We have enjoyed two spring days in a row--especially today. The kids were able to get out and get some sun on their faces. Hooray!


Now if I can only get Jake and Jordan to stop taking their diapers off during their naps, all will be right with the world. ha! Today, when I went in their room, they were both in Jake's bed. Jake was naked and Jordan had stripped down to his diaper (at least he kept his on this time!). Jake had thrown his dirty diaper over the rail and wiped the rest of what was sticking to his bottom, on his sheets. Gross. He looked up when I entered the room, and flashed me a big grin. Augh...the kid is irresistible! I can't get mad at him! I lifted him up and took him across the room to clean him off and put a new diaper on him. He looked up at me, gave me another mischievous smile, eyes twinkling, and said, 'Ba, ba, bone." (Translation, "Bad to the bone.") Of course, I cracked up even more, while big brother, Jordan, let out his breath in a sigh of relief that Mommy wasn't mad.

In Zoey Faith news, our agency received our approval from China in writing yesterday! Until then, our approval was only verbal. Relief....ahhh.... We sent our paperwork yesterday to USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services). We will be waiting for months for approval from them before our paperwork can go to China.

Girlfriend weekend and Steven Curtis Chapman roadie

YEP--We really did get to sit this close to the stage!


Several weeks ago, Steven Curtis Chapman's organization, "Shaohannah's Hope" emailed me about being a volunteer at one of his concerts. They needed adoptive parents to help at the information booths as SCC seeks to share the burden of God's heart for orphaned children. The concert was in a town where we used to live, but hours away from where we are now. I mentioned it to Jeff and he, being a very sweet guy, said, 'Why don't you go? You could spend the weekend with your friends and help out at the concert." WOOHOO!! :)

So, I was able to get away for a few days--all by myself! I saw old friends, went shopping with my girlfriends and had a blast! The 'Girlfriends" attended the concert with me--and we all ended up being able to be volunteers--and get free, matching t-shirts. Sadly, despite taking pictures of other friends, the Girlfriends forgot to get a picture taken with just us. DUH! I do have a few photos to share, though. I also had the fun of spending the evening volunteering with some of the couples who now run the Father's Heart Orphan ministry that Jeff and I were just starting when we had to move away. The families that are running it now are doing a great job and have taken it to levels that we couldn't have. I love how God uses different people to accomplish His purposes! The concert was great--our seats were great (like 30 feet from SCC), and the whole weekend was just a big hug from God. (I should give my friend, Brenda, credit for the great seats because the volunteers are just told they can sit wherever there is an empty spot. She spotted the seats way up in the front and dragged me up there!)

Friends who share the FATHER'S HEART for orphans in distress

"

I missed my kiddos quite terribly and they missed me. Jeff had them all lined up to welcome me home. It was soooo cute. They each had a sign with one word that they had colored themselves....

"WELCOME HOME, MOM, WE LOVE YOU!"

Yep, my husband is a great guy, and I am very blessed! He is even remarkably sane after spending three days alone with the kids! I'm told that they only crisis of the weekend was when Jordan wet through his diaper at church and soaked himself and Jeff.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Jordan!

Sweet Jordan turned three today. We celebrated a few days early at Grandma and Grandpa's because they and Jeff were going to be out of town today.

I brought his cake mix and frosting home from the grocery story on Saturday (go ahead and snicker that I don't make it all from scratch). When I told him it was his, he wanted to carry it around. It soon went into his already overflowing backpack, where it stayed until Monday when I had to bake it.

When he awoke from his nap, he came down and looked at his cake. His eyes grew round as saucers and he said, 'Mine? My birfday?" When asked what he wanted for presents, he always said, "Cars, cars!"

He got lots of cars--and Hot Wheel tracks--and we are all having fun playing with them. Ryan and Taylor had to put them together, but it's amazing how much fun some cheap plastic tracks and little cars can be!


This morning, he decided to commemorate the day by presenting himself in his birthday suit while still in his crib. Jillian and Molly had gone up to get the boys and came running back shouting, 'Jacob and Jordan are standing in their beds buck naked!" I was on the phone with our social worker about some of our adoption paperwork, so I waved them off. They apparently thought this was a pressing emergency, so they said it louder...and louder. No matter how many times I tell them that when I'm on the phone and wave them off, it means, "GO AWAY," they still don't get it! I soon excused myself from the phone call and went to check on the situation. Sure enough, they were standing in their cribs, naked as jay birds, grinning from ear to ear at their stunning accomplishment. Thankfully, they hadn't relieved themselves anywhere, but they had thrown their diapers over the side of their cribs in an apparent Boston Tea Party show of protest.

Relaxing on a Sunday Afternoon...

"AAHHHHHH....I have the Sunday paper all to myself..."


"Hey, Jordan, do you see any great bargains?"


"How about this one right here?"

Spoons

Yesterday, Jillian went to check on the boys. They had been napping and we thought they should have been awake. She came back down and said, 'Mom, it's so cute. Jacob climbed into Jordan's crib and they are sleeping next to each other with their heads together.' Of course, I grabbed the camera, but they had shifted a bit by the time I reached their cribs. My little guys were almost sleeping like spoons. Too cute!

Not the best photo, but it gives a general idea


Couldn't resist adding this photo

About yesterday's FAQ post...please do not feel bad if you have asked us one of those questions! I truly do not mind any questions we are asked, and only posted those to save you the trouble, since most of them are question we are asked fairly often!

FAQ and comments

1. Did you guys always want a large family? No!! We wanted two kids—a boy and girl. I never pictured myself with a large family. I never particularly liked kids! Ha! I always wanted to be a mom…but a large family? No! I had other plans for my life!
2. If you didn’t want a large family, why do you have one? And if ‘God called you to this,’ do you resent that?” Despite some hard days here and there, we LOVE our life! We have discovered that letting God choose our life path for us has been the most exciting thing we could have ever done. No, we wouldn’t have had the sense to choose this, but God did, and we so thankful that we didn’t miss it!!! He has given us joy, peace and fulfillment—plus, He does most of the work!
3. “Are you guys trying to save the world? You can’t adopt them all, you know.” This would be a funny question if not for the seriousness of the orphan crisis in the world today. There are 143 MILLION orphans in the world and the number is growing. No, we can’t save them all, but we are trying to make a difference for the ones God calls us to adopt. Want to help us?!! We can’t really make a dent in 143 million…. ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…’
4. “Do you ever feel like you’re going to lose it?” hahahahaha What is really funny is that I lost it a lot more often when we just had two kids, than I do now. I would say that is a HUGE testament to what God can do in our lives. We DO have a lot more noise and chaos, but overall, I would say that Jeff and I are both calmer, more patient parents than we used to be. Maybe that is just a survival technique!
5. “How do you do it all?” We don’t. We don’t have it all together. We do the best we can in God’s strength and trust Him to do the rest. We have watched Him meet our kids’ needs in amazing ways. Even our kids’ personalities have been formed that as they interact, they encourage growth in each other.
6. “Do you get burned out?” If I get really stressed, that is usually a big clue that I am trying to do too much, or am involved in too many activities. We scale back until we can live without that burned out feeling. We have stopped being involved in a lot of activities, but it’s only temporary until the kids are older. And of course, we pray for strength and help. Without God’s help, I could not do this job for even one hour without being a jerk!
7. Speaking of jerk—I can see this burning question on so many faces of people who are too polite to ask…How can you STAND having so many kids? This is a very fair question and the answer is that I truly don’t know!! Haha God has changed my heart to the point that I actually DELIGHT in them—most of the time.
8. “Are you guys rich or what? How do you afford all those kids? No, we’re not rich. I honestly don’t know how we afford the kids, but God always helps us. He keeps our cars running, our washer and drying running ( a lot!), etc. He gives Jeff raises when He thinks we need a bit more to make ends meet. He helps me find bargains at the store. There are countless ways He helps us—probably many that I am unaware of. He has proven Himself to be “Jehova Jirah—our Provider.”
9. “We would love to adopt but it’s just too expensive.” We can testify that we have never had the money to adopt either, but God has always provided. And hey….adoption costs less than a new car!
10. “How will you pay for college?” No clue…but since God has always provided, we trust He will help us and our kids when the time comes. I’m sure that given the choice, they would prefer a home and a family (without college paid for), then to stay in an orphanage.
11. “You’re never going to have any time for yourselves, or be able to retire. You’ll still have a house full of PMS’ing teenagers.” This cracks me up! I guess we’ll worry about that when the time comes, but I would probably be bored out of my mind with retirement anyway. Plus, the kids will give me something to talk to my friends about besides my aging body and all it’s aches and pains.
12. “How in the world do you have time to homeschool?” Again…I don’t. In all seriousness, it is easier to be on our own schedule than to be on the schedule of multiple teachers with multiple school projects. Not to mention needing to be sure that everyone has clean socks and underwear for school each day! (smile)
13. “What kind of car do you drive?” We still drive an 8-passenger mini-van because most of our driving is short errands without the whole family. We drive two cars to church and for any out of town trips. We have not wanted to buy a 15-passenger van because of the gas cost. This may have to change in the future. We do enjoy all the jokes about driving stuff like Prison Transport vehicles, school buses, and limo’s. heehee Ryan says he will not be seen with us if we drive any of those things.
14. “You guys are either saints or you’re crazy.” If we had to pick, I would say that crazy is the more likely of the two. Hehe We are certainly not saints.
15. “There are easier ways to serve the Lord.” This one puzzles me. We aren’t adopting as a publicity stunt, nor are we trying to impress God with our service. He has asked us to have a big family. No big deal… He gives us the strength we need and picks up the slack where we lack (which is a lot!). I think it would be harder to go to the mission field than do what we are doing.

If I haven't covered a burning question that you have, feel free to ask!
How could I resist these sweet little faces?

Our little boys

Jordan and Jacob have been cracking us up lately. We started to notice that all of the toys in the basket in the family room have been disappearing. No big deal--they didn't get played with all that much. (Cupboard contents, pieces of paper, and stray food particles prove to be far more facinating.) We did begin to notice though, that Jordan's backpack had become bulging and heavy. I opened it the other day and looked through some of his treasures. Jordan adopted a look of worried consternation as I pulled a few things out. Jillian watched and gasped, "Heyyyyyy, that's MINE! I've been looking for that!" Molly joined her and also let out a "heyyyyy.... that's MY toy." Jordan had apparently been scooping up every toy he saw on the floor and squirreling it away in his backpack. Since the girls had left their toys out and hadn't missed them much, I made them give the toys back to Jordan. His smile reappeared. I handed him his sack-0-stuff and off he went. I don't know how he carries it around--it weighs a ton! He also has a second bag of stuff that won't fit in the backpack. He does share his loot when we tell him he has to--as long as we allow him to dole out what he wants to share.
Jordan's Backpack Contents

This morning, when I walked into their bedroom, Jake was in Jordan's crib!! I knew it was only a matter of time before this would happen because they both delight in showing me how they can climb on top of their railing. I only hope that they stay near the wall so they don't topple out on their heads. Since I don't want them roaming the halls at night while we sleep, I still think they are safer in cribs, so they are not getting big boy beds yet. Jordan is also starting to undress himself in his bed--so far only his shirts or taking his pajamas down to his waist. Here's hoping he doesn't start taking his diaper off--or teaching Jake to do that! Just hangin' out in my big brother's bed!

Zoey picture

Here's our girl!

Zoey Faith's Story

Almost two years ago, God gave me the impression that we would adopt a little girl after Jacob. Since that time, I have kind of been on the look-out for her. At one point, we thought we had found her in Vietnam…a little one with a heart condition, named Sinh. We were not able to bring her home, however, because she was too sick to be moved from Vietnam. Her name, Sinh, meant ‘Life,” a meaning which later, took on more significance. At that time, God gave me a verse, “He takes away the first to establish the second.”

I often look at waiting lists of children, and contrary to the popular belief of Jeff and Ryan, I do NOT fall in love with every child I see!! Haha! Late last summer, I was looking at an agency’s new waiting child list. As I looked at the children’s files, a little one caught my eye. Her special need was a ‘little foot’ that was almost identical to our Chloe’s. She also had a leg issue that was somewhat hard to discern, but didn’t look too serious.

I mentioned her to Jeff and he said, ‘Maybe we should adopt her.” I laughed, thinking that this sweet child wouldn’t be waiting for more than two days. She was young, beautiful, and her special need wasn’t serious. Besides, we had only been home a few months with baby Jake, and I didn’t think an agency would be willing to work with us.

A few months later, I checked the list again and this little peanut was STILL waiting for a family! I couldn’t believe it. I mentioned her again to Jeff. Again he said, “Maybe we should adopt her.” I laughed… Awhile later, I asked him, ‘Were you serious about adopting her?” He said he was open to it, so I called the agency to ask about her. I was told that another family was reviewing her file, so we needed to wait and see what their decision was.

Since we know what Chloe may be facing in the future with her leg (possible surgery to make her legs the same length), we had no problem with this child’s special need. As we prayed about her, we felt at peace about pursuing her adoption. I told the agency we wanted her if the other family did not. A few days later, they called to say the other family had decided not to pursue, but we still had to wait for their committee to meet and decide if they were comfortable with our family.

During the wait, I looked at her picture and asked God what name He had chosen for her. Instantly, it came…. “Faith.” I also prayed that God would give Jeff her first name, and several days later, during a family discussion on names, Jeff and Taylor came up with the name, “Zoey.” I looked up the name, Zoey, and read that it means, “LIFE!” God never ceases to amaze me! He HAD taken away the first (Sinh) to establish the second (Zoey).

A few days later, we got the call that the committee Okayed us!

Our Letter of Intent went to China and we waited for a response. A month later, China contacted our agency and wanted to know where the rest of our income was! Our income was under the amount required to adopt from China. Well…hmmm….we couldn’t just magically make more income appear in our bank account. We prayed again…and God gave Jeff the idea to ask his boss about his bonus level. Jeff had just been given a lot more responsibility at work, and he thought that MAYBE it had pushed him into a higher bonus level. It took a few long weeks to get an answer, but in the end…YES…he was bumped into a higher bonus level. It pushed us just barely over the amount required by China! God is amazing!

We thought we would then be approved quickly, but a month went by….then another, and another. During that time, we were told that China was concerned about the number of young children we had. We continued to pray that if God wanted Yong Qing in our family, He would make sure we were approved. Yong Qing needed a family and we prayed that God would rescue her.

Finally, at the end of February, the call came! We had been approved!!

So here we are, about to embark on the lovely paperchase again! Our social worker is coming on Wednesday, and we will begin the process to bring Zoey Faith home.

The day after we got approval, my devotional was titled, “Lifted to Safety.” The verse that went with it was: ….God…does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number…Those who mourn are lifted to safety.” Job 5:9,11

In my mind, I picture sweet Zoey, being lifted to safety and brought home to her family.

Dream Bigger

Poem excerpted with permission from two previous authors and personalized by Karin….

We dreamed of raising one of each
A son and a daughter to love and to teach
A barren womb was God's design
I wept for the children who would never be mine.

After seven long years, a son He brought
Through the miracle of adoption, ‘far above our thoughts’
We rejoiced in the God who turned tears to joy
As we treasured each day with our sweet baby boy.

Four years later, God added another
And our oldest son had a new baby brother
My heart yearned for a daughter, but I thought we were through
"Dream Bigger, " God said, "I have a girl for you."

A prayer was said, with our hearts bowed low
"Send us, Lord, where you want us to go'
Our third child was found in a far away land
And as He had promised, God held our hand.

Later, God's call was low, sweet and clear
There is one more child for you to hold dear
'Your daughter is born in a distant land
I've chosen you as part of her plan."

Just home from China, and God spoke again
A little one waits, I promise you can
Be her Mama and Dada…stretch your hearts wide,
I will help you if you will stay close to My side.

We thought she was last, when God spoke a new name
"Dream Bigger, " He said as her picture came
Her heart was broken but He made sure
She was healed, loved and carried to American shore.

With six precious children, we were sure we were done
But God said, "not yet, there is another one"
"A son this time, I need you to love.
I need him to know of his Father above."

So we opened the home God so graciously gave
and brought home a son, ours to love and to raise
And as He had promised, our hands He held tight
He gave us the courage, the wisdom, the might.

"Dream bigger!" He said, "I'm holding you still"
"There is yet another. Will you bow to my Will?"
"Dream bigger!" He called, gently squeezing our hands
And trembling, we submitted to His perfect plan

To a new country this time, a boy precious and sweet
needed joy, love and laughter, his needs we could meet
Was eight enough after this little one?
"Dream bigger" God said, "You still are not done!"

Across the Sea, a little girl waits
To come safely home should be her fate
“Will you be her parents even though you've not planned
For a family so large? Will you trust in My plan?"

And though it is far exceeding our plans
We will once again travel to a far off land
For a child is waiting for a family of her own
and we rejoice as we watch God's plan unfold

If we’d clung to the dreams that were ‘ours’ to hold tight
Forfeited His Grace, His Strength and His Might,
What blessings we’d miss, what opportunities lost
If our short-sighted eyes only looked at the cost.

His plans so much bigger…His ways so divine
“You’re just a small part,” He whispers so kind.
“My ways are not yours, Mine are far above all.”
Our hearts pound in awe as we hear His call.

We cannot outgive Him, He always provides
Our abilities short, in Him we abide
We’ve no choice but to lean on His loving arm
His faithfulness our refuge, our shield from all harm.

With great joy and awe we would like to introduce you to:

Zoey Faith Yong waiting for Mommy and Daddy in Henan China
Expected arrival home: Hopefully fall of 2008

Holiday Happenings

My aunt and uncle came to visit Sunday with a gift for our girls. My aunt brought dolls and hand-made doll clothes for them that she had made. They are so beautiful. The girls have been having a ball with them!


All lined up for a photo

Sunday, we managed to get all the kids dressed in their Chinese silks in honor of Chinese New Year. We were a bit late, but last Sunday, some of the kids were sick. The girls insisted that Jake needed to be dressed in Chinese clothes, too. (I think he ended up looking more like a Spanish matador...but oh well!)


Valentine's Day: Ryan has a girlfriend now, but he's broke. He had high hopes of taking his beloved out for dinner, but Mom and Dad wouldn't cough up the dough, so they had to dine with the family. The girls and I decided to try to make it special, so we decorated the table with paper hearts and candles. When we lit the candles, Molly told Ryan that we were trying to make the night, "romantical." Too funny!

Saturday Musings...

I am home today with only half of my family. Jeff, Jillian and Molly went out of town to celebrate with his parents on their 50th Wedding Anniversary!!! Congratulations to Mom and Dad on 50 years together!!



Oldest son, Ryan, went to a Christian camp this weekend, so it's just Taylor, and the four youngest kids home with Mom this weekend. We are all sick except Taylor, so we are just hanging out on the couch. Well, I'm on the couch--the kids seem to have the same level of energy no matter how sick they are.

I watch these little munchkins running around (and Jake cleaning his bowl of applesauce with his face--ugh), and I still can't believe that God has blessed me with them. How did I get to be their Mom? I look into their sparkling eyes and am in awe of where God has brought them...from humble beginnings to citizens of the greatest country on earth. What a picture of what He has done for me...and I get to see it lived out daily in front of my eyes.

The face of innocence...NOT!

Little Jake has become Dennis the Menace--but much cuter of course. :) Oh my goodness...the kid is EVERYTWHERE! Jeff calls him 'Roomba' because he grazes constantly and finds the most miniscule of food particles (and non-food particles) and puts them in his mouth. I find plastic beads in his diaper on a weekly basis. He is learning at a rapid pace and has started to mimic everything we do. He can now, 'pray' at meals, 'talk' on the phone, and 'help' Mommy unload the dishwasher. He also likes to take the trash out...sadly, he takes it out while it's still in the house, in the form of forraging for gum, food, etc. Blech--disgusting! He can do it in the blink of an eye, or when we are still cleaning up his last mess. ha Jordan is Jake's personal police officer and does his best to enforce the house rules. (He is quite often frustrated by the futility of this job--which we tried to relieve him of, to no avail.)


"Yep, I'm still doing this, but I figured how to get myself down so I don't have to yell for Mom."
Molly is having 'sleeping issues,' as she would call it. She has always had trouble with insomnia, and the only solution that has worked is for her to sleep on the floor in our room. (Yes, this DOES mean that I now have at least one child by my side 24/7! ha) When Jeff goes out of town, Molly sleeps in bed with me, and Jillian decided to sleep in Molly's spot on the floor. After several weeks, this evolved into Jillian AND Molly sleeping in our room every night. They quickly moved all their junk into our room, ie: dolls, doll clothes, homemade cardboard doll beds, and other treasures, which littered our room from one end to the other. I expressed my frustration to Jeff over this, to which he replied, "They're squatters. We'll never get them out of there! They've set up residence." I totally cracked up! All of our kids have gone through the "I need to sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room" at some point. This too shall pass.

We all have cabin fever which mean a few squabbles have erupted. Lately, SaraGrace has been saying, "Mommy, ______ is being mean to my feelings. Tell her to be nice to my feelings."
"I dressed myself today, can you tell?"

Happy Chinese New Year!

Xin Nian Kuai Le--OR--Happy New Year!!! February 5th is the start of Chinese New Year and is a holiday that everyone in China looks forward to very much. It is a family holiday and everyone tries to 'go home' for time with family. I received some adorable pictures of 'my' foster care kids the other day and thought I would share them. They brought a huge smile to my face as I saw proud foster parents showing off their little ones, all wearing brightly colored, traditional Chinese outfits. They are so cute--and Dr. Joyce Hill said it was a Herculean effort to get them to sit still enough for a photo! How awesome to know that these precious ones have a family to celebrate with! We are so grateful to our foster parents who give of themselves so selflessly.

MY LITTLE BUDDY, NICHOLAS

Sweet Matthew needs a sponsor if you are interested. Sponsorship is $35 per month with the sponsor receiving a report every other month.

Something you don't see every day....

Jordan has been filling up a backpack lately with trucks, blocks and all other toys that he wants to hoard and keep his siblings from touching. It is quite comical to see him lugging the thing all over the house. The other day, he fell over, rolled onto his back and then couldn't get up due to the weight of the backpack. I snapped a few pictures before I helped him back to his feet.


I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP!!!

Our oldest son, Ryan, decided to try riding a bull at a local rodeo a few weeks ago. YES, it was a REAL bull. And yes, I DID watch, signed the release...and prayed a lot. He stayed on for 3.15 seconds and didn't hurt himself. I took video but am waiting for pictures from my Mom who also watched. I do have this one shot of the 'cowboy' before he rode.

Sometimes Silence isn't Golden

My friend, Amy, sent this email to me today with a quote by Martin Luther King, Jr:

"The day our lives begin to end is the day we remain silent about things that matter."
With Amy's permission, I share what she wrote:
"It sure is easier to remain silent, isn't it? It sure is easier to live in our comfortable homes and think that the most important issue of the day is where we want to go out to eat that night or whether we can get our kids to soccer practice on time. It sure is easy to not think outside our own little space. Does it matter that millions of children around the world live every single day without a mother or father to care for them? Does it matter that so many orphaned children with medical needs don't have access to the health care that could improve their lives? Does it matter that many are unable to go to public school? Or that they go to bed each night feeling that their special need might define them for the rest of their lives? I think those who love children would say it matters greatly.

Let's not keep silent about the things that matter..... all these precious children who need love. I hope everyone whose life has been touched by the miracle of adoption chooses to be vocal and encourages those around them to consider building a family in this wonderful way. Those of us who track the waiting children lists often watch child after child have their adoption files returned without being chosen. I looked up the opposite of "chosen" online, and the word that I saw made me cringe. Did you know the opposite of chosen is "rejected?" What an awful word that is.

It is a sad reality that thousands of children around the world each year are abandoned. We all wish that wasn't the case. But for many... there is still hope. The staff in their orphanages who care for them prepare their files and send them forward with the hope of a new family. But for some, particularly the boys....no one ever comes forward. The time goes by and their files are returned without being chosen. The hope of a family is gone.

Right now on so many great agency lists....there are children who are waiting and who have not been chosen. It is hard to believe that with millions of potential parents in the United States, that there isn't a family for every child who shows up on an adoption list. We know adoption is expensive. We know it is most definitely a leap of faith. But all of us at LWB believe completely that every child born deserves to know what it really means to be loved. And when there is a will to become a parent, there is almost always a way....whether it is through domestic adoption or international.

Let's not keep silent about the fact that so many orphaned children are waiting for homes. There are so many waiting right now for a family to choose them for their own.

Help spread the news that so many kids are waiting for homes. You never know....the person you tell might have been praying that very day for a way to become a parent. The majority of people around us have absolutely no idea that so many children wait. Let's not be silent....because every child on this earth truly does matter."

Focus on the Family

Yesterday, Focus on the Family had a broadcast on adoption. Some friends of ours were interviewed (their story is last). If you missed the program, you can hear it online at: http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Focus_on_the_Family/Archives.asp?bcd=2008-1-10

You might not think we are so crazy after you hear other people's stories. :) Seriously, though, it again brought tears to my eyes as I contemplate that God knows the name of every orphan in the world--all 143 million of them--and He is aware of their suffering. He has given all of us the job of caring for them in some way, and what a privilege that is.

I had many thoughts surrounding Christmas that I wanted to share, but I got sick and couldn't write. Now I have forgotten what I was going to say. haha...must have been profound. :)

I have had a few amusing moments with the kids the past few days, though. Little Jake keeps us on our toes every minute. He is into everything and very curious. Two mornings ago, I heard blood-curdling screams coming from his room. This usually means he has gotten a chubby leg stuck in the railing of his crib. I went up to rescue him but started cracking up when I saw the reason for his great distress. He had tried to hike a leg over the railing, between the wall and the crib, and he was stuck on TOP of the railing, straddling it precariously, and screaming at the top of his lungs. Now, one would think that this traumatic experience would teach him not to do it again. The following morning....yes....I again hear the same screams. This time I took the camera and got this shot of his morning escapades.


Yesterday, I took the girls to Hobby Lobby and as we were checking out, the check-out lady asked SaraGrace what her name was. SaraGrace told her, and then said, 'Waths you name?" The lady told her, "Marsha." SaraGrace wrinkled up her nose in confusion and said loudly, "Why thomeone name you Marshmallow?" The whole line behind me cracked up as I wanted to disappear into the floor. Thankfully, "Marshmallow" was very gracious and said, 'My name is MarshA, but when I was a little girl, I was called Marshmallow." I love that girl--but I would like to put a muzzle on her sometimes!

Nicholas

Through my work for Love Without Boundaries, I see pictures of orphaned children in China nearly every day. They are all so precious and since the children in my foster care program are all special needs, they each have overcome great odds to be where they are. Sometimes, though, there is one special child who grabs my heart and causes me to root just a little bit harder for him or her. Currently, that special little one is Nicholas.

Sweet little Nicholas is not yet a year old and he is not destined to live to be very old. He was born with a congenital heart problem that is so severe that it is inoperable. He is in palliative care through LWB and Hope Healing Home in Beijing.

I receive reports on the children every other month and each time, I eagerly open Nicholas' first. He is always smiling. This little boy has such a joy about him. He looks at me though his photo and I can almost imagine him winking at me. His adorable smile seems to say, "Look at me! I have been given another day and I will choose to spend it happily!" He doesn't let his heart condition hold him back from enjoying each day. He has much to complain about, but he chooses not to.

What an inspiration this little boy is to me! He did not have the privileges that I have been given....to be born to parents who had the means to care for him...to be born in a country that would have been able to pay for the health care he needed. He doesn't know what it feels like to take a breath without struggling for it, or what his skin would look like if it wasn't a deathly blue pallor. He will probably never have the strength to run and play like the other children. And yet, little Nicholas' life is so full of joy and purpose. His life speaks volumes to those around him as he teaches us to be thankful for our health, our families, and our material blessings. He teaches us to care for those who have no parents and those who have special needs. I have heard many people ask why a loving God would allow such suffering, but when I see the results, I can see that suffering is never capricious or purposeless. Each time I speak to someone who is assisting a child or person less fortunate, I can't help wondering who is being blessed more...the person being helped, or the person helping. The sparkle in the eyes of the helper, cements the belief that giving brings much more happiness than receiving. We are given the opportunity to live outside of ourselves and GIVE hope and support and I believe that God also gives extra peace and comfort to those who are suffering.

Thankfully, through foster care and a very dear woman who is willing to give her heart to orphans that are dying, little Nicholas DOES know what it feels like to have arms around him. He DOES know what it feels like to have someone love him.

Thank you, Nicholas, for letting your life be an example for the rest of us...for letting your shining eyes tell us of your great spirit and will to live joyfully in the face of incredible odds.

Snowbound

What do Midwesterners do when they get a lot of snow? For those of you who live in warm climates, I thought I'd put a few pictures on the blog. Church was cancelled yesterday and today school is cancelled, so the kids have been having fun in the snow!
First, the men work on the snowblower for hours trying to get it started, and when it does....This is Ryan handling the snow.

Little brother, Jordan, watches Ryan and Daddy from the window. The snow is too deep for Jordan to play in.

The girls played in the big piles of snow that Daddy shoveled after the snowblower quit working AGAIN.
The girls came in all bedraggled and freezing cold... ...and decided to play dress-up instead.
Taylor takes a break in front of the fire...

Our budding actress

From the day she has been in our arms, SaraGrace has put all of her considerable acting talents to good use. She has always cracked us up. In fact, as I was starting to type this, she stood next to me with notebook and pen and asked me, "What is your name, my dear?" in her most theatrical voice.

The kids have been watching a Little Rascals movie lately (over and over ad nauseum). There is a scene were Alfalfa, Darla (the girl he is 'sweet' on), and an interloper boy are all involved in a talent show. Both boys are trying to impress Darla. Molly loves to sing and I heard her singing the song the other day. It sounded like SaraGrace was also involved so I peeked around the corner. SaraGrace was imitating Darla and Molly was singing to her. They wouldn't do their 'act' while I was watching, so Jillian taped it for me. I uploaded it to YouTube if you want to see it. It's a bit rough--Molly was mumbling the words because she was embarrassed, but SaraGrace's dancing is hysterical. (At least we think so!!)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k2byNTB9pM8
At least they weren't tobogganing down the stairs on a crib mattress today....

We have had two birthday's since I last wrote...Little Miss Chloe turned five and a few days later, Jeff turned 48. Since our kids--led by Molly--love the Red Robin jingle (ie: Red Robin....YUM!), we decided to try it out for Chloe's birthday. Grandma and Grandpa joined us and I think everyone had fun. :)

I am trying to adjust to the cold weather and having the kid's inside all day. They have so much energy and sometimes they just need to run. It makes for a very LOUD household on the days that they cannot go outside to blow off steam. Today is one of those days--it's freezing rain outside. Earlier today,they tried riding a crib mattress down the stairs--hmmmmm. I guess sliding down in their sleeping bags lost it's luster from the other day. Thankfully, no one got hurt before I put a stop to it! (I remember as a kid telling myself that someday, when I had kids, I WOULD let them slide down the stairs in sleeping bags...haha)

We are in full swing preparing for Christmas. The kids are soooo excited! SaraGrace wanted to know what the fuss was all about--was it someone's birthday? We said, 'Yes, it's Jesus' birthday!" She looked at me seriously and said, "For real or for fake?"

For real.

Jesus really DID come as a tiny baby--not with trumpets announcing a King. He came quietly and not many knew. But now we know...and we celebrate with grateful hearts.