Happy 6th Birthday M!

 A Build a Bear Birthday!

 An American Girl Doll as pretty as her!

 Making a wish on the bear's heart!

Happy birthday sweet M....what a blessing it is to be your mommy!  You are an incredible little girl and I thank the Lord that He blessed me with your beautiful life!  On many days but especially this day I think about your birth mommy and know that she is thinking of you too!  What a gift she gave to me! I love her dearly and wonder in how many ways you and she are alike! You are an intelligent, sweet, thoughtful little girl that works so hard!  You are so passionate in all you do and have a love for life!  Happy Birthday precious!

Summer Madness.......

I'm so sorry that it has been since April that I have blogged.  There has been so much going on around these parts that I hesitate to even enter this information overload. One of the things I am is authentic and I think anyone writing and sharing with other moms and families should "keep it real"....so here goes!  The end of April, my father in law (after almost 44 years of marriage) chose to leave his wife and family.  Well folks when Satan ravishes a family there is much much carnage left to sift through.....which is what our family is currently in the process of doing.  I won't go into details about this situation but it is devastating and we would appreciate prayers for both of his parents and our family as a whole.

M:  My sweet little bear graduated preschool in May and she is changing everyday from my little sweet chubby toddler to a beautiful, smart and thoughtful girl!  I am so thankful but it kinda makes ya sick all at the same time.  She is getting ready to begin kindergarten this fall and we are SO excited about her school.  Me because it is only two days a week, but for many more reasons way more important than that....Pics will follow in September.

W:  He is my tender hearted...hands on .....all boy....little man....He loves "angry birds" and can make the faces too!  He loves balls, cars, fixing things and working with his Papa.  He loves the ipad and tv a little too much and so he is having a little summer hiatus from them. He will be doing preschool with me in the fall and I am so excited to teach him and watch him blossom.

H:  What happened to my little four pounder?  She has grown up so so fast and all right before our eyes.  She is now about 34 inches tall and 27 pounds.  She is speaking in full sentences and has  a personality as big as Texas!  She loves to do whatever her big sister and brother are doing and she does it very well.

J B and I :  Well we are just hanging on and savoring our blessings.  JB had a heart "scare" about the time all of the family business erupted and we spent a couple of days in the cardiac unit at our wonderful hospital and recovering from atrial fibrillation.  He is doing great and the doctor stated that it was brought on by extreme emotional stress (go figure). We are busy with a new business Zija International ( I'll blog more about later) We have changed many aspects of our home....the main one being nutrition and detoxifying our home of artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and processed foods.  We have lost a combined total of over 60 pds and feel great!  I have cut back a lot on my adoption work as I am needed much more here at home and enjoying my time. 

This is a quick catch up on us in a nut shell and I'll post pictures soon!  I promise!

Happy 90th Granny!

February 14, 2011 was Granny's 90th birthday.  A few months back I told her that I wanted to give her a BIG BASH to celebrate.  She reluctantly agree as she doesn't like to feel as if she is causing anyone extra work.  She soon became very excited about it and all of the preparations being made.  On February 20, 2011 we celebrated this wonderful, Godly, sweet, sacrificial and hard working lady.  What an inspiration she has been to me.  I have witnessed her sorrow after the death of her husband and watched her live her life with such grace and always displaying a gentle and quiet spirit.  She has served so many for so many years and we wanted to take one day and treat her like a Queen.  She looked so beautiful that day and I think she felt special. Just two weeks later she fell and broke her hip...had surgery....didn't recover well and is currently residing in a nursing home and unable to communicate with success.  It saddens me greatly to see her this way.  She has always been such an active participant in her life (riding her exercise bike each day, washing and folding clothes and preparing meals).  I still like to go and sit with her, hold her hand and allow her to talk with me.  I understand little of what she is saying but I know she is in there and understands perfectly.  I love her and I pray that the Lord will shower her with grace, mercy and a peace and take her to be with Himself very soon...just as she desires! Here are just a few pictures from her day.

Time Flies

My Oh My! How time flies! I haven't posted regularly on my blog in a really long time and I do not know if anyone still checks it. For the faithful...here is some posting of what has been happening over the past 6 months are so.

Here are the kids this past Christmas 2010

 M modeling her new hat...

 H showing her personality!

 My sweet, thoughtful and adorable W.

We stayed home for Christmas this year. It was a first for us. We loved having a relaxing Christmas day with the family. It allowed us to truly reflect on the day without all the tinsel and hustle and bustle. We ate breakfast, read the Christmas story, played ...played....and played....ate lunch....watched a movie and played some more... sweet times with our precious babies. I think it will be a new tradition!

 In February, M and Papa went to the annual Daddy daughter banquet.  M always looks forward to this evening with her Papa.  She was especially excited this year.  I thought she looked stunning and made my heart proud and sad to see her so grown up

 She has her Papa wrapped around her finger....

 I love it when she laughs her deep gut laugh....

the banquet...they had a candy table created in the middle and all the girls were able to fill bags full of their favorite sweets.  She had a great time!

Third Day Gets It!

Older Child Adoption

When many people think of an orphanage, I think they often envision babies and toddlers. I used to be one of those people myself. On my many trips to China, however, I began meeting and falling in love with the older children who have grown up in institutions, many who never had any true chance of finding a permanent home. Their faces and stories are in my heart forever now, and sadly many of my memories of these great kids involve tears. Tears from Jenny, who broke down on her 14th birthday when she realized that she had aged out of the adoption system without being chosen. The final realization that she would never know what it meant to have a mom or dad of her own caused her to fall into a deep depression. Tears from Lily, a 17-year-old girl whom I had given my jacket after she admired it. When she refused to accept it initially, I put my hand on her shoulder and said, “But of course you have to take it because you are like family to me.” And it was at that one word, “family,” that this normally stoic young lady broke down and sobbed uncontrollably, as it is the one thing that she longed for.
By far, however, the most emotional moment of my time in China came one night when I was able to meet with a group of older orphaned teens I had watched grow up over a five year period. Every time I would visit their orphanage, I would enjoy getting to know them more. They all seemed so close, such good friends, and they always had smiles for me when I arrived. That night, however, was a night when the kids finally let their guard down. It was a night of real conversation and sharing what it means to grow up as an orphan. Toward the end of the evening we were all in tears. Afterwards, one of the older boys stayed to talk with me privately. I am hesitant to even write of it now as it was such a deeply personal and emotionally raw conversation. I will share, however, that he told me that growing up without a mother or father “hurts more than death.” Children aren’t supposed to raise themselves. They are not supposed to grow up alone, which I know sounds impossible when you are growing up in a crowded orphanage. The reality, though, is that hundreds of thousands of orphaned children feel utterly and completely ALONE. I held this incredible and wonderful teen in my arms as he sobbed about how much he wanted a mom, and I can’t think of it now without great pain.
Why was I given the opportunity to be born into a family who could take care of me, while millions of children are born into situations so sad and filled with hurt that many people don’t even want to hear their stories? I have struggled with that question for years with no answers. But I do know that all of us who have been blessed to know what a family really is should make every effort possible to help those who are orphaned. If not us, then who?
The theme song for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was a song called “You and Me.” It has been sung to me by children in orphanages many times, and it always makes me cry. The words haunt me… especially for the older children who have grown up feeling so alone: “Put your hand in mine. You and me, from one world. We are family.”
How I wish those words were true in every person’s heart. How I wish everyone believed that we need to treat people as family and share our ever shrinking world. What a wonderful place this would be if every adult took the hand of a child in need and didn’t let go. To all of the older orphaned children who have aged out of the possibility of ever finding a family, I send my heartfelt prayers. You are not forgotten. And we will continue doing our very best to help in every way possible.
Amy Eldridge is the Executive Director of Love Without Boundaries.
Love Without Boundaries proudly advocates for adoption but is not an adoption agency. We invite you to contact adoptionassistance@lwbmail.com with questions about a child we have featured and encourage you to contact your local adoption agency for more information about China’s Waiting Child Program.

Lord help me to move and not be indifferent.

Five Year, Fifteen Month and the Flu Shot.

I scheduled M's 5 year appt. (just 3 months late) and H's 15 month appt. (just 3 months late) and everyone's last flu shot for the season for today! It is no easy task to take 3 littles to the doc's office (I'm a germophobe). SO I totally bribed them. I told them that we would totally go to Wal-Mart and get a small treat for anyone who took their shots with no screams.... Crying was ok, just no screaming like a stuck pig! M took her shot with no tears earlier in the year so I knew I could count on her. Well, let's just say Hannah did the best and she received 3 shots! M was the first to receive her shot and the nurse wanted to give it to her in her leg but she insisted that it be given in her arm...so you can imagine how that went...M was still crying after the third child received shots and we were leaving. Will began screaming before he was put on the table and it took me, JB and the nurse to hold him down. Needless to say we did NOT go to Wal-Mart...I new bribes were not a good thing. Well here are the stats for the check up:

H was 31 inches tall and 28 pounds she is in the 70th percentile pretty much across the board. Molly was 41 inches tall and 35 pounds she is in the 25th percentile pretty much across the board. I love my girls!



 

Traditions

This is a repost from last year....I have new pictures but haven't loaded them to my computer yet. I have had some people ask if I would share my Thankfulness Can Tradition again. Here is the link to last year's post "Thankfulness Can 2009" This year I did do a different twist to it that I really liked. Instead of using construction paper for the chain we used Christmas Scrapbook paper. I love this tradition and it ushers us into the Christmas Season just beautifully! Have a Happy Blessed Thanksgiving!

Orphan Sunday..How can I feel we are done?

Orphan Sunday was this past Sunday. I am late posting. There are several wonderful videos out there to promote the cause, but this one made me weep. How can I ever say I am done....,my family is complete....? There is always room for one more. Lord break my heart...cause me to sacrifice....for one more...one more....one more...

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Is this normal?

 

After raising M and of course being a girl myself, I have little experiences with boys. My brother was 7 years younger than me but I can't seem to remember what little boys are like and what is "normal". For example, driving to pick up M at school this week, I hear H saying "No"! over and over to her older brother W that is in the car seat next to her. After my verbal pleas for kindness were obviously ignored I was able to pull into the pickup line at M's school and turn to see what all of the fuss was about. W has been picking BIG green boogers from his nose and wiping them on his sister's seat. W, by the way, thinks this is funny and has little interest in my lecture about how nasty and gross this is and that his little sister could have eaten his artistic sculptures!!! After picking up M and going to meet Papa for lunch....I have to tell JB the story and ask the question that I ask so often to him in a week's time....."Is this normal?"....His reply......"Absoulutely!"

Sigh,,,,M

Capturing Moments and Memories!

I love capturing moments when we are on vacation. I love these pictures for many reasons but one of which that all of our children are still small enough for "Papa" to still throw them in the air. I wanted to capture this on our trip and requested it of him because I know that this sweet time is fleeting. I love the look in their eyes and the sweet giggles that erupt from them when they are engaged in this moment with their dad. Such sweet days we are in.....
 
 
 
 

More Fun and Sun!

Our family is having a wonderful time. The kids love the beach and I love that they are never bored and find so much to do while at the beach. We have gone out into the water with our nets on hunts for treasure....aka...crabs...fish...and anything else that looks interesting....we even saw a stingray! They also love building sand castles and this year it was a family event! I love making memories here with the kids and I know they are precious! Here are a few more pics from our week!

 
 
 
 

Beach 2010

We are having a great time here at the beach! M and W have loved the beach...the weather is beautiful and the food of course is great! It has been great being able to just focus on being mommy and daddy and just having fun and loving on each other. I have a lot of pictures and hope to share more but here are a few of us here at the beach!

 
 
 
 

My handsome little "big" boy!

My "W" is growing up so quickly. I tell him all of the time how gorgeous he is only for him to correct me and say, "No Momma, I'm handsome!" Well, he has that right! He also asks me daily, "Mom, am I five yet?" I reply, "No, not yet babe only 3 but that is a wonderful age!" I love having him just as he is....all boy....asking questions all the time.... and so thoughtful and helpful. He is reserved but so funny and his laugh is so contagious! I love being a momma to such a sweet little boy. umm I mean "big" boy!


 
 
 
 

SO Big!

These are some of H's one year photos....She is no longer a baby....she is now a toddler...walking....reaching....talking.....It's an adorable age. I see little babies and can't seem to remember Hannah being that little ( which is a little sad to me...but I'm thankful she is healthy and growing). She now weighs about 23 pounds and is 30 1/2 inches in length. She is the best natured child, always smiling and happy. She is a typical third child and contents herself with ease. She loves her siblings and has a great sense of humor. She is a joy and I am thankful that the Lord placed her in our family and we are privledged to be her parents.