Fun Foto Friday!

This is what usually happens when I try to get a "nice" picture of all 4 kiddos...

 

1 out of the 4 is smiling and ready.

Have no idea what little girl is doing...not to mention the eldest who is supposed to be helping her be "picture ready"--yeesh!  And Josi?  Well, let's just say I stopped fighting that battle about 100 rolls of film ago. ha ha ha

Allen's interpretation of, "Please try to get Nadia to look forward."

My perfect picture poser has turned into a "deer-in-the-headlights" imitator.

And Josi...yeah, uh, no comment. :)



This is the best one of the bunch so we'll call this one a keeper. :)

Whether they are photogenic or not, they are mine and I love 'em!

Happy Friday Everyone!

 

Who can you make smile today???

Someone Is...

Having a Birthday!  It's not until Monday but we will be partying all weekend long.

 

The table is set.

The cake is baked!

(Josi LOVES Reese's Peanut Butter Cups so when I showed her a picture of this Peanut Butter Boston Creme Cake she wanted me to make it--I hope it tastes as good as it looks. yummo!)

The balloons are blown up and I even splurged for that extra inner coating stuff to make the balloons last all weekend on into her birthday on Monday the 11th! (It's probably a big, fat, gyp but I wanted to try it.)

And here she is!  The one whom we'll be celebrating this weekend!

15 years! WOW!

Looking forward to a weekend of good friends, family, and good times!

We love you Josi-girl!

Will He Or Won't He?

For those of you Groundhog's Day Enthusiasts, you know that tomorrow is the BIG DAY for that squatty-looking, furry figure to come out of his hollow and predict whether we will have 6 more weeks of winter (which I'm voting for), or an early end to winter (boo).

I actually have a friend whose favorite holiday is Groundhog's Day (yes, I know, I have weird friends...but in my sphere of influence, weird is actually a positive quality trait!).  His Mom used to make him a  groundhog cake to celebrate...not actually made out of groundhog...at least I don't think so! I've even come across a few Groundhog's Day Cards that I've sent to him over the years and I always try to call to let him know I'm thinking of him on this special day.  That's what friends do...at least the weird ones. :)

For those of you who aren't Groundhog's Day Enthusiasts, here are a few fun facts about tomorrow:

In an early morning ceremony, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will rise as he has for 125 years from his heated burrow at Gobbler’s Knob, Pa., and signal to his handlers whether or not he sees his shadow. No shadow means an early end to winter. And if the groundhog does see his shadow? Six more long weeks of the season. Over the years that the ceremony has taken place, Phil has seen his shadow 98 times and not seen it only 17. (Records don’t exist for every year.) In 2008, the crowd heartily booed the prospect of “six more weeks of winter”.

So the big question on everyone's minds tomorrow morning will be...."Will He or Won't He see his shadow?"



While this is all fun and good and I for one enjoy the lighter side of our human existence at times, it made me think of other situations where the same question is asked with greater consequences, "Will he or won't he?" (he will be used as the accepted generic he/she for the rest of this blog post)

"Will he pick me to be on his team during recess or will I be the last one picked again?"

"Will he pick me to be invited to his party everyone is talking about or will I be home alone again?"

"Will he ask what's bothering me or will I just be ignored as usual?"

"Will he pick me for the job or will I just get another rejection letter?"

Or the heavy-duty, gut-wrenching, unspoken question that anyone who's adopted from an orphanage has seen on the faces of the ones not yet chosen...

"Will he pick me this time or will I be passed over once again?"

No one who has entered into the stark rooms of an orphanage to pick up their child can EVER forget the looks on those faces, and the questions behind those haunting eyes....pleading, begging...and in some cases... dreadfully resigned to their hideous plight. 

Here are some facts compiled in 2012 regarding orphans:

It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.) The UNICEF orphan numbers DON’T include abandonment (millions of children) as well as sold and/or trafficked children. The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million… to give you an idea of the enormity of the numbers…



According to data released in 2003 as many as eight million boys and girls around the world live in institutional care. Some studies have found that violence in residential institutions is six times higher than violence in foster care, and that children in group care are almost four times more likely to experience sexual abuse than children in family based care.


Every day 5,760 more children become orphans

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…
Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen


Each day 38,493 orphans age out

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home
Studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen
These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals

Another study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…

No phone calls or cards to celebrate their homecoming.

No cakes being baked to let them know they are special.

So this begs yet another question: What can I do to help?

A lot of times the only thing standing between a family answering the, "Will He or Won't He?" question to adopt, is finances.  They are willing but not always able because of that one obstacle.  I think almost anyone reading this post could answer yes to being able to give something...anything...no matter how big or small....in order for a child to be given the answer they've been longing for as they languish in an orphanage day after day...YES HE WILL COME FOR ME!

We adopted through an organization called Reece's Rainbow.  If you click on that red link, you will find a tab for all the waiting children...hundreds of them...who could all use a donation in their account.  Your donation might just be the tipping point for a family whose been watching and praying over adopting that child to finally say YES, WE WILL!!

Yes, I'll be curious to find out if we have 6 more weeks of winter tomorrow morning, but I'll be over the moon excited to find out about that next child who has been committed to by a family who was willing AND able to do so!

Happy Groundhog's Day Todd, and hopefully Happy Gotcha Day to many, many children in this upcoming year!

Before and After

We've had strep throat lurking around our house.  Nadia was the first to come down with it last weekend.

 She went from a runny nose on Friday morning to a full blown case of strep by Saturday morning...poor baby. She couldn't keep her hands out of her mouth so anyone who held her during her non-diagnosed, contagious time was highly exposed.

So far, my niece and I have both come down with it as well. :(

All I can say is, "Thank God for antibiotics!"

She is a new person just a few days later as she gets ready to go to school.

"Bye Mom, hope you feel better...take a nap today ok?"  Yes, I will!!!

Praying this one doesn't get it! (I think the four-legged one is immune) Josi and illnesses go together like oil and water...like Republicans and Democrats...like NC State fans and Carolina fans....ok, you get the picture.  Prayers would be appreciated. :) :) :)

It's Baaaack...

Hockey that is!

We are a sports loving family, and one of the things we've been missing are our family outings to the Carolina Hurricanes Hockey Games!

(For those of you non-sports people--there was a player lockout, that lasted 116 days, that ended recently once management and players agreed on a new contract...or something like that)

Last night was our first home game!

We dressed in our Hurricanes' Gear and eagerly anticipated leaving to be there in time for the puck drop.

(I know Nadia doesn't look too excited but trust me...she is)

Almost the whole gang is ready...waiting on the eldest and the leader of the pack.

(Nadia's not sure why she has to pose for pictures when we said we were leaving soon)

Josi and Michael, however, are doing their best to pose AND manage the wiggly worm.

"OK, I'm smiling...now can I get down and get in the car?"

"One more?  OK, but that's it puleease!"

"Woo Hoo!  Here we go!  GO CANES!

So we ended up losing...handily...to the Tampa Bay Lightning.  BUT, that's not why we go...although a win is definitely the icing on the cake.

  We love the family memories we are making and also the awareness that is made possible when crowds see our 2 girls out doing what other girls their age might be doing with their families.

  Oh sure, we get some stares and a few double-takes now and then (not often, though), but mostly we get opportunities for a conversation here and there about special needs, adoption, inclusion, etc. and usually lots of smiles when people see our 2 beauties cheering on the CANES like the rest of the fans!  

Just a small, fun way we can espouse the positives of special needs in our little neck of the woods... which is always a Win!

A Change of Hats!

Remember this little girl in the white hat?

During our visits to the orphanage  getting to know Nadia, she was rarely without this beautiful, eyelet, white hat.

She was quite subdued during most of our visits.  It probably had a lot to do with the heat, but even moreso, I think it's the boredom that came with life in an orphanage where there was little interaction, stimulation, and/or playing in general...like a 2yr. old needs.

 .

Sure, she showed some interest in her surroundings and was engaged at times with us. But she would very quickly go back to that place of being subdued and "into herself" for lack of a better explanation.

We saw sparks of her personality now and then but mostly we saw a sleepy, lethargic "baby" who preferred napping to exploring/playing/learning.

 We had to fight to keep her awake when we took her on stroller rides around the orphanage grounds. (Didn't want to mess up her 2-a day nap schedule for the workers!)

Here is that same little girl 2.5 years later wearing a different hat!

She is SO full of life and has more energy than most 5yr. olds that I know!

She can still be contemplative and quiet at times...but now I attribute it more to those wheels turning inside her head rather than all-out boredom and lethargy.

She has a wide range of moods and personality traits that have blossomed in the last few years.

She is surrounded by love, learning, and she is moving along at her own pace.

She has gone from wearing the hat of an orphan to that of a beloved member in our family.

And THAT change of hats makes all the difference in the world in the life of a child.

There are MANY (too many) newly listed children on Reece's Rainbow who also need a change in 2013. Will you be that family to make the difference in the life of one of those children? 

Would you consider popping onto the website and consider what your role might be in changing the life of a child? There are many families out there whose only roadblock to adopting is the financial end of things.  They are more than willing to bring a special needs child into their family--the desire is there! Please consider putting whatever amount you are able into the account of one or more of these children so they too can be home posing (somewhat reluctantly :)) for a photo shoot with their new Mom or Dad!

Quote for 2013

I want my life in 2013 to be an illustration of this quote that I've always loved:

“Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, “Oh no, she’s awake.” –unknown

I'm tired of living my life as a somewhat lukewarm Christian who:

-- is either acting/feeling more or less Christ-like depending on the circumstances I'm going through.

-- tends to blame others for my anger and lack of patience or otherwise un-Christ-like behavior.

-- tends to question why things happen rather than trusting that God's got my back AND has an ultimate glorious plan, regardless of the pain I may be experiencing in the here and now.

--wants God's blessings to be in the form of comfort and ease.

--takes control of things because releasing the outcome may mean things not working out the way I want them to.

God has taught me a lot in 2012 about my lack of trust that leads to lack of contentment in my life.  It's easy to trust God and to espouse His goodness to others when things are going well.  But when trials come that knock you off your feet and you come face to face with your faith, you have to make sure that what you believe to be real is really what you believe.

I spent a lot of 2012 face to face with my faith and what I discovered was this gap between my heart and my head of what I knew to be true about God, and my faith in His goodness and plan for my life. I knew His promises to be true, but I didn't feel as though they always applied to me as I went through hardships. 

So because of that gap, I've purposed to spend my quiet time in 2013 scouring the Bible for what it says about God's character and what it says about God's promises.  In doing so, I hope to be more aware of the many, many blessings God places in my life...whether in the form of wonderful things or things I wouldn't deem wonderful if looking at them through my own lense.

I pray that whatever God has laid on your heart for 2013 that you too would give Satan reason to shudder when your feet hit the floor in the morning.  I certainly don't want to give Satan a reason to sit back and relax this year...do you???

Happy New Year!!