One year ago today!!

The last few weeks have been very nostalgic for me.  : )

It has been full of special dates from our adoption journey.  It's crazy, during those days of paper chasing, I thought I would miss the anticipation of waiting (strange as though it may seem).  I don't.  I am so thankful to be where we are!!  Reminiscing about "one year ago" has become quite a joyful revisiting of all that has transpired!  We laugh, we cry (joyful tears), think and reflect on all that God has done in our lives and yes, we remember the stress all too well.  Another family we know is paper chasing and the regulations are even tougher than one year ago!!!  My heart goes out to that family as they try with all their might to focus on God and NOT stress about the details and whether the new regulations will disqualify them.  We were there just one year ago.  So many (and I repeat many) details, rules, regulations and sweat need to come together to get to the final adoption day.  But ohhhhhhhhhhh it is worth it!!!!!  To see ALL our children playing, laughing, and just plain enjoying each other is simply beautiful. 

To be honest, I have struggled with whether to share the frustrations I have previously shared.  I don't ever want to be responsible for turning a family away from adopting.  There are so many children who need a family to love them, care for them and delight in them.  I also feel a responsibility to be real about what we have experienced.  I likewise don't want to be responsible for contributing to the facade that this is an easy road. 

With that said, I do feel as though some of our hardest days are behind us.  We have turned the corner, I think, and are seeing some serious progress!!!  The plan for now is to, "keep on keeping on."  So without further ado. 

One year ago.  We were gathering the many documents and completing the paperwork for a little 9 month old girl with spina bifida.  There were many unknowns but we were in LOVE with her from the moment we saw her picture.  I may have shared before how we came to "find" this little one.  Well, one year ago Oct 28th, Pa gave me four roses on our anniversary.  Those beautiful roses were to represent the FOUR beautiful children we were to have!!! 

Throughout the process, many have asked how you decide on a child, well for each family that is a different answer.  For us, our daughter found us and God let us know SHE was the one.

One year ago on Nov. 8, we sent in our first set of paperwork to our homestudy agency. 

One year ago on Nov. 24th, I received an email from an agency listing pictures of children who had been waiting for a while for their families.  We had JUST signed up with another placement agency but we were in LOVE with a little girl they nicknamed "Dixie."  Sooooo sweet!!!!  Because we had JUST signed up with an agency, and because we were REALLY certain that was the agency we were led to, we decided not to pursue any additional information on her.  Instead, I said a prayer, aloud, "If it's meant to be God she'll be with Lifeline." 

One year ago December 10 we saw another little girl JUST listed with our agency with the same medical need, nicknamed Lauren.

 "Pa," I asked, "Should we get more information on this little one?"  Pa replied, "Yes, why don't you see if we can look at the file."  Immediately, I emailed our agency.  I was expecting to receive a reply in the morning, since it was after 10:00 P.M. but instead, within minutes, I received an email with the attached file.  I began reading the file, curious about this little one and her medical need that for us kept re-appearing to the point that we were now pretty educated about it.  Initially this special need was scary for us but by this point, we were getting used to the idea of parenting a child with this special need.  As I was looking through the file, I came to THE PICTURE!!! 

The SAME picture from the other agency!!!!  "PAAAA!!!!"  I began to shake, "IT's HER!!!"  Pa, asked what's next.  "I don't know, I didn't ask our agency what was next."  So he said to send an email asking what we should do if we want to place a file on hold, but he cautioned, don't put her file on hold if it is a difficult process, we need to think about this and talk with some Drs.  So I sent the email asking what we needed to do IF we wanted to place her file on hold.  No immediate email back.  The next morning we were meeting with our homestudy agency so I didn 't have time to check whether I had received and email from our agency regarding this little one.  When our visit was over and Pa was ready to return to work, he said to go ahead and call Lifeline to see what we need to do IF we want to place her file on hold.  I called and on the other end I hear, "Ma, I hope it's okay but I put her file on hold for you.  I wasn't sure if you wanted me to from your email but I did."  "PERFECT", I replied.  And she began to tell me what was next......

One year ago today.....after additional research on spina bifida, speaking with several Drs, developing a care plan and filling out a bunch of paperwork we submitted our paperwork for this little one, who found us!!!!

It's crazy how fast a year goes!!

Prayers needed

Our agency (Lifeline) just started partnering with an orphanage in China a few months after we were matched with Carrie. They work very hard to find families for the children in the Mao Ming orphanage. I have a few pictures of some kiddos that are waiting that I wanted to share. Prayers for these kiddos to find their family are MUCH appreciated.

This sweetie has minor special needs.  Lifeline only has a short time to find him a family.  After that time, his profile will go to a large list of thousands of children.  If this little boy isn't matched with his family soon, he may wait for years to find his family.

The same is true for this little guy!!  Look at that face!!!  He is currently waiting in China and has minor special needs.

This 10 year old boy waits for his forever family.  Here he is showing a picture he created.

This sweet boy is about to "age out" of the system and will not be able to ever have a Mom or Dad, if his family doen't find him soon!!!  He told a visitor that he want more than anything to have a Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters!!! 

You may go to http://www.lifelineadoption.org/ to find out more about these kiddos!!! 

Blessed

I am often asked how things are going here at This Little House.  If you are the fortunate sole to be daring enough to ask that question, depending on the day/hour/minute, you may get drastically different responses.  : )  Events around here can "change on a dime" it seems.  To some, it probably seems chaotic....okay to many it IS chaotic.  I'll admit, I was feeling the frustration last evening.  You know it's crazy how I will have a great day, accomplish a lot and feel on top of the world when suddently, I am looking around wondering, "What----just-----happened.  How does it happen????  I am peacefully making supper and all is well.   THEN the phone rings....still all is well, then suddenly I have one child tattling on the other, the doorbell ringing, supper burning, baby crying, siblings arguing, cell phone ringing AND I have JUST spilt a measuring cup of milk all over myself, baby and definitely MOST frustrating my JUST swept and super scrubbed kitchen floor from the part of the day where I was accomplishing a lot.  ugh!!!! 

THAT'S when my head started to feel as though it was going to explode and how supper came to be ready at 7:30.  It was my turn to pray at supper when I suddenly hear the sound of running water.........from the HIGHCHAIR!!!!!  "Moo" (the chinese word for potty) quietly came next.  My dinnertime prayer?  "Lord give us, (pause because I truly don't know what to ask for) I don't know what,.....STRENGTH."  All the children and hubby too thought this was funny but to me it was truly prayer of desperation inside. 

You know when I think about it......THIS isn't easy, it's painfully hard some days.  There are times when I think, "oh my gosh, I am going to be HOW OLD when the kids are grown?!?!?!"  You know the feeling where.......sitting in the corner in the fetal position, rocking back and forth begins to sound WONDERFUL!!! : )  It was just at that point that God gently reminded me of how much more painful it was to know there are orphans in need of families and how EXCRUTIATING it was to wait to adopt and that my life isn't about me.  WAIT a second....What you talkin bout Willis????  Life really isn't about me???  He then reminds me of how life must be for those little ones without a Mommy to tuck them in and smother them with kisses.  And I think I have it tough.

God then gently reminds me that life is about HIM!!!!  Life is about loving God and our neighbor.  It's about following wherever He leads.  Life is about leaning on Him when the chaos erupts.

I am so thankful!!  Just when the pressure in my head has reached "uh oh" level.  God helped me step back from the "chaos" and see just what it is He is doing.  He is helping us raise HIS children.  THEN he gives me a tender moment with my 6 year old, my 14 year old tells me I'm like a super hero (REALLY.....I didn't even make her say it, honest.  LOL), my 8 year old prays and insists only a miracle would help and sees the prayer answered, a little sweetie brought 1/2 way around the world to be with us, has 2 amazing days of progress, we are able to see prayers being answered for Pa. 

He has blessed us, I don't know why.....we certainly don't deserve one bit of it.....but He has blessed us anyway.  It's just the way He works.  He loves us and desires to bless us.....if I can only step back from the chaos and have eyes to see.  Eyes to focus on all the blessings He freely gives...some of which He allows me to see, a few of which I choose to see, many of which I will never see.

So how are things at This Little House?  This Little House is thankful to be blessed.

Mammaw and Pap's

We haven't gone trick-or-treating every year.  This year Pa said, "Let's take the kids out and offered some easy ideas of costumes to try.  After some thought we decided to make elephant costumes.  So this year we walked around with a herd of elephants through our neighborhood.

Reverse psychology at it's best.  Mary pretending to NOT want Cary to wear the elephant costume.

The candy we received from traveling door to door to sevenh houses on a VERY cold Halloween night.

The candy we received from driving to Mammaw and Pap's house!! LOL!!!

Did you know?????

It's been quite some time since I sat down to write.  It's been a challenging yet amazing month.  We had some rough days and one week that was relentless BUT as I was reflecting today, I realized that things have settled down some over the last week!!! 

Ohhhh that look!!!!

They have so much fun together!

A hard won hug!!!  When this picture was taken, this was not a common sight.  Today Carey was freely giving hugs and EVERYONE was lovin it!!!!

Ri Rou Row, otherwise known as Ring Around the Rosey!  : )

 Did you know that giggles are learned????? I can't say I ever really thought about it. I know that there are children growing up without emotions. They have emotionally "checked out" because they have noone to love them. I knew this......but when we picked up Carey at the orphange, brought her to our hotel and eventually home, I thought this little one just had a terrible laugh. When we would tickle her or play with her, she would sound like she was crying. Often one of us would say, "Is she crying or laughing?" Well, last week it came!!!! Adam was being silly and Carey laughed the heartiest, sweetest laugh!!!! She kept giggling and giggling!!! She also has a WONDERFUL belly laugh now!!! Ohhhhhhhh, these are the sweetest moments and I treasure them!!  One of God's gifts and something I thought I appreciated, I now have a deeper appreciation for the sweet sound of my children's laughter!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Okay, so you may be wondering......is that a good Ahhhhhhhhh, a sigh of relief Ahhhhhhhh, a relaxing Ahhhhhhhhh, an "Oh MY GOSH," Ahhhhhhhhhh or an "I'm pulling out my hair Ahhhhhhhhh?  Well, I am pleased to be able to say, it is a relaxing Ahhhhhhhhhh after a "I'm pulling out my hair Ahhhhhhhhh kind of week!!  Yes, I am still homeschooling, yes, I am still wondering how I am going to ever get everything done (Although I think that statment is a myth and I don't know who started it, think about it, "Get everything done."  Someone said it at some point in history and they must have been delusional, because ever since I can remember EVERYTHING has NEVER been done, not for me, not for my family, not for my friends.  REALLY?  Do you know of anyone who EVER has everything done?)  Anyway....back to my relaxing Ahhhhhhhhhhh!  We have had a MUCH better days in the last few!!  I feel as though we are settling into a groove and getting our priorities (mostly) straight.  I even used naptime to purge the basement and "go shopping" in our bins of hand-me-down clothing.  Total purge result, you ask?  I lost count but I think it was 7 large trashbags trash, 4 large trashbags salvation army, 1 large bin of clothing for a friend, 1 large box containing one totally destroyed child size sofa, and an old organ (child size, of course) given to us by a dear neighbor 10 years ago. 

For some reason, I have heard from many families and the previous week was rough!  We all had our own "pull your hair out moments," and for different reasons too.  I am praying for those still dealing with water issues from the flooding, for those of you dealing with homeschooling struggles and those under the weather!! 

Before I go, some pictures.....

 The twins can frequently be found playing with any small animal...here they have the whole ark.  : )

 No words....just love this picture, makes me want to squeeze her!

 Adam wrote this for the top of the basement steps (danger...pretty good spelling for a 1st grader) and I caught Carrie very appropriately carrying it around. lol

 Mary working on a paper while Laura and Adam keep her company.  : )

Can you tell they are "Helping Mary with her school work."

 My sweetie!!!

 

 Tie-dye shirts.  This was so much fun!!!  Thank you Mammaw and Pap for supplying the kit...it took us a while to "get around" to it but we now each have a tie dye shirt.

 Ohhhhh it's hard to wait to see what they will look like!

 We had so much fun dancing around the house.  Carrie "busts a move" whenever she hears music!

 My peachie pie!!!

Adam's Tuesday class learning about the colonists dressing as Mohawks and dumping tea in the Boston harbor.  Notice Adam in his tie dye shirt.  

Some pictures!!

She LOVES water.  She didn't the first day but bath #2 I turned on the faucet and she was amazed at the water and kept trying to grab it in her hands.  She couldn't seem to figure out how it kept running. 

I LOVED this!!!  The piano is the left ear hearing test, the squeaky toy is the right ear hearing test.  Note played on piano, child turns toward sound, yep they can hear!!  Squeaky toy squeaked to right of child's body, if child turns toward sound, they pass the hearing test!!! 

Look at that!!  Can you see she is up to something??

One of my favorite things about China.....the parks are filled with elderly dancing, playing hackie sack, painting etc,...

Another picture of women in the park. I can't quite explain this without visuals but these women have a ball that they balance on a racquet, toss up in the air and flip all around without dropping it!! 

A joyful noise maker!

The garden at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou.

Breakfast, our favorite meal of each day!!

A dinner cruise in Guangzhou

This is a television station's headquarters.  There are plans to add a ferris wheel to the top!!