Only 16 more hours....

.....and John will be on his way to VN to get Rylea!!!  He should have her in his arms our time Sunday night!!!  I'll be posting pics to Rylea's site.  If you want to follow, leave a comment or send me an email with your address.

WOO HOO!!!!!

What we did!

I have gotten quite a few private emails this evening about our experience this morning, so I wanted to share what we did.  We did leave right away!!!  We went back to the gym to pick up 4 very confused kids!!  By that time I was crying.  I felt as though we had been *kicked out*!!! Who gets *kicked out* of a CHURCH???  I was still crying when we passed back by the sanctuary and the gentleman that asked us to leave the sanctuary told me to *Have a nice day*!!!!  I wanted to PUNCH him.  LOL  I was totally humiliated and felt discriminated against!  We definitely will NOT be going back to that church!  

Thanks for all the comments and thoughts!!!

What would you do???

We are looking for a new church.  This morning we wanted (ok, I wanted) to try a church near our home.  We arrived and went into the sanctuary.  We were promptly escorted out and asked to take the little kids to the children's worship service.  Normally we keep them with us until we decide we want to attend the church we are visiting.  However, we took them to the registration desk and got temporary tags and directions to the gym.  We also had to assure them several times that Kaylea is 8 and should be with the other kids.  So, we arrive at the gym and register them there as well.  We ask about a class for high schoolers and are assured the sermon is appropriate for the 2 high schoolers!  We arrive back at the sanctuary and are then escorted to the *wiggles and giggles* room because we have Rubea.  Well, Rubea LOVES church and will sit nicely and listen or play quietly in my lap, since we of course forgot her wheelchair.  We find a seat on a bench that is just big enough for the 4 of us and sit down.  We make it through about 5 minutes of sitting in there.  It was HOT and LOUD!!!  I do not enjoy such chaos!!  I know, I have all these kids and can't deal with chaos.  I can deal with chaos in my home with my kids, but not during church.  :-)  Sorry, just being honest.  The downstairs is packed so we decided to head upstairs.  We are up there about 10 minutes and several ushers passed us, looked at us and kept going.  Finally, an usher comes and kneels beside me and tells me that the *Pastors* require them to send us to the *wiggles and giggles* room or take the kids to the nursery!  Of course he comments on how well behaved my baby is during this conversation.  I tell him the *room* is full and hot and that I will not be leaving her in the nursery.  He wants to know why I am opposed to the nursery and I tell him she is disabled.  Oh, that is a shame he tells me!!!!!  However, I must go sit with her in the nursery, go sit in the *room* where there are now no more seats, or leave!!!!!  What would you have done????

Blessings!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

We are truly blessed to be celebrating the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, with family and friends!  Wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas!!

Love,

The Lamberts

John, Carla, Marissa,

Johnathan, Emilea, Jackson,

Ethan, Kaylea, Owen, Rubea &

Rylea (home 1/15)

Where I have been.....

Roses from Liz for our adoption day!!  So sweet!!!!

Playing in the sandbox
So busy "working",  she is drooling!
Working with her occupational therapist
Kissing Rylea!!

Busy.  I have been busy!  We had court on Monday to finalize Jackson's adoption, Rubea's re-adoption and Owen's adoption recognition!  We are thrilled that we were able to accomplish ALL three in one court date!  Our attorney is a gem!!  We sent her all the paperwork the week of Thanksgiving!!  I couldn't believe she got us in so quickly!

Next...guess who can *army crawl* now???  YUP!!  Rubea!  I am so proud of her!!!!  I'm hoping she will try to explore on her own, now.  Her p/t told me today the next step will be teaching her to get in and out of her bed on her own!!  Guess that means she'll be moving out of ours and getting a toddler bed to replace her crib!!  I think one step at a time.  First she has to go to bed without mommy or daddy!  lol

I also decided that since it is getting cooler here, I would rearrange Rubea's playroom and bring the sand box in the house!  Rubea is in heaven!!!  She has a blast in the sand box.  Because she can sit in there unassisted and play with both hands, she has a great time playing for hours.  It is good therapy for her, too.  I am hoping it will help to strengthen her arms and back.  

Oh!  And...trying to get all the trip arrangements for John to travel to VN to get Miss Rylea.

It looks like he will be leaving on the 2nd of January and returning the 15th!!  WOO HOO!!!! 

He should get her on the 5th!  

He will be missing a surgery, many doctor appointments (finally going to Scottish Rite in Dallas), our anniversary and most likely some puking and runny noses!!  He got the easy job!! 

We are truly blessed!!!!

Drum Roll, Please.....

                                               RYLEA IS COMING HOME!!!!

The Giving and Receiving Ceremony, which is where she officially becomes ours, will be on January 5th.  John will leave on or about the 1st.  We have been told that he must be in country by the 3rd. They will return home on the 14th or 15th!!  We are bummed that she will not be home for Christmas as previously mentioned, but are THRILLED that she is coming home sooner than we expected!!  We didn't expect our I-600 approval until after the first of the year! Thankfully there are 2 other families traveling at the same time to her orphanage.  So, John will not be alone.  At last our Rylea Faith is coming home forever!!!  We are hoping to get new pictures before we travel, too!!!  God is GOOD!  Thanks for all the prayers, comments and emails of good wishes!

Love,

John, Carla, Marissa, Johnathan,

Emilea, Jackson, Ethan, Kaylea, Owen,

Rylea & Rubea

MORE NEWS!!!!

We got word tonight that we have our pre-approval of our I-600, which means we can travel to VN!!!!  We are unsure at this time when our G & R ceremony will be, but maybe as early as next week!!!  Hopefully we can pull this all together by then....

Stay tuned!!!!!

We are on our way Rylea!!!!!