Newly orphaned children in China

Reports are filtering out of China now about hundreds of newly orphaned children, due to the earthquake. My heart sunk to hear this news. I just cannot imagine how horrible it would be to lose your parents in a terrifying event like that.

Also...lack of food and water is a serious problem. The World Health Organization said that they fear epidemics of disease if survivors are not provided with clean water and food. Many are wanting to help--and I wanted to let you know about some of those opportunities. I am adding some of my pictures of previous trips to China, as well as some photos of our kids while they lived in China--just to give you a feel for the wonderful people there. They are so warm and friendly--my heart just breaks for them now.


Love Without Boundaries is going to be help provide baby formula for those in need, as well as provide housing/or foster care for some of the orphaned children. We are awaiting some more details, but for now, this is a quote from our Director of Operations, Sheri Russon, "Since we know that there are two very real needs in China involving this horrible earthquake--immediate assistance for food and water, as well as a long-term need of help for the children who have now become orphaned--LWB has decided to raise funds to help in both ways. One immediate need that we have been asked to help with is providing baby formula to the regions in need, as many babies currently have no access to the formula they need. We are waiting for more news on how to get the formula to those most in need.

Our long-term project that we are working on will be outside of Chengdu. We are working with a local physician there who has already met with provincial Civil Affairs about setting up a temporary children’s shelter for those children who have either become orphaned or who have not been able to find their parents. Of course we will pray that every child who enters this shelter will eventually be reunited with his or her family, but, if they are not, LWB would like to help them in the long-term by providing shelter and possible future foster homes. Civil Affairs asked us today how many children we feel we can help and house. They are worried that if the project is announced that more children will be sent to us than we can handle. We are waiting on final details for this project and should know soon how many children they expect to send to us."

If you would like to donate to this project, you can go to www.lovewithoutboundaries.com and there will be a button to donate to the eartquake fund.

Another charity in China, called Half the Sky, is collecting funds to help with water, food, tents, medicine and daily supplies. Here is their information to donate: "If you would like to donate to Half the Sky’s Children’s Earthquake Fund, it would be great if you would do so at Global Giving as (even though they
take 10% for processing and we do not (100% to the kids but at cost to our
programs) it allows HTS staff to focus on relief efforts while keeping our
programs going."http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2086a.html


"Whatever you do for...these...you do for Me." God

Jordan's cool new sunglasses

Little Jordan has always loved to wear sunglasses like his big sisters--but we have a hard time getting them to stay on, since he only has one ear. The other day, I happened to find some really cool ones at a local store for only $3.99! They have a strap that goes around his head and velcro's at the back. This may not seem like a big deal, but I assure you--it is in our family!! Kids love to do things that 'all the other kids are doing' and now Jordan can wear sunglasses like the other kids! Hooray!


JAKE--THE DIAPER SAGA CONTINUES....
...as Houdini Jr. figured out a way to get his diaper off, despite it being duct-taped on. He now pushes it down until he can wriggle out of it--then chucks it out of his bed. The other morning, I went it to get him and the room reeked--so I knew he had pooped. However, the diaper was nowhere in sight. I lifted him out of bed and was putting a new diaper on him as Jeff walked in to survey the scene of the crime. I glanced up just in time to see him miss stepping on a suspicious looking brown 'stone' lying on the floor. Upon closer inspection, it became obvious that Jake had not only disposed of his diaper, but had hurled its offensive contents across the room. We were unable to find any wet spots in his bed, which seemed strange. And then I knelt down beside his crib to look for the diaper. My knees got wet.

Now I know why some animals eat their young.

Happy 9th Birthday, Jillian!!

How can Jillian be nine years old already?! Didn't we just bring her home from China a week ago? I can't believe it's been over eight years. Sigh.....

She wanted a Hawaiian birthday party and we had lots of Hawaiian-type stuff lying around here, so it was easy and fun to pull together. She had been wanting a Barbie doll cake, so we just made it look more like a hula girl and we were good to go.



GRANDMA AND GRANDPA CAME TO HELP CELEBRATE


GRANDPA AND SARAGRACE PLAY SILLY GAMES

SARAGRACE SERENADES US

LET'S HAVE CAKE!

QUOTING 'THE CHIPMUNKS'..."I'M A MAJOR ROCK STAR!"

China Earthquake--update

Some of you have asked about Zoey (thank you!!) and we are relieved to say that she is in an area that was not hard hit. We are still waiting for official news of her orphanage, but do not anticipate that she is in any danger.

Love Without Boundaries is taking donations for earthquake aid if you are wanting to help. The address is: http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/earthquake.cfm . We have gotten a bit of news on some of our programs in the Chengdu area--and so far, the news is good. News is filtering in slowly, but so far, all reports state that the children are safe. Some orphanages have sustained structural damage and the children are kept outside if the weather permits. Love Without Boundaries will be posting updates on their website as news is received.

My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones or who are waiting to hear about loved ones. Many prayers going up for all of them.

post-Mother's Day thoughts

Lying in bed last night, I thought back to the years that I was not a mother--and feared that I would never have the privilege. If you have a family member, friend or aquaintence who is longing to have a child, please know what a tough day Mother's Day is for them. Each year, they hope that by next Mother's Day, they will be a Mom. And each year, it passes again, their arms empty and their hearts aching. I encourage you to put your arms around your friend and tell her that you hurt with her and will pray for her. Skip the platitudes, as they normally bring more unintentional hurt, and just let her know you love her.

My thoughts then drifted toward birth mothers--the brave women who bring a child into the world, knowing they cannot raise him/her. Many of these women had the choice to end the child's life, but they decided to travel the road of life and adoption. Many are maligned--not necessarily to their faces--but with thoughtless words by others to the effect of, "I don't know how anyone could give up their own flesh and blood." Many of these precious mother's suffer in silence, not wanting to let people know that they are one of THOSE people who 'gave up' their own flesh and blood. The reality is that THOSE women do what many of us could not--put their child's needs ahead of their own to the point of letting go of them forever. They sacrifice their own needs to be able to give their child a better life. That is something to be admired, not disdained. I have had the privilege of meeting Ryan and Taylor's birthmom's and I so admire their courage and love.

On to happier thoughts...I just want to take the opportunity to praise God that I am mother. For many years, I thought I never be called by the wonderful name, "Mother." Mother's Day morning, my devotional verses for the day were from my life's chapter, Isaiah 54. I love these verses! The chapter starts out talking about the barren woman, and goes on to describe how God will eventually bless her. When God gave these verses to me so many years ago, I had no idea how He would fulfill them. Now, I literally start cracking up when I read them in the NLT translation. It says something like, "now she who was barren has more children than all the other woman." hahahahahaha

My kids were so excited about Mother's Day. I received cute handmade cards, kisses, and loud choruses of, "Happy Mother's Day, Mom!" SaraGrace made a card in church and the kids were supposed to write down what they loved about their mom. SaraGrace's comment was, I love my Mom because "hers my best buddy." Awww.....

Jeff got me a pretty coursage. I tried to keep it out of Jake's clutches but when we got to church, I leaned in too close to him. He reached up and snatched it off my jacket, snapping the stem in the process. Jeff tried valiantly to pin it back on--and it did stay for the remainder of the service--but later fell off in some unknown place in the Meijer parking lot. Oh well....

It was pouring rain yesterday--so sorry--no pictures.

One year ago today....

....we saw baby Jake for the first time! It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since that momentous day in Guatemala. We are so thankful that God has brought this little guy into our lives. He is such a blessing--despite keeping us VERY busy keeping him out of trouble!

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO HIS HOME IN GUATEMALA

HOLA, MAMA AND DADDY!

ONE YEAR LATER....

I LOVE MY BIG BROTHER, JORDAN


I LOVE FOOD!!


I'M STUCK....


OUR LITTLE JAKE....WE LOVE YOU, SWEETHEART!

End of the school year events

The school year is winding down and we've had a few year-end events. First, was our girls' Awana awards night. Awana is a program at our church for children--held every Wednesday night. At the end of the year, the kids receive awards for participating.
Yes, you see one extra cute Chinese girl in the picture(far right)--Molly's best buddy, Shali, at church! And SaraGrace cannot resist mugging for the camera...she's so shy, we're kinda worried....

The second event was Ryan's Agriculture Tech banquet. Jeff and I were cracking up that in less than one week, Ryan was seen wearing a tie, not once, but TWICE. This is the kid who thinks I am making him dress up if he has to wear a polo shirt. But here he was, WILLINGLY wearing a tie twice in one week. First prom, and then the banquet.

RYAN AND SHELBY IN THEIR MATCHING FFA JACKETS

RYAN WITH HIS OTHER FAVORITE GIRL
And last but not least, our sweet Jillian was baptized on Sunday. We are so happy that she has taken this step to tell those around her that she loves Jesus and wants to follow Him.
We only have a "Before" picture because the camera card was full (argh), but we do have the whole thing on video, thankfully.

New pictures of our Zoey girl!

There is a family from our agency who is in China adopting their son from the same orphanage as Zoey. My inbox was full of pictures this morning! What a blessing!! The mom who visited said this about Zoey: "Your little girl is so adorable and precious. Sweetness just radiates from her. Very soft eyes. She watched me, soaking in every word I was saying. She is very alert - immediately ran to get the treats." The mom also spent time praying with her, rubbing her back, and telling her she is loved.

Awwwww.....it is so wonderful to hear any news about her---to know a little of her personality before getting there.

We are still waiting for our approval from USCIS (immigration). We are at a standstill until that one precious piece of paperwork gets to us. We are praying that it will come soon.




The courtyard where the children 'play'

A sweet story...

I just read a really sweet story, written by a friend of mine who is now in China with his wife and children. They have a ministry to the fatherless, but I never knew that he was adopted out of the US foster care system at around three years old.

Here is an excerpt of his story. I hope it will inspire you.

...One year later they adopted us at the ages of 64 and 60 and I will forever be grateful for their unselfishness. They already had six biological children and the youngest had moved out 5 years before we came into the picture. I can not describe what it's like to have God remove you from a terrible situation and place you in a loving, caring home. They taught us about Jesus,... to read the entire article, go to: http://james127adopt.blogspot.com/

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these ...you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40

"...look after orphans and widows in their distress..." James 1:27

Prom

Well, the big event has come and gone--and here are the pictures of the big day! Our girls were soooo excited all day--waiting for Shelby to come over, looking like a princess. She didn't disappoint--and looked beautiful! Ryan looked very handsome in his tux! When he was putting his jacket on, Molly looked at him and said, "Helloooo Gorgeous!" We all cracked up!




RYAN WANTED A PICTURE WITH HIS OTHER FAVORITE GIRL--"MINI ME" CHLOE (SHELBY DOESN'T MIND SHARING)
THE GIRLS LAY ON THE FLOOR FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT 'Princess' SHELBY'S SPARKLY SHOES
HEADING TO PROM IN A PICK-UP TRUCK

As they drove off, Jeff and I went back into the house feeling very old! ha! Jeff said, 'Do you realize that it could be their wedding in two or three years?" I said, 'Yeah--or less than that." How could Ryan be old enough for prom?? We just brought him home as a newborn yesterday, didn't we?

Spring is here!

We are having the most beautiful spring! It is so wonderful to see everything turning green, flowers coming up, trees blooming, and birds singing!

Yesterday SaraGrace asked me to pitch to her so she could practice her swing, and I had to take a picture of her in her high heels and batting helmet. She came up with this attire all by herself. You don't see THAT every day.... Jillian pitched this one so I could take the photo.


"HEY, BATTER, BATTER, HEY, BATTER, BETTER, SWING BATTER!"


















The girls just left for a Saturday morning breakfast date with Dad. They got all dressed up in their favorite clothes and posed for a picture before they left. Their favorite 'restaurant' is McDonalds. Blech....




















Jeff just emailed me photos of 'breakfast with the princesses' from his cell phone...



Tonight is prom and we are all looking forward to seeing Ryan in a tux and Shelby in her pretty dress. The excitement is building for the girls who can't wait to see Shelby looking like a princess!

Here are so other misc. pictures of our week...

Messes, and those who never make them

JAKE TRIES TO PRETEND IT WASN'T HIM WHO EMPTIED THE KLEENEX BOX ON THE FLOOR


Messes...we have a lot of them here. If you have kids, there will be messes. It's interesting, though, because according to our kids, the messes were never made by them. Another thing I've noticed is that when Mom or Dad say, "Who did this?" the guilty party never answers. However, we always here a chorus of, "It wasn't me!" As if we need to know THAT! I continually chide myself for even uttering the words, "Who did this?" but I can't seem to stop myself. It's like some involuntary response to seeing a mess. Jeff often says to me, "Why do you even bother asking?" Sigh...I don't know!

The other day, I overheard him talking to the kids. There was frustration in his voice as he tried to discern WHO had left the lastest yucky mess on the table. Of course no one fessed up. I cracked up as I heard him say, 'Someday there will be an over-the-counter DNA test so that parents will know who left half a bowl of cereal on the table, who left the sucker stuck to the couch, the gum stuck to the carpet, the booger wiped on the wall and who never flushes the toilet."

Over the weekend, I started the fun job of putting away some of the winter clothing and getting out the summer clothes. I had stacked piles of clothing by child, but then got interrupted and had to leave. I wasn't able to get back to it right away, but SaraGrace kept appearing in various outfits. The next time I saw this room, it looked like THIS:





IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE A MOTHER CRY

Sudsy fun

Yesterday was beautiful...sunny and 75. Jillian decided that since Mom didn't want to get the kiddie pool out, the next best thing would be to wash all the bikes and riding toys with soapy water. The kids had a blast, and now all their toys are clean.

JAKE HAD MORE SOAP ON HIMSELF THAN ANYWHERE ELSE



"LOOK MOM, I HAVE LOTS OF BUBBLES!"





SARAGRACE CAME TO LEND SUPPORT BY ADDING DRAMA TO THE EVENT. SHE FIRST ARRIVED, DRESSED AS A BRIDE BUT EVENTUALLY ABANDONED THAT OUTFIT, AND CAME BACK DRESSED AS A COWGIRL
TAYLOR SHOWED UP TO SEE IF HE COULD SCARE ANYONE WITH HIS WEIRD HAIRDO

Happy 2nd Birthday, Zoey!

Today our little Zoey turns two--without her family to celebrate with her. She is the only one of our kids who has had a second birthday pass while still living in her birth country. Please pray for her today--that God will hold her tight and keep her safe.

I came across a picture of her last night on someone else's website! Here it is... She needs a Mama and a Daddy to put a smile on her little face.