Joia and Philip and Kiddos

Way back on Eglin AFB from 2007-2010, we were friends with this family. When we got there, they had only one son (Keenan). While there, I had my boys and she had her girl (Moriah) and now she has one more and I have two more. They live in Kansas now. John and Philip were chief residents together. Here is John's Facebook shout-out to Philip:

They also play Wingspan! They taught us how to play "Flock Mode" which is for larger groups.

A lifelong friend. Joia is truly such a dear!

Joia and her brood visit the Bauernhof

Joia became my friend when we were stationed together on Eglin Air Force Base in 2007. I actually looked back, and Joia has been featured (or at least named) on 330 posts on my Blog since 2003. Pretty impressive. (It is especially easy to check this since her name is so unique to her!)

This was the first post I ever mentioned her name on. At this time, we were still childless, and Joia's Keenan (who is now 10) was just 3 months old!

Joia was always a "steady" friend for me. I realize I need one of those everywhere I go. She is so loyal and so easy-going, and so comfortable to be around. She just fits like a comfy pair of pajamas. She also truly tried to understand my infertility even though she hadn't experienced it and was really there for me during one of my most difficult years. (This was the year that followed our fourth failed IVF attempt and before we adopted Isaac.)

Anyways, here is a link to the post Joia did on her week here. I didn't want to recreate the whole visit, but I will share a few pictures from her time with us. (These are ALL stolen from the almighty-picture-taker-Joia.) 

This is Caleb who is a little bit younger than Abigail (5).

Moriah is 8. She was born six weeks before Sidge when we lived on Eglin. While Abigail is only 5, these two were TIED AT THE HIP the entire visit. They absolutely loved being together.

Going to get eggs!

Moriah is such a fun girl. She even handled connecting with a fence on a bike incredibly well.

Arabelle is doing SO GREAT off-leash on the farm. Ritter can't be out like she can yet, but this dog is proving to be one amazing specimen.

The boys got along fabulously and played a ton in the house on board games and outside on the farm.

 I took Joia and her three kids and my Hannah on a hike t the top of the ridge.

Joia and me.

This was Hannah's first time making it to the top of the ridge. While she complained most of the way up (and down!) she was incredibly proud that she managed the 400 foot elevation change to the top.

Making grilled cheese for an army.

John made this!

My husband isn't in the kitchen nearly as much as I would like anymore :)

Teaching Keenan piano maestro. Joia's two oldest children are taking piano too!

Checking on our three sheep that we have had to section off due to misbehavior. :)

Our WWOOFer Amy taking Keenan and Moriah to help move sheep.

Our group by the chickens.

Cute pic!

Love this pic!

Mushrooms

Love this pic of Moriah and Abigail hanging out on our landing upstairs.

Another GREAT farm picture.

An Infertility Story

We dealt with infertility for five long years.

So when we adopted Isaac and then found out that we were, miraculously, pregnant with Elijah, a friend of my Mom's gave us a framed photo.

I've taken a picture of it and included it above.

It was a beautiful picture, but we had two boys. And I knew I wasn't going to have any more children. We were still in complete shock that we had TWO boys. We knew Elijah was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and we were perfectly content with our two boy family.

We lived on Eglin Air Force Base at the time. My friend Joia had just had a little blonde-headed girl, and so I asked her if she would like the picture. 

The picture, while beautiful, caused me pain. It reminded me of the China adoption we had pulled out of. It reminded me of our years of infertility. Like a few other things, I just had to remove them from my house so that I didn't think about them all the time.

And then, somehow, I found myself pregnant again.

Abigail was born. And as she grew, she was blonde. Very blonde.

And suddenly, I started thinking about that framed photo I had given to Joia. It popped into my mind all the time. I wanted to see it again. Was it as beautiful as I remember? Did it look like Abigail like I remembered in my mind?

I felt terrible asking Joia if I could have it back. But finally I decided that she was a good enough friend to understand my dilemma. I emailed her and asked her if she was attached to the picture. And if she was, could she at least provide me with some of the print details so I could find a copy of it.

Joia sent it to me in the mail! She said that it had hung in her daughter's room but that she wasn't particularly attached to it and that she felt honored to give it back to me at a better time in my life.

I received it last week, and as I looked at the blonde mother holding her blonde daughter and praying together, I couldn't help but cry. I'm not a crier, but I stood there just weeping at the amazing God I serve.

My own doctor told me, "I would never have given you a chance at having a biological child."

And today I have FOUR amazing miracles. 

I pray for those of you waiting for your miracle today. Please believe me when I say that I was NOT the person who was going to have four children. Anyone who knew me "back then" will tell you that their hope for a house filled with Kitsteiner children had basically shrunk to zero.

But today, this photo ... a photo I would never have dreamed could find an appropriate place in my house ... is hung.

Thank you Joia.

Thank you Jesus.

Wee-wind Wednesday

 

With movers packing our house to go back to America, I thought it would be a good opportunity to flashback to the first time movers came to our house to get us ready for an overseas move. We were in the midst of JB graduating from residency, family visiting, and movers emptying our house. Oh, and did I mention I had two little boys to take care of? It was ... insane! Here is a flashback to our life in June of 2010.

Today, we have twice as many kids, but due to my excessive desire to purge, only an estimated three additional crates. We left Eglin with 9 crates of "stuff." We came to the Azores with 10.5, and I am hoping that they tell us 12 or less when we are finished in the next day or two. I don't think adding 3 crates is too bad considering we purchased a lot of furniture in Turkey and we have added two little girls.

(Who aren't packed in the crates by the way.)

Prayer Request for Zarate family

Update from Joy February 7:

So sorry that it has been several days since the last update! Our last few days have been a whirlwind, but we are finally settled in the Florida panhandle for the next several weeks. We haven't had internet working, so I finally managed to sneak away and am sitting in a Barnes and Noble bookstore and enjoying their free WiFi.

Vic is doing steadily better although he still tires quite easily. I can't tell you though how wonderful it is to be back together as a family. It is such an important thing! Vic will start seeing a hematologist and a cardiologist here locally on Monday and then hopefully we can get some more concrete answers.

Thanks again for everyone's support! We have felt so loved and cared for through this challenging time.

FL friends: we are up for visitors, though a little at a time. Please send me a message or a text and we can make plans.

Update from Joy February 1:

We are enjoying staying in a non-ICU environment. Vic is resting better, eating more, and regaining some strength. He was able to walk down the hallway slowly. This was nice because, for once, I was trying to keep up! I stayed with him in the room last night and that was very reassuring for him. I slept more than he did and he joked that we are getting back to normal since he is normally a light sleeper. Doctors are saying perhaps he will get out Monday. They would like his blood levels to be within the correct limit before leaving, but they also want him to get out of the hospital as soon as possible because the longer he stays, the higher the risk of him getting an infection. Everything is going very well though.
Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

Update from Joy January 30:

Good News! Vic Zarate's procedure worked. They redid a CT scan and it shows a significant improvement. It shows that almost the entire clot dissolved except for a small portion in his right lung. The other issue besides the breathing is how the clot was affecting his heart. For that, they need an EKG. They tried to repeat it earlier, but the sound waves that were being emitted by the catheter in his heart was disrupting that. They will repeat that in the morning and the doctor expects that it will also show good news. They removed the catheter and now he has to lie still for another 6 hours to make sure that the vein they went in through doesn't start bleeding. Since he is on blood thinners, bleeding can be a major issue. When they removed the catheter, the dr. had to keep pressure on his leg for about 20 mins.

We think they will continue to monitor him for about 24 hrs. and then hopefully he can be moved out of the ICU and into a regular room.

Thanks for all the support!

Update from Joy January 29: 

Vic is in a procedure right now. They are doing a catheter and are injecting a clot-busting med straight to the clot in his lungs to try and break it up. I am just waiting for the doctor to come and update me. As soon as I know something more, I will update again. Lots of hurry up and wait.

Update again: he is done with the procedure. He has catheter placed and also a screen to prevent anymore clots from his leg going to his lungs. He is hungry! And awake and talking.

*****

I met Joy when I lived at Eglin. She is my age but with SIX children. She was having her last when I had my first! Anyways, they are not military, but he manages a military BX in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Please read her prayer request below. Her husband Vic had a pulmonary embolism and is in Miami now. I will be updating you on any and all prayer requests I put on my blog.

So..Vic Zarate has a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs). Due to the remote location of GTMO, he had to be flown off the island on an air ambulance. We are in Miami at Jackson Memorial hospital in the MICU. Vic is doing very well and is stable. I'm with him but the kids stayed behind with some friends. I will update when I know more. For now, please pray for all of us.

Joia arrives

Joia got in last night around dinner time. I didn't bother taking out my camera. I knew she'd have the Bases covered. First we took some pictures and ate some dinner:

 

 Moriah, Caleb, Sidge, Keenan, and Isaac

Abigail was not used to sharing anything with anyone (since her brothers like things she doesn't like) so this whole "other baby" and "other little girl" thing was not to her liking.

 

And then we headed to the park down the street from my parents.

Elijah was amazed at Moriah's upside down antics, but didn't want to attempt it himself because "it's dangerous!"

 

So fantastic to catch up with my friend Joia. Our husbands were residents together at Eglin, and I had her for three whole years! Back when we met, Keenan was just three months old. Hard to believe there are now six kids (and one more on the way!)