June Update

It's time for me to update the blog. We've had such a busy summer and I'm constantly thinking to myself "I should put that on the blog" or "that was funny -- I need to write about it on the blog", but it just doesn't happen. So I'm now going to do my best to catch up with our summer activities.

I had a monumental adoption moment a couple weeks ago. For the first time I felt like Valencia's mom and not just her caregiver. I read a lot of articles about adoption before Valencia came home to prepare us for the experience and all of them dealt with the child and how to talk to them about adoption or how to respond to others that say things to you in public in front of your child or behavioral things to expect from your child, etc. But I never read anything about how we would feel as parents towards an older adopted child and how you don't or may not automatically bond with them. I think that surprised both me and Jared and has been challenging for us. We're working with a lot of emotional and behavioral issues and I think generally I'm on edge wondering what she's going to do next. She's definitely come a long way and made HUGE improvements emotionally since she came home - she really has and when I think back to our first two weeks it's amazing to see how different things are now. And when she began to be able to communicate with us it helped bond with her because we got to see more of her personality and just hear her talk about the cute and funny things that kids talk about. But I still just felt like a caregiver. But 2 weeks ago I had two days in a row where I felt like her mom and it was SUCH a great feeling. I don't even know what was different but it was great to feel that way and I know that things will continue in that direction. And just last Thursday I felt that way again. This time there was something different. The girls started swimming lessons and swimming is something that Valencia LOVES. She is a natural and has no fear and at her lesson she did such a great job listening to the teacher and following the instructions (which is something she still struggles with). She was honestly the best one in the class and I sat watching feeling like a proud mom. It was sooooo nice to be in public and see her behave so well and get to enjoy her. I usually feel a little uptight when I'm in public with her because she's typically loud or dancing all over the place bumping into people or knocking things over or mad about something and refusing to walk with me, etc. So I can't tell you how nice it was to find something that she loves doing and wants to do well and behave good and follow instructions and I can be there with her and enjoy her. Here are some pics



June -- Trip to Outer Banks, North Carolina

We had a Layton family trip this summer in June and had a great time. We stayed in a beach house in North Carolina and had so much fun going to the beach every day and playing with the cousins.



We didn't start the trip off great -- about 2 miles from arriving to the beach house we got in an accident. No one was hurt and since we were so close we were able to have our car towed to the beach house where we unloaded it. And luckily, we didn't really need a car that week because the beach was so close. We just had to rent one to get home.



I LOVE how close my girls are!!



We're on the left -- I'm holding Tallie and Jared is holding Beckett and Valencia is between us in the yellow shirt.See the crab in his hand -- they were all over the beach!

Haitian bags for sale!

In May Jared had a work event that I took advantage of to raise money for Haiti. As part of my fundraiser I ordered some Haitian made bags to sell. It's through a program that teaches women to sew, which enables them to take care of their families and feed their children. The women begin in a literacy class and when they've completed it they move onto the sewing class. As part of the program they sew bags that you can purchase.

After the earthquake there was a lot of interest in the bags and the batch that I ordered for the event just showed up, so now I'm trying to find homes for them. I've contacted all the local people I know, so I'm now posting pictures of them here so you can browse and decide which one you want. I still haven't decided which one (or two or three!) I want -- they're really neat bags. I took the pictures so you can see how big/small they are. They all have an inside pocket - some have 2 or 3 pockets inside.

You will write a check to: Heartline Ministries

You can learn more about this sewing program at: www.haitiancreations.com

Have fun shopping!

Bag#1 - $30 SOLD

Bag#2 - $40

Bag#3 - $25 SOLD

Bag#4 - $30

Bag#5 - Coconut - burlap - $40

Bag#6 - Jess - $30

Bag#7 - Square - $20 SOLD

Bag#8 - Cafe - burlap - $30 SOLD

Bag#9 - Feed - $25 SOLD

Bag#10 - $25 SOLD

Bag#11 - Coconut - $40

Bag#12 - burlap - $40 SOLD

Bag#13 - Sheila - $35 SOLD

Bag#14 - $30

Bag#15 - Chelsey - burlap - $40

Bag#16 - Chelsea - burlap - $40

Bag#17 - Agathe - $30 SOLD

Bag#18 - Tie - $20 SOLD

Bag#19 - $35

Dance Recital

Today was the dance recital for the girls. During parts of it I was laughing so hard I almost cried -- you'll see what I mean when you watch the video. The girls got a bit confused on stage - especially Tallie. They LOVED putting on their pretty dresses and wearing makeup. They are true girls. And I was feeling pretty proud of myself for doing their hair -- last year I didn't have a clue how to do Tallie's in a bun. It's one of those mom things I'm just supposed to know how to do :)


They looked nervous when we arrived and held hands as they walked in. How cute!!







Their teacher chose the song "Sisters" for Tallie because she new she was getting a new sister this year. In the video Tallie's the one walking around looking lost.



The girls both fell asleep on the way home -- it was a long afternoon.

Valencia's new hair

Valencia got her hair done again last week. I think this one is my favorite. It's DEFINITELY her favorite. She spent the first day after getting it done in front of the mirror. She especially loves to twirl with her new long hair. I overheard the funniest conversation between my two girls the day after Valencia got her hair done:

Valencia: Mama loves me because I have beautiful hair.
Tallie: Yes she does, she loves me too.
Valencia: Yes, mama loves everybody.
Tallie: Jesus loves everybody too. Jesus loves me, you, mama, papa, Beckett.
Valencia: Yes, Jesus loves everybody.

Help for Haiti

I'm currently working on raising money for Haiti. Since the earthquake I've been following blogs about what life is now like in Haiti and what is happening to help the people. I often end up in tears as I read the personal stories and tragedies that people have gone through, and I feel helpless as I sit in my comfortable house with plenty of food, running water, beds, etc -- basic things that many of these people do not have, in addition to their loss of loved ones. I don't have thousands to give to help, but I can help make others aware -- and if we each give a small amount it will add up and change lives.

We are focusing on raising money for the Village of Vision for Haiti Foundation. This is the same foundation for Valencia's orphanage and the village school she attended. Below you can read about some of the programs they're working on since the earthquake. To donate go to: http://www.vvhf.org/index.html

The Women’s Program

Due to the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, many women and their children have found themselves homeless. Village of Vision for Haiti has expanded an existing program that takes in single mothers and their children, providing them with food and housing, as well as medical-social-psychological needs. The program started in 2005 and focused on women of fragile living conditions of existence on less than a dollar a day.

A women’s camp is being erected to take care of the 100 women in the program. They have 20 tents and have been promised 9 huge tents which will be used for therapy, group gatherings, a medical station, and a creation area. Showers and toilets are currently being built. In addition Village of Vision for Haiti has been collecting food and supplies to care for everyone in their programs. They are also working on a self sustaining food plan by growing their own vegetables, and breeding chickens, fish and rabbits. Village of Vision for Haiti is in need of sponsors for these 100 women and their children. The cost to sponsor a woman is $50/month.

The Orphanage

Village of Vision for Haiti has 2 orphanages, one in Lamardelle with 42 children, and the other in the mountains at Obleon with 38 children. The children at Lamardelle came to the orphanage through IBESR (Haiti’s Social Services) after the earthquake. They are children between the ages 0-6 years that were lost, abandoned, or orphaned due to the earthquake. Many are traumatized and in need of medical care. Village of Vision for Haiti is in need of sponsors for all 38 children in Lamardelle. The cost to sponsor a child is $30/month.

The Adolescent Program

In addition to the children in the orphanage, many adolescents have been put in the care of Village of Vision for Haiti. These are boys and girls ages 7-17 that have been displaced or are the only survivor of their family due to the earthquake. Village of Vision for Haiti was given custody of these adolescents to help them put their lives back together and establish a life plan. Village of Vision for Haiti is the only family these kids have right now. They are in need of food and housing, as well as social-psychological help. Currently Village of Vision for Haiti has 15 adolescents in their program and is in need of sponsors for these adolescents. The cost to sponsor an adolescent is $50/month.

Here is one story of one of the girls that came into the adolescent program:

Rose Sneegooka ALEXIS is a 16 years old female teenager. She was the natural daughter of Mr. Duval Alexis and of Ms. Fifine Bien-Aimé, both deceased. Before the January 12 earthquake she lived with her mother, nine year old brother and 7 year old sister; her father is died since 2006. She was at school at the time of the earthquake and fortunately the school resisted the shake; but when she ran to her home she was horrified: the house broke down with her entire family in it. She lost her mother, her two siblings, and everything they possessed. The corpses were extracted and buried after four days.

Sneegooka found herself in the streets of Tabarre at the end of March 2010. She was taken in by Mrs. Martha Etienne who attempted to use her as a slave. She ran away, slept in the street again until she was found on April 12 by a patrol of the Minors Protection brigade of the National Haitian Police that took her away to IBESR. IBESR organized her transfer to the accommodation home of the Village of Vision for Haiti foundation where she is living since April 14, 2010.

Sneegooka is severely affected by the loss of her family particularly of her sister she was unsuccessfully attempting to save before a wall piece collapse. We think she is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress disorder: sometimes she has ‘‘flashback’’ of the traumatic event or nightmares in which she sees her mother warn and threaten her for misbehavior. This child needs a psychosocial accompaniment to help her emotional and physical healing. Since she has no known living family, arrangements have to be made in order to outline a life plan for her and have her gone back to school.