One week from now will be the 2014 Chosen For Adoption half and full marathon in New Braunfels, TX. I am going for the full this year to raise funds for one of the adoption ministries back in Ukraine that we keep in touch with. I am trained up with a good 350 hot Texas summer running miles under my belt, tapered down and taking my week of rest before the race on Saturday the 25th!
Naturally the benchmark moments like this get you thinking and I've been chilling out (and coffee-ing up!) and reminiscing this morning. I remember the 2011 race where we did Team Tansey to raise support for the adoption of our two kids. We were so blessed with incredible support of friends and many distant contacts and strangers who became friends through the process. Amazing support from people who were only business contacts to begin with, and through the journey I discovered were truly amazing people!
Ironically I had to sit out our race with an injury, Dylan ran the half marathon (13 years old!) and rocked it (yes he is still faster than me any day...). All of our kids were 110% engaged in our process and own it's success as much as anyone. I remember all the paperwork (ugh!). Flying to Ukraine (long!). Our amazing facilitator (Oksana) who made it all happen wonderfully. Weather - we arrived at the end of the coldest winter in a century, and left at the early part of the hottest summer in 30 years!
Friends! To say God works in amazing ways would be an understatement as we were truly blessed by wonderful people in Ukraine who took care of their American visitors and made us feel at home 6,092 miles away from our house :) Andriy & Alex who would undoubtedly be my best friends. The food (it was really, really good :) Visiting the orphanage every day for 5 weeks getting to know our kids and their friends. Finding that love overcomes any language obstacles, and laughter overcomes my terrible grasp of the Ukranian language :) The intense joy of them becoming our kids. The sadness of so many other kids that remained without families (I still wear a black band on my right wrist to remember and pray for them.)
Very happy that ministries like Last Bell exist to try and care for the orphans who need a shot at having a life and not falling into the otherwise likely fates of prison, prostitution or suicide. Hoping those who did not get adopted make it (many great kids with all kids of potential!).
Glad I get to wake up and give Kayleigh and Michael all the hugs I want now. To play and joke with them. To tell them I love them! To see how happy they are. To know they have a family, are truly loved. The daily amazement of how natural it is to have them in our family! To see their futures unfold before our eyes. To know those futures are bright!
We ran for them in 2011, for other adoptive families in 2012 and 2013, and for others now in 2014, and beyond!
Welcome to our blog! We are so excited that you would take the time to follow our adoption journey! Thanks for coming along for the ride as our adoption of Kayleigh and Michael was completed in May 2012 and as we embrace our new world of parenting five teenagers!
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
18 Again
Tomorrow marks Kayleigh's 18th birthday. It's going on 2 1/2 years since she and Michael arrived in Texas (May 9, 2012 :). It has been a truly remarkable experience. Even to this day is seems so amazing to have 2 kids from 6,092 miles away in a different part of the world join your family through adoption, and yet seem like they are such a natural fit. If you didn't know they were adopted, well, you wouldn't know!
Kayleigh has really blossomed here and has blessed our family so much. She is super smart and an excellent student, great with kids, a wonderful sister and daughter, and has really gotten way too beautiful! She and I have a blast as she somehow (osmosis perhaps....) has my family's sense of humor.
So, now we have a 20 year old daughter and TWO 18 year old girls! That is always good for some puzzled looks :) I can't wait to see what the coming year will bring for her!
Kayleigh has really blossomed here and has blessed our family so much. She is super smart and an excellent student, great with kids, a wonderful sister and daughter, and has really gotten way too beautiful! She and I have a blast as she somehow (osmosis perhaps....) has my family's sense of humor.
So, now we have a 20 year old daughter and TWO 18 year old girls! That is always good for some puzzled looks :) I can't wait to see what the coming year will bring for her!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Happy Fathers Day!
OK, so every time I blog I'm thinking that I need to blog more frequently, and then 3 months go by! First of all, Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there. What a tremendous responsibility we have. What a tremendous privilege and blessing we have!
My best Fathers Day gift each year is the wonderful group of kids I have, there are simply none better than mine (sorry, y'all can wrassle over 2nd place... :) Honestly, I have enough coffee cups and shirts! Of all the many bubbles my life has, being a husband and dad is top of the list and nothing else really matters in the grand scope of things.
A shade over 2 years ago we finished our first adoption and added two more kids to our family and what a blessing that has been. For all of the many varied stories of adoption we've heard of, we still get told on a pretty consistent basis how awesome ours has been. Kayleigh and Michael jumped right in to our family and if you didn't know they were adopted, you'd never guess it (LOL, when people try to pick the adopted kids out of our pics, most get it wrong!).
I can't really speak as to why these two kids were orphans and don't want to spend time guessing. All that really matters to me is that they're here now, and have a family and a dad who loves them, cares for them, protects them, and wants them. Knowing that they have that now is my best present today.
p.s. Spurs, you can add the frosting to the day by beating the Heat.... :)
My best Fathers Day gift each year is the wonderful group of kids I have, there are simply none better than mine (sorry, y'all can wrassle over 2nd place... :) Honestly, I have enough coffee cups and shirts! Of all the many bubbles my life has, being a husband and dad is top of the list and nothing else really matters in the grand scope of things.
A shade over 2 years ago we finished our first adoption and added two more kids to our family and what a blessing that has been. For all of the many varied stories of adoption we've heard of, we still get told on a pretty consistent basis how awesome ours has been. Kayleigh and Michael jumped right in to our family and if you didn't know they were adopted, you'd never guess it (LOL, when people try to pick the adopted kids out of our pics, most get it wrong!).
I can't really speak as to why these two kids were orphans and don't want to spend time guessing. All that really matters to me is that they're here now, and have a family and a dad who loves them, cares for them, protects them, and wants them. Knowing that they have that now is my best present today.
p.s. Spurs, you can add the frosting to the day by beating the Heat.... :)
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Big Mike Turns 15!
This weekend we celebrate Michael's 15th birthday, it is hard to believe that he is growing up already! I suppose a lot of the usual "my baby is growing up" stuff is hard to apply as we've had him less than 2 years so we missed the infant, diaper, toddler and little boy phases and jumped right up the scale. In Michael's case it has been an amazing journey so far. He was a quiet little boy when we met him who typically just stayed to himself. I didn't really see at the orphanage that he had friends or even a group that he ran with, most of the time he was off by himself in the surrounding woods. He wasn't the kind to get into trouble and knew his place in the caste order of things, staying out from underfoot of the older kids.
There is no other way to describe him from then to now in any terms less than a total transformation of a person. He's grown a ton first of all, is friendly and has friends, is confident and fun loving. He is actually a pretty warm and funny guy! I have always loved having a son in Dylan, and it has been such a joy to add Michael to the family. We get along great and have so much fun doing the father / son thing. It is one thing to read all the churchy books on how important having a dad in your life makes, it is something else to live it and see how incredibly important and impactful it really is.
As with any teenager there is no telling for sure what lies ahead. Michael is still adjusting to his new world but seems to be doing great. In his case it seems like he just packed up and leapt forward and has never looked back. We shall see what layers of onion peel as time goes by and what man will grow from the ashes. I am very excited for the privilege of being a part of that and so excited for all of the potential I know he has!
There is no other way to describe him from then to now in any terms less than a total transformation of a person. He's grown a ton first of all, is friendly and has friends, is confident and fun loving. He is actually a pretty warm and funny guy! I have always loved having a son in Dylan, and it has been such a joy to add Michael to the family. We get along great and have so much fun doing the father / son thing. It is one thing to read all the churchy books on how important having a dad in your life makes, it is something else to live it and see how incredibly important and impactful it really is.
As with any teenager there is no telling for sure what lies ahead. Michael is still adjusting to his new world but seems to be doing great. In his case it seems like he just packed up and leapt forward and has never looked back. We shall see what layers of onion peel as time goes by and what man will grow from the ashes. I am very excited for the privilege of being a part of that and so excited for all of the potential I know he has!
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Prayers For Ukraine
First of all, yes, I haven't blogged for awhile. All is good, just never seem to have a lot of time to sit and play! The Fab 5 are all well, Kayleigh and Michael have been awesome as ever. Beautiful, happy kids :) We've been following the situation in Ukraine with heavy hearts. We see the reports in the media and have continued to keep in touch with friends we made while there, and the stories are so truly saddening. We ask that you join us in praying for the safety and well being of our friends and their families, and the people there.
It has been almost 2 years since our family boarded a plane in Austin Texas for our 47 day adventure to a destination 6,092 miles away. An adventure it was and a great experience in seeing that the world in different places is truly different! Different language, alphabet, currency, measurement system (metric...), culture, and climate. During our stay there we were truly blessed by many people who met an American family on the road, and took us in as friends. By the time we left, not only did we have 2 more teenagers, but a home church, best friends and our new favorite pizza place!
The Ukrainian people love their country and are very patriotic, and the tough times are very hard on them. Our experiences with the people there were wonderful. Recent events are surely incredibly difficult and the stories we hear are pretty awful. We are praying for their safety and that circumstances there would improve. Even though we are separated by 6,092 miles, they are always in our heart.
It has been almost 2 years since our family boarded a plane in Austin Texas for our 47 day adventure to a destination 6,092 miles away. An adventure it was and a great experience in seeing that the world in different places is truly different! Different language, alphabet, currency, measurement system (metric...), culture, and climate. During our stay there we were truly blessed by many people who met an American family on the road, and took us in as friends. By the time we left, not only did we have 2 more teenagers, but a home church, best friends and our new favorite pizza place!
The Ukrainian people love their country and are very patriotic, and the tough times are very hard on them. Our experiences with the people there were wonderful. Recent events are surely incredibly difficult and the stories we hear are pretty awful. We are praying for their safety and that circumstances there would improve. Even though we are separated by 6,092 miles, they are always in our heart.
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