Our New Life Begins: ICAB...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

ICAB...

On Sept 10, 2009 we had our appointment with ICAB (which is the governing adoption board in the PI) to pick up Leo's travel documents. What an overwhelming day...in a good way! Before heading to the ICAB office, we went to the Parenting Foundation (where we picked Leo up) again to meet with the director and again with Leo's social workers. During our visit there, Marvin had the social workers translate some things that we wanted to say to Leo before we went back home. It was very emotional. We cried. The social workers fought tears as they translated some of it. Leo and Maile were mostly quiet. They asked Leo how he felt about coming home with us. He said he was happy. Afterwards, I felt such peace...our family was sealed. I thank God for our family. I thank God for the wonderful husband and father that Marvin is.

Driving to Quezon City to the ICAB office was so not fun. Traffic. Traffic. More traffic. Rough ride for the kids. At the ICAB office, we saw some familiar faces. Bernadette (the ICAB director) and Rutchelle (social worker) were both people that came to California while Leo was here back in November 2008. Happy to see them. We met with Dr. Sotto for awhile, the ICAB psychologist, then signed some papers...one was a form where we had to write a statement to Leo for his file (in case he chose to look through it in the future)....that was a little emotional. Leo got fingerprinted for that form. Then, Imelda (the ICAB social worker) went over all the documents that we would have to show the customs' officials at the PI airport and at LAX. The ICAB people gave Leo a small Filipino flag, a toy jeepney, and a book entitled "Philippines: The land that I came from." It was sweet of them to also give Maile a little doll wearing a Filipino dress. We took a lot of pictures...

From then on, Leo has been in our legal custody...
God is so good!

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is my husband. High school sweethearts and saved through Christ together, we've been married for almost 10 years. The comment I get most about Marv is, "He's a really good guy." That he is. He loves the Lord and is a wonderful husband, father, and friend. He's changed throughout the 20 years I've known him and keeps changing...but the love has always remained constant and enduring. In a conversation we had recently about freckles, Marvin looked at me sincerely and said, "Oh...I never noticed you had freckles." It shocked me. After 20 years, I realized how genuine love can really take away your imperfections. How reassuring...

Marvin is a physical therapist, he sings for the worship team at church, is a director for our church's discipleship and evangelism ministry, and is a well-rounded, out-going guy who makes friends easily . Plays basketball regularly, tennis, and golf occassionally. Likes reading, watching 'American Idol' and 'So you think you can Dance', popcorn, outdoors, good conversations, and entertaining Maile.

is my daughter...biological. She's a performer...loves to sing, dance, "act" and is quite dramatic and animated, even in normal conversation which can be pretty amusing. She's a little bossy but friendly and easily corrected. Confident and quite bold at times, she keeps me in check. At six years old, she knows more than I knew when I hit my 30's and has probably done more at six than I ever did at twenty. She's athletic...swims, plays basketball, dances, and is learning tennis with dad. Has a cute, petite physique for her age with such adorable cheek bones and dimples:o)

Maile loves cereal (particularly lucky charms), slumber parties, swimming, Bible stories, dogs, ice cream, being barefoot and all the girly stuff. I thank God for her all the time...she's a gift that keeps on giving, whether she knows it or not.

entered our life through a Philippines hosting program for orphans. At the time, we weren't thinking of adoption...we just wanted to help Filipino orphans. We didn't hesitate to advocate for these children and volunteered to be a host family for the program. We were matched with Mark Anthony, a 9 year old boy, but at the last minute he wasn't able to make the flight to California because of a typhoon. We were asked to host a 12 year-old boy instead...it was Leo.

We fell in love with Leo during his month-long stay with us and realized that he was part of God's plan for our lives. Click here to find out more about our journey.

Leo is sweet and sensitive. Likes singing, dancing, video games and basketball. Loves chicken nuggets. A good-looking kid with an awesome smile. Great with little kids, loves dogs, is very affectionate and likes to give hugs. Leo has been through a lot and much healing will have to take place throughout the course of his life. We pray God continues to prepare us well...

is a chihuahua mutt...maybe mixed with a weiner dog or a jack russell (yikes!), but has the personality of a cute 2 year old toddler...potty-trained:o) His name means "brave and fearless" in Hawaiian...we'll see if he can live up to it. Adopted from the shelter, he was marked as a "stray."

Never knew dogs could get so attached to one particular person. For Koa, that person is me. He tolerates the rest of the family, but I am by far his favorite, which is endearing but not-so-endearing at times (esp for my daughter). Aside from trying to "mark his territory" the day he came home, his transition to our family has been smooth. He's mellow and isn't tearing up the house (like our pup Lily, who massacred our backyard before we gave her up). Playful, affectionate but skiddish around new people, he's cozy and submissive in anyone's arms.