"Holiday" Cards & A Year in Review

We finally got around to sending our our "holiday" cards this year. In my defense, I wanted to wait until we could send a picture of Kayla and I did get them made and mailed within 10 days of getting home with her. So, they turned into "Happy 2011" cards. If you didn't get one, it's not because I don't love you, it's probably because I don't have your address. So, here are the two photos we included.

Gavin, Kayla & ReilyWe also turned it into a little announcement about Kayla's arrival.

She's finally home!
Kayla Habtame Meehan
Born: 11/14/2009, Home 12/31/2010

I did not include a letter, just our blog address, so if you got the card and were just dying for more information about our year, here you go...

2010 was a year full of changes for the Meehan family. It was full of trials and joys, as well. I loved parts and hated parts. One thing I am sure of, I am glad 2010 is over.

Chris and I started off the year by going to El Salvador for a mission trip in January/February. Foreign missions is something that I have always wanted to do and I have participated in many short term trips. Chris thought foreign missions was a good idea, but since he had never done anything like that, he wasn't sure if he wanted to commit his life to it. Well, on that trip, he had a very defining moment and we definitely plan to pursue a stint in foreign missions in the near future.

That was one MAJOR change that came from that trip. Another change was that we decided we needed to speed up the adoption we started in May, 2009. We opted to switch agencies and within days we had a referral for a beautiful baby girl. We had always anticipated receiving a referral for an 18 month old girl who would be closer to 2 when we brought her home. When the social worker said, "I have a referral for a 4 1/2 month old baby girl for you", I said, "You have a what?" Then, I saw the photos and I was IN LOVE!!! Gavin saw the photos and said, "That's not what Kayla looks like." We had always showed him little two-year-old girls with lots of hair. Here was a tiny baby who was completely bald. I just told him that is what Kayla looks like and he accepted it. Chris was at work and I had never called him at work and wasn't real sure how to track him down, so he wasn't even the first person I told, but I did eventually get a hold of him and we both got to be in shock. Then, I had to go to church and teach a Bible study. Fortunately, my group was very understanding--my mind was definitely NOT on the study that night!

That phone call started what would become a huge roller coaster ride. The next 8 1/2 months brought lots of stress, agony, sadness and joy. We quickly learned that we would have to travel to Ethiopia twice under a new rule, but there was no going back since we had already seen her photos and fallen in love. So, we started selling things we didn't need, fund raising and applying for grants. God was so incredibly faithful that we received more than we needed for the 2nd trip and should be able to come out of this adoption with no debt (yippee!!!).

2010 brought some changes for our boys, as well. Gavin turned 5!!! and finished his last year at his preschool and transitioned to a 4k program at the private school where he will attend kindergarten next year. He is loving the new school and doing very well. Gavin is definitely our oldest child and totally acts like it. He is in charge and bossy, but has his sweet moments, too. In all honesty, he's pretty much all me. We have the same temperament. Some times, we butt heads and other times we really enjoy one another because of our similarities. Gavin has been begging for a little sister for a long time, so he was very excited about Kayla joining our family.

Reily started preschool this year at our church and is really enjoying his class. The total opposite of Gavin, he is all Chris! He is our cuddly bug, but also has the temper to go with the red hair! (I don't think that comes from Chris.) He was not quite as excited about Kayla joining our family as Gavin was. I think Reily has enjoyed being the baby in our family and he wasn't quite ready to give that up just yet. Reily turned 4 in November and we had a joint birthday party with his cousin Kacey who has the exact same birthday.

In October, Chris and I traveled to Ethiopia for our first trip. We met Kayla, spoke with her pediatrician about her medical issues and went to court and stood before a judge to declare our desire to adopt Kayla. The adoption was granted and we were thrilled! We did learn some things about her medical issues while we were in Ethiopia that were a complete shock. We were told that she had no use of her legs and that they were unsure if she was developing muscles. Tests showed that there was nothing medically wrong with her, but this was still concerning. She was nearly 12 months old. It was very hard to leave her behind--totally unsure of her developmental health and not knowing when we'd return--but we did it. Then, the real agony began.

Every stage of the adoption game is difficult, but it gets more difficult after you have seen a photo of your child and even more difficult to wait after you have met your child! Eventually, we did get the news that we would be traveling to Ethiopia 12/22 to bring our baby girl home. We were tense until the moment we left, but we got on that plane and landing in Ethiopia was a wonderful feeling. Getting to see Kayla again was amazing! During our first visit she started crawling and we were shocked. No one had told us about her progress, so we surprised--in a good way this time. During our trip we had the opportunity to meet a member of Kayla's birth family. For me, this was especially meaningful. I always knew that I wanted to meet my birth family (and I have). That was important to me as an adopted child. Part of the reason we chose Ethiopia was that we knew we could meet the birth family. It was a very special meeting. I am choosing to keep many of the details to myself for now, as this is Kayla's story. I don't even know when we'll share details with her, but I am so glad that we have details to share!

The second trip to Ethiopia was amazing. The countryside is beautiful and the people are amazing. Truth be told, if I were to find the right opportunity, I would move there tomorrow. I plan to post more about our trip, along with pictures, when I have some more free time.

Everyone is adjusting amazingly well. Kayla is sleeping through the night and eating like a little piggy! Gavin just adores her and can't get enough of her. Reily isn't quite as into her, but he definitely loves her and is doing much better than we had anticipated. Since Kayla is sleeping through the night, I'm doing great. Chris is Chris. Nothing really ever throws him off. Honestly, Kayla just fits with our family. I don't feel like this has been a huge transition or incredibly difficult. She is a total joy and a very happy little girl. She loves to make faces and have us copy her. She loves to laugh and smile and play. Right now, I'm watching her with Gavin just playing in the corner. She definitely loves her mommy and wants to be held most of the day, but once in a while I get a good break--usually thanks to her big brothers! She is bonding well with Chris, too.

2010 didn't bring too much family travel excitement as we were really pinching pennies to cover our adoption, but we did manage to fit in a couple of trips to Wisconsin Dells and other outdoor waterparks with the boys. We made sure to hit up all the children's museums within driving distance and we were able to enjoy a long weekend in Chicago thanks to the generosity of our church for Pastor Appreciation.

Speaking of that...2010 brought another huge change for me. I resigned from my position as a minister at NRC. I felt like I was needed more at home and that's where my ministry needs to be focused for now--with my family. God provided a senior pastor for our church just in time. He started the week I ended and it's going great! I am still doing bookkeeping for three churches in our state and I'm hoping to pick up a few more of those for 2011.

2010 closed with us landing in Minneapolis with our baby girl. We walked through immigration 12/31/2010 and she instantly became a US Citizen. We drove home and introduced Kayla to her brothers and then celebrated Christmas with our family. I can't imagine a better way for 2010 to end or 2011 to begin! We are really looking forward to all that 2011 will bring and I promise to keep you posted. You have to know by now that the Meehans are always in the middle of some kind of adventure and I'm sure 2011 will be no different!