Sunday, August 29, 2010

Please Save Madeline

Madeline (31)
Girl, Born May 20, 2005
SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!!
Madeline is so pretty, and is patiently waiting for her family! She has brown hair and eyes. She was born with arthrogryposis and club feet. From her caregivers: Speaks separate words, begins to speak in phrases, sitting well, eats independently, likes to play, reacts well to adults, very sweet and joyful little girl.
MORE PHOTOS AVAILABLE

UPDATE! (June 2010): Madeline is blessed to still be at the baby house. She is facing the institution very soon. Madeline is not able to walk, but she independently operates her own wheel chair and is mobile in that way. She is smart, speaks in sentences now, eats by herself, and is really doing well. Please don't let Madeline spend one day in an institution! She is so sweet and has such tremendous potential. Surgery for her legs and feet could offer her the true mobility and independence she has never known.
I have $2000 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!


I'm begging here. This is a new picture of a little girl that I have watched on Reeces Rainbow for over a year now. I've prayed for her and would LOVE to go get her if we were able. Please consider sweet Madeline for your family. This is a BRAND NEW picture of her and she is so beautiful and bright! If you can't be her forever family, please pray that one will step forward SOON! She will be transferred to an institution very soon and they are hopeless places. PLEASE PRAY. ( Oh and she already has $2000 towards her adoption in her Grant Fund) Go to Reeces Rainbow.org for more information.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

MAYBERRY DAYS

It's been a busy last couple of weeks. Last weekend we went to the beach and had a blast. The kids LOVED the water and it was Laurel's first time at the beach. I will post those pictures and videos soon but it is very late tonight and I'll just post this adorable video of Noah singing The Andy Griffith song. We have the cd and as you can see, he listens to it quite a bit!!

Noahism: Me: Noah, I love you to pieces! Noah: "Mommy, I love you to bits!" :)

Laurel is doing great with her speaking. Last week she said "Come on Noah. Let's go get in a car!" I about fell off the couch when I heard her. We are so excited that the hearing aids are working for her. At first, with her Auditory Neuropathy, we were told she might never hear enough speech to actually talk. We prayed for this and God has answered our prayers. She is such a hard worker and we are so proud of her!

Monday, August 16, 2010

A Year Ago Today, We Met Laurel....

Today is a special day for us. It was 1 year ago today that we met Laurel in a Ukrainian orphanage. I had dreamed of this day for years and when it finally came I was so nervous I almost threw up. We were taken to a nice room and the Doctor was brought in to go over her medical conditions. This was an interesting process b/c he was talking through a translator who himself wasn't sure how to translate some of her "conditions". We knew about her hearing impairment but some of the other conditions that were thrown at us were daunting to say the least. Half of the conditions we had no clue what they were!! We knew that this would probably happen and I just kept telling myself "it's ok" "God brought us this far". (While sweating all the time :) Anyway, after the Doctor was finished with all of her "conditions" in walks Miss Priss. She looked so small at first to me because she had on a dress that was too big for her and shoes that were WAY too little for her. She looked so scared and unsure of what to do and at first didn't want to leave her caregiver which was a great sign to me. I was actually happy to see that she had formed an attachment to her caregivers. We were also told that she was turned down by 3 other families due to her deafness. Can you imagine her going through this 3 other times and no one came back? I got down on the floor an handed her a babydoll which she promptly threw down. Hmm...... not going well, so then I went in my bag which had other toys for her. She bypassed all the toys and went straight to my blue pen and notebook. SUCCESS! She loved taking the top on and off over and over again. We saw her for exactly 5 minutes and then we were told it was time to go sign the paperwork committing to her. Before she left she gave me the BIGGEST hug ever!!

I'm being honest here. I had so many mixed feelings when I got in that car. Could we handle her issues? She looked like she had some institutional autism at first to me. Was she really our little girl. I wanted SO badly to spend more time with her and get to know her. I cried that night.... a lot. I also sought the Lord like never before. My devotion that night was Hebrews Chapter 11 which I call the Faith Hall of Fame. All of these warriors for God obeyed God not knowing what the outcome would be. He didn't show them how everything would work out or how He would reward them. They stepped out IN FAITH. Hebrews 11:8 especially touched me "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, NOT KNOWING where he was going. Hebrews 11:13 said "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." Some of these great men of God didn't see it "all work out" this side of heaven they just believed it was right to obey God. That was enough for me. I KNEW that we had been called to this journey without a doubt so I knew that God would give us the strength to handle whatever came up. Talk about the peace that passes all understanding. As soon as I gave that burden up I slept soundly looking forward to the next day with my daughter.

And what a day it was!!! How happy we were that we went forward with everything. She was such a joy and so fun to be around.Oh and about most of her "conditions"..... our Pediatrician said most of those were just made up. God had handpicked Laurel to be in our family and we had to be obedient to His calling to have that wonderful peace. So, enjoy the video. The difference in her now is amazing. She is growing so quickly and speaking so much now. PRAISE OUR WONDERFUL MERCIFUL SAVIOUR.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY........

1 YEAR AGO TODAY.... MIKE & I WERE FLYING TO UKRAINE TO FIND OUR DAUGHTER
(Noah took this picture by the way.. not bad)
WE WERE LOOKING FOR OUR SECOND CHILD TO COMPLETE OUR FAMILY

BUT.... WE HAD TO LEAVE THIS SWEET BOY FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND WE
MISSED HIM LIKE CRAZY!!!


By God's grace we made it to Ukraine. We were completely physically and emotionally exhausted but excited to start the journey. We saw our little girl's picture at our SDA appointment on August 13th. Within a few days we met her for the first time. How time does fly. It is amazing how love, patience, good food and old fashioned sunshine can change a child.
I have a friend who doesn't live too far from me who is going through the same process now. She left today to get her precious child. Follow her journey here at www.jennandchrisandkpr.blogspot.com . Pray that things will go smoothly for her and her husband in this exhausting process. It's like I get to relive the whole process through her. How exciting!



Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Wanna See a Cute Baby??

Look at this sweet little girl. She only about 7 months old and needs a forever home! She is the PERFECT age to benefit from Early Intervention here in the US. She has Down Syndrome and these are special, very sweet little angels who deserve a chance. She will NEVER have a chance in her home country to see anything other than the walls of an institution. Please pray for her, support her and help bring her home to a loving forever family!! Visit http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ for more information. Maeve (31)
Girl, Born January 6, 2010

Maeve is also healthy, but does have a 6th finger on her right hand. This can be surgically removed if you prefer, or not! She is a sweetie!! I have $0 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption
*****PS- MIKE FINALLY UPDATED HIS BLOG SO CHECK IT OUT AT www.travelswiththebugman.blogspot.com*******