On Saturday afternoon, Andrew pulled the hose out and decided it was time to get the car ready to take mommy out:
Great job, Buddy!
It's perfect for our night out!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Taking Mommy on a Date
This weekend was "Mommy Weekend". I was not supposed to do any work, and on Saturday evening, the family took me out for dinner.
On Saturday afternoon, Andrew pulled the hose out and decided it was time to get the car ready to take mommy out:
On Saturday afternoon, Andrew pulled the hose out and decided it was time to get the car ready to take mommy out:
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Prayer Time
Every night before bed we have prayer time as a family. For the last 6 - 8 months Andrew has been climbing under me to pray. It is so sweet! It melts my heart ever time!
The other precious part? After he is finished praying, he turns over (lying flat with his back on the ground), lifts his head up, and kisses me on the lips. He then crawls out from under me.
It. is. so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o. sweet!
My heart overflows with love and melts every time!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Surrounded by Love
Derek and I are continually showered with love, and we don't take it for granted. We've prayed so long for these children, that we know each day is a blessing straight from God.
So, here's a snippet of a week's worth of love notes.
A surprise love note under our pillows at night
(one for each of us):
Surprise love note in my boot:
Love note found on the wall:
Love note posted on the refrigerator:
Love note taped on the closet door:
♥ We are so in love with them, too! ♥
Thank You, LORD, for such precious children!
We know we are so undeserving.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hope Renewed
Prayers were lifted, and the outcry has been heard!
On January 13, 2013 thousands of Rus*ians gathered in M*scow to protest the new law that bans the U.S. from adopting orphans from Rus*ia. This number doesn't even begin to compare to the number of people who would have loved to have been at the march but were unable to due to the cost of travel, illness, etc.
(Pictures from this source)
On January 13, 2013 thousands of Rus*ians gathered in M*scow to protest the new law that bans the U.S. from adopting orphans from Rus*ia. This number doesn't even begin to compare to the number of people who would have loved to have been at the march but were unable to due to the cost of travel, illness, etc.
GOD BE PRAISED!!!!!!
Prayer works!
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"
James 5:16b (emphasis mine).
God's heart is for orphans.
James 1:27a, "Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans."
Prayer can be our part for the Rus*sian orphans!
THANK YOU FOR CARING AND ACTING!
THANK YOU FOR CARING AND ACTING!
Friday, January 11, 2013
Do we care enough to act?
For those who don’t know, I began having “heart attacks” on Monday
morning. These attacks began around 8:30 a.m. with severe chest pains to the left of the center of my chest, and by
2:30 p.m. I was experiencing full-blown severe chest pains that radiated to my
back, neck, and left arm—which left the arm tingling and feeling like lead. The
pain was immense! It took my breath away.
At the ER, I continued having “heart attacks”—which the EKG machine, that was attached to me, was confirming. The strange thing was, I wasn’t going unconscious. Thus, I was admitted to the hospital in order to have my heart checked. The enzyme check and the nuclear stress test showed there was no damage to my heart. Therefore, the doctors concluded that I did not have a heart attack. So, Tuesday evening I was released from the hospital with the cause of the attacks being “undetermined”.
The chest, back, neck, and arm pains have come and gone in the last few days, but today I think I’ve solved the mystery of their appearance.
When Andrew woke up this morning, he got out of bed and ran as fast as he could to me. We snuggled and spent over thirty minutes just hugging, kissing, and talking. At one point, Andrew snuggled up to my face and with his hand, he began to caress the side of my face. The chills ran through my body. I was so taken by his expression of love. I was awed that he cared so much.
He continued. Face to face. Caressing my face.
Hours later I was still thinking about how special our time together was. Andrew was loving me and showing it. His expression of love filled my heart to overflowing. Then I began to think about how this once-orphan had become a son and acts like a son.
These thoughts led to thinking about Rus*ia and the thousands of orphans who now have no hope of ever becoming a son or a daughter. I thought of the families who had already been matched with a child and were so in love with “their” little boy or girl.
The pain in my chest began again. It hit me. On Monday morning when my chest pains began, I was listening to a radio summary of the events that had been finalized in Rus*ia, and about the number of families who were being tormented with the loss of “their” child. I was overcome with grief for those families. For those children. For the children who were now left without hope.
(If you are unfamiliar with the trauma faced by Rus*ian orphans who have special needs, you can read one family’s story HERE. But, there are many more similar stories….)
Can any of us possibly know what living without hope is like?
I doubt it.
To have:
No hope.
No help.
No future.
It’s uncomprehendable.
It’s terrifying!
It’s horrifying!
It’s heart-stopping.
What can we do? We can fast and pray.
Pray for the orphans in Rus*ia. Pray that their daily needs would be met. Pray that their government would begin to value the life of children with special needs. Pray that the Rus*ian people would begin to adopt the orphans living in their country.
What if you were without daily food?
Not due to dieting or fasting, but...
NO food for an undetermined amount of time.
No calories to help your body stay warm.
No calories to help your brain want to engage.
No calories to give you a desire to interact with others.
NO food.
What it you were without daily water?
Without necessary medication?
Without a touch?
Without hope?
Without a voice?
That's what I've personally been thinking about.
You and I would want the heavens moved!
At the ER, I continued having “heart attacks”—which the EKG machine, that was attached to me, was confirming. The strange thing was, I wasn’t going unconscious. Thus, I was admitted to the hospital in order to have my heart checked. The enzyme check and the nuclear stress test showed there was no damage to my heart. Therefore, the doctors concluded that I did not have a heart attack. So, Tuesday evening I was released from the hospital with the cause of the attacks being “undetermined”.
The chest, back, neck, and arm pains have come and gone in the last few days, but today I think I’ve solved the mystery of their appearance.
When Andrew woke up this morning, he got out of bed and ran as fast as he could to me. We snuggled and spent over thirty minutes just hugging, kissing, and talking. At one point, Andrew snuggled up to my face and with his hand, he began to caress the side of my face. The chills ran through my body. I was so taken by his expression of love. I was awed that he cared so much.
He continued. Face to face. Caressing my face.
Hours later I was still thinking about how special our time together was. Andrew was loving me and showing it. His expression of love filled my heart to overflowing. Then I began to think about how this once-orphan had become a son and acts like a son.
These thoughts led to thinking about Rus*ia and the thousands of orphans who now have no hope of ever becoming a son or a daughter. I thought of the families who had already been matched with a child and were so in love with “their” little boy or girl.
The pain in my chest began again. It hit me. On Monday morning when my chest pains began, I was listening to a radio summary of the events that had been finalized in Rus*ia, and about the number of families who were being tormented with the loss of “their” child. I was overcome with grief for those families. For those children. For the children who were now left without hope.
(If you are unfamiliar with the trauma faced by Rus*ian orphans who have special needs, you can read one family’s story HERE. But, there are many more similar stories….)
Can any of us possibly know what living without hope is like?
I doubt it.
To have:
No hope.
No help.
No future.
It’s uncomprehendable.
It’s terrifying!
It’s horrifying!
It’s heart-stopping.
What can we do? We can fast and pray.
Pray for the orphans in Rus*ia. Pray that their daily needs would be met. Pray that their government would begin to value the life of children with special needs. Pray that the Rus*ian people would begin to adopt the orphans living in their country.
What if you were without daily food?
Not due to dieting or fasting, but...
NO food for an undetermined amount of time.
No calories to help your body stay warm.
No calories to help your brain want to engage.
No calories to give you a desire to interact with others.
NO food.
What it you were without daily water?
Without necessary medication?
Without a touch?
Without hope?
Without a voice?
That's what I've personally been thinking about.
You and I would want the heavens moved!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Snuggle Bunnies
In the middle of the night, boy snuggle bunny went to girl snuggle bunny for comfort.
I got up at 3:30 a.m. due to hearing Cherish in the kitchen getting a drink for Andrew--who had a drink by his bed but Cherish must not have known. She gave him a drink and then cuddled up to him in her bed. This was them this morning:
I found out shortly after they woke up that Andrew had a fever and had gone to Cherish for comfort. It shows that Cherish truly is gentle, loving, and compassionate--all the time. ♥
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