tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30070037504497146302024-03-19T01:26:20.137-07:00 Leap of Faith Faith is not hoping God can, It's knowing He willMommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-82590988543761699452016-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:002016-06-30T19:48:38.480-07:00Expedited Adoption due to Aging OutWhat does that mean? It means that an orphan has a very limited amount of time to have a family. So, his/her family must complete the entire adoption process at super speed. Once a child ages out, they are no longer eligible for adoption. <br />
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I have such strong feelings about aging out orphans. It makes me feel more than sad. I apologize if I offend anyone as that is not my intention, but all too often I see many people joining together to advocate so hard for orphans who are at risk of aging out. Then, once a family decides to pursue adopting one of these orphans, this group support seems to stop. It needs to NOT stop!! <br />
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These families need our help! You see, this family will now have to complete all the paper work required for the entire adoption process at lightning speed. This leaves very little time for doing anything else. But, fundraising still needs to be done. And, it is so hard to organize fundraising efforts while working on paperwork. Oh, it's so difficult! Even if you complete the paperwork for each step on time, you can't move on to the next step without the necessary fees required for that step. Most grant organizations aren't able to review applications and make their decisions in a short enough amount of time for families who are expediting due to aging out. <br />
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I know I have already said it but I'm going to say it again....these families NEED OUR HELP! We must help raise the funds needed to bring these orphans to a family before they age out. We must share their fundraisers and pray for their success every night. Donate if you are able, you can donate items for an auction; you can donate money- any amount helps; or you can donate the few minutes it may take for you to share their post on your Facebook page. You may be surprised who might see your post and decide to help!<br />
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Please help! Pray for these children who WANT to have a family and are at risk of never being able to have one. Pray for the families who so courageously step up and take on the international adoption process in a compacted time frame. Pray for the children who aren't reached in time. Pray for the families who aren't able to get to their children in time. MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-81580951235956994282016-06-20T19:20:00.002-07:002016-06-20T19:36:16.240-07:00I'd like to introduce you to someone specialAbandoned when he was maybe 2 years old, Isaiah was found and taken to live his life in an orphanage. A few months later, he was moved to a foster home. Now 13 years old, he doesn't know how it feels to have a Mom or a Dad or brothers. In less than two months, he will turn 14 years old. Notice I did not say he will celebrate his 14th birthday because there will be no celebration. Instead, he will be moved to a mental institution or told to go live on the streets. Neither option is anywhere near acceptable for this young man. He has a type of dwarfism and in his country it is considered a bad omen. So, if he does try to live on the streets, he will be treated very poorly by all who see him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_Vu4Z92bwXT5KyfMKIeEeIHJV2OwoZPasUS6DNj7iDXkINYZdZu3DTs2U5fD0Vk04xRhqqJJbMxbKUl8PP4HlHg4EDewZl0ZpHaxB1zoT6yU5S_7V17JliaYrfdLEZryTTz1Fi8yXDfs/s1600/Kai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_Vu4Z92bwXT5KyfMKIeEeIHJV2OwoZPasUS6DNj7iDXkINYZdZu3DTs2U5fD0Vk04xRhqqJJbMxbKUl8PP4HlHg4EDewZl0ZpHaxB1zoT6yU5S_7V17JliaYrfdLEZryTTz1Fi8yXDfs/s200/Kai.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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There is a family here in America that is trying very hard to raise the funds needed to cover his adoption expenses and racing through the stacks and stacks of paperwork necessary to adopt Isaiah. The have less than 7 weeks left to complete the entire process.<br />
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With everyone's help, they will make it in time! Isaiah will be adopted and come home to a loving family with two older brothers and one younger brother, who happens to have the same type of dwarfism. He will be someone's son, someone's brother, and someone's grandson. He will have his own bedroom with his own comfy bed, fluffy pillow, and soft blanket. With his love for cars, his Mom and Dad will make sure there is a nice pile of toy cars waiting for him to come home to play with them. He will also get to go to school and learn all sorts of things, something he doesn't get to do now. His life will be filled with hugs, hugs with genuine 100% love for him. And, oh, I can only imagine how much time he will spend in the backyard running around playing with his brothers and their pet dogs. He loves being outside and will love it even more with a family!<br />
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Please, please, please help!! Share Isaiah's story with everyone you know, ask them to pray that everything happens in time. Ask everyone you know to donate $5 here <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr">www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr</a> </div>
If we can get everyone to donate just $5, it will add up so fast, and Isaiah will get to come home to his family this year! He will know LOVE, love of a family, and the love from our Heavenly Father. <br />
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<br />MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-6874395816028340822016-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:002016-06-10T11:09:58.469-07:00Lucky number 13 !!!-<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let’s talk about 13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you’re superstitious, you believe the number 13 is an unlucky
number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you ride in an elevator of
a very tall building, you may notice there is no button for the 13<sup>th</sup>
floor, all because of superstition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
the 13<sup>th</sup> of the month happens to be on a Friday, people consider it
a day filled with unlucky events, “Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The age 13 is the first year a person is
considered a teenager, and that’s when the challenging part of life
begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is so much pressure for 13
year olds: to be liked by the peers, to dress the right way, to have many
friends, to be invited to all the parties, to “fit in.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In China, being an orphan who is 13 years old,
is negative for a completely different reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You see, when an orphan turns 13 years old, there is only one year left
for him/her to have a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once an
orphan turns 14, he/she is no longer eligible for adoption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if a family arrives in country and meets
them on their 14<sup>th</sup> birthday, it doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That child will never know the love of a
family.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a special place in my heart for orphans who are in
that final year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up, I LOVED the
number 13!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I refuse to be intimidated by
superstition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try hard to advocate for
Chinese orphans who are 13 years old. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
children deserve to know what FAMILY means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They deserve to know GOD and have a relationship with Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We adopted our son last year less than one
week before his 14<sup>th</sup> birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Watching him learn how to love, and how to care for others is
indescribable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching him learn about
God is invaluable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning who he is
and watching him grow in to the young man he is meant to be is incredible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, adopting an older child is
challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, it has been just as
challenging for him to be adopted as an older child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His life changed so much!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only need a few words to describe how I
feel about our son and everything he has endured in just 14 years of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is brave, precious, loved, and SO WORTH
IT!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is an orphan in China right now who is 13 years
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am begging everyone who reads
this to help make 13 a lucky number for Isaiah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let this, his 13<sup>th</sup> year of life, be the best year of his
life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help this be the year he comes
home to his family, to learn how it feels to have a family who loves you, a
mommy to hug you and a daddy to tuck you in bed at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring Isaiah home so his family can teach him
about God and all the love He has for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need everyone’s help!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say a
prayer for Isaiah, donate if you are able to, and then share this with all your
friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prayer is powerful, and we need
it to help this family get to Isaiah before it is too late! Please help!!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHsBRIIin35s8UjZhIXzwkr38NeIg2x9uQVqWlxmU5fVNoWddwasHT6RuwziAR1OopwwhtRK2TUtj-HhprJuma3FA23S1-EUsrAz5sGsvK5rNCnTwdqfI3yQ_6dW0ozmRuNYLAhvlGJwo/s1600/Kai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHsBRIIin35s8UjZhIXzwkr38NeIg2x9uQVqWlxmU5fVNoWddwasHT6RuwziAR1OopwwhtRK2TUtj-HhprJuma3FA23S1-EUsrAz5sGsvK5rNCnTwdqfI3yQ_6dW0ozmRuNYLAhvlGJwo/s320/Kai.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Isaiah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Donations may be made here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Or follow along on the journey here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/orphan2son/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">https://www.facebook.com/orphan2son/</span></a></div>
MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-33104577709334681892016-04-02T07:03:00.001-07:002016-04-07T12:06:34.368-07:00Family for a year, and Fifteen years old now!We have been home from China with our newest son for a whole year now. The time has flown by!<br />
Last year, we raced through the entire adoption process in just 7 weeks, arriving in China just six days before he would have no longer been eligible for adoption. Those 7 weeks felt like forever. And that time in our lives was SO WORTH IT! I mean just look at this transformation --<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixqz5_hQjOCzq2EBjbbbbkKkGmqERkT5rAxVbBx9cOdRZqbbwSEvPKk5clOmqIV1EhFs0ZgCTBhr-6P2KjKqUFbB_OolGyaNOazw624U0inqpfGscV9ZsPyXrKvluwDVE_UfE-y-ZuO7R/s1600/Li.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixqz5_hQjOCzq2EBjbbbbkKkGmqERkT5rAxVbBx9cOdRZqbbwSEvPKk5clOmqIV1EhFs0ZgCTBhr-6P2KjKqUFbB_OolGyaNOazw624U0inqpfGscV9ZsPyXrKvluwDVE_UfE-y-ZuO7R/s200/Li.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6IRFEIYahRIezHgkpiS0ztSUlZqiStuZt7wnsr5UcjrGyqC3zlQC-dzXCF6LDYCm3iNzZEQhsoURNFt3QzaAPGW56TeOr95xmafUZCxD3w2IwWnyJ-NQjJMUUrR-YyevRjqofztwkZ_A/s1600/Li2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6IRFEIYahRIezHgkpiS0ztSUlZqiStuZt7wnsr5UcjrGyqC3zlQC-dzXCF6LDYCm3iNzZEQhsoURNFt3QzaAPGW56TeOr95xmafUZCxD3w2IwWnyJ-NQjJMUUrR-YyevRjqofztwkZ_A/s200/Li2.jpg" width="155" /></a> In pictures, you can only see the physical changes.<br />
But so much change, so much growth,<br />
has happened this past year.<br />
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Our sweet son came to us a quiet, shy boy who<br />
never smiled and spoke very little. Now, well, now he is quite the opposite. A couple of surgeries have improved his ability to walk. Hearing aids and new eyeglasses have opened up the world to him. He loves having a family!<br />
He smiles all the time. He laughs often. He has an incredible, BIG personality that keeps us smiling. He rushes to help his two "littlest" siblings every chance he gets. And he loves to tease his "little" sister.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxPEvqrIyIUvX4YkaLNHlzO6tOIu-pGn1eJT3Dov6Cl7kYphMIYNXK820bMYnrjsIFnaX35aJx7JbJE7uc_B8LUwtpk3hQ4ZpFrv2DPlhYi81vhGybnReyvHh0t5MLbankEbJ7sZghZAl/s1600/LanieLi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxPEvqrIyIUvX4YkaLNHlzO6tOIu-pGn1eJT3Dov6Cl7kYphMIYNXK820bMYnrjsIFnaX35aJx7JbJE7uc_B8LUwtpk3hQ4ZpFrv2DPlhYi81vhGybnReyvHh0t5MLbankEbJ7sZghZAl/s200/LanieLi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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What an extraordinary, brave, kind, affectionate young man he is! </div>
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I never could have imagined how amazing it would be to have this young man become a part of our family. And, now, I could never imagine our family without him. So many people, from all over the United States, helped us reach him in time. I will never be able to express the gratitude I feel for all comforting words of encouragement, the listening ears, the donations, and especially the prayers we felt from everyone. Thank you!</div>
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Right now, there is a young man in China with only four months left until he ages out. My sweet boy had only two months, and we got to him in time. So, I know this boy's family will reach him in time. I have decided to help them all I can. Several women "coached" me through the expedited adoption process and I learned so much. Now, I have an opportunity to "pay it forward." But, they are in the same situation we were. There are specific steps in the adoption process. Each step has its own set of fees that must be paid before you can move on to the next step. They need help coming up with the funds needed to be able to move through all the steps at lightning speed! </div>
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Fifteen months ago, I was begging and pleading for everyone to donate, share our story, and pray for our family. Now, I am begging and pleading you all to do the same for this beautiful family!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_16pyfGHJ2SMo6hqtghWFyKzak2pKikN1vr06CWRkTF7SdxRNlN71qRgkM9MuWY22RW3v9ePVB4XoBfcnsDJUVZ3L9vw78RLrhGQZY-y4P3nxhU4p-GhXRHMC5kR6aIVOW_KX2W-XeNrX/s1600/Kai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_16pyfGHJ2SMo6hqtghWFyKzak2pKikN1vr06CWRkTF7SdxRNlN71qRgkM9MuWY22RW3v9ePVB4XoBfcnsDJUVZ3L9vw78RLrhGQZY-y4P3nxhU4p-GhXRHMC5kR6aIVOW_KX2W-XeNrX/s200/Kai.jpg" width="200" /></a>Let's help this family get him home so</div>
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they can share pictures of him next year!<br />
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You can follow along on Facebook at<br />
https://www.facebook.com/orphan2son/</div>
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If you are able to donate, please do so at this link:</div>
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<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr" target="_blank">https://www.gofundme.com/qgudkqdr</a> </div>
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If you aren't able to donate, please share his story so others know</div>
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how they might be able to help. And, please pray! Pray his family reaches him before it's too late. Pray for his sweet innocent heart. Pray for his brothers-to-be, and his parents as they navigate this challenging journey.</div>
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Thank you!</div>
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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-12857341591643558512015-02-22T10:05:00.002-08:002015-02-22T10:05:40.885-08:0012 days !!<br />
In just 12 days, we will likely be boarding a plane headed to China. This whole process has been so rushed, and gratefully so. It truly is best described as a whirlwind. There has been no time to stop and think, only to stay focused on which stack of paperwork has to be filled out now. Every time you finish a stack, there is a new one to begin. Now, we are at a point where there is no more paperwork, no paperwork for me anyway :) Now, all the paper processing is being done in China, while we sit at home staring at pictures of our beautiful young man, anxiously awaiting the day when we will stare in to his eyes in front of us, not just in photos.<br />
This week, we expect to get definite dates, which will allow us to book our plane tickets and hotel rooms. That's when we will know for sure exactly how much everything costs. So, far the prices of plane tickets are sitting much higher than we had planned, and as the date gets closer, those prices just continue to rise. But, I won't freak out just yet. I am going to wait until I have confirmed definite prices.....and then I will likely have a freak-out moment!<br />
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I end this post with a beautiful smile, one that I can't wait to witness in person.......<br />
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<br />MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-42541985263711653122015-02-10T13:15:00.004-08:002015-02-22T09:52:55.337-08:00Almost There !!!!As far as the paperwork goes, we are almost there! I think the Lord has given our paperwork wings and made it fly through this process. Thank you Lord !!!<br />
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Now, we need to gather up the funds needed just as quickly. We held a Thirty One fundraiser, a Younique makeup party, a Premier Design jewelry party and now a Pampered Chef party. Next weekend we will be having a painting party to celebrate Chinese New Year and hopefully bring in more funds. And, we designed a t-shirt and are trying to sell those with practically zero interest so far. <br />
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All that is left now is to just outright beg!</div>
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So here goes..............</div>
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<a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/87088/sponsornorthrop"><span style="font-size: large;">http://reecesrainbow.org/87088/sponsornorthrop</span></a></div>
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help if you can, share so that maybe others who can help will, or say a little prayer for our sweet young man who we are trying so desperately to reach in time! If you are able to donate, you may click on this link to make a tax deductible donation: <a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=George+Northrop">http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=George+Northrop</a><br />
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<br />MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-53961710761642328042015-01-25T06:05:00.003-08:002015-01-25T06:05:36.223-08:00When God blesses you with new people in your life.....He does that you know, brings strangers in to your life who suddenly become very precious to you. Nearly two years ago, when we were in the process of adopting our two Chinese sweethearts, somehow I "met" a sweet woman on Facebook. We chatted lots. She lived in Brooklyn and I live in Georgia, nearly opposite ends of the world. She was moving to the area of southern Alabama where I grew up. But we had something bigger in common. She was adopting her son from the same orphanage where our daughter lived. And here is why she is now so precious to us. She gave us such a wonderful gift that there are no words to describe how it made us feel. When she went to get her son, she met our daughter. She met her and took gifts from us, showed her our picture, and the best part of all......she video recorded our daughter saying hello to me, her Mama, and to Scott, her Baba. I feel as though we will never be able to thank her enough!<br />
Now, she has gone and done something great again. After challenging her friends to donate toward our adoption fund, and her matching their donations, she raised $800 to help bring Li home. Thank you God for bringing her into our life.<br />
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A little less than a year ago, I flew with my two new cuties and their big sister to Dallas, Texas to see some orthopedic specialists there. The plane was full both ways, and God did it again. The woman who sat next to me on the way there is from China and she helped to distract and keep my little guy occupied for the long flight. We chatted about adoption and China and became instant friends. After exchanging emails, she exited the plane in Houston. We were going to stay in touch via email. We stayed in Dallas for a whole week, two days longer than expected. I know why we had to stay longer....because when we stopped in Houston on the way home, guess who boarded the plane? And, it was a full plane again and the seat next to me was the last seat available! I called her name and she looked at me and smiled. We talked on the flight all the way home, so happy to see each other again. She lives only forty five minutes away from us. She came to the hospital, postponing her business trip so she could, when our little guy had his first surgery. We have plans to get together again and again. How precious to have a new friend, but also for her to be from my children's homeland! Thank you God for this new friend!<br />
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Now we are adopting our young man, and He is doing it again! There are a couple of ladies who started a Facebook group to help people who are rushing to bring their children home like we are. Some people have to hurry to their children for medical reasons, while others are like us, racing against the clock before their child ages out. We have very very little time left to get to Li before he ages out. These two ladies have responded to my questions at 11:00 at night! They both gave me their cell phone numbers during our first conversation so they are available any time I may need them, amazing! They don't even know us, and yet are so very willing to help in every way they can. Thank you God for helping me find these ladies!<br />
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I hope that God will bring me into someone's life that I may help them when they need it! And, I am so grateful for the ones He has brought in to my life!MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-81101031223151447082015-01-12T19:41:00.001-08:002015-01-12T19:41:05.211-08:00Guess what !!!!God has called and we are answering!!<br />
It seems so crazy that He would call us to China again but He has. I know, I know, am I sure? Yes, I am positive! I went through a good 3-4 months of denial, but just can't deny it any more. Now, we are super pressed for time! In just two months, he will age out, which means he will no longer be available for adoption. So, all that paperwork that took us 12 months to complete for our last two, we have to get it all done in just two months!!! Yes, it sounds crazy, but......<br />
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lN1JJHvI7AjxBzGufMPCZp5wAoyDQHS2XLuTv8ROnkKucqIT2spFs7m3TS5bbyzW/doiqZ5HDI2h48Cy4Um9rb+rIxrYAeAA+VSpUq5juFalT01AFemqVqa1SWMKxe" 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<br /></a><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">"With God all things are possible."</span></h2>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="border-image: none;">
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Matthew 19:26</span></blockquote>
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Sorry for the short post, but just had to share our news!! Here is a link to our fundraising page where you can see a picture of this cutie! <a href="https://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/a-little-more-love-and-his-name-is-li/290443">https://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/a-little-more-love-and-his-name-is-li/290443</a></div>
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" 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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-26580733785260440822013-11-05T06:58:00.000-08:002013-11-05T06:58:04.807-08:0010 more days!!! Ten more days til we board a plane and start the final leg of this journey that will change our lives forever. I am SO excited, SO happy, and yet SO sad all at the same time. So many times throughout this journey I have experienced this mixture of emotions. I never knew you could feel so many feelings all at the same time. Yes, I have cried because I was so happy about something, and I've laughed because I was so sad or scared. But, now, I truly feel happy and sad, and scared and excited....AT THE SAME TIME. It's confusing and crazy!<br />
I miss my children who I have not even met yet. I love them more than I could ever imagine. I am anxious to hold them in my arms even if they are screaming to get away from me. I long to bring them home to their siblings to show them how wonderful it is to be a part of a family. I want to watch them grow to love each of their sisters and brothers and of course their mom and dad.<br />
I am not looking forward to being away from three of my children while we go to China. I am dreading packing and getting from plane to plane at the airports. I am not looking forward to being on a plane for 15 hours straight at all. Just thinking about it makes me want to freak out.<br />
But the prize at the end of all this..........priceless!!<br />
<br />
As I sit here, I think about how badly I wanted to have our family together in time for Christmas. Most of the time, I really felt that was not going to be possible. Now, our flights are booked and our appointments are scheduled. We will arrive home on Thanksgiving Day. What a beautiful blessing!!! We will be together for Christmas as I had hoped and we will also have Thanksgiving together. I cannot think of a more perfect way to spend Thanksgiving Day. I plan to watch as my children meet each other for the first time, spend the day getting to know each other, and start to love each other. This Thanksgiving will be the first day of a lifelong relationship between my children. "Faith" and "Little Guy" will no longer be orphans. They will be a little brother and a little sister, my son and daughter.<br />
<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His faithful love is everlasting!"</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial;"> ---Psalms 106:1</span></strong>MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-29169257521965935982013-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:002013-10-09T18:24:35.168-07:00Final Update!It is getting close now! In fact, we could very likely be on a plane to China just one month from today. So, here's the photos we got of our sweeties :<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYCDLWC-0m79xLzY4zsi1mX1eFHStiX2NDDFmB4Go3BeZ32fR-jWgK7bjj-ZGB4nn3mq86HunCcNq98gadlf0wC8fVTwdJhSWvHsGpfyQl32lCqneCowvJCr2bGfegTQexjk3Xf3IKSDJ/s1600/Erika930A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYCDLWC-0m79xLzY4zsi1mX1eFHStiX2NDDFmB4Go3BeZ32fR-jWgK7bjj-ZGB4nn3mq86HunCcNq98gadlf0wC8fVTwdJhSWvHsGpfyQl32lCqneCowvJCr2bGfegTQexjk3Xf3IKSDJ/s1600/Erika930A.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet, sweet "Faith"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY05z9bMiBZuyBVbWLWH_A6jSaBX8nVIKWPyrWWHU4tl-h15baWow44W6RA7OXVPHhRD8VTK88iwCMjIbzG5LjVOyYITpeV-GSd9rKDcG9AhbUd1nfnYGeSu8CWqlY2IJGr8t465jXnUuA/s1600/Logan92013B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY05z9bMiBZuyBVbWLWH_A6jSaBX8nVIKWPyrWWHU4tl-h15baWow44W6RA7OXVPHhRD8VTK88iwCMjIbzG5LjVOyYITpeV-GSd9rKDcG9AhbUd1nfnYGeSu8CWqlY2IJGr8t465jXnUuA/s1600/Logan92013B.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Handsome "Little Guy"<br />
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And, we received measurements.....Our "Little Guy" is four years younger than "Faith" but he weighs more than she does. Of course, I was happy to see healthy chubby cheeks on his face. And, sweet "Faith" was using a walker in her photos instead of the plastic kids chair she used to push around in front of her. The best part of all was that her walker is PINK, my favorite color. We are definitely going to have to find out if we can buy that one from the orphanage! <br />
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So, now that it is getting close, I am feeling a wide range of emotions.....excited, nervous, worried, crazy in love with my two China babies, sad to be away from 3 of my kids while in China, comforted to know they will be well taken care of and in good hands while we are away, mentally exhausted from all the thinking and attempting to plan with practically no details yet.......did I mention excited ?!<br />
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I don't know what all to pack, but I decided I will go ahead and start packing. Then, I realized that I need to go shopping for some things, but who has time to go shopping when there are so many other things that need to be done. I signed up to sell some things at a craft fair, thinking it was a perfect idea for a way to get the last bit of money we need to travel. Now, I ask myself what in the world was I thinking ?! I need to get enough items sewn to make it worth my time. Plus, I need to go buy last minute items that we will need to pack, and diapers and clothes for the two new kids. I will be flying for the first time ever in a month or so, and it's going to be a long flight. I have no idea what it's like to fly, or what it's like to be so far from home. And, let's not forget that I NEVER leave my kids with anyone, much less for two weeks. Makes me crazy just typing it! See, so much on my mind, that all the thoughts get all mixed up and then I'm left with what we all like to call "pregnancy brain." And, of course, all those thoughts running crazy in my head leaves me totally mentally exhausted. I am going to bed super early tonight, and when I wake up, the mental/emotional roller coaster will begin again.MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-89063959615758891152013-08-28T09:08:00.002-07:002013-08-28T09:08:19.605-07:00Photos and Fantabulous News ! ! !Last week we got new photos of our "Little Guy"<br />
Today we got fantabulous news !!!<br />
We have our LOA !!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bwZ9XrVCvaUgSWE_XkA0ziZIrRQRSKX9hHe89hqRbQ8tWa8J-bJGR3ZnoW-ZR6gWfJKLZwRZpPBVz_70sC80AhqgGGO89xfLIURDkCfH4hLkydIJwbJPiqJ7NO90vrgLb2d_KYgLrTDe/s1600/logan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bwZ9XrVCvaUgSWE_XkA0ziZIrRQRSKX9hHe89hqRbQ8tWa8J-bJGR3ZnoW-ZR6gWfJKLZwRZpPBVz_70sC80AhqgGGO89xfLIURDkCfH4hLkydIJwbJPiqJ7NO90vrgLb2d_KYgLrTDe/s1600/logan2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW9Ej4wG0xWufFNxVFrcRqy1WTDeSh1SYlI6dVMv3fjKObKRZtWF02Vgls2o_tsPBYr4wlZl7bdet8jhpxl1-YF3GR0McTGASA_zkghuLoye2EpGer4_67irGT14KLzi9cLyvvLzQ8MDh/s1600/logan7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW9Ej4wG0xWufFNxVFrcRqy1WTDeSh1SYlI6dVMv3fjKObKRZtWF02Vgls2o_tsPBYr4wlZl7bdet8jhpxl1-YF3GR0McTGASA_zkghuLoye2EpGer4_67irGT14KLzi9cLyvvLzQ8MDh/s1600/logan7.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-27667817283387034652013-08-09T12:12:00.000-07:002013-11-05T11:50:02.473-08:00Wanna see a video of our sweet little girl ??A friend got the luxury of seeing our little girl last week, and she kept asking, "How much longer?" Please help us get to her. She is SO ready to be with us!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhVLVqvdJ88cjlLyFmrAHstQdwsL0Xaxdep7pcswAqGzqz-jWSqiXiroiXVKbdAnbl1PBrFbYDkkwpNeUthOobcogbkWctR1MAsUzjSAc9ocG_5oPFlDWSnhDsPtsyQRdvvwx1YfzNNug/s1600/IMG_5114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhVLVqvdJ88cjlLyFmrAHstQdwsL0Xaxdep7pcswAqGzqz-jWSqiXiroiXVKbdAnbl1PBrFbYDkkwpNeUthOobcogbkWctR1MAsUzjSAc9ocG_5oPFlDWSnhDsPtsyQRdvvwx1YfzNNug/s1600/IMG_5114.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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To see a short video of our little girl click on the link below:<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=292671754206212">https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=292671754206212</a>MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-42090080479820054972013-07-21T08:06:00.003-07:002013-07-21T08:06:28.766-07:00The James Fund has chosen our family to receive a matching grant !!!!The James Fund, which is set up by Family Christian stores has chosen to bless our family with a $6000 matching grant. This means if we can get friends and family to donate a total of $6,000, they will give us another $6,000. And, that will bring us $12,000 closer to paying for our adoption expenses. This will put us SO CLOSE to being fully funded !! <br />
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James 1:27 says ""Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…" </div>
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God calls us all to help the orphaned. Some are called to pray, some to give financially, some to serve on mission trips, and some to adopt. If you feel led to help support us financially, you can make a donation by sending a check to Lifesong for Orphans, P.O. Box 40, Gridley, IL 61744. On the memo line of your check, please write "preference Northrop 3709 adoption" to ensure your donation goes towards our adoption expenses. Every dollar received towards our adoption will be matched by The James Fund, up to $6,000. If our donations received exceed $6,000 (what a blessing that would be!) the excess will still be applied towards our adoption expenses.<br />
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If you feel called to pray for our family, we ask that you pray for us to have our entire family home and together in time for Christmas this year. We also ask that you pray for our children's caretakers. I know their nannies will experience a good deal of heartache when our children leave their orphanages and come home with us. We, of course, pray for the same each and every day, as well as giving thanks to the Lord for choosing us to be parents to these two wonderful children.MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-35980599577103732892013-07-09T10:05:00.003-07:002013-07-09T10:05:54.735-07:00<br />
Finally!! Our dossier has been logged in since June 25th and for some reason that didn't show up in the computer system until today. LOVED getting that phone call this morning!!! Now......we wait some more :)MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-64184697465260363472013-06-26T10:21:00.003-07:002013-06-26T10:21:53.438-07:00And.....another fundraiser<span style="font-size: x-large;">My friend bought this awesome pattern and then </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">I had a blast making it --</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ92UawajhqdqCQ_NOb3NCNpfEH7gcoQpwuBH23mWOMxtR5V3IRWN6AGeceOLLH5bklUWx2WuUuTjus0yXyDsfSHWipfM1OxADPEfZRzjRE2ZlHkuU_y-E-n25D6d3wrdeYcYy5h7ahq9/s1600/IMG_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ92UawajhqdqCQ_NOb3NCNpfEH7gcoQpwuBH23mWOMxtR5V3IRWN6AGeceOLLH5bklUWx2WuUuTjus0yXyDsfSHWipfM1OxADPEfZRzjRE2ZlHkuU_y-E-n25D6d3wrdeYcYy5h7ahq9/s1600/IMG_0088.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisQtCuR9Wd4nTNnVk5Z6w7pEe-ov_ciRTFBRr9CK3S1J_BgA2B8L9Tbumr3KmZG1JUV6jEONc1JnLzMPgatsJtK2SHszrb-tZSK5OK8vM6zYjnfrECv5gahaSZDsbebS71nDSs4-vIgGP/s1600/IMG_0090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisQtCuR9Wd4nTNnVk5Z6w7pEe-ov_ciRTFBRr9CK3S1J_BgA2B8L9Tbumr3KmZG1JUV6jEONc1JnLzMPgatsJtK2SHszrb-tZSK5OK8vM6zYjnfrECv5gahaSZDsbebS71nDSs4-vIgGP/s1600/IMG_0090.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">$85 each</span></div>
MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-13489665824628954942013-06-26T10:14:00.002-07:002013-06-26T10:14:24.763-07:00New Fundraisers !!<h2 style="text-align: center;">
A very nice young lady who we recently met made LOTS of lovely hair bows for us to sell.</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTo4ATIyZcoYvz1ndUXPQpyOq2J_cJq8sgiGueQf45vl_zPVH5QAmq106JbhLVtIWJ_6IXN394hwq6oSfwpP83Vmzw2InT4lzynYoVilr4PHV1mbLwRKQeqnW2Qmd863OaR6-8I6io-Ivj/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTo4ATIyZcoYvz1ndUXPQpyOq2J_cJq8sgiGueQf45vl_zPVH5QAmq106JbhLVtIWJ_6IXN394hwq6oSfwpP83Vmzw2InT4lzynYoVilr4PHV1mbLwRKQeqnW2Qmd863OaR6-8I6io-Ivj/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRdKZ4UW_HCjTyg266Ct8HgC8afEcUyVKHUl-OQWl5kMlVM2o7Hz2kJEzgpTL6kYnF2VZrgtx9RdjCgsefoMnCS3cei_BnkC2Iv1Q-Kkm5TsoIMWED1UgOVgwlXzVHXVJhoBbsVOUEsc7/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRdKZ4UW_HCjTyg266Ct8HgC8afEcUyVKHUl-OQWl5kMlVM2o7Hz2kJEzgpTL6kYnF2VZrgtx9RdjCgsefoMnCS3cei_BnkC2Iv1Q-Kkm5TsoIMWED1UgOVgwlXzVHXVJhoBbsVOUEsc7/s1600/IMG_0073.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-16047007965984230562013-06-11T06:47:00.002-07:002013-06-11T06:47:30.124-07:00<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes it's something so simple that makes you feel such a big emotion. Friday our dossier finally got submitted to China. There are no words to describe the overwhelming feeling I had the entire weekend! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, on Sunday, I went and bought a high chair from someone selling it on Facebook. Sure, I was excited to have found such a good deal on something so nice. But, the real feeling hit when I had it in my car and was taking it home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Excitement, Joy, Happiness, Victorious,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And, also a longing to have that sweet little boy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">here and sitting in this high chair.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, this high chair is sitting in the corner of my dining room, waiting for Little Guy to come home and eat his meals with his family. I can only imagine how it's going to feel when that moment is finally here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Adoptive parents write about how crazy it seems that we miss a child whom we have never met. I "get" that. But, I don't think it's crazy at all; it just makes sense. A good friend recently told me to take peace in knowing that our little ones do not know what it is like to have "loved ones" and therefore do not know what they are missing. So, as we wait and we miss them, we know that our little ones are not experiencing these hard feelings like we are. But.....once they are home, then they will learn what it feels like to love and be loved. And, they will learn what it feels like to miss Mommy while she goes to the grocery store or Daddy while he goes to work. And, the best part of all, they will know how wonderful it feels when Mommy or Daddy gets back home and scoops them up in to their arms, and tells them how much we love them!</span></div>
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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-83025735840300021162013-06-04T09:11:00.001-07:002013-06-04T09:11:22.467-07:00Amazing Find !Several adoptive families have shared a Chinese search engine where they search their adopted child's Chinese name and find his/her "finding ad". The finding ad is the ad placed in the local newspaper when a baby or child is found abandoned. It has a photo and other information regarding date and place found. This is a valuable piece of information to have for your adopted child when they grow up and begin wanting to know more about their history.<br />
I tried this search, but well, let's just say my "internet search skills" are not up to par. So, out of frustration, I copy/pasted my daughter's name in Chinese characters in to the regular ole Google search bar. After clicking on "images", I was speechless. There popped up a picture of our daughter as a baby. A friend was able to get the information around the picture translated for me. Here's what I know. The picture was posted on a blog written by someone in China. She posted pictures of about 5 of the kids in "Faith's" orphanage to show people what sweet cute children were looking for families. I also learned the picture was taken when she was just one year old. She is lying in her crib with her crib mate. <br />
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TOTALLY PRECIOUS ! ! ! </div>
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Words cannot begin to describe how I felt that evening, when I stumbled across this picture. And, seriously.....what are the odds of finding a baby picture of my soon-to-be 7 year old daughter ,who lives in another country halfway across the globe, by searching on Google. :)</div>
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You wanna see the picture I found?</div>
MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-51679001902752689822013-06-03T20:41:00.001-07:002013-06-03T20:41:37.841-07:00SO READY to be DTCDTC means "dossier to China" and this means that all the papers about us and even photos of our family will go to China so they can learn about us and decide if they will let us adopt our children. Yes, we already have a pre-approval for each of them, but this is more of a final approval. China updated their computer system last week so that hopefully this process will move more quickly. Unfortunately, they aren't quite finished updating. So, we have to wait until they are done, and then we can finally submit our dossier. Can't wait for that day!<br />
Both our children have birthdays coming up, one in July and the other in August. It is very hard to think about them not celebrating their birthday here with us, but I take comfort in knowing we have many birthdays to celebrate with them and I plan on making them HUGE memories! Although I have never met either of these little angels, I miss them more than I can begin to describe. I recently made a new friend thanks to the wonderful world of Facebook. She will be traveling next month to adopt her son who lives in the same orphanage as our little "Faith". When she visits the orphanage, she is going to ask if she can see "Faith" and give her a gift from us and maybe even take a photo or two. I don't mind if she can't take photos. Just hearing that she gets to see her in person is going to bring me much happiness. I am so excited to hear what she has to say about "Faith". I want to know how small she is, how big her smile is, how big and bright her eyes are.......all these things I know, but I still want to hear them from someone else, someone who actually sees her in front of them. For now, I stare at pictures of our two sweeties every day........And, I smile !<br />
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I can't wait to have them home and love them and care for them and give them many reasons to smile !</div>
<br />MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-52993668415131366152013-05-07T18:48:00.000-07:002013-05-07T18:48:19.742-07:00"Emotional rollercoaster" is putting it mildlyEveryone warned that international adoption is an emotional rollercoaster. Initially, I was doing great dealing with the waiting, the unknown, the anticipation, all of it. But, lately, I'm not dealing with it as well as I would like. It truly feels a lot more like an emotional tornado, because I don't just have positive feelings today, then negative tomorrow. Instead I feel it all at the same time!<br />
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I feel ANXIOUS to hear some sort of update on our Little Guy!<br />
I feel EXCITED that God is blessing us with both these precious miracles!<br />
I feel NERVOUS when I think about traveling across the country when I have never flown on an airplane.<br />
I feel SAD when I think about taking them from their nannies who have loved them for so long.<br />
I feel HAPPY knowing that we will be giving them this awesome family to call their own.<br />
I feel INTIMIDATED when I think about the total cost of this adoption.<br />
I feel HONORED to call some amazing women my friends, who I met through the adoption community.<br />
I feel BLESSED when someone makes a donation or supports our fundraisers.<br />
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This list could really get long!! The point is I am feeling such a mixture of emotions that I cannot control. So, I guess I will just "go with it", enjoy every bit of it, and do my best to never forget it. I thank God for giving me each of these emotions because I know they are making me a better person. I find peace in prayer. I appreciate everyone's prayers more than I could ever type in this blog. Thank you for continuing to keep our little ones and our entire family in your prayers!MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-48009318585832078782013-04-22T05:14:00.005-07:002013-04-22T05:14:56.929-07:00Love the Support!I don't even know how to start this post, so I'm just going to dive straight in. Moving to Cobb County is by far one of the BEST decisions we ever made. Now that we are closer to many of our friends, those friendships are just getting stronger. Being in such a great neighborhood with such great schools has made my children so much happier. The whole atmosphere at home is just perfect because "everything" about how we live and where we live now is so much better. I believe God brought us here because the adoption process is stressful and can exhaust you quickly. He brought us here where everything us in our life would go so smoothly that we would be able to get through the "rough spots" of international adoption. And, when it gets rough, we are surrounded by our friends who help to pull us through it.<br />
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It seems funny that something as simple as a Facebook comment can make a person feel so much better. And, every time I start to feel a little overwhelmed, someone comments on my Facebook, or they share our news with someone and I feel uplifted. When I started the bunny-making fundraiser, every time I got an order for another bunny, I would feel overwhelmed, but in a good way. Many times I teared up because I felt so grateful that people were supporting us and helping us reach our goal. We had the Thirty One party this past weekend, and first I was just so gracious for Debbie to offer to drive so far and hold the party.....and give her entire paycheck from the party to us. I'd never even met her before and she didn't know my family at all. But, she has a passion for helping orphans and that is what she wanted to do. I am still so very touched by her generosity. Then, my friend Carol ever-so-nonchalantly said, "Let's have it at my house!" Offering her home for me to invite people to come and party was so kind of her. But then she topped it off by baking the goodies that we served at the party as well. We had such a great time and the fundraiser party was a real success. This morning I woke up and got on the computer, and found out orders are still coming in.(again I teared up...okay so maybe I cried a little) Each order that was placed, I know was placed for love of my family and helping to make us complete and ........well.....that feels so good to know.<br />
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While at the Thirty One party, we got a very generous offer for another fundraiser. Again, this offer was made by someone who I just met at the party. How awesome is that, that someone who doesn't even know me or my family is willing to be so selfless just to help bring our sweet babies home!!!! There will be 2-3 days at a local hair salon, when she will give 50% of her earnings to our adoption fund. Isn't that amazing ?!!<br />
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I am so grateful and appreciative of all our friends and all the friends we are making along this journey. I am so glad He called us to adopt for so many reasons. We are gaining more than just two new family members.....SO MUCH MORE !MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-58363415824951874042013-04-18T06:21:00.001-07:002013-04-18T07:27:29.764-07:00Current FundraiserWe are now selling these beautiful necklaces made by Rebekah Blocher of Compelled Designs in Birmingham, Alabama. They are handmade out of pottery and a scripture verse is written on the back of each. Plus, each necklace comes in a tiny fabric drawstring bag hand sewn by a ministry in China called
Scarlet Threads. <br />
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MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-40604868121127064662013-03-23T20:43:00.000-07:002013-03-23T20:43:05.988-07:00Fundraiser<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvrIvk7stnY5RFPCoPz8hcSOdwkImVjdHwYimRoILhpJoS7tIv96jbJqJq-Ec3YtihAAzQW7tfbkk7COAUfEed2E_EEGHlgIrR0Emn9di5BUVJvPONpsXaRygFGh0Dl96HPLFJLodbzAS/s1600/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvrIvk7stnY5RFPCoPz8hcSOdwkImVjdHwYimRoILhpJoS7tIv96jbJqJq-Ec3YtihAAzQW7tfbkk7COAUfEed2E_EEGHlgIrR0Emn9di5BUVJvPONpsXaRygFGh0Dl96HPLFJLodbzAS/s320/IMG_2468.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First adoption fundraiser -- handmade bunnies</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UAKy6bbDHc93kIUALr8fFG0D2DYCAWg-PA_LqscZfRKN977edgIaIt7vrkLqr75fXAiObA4HzTMpb-Fgq604XMHetA2FlwtObwEZ-E2FQyXkoY4vKDg8zJAADfFEsvgG9KHKqwbSxMi8/s1600/IMG_2467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UAKy6bbDHc93kIUALr8fFG0D2DYCAWg-PA_LqscZfRKN977edgIaIt7vrkLqr75fXAiObA4HzTMpb-Fgq604XMHetA2FlwtObwEZ-E2FQyXkoY4vKDg8zJAADfFEsvgG9KHKqwbSxMi8/s200/IMG_2467.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIstNPuEfnd7Nl_8bmsXwQLjaLbWJZ9Sz-fIsm6pYY5A5TKdIMIZ2rZDvw9x0CKWN6qlk0yWoqfLrV2YPvXrozYmM9svVAXivj6yV0x2oWA6XW4EO4U44TxPZAgy3nckp1cJVqAxZSHyY/s1600/IMG_2466+(1280x960).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIstNPuEfnd7Nl_8bmsXwQLjaLbWJZ9Sz-fIsm6pYY5A5TKdIMIZ2rZDvw9x0CKWN6qlk0yWoqfLrV2YPvXrozYmM9svVAXivj6yV0x2oWA6XW4EO4U44TxPZAgy3nckp1cJVqAxZSHyY/s200/IMG_2466+(1280x960).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every member of the family had a part in the bunny making process.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I made a bunny for each of my girls, including Faith. We sent hers in her care package. Then, a few friends asked if I could make some for them as well, and that's what started the bunny making fundraiser. Before long, and thanks to friends sharing with their friends, (especially my sis-in-law who rocks!) we had lots of bunny orders. In an effort to get them complete in time for Easter, every member of this family was given a job. Some changed jobs when we discovered they weren't that thrilled with their job. But, I now have a 13 year old son who is great with an iron, turning things inside out, pinning patterns to material, and sewing arms on bunny bodies. Three kids are all about stuffing bunnies. The youngest would prefer to just stick with dressing the bunnies. Then, there's Daddy......who now stuffs bunnies and with much grinding of his teeth can also sew arms to body. And....... my fabulous friend Carol came over and helped with every stage of the process, despite several pricks of the finger with a straight pin (Don't bleed on the white fabric Carol !!!!) And, Carol's enthusiasm and motivation helped on the few drab rainy days when one doesn't feel like doing much more than sitting on the couch drinking hot cocoa.<br />
I love every time someone shares our fundraiser on their facebook page, and I love every time another order for a bunny comes in. I am SO grateful and hope it continues as it is certainly pushing us closer and closer to our goal. <br />
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<br />MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-47344401558350568092013-03-22T05:46:00.000-07:002013-03-22T06:00:30.928-07:00More Exciting News!!I know, I know....how can we possibly have more exciting news ?! Well, because God is AMAZING ! Not only did we finally get our final approval on our home study yesterday, but we also got a pre-approval to adopt a 2 year old boy. We are so thrilled, excited, and overjoyed at this! I know this gives people lots of questions. So, here's the deal:<br />
When you adopt an older child, you obviously aren't able to make a baby book for the child. So, it is recommended that you make him/her a Lifebook. You gather as much information about their listing on the internet, the whole adoption process, the trip to go get him/her and you put it all in a book or binder. So, I went online to print a blog listing that had Faith listed so I could put it in her Lifebook. Well, to get to her listing, I had to go past many children and I saw this photo<br />
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So, any of you who know my husband, know that he constantly has his eyebrows wrinkled, just like this little boy (yes he's a boy, even though he's wearing pink ) So, that's the first thing I notice and I think I fell in love just by looking at this photo. Of course, then I click on the link to watch his video. Later, I show the photo and video to my husband, who instantly said, "He is just precious! How would we get him too?" I was temporarily in shock. I couldn't believe how instantly eager he was to make this little boy ours too. In my heart, I wanted nothing more, but needed to make sure it was the right decision. We talked a long time about adopting two versus one, and about their special needs, etc. Then, as we sat on the couch, I told him that if he is in the same province as Faith, that would mean no extra flights and no extra time spent in country. I felt like if they are in the same province, then it's meant to be. He agreed. So, I emailed the lady at the adoption agency and she sent his file. I was somewhat surprised and excited when I saw that not only is he in the same province, but he's also in the same city, in a different orphanage but only minutes from Faith's orphanage. I ran downstairs and told my husband. He said, "Then, I guess we're adopting him too. What do we need to do?"<br />
This prompted an email to our home study social worker because now we had to have an additional short interview. We had to get approved to adopt more than one child, which we did. Then, we sent our request to China to adopt this sweet little guy, and one week later, we got the phone call. We have been pre-approved! He is ours!<br />
We are SO excited! And, so in love with this little guy!MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3007003750449714630.post-18975234448336062272013-03-05T13:57:00.001-08:002013-03-05T13:57:20.073-08:00Some times God talks to us......are you listening?A couple of weeks ago, the social worker who is writing our home study suggested a good book to me. I went online and searched for it, then decided to just go purchase it at the store. Of course, my slacker side kicked in and I didn't do it. An acquaintance yesterday mentioned this book he and his wife are reading and suggested that I read it. I grinned and thought how funny is it they both recommended the same book to me. And these two people don't know each other at all. Then, yesterday afternoon I went to the severely overcrowded pharmacy, where I was 7th in line. When I first walked up, a lady yelled at me not to dare thinking about skipping her in line (scary). I just smiled politely and said absolutely, you're fine. I did think to myself how rude that was, but figured she probably wasn't feeling well. Then, I saw a gentleman looking at some products on the end of the aisle. So, I asked him politely if he was also in line and he said, "I'm trying to be." Then, he turned back around and smiled at me, saying, "I'm in no hurry so if you'd like to go ahead of me, you may." I loved his smile. I don't know why, but it was like we stared at each other for half a minute before he spoke, and I felt "good". I thanked him for his offer, but declined, because I too, was in no hurry. As I moved forward in the line, and the man made his purchase and left, the lady behind me spun a rack of books around and one of them smacked me on the shoulder. She quickly apologized, feeling terrible about it. I looked over my shoulder and told her it was no problem at all. What book smacked me on the shoulder?...........the SAME BOOK !<br />
I closed my eyes and said to Him, "Okay, I hear ya. I'm gonna buy the book. "<br />
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This really left me thinking the rest of the day. There are always moments in our days where we see someone we don't know but we feel like we do. And, you smile at the person, even if you don't know why you're smiling. When they smile back, it makes you feel good and you don't need to know why. It just feels good. I believe that was an angel, that man who smiled at me. Or maybe it was actually Him. I believe that we can all make someone's day a little better just by smiling at them. So, when you see me next time and I've got a great big smile on my face, now you'll know why.<br />
<br />
When we got our update photos of Faith, I couldn't stop staring at her
smile in every photo. I've had a smile on my face since that moment and
I think it's going to be here for a while. MommaThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04531876082819075184noreply@blogger.com2