Best Christmas Party Ever

We have had this Christmas party on our calendar for a while now.  It was not something we were really looking forward to since parties do not fit with our introverted selves.  But we knew it would be something the kids would enjoy.  It was a party for a local county's foster children, foster families, and birth families.  It would be a party where our mis-matched family would be the norm and the kids would feel like we were just like many other families in the room.  So we forced ourselves to go and guess what....it was the best Christmas party ever.

I was talking to our social worker when she pointed behind me and said, "There is your girl."  I had no idea what she meant so I turned around and there was one of the girls we had fostered this spring with the biggest smile on her face.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I could not believe it.  I grabbed her up in a big hug and everything else going on at the party melted away.  All her siblings were there and it was such a surprise and a huge gift to be able to see them, to talk to them, to hug all of them.  I have no idea what all went on at the party or what the program consisted of because all I could do was to soak them in.  The baby had gotten so big and had so much hair!  He had teeth and could stand up now.  The five year old could not stop smiling and hugging us and Ellie and Jocelyn.  Just hearing her say my name again brought tears to my eyes.  The seven year old was somewhat reserved until Scott told her to come give him a hug.  She grabbed hold of him and I thought she was not going to let go.  Made us both cry.  Then my special one - the ten year old.  She was in my lap any time I sat and was hugging me and wanting my undivided attention.  She had all her news built up to tell me.  She was the least expressive when she lived with us but things were spilling out of her tonight. She even told me she missed us and wants to be able to visit us.  More tears.  At one point during the night, she started rubbing her cheeks and saying they hurt.  She has no idea it was because she was smiling so much.  It was an unexpected and incredible gift.  The kids are back with their family and they love their family and wanted to go home to their family.  I certainly do not want to give the impression that they wanted to stay with us.   I do, however, think they built another small, secondary family with us and that we all miss each other.  I could not ask for a gift that means any more to me than this night has.  My heart is full.

So many of you have asked about these kids the past few months and we have had no news because we have not been allowed to see them.  I knew you would enjoy hearing that we got to see them and getting a little update on them.  If you think about it, please pray the parents' hearts would soften and allow us a small place in the kids' lives.  I am sure it is hard to understand the bond you can build in such a short time with children who are not your own.  But trust me, there is a love there that is unexplainable.  We miss them every day, pray for them every day and care so much for them and their future.  It is a comfort to know that God loves them even more than we do.


This was our group on an outing this past spring.  Going anywhere was definitely an event!

Merry Christmas and Project Hopeful

We are in the full swing of the Christmas season around here as I am sure all of you are as well.  We had a great Thanksgiving with almost all of our bigs home.  Emileigh is working in Indiana and could not get home but we are looking forward to her being here for Christmas.  It was our first Thanksgiving without her, our first Thanksgiving with Collin's wife Elizabeth and our first Thanksgiving with Carlie's boyfriend, Ethan.  He is from Wisconsin and is going to school at Mississippi State U so it was a bit far for him to go home!  And last but not least, it was Benjamin's first Thanksgiving here and it was his first time to go with us to cut our Christmas tree and I think he had a great time with both!   He loves when all the big kids are home and loved going to my mom's and being with all the cousins.  He loved the food and really just had a great time. 

These three were intrigued with the cutting of the tree!

I think Collin, Elizabeth and Jocelyn had the most fun!

I am still making and selling jewelry when I can and finished up the fundraiser for the Rash family's adoption last month.  They should be traveling soon in the new year and I can not wait to show you pictures of their new son!  As soon as they give the ok, I will introduce you to him.  We all really appreciate your support of their adoption.  

For the month of December, the proceeds from my sales are going to Project Hopeful.  They are an organization that educates, encourages, and enables families and individuals to advocate for and adopt children with HIV/AIDS and other of the most overlooked children for adoption.  Our family has been impacted by the cause of children with HIV/AIDS so it is a cause close to our hearts.  We knew nothing about HIV/AIDS except for all the fears until a few years ago when out of necessity, we became educated about it.  Now we realize how important education is on this subject so that people can let go of their fears.  So we really appreciate the work that Project Hopeful does on behalf of these kids.  Check them out at www.projecthopeful.org, on Facebook or on Instagram.  And thanks for helping support them!

One of my favorite new pair of earrings:

To order a pair, either contact me or click on the etsy button which will take you straight to my shop.

Chicago - A Fun City....Right?

Our house on most days is, at best, controlled chaos.  There is always someone needing something.  It is uncommon to get through a night without one of them waking us up with one need or another.  So when Scott found out he had to go on a business trip last week, he 'jokingly' was excited to get away for a break.  He looked forward to 4 full nights of sleep, cutting up noone's food but his own at meals, getting out for long walks, and only having to take care of himself.  He was going to Chicago, one of our favorite places to visit, a place we always have fun.  We love to walk along the Magnificent Mile, along the edge of the lake, and through the neighborhoods.  On one of Scott's walks on this trip, he met a young man.  A homeless young man.  During their time together Matthew shared that he had aged out of the foster care system a year ago, at the age of 18.  He said he was removed from his home when he was three and spent the next 15 years moving from one foster home to another and then eventually to a group home (because really, who wants an older foster boy in their home?).  He remained in the group home until he aged out at 18 with nowhere to go.  No people in this world.  He claimed he never wanted to be adopted, never wanted to be let down by another family.  So he is living on the streets of Chicago.  He said he gets a bed most nights in a shelter but with it getting colder, the competition for a bed is making it harder.  The night before, it had rained too, making it even harder and he did not find a bed.  He slept outside in the rain but a positive, he said, is that he does at least own a blanket.  But now it is wet and his biggest problem of the day is trying to get it dried out in case he has to sleep outside again that night.  He said people are pretty good about giving him food most days and that he really does not have to eat that much.  His hopes and dreams in life are to survive each day, day by day.  Nineteen, on the streets, with no prospects in his near future.  I am guessing Matthew does not see the 'fun' in Chicago.   It makes the statistics I hear about the majority of males aging out of foster care ending up in jail or dead seem all too real.  You hear about those 25,000 kids who age out each year in the U.S. as 'slipping through the cracks.'  I heard a speaker say recently that he thinks that phrasing is incorrect.  He said they are not slipping through the cracks but slipping through the church's fingers as we stand idly by.   Matthew needed a connection.  Where were God's people in Matthew's group home?  Where was that one person to care enough to be a support for him when he got out?  These kids need people.  Not even neccessarily to adopt them but to help guide them.  They age out with no life skills and no marketable skills for the job market.  I met a woman recently whose mission is to help kids in our area who are aging out navigate the college application process.  What an awesome mission!  For those who want to go to college, what a gift to give them.  Kids need people who can teach them how to hunt for jobs, how to budget their money once they have a job, how to find adequate housing, how to choose a college or a trade school, how to drive a car, and the list could go on and on.  Some might just want a place at a table on Thanksgiving.  Where do you think Matthew will be this Thanksgiving?  It hurts my heart to even contemplate that.

If you want to help, Sunnybrook Children's Home is a good place to start in our area.  And I promise, there are multiple homes in your area too.  They are inundated at this time of year with people looking for a holiday mission.  So check in with them in January or February.  Build those relationships.  I promise, it will never be something you regret investing your time in.

If you have not read this story, please take a minute to do so.  It is written by a former social worker so it is a slightly different perspective:

http://www.scarymommy.com/the-child-i-didnt-adopt/

As always, I have jewelry for sale at my etsy shop, link on this blog page, and all the proceeds are still going to the Rash family who adopting a boy near and dear to our hearts.  Please help support their adoption and get some Christmas shopping done at the same time!  You can also keep up with new jewelry on our Instagram page @leastofthese127.

Our October

This past week has been a week of rest for our family.  We had run ourselves ragged for a few weeks before that and needed time to recoup.  Our church recognized Orphan Sunday last weekend and we had as a guest speaker Johnny Carr, author of Orphan Justice.  He also held a training for orphan care ministries in the Jackson area which was awesome.  A few days before all of that, we went to a fundraiser for 200 Million Flowers where Robert Gelainas spoke.  Both of these men are huge advocates for vulnerable children and were great speakers.  If you ever have the chance to hear either or both of them, I highly recommend it!  Then a few days later, I listened to a webinar on "The Church as a Partner in Biological Family Reunification."  Ouch.  As I am sure most of you know, the goal of foster care is to reunify the child/children with their biological family.  For me it is hard to think positively about the biological families much of the time though.  And I am very guilty of thinking the worst of them.  It was a challenging webinar with much truth in it.  What a powerful witness it would be if the church truly came along side these parents and helped them with their struggles.  During our Orphan Justice weekend, I learned about a program called Safe Families.  It trains families in the church to learn how to be a support for families in need - before the government gets involved.  Its goal is to help struggling families who have no support network.  They might need someone to help with their child for a day or for a month - it varies from situation to situation.  Bethany Christian Services is heading up the program and has it in 17 states so far.

I have heard several people this past week lament that their churches are not recognizing Orphan Sunday and that they do not have orphan care ministries.  If that is you, I strongly suggest you pray about possibly starting a ministry in your church instead of leaving for another church with one already established.  Pray that your leadership in your church will have an open heart and mind to you starting one.  And let me know if you need materials to give you a jump start!

The kids are all doing well.   Benjamin continues to thrive and enjoy life here in the U.S.  We met friends for a day at the pumpkin patch and had a great time.  Jocelyn had her 8th birthday in October.  Our new boys have been with us for 3 months now and have finally adjusted to our family and the way we do things.  They are getting along with our kids and for the most part have blended right in.  They all loved dressing up as super heroes this week and of course, enjoyed the candy.  In any spare time I have, I am making jewelry (which I enjoy) and selling it to help adoptive families and vulnerable children (which makes me happy to contribute in a small way).  If you have Christmas shopping you need to do, check out my etsy shop.  I can even send you the jewelry gift-wrapped!

Now for a few pictures of our month:

Ellie Grace burying herself in the dried corn pool at the pumpkin patch.

Jocelyn was just a little excited when she realized she was opening a watch on her birthday!

Our superheroes.

First fall fire (the boys had great fun with this!).

All in all, we are having a great time.

And last but not least, since today is officially Orphan Sunday and November is National Adoption Month, think about how you can care for an orphan or a vulnerable child.  It is about so much more than adopting or fostering.  We are not all called to those things but we are all called to care for orphans.  And there are oh so many ways to do that.  Sponsor a child or a family in danger of losing their child.  Help support foster and adoptive families you know by praying for them, taking them a meal, babysitting, or just encouraging them.  Become a mentor to a foster child.  Donate supplies to a local resource room for foster children.  Sponsor a foster child this Christmas.  Support your local social workers who work tirelessly to make decisions for children in your county.  Take them lunch or a cake or a note of encouragement.  They are way under-appreciated.  There are hundreds of ways.  Be creative....and wait for the blessings that will come your way!

James 1:27

Every Day is a Gift

A year ago today, I began my time in Balta alone.  Scott had to get home to the girls and for work and I stayed behind to continue bonding with Sasha.  It was great to have hours alone with Sasha each day, learning tidbits of his language and him learning entire sentences in ours!  We took walks, played games, and just sat together quietly.  When I would go back to my apartment, it was eerily quiet.  I think I read more books during that time than I had in the past 10 years!  It is amazing to look back on that time and realize how far Sasha's and my relationship has come and how far he has come with learning English.  Every day has been a gift with him.  One day closer to him understanding family.  One day closer to feeling like his mom.  One day closer to establishing sibling bonds.  One more day to lay more groundwork of explaining the love God has for him.  They have not all been easy days (do not misunderstand me!) but they have all been meaningful.  Every day is a gift.  One of my favorite pictures of him during this his and my time together in Pishanna was this one.  If you go back to the last post and see his picture on the first day we met, you can see the huge difference already in that short amount of time!

Last week brought with it some health issues for me that had my oncologist sending me straight for a brain MRI.  Melanoma is known for hitting internal organs so when there are problems, it always has to be considered that melanoma has returned.  It is a strange way to live.  I remember, not long after I was diagnosed, a very wise friend who has also had to deal with cancer, told me that one day I would once again wake up and not have cancer be my first thought.  Well, she was right.  I remember waking up months after my surgery and something else was on my mind.  Then it hit me that cancer was not my first thought.  And that has certainly continued to be the case.  But when I get sick or something is off, cancer is right back at the forefront.  It has to be.  You just can not be too careful with melanoma.  The brain scan came back clear, praise God, but it was a gentle reminder not to take this life for granted.  Every single day is a gift.  A beautiful, 34 year old woman in my melanoma support family passed away this week after a long, hard-fought battle with melanoma.  Life is short.  The day she died, Building 429's song, Where I Belong, was on the radio and I couldn't help but cry for her family but think how true this was for her.  Some of the lyrics are:

All I know is I'm not home yet.
This is not where I belong.
Take this world and give me Jesus.
This is not where I belong.

This is not where we belong.  Let's make it count while we are here.

I love James 1:17.  "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Our lives are gifts from God, shouldn't we be living them for Him and His glory?

It is with these thoughts that I have made this next necklace, because I always want that reminder.

All proceeds are going to a family in the process of adopting a 14 year old boy from Ukraine.  You can buy this necklace on my etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/lot127.  Also follow us on instagram @leastofthese127.  Thank you for helping us help vulnerable children.

One Year Ago

A year ago Scott and I were in Ukraine.  Yesterday was the one year anniversary of us meeting Sasha (when I think back on that time, I can only think of Benjamin as Sasha!) and Vitalik.  The boys were brought into the director's office with us, their teachers, our facilitator, the orphanage doctor, the social worker, and the director.  She told the boys in what seemed to us to be very harsh Russian, that we were here to adopt them.  It was blunt and cold and for the boys, completely out of the blue.  Sasha reacted with tears and fear and Vitalik reacted with (what we now realize) was a very confused smile.  This is our first picture of the boys after we met them.

So many emotions for both boys.  In today's entry from last year in my journal I wrote extensively about our first real lengthy visit.  Sasha had made a complete commitment to being adopted and was so happy to spend every minute he could with us.  With Vitalik, looking back, we should have been able to see it would not end well for our adoption of him.  He was withdrawn and kept his distance from us.  Still today, it is hard to remember how it went with him.  We were not the family he had dreamed of and it is still something we grieve even today.  Our thoughts and prayers and hopes of a good future for him are ever present.

Sasha, however, is home and doing amazingly well.  He is absorbing information faster than I can imagine.  We learned about Abraham Lincoln a couple of weeks ago and he thought Abe sounded like a really cool guy.  Now when we see a tall man, he exclaims, "Ah, Abraham Lincoln!"  It also dawned on me when I was saying 'Hey Diddle Diddle' with Ellie, that he had never heard it, or any other nursery rhyme I could think of to tell him.  His look of delight at hearing them was priceless.  We have so very much to catch up on!  We still have hard days here and there, but way more good days than bad.

I am very excited to tell you about the family who the proceeds from the first month of our jewelry sales will go to.  Here is a little of their story:

Craig and I have been blessed with 4 amazing children McKenna 19, Levi 17, Elias 13, and Dylan 11.  It has been my desire for several years to bring another child into our home through the blessing of adoption.  It wasn't until the fall of 2013 after a dear woman came to our church and spoke of the orphans in Ukraine and their desperate need for a forever home that we decided this is our time.  This is our son.  Edic is a 14 year old Ukrainian orphan with a sweet disposition and never ending smile.  We feel this young man has done far more for our family than he will ever know.  This journey has brought us to our knees and ever closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our faith has deepened as we fully rely on Him to bring our precious child home.  In Ukraine, children age out at the age of 16 and are no longer available to families in America.  We desperately hope to bring him home soon.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."  Matthew 25:40

I met Pam online last year while I was in Ukraine and we have been talking ever since.  I am so excited about their adoption drawing close and am thrilled to be able to help them in a very small way.  In honor of Edic, I am making a few of these necklaces and they will be on my Etsy shop in a few days or feel free to contact me directly about one.  You can order one with or without the heart charm.  Anyone who is interested in buying one, know that all the proceeds will go towards this family's adoption process.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @leastofthese127 and check out our etsy shop at Lot127.  All proceeds will go to help support vulnerable children.

Time for a Name Change

Perhaps you noticed that I have changed the name of our blog.  Our old title was outdated and no longer applicable.  So moving forward, you can find us at thislittleblogofmine127.blogspot.com.  I plan to continue blogging about our ever-changing family, books I am reading, orphan care, adoption, fostering, and our new venture.

Scott and I have a passion for orphan care and we feel like it is a God-given passion for both of us.  We are always asking Him, "What next?"  David Platt says we should give our lives to God as a blank check.  And that is what we try to do.  It has taken us in many different directions; fostering, adoption, church ministry, community ministry, advocating for orphans and foster children, etc.  It is all for His glory.  All because we have prayed to break our hearts for what breaks His.  We have done things we would have never dreamed of on our own.  Gone to uncomfortable places and gone through uncomfortable things.  And we have never been more fulfilled or happier.  We feel like we are living in God's will for our lives.

Now we feel like the 'next' thing has been laid on our hearts.  It seems like a small thing to many but it is something that makes me feel very awkward, nervous, uncomfortable, you name it.  I love making jewelry.  I hate selling it.  I hate marketing it/myself.  It leaves me feeling vulnerable like nothing else I have done.  I did it to raise funds for our adoption last year because it was necessary.  But I have felt for some time now that God is leading me to make jewelry as a way to raise money for orphan care.  So that is what I am doing.  I am busy designing, making, setting up the new Etsy shop, Instagram account, changing the name of the blog, and connecting all of these social media (thanks Ali for all the help!)  The proceeds will go to families in the process of adoption and to organizations involved in orphan care and orphan prevention/family preservation.  We are stepping into the world of business (yuck!) and hoping and praying that God blesses our obedience and effort for the sole purpose of allowing us to do more to further His kingdom.

So if you will, check out our instagram account, @leastofthese127, follow it, and share it.  (I am planning a promotional give-away soon!)  The more exposure it gets, the better.  The new etsy shop is called Lot127.  I am adding things daily to both of these.  And please, keep it in mind as you start your Christmas shopping!  Help us make a small ripple in the world of caring for vulnerable children.

Blue Lights

How has it already been a month since my last post?!  Goodness, so much has fit into so little time.  We still have our new little guys.  There have been some big adjustments; urinating in the bathtub instead of the toilet, rages at school, threats of the alternative school - yes for 5 and 6 year olds; what?...just keeping it real.  It has been a roller coaster for sure.  And then of course our oldest, Emileigh graduated from physical therapy school, moved home (in the midst of the craziness) for 3 weeks, and has moved on to her first job in Indiana.  Caroline moved back to Mississippi State University for her second year of college, Ali swooped in for one day from Rhode Island on her way back to school in Arkansas, and Collin and Elizabeth are plugging away in their happily-married-bubble.  :)  Whew.  I think that is all.

Oh yeah, and then came Sunday.  The new boys are learning how to gel with Jocelyn, Ellie Grace, and Benjamin.  They all run and play together and are acting more and more like siblings.  So Sunday afternoon they are all playing and one accidentally slams a door on another's hand.  One of the fingers was bleeding and we had concerns that the finger was broken.  We made the decision to play it safe and run him to the emergency room for an x-ray.  Long story short, it was not broken.  The ER doctor bandaged the finger, gave him some pain meds and sent Scott and T on their way to Sonic for consolation slushies.  After all coddling and attentiveness Scott just spent on this kid, they pull into the driveway, and T sighs and says, "I love Mama."  Gotta love it.

I, being the ever-diligent foster mom(I hope this reads as sarcasm), email our case worker with the details of what happened along with the doctor notes from the ER thinking that was the end of that.  Hahahahaha.  She emailed me back Monday morning to inform me that it was required that she report us to the child abuse hotline.  And that there could possibly be an investigation into the 'matter.'   Really. For a squished finger.  Obviously, I was a little upset and called Scott at work to let him know what was happening.  A few hours later, a sheriff's car pulled into our driveway.  I was shocked that a deputy would be sent to question the boys.  I walked out to meet her and it turned out that she was only delivering standard court papers for our boys.  Always before, these type papers had come via the mail, but whatever.  Benjamin has been a little afraid of law enforcement since we have been home, understandably so with him being from Ukraine.  I thought this was the perfect opportunity to introduce him to a deputy and after I explained his situation, I asked her to talk to him for a few minutes.  She was great and talked to him and then showed all the kids her car.  They wanted to see her blue lights on so she asked me if that was ok.  I told her of course!  She said sometimes people are concerned about what their neighbors would think but I told her ours already think we are crazy so go for it.  As soon as she flipped them on, here comes Scott pulling into the driveway, with a sheriff's car sitting there, with the blue lights on, with all of us standing around her.  He also immediately thought it had something to do with the report to the hotline so was greatly relieved to see us all smiling and getting a 'tour' of her car.  What a day.

We still have not heard anything further about the report or about an investigation.  Also, the squished finger is doing well.

Stay tuned.  I am hoping we have big news around the corner.

Life Moves On

A lot has happened in the past week.  Benjamin turned 12, his first birthday with our family.  It was a fun day filled with church, lunch with the grandparents, gifts, swimming, and grilling hot dogs.  Many of his favorite things!

He said it was the best birthday ever.  We had a great time watching him enjoy it!

Then the kids and I went away to Lake Tiak-O'Khata for some much needed family time.  The kids had a blast swimming and sliding and jumping off the diving boards.

We are all still missing our foster kids who went home last week but it was good to have some time just for us.  We got home and had a fun-filled couple of days with a blow up water slide in our back yard.  The kids had so much fun sliding and playing with their friends.

Then we got the call.  Two precious boys needed a home.  We thought we would need a longer break but something about this placement just seemed right.  We prayed about it and felt like this was our next step.  Within a few hours, we had moved Jocelyn and Ellie Grace upstairs and transformed their old room into a little boy's room in preparation for these little guys.  They are 5 and 6 years old so they are sandwiched right in between our girls.  We now have a 4, 5, 6, 7, and 12 year old at home.  Fun times!

We told Benjamin that we were getting some more children and that they were boys and he said, "Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!"  He still makes us laugh all the time.  They arrived on Thursday afternoon, scared and unsure of what was happening.  There were lots of tears and efforts of consolation.  I think it is all still fresh enough for Benjamin that he could empathize with them and he was great with them.  The water slide was a huge help in drawing the boys out and getting them interacting with our kids.  The boys are great kids.  Always, there is a transition period and we are in the midst of that so prayers are appreciated.  The boys will start school this next week in our school district so there are many changes happening in their world.  We are doing our best for them but much of the time we are just fumbling along.  So many times in the past four years, I have lamented that I did not take any child psychology classes in school!  Please pray for these boys as they make their way through this new situation and for us as we do our best to help them navigate through it.

Four Less

Our foster children have gone home - reunited with their parents.  They have been with us almost 5 months and to say that we have grown attached to them is an understatement.  We love them and care deeply for them and their absence is a great loss.  We have seen the baby learn to smile and laugh and sit and crawl and eat cereal.  And we have seen many firsts as well with the older kids.  They were both a challenge and a joy.  Our home is eerily quiet without them here.  People tell us (and all other foster parents) that they could not foster becaue they would get attached.  Well, that is kind of the deal.  That is one of the sacrifices of fostering.  You hurt for the kids.  You pray for the kids and their safety.  You get attached.  You laugh with them and you cry with them.  It is painful.  We have cried many tears and I am pretty sure, even though they wanted to go home, the kids have some pain in the separation as well.  But the kids are worth all of it.  They deserve someone to love them while their family pulls it together.  We did our best for them while they were with us and now we will pray for them - that they will be safe and loved and well cared for and that someone will continue to tell them how special they are.
The kids were gone from our home 24 hours ago.  We have gotten two calls asking us to take two different placements in that time.  Two sibling groups who need someone to care.  Our extra beds are still warm and we could have them full again tonight.  The need for more foster parents is so great.  The process to get licensed is excruciating and frustrating....but the kids are worth it.  The process of dealing with all the extra people who are suddenly thrust into your life (social workers, case workers, therapists, doctors, etc.) will try your desire for privacy and your patience.  But these kids need someone.  They have done nothing to be in the position of being without a home and parents.  They are innocent in the train wreck that is their lives.  Their stories are heart breaking.  If any of these kids were standing on your door step and telling you their story, I think most of you would scoop that child up and bring them in and care for them.  Well, these kids are standing on the doorsteps of our communities.  They have no voice to ask for help.  Yet they need it desperately.  Your age (as long as you are over 21), your marital status, and your wealth or lack thereof do not matter.  Do you have running water?  Do you have electricity?  Do you have the ability to provide a bed and food?  The requirements are pretty basic and believe it or not, the kids will be so excited to have these very basic things.
I try not to write, for public consumption anyway, when I am so emotional.  But this is too important to sugar coat or file away.  I see it every week.  I hear it every week.  There are kids who need you.


P.S.  I want so badly to include scripture but do not want to appear to be any more on my soapbox than I already do.  It does not take much searching of scripture to see how important the weak and vulnerable are to God.  He cares about these kids with no voice.  He expects us to be that voice.  We are instructed to be imitators of  Him.  I think He is grieved as these kids are sent to group homes instead of into Christian families.  It is our responsibility as Christians to take care of the least of these.

Summer, 2014

I have not blogged since May - since I posted about Radik - because it has been very hard to write about the fact that no families have moved forward with adopting him.  Even though it was a long shot, when the blog views got up to 2000, my hopes went up as well and it is hard to accept the fact that our efforts did not work.  It is too late for anyone from the U.S. to adopt him but Canadian citizens still have time.  So if you know of anyone in Canada who is considering adoption, please feel free to pass along Radik's information or put them in touch with me.

Then of course, we have also been very very busy, which has left me little time to blog.  We have had a foster placement of 4 siblings which has given us 7 children, 11 years old down to a few months old, under our roof.  It has been quite an adjustment but adjust we have and we are really enjoying the kids. We have done camps and VBS and swim lessons (for 6 of the 7 kids) and doctor's appointments and therapy appointments and social worker appointments.  I have had help in the form of a college student named Kasy and she has made it all possible.  The kids love her and I love her and it has been great. But it has been the busiest summer of our life!

Benjamin is doing amazingly well.  He is so happy and really loves being here.  We are squeezing in school work where we can and he continues to do well in school.  Every single time we finish, he says, "Thank you mama for school."  The.  Sweetest.  Thing.  Ever.  He learned to swim in no time and loves going to the pool.  He says, "I no have fun like this in Pishanna."  Such a funny kid.  What is not funny is that we were looking at pictures tonight from when we first met him.  He looks so afraid in the earliest pictures and I commented on how scared he looked.  I have heard this from so many adoptive families but it was still a shock to hear it come out of his mouth.  He said, "People told me American parents would kill me." He said he thought about it and decided, "That is not true."  What courage and bravery it must have taken for him to come with us.  We are very grateful for his courage.

Jocelyn and Ellie Grace have also had a great summer.  They have really enjoyed having girls in our home that are their ages.  They play and play and just love our fosters.  I wish I could post pictures of all of them together - but alas, it is very against foster care rules!

Our pastor preached a sermon a month or so ago that I have not been able to get out of my head.  It included the story of Jacob and Esau which we have all heard a thousand times.  But he had a different twist on it and was so very thought provoking.  He referenced an Andy Stanley sermon which I am including a link to below.  We all know that Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew and I think we all wonder what in the world he could have been thinking.  The birthright is a huge thing to sell for such an inconsequential bowl of stew.  How could he have done that?!  Yet so many of us do that every day.  Our birthright is eternity with God in heaven.  Yet we trade it for what....an unimportant, inconsequential bowl of stew.  What is your bowl of stew?  The sermon is incredible and very worth watching.







Now for a few pics:

We are so very blessed.

10 Days

We first met Benjamin/Sasha at his orphanage about 8 months ago.  We have been home with him for about 5 months.  This picture is from the very first day that we met him in Pishanna.

I think the fear and uncertainty are pretty clearly written all over his face.  We were strangers telling him we wanted to take him to a new country, a new culture, with new food and a new language.  We were offering him a family - something completely new to him.  Yet he wanted it badly enough, he stepped out in faith and came with us.  This is a picture of him from a few days ago....a mere 8 months later.

He has fully embraced his new life and his new family.  He loves being in the U.S., loves our food, loves our family, and is a very happy boy.  He talks all the time.  He makes jokes all the time.  Look for yourself at the difference the love of a family can make in a child.  He does not even look like the same kid to me.  I asked him today why he was so quiet at his orphanage.  He said, "Because there were so many people there."  He is blossoming and growing in his family now.  It is natural to crave family.  It is God's plan for children to have family.  Sasha wanted a family.  And he is so happy.  He thanks me for teaching him.  He thanks me for doing his laundry.  He thanks me for meals - he says, "Very very good!" It is not all perfect by any means, but a deep longing in him has been fulfilled.

There is another boy who was a classmate and friend of Benjamin's named Radik.  We met him while we were at Pishanna and were able to spend some time with him.   He is a special boy who is almost always smiling and enjoys interacting with people.  Over the last few years Radik has watched as several of his friends and classmates have been adopted.  He often talks about his desire to have a family too.  But, his time is running out.  Radik's 16th birthday is May 24th.  In Ukraine, children age out of the orphanage system at 16.  They leave their orphanage and are expected to find their way in the world.  The vast majority of the boys end up addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, in jail, or dead within a few years.  It is their stark reality.  Radik needs a family to begin the process to adopt him before his birthday.  10 days.  We need to find someone in 10 days.  Please pray for this miracle for Radik!  For more information about him and what it would take to adopt him please contact me.

I have never in the life of this blog, asked anyone to share it.  Today, I do.  We need to get the word out to as many people as possible.  We never know who in our circle of friends may be feeling the call to adopt and time is running out for Radik.  10 days.  Through God, all things are possible.  10 days.  Please share if you are able.

Normal?

What a week last week was!  I find I keep saying that, week after week.  Perhaps that is our new normal?  .Last week, a tornado swept through our area and while we did not receive any damage to our home, it did take out our electricity from Monday evening until late Wednesday night.   Typing that makes it sound like not such a long time, but it was long enough to make us realize how dependent we are upon electricity.  With 9 people living in our home, that is 2 long days with no laundry, no air conditioning, no tv (which I actually enjoyed!), heating water for baths, juggling preparing meals with no oven, no dishwasher to help with clean up, and no refrigerator or freezer.  Fortunately, we had people store our freezer foods for us and we ate or lost all of our refrigerator food.  The kids all piled into the living room at night to sleep because they were scared of the complete dark that was our street for those nights.  Today while at our pediatrician's office she learned of our new additions and asked in jest if they were all sleeping on the floor.  Our 4 year old fd said, "Only when the lights do not work."  :)  I am hoping that Dr. VanNorman knows us well enough to know that we do indeed have electricity and put it together that we lost power after the storm.  While juggling 5 kids in her office, it was not worth the effort to explain it to her!  Anyway, we made it through and are all just fine.  We continue to pray for those who lost their homes and are trying to recover from the storms.

Now, we are partially into this week and again I am thinking, "What a week!"  I am packing for 7 kids to go away for a long weekend, moving an eighth child home from college, loading a U-Haul with furniture to take to a ninth kid and his soon-to-be wife, and trying to breathe and do school as well.  We absolutely could not do it all without so much help.  Two precious young ladies found out I was going to Starkville with 5 of our kiddos to move Caroline home and offered to come over and keep the kids AND bring lunch for the day so I can go alone.  Really - like all day.  We could not have better help!  We originally had 3 bicycles for 7 kids to share, and after a question I put on facebook about looking for some used bikes, we now have a bicycle for each child.  It is amazing.  It is one of their favorite things to do and it will involve much less refereeing by me now that they each have their own.  Someone else brought us diapers and groceries on Sunday and someone I had never met came up to me in church and gave us a check to help cover the costs of the girls' clothes they need.  All of these things really add up and make us and the kids feel so blessed.

I never ever want to paint an unrealistic fairy tale picture of what it is like to care for kids from hard pasts.  I just want to say that having the help of your church family and community makes it so much easier and more doable.  Thank you notes are something that have fallen by the wayside for now unfortunately.  But truly - thanks....to all of you.  And if you know someone who is fostering or adopting, reach out to them!  You will never know how much it means to them.

On a Lighter Note

In addition to some heavy stuff over the past few weeks, which I blogged about a few days ago, we have also had some fun.  The kids loved dyeing eggs and hunting them.

And today we had a great time at 200 Million Flowers' 5K for the Fatherless.  The kids all did the one mile fun run, jumped in the bouncy house, and just enjoyed themselves.  There were some great volunteers there (thanks Alex and Kasy!) who watched the baby while we tried to manage the other kids.  Carlie and her boyfriend, Ethan, did the run with the kids so we could take pictures and cheer them on.

One of our new girls is also 7 years old (like Jocelyn) and they are inseparable.  Hence, no pictures of Jocelyn that we can post.

I was talking to a friend on our way out and so fell behind a little  As I caught up, it was a great opportunity to get a shot of our family.....all 10 of them.

After the race, we took everyone to Krispy Kreme as a treat.  It was a first for 5 of them and was fun to watch them watch the donuts being made.   The kids are all outside playing in the sprinkler while Carlie and Ethan do some yard work for us.  They have offered to keep the kids tonight so we can go out for some much needed kid-free time.  Big kids are the greatest!