Tomorrow you can start to vote for Andy on the Gerber website. You can vote once per day per computer/email address. To vote, you click on Andy’s picture, fill out the requested info, and then vote. Then it sends you an email and you have to click on the link in the email in order for your vote to actually go through.

Andy is on a yellow background and you can search for him on the website.  Just click on ‘Vote for Andy’ below and it will take you to the website. Thanks! 

Vote for Andy

How is it possible to both hate and love the Kenyan court system at the same time?!!

I met our lawyer (Daniel Were — pronounced “Wear-ay”) at the lower courts at 9am this morning. We were seeing a new magistrate because our previous one was transferred to Nakuru back in the spring. The new magistrate’s office was all business and very quiet. There were 3 other lawyers in the room and about 12 clients like myself. There was a very small amount of Swahili spoken back and forth before Were started things off by announcing our case, etc. After some shuffling of papers Were stepped out and beckoned me to follow. (Uh oh, not good!) He tells me we somehow fell off the docket! The problem with that is our official file is off in another building and not in the magistrate’s chambers! 🙁 Some disorganization with the changeover of magistrates must have caused it…so frustrating! Argh!!! Kenyan courts drive me crazy!!

Because I leave on Monday and because I was not able to stay in the courts all day we had to be seen this morning if I was to attend. …and now Were thinks its very important that I be there because “Baby Eden” is not. So Were started to work his magic: He called an assistant to go and fetch the papers and bring them to us at the building ASAP. Only 15 minutes later we go back to the chambers and see everyone waiting outside because the magistrate received an important (and private) phone call. Were chatted with some of the other lawyers there in Swahili but otherwise everyone is perfectly quiet while we wait in the tiny crowded hallway. We’re let back in a few minutes later and I found out that Were was getting himself pushed back to the front of the queue! So he just reads off what the magistrate should say while she hand writes it out for our file. She doesn’t even bat an eye at any of it! Were suggested April, she said mid-April was fine, and we’re done! I love the Kenyan courts!

We slip out and now I’m back at the training I’m giving this week with an hour to spare! I had arranged for several other guys to give all the talks this morning so I had plenty of time to type up this prompt update for you all!

Our unofficial “backup lawyer”, Milkah, was one of the other lawyers in the room because she had other business with the same magistrate this morning. So if Were had not been able to convince the magistrate I am sure Milkah could have! 🙂

On Thursday, Sept. 2 Ben goes to court with our lawyer for the next step in the adoption process. This is the court date that we set in November 09 when we were granted our travel order for Eden. We were supposed to present Eden to the magistrate at this court appointment. Ben is taking documentation to show that we have complied with the stipulations of the travel order and that Eden is still in our care and thriving, but that she has latent TB and should not travel until the treatment is done. Hopefully, the magistrate will grant us an extension until March. Our lawyer seems to feel confident that this will happen, but we would appreciate prayer.

The magistrate has the power to do anything from put Ben in jail (obviously that would be VERY drastic and is unlikely) to sending Ben on to the high courts to apply for the adoption (the other extreme). Please pray that the magistrate accepts our documentation and at the very least grants our request for an extension. God has done awesome things in our adoption process on the Kenyan side and we know that with God, all things are possible. We appreciate your prayer and support!

On another note, both kids are sick.  We went to the doctor yesterday and Eden had to do a breathing treatment.  She now has an inhaler that she uses every 4 hours.  It hasn’t moved to Andy’s chest yet and we are hoping that it doesn’t!

Ben will post an update after he goes to court!

Andy is now 6 months old! Time has flown! We can’t believe how he is growing and changing. He loves rolling over and does it every time he lays on the floor. He has only flipped a couple of times in his bed and both times were after his nap. He talks a lot and loves watching Eden. He likes to play with her when she gives him a chance. He can sit up for an extended time and reaches for toys. He has even started lunging forward to grab things, then gracefully wiggles into the superman position on his belly. Andy had is 6 month check up today and he weighed 20 lbs 2 oz and was 28 1/4 inches long.  Dr. Timmons said that he looks ready for kindergarten and he can eat prunes for dinner tonight!

We entered Andy in the Gerber Baby contest. Voting is open on Sept. 3. Click here to see his adorable picture on Gerber’s content website. We’ll send out a reminder email with a link when you can vote for him. 🙂

A couple of weeks ago we had the Smiley family reunion in Holland, MI. It was so much fun! The kids had limitless attention and got to play in the sand and the lake. Eden did a pretty good job with the potty, although she did have a couple of accidents (sorry, Heidi!). She really loved being held while jumping in the waves. She also enjoyed a long boat ride. She still talks about “Boat, Rywie, boat”. Andy was a trooper and napped on the go and in a pack-n-play on the beach. He had his own special shaded resort built by Uncle Billy. It was so nice that even perfect strangers came over to check out Andy’s accommodations. We’ve posted several pictures from the trip and will post more as others send their pictures to us.

Today we ventured to the Indiana State Fair. We got there a little before 4 and it was pretty empty. We zipped through a few kiddie rides and then headed on to the food. We ate an early dinner and then checked out the pigs. Eden was able to pet one of the little piglets that wasn’t scrambling for food (watching those piglets rush to their mother to eat kind of reminded me of Andy…) and then cried when we left. Fortunately, we were able to quickly find an open horse barn where she visited with several horses. THEN she got to go on a pony ride. It was really cute and she was very excited, but cried and screamed when Ben took her off of the pony. For $5 per ride she wasn’t getting endulged. However, just around the corner from the pony ride was the ELEPHANT RIDE!! Eden and I both rode the elephant, which is 36 years old. She also wanted more rides on the elephant, but at $12 per ride I’m not sure she should even have had a first!

After that Eden and Ben played on a swing set and watched the parade while Andy and I visited the Lactation Station. It was the highlight of Andy’s trip to the fair. Eden ate half of a bowl of baked ziti and part of an elephant ear, ice cream, applesauce, and some apple dumpling. Then we headed back to the car which took forever because the place was packed! It was sort of a cranky ending to the fair. Can anyone explain why people think it is acceptable to stop directly in the middle of the walkway to talk? It makes me crazy! I had to fight the urge to just run the double stroller right into them. Anyway, we got home and put both kids to bed. They were so tired that it didn’t take long.

Those are both great things but the most exciting thing that happened recently occurred yesterday. Andy rolled over for the first time! We were outside and he was very interested in the grass. I scooted him away from the grass so that he wouldn’t eat it and then ZOOM! He rolled right over onto his belly in the grass. We’ll post the video soon.