Stats

We don't often get accurate, up to date Canadian stats. So this is a bonus...for more immigration details, etc you can head over here. It's all just so fascinating. And, moreover it is my (our!) responsibility as pre-adoptive parents to get a better understanding of where some of our daughter's potentially future friends may live. The opportunity she will have to identify with others who share her culture, heritage, race, and loss (to name a few) is growing in leaps and bounds.

And I think it's exciting...don't you?

2008 INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION STATISTICS

News item has been prepared by the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) and Family Helper.

(October 26, 2009). On Friday, the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) received the 2008 international adoption statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

In 2008, 1,908 children from abroad found adoptive homes in Canada. This is an increase from 2007 and marks a return to numbers last seen in 2004.

1995: 2,010 1998: 2,222 2001: 1,874 2004: 1,955 2007: 1,713
1996: 2,061 1999: 2,019 2002: 1,926 2005: 1,871 2008: 1,908
1997: 1,800 2000: 1,866 2003: 2,180 2006: 1,535

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS TO CANADA, 2003-2008 TOP 16 COUNTRIES, BY YEAR
Country of birth	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
China	1,113	1,001	973	608	662	429
U.S.	74	81	102	96	94	189
Ethiopia	14	34	31	61	134	183
Haiti	150	159	115	123	88	148
Philippines	58	62	70	53	90	118
South Korea	73	97	97	102	50	105
Vietnam	45	--	--	34	82	105
Russia	92	106	88	95	96	90
Ukraine	23	16	39	23	45	62
India	70	37	41	36	45	54
Colombia	37	38	18	31	34	53
Kazakhstan	8	--	--	10	37	48
Jamaica	43	23	22	19	20	22
Thailand	38	40	21	21	14	18
Belarus	50	32	--	--	--	--
Taiwan	26	15	30	--	--	--
Total, top 16 countries	1,768	1,655	1,586	1,239	1,386	1,624
Total, other countries	412	300	285	296	327	284
Grand Total	2,180	1,955	1,871	1,535	1,713	1,908

Building On Trust

What a morning.

What an update.

What progress.

We often come to these times of desperation and exhaustion, only to finally knock.

And the door is opened.

How simple. How pure. How calming, comforting, convincing of the true reality of God.

I opened my email this morning to this, (bits and pieces for you, for sake of ease)...

Dear families of Imagine Adoption,

We have been anticipating this first communication to all Imagine families for quite some time, and we know many of you have been anticipating the same! First let us say enormous congratulations to all of you for believing in this dream and fighting to keep it alive. Watching the families involved come together with such passion and perseverance has been incredibly inspiring, and we, as a board and staff, feel honoured to be a part of this endeavour.

[...] Most often we will respond to questions through a bi-weekly general update sent to all families.

[...] One particular question that we know many families are asking right now relates to their position on the "list" of families waiting for a referral. We have come up with a plan that we hope will clarify this for families, without causing conflicts with our confidentiality agreement. We will provide all retained families with a copy of the list of all families in the Ethiopia program, showing only child request (age, gender, single child, siblings, or twins) and the date the dossier was received in Ethiopia. There will be no names of any families included on this list. An individual email will be sent to each family indicating their position on the list and confirming the date their dossier was received in Ethiopia.

Going forward, in addition to our bi-weekly communication, we plan to send out monthly updates outlining how many referrals have been made that month, which will help you keep track of where you are on the list. [...] The purpose of the list is therefore not to give you a definite timeline on when to expect a referral, but rather to give you an idea of where you currently are in relation to the other families in the program and to monitor how the process is progressing.

[...] P.S. The retainer agreements are in the final stages of being prepared and will be sent to families as soon as they are ready.

Adoption Programming Representative

Imagine Adoption
your dreams of family coming true...

Trust

I haven't held off posting due to a lack things to say. Much the opposite. My head and heart are overflowing. I just don't know where to start. I don't know what I should say, what I should not...or how I feel about those things.

I read quite some time ago that people who feel the need to blog are egocentric. Bloggers are people who feel the need to puff up their chests and write about themselves alone. I feel the need to contradict that, but wouldn't I then be called biased? It could be said that I am justifying my actions. Would it look as though I felt I was the exception to the rule? Likely.

I digress.

The blog was started - and continues - as a Life Book. It is a journal of events I know I will someday forget. It will shed light on a part of her past. And it will help give meaning to her future. It is a following of our trials, the ups and downs, to complete a journey we know we were meant to travel. A Life Book is not a scrapbook, (I even took a course to better understand it) for those not familiar with the adoption related term or project.

As defined on suite101.com, simply (and very basically put) a Life Book...

[...] is the story of a child’s life. Beth O’Malley, in her book Lifebooks: Creating A Treasure For The Adopted Child [Adoption-Works Press, 2000], shares that when people ask her to explain what an adoption lifebook is, her first thought in reply to this question is to say that a lifebook is the “best gift in the world for an adoptee. It should be required for each adoption, just like the birth certificate.”

Beth O’Malley further explains that a lifebook for an adopted child or a foster child is a “security blanket, a concrete tool… a medium for one complete personal history. It promotes positive grasp of identity… It makes talking about adoption feel like everyday conversation. It promotes attachment.”

The lifebook is the child’s history explained in an easy to read, easy to understand format.

Again, I digress. I am not intending to swell my head each time I sign in to post news, updates, or share stories about our little life. So, when something as drastic as bankruptcy occurs, it is hard to come back and trustingly put faith back in "the system".

I am being challenged by this. We have just gone through over a year and a half of build up, only to have the walls come crashing down. Back at square one, there are days I still feel as though I am still peeling myself off the sidewalk upon which I was squashed, back on that awful day in mid-July. I am finding it hard to digest that we still have (likely) over a year of waiting until we have hope of a referral.

I am having trouble offering Trust.

But I know we must. We cannot give up hope. We will not turn out backs on something we know will come to realization. I guess this is faith defined though, is it not? Believing without seeing. Holding on to hope when there is no tangible evidence physically standing in front of you , forcing you to believe?!

I know that when the first referral comes, then the second and then the third, my heart will rest completely at ease. Confidence in the same system that let us down will be restored.

Until then, we will find hope in the little things. I cannot bring myself to purchase clothing, toys, or other such items. Gifts made are an exception. But for me, sewing, creating, designing, painting, decorating...that will all come after The Call.

So for today we will enjoy this new momento. A small reminder each time we walk through the dining room. A glimmer of hope each time we look up from building our puzzles. A light when the days of waiting seem never ending.

Trust is easily destroyed and slowly rebuilt.

The foundation, however is being formed.

Thirteen

The day wouldn't have started without the thought. It wouldn't have ended without a post to mark this, the thirteenth month into our wait.

While I had hoped to have received our new Retainer Agreement, (anticipated to have been sent to us sometime this week via email) perhaps Monday will mark another line in the sand.

Roll on 14.

Whatcha' Been Up To?

Other than mini-vacations (still riding that high) we've been busy using our dozens of pounds of apples. Still a long way to go but I feel we're making a real dent. Popped into the deep freeze (actually, it's a bit of a very calculated squeeze right now but well worth the effort,) to be enjoyed throughout the next 12 months. It wouldn't be Christmas without the smell of Apple Pie filling our house.

We're also anticipating Halloween...in a non-glucose-high sort of way. Rather, you know...Ashleigh style. They love it. Why wouldn't they...it's no different from years past. Oh sure, we'll celebrate somehow but not likely with a 5 pound bag of candy.

And of course, it wouldn't be a Keizer household without the Leafs.

Who do you cheer for?

Do You Have 20 Minutes?

Grab a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of water and enjoy this.

The Danger Of A Single Story is truly thought-provoking.

Oliberte Again

You'll possibly remember my discussion about Oliberte, the coolest new shoe company on the market. With their symbolic desire to teach men to fish and therefore feed themselves for life, they're attaining new levels of media hype and publicity.

It's all for great reason, I believe.

The desire, as their Canadian founder shares isn't to supply people with shoes. He doesn't really care about the product. Well, he does...but he doesn't. The desire is to see those with less, those who struggle in developing countries to earn a mere $30 a month, with employment. Because for these people, employment means greater self-worth, a desire to be more and better and self-sustaining and a dignified part of the human race.

Not only is Oliberte scoring articles in the Globe and Mail but later this month, you can catch them, (him - founder Tal Dehtiar) on the Dragon's Den.

I'm still waiting for my first pair. They'll be purchased once materials all originate from Liberia and are manufactured in Ethiopia. Currently, operations are still starting up in Liberia and the rubber therefore comes from Sri Lanka. Call me picky if you want.

So go on. You've got to catch this Globe and Mail article...
-----

Shoe maker wants to prove Africa can provide a competitive edge

Workers make shoes in Tal Dehtiar's shoe factory in Liberia.

Michael Posner

T Globe and Mail Update Published on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 5:21PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 4:57PM ED

At first, the idea sounds simply outlandish: manufacture high-fashion urban casual shoes in Africa and export them to the world.

Even at the best of times, many seasoned professionals know, Africa is a difficult place to do business, burdened by an untrained work force, distance from markets and, too often, political corruption.

But that's precisely the challenge Torontonian Tal Dehtiar has decided to set for himself [...]

New Week. New Updates.

This is a great way to start my week.

Refreshed.

Happy boys playing.

Pie making (finally!).

And a great joy is the ever anticipated update - a positive one - from BDO. I eat these things for lunch I tell ya.

Here we go...a little cut and paste action with highlights which affect us. Our life. Our family. Our journey. Our daughter.
--
The proposed Board of Directors met for a third time on October 6th. (Note: I believe this is more times that the old board would have met in a 2 year time frame...possibly more. Not placing blame...I'm just sayin'.) BDO was in attendance.

With respect to the action plan outlined in BDO’s last general update, the following goals have been met:

• Two full time staff and one part-time staff have been hired. All these staff members are former employees of Imagine Adoption and bring strong knowledge and experience to their roles. As outlined in the Proposal, Jo Ann Barber will be returning as Adoption Administrator, Valerie Goodyear will be responsible for Adoption Programming, and Melissa Burke will be responsible for Clinical Education and Support Services
• The Board of Directors is now actively working on filling the position of Executive Director. We have received 6 applications and will begin interviewing the first week in November.
• The new office has been furnished and current, active files have been transferred from BDO.
• Office telephones will be installed during the week of October 19th and we are expecting delivery of computers (and remaining telecommunication equipment) by the following week.
• The Ontario Ministry license renewal application was completed and submitted to the Ministry October 9th as required.
• The renewal agreement contracts have been drafted and the Board is working towards the goal of e-mailing these contracts to families during the week of October 19th. (Hello! That's this week people! Hold your breath with me.)
• Arrangements have been made for a delegation from Imagine Adoption, including Ted Giesbrecht, to travel to Ethiopia to establish new orphanage contracts, assess existing operations, to assist with cases of children currently matched with families, and other relationship building matters. The delegation will arrive and begin work in Addis Ababa on November 1st. (Seriously. Ted Giesbrecht is worth his weight in gold, diamonds, platinum, if you will. Bless his legal, philanthropical heart. The guy is truly a gem.)
• Initial fund transfers to Ethiopian orphanages have been made and staff members have been instructed to proceed with the administration of the cases of the children still in Ethiopia who have been matched with. We are pleased to report that one of these families has had a successful court date!
• With the goal of achieving much greater transparency than existed in the past, the Board of Directors is working on determining a new communication strategy. We will advise in future updates.
• As part of the above communication item, the Board is currently looking into the possibility of reactivating and expanding Imagine Adoption’s previous website. (Great news!) In the meantime, we will aim to provide general updates every ten business days on the BDO website.

In response to questions we have received since October 1st:

Q: What steps have been taken with respect to fundraising?

A: The Board of Directors does plan to implement fundraising initiatives in the near future. As Imagine Adoption does not have charitable status we are unable to provide tax receipts for any donations. However we are setting up a separate account for donations and we encourage families to proceed with fundraising initiatives. (Anyone know of someone with a wad burning a hole in their pocket? I've got a good place to put the green.)

With thanks for your continued patience and support.

Board of Directors

While I Was Out

After the most wonderful of relaxing, restful, rewarding weekends I came home to what seemed to have been a successful weekend on this front.

While I was out, the boys had...well...a boys weekend.

The pumpkin was carved, (phew! the thought of the gutsy mess was just not enticing this year) and seeds left for roasting.

And as there was only one pumpkin he, uh, he has great character...one could almost say multiple personalities...or at least multiple faces. Isn't he great?!

In the spirit of helping out his little brother, Ben overheard Noah encouraging Tait on the can early Saturday morning...and when they get along and encourage one another, we have a similar theory to the sleeping baby thing. Steer clear. Ride it out. Enjoy the peace.

"You can do it, Tait"...

"Okay, Noah"...

CRASH and THUD and CRY

Tait now sports a potty war wound, earned while trying to get on the potty but failing and slipping off the stool, landing square on along the edge of the trash can...as if he'd lined it up and centered it right between his nose and right eye...around his cheek...all the way down to his chin.

"A" for effort, little guy.

And as if they knew how to end the weekend perfectly, not a sound was heard in our house this morning until the familiar thud of little feet paced down the hallway a solid 45 minutes later than the usual wake up call.

It was bliss.

I Need A Vacation...Gotta Get Away...

...do you remember that Club Med advertisement song? Maybe I'm dating myself. Perhaps you just don't remember...it had some old folks dancing away in the sun, enjoying the heat of wherever they'd chosen as their destination. They were all relaxed and mellow lookin'. Not a care in the world, everything appeared perfect.

Such is fiction, I guess. (Or their geriatric condition.)

However, vacations are truly refreshing. And, while the Birch Bay trip did offer a change of scene and family time, it wasn't overly restful and didn't necessarily wipe away a summer of kid-overload, adoption-chaos, and go-go-go exhaustion.

I Need A Vacation...Gotta Get Away

So, this weekend due to the most wonderful of husbands and a very generous of friends, I'm gettin' away. Solo. Alone. Well...except for the company of that most generous of kind friends. I feel the 2 days and nights will call for tea, movies, jammies, and perhaps strolls through non-child-friendly stores.

I can't wait.

This week has been nuts and after starting it with a real marathon, I feel this is the perfect weekend to head out and get refreshed. We've bounced all over the place this week...one day boasting of a 9:15am start to an incredibly meaty Truth Project bible study, followed by a coffee break with friends, followed by lunch at the camp - thankgoodness someone was feeding us that day! otherwise I would have continued to devour leftover Powerbars...they carried me through - followed by a small child's hair cut, followed by a swim lesson. Phew.

While routine is coming back...and this truly is a process...it has taken a toll. Normal life...today especially...seemed to peek back at us. Finally. Some semblance of peace and happiness and "my old kids" returned as we strolled down the road in our boots, looking for puddles, and ponies down the way. Chatter flowed easily and giggles spontaneously erupted as the cut grass was thrown around the park.

In keeping with one of my goals of being outside at least 4 times a week, rain or shine, we headed to the garden. While mostly all green (and that not being a good thing), there is still some edible nutrition in there...and perhaps one or two of the unripe goodies will eventually attain fruition. Anyone know a good "fried green tomato" recipe? Or, is that just a myth and a great movie?

Been There. Done That. Got A Couple Shirts. A Medal. And Sore Ankles.

M

After a good but painful run on Wednesday, I returned home, stretched, took Advil and then got concerned. I don't usually feel much in the way of pain. Call it genetics, call it youth (or don't...I'm nearly over the hill...oh so I am calling it), call it plain old blessing. I just don't feel much pain and if I do I've been able to appease it with Gatorade or a hot bath. Seriously.

So, when my hip ached to the point that I couldn't put any weight on it upon my return Wednesday I got nervous. (I've never even had any sort of twinge in my hips.) I was relieved an hour and a half later when the pain was gone...it could have been the Advil...I was hoping it was my quick-healing-self.

As a side note, Ben had suggested I use a new pair of runners for Sunday's race and being the naturally bright guy he is, you'd think I would have learned by now that listening and acting is a good plan. But I didn't. Not intentionally. I just hadn't given it much thought. Until Wednesday.

But was it too close to the race to switch to a new pair? My old pair really aren't that old. (Keep in mind, I seem to have forgotten that my mileage has been considerably high over the past many months and though shoes don't look worn on top; the insides, upon disection could potentially bring a "real" athlete to tears.)

I digress.

The older ones don't look too bad from the top right?
Keep in mind this is my vantage point four times weekly.

The sides don't even look all that bad.
Maybe the sole of the left one on the older pair is a little worn but not enough to need a new ones.

And then, last night when deciding whether to run my final pre-marathon run in new or old Nikes (therefore determining the fate of the shoe selection for Sunday,) I checked the soles. Wanting to know if I should suck it up and wear the older ones or indulge in a new pair...and risk any pre-run injuries.

And you know how a picture can say a thousand words?

Yeah, that blue on the heals is supposed to be black.
Thick, deep, cushion-filled black.

I wonder when I'll learn to listen to my husband sooner rather than later?

And my run this morning? Bouncy. Air-filled. Fast (oops). Pain-free. Fun. Well, nearly fun. I was still running in the dark at 6am.

Oh - and I've been meaning to mention this for awhile. It's been weighing heavy because partway through the summer, I lost the bounce in my step. (Not literally.) This time it wasn't because of poor footwear. The bounce was missing because the heart of my run...the heart for this upcoming run...was put in jeopardy.

And just under 3 weeks ago I got it back. The passion surged.

Because, while the money raised is going to our local agency. And, though the kids in BC without homes will hopefully be given opportunities because of all those who are running. Because, even though you helped those close to home. And, while many are running for others, for themselves, to achieve personal bests;

This run, my run is for M.

Ah Ha!

One of the ways we keep our food budget quite slim, (aside from the fact that I am genetically predisposed to be frugal) is that we don't buy pre-packaged.

Period. (Ok, KD is our exception.)

Also, as you now well know anything with sugar is likely not making it into the shopping cart.

That said, the same old almonds and raisins, walnuts and raisins, or even homemade mini-muffins, can become trite snack selections. They all pack a punch but I'm always on the lookout for a great granola bar recipe. I seriously think this is one of those perfect go-to-yummies. Easily packed for a mid-morning outing, I just think there's something so "down to earth" good about them...but they have become manipulated by our society into these sweet-nearly-chocolate-bar material. Ugh.

I digress.

Naturally sweetened by dried fruit or whatever, they can easily be chock full of nutrition. Have you taken a stroll down the granola bar aisle lately, though? It's nearly impossible to find bars that don't have sugar listed w/in the first 5 ingredients. And for my kids especially, this is too near the top for me. Plus there's the whole pre-packaged thing. And with the whole frugal disposition weighing on my shoulders, there's no way I'm breaking the bank for a snack.

So last night I went on an internet investigation. I found what I liked, disregarded what I didn't and I came up with what I think is a pretty good combo. It needs tweaking but you know, it was simple, it was quick, and it was healthy.

I love them. And bonus, I can eat them (there are a lot of ingredients in items like this that I can't usually eat)!

The oldest gives them a thumb up.

And so does...oh hang on...

And so does the youngest.

(In our house this is thumbs up until you're about 3 years old.)

So go on and enjoy...I've added my tweaks and will continue to do so...hopefully you can add yours.

(FTD, I have some for you ready to go!)

---

2 cups rolled oats (I’ve upped it to 2 1/2 cups for another batch and they turned out great)
1/4 cup wheat germ (I probably used 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup ground flax (I probably used 1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more is better...I dumped a solid 2 Tbsp in there)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used spelt flour...it has a great texture plus I can eat it)
1 cup raisins (more would be fine)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup walnuts (I would add almonds next time also...and some seeds too)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil (I might try substituting some of the oil with apple sauce next time...oh, and I used EVOO...it's all I have and I think it's better)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 baking pan.

2. In large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat germ, flax, cinnamon, flour, fruit/nuts and salt. Make a well in the centre, pour in the honey, egg, oil. Mix well. Pat the mixture evenly into the pan.

3. Bake for about 30 minutes (I found 25 made them nice and soft on the inside but crunchy around the sides of the pan), but watch the baking time. If you leave them in too long they’ll be dry. I like mine a bit chewier. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars or squares. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting or they will be too hard to cut.

Roll Call

There's a busyness to all this new-agency establishment and an excitement in the air. With the desire (commitment!) to re-instate Imagine successfully, there's a ton of red tape to get through.

So, here's the condensed version as per BDO's General Update in consultations with the new Board of Directors. Isn't it all just so very exciting...

October 5 start

• all banking established (chq signers, open accts, etc)
• legally appoint the Directors and Officers
• hire staff (yeah, I'm thinkin' this is a biggie...they have been identified, mostly)
• obtain new offices including furniture, phones, file access, databases
• files (dossiers) handed back to the staff within the next two weeks
  

October 9 release

• prepare, issue and release (!) family restart contracts

October 11 deadline

• apply for license renewal (this is the annual date at which point Imagine has always had to renew...the ministry of children is the governing body and issuer)

November 30 deadline

• commence contact with Ethiopia considering orphanage relationships and transition home needs
• travel to Ethiopia (by executive director and one other staff...)

Ongoing

• revised cash flow for coming 4 months considering actual cost contracts
• report to BDO

That's it folks. I hope to have more to report soon. In the meantime, keep praying...puuhhlease.

Choices

Because some days, even my Type A personality simply has to chose the battles...this was not one in which I chose to engage.

And last week?

He wore one sock for three days.

Yes, the same sock.

Three days in a straight.

To bible study, grocery shopping, a birthday party, and around the house, (yes that meant bedtime too). It did not come off. It also didn't harm anyone. Letting "it go" meant my blood pressure stayed at it's frighteningly low levels. And our household was calmer because of it.

Some days it's just better to go with the flow, you know?!