The Cole Family Blog

2011 In Review

2012-01-02T21:52:00.000-06:00

2011 was a year of many ups and downs for the Cole Family. Let’s begin with the ups.

Ashleigh began the 9th grade at Vidalia High school. She tried out and made the basketball team. She starts for the Junior Varsity and also plays on the Varsity team. She is doing well in school. She just finished drivers ed at the end of December and will get her learner’s permit soon.

Allyson is an 8th grader at Vidalia Jr. High, she is also doing well in school. She made the cheerleading squad again this year, and was a co-captain for the squad.

Ashleigh, Allyson, and Jason went to Belize this summer with Parkway Baptist Church on a mission trip. We worked with our friends the Leckies who began serving there this past year. Jason worked with Dr. Leckie doing medical education and evangelism in the villages, while Ashleigh and Allyson taught

VBS and worked with the children in the community of Punta Gorda.

Andrew began 5th grade this year at Vidalia Upper Elementary. He has straight A’s and played AYA football this past fall.

Alexander became an official citizen of the United States. He received his Certificate of Citizenship in May. Alex also began preschool at Natchez High this fall. He goes to the Fallin Preschool lab (where Andrew went), and he is learning a lot and having a great time. He continues to have speech therapy

3x’s a week, and he is getting better with his articulation.

The Cole’s welcomed 3 new members to their family this year. Andrew and Allyson both have puppies (mutts) named Scottie and Spaz, while Ashleigh is the proud owner of a cat named Miss Priss.

Stacy is still teaching 3rd Grade at VUE, and playing taxi service to the Cole children. Jason is still serving at Parkway (10 yrs. this April) and working occasionally part time at AMR ambulance. He is also doing a lot more chaplaincy for this this year.

The down part of the year relates to our parents. Jason’s Mom, Bobbie, was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure and an Enlarged heart. Her cardiologist has her on several mediations, which have helped her condition.

Stacy’s Dad, Rodney, was diagnosed this summer with Stage 4 Esophageal and Liver Cancer. He took 6 rounds of Chemo and 15 radiation treatments. After the treatments there was no significant improvement so, he elected to end the treatments and is now under the care of Hospice. Stacy is making trips every other weekend to see him, while Jason is going about once a month to do “honey do’s” at their house.

We love you, and thank you for your prayers. We pray that 2012 will be a year which will glorify our Lord!

First Day of School

2011-08-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

Alex began school this week at the Fallin Center which is located at Natchez High School. The Fallin Center is a preschool program and Childcare Lab. The High School students learn about child development and skills needed in early childhood education.

He is having a great time and will begin Speech Therapy through the school system after Labor Day. Here is a picture from his first day with his Teacher.

Rodney Update

2011-08-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

It has been a little over a month since Stacy's dad has been diagnosed with Esophagus & Liver Cancer. In the past 4 weeks he has undergone and completed 13 radiation treatments and 3 one week long chemo treatments. This past Monday he began his more aggressive chemo treatments. He had a very good Monday and Tuesday, but by today (Wednesday) he wiped out. We continue to take it one day at a time, and we greatly appreciate your love and prayers!

Alexander Cole, American Citizen

2011-08-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

I had mentioned before that we were working on getting Alexander's Certificate of Citizenship. He's been classified as a Permanent Resident Alien, which means that when he turned 18 he would have to go through the naturalization process. So, by getting him his Certificate of Citizenship he does not have to get naturalized. In May we had our interview in New Orleans with the Department of Homeland Security and Alex is a US Citizen.

Sad News

2011-07-13T17:07:00.000-05:00

A lot has happened in our family since our last post. However we first wanted to share with our most recent news. Stacy's dad was diagnosed last week with stage 4 Esophagus and Liver cancer.

He has begun radiation treatments and we will meet tomorrow with his oncologist about when to start chemo. He is doing both treatments to ease his pain as the disease progresses.

We ask that you keep him in your prayers asking God that his pain be manageable. He is not the first, nor the last in our family to have to fight this disease. We know that the road ahead is not pleasurable, but we worship a sovereign God, and pray that He be glorified through it all! As my father-in-law said shortly after they were given the news, "It could be worse, I could have this and not know Jesus!"

Bring Our Children Home

2011-05-08T20:01:00.002-05:00

The Rising Mississippi

2011-05-05T13:56:00.000-05:00

Natchez is located on the "Mighty Mississippi", in fact it is the oldest town/city on the river. The highest the river has ever been was in 1937 at 58.04 feet (flood stage is 48.0 feet). This year the river is expected to crest at 64 feet on May 22nd. For some great pictures and information, please visit Stephanie Echols Blog.

Since We Last Spoke.........

2011-04-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

It has been a little over a month since I last updated our blog. Here are a few things that have been happening in the Cole household.

April is a month of celebration in our household. Allyson will turn 13 this month (on the 14th). We also found out that she made cheerleading again at school! It was also on April 15th was when we got the chance to see Alexander for the time, by having him referred to us by our adoption agency two years ago.

Speaking of Alexander, we still have not had any information from New Orleans about his Certificate of Citizenship. However, I will be calling them on May 2nd if I haven't gotten any information by then. We are also in the process moving Alex from our current speech therapist to a program run by both our state's early intervention program and our local school board. He's in the process of testing, and although he is progressing he is still about 1-1/2 years delayed.

April is also the time in our household for taking the LEAP at school. This is a standardized testing that the Louisiana uses to measure student progress. Andrew has already informed us that he "HAS to eat a VERY big breakfast each day!"

Well I'm Walking to New Orleans......

2011-03-03T16:51:00.000-06:00

Perhaps as you read the title of this blog post, the thought of Fats Domino come to mind. I do love New Orleans, and look forward to any opportunity to get a muffaletta from Central Grocery while I sit on the river and enjoy the breeze and view. However, today was not about food or relaxation at the river. Today was about an appointment with the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration Department.

Here's a little background, Alexander has permanent legal alien status (and yes he has the card to prove it), however it is recommended that he get a Certificate of Citizenship (COC) which proves he is a US citizen. By having this document he would not have to go through the naturalization process when he turns 18. According to the website it takes the New Orleans office 5 months to process the request, so last September we submitted the paperwork and fees to obtain his COC.

A few weeks back, when I haven't heard anything since September I called the immigration customer service number to inquire as to the status. I was informed that I had to make an appointment and drive to either Jackson, MS or New Orleans. I choose New Orleans since that is where I sent my paperwork.

So, today I drove the almost 3 hrs to New Orleans and was quickly directed through the proper security screenings and right to the infopass window (even thought I was early). The worker at the New Orleans infopass window was very very very nice, and helpful in answering my questions (as opposed to the infopass lady that we've dealt with in Jackson, MS). The simple answer is that no COC's have been processed, but they were going to do them this month (hopefully). She then gave me a number to the New Orleans office that I could call to inquire about our application's status.

My slight aggravation wasn't with the New Orleans office, or even the delay in processing the application. My aggravation was that with today's technology shouldn't we be able to call a number or check online to see the status of our applications. Some immigration requests can be done (and are encouraged to be done that way) online already, but why not everything?

Oh, well at least I got to stop by Central Grocery before I came home!

Feburary Update

2011-02-21T11:47:00.000-06:00

The month of February is almost over, and it has not been a good month for Andrew. Andrew began the month by contracting the flu, which was followed a few days later by a stomach virus. He returned to school for a week, and the stomach bug returned (or he got a 3rd virus in 3 weeks). This time, he couldn't keep ANYTHING down (including ice chips), so he was admitted to the hospital for a few days of IV fluids. He is not back and school, but is in need of putting on some extra weight.

Also, February has been the month for basketball. As of today our team is perfect, we've lost every game we've played. We have 2 more regular season games, then the playoffs begin.

Ministries of the Ethiopian Guest House

2011-01-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a great video about the ministries being done in Ethiopia by the Ethiopian Guest House. WARNING, watching the video will break your heart! Click HERE to watch the video.

The Incredible Dr. No

2011-01-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

2011 has brought about some changes at the Cole household. The biggest change was that we had to change sitters for Alex during the day. Our former sitter moved, but thankfully God has provided us with a stay at home mom with a child Alex's age. He has enjoyed playing with his new friend!

Alex is continuing to go to speech therapy twice a week. We've noticed in the past few weeks that he is vocalizing a lot more, and loves the word "NO!" This has made for some fun around the house:

Us: "Alex do you want to eat only junk food?" Alex: "No!"

Us: "Alex do you love _________?" Alex: "No!"

Us: "Alex do you plan on living at home your whole life?" Alex: "No!"

Seriously, his speech therapist is really encouraged with his progress, but as she reminds us "he is still significantly delayed." I sometimes wonder if God has in store for Alex something involving communication, because He (God) is often glorified in our weaknesses.

Andrew have started AYA basketball a couple of weeks ago. He is one of eight on his team. Jason is Andrew's coach and our games start this Saturday, the 29th.

Amazing Ethiopia Movie

2011-01-13T20:47:00.000-06:00

2010 in Review

2011-01-09T18:10:00.000-06:00

We hope 2010 was a great year for you! The year seemed to fly past us too quickly. We don’t expect this to change anytime soon.

Our 2010 didn’t start very well. In January, Ernie Nolan, Jason’s step-dad passed away. Ernie was taking his boots off to go to bed and lost his balance. When he fell, he said he was fine and went to bed. However, what he didn’t know was that he developed a small bled in his brain. Ernie was taken to their local ER and flown to LSU Shreveport were he passed away the next day. Jason’s mom is doing well, but please continue to keep her in your prayers.

In late January we made a family trip to New Orleans to visit with several families from the South who have adopted from Ethiopia. It was wonderful to let the kids play together and share stories about God’s calling on our families to adopt.

During the summer we rented a house in Destin, FL and enjoyed some time at the beach. The weather and beach were beautiful! We left the beach about a week before the oil spill reached the area.

The day after we got home, Ashleigh, Allyson, and Andrew all left for their summer church trips. This was Ashleigh’s first trip as a youth. Then, a few weeks later the girls left for cheerleading camp.

School started in August. Ashleigh is in the 8^th grade, Allyson is in the 7^th grade, and Andrew is in the 4^th grade. School is going well, but challenging. We are very proud of them.

Stacy continues to teach 3^rd grade. She continues to do great, and has had several incredible evaluations.

The fall found us running the roads. Ashleigh made the school basketball team and started every game. Allyson made cheerleader and cheered at all home football and basketball games. Andrew played AYA football and moved up into an older league. We didn’t think he would play much since he was one of the younger kids on the team, however he played a lot of defense and impressed his coach.

This fall we also celebrated Stacy’s 40^th birthday. Jason put together a surprise party for her and made a video, which he showed at the party. It is posted on our blog if you would like to see it.

Alex is doing great! He is now weighs 35 lbs and is over 38 inches tall. The only area he is still delayed is his speech (he’s about a year behind). We started him in speech therapy this past fall, and he has made some great improvements.

After three years being the only full time staff member at Parkway, we called a pastor. He began in September, and has hit the ground running taking a lot of pressure and jobs off of Jason.

Jason also continues to work occasionally for AMR ambulance. However, they have been using him a lot more for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), which is counseling employees after they work a bad call.

We hope you have a blessed and happy 2011. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We love you!

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

This Sunday, November 7th is Orphan Sunday. As you watch the

video below, pray about how God has called you to be involved!

Whew, Thank you Lord that Friday is over

2010-11-03T14:55:00.000-05:00

This Friday was suppose to be a memorable day as Stacy turned 39 and holding (40). However, this day will also be remembered as the day that Andrew fell on the playground and broke his arm.

I (Jason) was working on the ambulance and Stacy called and asked me to come by and look at it. We wrapped his arm and I suggested that Stacy take him to get an x-ray. They went to the After Hours Clinic and Andrew has a buckle fracture of his right radial bone.

Monday I took him to a new Orthopedist in Natchez, and he got his first cast. We go back in 4 weeks to have it removed, but no sports till end of January.

Stacy's 40th Birthday Video

2010-10-30T22:14:00.001-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

'I Love My Hair': A Father's Tribute To His Daughter

2010-10-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

Joey Mazzarino, the head writer of Sesame Street, is also a Muppeteer who wrote the song for his daughter. Mazzarino is Italian. He and his wife adopted their 5-year-old daughter, Segi, from Ethiopia when she was a year old. You can read the interview and watch the video by clicking HERE.

Washington Post Article on Ethiopian Adoption

2010-10-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post has published a great article about Ethiopian adoptions. Click HERE to read the article.

Happy Birthday Andrew

2010-09-06T14:50:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago today we were blessed to welcome Andrew Cole into our family. Happy Birthday!

Update on the Last Post

2010-09-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

We got Alexander's new Social Security Card with the right name - Alexander Mason Cole - yesterday. We've submitted our paperwork for his Certificate of Citizenship, more to come!

Our Government at Work

2010-08-27T17:54:00.002-05:00

Today I decided to go to the Social Security office and change Alexander's name on his Social Security Card. Boy, was that a bad idea!

Here's a little background. When we arrived back in the states, Alexander was Demelash Jason Cole. He was and is a legal permanent alien. We decided to get him a Social Security Number so that we wouldn't have any problems when we filed our 2009 taxes. So, last August I went to our local Social Security Office with all our paperwork and applied (and successfully received) him a SS number as Demelash Jason Cole.

In December, we readopted him here in Mississippi (so that he has an MS Birth Certificate), and legally changed his name to Alexander Mason Cole. We then filed our taxes and finally got them submitted and completed, but we had to make 3 different trips to our CPA's office to finally get everything submitted.

Here we are in August and we decided to change Alex's name on his Social Security card to reflect his name change before we applied for his Certificate of Citizenship. We were worried we would run into the same issues with had with the IRS if we kept his name Demelash in the system while applying for his CoC as Alexander.

So, today I brought the completed name change form along with the necessary documents to our local SS office. I arrived at 1:00 PM and was immediately called to the window. The nice young man at the window said I had to have the original documents (court order of adoption, adoption report, birth certificate), not the copies that I had brought. He also wanted me to get his shot records under his new name to prove he is who we say he is. I explained that I wouldn't be able to produce the original documents, but I could get certified copies. He said they had to be originals, so off I went.

I made 2 stops: the Adams County Courthouse and the Adams County Health Unit. Both places were very helpful and cooperative. I got the copies that I had certified at the courthouse in no time. The shot records took longer, because everyone wanted to see updated pictures of Alex (this is where Alex got his TB treatments 2 x's a week for 9 months- so were kinda like family).

I made it back to the SS office for the 2nd time. When it came my time I went back to the same window (only one was open), and presented all the documents to the SS employee. He looked over everything and said he had one question for his supervisor. She came out with him. She looked at the documents and said, "you can't get him a Social Security number because he's not a citizen." I replied, "he already has a Social Security Card and number, I'm just trying to change his name." She said, "sir, he can't have a SS number, did they give it to him when he entered the country?" I said, "no, I came to this office and got it." She said "that can't be" and then looked at the computer screen. She then said, "oh, yeah here it is, huh." She then told me I needed to produce Alex's Permanent Resident card. This is not listed on the instructions on the form to change your name, but I left home to get it. I also grabbed his SS card and returned for my third attempt.

When I walked in the security guard asked "man, are you having problems or what?" I got my number, and eventually made it to the window. They SS employee left to get his supervisor again. I showed them everything once again (to the same people). The supervisor said, "our problem is that we can't make his a citizen with proof of citizenship." I said, "ma-am all I'm trying to do is change is not; not his citizenship status." She said, "well we will send all of this in and see what happens." The employee then made COPIES of the documents I brought and returned all the certified copies that I had. He also gave me back his shot record because he said "we didn't need this." He then "I have to keep his old SS card." I asked what happens if he didn't get his need card, since they weren't sure we would get it. He replied, "just apply for a replacement one."

So, we will see if we end up getting his name changed and a new SS card. I'm not very optimistic. Hopefully the next step will be his Certificate of Citizenship.

I'm A Bad Blogger

2010-08-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

I see it has been over a month since I last updated you on our family happenings. The reason is that school began last week for the kids and about 3 weeks ago for Stacy, and we are still trying to get into the groove.

Ashleigh started the 8th grade. Wow, writing that makes me feel really old for some reason. She is at that stage in school where she needs help with her math and Stacy and I are both trying to figure it out so we can help her.

Allyson started the 7th grade and boy has she had homework so far. Last night, we worked on writing a report about the flooding in Pakistan. She is also on the cheer squad so she is one busy young lady.

Andrew has started in the 4th grade. He is eagerly waiting for AYA football to begin. He likes his teachers and no problems so far (after a week of school).

Alex continues to do well, however he has definitely started the terrible 2's. He has started throwing fits, and Stacy and I will look at him and say, "that's enough" or "dry it up" and he instantly stops. We have some new photos of him. You can click here to see them.

Cheer Camp

2010-07-10T20:45:00.001-05:00

This past week Allyson and Ashleigh went to cheer camp @ LSU. The video below is of Alex enjoying the cheer competition. To see the pictures from camp click here.

Alex's 2nd Birthday

2010-06-19T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrated Alexander's 2nd birthday. We were blessed to have several friends attend the party. You can view more birthday photos by clicking here.