A fellow blogger shared information from a talk by woman who is involved in orphan care in China. For those of you who are interested, here is the link:
AdoptionTalk: Amy Eldridge of LWB Speaks
I was especially surprised to hear how much China has changed in the past 10 years. I had heard about it before, but it always takes me aback to see a society changing so rapidly. I also found the statistics on birth defects fascinating.
***********
Changing topics, I also wanted to share a post from my fascinating life. You all know that I want to be an advocate for adoption, but some of the language of the "adoption movement" bothers me. For an interesting read about God and adoption, check out the above link.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Wait
This post has been doing flip-flops in my head for several months, but honestly I haven't wanted to write it all out. My feelings on the topic are rather muddled, and I haven't been sure I want to be that transparent here. But I have decided it is time. It is consuming too much of my thoughts for me to not talk about it.
You see, Tim and I want to adopt again. That sounds straight forward enough, right? Back in November, we were both all gung-ho, and couldn't wait to get the process started. But then we hit a road block or two, and we had to put things on hold for a bit. Now, we are free and clear to start again, but we haven't done it.
And the truth is, I am the one holding us up. I am the one who has always wanted a house full of children and who is always dreaming of one more. I am the one who spends an obscene amount of time on Rumor Queen, stalking adoption blogs, and circling Waiting Child lists and Rainbow Kids.
But now, I seem to be frozen, and I'm not sure why. For one thing, I seem to be full of contradictions. One minute I find my children endearing and sweet, drinking them in and desiring to have more of them, and literally seconds later, I want to be free of them completely. Not that I would ever wish that I didn't have them (OK, well maybe for a second). It's just that sometimes I am ready to be done with this stage of life. Some days, I want to be at a place where they are more self-sufficient and I could do other things than give 100% of my time to them.
Then there are the days where I am just immobilized by grief. Not immobilized in my daily life, but in the adoption process. You would never know it to look at me, but some days I can't get past the fact that there is so much corruption in adoption. It grieves my very soul that there are places in the world where children lose their parents because of poverty. In our day and age, no family should have to be separated by poverty. It is one of the many reasons that I encourage everyone, no matter how much or little your family makes, to sponsor a child. Sponsoring a child through World Vision or Compassion International can keep families together by providing much needed food, shelter, and medical care to families who need them.
But I digress... Oh yes, my grief. And did you know that there are places in the world where corrupt adoption agencies and orphanages can go into villages and neighborhoods and literally coerce families to give up their children? They make promises of education and give false hope that the children will return to the village one day. They talk of the riches of America, as if that is something more important than the love of a mother and a father. And these "Christian" people steal these kids. Oh, how that just kills me. And there are other places where a parent might bring a child to an orphanage because they are having trouble providing for them. They intend for it to be short-term, and they visit regularly. But one day, they show up to see their child, and the child is gone. He has been adopted by an American or European family who has no clue that this child has parents already. Oh, my heart just breaks how these impoverished families are taken advantage of!
Of course, I know that not every adoption is corrupt, but far too many of them are. Far, far, too many. And while I have seen no evidence of corruption of this particular nature in China, there are still other things to grieve over. Loss of country, language, foster families, and everything they know, for starters. And I have first-hand experience with a grieving child. Oh, how it breaks my heart.
But I also have experience with a child who is so resilient and so loving and so amazing, that I wonder... what if? And I also know that even though the 147 million orphans figure is grossly inflated, there are still children out there who legitimately need families. If I could manage to get past my own fears, what then?
And so I pray. I ask God for direction and discernment. Because I don't have the answers to all this. I don't know if I have another son or daughter out there. I don't know if God has other plans for my life. So I am waiting. Because sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. And right now, I am hearing wait. But I am still praying that will change soon.
You see, Tim and I want to adopt again. That sounds straight forward enough, right? Back in November, we were both all gung-ho, and couldn't wait to get the process started. But then we hit a road block or two, and we had to put things on hold for a bit. Now, we are free and clear to start again, but we haven't done it.
And the truth is, I am the one holding us up. I am the one who has always wanted a house full of children and who is always dreaming of one more. I am the one who spends an obscene amount of time on Rumor Queen, stalking adoption blogs, and circling Waiting Child lists and Rainbow Kids.
But now, I seem to be frozen, and I'm not sure why. For one thing, I seem to be full of contradictions. One minute I find my children endearing and sweet, drinking them in and desiring to have more of them, and literally seconds later, I want to be free of them completely. Not that I would ever wish that I didn't have them (OK, well maybe for a second). It's just that sometimes I am ready to be done with this stage of life. Some days, I want to be at a place where they are more self-sufficient and I could do other things than give 100% of my time to them.
Then there are the days where I am just immobilized by grief. Not immobilized in my daily life, but in the adoption process. You would never know it to look at me, but some days I can't get past the fact that there is so much corruption in adoption. It grieves my very soul that there are places in the world where children lose their parents because of poverty. In our day and age, no family should have to be separated by poverty. It is one of the many reasons that I encourage everyone, no matter how much or little your family makes, to sponsor a child. Sponsoring a child through World Vision or Compassion International can keep families together by providing much needed food, shelter, and medical care to families who need them.
But I digress... Oh yes, my grief. And did you know that there are places in the world where corrupt adoption agencies and orphanages can go into villages and neighborhoods and literally coerce families to give up their children? They make promises of education and give false hope that the children will return to the village one day. They talk of the riches of America, as if that is something more important than the love of a mother and a father. And these "Christian" people steal these kids. Oh, how that just kills me. And there are other places where a parent might bring a child to an orphanage because they are having trouble providing for them. They intend for it to be short-term, and they visit regularly. But one day, they show up to see their child, and the child is gone. He has been adopted by an American or European family who has no clue that this child has parents already. Oh, my heart just breaks how these impoverished families are taken advantage of!
Of course, I know that not every adoption is corrupt, but far too many of them are. Far, far, too many. And while I have seen no evidence of corruption of this particular nature in China, there are still other things to grieve over. Loss of country, language, foster families, and everything they know, for starters. And I have first-hand experience with a grieving child. Oh, how it breaks my heart.
But I also have experience with a child who is so resilient and so loving and so amazing, that I wonder... what if? And I also know that even though the 147 million orphans figure is grossly inflated, there are still children out there who legitimately need families. If I could manage to get past my own fears, what then?
And so I pray. I ask God for direction and discernment. Because I don't have the answers to all this. I don't know if I have another son or daughter out there. I don't know if God has other plans for my life. So I am waiting. Because sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. And right now, I am hearing wait. But I am still praying that will change soon.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Guess what? (Tongues, Tubes, and Random Thoughts)
So, y'all remember how Kate can't lift her tongue up off the bottom of her jaw? How she can do side to side, but if she wants up and down, her little lower jaw has to carry it up there for her? And of course, I've surely told you about how when she came home, she couldn't really do anything with that little tongue or those lips, because she never sucked on a bottle or was asked to do anything with that sweet little mouth, because of her cleft. And how because of that, her speech has had a few roadblocks. Or maybe more than a few. And you remember how she has been in speech therapy for 19 months, working her little heart out on her oral-motor skills?
Well...
Well...
Woohoo!!!
Can you see the pride in that face? And she deserves every bit of it. And while we are at it, let's give Jennifer, our SLP a big pat on the back too:) She has spent many an hour in front of a mirror making silly faces with Kate NaNa.
And now that some of you are thoroughly grossed out by pictures of my daughter's tongue, an update on the ears.
Drum roll, please.... We saw the doctor this week, and after digging another mountain of wax out of her ear, he was surprised to find that the clot is clearing up. He said there is a small opening, and he suspects that if we continue with the drops 4x a day that it will continue to open up and the tube will be fully functional! Can I get an amen? Thank you to everyone who has been praying for this. And of course, to the One who answered.
I didn't tell Dr. M that I haven't been the most diligent ear dropper in the world because after our previous conversation I knew that if they cleared up at this point (after 5 weeks), it would be a God thing, not an ear drop thing. So, we are still using the ear drops, but only about half as much as we should. Why? First, see the previous comment about God. Second, after five weeks of daily drops, Kate NaNa is not the most cooperative patient. She is sick and tired of those things. And third, my memory is advanced well beyond my years. And I have what I am now calling "summer brain". It's like "baby brain" except it hits when you are so tired of working and being with your children 24/7 because they are at home instead of at school that you do things like forget to take them to piano practice.
So, we go back in a couple more weeks for another check-up. At which point I remember why we are thankful that Kate is a Commission patient.
And I continue to be thankful for her beautiful, and now strong, little tongue:)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I need a hero.
Last week we went to an amusement park with Dad and Jee. We had a great day, overall, but there was one serious not-so-great episode. One part of the park is a water park, so we spent part of the day there. Ben and Dad enjoyed the slides, but the littles just wanted to hang out in the wading pool, which was completely packed.
It was super hot, so Will, Jee, and I were sitting in the shade while Kate played in a fountain, just feet from us. I was watching as she played, but at one point she walked behind a group of people, and I could no longer see her. I waited a few seconds for her to come back, but she didn't. Jee was closer, so she got up to spot her. I could see from Jee's face that she couldn't see her anywhere. I got up to help look, but after a minute of searching this very, very crowded pool, I started to get frantic.
I don't think I have ever been so terrified in my life. I was ready to have the lifeguard lock-down the front gate and go search under bathroom stall doors. Every horrible scenario ran through my head in about .5 seconds.
I had already observed how professional the lifeguards were, and had spotted the main lifeguard at her stand about an hour before. (When you have been a lifeguard, it is just habit to notice this stuff.) I ran over and got her, explaining that I had lost my 3 year old daughter. I described her completely, and said a prayer of thankfulness that I knew exactly what she was wearing, not to mention the fact that she was the only Chinese child I had seen in that particular area. Then I went back to my previous prayer which had been running non-stop in my head for about 4 minutes at this point, "Please, God, please, God, please, God..."
I stood there for another minute, praying and looking, when Will says, "There she is!"
"Where?!"
"On the other side!" Sure enough. There she was, dangling off the other side of the pool. She was in about 4 feet of water (she is not 4 feet tall), hanging onto the side. She wasn't upset in the least. She was just trying to go touch a rock that the boys had played on earlier. I'm still not sure how she even got over there.
Of course, when I got her in my arms, I gushed and tried to explain to her what had happened and how she mustn't wander off, but she had no idea she was lost in the first place. She thought I had been watching the whole time.
And then I grabbed Will, thanked him profusely, and told him he was my Superhero! He beamed, while Kate scowled because she didn't see what the big deal was. Will was extremely proud though, and reminded me several more times that he was my hero.
So the moral of the story is, lock them in the house and never let them out until they are 32.
OK. So that isn't the moral of the story, but it sure would be easier on my blood pressure and my sanity.
It was super hot, so Will, Jee, and I were sitting in the shade while Kate played in a fountain, just feet from us. I was watching as she played, but at one point she walked behind a group of people, and I could no longer see her. I waited a few seconds for her to come back, but she didn't. Jee was closer, so she got up to spot her. I could see from Jee's face that she couldn't see her anywhere. I got up to help look, but after a minute of searching this very, very crowded pool, I started to get frantic.
I don't think I have ever been so terrified in my life. I was ready to have the lifeguard lock-down the front gate and go search under bathroom stall doors. Every horrible scenario ran through my head in about .5 seconds.
I had already observed how professional the lifeguards were, and had spotted the main lifeguard at her stand about an hour before. (When you have been a lifeguard, it is just habit to notice this stuff.) I ran over and got her, explaining that I had lost my 3 year old daughter. I described her completely, and said a prayer of thankfulness that I knew exactly what she was wearing, not to mention the fact that she was the only Chinese child I had seen in that particular area. Then I went back to my previous prayer which had been running non-stop in my head for about 4 minutes at this point, "Please, God, please, God, please, God..."
I stood there for another minute, praying and looking, when Will says, "There she is!"
"Where?!"
"On the other side!" Sure enough. There she was, dangling off the other side of the pool. She was in about 4 feet of water (she is not 4 feet tall), hanging onto the side. She wasn't upset in the least. She was just trying to go touch a rock that the boys had played on earlier. I'm still not sure how she even got over there.
Of course, when I got her in my arms, I gushed and tried to explain to her what had happened and how she mustn't wander off, but she had no idea she was lost in the first place. She thought I had been watching the whole time.
And then I grabbed Will, thanked him profusely, and told him he was my Superhero! He beamed, while Kate scowled because she didn't see what the big deal was. Will was extremely proud though, and reminded me several more times that he was my hero.
So the moral of the story is, lock them in the house and never let them out until they are 32.
OK. So that isn't the moral of the story, but it sure would be easier on my blood pressure and my sanity.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) He did, ya know?
"The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it." (Gen. 1:15) Man should care for God's creation perhaps?
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him." (Psalm 24:1) This land we walk on, the plants and animals, the resources... everything.... belong to the Lord.
Which begs the question, if the we say we love the Lord, how can we not also love his creation? How can we not be good stewards of the resources he has given us? We preach about good stewardship of our money and our time, but is stewardship of resources not important too?
I'll be honest. I've been a bit slow to get on the green bandwagon. I've lived most of my life in places that didn't have recycling available, or at least not easily accessible. I have thrown out more plastic bags than I care to remember. And have I mentioned how much I like really long showers?
And admittedly, there is more that I could do to care for God's creation than what I am already actually doing. In other words, I am not even half way where I should be. To be honest, environmentalism is a bit daunting. There is so much to it that I don't even understand. I am inexperienced.
But God kept putting people and things in my path that kept whispering ~ Caring for God means caring for His creation.
So I made a goal. I decided I would make one easy change at a time. Once that thing became habit, then I could add another thing. I am not very far along in my changes. I have been doing this for about 3 years, and you can tell from the list below that I am a slow learner. But hey, something is better than nothing, right?
So, here goes...
{Reusable Shopping Bags} Many stores will give you money back for using them. Plus, (and I love this one) Kroger will replace your bag for free if it rips or tears. It took me a while to make this a habit, because I kept leaving them at home. But I kept trying to figure out ways to remember, and now I put my wallet in the bags before I leave the house. I can't very well shop without my wallet can I? I also keep a spare bag tucked into a pocket in my van for surprise trips to Kohl's.
{Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs} This one is really easy because my electric company keeps sending me coupons to buy these things at dirt cheap prices. The only problem I've found is how to recycle them.
{Gardening} Who knew I would actually like gardening? But I can't tell you how much I enjoy seeing food come out of my backyard. It tastes better, it uses fewer energy resources (no transportation costs), no pesticides are used, and it saves me money. Win, win, win, win.
{Composting} I didn't even know what compost was a couple years ago. Basically, I throw all of my vegetable peels, stalks, cores, some dried grass clippings... whatever... into a bucket and let it decompose naturally. And then, I use it to fertilize my garden. Less waste goes to the landfill, and my waste is put to good use. Again, win, win.
{Recycling} Actually, my grandmother shamed me into this one last summer. And if an 80 year old woman can learn something new, why can't I? (Love you, Ninnie:) I still can't recycle a lot of things where I live, and I still have a lot to learn, but it is getting better.
{Use/Repair Something Old Instead of Buying New} I hate waste, and I hate spending money even more, so I've been doing this one a long time. What this one means is that if we live more simply and have less stuff, then we are using fewer resources. Do you really need that new sweater? What about a new cell phone? Really? I am not saying you should never buy anything. What I am saying is that you should evaluate the reasons for the purchase. Do you need it? Or do you just like new stuff?
{Energy Efficient Appliances} I have been putting this one off because of the point above, but my washing machine finally croaked. Did you know that a traditional top loading washer uses 40 gallons on a load? That is insane. My new large capacity front-loader uses less than half of that.
So, that's my short list. I am sure there are other things that I am forgetting (or don't even know about), so I have an idea. I would love it if everyone would share one thing that they do to care for the environment. Or that they should do. Then we all can have some new ideas about what to do next. So, fire away. (Blair, you can go first;)
Happy Earth Day!
"The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it." (Gen. 1:15) Man should care for God's creation perhaps?
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him." (Psalm 24:1) This land we walk on, the plants and animals, the resources... everything.... belong to the Lord.
Which begs the question, if the we say we love the Lord, how can we not also love his creation? How can we not be good stewards of the resources he has given us? We preach about good stewardship of our money and our time, but is stewardship of resources not important too?
I'll be honest. I've been a bit slow to get on the green bandwagon. I've lived most of my life in places that didn't have recycling available, or at least not easily accessible. I have thrown out more plastic bags than I care to remember. And have I mentioned how much I like really long showers?
And admittedly, there is more that I could do to care for God's creation than what I am already actually doing. In other words, I am not even half way where I should be. To be honest, environmentalism is a bit daunting. There is so much to it that I don't even understand. I am inexperienced.
But God kept putting people and things in my path that kept whispering ~ Caring for God means caring for His creation.
So I made a goal. I decided I would make one easy change at a time. Once that thing became habit, then I could add another thing. I am not very far along in my changes. I have been doing this for about 3 years, and you can tell from the list below that I am a slow learner. But hey, something is better than nothing, right?
So, here goes...
{Reusable Shopping Bags} Many stores will give you money back for using them. Plus, (and I love this one) Kroger will replace your bag for free if it rips or tears. It took me a while to make this a habit, because I kept leaving them at home. But I kept trying to figure out ways to remember, and now I put my wallet in the bags before I leave the house. I can't very well shop without my wallet can I? I also keep a spare bag tucked into a pocket in my van for surprise trips to Kohl's.
{Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs} This one is really easy because my electric company keeps sending me coupons to buy these things at dirt cheap prices. The only problem I've found is how to recycle them.
{Gardening} Who knew I would actually like gardening? But I can't tell you how much I enjoy seeing food come out of my backyard. It tastes better, it uses fewer energy resources (no transportation costs), no pesticides are used, and it saves me money. Win, win, win, win.
{Composting} I didn't even know what compost was a couple years ago. Basically, I throw all of my vegetable peels, stalks, cores, some dried grass clippings... whatever... into a bucket and let it decompose naturally. And then, I use it to fertilize my garden. Less waste goes to the landfill, and my waste is put to good use. Again, win, win.
{Recycling} Actually, my grandmother shamed me into this one last summer. And if an 80 year old woman can learn something new, why can't I? (Love you, Ninnie:) I still can't recycle a lot of things where I live, and I still have a lot to learn, but it is getting better.
{Use/Repair Something Old Instead of Buying New} I hate waste, and I hate spending money even more, so I've been doing this one a long time. What this one means is that if we live more simply and have less stuff, then we are using fewer resources. Do you really need that new sweater? What about a new cell phone? Really? I am not saying you should never buy anything. What I am saying is that you should evaluate the reasons for the purchase. Do you need it? Or do you just like new stuff?
{Energy Efficient Appliances} I have been putting this one off because of the point above, but my washing machine finally croaked. Did you know that a traditional top loading washer uses 40 gallons on a load? That is insane. My new large capacity front-loader uses less than half of that.
So, that's my short list. I am sure there are other things that I am forgetting (or don't even know about), so I have an idea. I would love it if everyone would share one thing that they do to care for the environment. Or that they should do. Then we all can have some new ideas about what to do next. So, fire away. (Blair, you can go first;)
Happy Earth Day!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Things at my house have been a bit crazy lately...
and shockingly it has nothing to do with my children:)
I know I have been gone for awhile, and I also know that you couldn't care less, except for the fact that you don't get cute pictures when I don't blog. (For the record, I am referring to my parents/grandparents/aunts here, I know the rest of you probably have tons of cute at your house.)
I have to plead insanity though, because that is what it has been like around here for the past 2 weeks. I hate to bore you with the details, but the rundown goes something like this:
So whenever I have wanted to moan about my misfortune, I have tried to turn that into a prayer of thankfulness and a prayer for those who are need of courage, healing, peace, and the multitude of other things this world needs.
I do this not because I am righteous, but because I am a selfish human being, who can only survive by giving my problems away. My problems are small, but He is mighty.
If it sounds like I have it all together, then I have misled you. Notice I used the word "tried" up there. I have spent much more time whining about my own problems than I have helping or praying for others. After a week like this, I am reminded how self-centered I am.
Good thing He is also full of grace, or I would be in a heap of trouble.
I know I have been gone for awhile, and I also know that you couldn't care less, except for the fact that you don't get cute pictures when I don't blog. (For the record, I am referring to my parents/grandparents/aunts here, I know the rest of you probably have tons of cute at your house.)
I have to plead insanity though, because that is what it has been like around here for the past 2 weeks. I hate to bore you with the details, but the rundown goes something like this:
- Two weeks ago, I got new linoleum, which is awesome, but I couldn't get in my kitchen for a couple days. So, no stove, washer, or dryer, and I had to go into the living room to get milk, which is just weird.
- Last week, I got new carpet, which is even more awesome, except apparently when you unplug my TV and router, my phone no longer works (that lasted 4 days). On top of that, I lost Tim's cell phone, which we later discovered was being held hostage by some jerk who made up some story about how he got it. Tim ended up having to bribe, I mean, reward him to get the phone back. Oh, and I forgot to mention that when the carpet guys pulled up my carpet, there were several fist sized holes near the back door. Yay.
- Then my ceiling started leaking for no apparent reason, so I had to go without water on and off for three days. At some point in all this, I just looked up and said, "Really, Lord? Really?" I now have a two foot hole in my ceiling. Anybody know any good drywallers?
So whenever I have wanted to moan about my misfortune, I have tried to turn that into a prayer of thankfulness and a prayer for those who are need of courage, healing, peace, and the multitude of other things this world needs.
I do this not because I am righteous, but because I am a selfish human being, who can only survive by giving my problems away. My problems are small, but He is mighty.
If it sounds like I have it all together, then I have misled you. Notice I used the word "tried" up there. I have spent much more time whining about my own problems than I have helping or praying for others. After a week like this, I am reminded how self-centered I am.
Good thing He is also full of grace, or I would be in a heap of trouble.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sometimes Ben Makes Me Cry
This past weekend we went to our church's revival. Before it started, there was a concert where we heard a lot of wonderful praise music. Ben really doesn't like singing (even though his mommy loves to hear him sing). So we found him a notebook, an ink pen, and some coloring pencils. This is what Ben created.
At the top, it says "From Ben to God". It is a drawing of one of the stained glass windows in our church.
And then he wrote this poem:
Let me translate:
But most
(Honestly, I'm not sure what is written at the top.)
Anyway, there are always those people who are critical of the way kids behave in church. And while I want my kids to be respectful, I'm really not that interested in the opinions of others. The whole time he was sitting there, he didn't look like he was paying attention. He looked like he was goofing off. But in truth, he was worshipping. Like I said, sometimes he makes me cry.
At the top, it says "From Ben to God". It is a drawing of one of the stained glass windows in our church.And then he wrote this poem:
Let me translate:Poem About God
I love You
I Squeeze You
But most
I praise You.
Example -(In the first frame, Ben is saying "I love you God". In the second frame, God says "I am God" and they hold hands. Last (I think) they are hugging.)
(Honestly, I'm not sure what is written at the top.)
Anyway, there are always those people who are critical of the way kids behave in church. And while I want my kids to be respectful, I'm really not that interested in the opinions of others. The whole time he was sitting there, he didn't look like he was paying attention. He looked like he was goofing off. But in truth, he was worshipping. Like I said, sometimes he makes me cry.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Kate's Big Night Out
Strangely, I find myself alone tonight... shocking, I know. Tim was taking the boys down to Mimi's to drop them off for a few days, and Kate kept saying, "Go Mimi's?" over and over again. I kept saying, "No, honey, Mommy and NaNa are staying here. The boys are going to Mimi's." Not the answer she wanted to hear. When I explained to her that if she went to Mimi's, Mommy and Daddy would not be there to put her to bed at night, she decided she didn't really want to go after all.
That lasted about 5 minutes, and then she changed her mind. (A girl always reserves the right to change her mind, after all.) I explained the situation once again, and she said she understood, and she repeated it back to me, in ASL and with words. I said, "I won't be there, so you can't sleep with Mommy." She said, "Sleep Arlie's bed." Hmmm, I'm not sure that Arlie will be thrilled at the prospect of getting kicked out of his bed by a 2 year old.
I called Mimi to explain the situation to her, and of course she was willing to give it a try. (Such a brave, Mimi.) I told her that if tonight is a complete disaster, I will come get her...first thing in the morning:)
In other news, I seem to be surrounded by terrible, horrible news. Not for myself, really, but for some people I know, and for many people that I don't know. Death, sickness, kidnappings, newly united adoptive families being separated by bureaucracy... all kinds of heart wrenching things. And so I find myself crying over my computer and crying out to God. It's probably a good thing that I'm alone tonight. I'm not trying to depress you, but just share what is on my heart.
Last, my laptop is having issues again. Hopefully they will be resolved soon, but until then, I will be largely MIA.
That lasted about 5 minutes, and then she changed her mind. (A girl always reserves the right to change her mind, after all.) I explained the situation once again, and she said she understood, and she repeated it back to me, in ASL and with words. I said, "I won't be there, so you can't sleep with Mommy." She said, "Sleep Arlie's bed." Hmmm, I'm not sure that Arlie will be thrilled at the prospect of getting kicked out of his bed by a 2 year old.
I called Mimi to explain the situation to her, and of course she was willing to give it a try. (Such a brave, Mimi.) I told her that if tonight is a complete disaster, I will come get her...first thing in the morning:)
In other news, I seem to be surrounded by terrible, horrible news. Not for myself, really, but for some people I know, and for many people that I don't know. Death, sickness, kidnappings, newly united adoptive families being separated by bureaucracy... all kinds of heart wrenching things. And so I find myself crying over my computer and crying out to God. It's probably a good thing that I'm alone tonight. I'm not trying to depress you, but just share what is on my heart.
Last, my laptop is having issues again. Hopefully they will be resolved soon, but until then, I will be largely MIA.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Our Garden
Peppers & Pumpkins...
Zucchini & Tomatoes...
(Scraggly) Corn & Watermelons...
& Yellow Squash - Yum!
June 20, 2009-First Fruits
(BTW, that last shot is staged. Kate and Will are NOT that happy about squash and zucchini.)
I have to say it, I am enjoying gardening way more than I thought I would. Granted, I didn't till the soil, I didn't set up the fence, and I didn't even plant most of the plants. But I do get out there most days to pull weeds, pinch suckers off of tomatoes, and generally keep the pumpkin from taking over the whole thing. I like to either get out there before 10am or after dinnertime, and it is like I am in my own little world, where the only thing that matters are things like whether the zucchini is producing as much as it should, and what I am going to do with 10 million yellow squash. I have enjoyed seeing how God's creation works first hand.
I compiled the pictures we have taken since April, and I cannot believe how much the garden has changed. The abundance is unbelievable. Every time I say, "I can't believe how big the tomatoes are!", they get even bigger. (Of course, whether they will ever ripen or not is another thing altogether.) So, I thought I would show you how my garden is growing.
April 13, 2009-Soil tilled
May 15, 2009-Veggies planted, fence built
June 15, 2009-Return home from vacation, pumpkins had taken over
July 7, 2009-We have eaten lots of lettuce, squash, and zucchini... 
Alright tomatoes, it's time to ripen already!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
God Things
Don't you just love it when God puts things in place in such a way that you just have to smile? Or maybe jump up and down? As you know, I am a blog junkie, and today I stumbled upon two blogs that had really cool stories, and I just had to share. I don't know these people personally, but I found their blogs through other blogs or forums.
The first one is the story of a family who is bringing home baby number 9 (seriously? - wow). They recently found out that their daughter who is waiting in China is receiving treatment from the ONE doctor in China who their American doctor recommended. Believe me when I tell you that waiting parents have absolutely NO control over this sort of thing. This was definitely a God thing. Very cool.
The second one is about a lady who bought some gifts to donate to an organization in China. Fast forward to when she receives an update about her daughter from the orphanage... there is a picture in the update of her waiting daughter wearing the EXACT sweatshirt that she sent. Somehow it made its way to her daughter. That is amazing to me. God thing.
So, what God things have you all seen lately? Anyone want to share?
The first one is the story of a family who is bringing home baby number 9 (seriously? - wow). They recently found out that their daughter who is waiting in China is receiving treatment from the ONE doctor in China who their American doctor recommended. Believe me when I tell you that waiting parents have absolutely NO control over this sort of thing. This was definitely a God thing. Very cool.
The second one is about a lady who bought some gifts to donate to an organization in China. Fast forward to when she receives an update about her daughter from the orphanage... there is a picture in the update of her waiting daughter wearing the EXACT sweatshirt that she sent. Somehow it made its way to her daughter. That is amazing to me. God thing.
So, what God things have you all seen lately? Anyone want to share?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Perspective
Anytime I whine about how we are waiting a whole extra month to travel to China, someone usually reminds me that things happen for a reason. On a good day, I know that God holds it all in the palm of His hand. On a bad day, my response is "yadayadayada" even though I know that He is in control.
Well, today I was granted a bit of perspective. You see, I am a part of about 4 or 5 online adoption communities. And back when we had failed to get a September consulate appointment, there were a handful of families on one of these forums that got September appointments that were opened up after we already had plane tickets. Too late for us to change our plans. I was extremely jealous. One of these families even had MY departure date! How dare she steal my departure date?! (Yes, I was outraged, but I knew it wasn't her fault. I am exaggerating at this point, people.)
Fast forward to yesterday. When this family went to pick up their daughter, they were told that she was in the hospital. Right now this little girl is critically ill, literally fighting for her life. Her new mama and daddy and grandma are at the hospital with her, but because she is so critical they are having trouble doing the leg work that they must do to adopt her and bring her home. The mom does not feel like she is getting good care at this facility and wants her to be moved to a different one, but there isn't much she can do since the little girl isn't legally her daughter yet. I just hurt for this family.
So once again, I am given perspective. Although Kate needs surgery and therapy, she is definitely not in critical condition. And although Kate needs a forever family, a mama and daddy to hold her and tell her that they love her forever, she is with a family who is taking good care of her. This other family needed to be in China RIGHT NOW. We did not. We can wait a month (even though I still don't like it).
Please pray for this little girl and this family. They need God to move in a mighty way. I have posted a link to their blog (in my blog roll on the right) for those of you who are interested in their story. I haven't read the entire blog - just the last few entries. It is called "Room for at Least One More".
Well, today I was granted a bit of perspective. You see, I am a part of about 4 or 5 online adoption communities. And back when we had failed to get a September consulate appointment, there were a handful of families on one of these forums that got September appointments that were opened up after we already had plane tickets. Too late for us to change our plans. I was extremely jealous. One of these families even had MY departure date! How dare she steal my departure date?! (Yes, I was outraged, but I knew it wasn't her fault. I am exaggerating at this point, people.)
Fast forward to yesterday. When this family went to pick up their daughter, they were told that she was in the hospital. Right now this little girl is critically ill, literally fighting for her life. Her new mama and daddy and grandma are at the hospital with her, but because she is so critical they are having trouble doing the leg work that they must do to adopt her and bring her home. The mom does not feel like she is getting good care at this facility and wants her to be moved to a different one, but there isn't much she can do since the little girl isn't legally her daughter yet. I just hurt for this family.
So once again, I am given perspective. Although Kate needs surgery and therapy, she is definitely not in critical condition. And although Kate needs a forever family, a mama and daddy to hold her and tell her that they love her forever, she is with a family who is taking good care of her. This other family needed to be in China RIGHT NOW. We did not. We can wait a month (even though I still don't like it).
Please pray for this little girl and this family. They need God to move in a mighty way. I have posted a link to their blog (in my blog roll on the right) for those of you who are interested in their story. I haven't read the entire blog - just the last few entries. It is called "Room for at Least One More".
Monday, September 15, 2008
If we had left on Thursday...
I have to admit it. I am a little down today, and it took me by surprise. We were supposed to leave for China last Thursday. I expected to be sad that day, but I really wasn't. But last night when I was getting ready for bed I realized that if I had been in China, it would have been Monday morning, and I would have been meeting Kate for the first time. So this morning I was kind of down about that. And Ben has been a little down today too. I don't know if I have rubbed off on him or what. When I asked him what was wrong he said he was having a grumpy day. Bless his heart. Hopefully we will both be better tomorrow.
God, watch over my children. Be with Ben and Will as they go through so many changes right now. Hold Kate in your arms and whisper that her mama is coming. Keep her warm and well-fed and smiling. Help her not to be afraid when she is brought to the SWI and to Nanjing. Comfort her. Prepare her heart for You. Prepare her heart for us. Bless her foster family - let them have peace that we will take good care of her. And for her birth mother and father, wherever they are, may they someday know you, so that Kate will have the opportunity to meet them face to face one day, in your presence.
God, watch over my children. Be with Ben and Will as they go through so many changes right now. Hold Kate in your arms and whisper that her mama is coming. Keep her warm and well-fed and smiling. Help her not to be afraid when she is brought to the SWI and to Nanjing. Comfort her. Prepare her heart for You. Prepare her heart for us. Bless her foster family - let them have peace that we will take good care of her. And for her birth mother and father, wherever they are, may they someday know you, so that Kate will have the opportunity to meet them face to face one day, in your presence.
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