tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88198323781778899872024-02-07T22:06:27.967-08:00Uganda JourneyFrazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-14293111573407372192009-05-18T14:05:00.000-07:002009-05-18T14:05:14.148-07:00<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DhXVFBEk8j7wsXyyVJTQWk9JxDDuF7mfy_2r0HW7rfnu2GSqc-gm63zymWp-rK3DGMVGNes3J41sa6KjITlUfBayuEFtXXY9su4et7xJInZDdE_YYKGcju6edglH3rNEu56if4eLnKA3/s1600-h/IMG_0095.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DhXVFBEk8j7wsXyyVJTQWk9JxDDuF7mfy_2r0HW7rfnu2GSqc-gm63zymWp-rK3DGMVGNes3J41sa6KjITlUfBayuEFtXXY9su4et7xJInZDdE_YYKGcju6edglH3rNEu56if4eLnKA3/s320/IMG_0095.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-67207430797594607422009-05-18T14:04:00.000-07:002009-05-18T14:04:41.251-07:00<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38x57XJ7xWMglfT0fguBe8KA8tilNx5mHEsHeIA2kXRc5O8O6hqLzRwXAtworKZXO0JF2f-LHe7YKLlLJBUSjjKv95BcrJ49E025jqihWCmVpvLGO3WH_lVts8sBs7uzMrEro5Q9EOF7R/s1600-h/IMG_0056.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38x57XJ7xWMglfT0fguBe8KA8tilNx5mHEsHeIA2kXRc5O8O6hqLzRwXAtworKZXO0JF2f-LHe7YKLlLJBUSjjKv95BcrJ49E025jqihWCmVpvLGO3WH_lVts8sBs7uzMrEro5Q9EOF7R/s320/IMG_0056.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-47466049707126086832009-05-18T14:03:00.000-07:002009-05-18T14:03:57.382-07:00<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6ij1y7QoYJsNx6UnxCj_phQtQQIF1LP4rgx0BjbcN6Y3sjnaDNDAmN2OuHg6ARrjDiizaqPugMSqfSIvsHSz_D35K0mv_-LjG_Mv4tKblPecV00LgUjW9uCqS7KXq7Ipzsez5GW3sgu8/s1600-h/IMG_0039.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6ij1y7QoYJsNx6UnxCj_phQtQQIF1LP4rgx0BjbcN6Y3sjnaDNDAmN2OuHg6ARrjDiizaqPugMSqfSIvsHSz_D35K0mv_-LjG_Mv4tKblPecV00LgUjW9uCqS7KXq7Ipzsez5GW3sgu8/s320/IMG_0039.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-37400083014946289522009-05-18T13:44:00.000-07:002009-05-18T13:59:32.940-07:00One Year Ago....I cannot believe that we left for Uganda a year ago. We met Masey for the first time one year ago yesterday. The time has flown by and to be honest I am really glad to be through with those first few months. She is now a happy, vibrant, very strong-willed, chatty little two-year old. Her language is amazing and she loves to talk all the time about how she feels such as "I am happy now mom, I'm not crying." She also says things like "I don't know how to say that word" when asked what something is that she doesn't know the word for. She is a great little sister and though they bug eachother a lot, she and Kaya are best friends and one of my greatest joys comes from seeing them play together. I don't know what Kaya ever did without her. We still deal with jealousy and fighting over mom but great strides have been made. She is very healthy now and other than some extensive dental work, we haven't been to the doctor for quite some time. We will continue to have her knee checked every few months. It is straightening great and she can run and jump and only very occasionally has any sort of a limp. My gratitude for Western medicine cannot fully be expressed. People have been wonderful and very supportive through this whole process and we have been lucky to only deal with a few ignorant comments every now and then. We are thankful beyond measure that we were able to expand our family through adoption.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-25230158853838876672009-02-22T18:09:00.000-08:002009-02-22T18:09:12.500-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRSvWU6mwq6ap_H9g6EyVsMWCAD_NzrqpEoR5uKGBWiYbYn2cI4oE1bkHLLYOnQtYV02NmxWBxrv1Pg9DL5XqpDYNuJsAcJURPbr5rS6CA7WowEEFRtUotltL9xLEayFIWlwSWFveNTo7/s1600-h/IMGP1102.jpg"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRSvWU6mwq6ap_H9g6EyVsMWCAD_NzrqpEoR5uKGBWiYbYn2cI4oE1bkHLLYOnQtYV02NmxWBxrv1Pg9DL5XqpDYNuJsAcJURPbr5rS6CA7WowEEFRtUotltL9xLEayFIWlwSWFveNTo7/s320/IMGP1102.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:RIGHT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-71743876156147396012009-02-22T18:04:00.000-08:002009-02-22T18:04:31.012-08:00Finally, here's some pictures of the cuties!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcc8qPqVAKLeASvUVG0ldXXRLm-_BtxLtZFbsh-EqPqKeJarym2zAr8IKE4XxROCq4tWjW3YwojLCeQATMAC_qmB-7WjW17oXSajmVQk3lXgxqYnrd5vvZyloFSiQJvhk8LRXq6JCYNpDS/s1600-h/IMGP1183-1.jpg"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcc8qPqVAKLeASvUVG0ldXXRLm-_BtxLtZFbsh-EqPqKeJarym2zAr8IKE4XxROCq4tWjW3YwojLCeQATMAC_qmB-7WjW17oXSajmVQk3lXgxqYnrd5vvZyloFSiQJvhk8LRXq6JCYNpDS/s320/IMGP1183-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:RIGHT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-73759213391106971872009-02-17T20:49:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:02:31.152-08:00figuring it outKaya in the tub : "Mom, I think my skin is turning a little bit brown"<br />Kaya two minutes later: "Mom, was Masey's skin black in Uganda?"<br />I find comments like that so adorable. Kaya has never mentioned that Masey's skin is black except one previous time before this when she just randomly in the car said that she wished she had brown skin like Masey's. I always explain how Heavely Father makes us all different colors and that Masey's tummy mom had black skin and so she does too. On the first day of preschool, I was talking to her teacher who told me that she immediately was drawn to a black little girl in her preschool class and wanted to play with her and sit by her. Another time, she went to a birthday party and again sought out the only African American child in the group. Later she told me that Masey would have liked to have been friends with that girl. When I asked why, she just smiled and said I don't know. I love the innocence of children and find it incredibally sad that intolerance is fostered by adults and passed on to their kids. How much more peaceful and loving would our world be if we viewed skin color through the eyes of a 3 year old?Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-18260464811135422142009-01-25T08:22:00.001-08:002009-01-25T08:55:49.895-08:00AdjustmentI've been wanting for some time to write about the various adjustments we have gone through following the adoption. Maybe it's being a psychologist, but I find it pretty fascinating and it was one of my biggest concerns with adopting a child. The most difficult part for all of us was leaving Kaya for such an extended period of time. I was only gone for 10 days but Derrick was gone for 5 weeks. Not easy for a little sweetie who is use to having her mom and dad around all the time. I would say that Kaya had almost as much difficulty adjusting as Masey. She started throwing tantrums the day after I got home. She would just go into a rage over something little. She was never a tantrum thrower before thank heavens. Several times I would just hold her after she calmed down and she would cry and cry until she fell asleep. Very, very sad for me. I think she could also feel my stress over the situation and didn't understand why dad wasn't coming home.<br />She became extremely clingy to me and wouldn't let me out of her sight. She would want to retrace steps like going back up the stairs to help her down them even if I was already at the bottom or going back to the car if I hadn't walked her into the house. This continued long after Derrick came home and it took some time to rebuild the close relationship that they had. She is still a very mommy clingy girl but no more than before now :) One thing that I have loved is that Masey has always been an extremely loving girl with me. I was always petrified of having a child with RAD so this has been quite a relief. She and I bonded quickly in Africa and she immediately took to me once she came home. A little too much... She is my little shadow and for some time viewed Kaya as competition to that. She also displayed very typical attachment issues for a toddler. While in the hospital, she would want random people to hold her. Someone would walk in the room and she would hold out her arms to them. She became overwhelmed in the first few weeks if we went places with lots of people. She cried a lot and couldn't stand for me to be out of her sight. I think her being so sick in Uganda and then in the hospital and having surgeries here compounded the difficulty of the situation. One of the hardest parts for all of us has been that she became so attached to me and very unattached to Derrick. I really believe that she viewed Derrick as someone who takes her away from people she loves. He was the one who had to be with her during all the horrible medical stuff in Uganda and then he took her from Africa and brought her to a completely new life. She would have a panic response if I tried to hand her to Derrick. She would cling to me and scream. If she was downstairs with Derrick and would hear me upstairs she would get hysterical until he brought her to me. On the other hand, I could take her to church nursery and she would walk in and not look back. One Sunday, Derrick had to give her to our friends to make her stop crying when I was in a separate class. Their relationship has gradually gotten better over the past months but it has taken a lot of effort. She is now doing fantastic and has been for the past few months. She is a very typical two year old who is very strong-willed and knows exactly what she wants and never fails to let us know what that is. I have read several blogs where the families were blessed to have toddlers and children that adjusted very quickly and easily so I hope that this helps those that have had a more difficult time. Most importantly, having Masey in our family is just so right. I don't have words to express the love and gratitude I feel to have been able to bring her home. My heart goes out to families that are still waiting. It can feel like such a long journey. Sometimes I just sit and think I can't believe we really did it. We really went to Africa, adopted a child, and now she is a part of our family forever. Amazing.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-45558276760167845692009-01-23T18:46:00.000-08:002009-01-23T19:05:15.546-08:00I realize it has been five months since I have blogged and considered either starting a new blog or making this one private. I still haven't been able to go back and read all the posts of when we were in Uganda. It was an amazing but extremely difficult and emotional time and it was the only way that Derrick and I communicated with eachother. So it seems quite personal to have anybody be able to read it. However, I love being able to read other's adoption experiences and it is what allowed me to know better what we were in for so I think I will leave it how it is for now. Now to updating...<br />We officially adopted Masey (new spelling, same girl :) on Dec. 3rd. We now pronounce it like Macey but in Uganda it would still be Mah-say. She is doing fantastic. Shortly after our last post, she started walking and her leg continues to get progressively better. We are hopeful that she won't require any more surgeries. She went to the doctor yesterday and she nows weighs 26 lbs!!! She started out at 18 lbs. so no wonder my arms are getting tired. She celebrated her 2nd birthday last week and has so much personality. She is a little chatterbox and talks so well and so much. She has the infectious little laugh that I just can't get enough of. After some not very fun adjustment issues with Kaya, they are now best friends and cute as can be. I have to say that one of my very favorite things is seeing them together, laughing and playing and just loving eachother. Part of the reason I wanted to blog is when I realized the other day that I was forgetting little things about when Masey first came home and how nice it would be to have it written down and realize how far we've come as a family. I also wanted to write down the different adjustment issues and behaviors that happened during the first few months. It is nice when I read other blogs and realize it wasn't smooth sailing for them either. Maybe if I get really brave, I will actually post pictures.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-67025303739159527242008-08-04T12:10:00.000-07:002008-08-04T12:31:50.916-07:00The adoption processI have a question for anyone reading this blog that has a child from Uganda- what is the process of going about actually adopting them? Is there a specific waiting time that immigration requires or do you just follow the adoption laws of your state? I tried calling immigration but could never speak to a real person no matter how many prompts I followed. Love those automated phone systems :) <br />Everything at home is good but hard. Both girls have had some adjustment issues. They are equally jealous of eachother. Not sure if that's good but balanced at least. Kaya who is 3 is much more clingy now and wants Mom to do everything for her. Masseh sees this and then wants me even more. Not very much fun for dad or mom either for that matter. Both girls have very strong personalities. Masseh's first English words other than mom and dad were "no, mine and get". Usually no is followed by yelling Kaya's name at the top of her lungs. On the positive side though, they both really seem to like eachother and are very sweet to one another as long as the other one doesn't have a toy they want. They love to hug and kiss eachother and always want to know where the other one is at. I think as Masseh's knee heals they will have even more fun together. I think a lot of Masseh's frustration stems from not being as mobile as she would like. She still isn't able to walk. Her surgeon had hoped she would be by this point. We go back next week for a check-up. She is standing though and can limp along if you are holding her hand or if she is standing next to something. We did find out that she tested negative for all blood diseases so it looks like her anemia was from her illnesses. Her levels have been fine since her 2nd blood transfusion. She will be retested in a few months. Health wise she actually would have been fine if she hadn't contracted malaria. Malaria and the treatment weaken your immune system making you more susceptible to secondary infections. It turns out she had typhoid fever that was a salmonella bacteria that went to her blood stream and settled in her knee. We are very lucky that she survived. <br />Also, to any other Uganda moms, do your children have problems taking naps.? Masseh didn't take regular naps in Uganda and now will only sleep for 20-30 minutes a day. That is not enough for a 1 year old or her mom :) She also hates to not have someone in the room with her when she is falls asleep. She now sleeps fairly well at night which is a huge blessing. So overall things are going well just getting use to one more adorable little girl!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-74225034661733549462008-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:002008-07-05T10:58:57.408-07:00UpdateMasseh has been home from the hospital for a week and a half. Unfortunately she was only home for 24 hours before she started throwing up, having diarhea and had a fever. We were very scared that she had another infection and would have to be hospitalized. They did some testing and decided it was probably just a stomach virus. Poor girl cannot catch a break with her health. She has fully recovered and I believe we haven't had throw up for at least 4 days. We do, however, change sheets and clothes multiple times a day due to the antibiotic and skinny legs that don't fill out a diaper very well. We were grateful that Kaya didn't catch it although there was an unfortunate nursery incident at church involving throw up on the nursery leader. She did seem to feel great after that though. Masseh is doing better every day and is now laughing and dancing to music. She is very attached to me, a little too much as she screams when I put her down or Derrick takes her away. She's just trying to figure out her life and wants to know that mom will be there for her. Her leg is still very swollen and she still can't walk although she moves it much more. She wants to get up and go and it is frustrating to her that she can't. We love having Masseh at home and love to watch her and Kaya interact with eachother. It felt like such a long process to get her and yet here she is. We are so grateful. She is so easy to love!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-25204946597026303782008-06-25T13:40:00.001-07:002008-06-25T13:47:31.023-07:00Together at lastMasseh got released from the hospital yesterday. We are so happy to have her home. She is feeling so much better. She can't walk yet and is still in some pain but smiling and happy. Kaya loves having a sister and wants to do everything for her (feeding, diaper changes, carrying her etc.) Masseh isn't so sure how she feels about the help and is sure to let Kaya know that. We can't express how grateful we are for everyone who has helped us in the last few weeks. Thank you so much for the words of encouragement and to those who helped with Kaya and spent time with us in the hospital. It meant so much to have everyone's support and love. We are so excited to get to know our new daughter and be together as a family.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-3671043543143478812008-06-21T09:26:00.000-07:002008-06-21T09:51:48.902-07:00Home sweet...hospitalMasseh and Derrick got in on Wednesday afternoon and it was wonderful to see them. However, after looking at Masseh's leg and blisters I decided to take her straight to the children's hospital. Not much of a homecoming. Derrick and Kaya went home and me, Masseh, and my sister-in-law went to the hospital. Masseh has a bone and joint infection in her knee. She had surgery on Thursday night and is still in the hospital. They aren't sure when she will be released. They are having trouble getting the inflammation levels in her blood to go down. They have gone up two days in a row and they are concerned she may have infection somewhere else or the bacteria is resistent to the antibiotics they are giving her. Hopefully we will know more soon. Thanks for all the prayer and encouragement. We are so happy that she is in the U.S. and hopefully will be home soon.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-60889806219610411932008-06-17T22:08:00.000-07:002008-06-17T22:12:24.151-07:00We are in Amsterdam! Masseh did pretty well- ran a fever and was grabbing her knee but fell asleep again after meds. We will want to have her thoroughly checked out when we get home. Robert is a big help though he's also faking a leg injury to smuggle home an African carved walking stick- he could win an Oscar let me tell you.... We can smell home and cant wait to see everyone, especially Janet and Kaya. LOVE!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-23681802366773138172008-06-17T04:09:00.001-07:002008-06-17T04:22:11.372-07:00Visa In Hand!Stop holding your breath Janet- the Visa is in my possession and we are set to fly tonight! I'm all packed and Kagabo will meet us later and at 10:20 pm we'll start our journey home. I didn't sleep alot last night as you can imagine so hopefully I dont poop out until we get to SLC. Masseh is sad today-wanting to be held alot- I think she senses something big is about to change. Kaya got like that right before we left her to come to Africa. Well I love Uganda (the people, culture, food, etc.) but I am happy to be headed home to be together with my complete family for the first time ever! We again thank all of you who have loved and supported us through this process. We truly could not have done it without you. I thank God for blessing us with this beautiful little girl to go with the beautiful little girl we already had. I am so excited to show her off- a proud papa I am. See you soon Janet and Kaya girl. Thanks be to our Heavenly Father!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-51563431328343177612008-06-16T17:38:00.001-07:002008-06-16T17:55:56.790-07:00Plane TicketDerrick, your email is down but I wanted to let you know a few things for tomorrow. I called the airlines to change Masseh's name which turned out to be a big hassle (what isn't?). They told me that they have a new program where I can actually pay over the phone and not be issued a paper ticket like I had been told this morning. So, she is paid for and should be ready to go. Use the number I put on the email this morning to print off your e-tickets. Double check and make sure that her last name on her passport and visa is Kyomuhendo. The NWA person said it can really cause problems if they don't match. I also have your ticket number so I will try to email that to you. If the email is still down in the morning call me. Also please please let me know as soon as you have your visa so I know that indeed you really got it. You can email or call even if it's the middle of the night. We can't wait to see the two of you. Love you so much.Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-84006508692751163032008-06-16T05:57:00.000-07:002008-06-16T06:16:18.159-07:00Its a MIracle!I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that we have a God of miracles! He has worked a mighty miracle for our family and I will forever praise His name! I thank everyone who has fasted and prayed for us through this process and God has heard the prayers of the righteous and granted that we will bring Masseh home! We will receive the Visa Tuesday morning and fly home Tuesday night. My heart is full. Flying on the same flight is my great friend from Uganda who lives in Salt Lake- Robert Kagabo! He was in Ghana for a program and came through Uganda to say hello to his family and now by the hand of the Lord will be a much-needed help with getting Masseh (and me) home. Masseh is doing good though the knee still swollen but is happy and eating like a horse. No fever and no sign of infection. She is by the way stubborn and funny just like her sister Kaya. She lip-syncs to music on the radio and loves to tool around in her stroller just seeing the sights. How we look forward to seeing all of you soon- especially Janet and Kaya. We cant describe how thankful we are to all who have loved us through this process and been our strength. God truly does know and love each one of us- His children!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-66431338328201796772008-06-15T08:01:00.000-07:002008-06-15T08:10:29.607-07:00Happy Father's DayKaya and I wanted to wish you a Happy Father's Day today. I have always been amazed at what a wonderful father you are but certainly not surprised. After all, didn't I say I wanted you to be the father of my children not long after meeting you :) Turns out I was right. Thank you for the incredible sacrifice you are making for our family. We can't wait to have you home. Kaya needs a wagon ride with her sister. <br />Kaya says, "M-E-S-P, Masseh love, kikik, fishing pole, fish, kaya, missing him, and mommy, daddy and Masseh. <br />LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-5297066283318014382008-06-13T11:36:00.001-07:002008-06-13T11:41:16.240-07:00special fastI just wanted to let all of our friends and family know that we are having a special fast on Sunday for Derrick to be able to bring Masseh home. We are praying that the judge will allow the issuing of the visa and they will be able to leave Uganda Tues. night. We are also fasting for Masseh's health. Thanks to everyone for their love and support!!!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-56350433410607433932008-06-13T04:45:00.000-07:002008-06-13T05:23:29.376-07:00Be strong....Heavenly father is merciful and I know He hasn't forgotten us but today I felt as alone as I've ever felt in my life. I need to keep faith alive and not forget that God is watching over our family. Janet and Kaya I love you and Masseh and I are dying to come home but we cant yet. Nathan spoke with the judge today and the judge claimed he needed more clarification from colleagues etc. on guardianship/adoption law and intent to adopt in the USA before he could satisfy Nathans questions as to whether we'll get an IR-4 (immediate relative visa). The judge will confer with other judges and Nathan will speak with the State Dept. for guidance but until then no visa issued. To get this far in the process only to have this be in question is beyond belief, there has been precedent set with many previous cases and why we are the ones to experience this I do not know. Satan is working hard to prevent good things from happening but God will overcome all who oppose His work, no unhallowed hand will stop the work from going forward. I dont know how this will get resolved but I know it will- this beautiful little girl is supposed to be in our family. Lets hope for some results on Monday when our lawyers speak with the judge (the judges are in their offices this coming week-just not taking any new cases). Masseh is feeling okay- leg still swollen but I dont think we need to take her to a different Dr. because they are already treating her for the different things that could be going on. Pray for her to get healthy and pray for me to be strong- I dont feel strong but I will fight for my child believe me! Thank all of you for your love and support- please let Janet and Kaya lean on you for awhile longer. Please also keep Kenneths family in your prayers- they lost a son four hours after he was born and need our love. God bless and keep us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-64542260787973229752008-06-12T06:13:00.001-07:002008-06-12T06:28:26.424-07:00So close....Well we met with Nathan at the embassy and he reviewed everything and it is in order. He signed off on everything and I swore an oath on our applications and the only thing left is to pay the money right? Wrong.... He was not able to reach the judge as of yet and until he does he wont issue the Visa. He says as long as he speaks with the judge by tomorrow he will issue it even on a Friday- keep in mind they only work half days on Friday at the embassy. My hair may be completely gray by the time we return- but we shall return! I really hope and pray we get it Friday and travel no later than Sunday. Masseh needs her Mama and so do I. Thanks to all for your love and prayers- it is a real force for good believe me. Masseh is feeling happy despite the blisters so we'll keep an eye on them but its good to hear her laughing so much. Tell Kaya KAKAKKAKAKKA. Love Love...............................................!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-8509077047007685322008-06-10T05:59:00.000-07:002008-06-10T06:24:12.722-07:00Some light at the end of the tunnel?Well we hustled around today and got everything for our noon appt. at the embassy. I did have to ride a motorcycle taxi (boda-boda) because of a traffic jam in town. If I were a cat I would have used up several of my nine lives during a 15 minute span. We found the consular in a much better frame of mind for helping us today and we turned in everything we had and he should get the stuff from Nairobi tomorrow and also speak with the judge asap and he actually said that if we can make a few corrections to our paperwork and all goes well that he will consider granting the Visa on Thurs. am when we go in! How I pray that is the case because I'm not leaving Masseh behind and my Malaria meds run out on Saturday:) Janet if you could find out which days this week flights out are available and we'll be ready in case.... Masseh is happy and eating great etc. but doesnt want to stand on the leg- they are reviewing the X-rays with me later today and she is on the medications and seems okay. Her diaper rash is really dried up and so is mine for that matter. Basketball at the University is still my stress reliever and the McKenzies employees are awesome people- Jimmy, Joyce, Kenneth, and Doreen have helped me and Masseh more than I can ever repay-as have McKenzies family. I've eaten posho every day and loved every bite. Please continue to pray for a successful and speedy Visa and safe return home with our sweet girl. Love to Janet, Kaya, and the gang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-90829409354444997802008-06-09T07:18:00.000-07:002008-06-09T08:06:32.207-07:00Heroes DayMasseh went to Wentz clinic again today because her leg still cant support her weight and is inflamed. They prescribed an antibiotic in case of secondary infection, vitamin B, and Ibuprofen like syrup which is for pain and inflammation, and a topical ointment for the right knee area which is bugging her. They then sent us to Nsambya hospital to have X-rays. You may have heard the saying before"Dont nobody want to go to jail in Mexico" well let me add to that "Dont nobody want to go to the hospital in Uganda". Waited in line for over an hour just to pay for the X-rays (prepay is a must here to get any kind of treatment) then found that the technician had gone to lunch. Another hour goes by and she shows up and rudely rushes us through X-ray only to tell us the Radiologist is in only on Wednesdays. It doesnt appear that there is anything major wrong but we'll know more on Wed. I guess. She is eating/drinking fine and pooing nice solid dookies so only the slight fever to contend with unless we hear more. She is laughing and playing more and the diaper rashy stuff seems to be drying right out with the Desitin so keep her in your prayers and she'll be fine. We also plan to eat lots of pineapple and maybe some garlic-strong anti-inflammatories.... If she does need to take real Ibuprofen how much can she take per Sherri the family pharmacist? <br /><br />Here we are- another public holiday in Uganda in which no work on the Visa can be accomplished. But anyway it is called Hero's Day and I would like to use this time to recognize a few of mine. I know you are all thinking Bob Marley, Chris Mullin, maybe Randall Cunningham or even Dominique Wilkins. All heroic figures in their fields sure- but I think I have higher expectations for my heroes then windmill dunks over 7 footers. My Dad is my hero for all the right reasons and I want to be that kind of father to my kids too. He was orphaned at a very young age and I think part of why we are so passionate about finding Masseh and bringing her home is because my Dad was taken in and loved and given opportunities for a better life and has repaid that by raising 6 good kids(yes even you Shane). My wife Janet is my hero- she saved me from myself and has helped me understand what love is. I shudder to think what my life would be without her and know that the Lord helped me to find her(and to say "Yes" when she proposed:) She is my sweetheart and partner in all things and I credit her for having the courage to adopt from Africa and to open our home and hearts to Masseh completely just as we did when Kaya was born biologically. My last Hero today is our Savior Jesus Christ and what I cant express for Him I can at least feel in my heart. He is everything to me and gives me strength to do things I never thought possible. He is my joy and my comfort and my peace and I will try to remember Him not only in times of need but always. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and He loves me too. Those are my heroes and I hope each of you have some just like them in your lives!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-51404109861995967072008-06-08T08:22:00.000-07:002008-06-08T08:40:45.589-07:00Frustration GaloreWell we finally got our passport on Thurs. and went in Fri. am to apply for Visa. Apparently the I600A document to start the whole process which should have been sent to the Kampala embassy in March went to Nairobi instead. That will cost us a day- actually 2 because Mon. is Heroes Day in Uganda(how many public holidays can there possibly be)? Anyway that together with some changes to the court documents and then we can start- yes start the Visa process. We have been told it will take up to a week because the embassy is understaffed. This is where calling congressman, senators, the governor(a very pro adoption man) comes into play. Its unnacceptable that Americans in Uganda have only 2 employees to oversee all activities by the 1700 Americans in country at any given time. We need any help we can get to get a quick and favorable Visa outcome. My ticket is set for a June 17 return, I honestly never thought I would be pushing it but Sheesh! Please anyone that can help Janet she has a big burden and stress on her and we could use all hands on deck- especially prayers! Masseh is doing pretty good- she injured her leg the other day and cant put weight on it and ran a fever last night-I think it got twisted getting helped out of her highchair or something. Today no fever and I'm hoping to find something like Ibuprofen for her asap. She also had a diaper rash/blisters in her diaper area which some Desitin has helped much-as well as changing her diaper more than twice a day- I think because pampers are expensive here Joyce is hesitant to use very many. I went to Jinja today and it was fun and a necessary change of scenery for a day. Please continue thinking of us and praying for us= it helps I promise! Love to Janet and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAYA!!!!! I usually mow her name in the back lawn on her special day so that will have to wait- please give her a huge hug and kiss and tell her Daddy and Masseh will celebrate with her when we get home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8819832378177889987.post-23883639040710504602008-06-03T06:38:00.000-07:002008-06-03T07:08:35.891-07:00Uganda Martyrs DayToday is Uganda Martyrs Day- it celebrates 21 Christians who were killed by Muslims for their beliefs back when Christianity was first introduced in East Africa. There is a beautiful shrine to them and it is a public holiday here. We visited the Bakka village today where the school is and had a wonderful time there- the kids performed for us several songs with excellent drumming by three young men as well. We danced and sang and played a bit of soccer, I got some great pictures of the festivities. We also dropped off the boxes of books and school supplies and boy do they need the stuff. The library was nonexistent previously because books are so expensive here but think how important having books to read is in stimulating young minds to learn and grow. It truly is a blessing - Big Ups and Thanks to everyone who donated books, supplies, money, etc. the school will never be the same! Masseh is doing great, eating well and perking up alot, she was so listless through her illness and treatment that it really scared me. So many young ones here just dont get the proper treatment and just get weaker and weaker until they have nothing left to fight. It is very humbling that the Lord has given us the responsibility to care for our little children- nothing could be worse than seeing your child suffer but nothing brings you closer to the feelings that God Himself must have felt allowing His Son to Atone for our sins and ultimately to give His life to save us all. Spending time in Masseh's home village I cant help but look at every kid her age and pray their lives are preserved through the poverty and disease rampant there and that someone is always there to love and care for them. May our Heavenly Father help us to be better fathers and mothers and treasure the children He has given us....Frazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12015835036557507551noreply@blogger.com7