Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Urgent Prayer Needed For A Sweet Boy

There is a sweet little one in Russia who needs our prayers immediately. He is an adorable little boy with Down Syndrome and his parents are there in court to be able to bring him home, but alas the judge does not deem him "worthy" to society to be adopted. His parents have been approved to adopt him through everywhere they need to be except this judge. Please pray for this boy and you can read his story here over on Linny's blog. He is not the only one facing this judge if you read more of her blog from today you will be able to hear two more sweet ones stories who are facing this same judge. Please intercede on behalf of these little ones. God deems them worthy and that is all that should matter. His heart is for the orphan and we should be so inclined to bring these requests to the feet of Our Father who has this all in His hands. Thank you so much for your prayers for this family.


On another note our family could use your prayers as well. We have had lots of changes going on around here and some are painful. We know we are suppose to move forward with our adoption and the evil one has started throwing his fiery darts at us. We will not be distracted by him, but we could use your prayers. We know God has this all laid out for us and it will be hard, so anyone who would come along side of us in this we would be ever so thankful. He is attacking on all sides and it is just getting ridiculous. We are the children of God He is our Provider and our Comforter. We take refuge in Him! Thanks everyone for standing with us and for praying.


Love and Ladybugs :)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Our Vickie

Spring is in the air and reminders are everywhere. For us this year the warm weather does not only mean spring but the events that unfold at school during spring. Brings joy and sorrow to this proud parent's heart!

This weekend Vickie will compete in her last guard competition. It is State Championships and we are very excited. Their show is gorgeous this year, and this year just might be the year they take 1st!! We are just praying! It is hard for me to believe this is her last one though. We have had 8 seasons of Guard. The first one started out with an awkward Freshman trying to figure out if she could march and spin a flag at the same time. Boy did we find out she could!! Each season through fall and then into winter she just kept getting better and better. This year and last during Marching season they took 1st every single time! Winter has been a little harder but they have always been in the top 3! I just sit back and think, where did the time go? She was so unsure and has some lack of confidence about it.


 Now, oh now its like its part of her. The flag, the rifle is part of her body. She spins it beautifully! She always use to say I don't want to do any kind of dancing stuff, but guard has brought out a little bit of talent in that area. Its so funny now to think about that statement. She dances, she marches, she tosses, she spins, she keeps the timing. There is so much to it and she does it beautifully! I am sad to see it end, but so thankful for the memories!! I am not sure what I will put in her air gram this weekend. (Air grams are cute little notes they announce over the intercom while the girls are getting the floor set to perform.) We always tell her how beautiful she is and how much we love her and to not forget to smile. 




Now this last time how do I sum up all that the past four years have meant to us, in just a few short sentences? How she has changed and grown and how her kindness and love just radiates out of her. How do you let go, when your heart so badly wants to hang on? Oh but what joy and hope we have for her. We know God has wonderful plans that He will lay out before her. We are just so excited to watch!!




Also with spring brings Prom and the dreaded and exciting Graduation season! Now with our oldest I prepared myself.  But I have been so busy lately if I stop to think of it, my heart breaks. So I just move on and try not to deal with it. A little background on our girl. Our oldest son was a little over a year old and we decided that it was time to have another. Well boys tend to run in our families so we just figured we would have another boy (later on we did :) ) but we prayed and yearned for a little girl!


 Even Daddy wanted a little girl! So we dreamed and hoped, and never found out what we were having because we love surprises! So the day she was born by C-section and they popped her little pink head over that curtain and said "It's a girl!" my heart was forever hers! and her Daddy's too!! We both sobbed and thanked God for the gift of a little girl! And she has always had us wrapped around her finger! We adore her! Good and bad! She has not been to difficult to deal with in her teen years. Oh were we preparing ourselves for that, but she handled it just like she handles everything else, with grace and love! It helps that she loves Jesus with all her sweet heart too!! So I know the day our sweet daughter puts on that cardboard blue cap and gown, and smiles that beautiful smile of hers, my heart will once again be filled with love that God truly gave us a beautiful gift in our daughter! My heart will break too knowing its just a matter of time and she'll be off on the adventure of life and allowing others to be crazy about her just like we are!! 

Victoria Erin, your Momma and Daddy adore you always!! You will always be our Princess sent from God above!! Please always stay beautiful inside and God will take care of the rest!! We love you Sissy!!! We also know your gonna be a great big sis to your little meimei's!! Thank you for being you, we wouldn't want you any other way!!!! You will always have our hearts!!!- Love Mom :-)

Monday, March 21, 2011

Being Real

This adoption subject stirs something in me as a mom that I need to clear up. Maybe its the protection part of me, maybe its not I am not sure but I feel like God is leading me to be real and be clear. 


First way back in 2004 I was going along, raising my kids, who at the time were 10,11 and 13. (Yes that makes them 20,18 and 16 now) when I was completely excited about my friends who were adopting. It was sweet and a great thing but it was not for me. I was the mom of 3 busy kids who could no longer have anymore of our own because of the harm it would bring to myself. I was completely ok with that, we were done having kids. I had come to grips with that a long time before that. Know this though I have always LOVED kids, and been involved in all kinds of organizations that involve kids. It's where my heart is. Well God had plans I never knew about and He was about to start revealing those plans to me. So as I watched one friend struggle through the waiting to bring her daughter home from China, I began to pray for her and her family, and God stirred something inside my heart. 


As I watched and waited for the two of my sweet friends who went to China together and finally got to bring home their daughters I was so excited and praising God for walking with them during all this. See this is not a story of us wanting more children or trying to do something because someone else was, this is a story of faith, and obedience. God was calling us to something and we had better start listening. Have you ever been in a situation that you knew God was calling you to and you thought it was crazy? Well that's how I thought. I even argued with Him about it, yes I did, I am ashamed to admit that, but I did. The thing is the more I tried to ignore Him, the louder He became, till He literally spoke to my stubborn head one day sitting at work. I swore I heard someone talking to me and I had headphones on listening to Focus on The Family. I pulled off the headphones and looked around my area and no one was talking, just working like crazy on their computers, just like I was. And then all the hair on my entire body stood up as I finally understood, the voice was God, and He said CHINA!! Now how ya gonna walk away from that and ignore Him anymore? So I prayed! I talked to my husband and prayed some more. I told God that if He wanted us to do this then He was gonna have to lay it on my husbands heart as well. And that is exactly what He did.


Now years have passed and I have wondered if I was crazy back then, but God has been preparing me, my heart, my family, my husband, and I pray those around me. See He was unfolding His plans for me, just like those in the bible He had plans for. He took His time till all I could think of and all I wanted to do was to help the orphans who didn't have families. It is a constant burden on my heart and I cry daily about it. Have you ever felt such passion for something, but it let up? Or maybe it didn't and you followed where it went. Well that's what we are FINALLY doing. Following where God is leading us. We did not ask for this, but God is calling us to do it. Am I the perfect person to do this? No way! I have so much sin and so much to work on in my life to be able to do this perfectly. Understand this though, God is NOT calling me to do this perfectly. He is asking us to trust Him! Follow Him and trust Him!! Here is the real thing He is revealing to us. Our one weakness (and some of you who know us, know what that is) He is using to make us strong. Everyone of has a weakness and just like Moses, God can use that weakness for His glory. I do believe that is exactly what He is doing. Can you imagine as believers if we came to Him after we had all our "stuff" cleaned up, what we would've looked like? If we had it all together, why would we need Him? I promise you right here, I am far from having it all together, and I need my Savior, my Jesus to clean me up daily. Some things He doesn't have to do that for but the one thing I struggle with, that right there, keeps me on my knees praying and needing Him ALWAYS!! 


Now I am not asking you to adopt, although there are 143 million orphans who need loving families to raise them. I am not even asking you to understand this completely, heaven knows I don't always understand. What I am asking is that you approach us delicately about this. This is our hearts desire. These children (how ever many God has waiting for us) are our children! They have been before time began. I do want to throw this out there for you. If you're children were abandoned and alone no matter where they were, wouldn't you do all in your power and that of heaven to bring them safely where they belong, HOME?! That is all we are doing. We love these children, we cannot help it. They are part of our daily conversations and part of our prayers and our lives. I will defend them in a heart beat just like if someone did something to our almost grown kiddo's. We are their parents! Its just a matter of getting them here. Know I say this with the deepest love. This is God's calling on our lives, He has called us to defend the cause of the orphans, He has also called you to do the same. It is scripturally mandated, as believers we are called to help them. So that is what I am asking you to do, help the orphans. If you know someone who is adopting, :-) PRAY for them, this is a struggle the enemy does not want us to win. And then come along side them however you can, whether its donating to a fundraiser or sponsoring an orphan or just doing all you can for their plight. It all makes a difference! So if you have questions for us, please be kind in asking them, we will do our best to answer them. International adoption is hard! Its tedious and time consuming and heart wrenching. I have watched a number of friends go up and down on this roller coaster and my heart breaks for them and then is joyful for them when God takes care of all the hearts desire. Please come along side us however you can. If you have adopted internationally and you have advice for us, please, please share it with us! We would love to hear your story! Remember God has called us to this, its a calling, we must follow or lose out on a wonderful blessing! One question I get sometimes is  this? Why China? Well thats where our daughters are thats why! If God would have called us to New York thats where we would have went, but He has called us to China! Please remember to pray for all of our family, big ones and little ones. God hears the prayers of His people. Won't you  join us on this crazy roller coaster adventure of adoption??? Our daughters are waiting............







Love and Ladybugs!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Quick update

First this is a test, trying to blog from my phone. Its so busy around here, don't get time to get on the computer. Note to self, must invest in small laptop, someday :-)

Secondly, After a day of prayer and fasting, thanks to my sweet friend Linny, over at A Place Called Simplicity. Her link is on my sidebar! God has spoken to our hearts to move forward with the adoption!!!!! Yippee Jesus! Now we've taken a small step and God has confirmed it, now asking for the next step, and praying He guides each step, so that we're in His will! Please keep praying friends. We are walking in faith and uncharted territory for us. Thankful its not for Him! :-) He is definitely at work in our lives and we are praising Him! Join us on our crazy journey won't ya?!

Love, blessings, and Ladybugs!!!!
Tammy :-)
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7