They are full of life... and then some.

Practice makes perfect for little ones learning to paint their own nails. I realize this is a daring move, but boy did she think painting her own toenails was the coolest thing ever!
We are starting to work with Avi Joy on writing her letters. At least the ones in her name... she loves learning, reading, writing and pretty much anything that has to do with education, so she is easy to teach. She did a great job showing off her new writing skills- yes she is left handed.

We had a babysitting flip flop with the Homan family this month. We watched their kiddos while they moved into their new house and they watched our kids while we had one of our Saturday DHS training sessions. We so love them!

Poor brother. Being subjected to all kinds of girly activities. Holding dolls, bows in his hair, carrying purses and here he is receiving royal treatment in her baby stroller. He looks happy about it, don't you think?

We were very blessed this week to spend some time with the Butters' family. These peanuts love their playdates together and now that they are getting older, they are actually playing. Alicia has four little bits, here Avi Joy is hanging with the twins.

The highlight of my trying week (with them and myself) was this precious moment when Avi Joy put dish rags on both their heads. She said they were playing "shepherds". This game was too much fun and caused all of us to get out of our funk and enjoy lots of laughs.

I always let Avi Joy paint while I am painting. She always ends with making a handprint. I went off to clean up and she comes around the corner with paint also on her nose. She told me she made a nose print next to the handprint. I love her creativity!

I got out the camera on Friday to take a picture of them both standing at my feet, arms raised in the air, both yelling "mama hold me" and basically all-a-mess... as soon as I got above them for the picture, they sat down, looked up and smiled. It turned out to be a precious picture (almost impossible to get both looking/smiling at the same time) but this was the COMPLETE opposite of what was actually going on milliseconds beforehand. Oh well : )

Took baby pics this week!

Challenge: Read Proverbs 31 everyday for five days!

We love you family and friends,

The Perryman's

Thoughts on kids...

One thing I enjoy about school are the projects. Specifically ones that are for the "child" to complete that the parent actually has to make for their kiddo. I was so excited to make an "All About Me" page with Avi Joy. We picked pictures, had them printed, cut/glued a collage then wrote captions under each one. So FUN!
We were blessed again with an outdoor toy. My in-laws neighbors (same ones who gave us the playhouse) were looking for new owners for their grown children's picnic table. We were indeed thrilled to receive this awesome table and love having snack time outside each day.

My sweet friend Heather treated our family to some shopping at Sams. My family is always covered with love and lots of kisses when we are together. Not to mention the great girl gab time we get to have! XOXO.

This was a challenging week parenting-wise. Oh the whining and fussing from Nehemiah was too much for me and the struggle with sharing toys was tiring. Hoping this week will be better. The morning of this sweet picture both kids were in SO MUCH TROUBLE. Each had had time-outs, sent to rooms and spankins. I was to the rage point, totally out of patience and having a very bad attitude.

I told them we were going to the closet to pray and start the day over. They followed me in, sat down, we held hands and they were SILENT as I prayed for all 3 of us and for daddy at work too. We agreed to start the day over and headed to my step class at the gym. All the way there they held hands. They were so proud of their sweetness to one another.
Can you guess what is going on here in this picture???

Avi Joy is kissing the child in mommy's heart. ohhhh.

We have now been through 4 of the 9 classes for DHS training/for adoption #3. Here are some of my thoughts and things I have learned...

1/3 of our class desires to do strictly Foster Care
1/3 desires permanent placement through Adoption
1/3 are Kinship families

- Besides Foster Care and Adoption there are also Kinship families. This could be a blood relative or not- could be a teacher or someone from church who also loves the child and desires to care for them, fostering or adopting them.

- When a child is removed they are stuck in middle ground, being awarded to the state. They have a team of people working for their best placement. This includes their social worker, birthparent, foster family, counselor and future adoptive family.

- After a child is removed from their home, all biological parents are given a plan to complete, 68% finish their program and regain custody of their child.

- DHS expects us to care for the child in the following ways: physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual. Building self-control and self-esteem. Providing a structured lifestyle, stability, patience, dependability, healthy diet, rest, communication and love.

- Children have the right to be protected against neglect, cruelty, abuse (sexual, emotional, verbal), exploitations and have the right to safe, nurturing relationships for life.

- Children who act out in the following ways are most likely working through their grief & loss: bed wetting, hording food, verbal attacks, melt-downs, sadness, not talking and the like.

-900,000 children nationwide are removed due to abuse/neglect
14,000 of those are in Oklahoma

-Out of those 900,000- 14,000 end in death due to the abuse/neglect
51 of those deaths last year were in Oklahoma

Each time we leave a session we talk. We basically debrief about what we just learned. We keep coming back to "this is where we are supposed to be." It does seem scary to some, wild to many, totally different than international adoption, but the bottom line is that we are trusting God for His best for our family. This is the road less traveled, but on our road the leaves are just as beautiful as the leaves on other roads.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:20-22

The Perryman Family

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Sum Hop Day!

ALL AUGUST PICS

AVI JOY IN REVIEW/SUM HOP PICS 2009

(Some of our favorite pictures and all our Sum Hop day pictures. Each Sum Hop we will post our favorites from the last year. Since we didn't do this until this year, you will see the fav's from the last three years.)

Sum Hop in Vietnamese means, "To unite, to come together."
Three years ago, September 7, 2006, we united as a family. We were in a courtroom in Vietnam adopting Avi Joy as our daughter forever!

Our Sum Hop Day tradition includes: her picture in an Ao Doi (Vietnamese Dress), a family picture, lunch out as a family and one small present.
She got a Ni Hao Kai-Lan puzzle...
And we went to Incredible Pizza for lunch!
Here is her first Sum Hop Day picture, Sept 7, 2006.
Family picture- 2006
Sum Hop Day, September 7, 2007

Family picture- 2007

Sum Hop Day, Sept 7, 2008

Family picture- 2008

Sum Hop Day, Sept 7, 2009

Family pic- 2009

A little about our gift from God... She Loves to love on her babies. She is an excellent mommy! Here she wanted me to make her a sling out of a baby blanket so she could carry her baby the way I carried her when she was a baby.

She Loves to play doctor. She put her lil' VN gal on the Dr.'s table and the 4 other VN ladies were the nurses taking care of the patient.

The next part CRACKS us up- and yes, she does this ALL the time...

Bowls in a straight line...

Anything that can be put "in order" she will organize it. She will even tell us not to clean up something because she is in the process of "organizing it."

All the chairs in a straight line...

Hanger artwork...

And having fun with TAPE! Her favorite!
She LOVES to sing and dance. Every night while I rock brother she does a prayer dance for him. She sings a prayer and dances all over the room. Precious beyond words.
She is into all things girly as well. Below she is getting ready for dance, making sure everything is just right. Earrings, bracelet, dance skirt- I love this beautiful picture.
Here is a rare VIDEO for you to enjoy. I know I left some important people out at the end when naming all who love her, I could not name everyone who loves this kiddo. I know we adore her to pieces and thank you to all our family and friends who love her as well!

THE INTERVIEW...



"Do not be afraid... your prayer has been heard." Luke 1:13, song from CBS

With Love,

Adam, Natasha, Avi Joy and Nehemiah
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