S,M,L,XL  
                                          $25 adult sizes S,M,L,XL
                                                 (+ $5 shipping cost, if needed)
                                               available in orange or sport grey
                         Email me lkietzke@hotmail.com  or contact me at church or call me

         Front:  kNOw more orphans       Back:  Become the Hands and Feet of Jesus
                                                                           AND DO SOMETHING

        My first model fell asleep on the job.... but since she's three, I forgive her.  Still adrobable!

          These two did better....at least they were up right and they smiled for the picture.
                               Even Luke was smiling facing backwards.

Thanks in advance for your support in helping bring our son Feng Nianjie home!  

One more thing crossed off the list today!  Finger prints complete, Home study sent for notarization today and will be sent to immigration soon.  Then immigration gives the first of many approvals needed in this process.  Approval to bring a child into this country.  Then that will be sent to China as we request Feng Nianjie be that specific child.  He has already been pre approved for our family by China.  Let's wear our shirts and show the world how we can be a voice for the fatherless together!

 While visiting a friend the two little ones thought it would be a great idea to try sledding down the driveway in the middle of summer.  She does love sledding, and what a great idea to do it when it's warmer outside!

Medical update:  Huahua has been starting to breathe heavier and becomes more exhausted when active. This week she was evaluated by her cardiologist.  He lungs are clear (Praise!!!) and we are decreasing her lasix medication and watching to see if her body is still trying to adjust to the new fontan circulation.  We will go back in three weeks and reassess at that point.   She will forever need monitoring as a congenital heart patient, and we remember to cherish each day with her as a gift from God.  Her life to this point is a blessing and a miracle.  Her body was under extreme distress for many, many months in China without the proper oxygen and now we will see how God can restore her!

At a wedding receptions this past weekend Huahua loved the music and dance floor.  She socializes as if she has been around for years.  So confident with herself and surroundings.



Jackson lasted a few hours and then left the party early--not feeling well!  Party pooper :(

Summer Excitement and Announcement!

What a fun filled summer it has been.  I can't believe it is August already and I have not posted in over a month.  Will explain more on that in a moment....  First let me tell you about the fun things we have been up to.  Little princess here is out for her walks/running here.  She feels great despite as of lately being a bit more winded.  Will get that checked out soon.  She loves her new circulation and new found energy.  This is where the parents ask to turn them back down a some.  Just kidding.  She's on fire with a great spirit.   We always take the stroller and she walks/rides and runs whenever she pleases.  Enjoying her life.  I think I remember feeling like this with Jackson's lengthening process and relishing the childhood perspective of a child's life.  She is resilient, loving and forgiving and represents a Christ-like attitude, despite not being even old enough to comprehend God's hand on her life.

Last day of school photo.  Boy was Huahua ever happy to have her buds home every day, all day!

Jordan's kindergarten graduation.  I don't know if she was more proud of graduating or of her new sister she was introducing to all her classmates.

Our favorite Kindergarten teacher, Mr Edge.  He's been with us through so much and all our children have had him!  But wait...... there's more coming!!!!

Our house is quite chaotic and crazy with four children playing and having a great time!
We come up with some silly things to do.

Some other summer activites:
Riding on the back of Grandpa's carriage, riding the pony, swimming at the pool, playing at the park, picking berries/veggies out of the garden, playing with our new kitten, playing on the swing set, water fights, jumping on the trampoline, trip to the waterpark, gymnastics, swim lessons, and of course lots of motocross!

SPECIAL VISITOR ALERT!!!!!!

Many of you know the story of "Aunt" Katie, but for those who don't, I'll fill you in.  In April of 2012 Katie went to China on a medical missions trip and fell in love with Huahua.  She was a surgically untreated heart baby, who was not doing well medically.  By Oct 2012, when she returned to China on another trip, Huahua was very ill, within months of passing away.  Katie had two choices, turn away or do something about it.  Katie returned the states and petitioned to Love without Boundaries to save our daughter.  At this point in our lives, adoption was not on our radar, but God was in the making of an incredible testimony for our soon-to-be daughter.  Katie, along with many generous people (80%  from AL) raised the nearly $15,000 for Huahua to have her life saving surgery in China.  So of course Katie became family.  This summer we were able to spend five wonderful days getting to know "Aunt" Katie!

Katie and Huahua April 2012.  Huahua was 13 months old.

The kids awaiting her arrival from Alabama at the Dane county airport.  They made signs to welcome her.

Last time Katie held Huahua was in China in Oct 2013!  And she had delivered our care package to her with our pictures in it!  It was the day Huahua learned she was going to have a forever family. Here they are 9 months later on the other side of the world with her new family.  God is soooooo Good!

Some fun times at the pool and park with Aunt Katie.

The boys went to camp this summer for one week.  The girls enjoyed some "quiet" time without them, but when they returned we could clearly tell there was some needed hugs and love to go around the family!

                      Picture of Jackson's cabin mates and leader.

Play hard and crash really hard.  Huahua can't quite make it without a nap all day and Daddy enjoyed this moment when she snuggled in for a nap with him.

So besides the just regular busy stuff of four kids and summer activities,  here's what has been taking up a good chunk of my time!  While we were in the process of adopting Huahua, there was a little boy listed on Lifeline’s website, who I watched daily for his family to find him.  I prayed for him, as the other children on the website and grieved for him, as he never was never matched with a family.  As we visited the orphanage in China, God would have us run into this sweet little boy.  Keep in mind the orphanage has 1500 children at any given time!  After months of prayerful consideration we are pursuing to adopt our son, Nianjie.  He is almost 6 years old and has lived in an orphanage his entire life.  He has orthopedic health needs, which will need to be addressed.  God has walked us through multiple medical procedures with our children and we have complete faith He will continue to provide.  We ask for your continued support in our adoption journey as we bring another orphan out of China and into our home to learn the love of a forever family.  Please pray for his heart, as he is older and has lived many years in a formal survival mode.  Pray for our children as we prepare our home for an additional child.  We have seen such growth and blessings from Huahua’s adoption, as they have learned the real meaning of living out the gospel across the world to represent God’s love.  Please meet our son.

We will continue to keep this blog updated as we move forward with Nianjie's adoption.  The home study is almost complete, so we hope by six months or so we will have him home.  Praying for smooth paperwork trail and God's provisions in the funding of this adoption.

Huahua picking raspberries.

Sisters straight to the heart!

The following pictures are compliments of Katie's photography while she was staying with us.

Monster cookies!!!

.

I know I might be a bit biased, but these two princesses are just stunningly beautiful.

Yep, that's Justin.  Not for the faint at heart.  Do you see my point now why Huahua is not going to race dirt bikes?

Maybe just model the goggles....

Family photo opportunity at the track

Justin (left) and Jackson (right)

She's starting to get the "posing" down.

Justin started taking over Katie's camera and took this nice shot of his brother!

Justin is always photogenic too!

Went for a hike at the State Park with a Natural Stone Bridge.  After the walk, Jordan said "I never got to see the bridge", Apparently we didn't explain the destination point well enough, but she loved the walk through the woods.