Zoey and Sophie

Tomorrow we are going to Shriners and are going to meet the little girl who has the same leg as Zoey.

Months ago, we had to decide what type of leg we wanted, skin color or funky fabric. We chose a fabric but after we went home to think about it, I started to have second thoughts. I asked an online parent group for photos of their children's legs. Much to my surprise, one mom sent her blog link and there was her daughter with a leg that had same fabric that we had just chosen for Zoey!

It took awhile to figure it all out, but we finally realized that this same little girl, Sophie, is treated at the same Shriners that we go to. And it was her leftover fabric that we had chosen from the bin! Not only that, but at our first visit to Shriners there was a photo of a girl on a surfboard that had made a deep impression on me and had given me such hope. That little girl and Sophie were one and the same!

Her mom and I managed to get appointments for the same day and that big day is tomorrow! We can't wait!

And yes, I'll be taking my camera. Hopefully the girls won't be too shy to pose.

A Little Sparrow Needs a Family

Bill and Corrie...

As I was getting ready to type this post, I thought of naming it "A Little Sparrow Needs a Family," and I went to retrieve her photo from her "mama's" blog and guess what song was playing on that blog? "His Eye is on the Sparrow."

I love when God does stuff like that.

When we went to China in Jan. '09 to adopt Zoey and Kate, we spent a day with my precious friends, Bill and Lynsay, who had just started a home for orphans with special needs. They only had one baby then.

Her name is Corrie.

At a year old, she looked like a two month old. When I held her I just could not wrap my mind around the fact that she was a year old.

I watched Lynsay try to coax a few drops of milk into her. Some would seem like it was going down and then it would all come right back up. It was a miracle she had survived so long in an orphanage where caregivers probably didn't have time to sit with her and painstakingly feed her minuscule drops of milk. Lynsay shared with me that she feared Corrie would not make it.

Corrie has always been one of the family!

Oh my goodness...she is thriving now!

And she needs a family!!

God has written a miraculous story for her and now He needs a wonderful family to step forward and help her reach her next milestones. Please go to Lynsay's blog to read more.

The bottom line is that Corrie's orphanage has agreed to send Corrie's adoption paperwork to the Chinese officials despite everyone knowing that finding a family will not be easy. She needs a special family who sees her potential. She is an incredible little girl.

My parents recently visited Bill and Lynsay and spent a week there. My mom said that Corrie totally stole her heart. She is so sweet and loving. She loved playing with my mom's jewelry and touching my mom's face.

Please ask God if you might be that special family who has been chosen to receive the very special blessing of little Corrie.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

My dad told me the most amazing story yesterday and I just have to share it with you.

Unemployment has been a problem at my parents' church for the past few years. One particular family has adopted seven children and the father lost his job two months ago. (I'll call them the J family.) My dad decided to pray boldly on their behalf, reminding the Lord that He promises to be a Father to the fatherless. He reminded God that His honor was at stake due to that promise and that He needed to provide for this family who had taken in seven orphaned children.

And God kept that promise.

In spite of a tough economy, the father of the J family found a job and started last week!

Last Friday, my parents went to the mall where they go to walk in bad weather. In front of one particular store, my dad noticed a $20 bill lying on the ground. No one else seemed to see it. He leaned down and picked it up, looking around to see if anyone had lost it.

No one seemed to have any idea it was even there. It was as if the money was only visible to my dad.

He and my mom continued to walk the mall and my dad began to feel very bad about the $20, thinking that, 'Maybe some poor kid had dropped it and would be so upset when he/she realized it was gone." About a half hour later, they were still walking when suddenly a young boy called out to them by name. My parents didn't recognize him but went over to talk to him. He said that he had been to their church in the past and was currently visiting the J family for the weekend.

Just then, three of the girls from the J family came walking out of a store nearby! They talked for a few moments and then my dad suddenly found himself saying,
"I know this is a strange question, but did any of you girls lose a twenty dollar bill?"

The girls told him that their dad had given them each twenty dollars in celebration of his new job and they had come to the mall to spend it. Each girl looked through her purse and one suddenly said,
"My money is gone!"

Instantly, my dad knew why he had found the $20. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the money, handed it to the young girl and said, "Here is your $20!"

Only God.

What are the statistical odds that my parents would be at the mall at the same time as the J kids, that he would be the only one to see the money lying on the ground in a busy mall, that the young boy would recognize them and call them over to talk so that they would eventually see the J girls? And what would make my dad even connect the two incidents in his mind?

Only God.

As my parents walked away, my dad said to my mom, "His eye is on the sparrow."

Because you know what?

Jesus said,

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

There was a song written based on these verses called, "His Eye is on the Sparrow."

"Why do I feel discouraged?
Why do the shadows come?

Why should my heart feel lonely

And long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion

My constant Friend is he

His eye is on the the sparrow

and I know He watches me

His eye is on the sparrow

and I know He watches me.

How comforting to know that He knows every detail of our lives and He is watching over us. No detail goes unnoticed, no stressful circumstance unattended. We have nothing to fear because He is always ahead of every situation and taking care of us. He only asks us to trust Him--even when things don't make sense--just to trust that He has a plan unfolding.

Which Way is Which?

When Zoey got her new leg, I joked with her about how funny it would be to freak people out by putting it on backwards. She smiled at me but never tried it.

Until yesterday.

She came downstairs with a mischievous grin on her face and said, "Look, Mama! I put my weg on backwards. Take my picture!"

She was so proud of her little joke.

She's a hoot!

And the winner is...

The winner of a copy of the newly published book, "Praying Through Your Adoption," by Michele C. Scott, is....

Caitlin Frost!!

Congratulations, Caitlin! A copy of "Praying Through Your Adoption" will be heading your way very soon!

Treasured Friends

I am still savoring the wonderful weekend I had. Jeff handled all the household duties and the kids quite well and everyone was doing fine when I returned home.

Danielle's shower was wonderful and she looked beautiful! Shortly after arriving, my friends showed up as 'shower crashers.' They did get a verbal invite, but they thought it was quite funny to be crashers. We had so much fun! Dani received some great gifts and the food...yum...it was wonderful. It has been many years since I attended a bridal shower and seeing my future daughter as the guest of honor made it extra special.

Dani looked so beautiful.

I thought these chocolate covered strawberries were the cutest.

Mom and new daughter! :)

Family "Girl" shot

I heart my friends!!

We went to Barnes and Noble afterwards and just sat and talked for about five hours. So fun!! All too soon they had to drive home.

The next day, I was able to see three sweet friends who had been in our small group Bible study in Michigan when we lived there. It was so great to see them again and catch up on each other's lives. God is good!!

Dani came over that day, too, and we had fun making more wedding plans.

Monday afternoon, it was time to head to the airport. I was flying Southwest and due to a little mishap (a plane lost a section of its roof) Southwest had grounded hundreds of planes. Needless to say, mine was delayed. I missed my connection and was delayed a few hours. I still made it home at a decent hour, though so it was all good.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to see my parents, siblings, and friends. It is hard to live so far away from them, but I know God has us here for a reason. Maybe someday we will live closer, but for now I will treasure the moments we get here and there. Now if I could just figure out how to see our family in Iowa...

A Walk in the Woods

Today we woke up to snow on the ground. Blech.

(But it's my mother-in-law's birthday and it's the kind of snow she likes...only on the grass but not on the pavement!)

A few days ago, it was around 50 degrees and the kids wanted to go for a walk. Since the neighbor behind us was burning leaves and making us choke and gasp in our own home, we decided to drive over to the pond near our old house.

The swans must be nesting because there was only one who came for bread. The kids had lots of fun feeding him.

Then they had to swing on the old rusty gate just like old times.

Afterwards, they ran down the old familiar trail.

We found some budding plants--a sure sign that spring is coming.

Kate posed at my favorite photo op location...an old abandoned factory.

Then it was back to the trail... Jake wouldn't be chasing his sister with a stick, would he?

Or about to hit her with it? Surely not.

{He didn't. Apparently he does listen to his mother now and then.}

They threw some sticks into the water.

And collected acorns--which were plentiful.

Then it was time to head for the school to pick up the big kids. I have photographed this part of the trail many times and I never get tired of looking it. So beautiful.

On the way to school, there are several church steeples like this. They are so beautiful (even with obnoxious power lines in the way).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm off later today to Ohio to attend Dani's first bridal shower! So excited! As an added bonus, two of my dearest friends are driving over from IL and IN to spend the day with me on Saturday! Woot, woot! And on Sunday some more dear friends are coming from where we used to live in MI, to spend some time in the afternoon. So it's definitely going to be a FUN, FRIEND, weekend! {But I will miss my family--and so thankful that my sweet hubby is letting me go!}

I am blessed.

To Whom It May Concern...

To the folks at AARP.

I have some news for you.

My name is not Kenneth.

I am not old enough to be receiving your email spam.

I am not happy that you gave my email address to other organizations that are now spamming me.

I'm not happy about all of this but I must say that it is quite entertaining getting email that states that 'a hot senior single wants to spend the holidays with me.'

Really?

Ewww....

Urgent Prayer Request for a little boy

Please go over to my friend, Adeye's blog, and read about a little boy whose life hangs in the balance. His adoptive parents have been told by the judge overseeing their case, that he is not worth adopting. They are trying to appeal the decision and need us to storm the gates of heaven with our prayers for their little boy's release.

Please stand with this family in prayer and help bring this little boy home!

Every life has value. Every life is precious.

Oh Happy Day!

The three amigos were eating lunch yesterday when a very deep discussion took place. They have recently been asking questions about Jesus dying on the cross and I had been explaining that He did that for us...to take away our sins, so that someday when we die, we could live with Him in heaven. And that while we live here on earth, He will help us live our lives with His strength, courage and love.

They brought it up again at lunch and this time, it all seemed to click for them. I saw the light dawn in Jake's eyes and he said, "Let's PRAY!"

I asked him a few more questions to see if he really understood. He did. As did Zoey, who also wanted to pray. Kate was characteristically more reserved, but also repeated after me as I led them through a prayer asking Jesus to come into their hearts and wash away their sins.

They were so cute and eager.

Oh, Happy Day...when Jesus washed my sins away!

Chloe's New Shoes

We went back to Shriners hospital today to pick up Chloe's new lift and shoe insert. She was so excited about being able to wear a pair of shoes that were the same size.

And sure enough....they pulled it off!

Now her feet look like this!

Instead of like this.

All because of this cool thing she can slip into her shoe. It's removable and she can put it in other shoes, too.

She has a little over a one inch leg length difference, so she decided she wanted that addressed as well. The lift that goes into the shoe has a 1/2 inch lift and they added 1/2 inch to her shoe. So, it looks like this:

It's more noticeable from a side view like this but not too noticeable when she's running around.

We took her wedding shoes for them to make an insert for her, but the shoes just didn't work. They were a ballet style slip-on and her smaller foot just wouldn't stay in. We need to find one with a strap over the top. When we find one, they said they will make an insert for it.

It's so cool to watch her run around and be so excited to have legs and feet the same size. We are so grateful for Shriners Hospital!

Adoption Book Review and Drawing

Awhile back, I answered a post requesting adoption stories for an upcoming book. I submitted one of our kids' adoption stories. Many months later, I received an email saying that my story had been accepted! The book is now available and I recently had an opportunity to read it.

The book is written by Michele Cervone Scott, herself an adoptive parent. It is a walk-through-the-process type of book with Biblical principals to help you along the way. Her story is woven throughout, with the addition of other adoptive family stories.

If you or a friend is just beginning the process, it is a wonderful resource, not only for 'how-to' information, but for emotional and spiritual support during the journey.

There are two give-away's associated with this book. One is a $50 Amazon gift card and the other is a free book. One entry gives you a chance to win the gift card and/or a book. You do not have to enter twice. You have until 11:59 PM EST on April 1st to enter. But don't wait because if you're like me, you'll forget! :) Michele Cervone Scott will chose the winners and they will be announced and notified the week of April 4th. To enter, go to: http://tinyurl.com/4asjxrs.

"With your entry, you agree to accept email correspondence from Michele Cervone Scott and the referring blog as it pertains to this contest. The host author and bloggers promise not to misuse or share your email address. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Friday April 1, 2011. Winners will be announced and notified during the week of April 4, 2011."

The author has a website where you may learn more about her and/or purchase the book directly at www.MicheleCScott.com .

One Year Ago, today...

March 19th... my grandpa's birthday. He's now in heaven. Last year, we had reason to celebrate again on March 19th. Ryan graduated from boot camp.

I looked at the photos this morning and got a lump in my throat again as I relived that day.

We had arrived the day before for Family Day and all of us had seen Ryan except Jeff. Jeff had awakened that morning with the stomach flu and had to stay in bed. Ryan wasn't allowed to leave the base and we were praying that Jeff would be well enough to attend the graduation the following day. We all felt so bad that they couldn't see each other that first day.

March 19th, feeling better but not great, Jeff forced himself out of bed and over to Ft. Jackson. Emotions were high as we waited for two hours for the graduation to start. We could see the troops assembled at the end of the field and Jeff was having a hard time sitting in his seat, knowing Ryan was only a few hundred feet away.

After the ceremony, I took this series of pictures as Jeff finally spotted Ryan in the crowd.

A father's love

The day before, we had finally been able to see Ryan after 10 weeks of boot camp. We were beside ourselves!! There was a nice ceremony and then we were told that we could go find our soldiers. Well...that was easier said than done. There were hundreds of them, all dressed alike and wearing hats. We eventually found Ryan after what seemed like an hour of searching... I actually walked right past him. All of a sudden I heard the words,

"Mom! Mom!"

I whirled around and there he was! Here are some of the pictures from that day.

Anyone? Anyone?

"Come on! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Ooohhhh...what was that LOUD BANG?"

Cool.....

Here they come!!!! (Now that just gets your heart pumping, doesn't it?)

Do you see Ryan?! Me, either.... :)

Ensuing bedlam after families are told they can go find their soldiers

Jake salutes Ryan...badly..as in placing his hand in the middle of his forehead...

...which totally cracked Ryan up

I need more hugs...

Molly gets her hug

Chloe finally gets to see her Ryan. The bear is Bobo, which used to be Ryan's. Chloe has been faithfully babysitting it.

Posing with Grandma and Grandpa

Letters from HOME

Sweet moments

Gotta have the T-shirt