Finally... good news instead of bad news

This is the most wonderful news I’ve had in the past 28 months. I feel so blessed!


On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 1:25 PM, wrote:

Hello Sylvie,

Dixie confirms that yes you are on the list and will have a proposal soon. :)

Some Haiti news

Some good news in the adoption world.


16 November 2010

Adoptions are open in Haiti. We are accepting children into the orphanage and accepting dossiers for families to adopt them. This is the first time in several years that we have more children than we do adoptive families waiting to adopt! I realize that since we are only accepting families who meet the 1974 criteria that it is more difficult to find families that meet all of the criteria, but I have faith that there are families for each of these children. Hopefully, after the national elections on 28 November and with the new senators taking office in February, we will see movement on them approving the new adoption law.
We are working hard to get children paper ready for adoption and finding families for each of them. We are sending children and their parents for DNA by the carload, and trying to get them all done as quickly as we can get the parents here.

The adoption process in Haiti in the last 10 years has been a long drawn out process. I am very interested to see how the whole process goes now. I am certain that it will be a bumpy journey getting through the adoption system here in Haiti post-earthquake. But we have to find families for these children, or where do they go? A Haitian orphanage? No, they need families and that is our goal for each and every one.

Container of donations will arrive in Haiti this month!

I spoke to the guy in Fall River NS and he said the container should arrive in Haiti on September 29^th. While reading the GLA Canada site, I came across this post. “CONTAINER number 7 from Canada has just left the warehouse in Fall River NS bound for Haiti. This one contains items donated from Quebec and the Maritimes PLUS some badly needed construction machinery. We say a huge THANK YOU to the hundreds of Canadians who have donated over 300,000 pounds of relief items for Haiti. These containers are being unloaded and the relief supplies being given to needy people NOW! (September) We will be sending one more container from Yarmouth Nova Scotia on September 20th.”   

THANK YOU ALL who donated items, money and helped with the packing. The people in Haiti are still living in tents after all this time and are in desperate need of supplies.

Another baby girl ready to be adopted at GLA

I had to share this blog post. The person writing this blog is a nurse at GLA.


She posted a picture of a 6 month old girl called Darline. Blog post
This precious little girl is ready to get adopted. Like she said “The information from my assessment, together with formal medical and psychological examinations will help our orphanage staff to match this gorgeous baby girl with a family on our waiting list.”

She could end up in our family, with my friend who is also adopting from GLA, a family in France, US... Where ever she goes, I’m sure she’s going to have a good life ahead of her.

Finally! Some adoption news from GLA!

This is what Dixie posted on her blog “I have set at my desk from 7:30 AM until 8 PM trying to get 11 proposals out to waiting adoptive parents, writing letters that I needed to do before I left, and trying to answer a few emails too!”


This is it! Proposals are starting again after the earthquake. I am so happy. 2 weeks ago, I got an email from a girl I got to know through adoption blogs. She is from Alberta and she received a proposal for twin boys. I was so happy to hear that. I knew that Dixie should be just around the corner to announce that she was going to do the same. 8 months has passed since the earthquake and things are starting to move again.

So what those this means for us “11 proposals are being sent out” Well they have about 20 some dossiers at GLA and 11 are being sent out so we might be in the first 11 and if not, there are only 10-15 more to go. I am confident that things are going to start happening for us. Continue to Pray!

SPROUTING!

Last Thursday evening, I went at my cousin’s house and her mom, taught us how to sprout our own vegetables. My aunt has been sprouting for a while now and she just loves it. She orders the organic seeds in bulk online, so I was able to buy the seeds from her. When I left that evening, I was so excited. I am really looking forward to eat my own sprouting in my salads. To start off, I am going to try, red cabbage, lentils, broccoli, garlic, green peas, alfalfa and clover. When I got home, I was so looking forward to start that I woke Victor and explain to him what I was going to do my sprouting and gave him a lesson on the benefits of eating sprouted vegetables. I almost didn’t sleep that night. I wanted to start my sprouting right away. I woke at 5am the next morning to start the soaking on the ones that needed to soak for 12 hrs.

Today I can say that I finished my first batched of sprouts. I was able to add the lentils and green peas in my salad. It was delicious! The rest of them are still in progress.

Update on Haiti

On July 12, 2010, we just hit the 6 months anniversary of the Earthquake. Since the earthquake, there haven’t been many children coming in to the O to be adopted. You would think that more would be coming in now because there are still over 1,200,000 people in Haiti that are still living under tarps and tents.

A few weeks ago, Dixie posted on her blog that parents will have to travel to Haiti 3 times to complete the adoption. On top of that, she mentioned that the Canadian Gov. was considering stopping adoptions in Haiti for 3-6 months. Here is her post “Now parents will be required to come to Haiti 3 times. They will come at the beginning of the process to appear in front of the local Judge, they will have to appear at the Civil Court, and then come at the end of the adoption to take their child home. The law does not require this civil court visit, so now Mrs. Cazimir is making up new rules. The Canadian government is considering stopping adoptions from Haiti for 3 to 6 months because of the adoption process being so disorganized right now.”

I contacted my Province and was told that she has not heard a thing about the Canadian Gov. Suspending adoptions for Haiti. We’ll see what the upcoming weeks are going to bring. In the meantime, I continue to read Dixie’s updates and hope to see more of the new babies coming in... Here is her latest post.

Hot Week

We just finished a week long of high 30 degress. It was a heat wave. Lucky for us, there’s always a breeze in the evening because we live by the ocean. We open the windows in our bedroom and I sleep like a baby. Each day, when I got home from work, I put on my bathing suit and off the beach with the dogs. It’s so much fun to come home from work and be able to go for a nice swim. The water was like walking in a bathtub.

Yesterday, I dropped off the dogs at the daycare. I knew we were going out in the evening and I did not want them to be alone all day and night. When I picked them up, they were tired out! We got home and went for a quick dip at the beach and then they slept like babies. We left for an evening boating with friends. We had a great time. The breeze was even warm after sunset.

I am still off the caffeine! I was 2 weeks yesterday. I am so proud. In 2 weeks, I can honestly say that I only had 2 days my mind was telling me that i needed my cup of coffee.

5 Days today without Caffeine!

I haven’t been updating my blog lately. I’ve been too busy working outside. I am so happy to say that my arrangement that I hired a house cleaner is giving me the time to be outside. I’ve been pretty good a weeding my flowers. It’s not perfect but it better than previous years.

Today is going to be 5 days that I haven’t drank coffee! I am so proud of myself. This is something that I never thought I could do. When I went to Haiti that was one of my biggest concerns... what happens if I don’t have coffee. I had even brought instant coffee in my suitcase in case. When I don’t have my coffee first thing in the morning, I just did not function. I used to have a huge headache and would get cranky. About a month ago, my cousin told me she was going to California to learn how to prepare raw food. She said that she wanted to stop drinking coffee before she leaves because most of the people that would be taking that class would probably be %100 Vegan, Organic... no caffeine type of people. She didn’t want to clash so she challenged herself to not drink coffee for 3 weeks. I honestly thought she was crazy because she loves her coffee like I do. Anyhoo, she did the challenge and is still going at it on her 4th week. I went for lunch with her thinking she would look like hell because he had no caffeine in her body but she was looking good. I got thinking and decided to try it myself. I said I would try it for 1 week and if it came too bad, I would have a sip. So on Friday, June 25th, I left work with my coffee mug filled with coffee but did not drink it. I smelled the aroma of coffee in the car. I drank lots of water during the day to keep me going. I was so proud when I got home that I had worked all day without coffee. Then the weekend came along. I think for some weird reason, it took more will power. I took several naps during the day and did not go to bed late.

My goal is not to stop drinking coffee; however I wanted to prove myself that I could do without. I don’t want to live knowing that I have an addiction. This morning, I woke up and did not even think of my coffee. I don’t have headaches during the day, but I drink lots of water. I can honestly say that I feel good and full of energy. I hope I can continue for a while and then just have an occasional coffee here and there.

Collection for GLA

2 weeks ago, May 22, 2010, we did a collection of donations for God’s Littlest Angel’s in Haiti. When the earthquake hit Haiti January 12, Jeanne, my step-daughters aunt on their mother’s side felt that she needed to do something for the children in Haiti. I probably already said all of this in a previous blog post, but for the ones that don’t know, she decided to start a FB group and get people to donate items for the children. She was collecting them little by little and storing them for now. She didn’t know how or who she was going to send it to but she knows that it would all work out one way or another.

Before we left for our volunteer week at GLA, I had found on GLA website a contact in Halifax that we could bring donations for Haiti and they would have it ship to Haiti. We were all excited because we knew now that we could collect more donations and we would know exactly where it’s going. GLA is so good for their Country. They are not only operating as an orphanage since the earthquake, but they are helping out the nearby villages and tent cities with the supplies that they receive from people like us. Since I’ve planned my trip to Haiti in April, I’ve been collecting donations from coworkers, friends, family and random people that I don’t even know. I usually have a few loads ever week that I pick up after work. I cannot describe the feeling of how honoured I am to be doing this. Every bag I collect is like if I would be receiving a bag of money for my own. I get home all excited with a big smile on my face.

The morning of May 22th, Jeanne, Nicole and I were in the Downeast Plastic parking lot with posters, balloons and pails to collect donations for Haiti. This was the last collection before we start packing the boxes.

The following weekend, we were all back in the storage area sorting the items and filling out the boxes. We had lots of people coming to help us. It was great to see everyone lending a helping hand. I am so proud of my 2 step-daughters. They have been very active in all the activities for helping Haiti. Jeanne was able to get a company, sorry but I don’t remember the name right now. I will add it later when I talk to her. They donated 200 boxes (2cubic) for Haiti. We filled 140 boxes on Saturday May 29th. Since then, I’ve still been collecting items. Westmorland Fisheries in Cap-Pelé is going to donate a trucker to haul the boxes to Halifax. It’s amazing what 1 person can accomplish. Jeanne started this collection and as people got involved, we got more and more donations and people donating their time to make this work.

For the past month, I’ve been busy with the donations and it has kept my mind of the waiting process of our adoption. I think I will continue to collect items. I will be traveling to Haiti for sure in the next while so I will be able to bring more. Haiti will still need our help next year and in 10 years so there is no point of stopping now. This is just the beginning for me. I have finally found something that I am passionate about. I will have Haiti in my heart forever. Every day, I check out GLA blog and FB of the people that I have met in Haiti. I can’t wait to go back and see them.

I even got a package from my good friend Angele who lives in Halifax. She has such a good heart. Thank You Girl!!!!

Training the Dogs 101

I think it’s time again to try and get Sam & George to sleep on their own single bed beside our bed. I’ve been to the chiropractor 5 times and massage therapist 2 times in 2 weeks for my back. When I told my chiropractor that my 2 boxers sleep with me, she said ‘no wonder you wake up every morning with a sore back and neck.’ So I guess for the 5th time, I will try and get them to sleep beside me on a separate bed. I will still be able to touch them with my foot so they might believe that they are actually in my bed. We’ll see.

I have also bought a new pillow and a new duvet comforter so I should be getting a good night sleep tonight.

Good night!

Good old Mondays!!!

Monday! I’ve been having a hard time to like Monday’s lately but somehow, this Monday was awesome. I woke up remembering my dream. I dreamt of my 2 dogs that passed away a few years ago. Gucci and Chubbs. They were Chinese Sharpei. I loved them so much. I cannot compare them to Sam and George because they don’t have the same character at all. Sam and George are always by my side. They always have to be a few feet away from me. Gucci and Chubbs. They were always happy to see us but after a few minutes, they wanted their space. They were so loyal dogs. I miss them very much. When I woke up this morning, I felt that they were with me last night in my dream. It was really comforting.

I got to work and decided to clean my workspace a second time to try and find my Immigration papers. I was at the last pill of paper thinking it was not there and all of a sudden, I pulled it out. I was so happy! The girl beside me did not understand why I was so happy to have found that document. I immediately ran to the scanner to scan a copy to my email and did a paper copy as well. My morning started off so good!

At lunch time, I posted an add on kijiji for house cleaner. I need someone to clean the house next door that we have for rental this summer. I have put my foot down and said that I was not cleaning anything in that house. I tried to get local people and nobody was interested because it’s on Sundays. After a few hours that my add was posted, I received 3 replies. I think I found the right match. They are 2 ladies going back to school and they wanted a part time job for the summer. They didn’t want to do it on Sunday’s but guess what... Money Talks!!! So I will be meeting them sometimes this week for a short interview. She seemed really nice on the phone. So 2nd great thing happening on a Monday!

Got home from work and even cooked a nice veggie lasagna. Cooking on a Monday, that’s usually not happening.

My husband then arrived and said he just loved the great meal. He usually visualize that he is eating meat lasagna LOL! He is always complementing on what I do. I love him so much. So for the past few months’ I’ve been bugging him to put plastic on 2 holes in our walking closet. Its suppose to be 2 cubby holes to store stuff and have a door but it’s not finished and I hate the smell of insulation... I always say that it smells like a barn. He’s always telling me to remind him tomorrow and he will do it but then he gets caught up doing something else. So today, I decided to bring it up a supper time. Without telling me, he got up and went to put some plastic to cover the holes. When I got up I thanked him and asked him at the same time if he removed my shoes before he screwed the boards and plastic. Well as you can imagine, I will not be putting on my fancy pink shoes this summer! I will not try and undo his work because ... well just because. I guess another great thing happened on this great Monday, I will be able to go buy another pair of shoes. I can still see them but just won't be able to wear them.

I really like myself today...

I’m going to say it like it is… The only adoption paper work that I was told not to LOSE is our Immigration papers we received. Guess what I can’t find? I have copies and backup of all my adoption paper work except... Immigration paperwork.

I am praying to my angels since yesterday to find the brown envelop that I received it in. I cleaned out all our mail from every corner of the house yesterday and did not find it. I checked at work and my bags... nothing.

So what to do next... do I call Immigration Canada and tell them that I lost my client Id and files that I was not suppose to lose? You tell me.

Adoption news from GLA

On my way home from work today, I stopped at the mailbox and by my surprise, there was a letter from GLA. As soon as I got home, I opened it and found all kinds of pictures on an 8 page newsletter.

In the news letter, they had:

• Pictures of the children that left after the earthquake and are now home with their Forever Families.
• Pictures of volunteers and found ours in the page!!! It brought back so many memories.
• Pictures of “Children Here for Adoption”!!! I was so excited to see those words. As soon as I scanned the pictures, I saw my little princess, Wislande. There she was with her big smile. It says on the picture that she was born on June 9th, 2009. Nadége , a little baby girl that we were able to see when we were there is available as well for adoption.
• In the Adoption news section, Dixie stated “Starting June 15, I will be proposing children again to families on our waiting list. Waiting until June will give the Haitian government 6 months to get up and running.”

 June 15th is my Birthday so it’s going to be a positive start on the referrals!!! There is approximately 20 files waiting on the list for children and 10 children are currently available. By the time Dixie is back from Europe, I’m sure there will be more for adoption.

*************************************************

This Saturday, we are having a collection fundraiser for GLA in my hometown Cap-Pelé. I already have my trunk full and part of our garage so I’m sure we will be able to fill out the container that will be leaving Halifax in June.

Cleaning or Gardeing???

So I officially gave up cleaning my house. Well actually, my step-daughter was cleaning ever week for me and she now has a job for the summer so she won’t be able to come... and she will have her own money so she told me she will have to stop. What to do now? I hate cleaning so I decided to start gardening and that will be my excuse to hire someone else to clean my house because I just don’t have time to do everything. I hope it works LOL!

I actually started weeding one of my flower beds yesterday but realized that I was not equipped with the right tools. Its suppose to be really nice this weekend so I might go buy lots of gardening tools, plants, and decorations and just start Gardening!!!!

This evening, I went to Home Hardware to buy bird feeders. My dad used to have all kinds of birdfeeders at home and every time we visited, I was fascinated by all the different birds. I’m going to try to attract them at my place now. I managed to put up 2 feeders so we’ll see if they come and eat.

Article on my trip to Haiti

Last week, my work wrote an article on my trip to Haiti. I thought I would share the story.

Sylvie Cormier’s life-changing trip to Haiti
A journey to lend a helping hand gives ACOA IT specialist a new outlook on life and renewed hope. Sylvie Cormier volunteers at God’s Littlest Angels, a Haitian orphanage.

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January, Sylvie Cormier was particularly moved.

The young client support specialist with ACOA HO’s CIOD department, who developed a special attachment to the country during previous travels, was in the middle of an adoption process with an orphanage in Haiti, and the news really hit home.

Sylvie and her husband decided just over two years ago that they wanted to adopt internationally, and had their hearts set on Haiti. “At that time, we spoke with the province of NB, and they encouraged us to look at adopting from other countries where the process was going smoothly at that time, and we followed their advice. But when our initial adoption agency in Ghana went bankrupt, we knew the right thing to do was follow our gut feeling, and start a new process in Haiti,” Sylvie says.

“The adoption process is very arduous, and I had just gotten the news that our file had moved through another step, when the earthquake shook Haiti,” she remembers. “That’s when I decided I had to fight for my dreams, and do everything I could to help make a difference. When I put my mind to something, I give it my all.”

Sylvie decided to help out first-hand by going to the orphanage in Haiti where her new adoption Agency was working. The orphanage, located in Petionville, which is outside of the disaster zone remained intact, and is now making every effort to help the country get back on its feet.

“Those efforts I knew were taking place in Haiti really kept me going here in Canada. I felt so much for these people. I was glued to the television watching the news night after night, it was quite hard to focus on anything else, and there were mornings where I was physically ill with worry,” she shares.

“One morning, I was struggling to get out from under the covers when the phone rang. I answered and… It was Shawn Graham, the premier of New Brunswick. I realized that it was a wrong number, but took the opportunity to chat with him about my adoption file which was now tied up in reviews at the provincial levels,” she continues.

“Mr. Graham told me that he and his wife had thought of adopting prior to his political career. He was very empathetic, and put me in touch with someone with the provincial government. They were very helpful and after some discussions, I managed to make arrangements to deliver my file to the adoption agency in Haiti in person.”

With a contact on the ground, and news that her adoption file would keep moving, Sylvie got to work canvassing her community for donations she could bring to Haiti. With the help of doctors and pharmacies, she was able to collect medication that wasn’t available in Haiti because of the earthquake, as well as other much needed goods.

The campaign was so successful that she and her family (who went with her to volunteer in April) filled seven suitcases, along with $3,000 in donations, for Haiti Relief – and are organizing a collection on May 22nd in Cap Pelé, New-Brunswick and are aiming to ship another container out to the orphanage which will be distributing additional goods to needy families in Haiti at the end of the month. Contact Sylvie to find out how you can help!

“I was so glad that I could help out! The response was overwhelming. There were containers clearing customs while we were there so we didn’t get to make up kits to hand out, but the orphanage’s blog keeps me posted – I just found out that the container was released and they are now working on distributing packages,” she smiles.

Sylvie proudly hand delivers her voluminous adoption file to the orphanage in Haiti.

“What I really liked about my visit to Haiti was seeing first-hand all the work that the orphanage is doing in the Haitian community. The sense of community is very strong there. Now I know that the efforts I put in are really helping people.”

And her adoption file? “I gave it to the orphanage’s director in person. It was a wonderful feeling! I am in the system now, and know that my application is being processed. It’s truly a gift. There are so many children in the world who need loving parents, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do my part.”

Tent cities like this one still exist everywhere in Port au Prince, but Sylvie says that amidst the tragedy, Haitians are still cheerful and full of hope. Her adventure has left her with a new outlook on life.

Sylvie says: “You go to these countries and you think you are helping them, teaching them something, but I was the one who learned something. The way people live in Haiti is amazing. Through the tragedy, they are cheerful, they are hopeful. They live for the moment, and have faith that things will turn out in the end. It’s truly inspiring.”

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I want to wish all the mothers a happy mother’s day! There are so many kinds of mothers out there that we just can’t forget them. I would like to honour 2 special mothers on this beautiful day.

My Mom: for being there for me all my life. At the age of 32, I still need her as much as I did when I was young. She has given her 200% all her life to us and still is. She is loving, warm and carrying person. God has given me the best mother of all. I love her and I will always have her close to my heart.

Bernice: This wonderful mother has left us a few years ago. She however, left us with her beautiful daughters. I am very fortunate and blessed to be Nicole and Renée’s step-mom. She made the job so easy for me. They are the most well behaved and loving girls one could ever imagine.

Love you both very much xoxoxoxo

This is pictures of this years mothers day. My mom came to our place to have lobser with her sister, Nella and friends. Every Sunday, they go somewhere to eat and have fun. I am so fortunate to know that my mom is not staying home and doing nothing. She is enjoying her life!

Old childhood memories coming back to life after 20 years !!!!

Who would have known that old childhood games would come and hunt us 20 years later LOL



Well I don’t know if my dad is trying to be remembered on this weakened of Mothers day... but he is remembered alright. My husband and I don’t normally go out on dates, but today, we made a special occasion and decided to go for a HotStone massage. This was his birthday gift for February. We then went for a nice supper. We were on our way home and made a pit stop to Wal-Mart. I was in line at the cash and my cell rang. It was my mom. If you don’t know my mom, well I am nothing like her. When I tell stories, you know right away if it’s something good or bad. When you listen to her stories, you have to wait till the end to figure out if its life threatening or not... Anyways to go on with my story, my mom started by saying that she had to call 911 because she found a hand grenade while cleaning the leaves in the yard. She said there are 2 cop cars blocking both drive ways as we speak. The police officers had to drive to Gagetown (2 hr drive from Memramcook) to get the proper SWATT suites to enter the house and investigate the “hand grenade” She then explained to me that this all started early this week. She was cleaning in the yard and found this little brownish object bellow a tree. She took it in her hands and brought it inside. Never told anyone or even mentioned it to me on the phone. Today, my uncle came over to see my mom and she decided to show him the little treasure she found. When he saw that, he immediately told her what it was and told her to call the police right away. So they did. She then decided to call me after the fact. As soon as she told me the whole story, I explained to her that our dad used to bring us to a store in Memramcook called the “War Surplus”. We used to buy all kinds of war items and play war and ninjas. Growing up in the 80’s we did not play online games, we were the game LOL. We even had the camouflage makeup and the clothing. To my knowledge, we had GRENADES!!! When I told that to my mom, she was shocked. She did not believe me. She said that this particular grenade had the little pin on it. I did not remember if the ones we played with had the pin or not. I immediately called my brother in Edmonton to confirm our story and as soon as I told him he said, finally, I looked for that grenade for so long. I thought I had lost it in the woods. Well what a surprise!!! My dad mowed the lawn for the past 20 years and never did he come across the grenade. This is really funny now. My brother explained to me that at the WarSurpluse, they sell old war items. For example, the grenades that we had were used in war or at army bases for practices but they were all clean up and re-sold with the pin but nothing in it to explode. My mom drove back to the house to tell the story to the police, but they told her they still have to do a proper investigation. Only in Memramcook would you find that kind of excitement LOL! Around midnight, they called my mom to let her know it was safe to go back home. They found the whole beneath the grenade. So it was a real one, but just a souvenir! I’m sure that my dad is laughing right now. He always liked to tease and have fun. Well I guess he wanted to remind my mom of the good old days on this Mother’s Day Weekend!

NB vs Haiti !!! Its a no brainer

All I can say today is that I WANT TO BE IN HAITI! Today was very difficult to concentrate on anything else but Haiti. I read Dixie’s blog on the distribution to Kenscoff and I just want to be there. It’s no longer only about getting Kyanna home; it’s about going back to Haiti. I feel so honoured to have had the privilege of spending a week in a place that I can call home. It’s weird to say that because I’ve only spent 1 week there, but that how great the people at the orphanage and at the guest house made me feel. I’ve learned the importance of what life is all about. I just can’t seem to get that same feeling home. We are so much on a high pace life. I am trying to back off but I find myself stressing for the small stuff. I guess living in this part of the world, this is what we call being normal. I hope I can one day wake up and stop sweating the small stuff!!!


http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/andlifegoeson/

Tom posted an interesting article as well on adoptions. Its soooo true.... http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/2010/05/06/statistically-speaking-the-case-for-adoption-from-haiti/

Went for a ride in the car to calm my dogs... what's next?

Today was a low energy day for me. I could not seem to be able to motivate myself. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been going jogging outside instead of going to the gym. I find that it gives me more energy. Well today was a different story, it was windy, cloudy and rainy. I dragged myself to the gym and was able to do a little workout but at the end I gave up and did a good 20 minutes of stretches. I love to stretch!


When I got home, Sam and George were waiting for their usually run on the beach but mommy was not feeling like it. I tried to make them forget about it but around 7pm, they were not letting me sit and relax. Sam was barking at me and even jumping on the chair with me. Those 2 girls need attention. I never thought I would do this... I kind of laugh at myself when I left but I went and did it. I grabbed my car keys and brought them for a drive to calm them. I always found it funny when parents told me that the only way to get their child to sleep was to go for a drive. I don’t even have my girl home and I am already doing it LOL! Now I have the rest of the evening to myself. Sam is lying beside the woodstove and George is sleeping beside me on the sofa. Relax time for me with a good book and a cup of tea!

Oh and for adoption news, I received our Immigration papers in the mail for Kyanna so as soon as we can be matched with our little princess, we can send the info to Customs and Immigration Canada.

WE ARE THE WORLD!

On my lunch break at work, I went jogging on the trail that runs along the side of the Chocolate River. It was a fun and peaceful hour! When I got close to work, I found a nice spot to do my stretches and the song, We Are The Word was playing on my IPhone. This is the old version, the one that Michael Jackson and Tina Turner are in. To tell you the truth, I have not watched the video of the new version they did for Haiti. I was too emotional for me at the time. After listening to the old version I think I am ready to see it now. I will Google it tonight when I get home.
The words in the song got me thinking...

I wanted to just copy a few lines of the songs to show how the devastating earthquake in Haiti changed my life forever on January 12, however the words are all true and its all how I feel. I guess I can say that I was probably naive and selfish before. This trip to Haiti changed the way I see people, things, and life. I’m not saying that I was a bad person before, but just seeing things on the Internet or on CNN is not the same. I drove in a SUV from the airport in PAP to Pétion-Ville up in the Mountains. We saw fields of tents and tarps on each side of the roads in the city. The earthquake hit more than 3 months ago and they still have nothing. When we got to the Orphanage, John, Dixie’s husband was telling us that they got 3 or 4 containers full of donations that are stuck at Customs in PAP. The Gov. is putting red tap on the donations and want to charge tax... I don’t really know all the details but it’s not good. GLA, from the goodness of their hearts, they are doing everything they can to help out. They are receiving donations all over the world from people like us. They are trying to “lend a hand to life”. On top of trying to run the orphanage, they are helping the nearby villages with all the donations they are collecting. Here is the link to the stories of one of the journeys of Tent City Ministry. THEY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Well for me, it changed who I am today and who I want to be in the future. I have a new perspective on life in general. We have to be thankful everyday for being alive and healthy. We take things for granted too much. I made a commitment to myself that I will not live a life that I don’t like. I am going to be making choices that will make me a better and happy person. I will not make room for negativity. If I do fall off the wagon, I sure hope that I will be able to realize on my own that I have to make some changes to reflect the good. I am as well, making a commitment that Haiti will always be a part of me and even after our adoption is completed, I still want to contribute my effort and time to them. If I,” one person can do it”, so can everyone “The world must come together as one”

Here are the lyrics of the song for a reminder to everyone.

There comes a time
When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

Missing my little princess so much!

I thought I would be calmer after my trip to Haiti but I guess I’m worst than ever. I went to the post office the other day to mail the cheques that I received for donations for GLA. I had to send them to the office in Alberta. Since that day, I can no longer find my husband’s pay cheque. I looked everywhere and it’s nowhere to be found and it’s not in our bank account. I got thinking and maybe I added the cheque with the rest of the donations... So I emailed the girl in Alberta today to let her know that I sent her some donation cheques along with my husband’s cheque. I checked my emails this evening and she replied back that she will let me know when she receives the letter. I felt really smart LOL! I guess I have to get my life back on track. If anyone knows how to do that, let me know because I certainly don’t have a clue how!


I was looking at my picture again this evening and I just could not stop looking at Wislande’s pictures. I miss her so much. That smile on her face was just priceless. I think I am just realizing now that I am back home and no longer there with her. I am praying so hard that it won’t be the last time I see her. I really connected with that sweet little girl.

Back home with my loving Family!

Having slept on 4 chairs lined up at the Toronto airport Wed evening, I was a total mess on Thursday when I got home. It felt so good to see Victor standing at the airport waiting for me. I missed him so much during my journey in Haiti.

This is the first time that I traveled and was not feeling good in the plane because of my cold. I thought my head was going to exploded and my ears. I know what they mean now when they say, don’t fly when you are sick. All day Thursday, my ears were popping and they were hurting. Friday morning I was not feeling good. My ears are still hurting bad. I stayed home from work and slept till noon. Woke up and felt worst. This is not fun!

I got dressed and went to the bank to make the down payment for the adoption. I wired transferred the money to Colorado! Another step accomplished!

Miami pit stop

Day 9, April 13, 2010

I woke up to the sound of waves in Miami Beach. This feels more like home. I got up before everyone else and went for a nice jog on the beach. It was really peaceful but made me feel home sick. I know I still have 2 days left before I get to see the rest of my family. Thank god Nicole was with me because I would have probably been home sick way before now. We went to the buffet at the hotel for breakfast. It was really good. We had fresh fruits, omelettes and all kind of cheese.

After we ate, we relaxed by the pool and the beach. It was a really hot day. The water in the pool was actually warm. For supper, we took a cab to Lincoln Rd and had a nice Mexican supper on Espanola Way and then browsed the stores.

Don't want to leave this beautiful place!

Day 8, April 12, 2010

This is our last morning in Haiti. We woke up and packed our suitcases. We then came downstairs to have our breakfast. It was hard to believe that we were really leaving. We left 3 suitcases behind with them. We said our good byes to Nikki and the girls because we would not see them when Brandon would pick us up to go to the airport. I took down their mailing address and phone number in Haiti. When we got to the orphanage, I didn’t want this to be my last day but I know that I will be back soon with my husband. I want him to experience this with me. We went up for one last time to play with the children. I brought my little princess, Wislande! It was a peaceful morning, overlooking the mountains and the fresh air. We came down for lunch and ate rice, bean pure, some kind of veggie sticks bread and the rest of the cake from Sunday. We said good bye to everyone. To be honest, I was not a sad as I thought I would be. I am really holding it together. I am really impressed. I think it’s because I talked to Victor last night and he said he can’t wait for us to come home. I do miss my Victor, Renée and my funny farm. We still have 3 days before we get to see them but at least I am on my way there. This is the first time that I have been away from Victor for so long. I miss him very much.

Brandon came and picked us up at 12:30. He drove us to a coffee shop in the city. It was really Americanized. I had a cappuccino and it was delicious. John, his adoptive son from Haiti came to say bye. He was supposed to have started school today but because he did not have his uniform, he will only start tomorrow. I bought a few books for Kyanna, some are in French and some in Creole. We then took a little detour to pass in front of their house in the city. The house is in a nice area. I am really glad that Brandon drove us to the airport because we got to see more of how the Haitian is living after the earthquake. In the mountains, it did not seem to have disturbed too much, but we were able to see with our own eyes, the destruction of the earthquake. The tent cities are in every corner. When we said our good bye’s to Brandon, he said I know I will see you back. We passed through 3 security belt for our luggage. One before we got our boarding passes, one right after and then we went up the stairs and had to do it again. It was weird but... whatever!

Well, this is it for my first Haitian trip! I am sitting next to Jeanne in the plane, flight AA 1908. We are headed for Miami for a few days of beach. It’s funny how I thought we would be so messed up after this trip and we are going home with a smile on our faces. The Haitian people are making the most of what they have and they appreciate life.

I am now sitting in my room in Miami Beach. We are staying at the Four Point Sheraton. We even got upgraded to an ocean front room. It’s really nice. It felt good to take a nice shower.

Church Day

Day 7, April 11, 2010,

This morning we woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. We were sitting on the balcony and Nikki came with coffee in her hands. We did ballet with the girls before we headed out to church. Sunday is a day of rest in Haiti. Canada, its Costco Day! We relaxed till about 10 am and then we headed to the priest house for church. Another spectacular view to see.

After church, everyone went back to the Main House for lunch. We had rice and beans of course, steamed vegetable, bread and a fruits cup up in a liquid. The fruits were so good but I was eating it with my fork. I think Dixie saw me drooling over it so she told me it was ok to drink from the bowl to get all the juice LOL! So I did!!! Nikki had made a supper good cake for lunch. It was white but filled with chocolate on top. Because it’s Sunday, we were not on the schedule with the children so right after my lunch, I hurried to go up and see my little princess. She was eating her lunch and stopped when she saw me. She came in my arms right away. I just sat in the middle of the floor where all the beds are and, Michnaud, Big Gerry, and 3 others came and played with me. They did not cry at all. I was playing and giving them all attention. They all had big smiles on their faces. When I left the room, they all just looked at me and waved good bye.

When we got back to the guest house with the Jordan’s, Melissa called to see if we wanted to go for a hick in the woods. Nicole, Daniel, Nikki and I went. We were about 10 that went. We have fun but was it ever a workout. We were walking by the Haitian doing their everyday thing. Some were working in gardens, some selling stuff and others just hanging around. Each time we passed by Haitians, they say bonjour or bonsoir. They are all really friendly. I had no fear at all walking those villages’ streets. While we were getting in the woods, the river started flowing and we saw 2 Haitian taking a bath. When we got to the water fall, the view was just breath taken. The air was so pure.

For supper we had tuna sandwiches and chips. On Sunday evenings, nobody cooks. Its relax time. We watched Princess and the Frog while Nikki gave us pedicures. She said she likes doing them. It was just like being at the Spa! It’s really hard to imagine that tonight is our last night here. I know that it won’t be my last but for this time around it is. We really connected with the Jordan’s and its going to be hard to leave tomorrow. Brandon asked Dixie if it was ok for him to bring us to the airport tomorrow and she said yes. They ‘all going to bring us to a coffee shop down where they used to live in the city. I’m glad because we did not really get to see any of that yet. We were so far from the hustle and bustle.

Right now, I am sitting in our room listening to the rain fall. Rainy season just started and there lighting and thunder. Oh and yesterday just before supper time, there was a small tremor. Jeanne felt it but the rest of us didn’t. It’s really weird because we only found out today and last night I had a dream that my little princess was in Canada and I was trying to get her paper work to adopt her. In all that I dreamt that there was an earthquake... When the workers told us today that they felt the earth shake yesterday I suddenly thought of my dream.

I don’t think I mentioned this yet, but every day or night, the power goes. When the power goes out, the batteries kick in. When the power goes back out, they have to plug the generator in case it would be out for a long period of time. It’s quite the system. Just heating up a cup of water in the microwave can cause the batteries to die. It’s sad to see how we take things for granted in Canada. We don’t even realize how much energy we consume in a day. Here, in Haiti, you have to think twice before making a cup of tea or using the toaster.

Another think I forgot to mention is that I got a cold! All the children had runny noses, fevers all week and I’ve been kissing them all week. I should have been smarter than that but then again, if I was able to give them love and comfort, it’s worth being sick for a few days. It won’t kill me.

Tomorrow is going to be a very difficult day. I really want to get home to my dear husband that I miss dearly but at the same time I don’t want to leave this beautiful place. We’ll be with the children till noon and them Nikki and Brandon are going to pick us up. Miami for 2 days and I would rather stay here the extra days.