What's in my head....

Lots of things have been rolling around in my head lately. Thinking about our year and all the mountains, valleys.....a true roller coaster. I am questioning many decisions we have made. Have we done the right thing? Has God been glorified?

My heart is healing and I truly feel good. Is that wrong? How can I just move on with my life when we have had such an emotional year? How can I just move on when we had to walk away from a little girl who so desperately needed a Mommy and Daddy? Just typing those words make me feel sick. I look back at our pictures of Ukraine and Ruslana and wondered if it all really happened? Were we really there? Did we really meet her?

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.1 Corinthians 16:13

But after all is said and done, I feel peace. A true peace from God. You see, our plan was to complete mountains (and mountains and mountains:) of paperwork, fight the system and travel to Ukraine for our daughter. Our plan was to have her home for her 5th birthday in January. Our plan was not HIS. Were we being used the entire time to keep her from being institutionalized? Were we the promise that her orphanage director needed in order to keep her in the baby house? Were we the ones that were suppose to travel to meet this angel so we could tell others? Did God hold our hands as we walked into her orphanage for the last time knowing that her real Mommy and Daddy were half a world away? Did He know that all along? I feel like this must be it.

My Mom asked me recently if we would ever go back to Ukraine? My answer today- NO WAY!! I am terribly frightened of that place. Physically frightened. And I don't think that anyone else besides my hubby and myself will ever truly understand what happened there- the fear and uneasiness we felt. We had a bad experience- one that many families don't have. But that doesn't make our experience any more pleasant.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 1 Timothy 1:12

And I'll be honest here (and MANY of you will have a problem with what I'm about to say- sorry if I step on your toes)- I feel like I was part of something terrible. Something dark and hidden by many in the adoption industry. Corruption. Bribery. And paying people off to look the other way or to help make things happen faster. I know this happened in our adoption, but not until after the fact and that makes me sick. Sick to know that we had a part in it all.

But regardless of what happened to us and the circumstances surrounding our time before and in Ukraine, THESE ORPHANS NEED US!!! Please, pray about how God wants to use you. Pray about what happened to us. Realize what could happen but know that it quite possibly may not. Follow God's heart.

Prayerfully, we will adopt another special angel...in God's time.



In Him,
E

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Silent night, holy night.

Son of God, loves pure light.

Radiant beams from Thy Holy face.

With the dawn of redeeming grace.

Jesus, Lord at Thy Birth.

Jesus, Lord at Thy Birth.

Christmas Eve 2009 (thanks Mom)

I pray blessings to each of you this Holy Day! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

In Him,

E

We Lost a Warrior Today- URGENT PRAYER!

The Earth lost a warrior today. Derek Loux, 37, passed away earlier this morning. I knew Derek and Renee through Reece's Rainbow. Almost one year ago they were in Ukraine adopting 3 little boys (2 with Down syndrome). They have 11 children (one in heaven)- 8 adopted. Derek was both passionate about Christ and adoption. A warrior in the true sense of the word.

Although Derek received the most amazing Christmas present just a few hours ago, Renee, their children and entire family are left here to mourn. Please lift this family up over and over and over. As broken as I am to here this news, Derek rejoices today!!!

Visit Renee and Derek's blog here.

To GOD be the GLORY!!!

E

*Derek was a musician and worship leader at International House of Prayer. Listen to him singing one of his songs here. Just click on "listen now" (you don't have to download). Perfect song for today.

How can it be?

How can it be that beneath the surface of all our Christmas shopping and buying lies an aching that none of our purchases can heal?

How is it, God, that your coming scatters our priorities, empties us of all that is not important, and hallows a place in us that only you can fill?

How can it be that the Almighty God would bend into the folds of mortal flesh just to be near us and fill us with abundant life?

May Your light ever grow in us, swelling our life with your Spirit so we might bear Your love to the world. Let it be so now, in us we pray.

Amen

*From our church service Sunday morning.

In Him,

E

Simply Christmas Decor

It's WAY simple for us this year....and I think I like it. I'm quite happy without all the stuff everywhere. Not to mention having to get it out only to put it all away a few weeks later. Feeling the urge to purge the house again. I think I do this about every 6 weeks or so. Anyone want to buy some Christmas decor?

Greens- clipped from bushes outside and our Christmas tree. I love the warmth clipped greens give a room and how much easier could it be?

One of the many ornaments my Mom has blessed my kids with. This angel belongs to our oldest. Mom gets her an angel ornament every year. I believe this one is from Ten Thousand Villages. Every year we joke that we will have to get each of them their own tree because of the collections they now have....but we aren't kidding. We (both us and my Mom) have given the kids ornaments every year so that the first tree they have on their own won't be naked.



A favorite cross-stitch that my Grandma worked for me. It's even stitched with the year 1981

and her initials.

Another gift from my Grandma- this chair sits by our front door.

And one of our favorite things to do together during this all too busy time of year.

Yes, I cheated and bought the pre-assembled house and mix with water icing. I just couldn't bring myself to bake gingerbread for hours on end this year. After talking to baby boy's therapist today and hearing about her amazing gingerbread houses, I may just have to bake my own next year. But for now, I am thankful my kids don't know the difference and think I'm way cooler than Martha Stewart anyway.:)

Praying each of you a blessed and simple Christmas season!
In Him,

E

My Sister ROCKS!!!

First, we are alive and settling back in to life as "normal"- whatever that may be.:) We have officially been back home a week now and my body still isn't sure when it's suppose to sleep and for how long. Sigh. I am thrilled to be home for this Christmas season and having lots of fun creating with my girls. But the real reason for this post...

J and her youngest at the Christmas tree farm

MY SISTER ROCKS!!

When we committed to Ruslana she gladly agreed to the challenge- taking care of our then 3 kids. Then August came and baby boy joined us, so she agreed to 4 kids. This is in addition to her 2 boys. Overnight she went from having 2 kids to 6!!! AND SHE DID AN AWESOME JOB!! Not only did she take care of all the daily not-so-fun duties, but she even took the kids to the Christmas tree farm to pick a tree, decorate that tree, did crafts and crafts and crafts, baked and decorated cookies, took several kiddos to her Meals on Wheels Christmas party, shuttled kids from here to there, took our oldest to the ER when she had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic (very scary, I'm sure!), changed countless dirty diapers, made sushi, and on and on!

I wish I could tell her how much I appreciate her loving my kiddos while we were away, but I truly don't think I have the words. She made my girls feel special during a time of such uncertainty.

One of our "welcome home" greetings- precious!

I'm sure she's now enjoying some calmer days at her own quiet home in her soft, warm bed.....well, maybe not!

We are so blessed!!

In Him,

E

Thank you

I just wanted to stop by and say "thank you" to each of you who have been so supportive, sent us sweet notes and continue to pray for our family and Ruslana.

After a long 47 HOUR travel from Ukraine to our front door, we arrived home at 4am Wednesday morning. I don't think I've ever been so tired but to finally be home and greeted by my mom and kids....I don't have words for what I felt. Peace. Peace is what I felt. Is that wrong? I don't believe so because within hours of being home, we found out that R had a committed family.

There are many theories as to why we have been through what we have over the past year.

1. Would we have angel boy if it hadn't been for Ruslana? Ruslana captured our hearts and was the "one" who God used to get us involved in not only adoption but Down Syndrome adoption. Did God use R to ultimately lead us to angel boy? Would we be blessed to be able to call him our son without her?

2. Where would Ruslana be today had we not committed to her in May? Some say that God used us to help keep her in the baby house until her forever family could commit and travel to get her. She should have been transferred this past spring but because she had a committed family, the director allowed her to stay. The same director is also allowing her to stay until her forever family can travel in the spring.

3. We have seen first hand what God can do through a child with Downs. We have met several families who have committed or already brought their adopted children home because of Ruslana and her sweet face.

So you see, regardless of our hurt, God did and continues to use us. For now, I am tired and kinda hope that He'll give me a rest. Physically and emotionally I'm exhausted. We have been overwhelmed by support but there are always those few who feel as if they just must throw in their 2 cents.....their not so supportive 2 cents. And although I know that we have hundreds of prayers being said for our family daily, it's those 3 or 4 negative people who somehow seem to stick in my mind. Why is that?! Hubby said something very wise the other day. He said that to judge is human, but as soon as you choose to cast the stone (of judgement) the Devil has won. At that moment you have chosen to glorify Satan instead of the Lord. And some of those stones have been hitting us in the face. Not by anyone near and dear to us but by total strangers and some who have just heard about us. Six months ago I would have never guessed that I'd be sitting here typing these words, but God knew. And so, we will continue to press on and face the stones.

My prayer is that our story will even affect those who are judging us at this moment. Going to Ukraine was not something we did just because we thought it would be fun. We took that trip on total faith leaving all we loved behind. We were faced with many obstacles and still came home with empty arms.

In Him,
E

**And just for the record (because I know many people are talking), the man we met on the street was not drunk. He had had a drink or 2 but he was in NO way drunk- no staggering, no slurred words and he knew exactly what he was doing and saying. I realize crazy people are everywhere, but the hate we saw in his eyes I pray I'll never experience again.

Empty Arms

Good afternoon (morning in the States)! We're coming home. We just sat down with Sasha to let her know. I feel as if a part of me has died. I now understand how Patti (baby boy's birthmom) must have felt. A piece of my heart will remain in Ukraine, but for now we are coming home with empty arms.

I cannot even begin to explain where we are in this journey. Why in the world did God put us in this place and what are His plans for us? This is not a decision that we have made lightly. We have been in deep prayer about Ruslana and her needs and we truly feel like God has answered. We cannot provide the level of care she needs without our other children suffering. In order for her to heal and progress, she needs constant care and that just isn't something we can provide without putting our other children's needs aside. She is extremely low functioning and disconnected.

We want nothing more than to scoop her up and run but we know that we have to practice discernment and distinguish God's plan from our own. We've had to put emotions aside and pray that He would reveal to us what we need to do. The Bible tells us that "he who does not care for his family is worse than being an unbeliever". Right now we have to consider how this is going to affect our family as a whole. She really needs more than we can give her in order to get better, and we can't go through with her adoption just because we feel like we have to or are afraid to let people down.

We feel as if we have failed her and the other children who are being left behind, but we must focus on our family right now and try to heal. Please understand that this decision was not one that was made in haste or lightly- we feel as if we have lost a daughter.

I don't know why God sent us here but I pray He'll use this journey in a mighty way. Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Is He testing us in the same manner? Is it just to see if we will follow Him persistently in preparation for what He has next?

Our dreams for this angel have been torn to pieces and our hearts are shattered. Please, understand that we and our girls need this time to try to heal.
In Him,
E

The Streets of Sevastopol

I realize it is Saturday but here is a recount of what happened to us Thursday around 5:00pm on a sidewalk in Sevastopol, Ukraine. I wrote this the night of the attack.


We left our apartment with our facilitator to find coffee for her. It was busy on the streets. There were 40-50 people (including Navy officers) on the sidewalks outside our apartment. A man heard Sasha, our facilitator, speaking English to us. I can tell more details in person but basically he hit hubby in the back, hit his face and tried to push him to the ground. Sasha started screaming for my husband to just go...start walking away. The man was screaming, "I hate Americans! Go back to America!" Noone around us did anything...just looked the other way. Sasha immediately called the police but the man wouldn't leave us alone. He told us that he worked with the police and didn't care that she called them. He chased hubby trying to kick his legs out from under him. I was screaming at him to watch out! The man only spoke Russian (except his bit about America) and grabbed Sasha and told her she should thank God she was a woman. Otherwise, he would have done something to her. This went on for about a 1/2 mile or so until the man turned around and disappeared. We waited for the police...they never came. Noone on the street batted an eye. Noone tried to help. We were afraid to return to the apartment not knowing where he was. Did he see us come out of the apartment? Eventually, we returned.

We have been beyond scared. The facilitators tell us this never happens (it just did). Sasha's husband is come to be both our driver and escort. This man was crazy, but many people here don't like Americans. What next? The anger in his eyes...I'll never forget it. Truly, we were afraid for our lives.

There have been many, many tears tonight (from both hubby and I), but enough is enough. I cannot come home single. We have 4 amazing children at home we must think about. We are taking the night to pray. Tomorrow we may be on our way home. Please, don't make this harder than it already is. We feel like failures, but in the end this system fails it's children. This system fails it's people.

God brought us here for a reason and one day we will know what that is.


Thank you for your prayers without even knowing our situation. It has been a trying week in Ukraine to say the least and I'm afraid we are far from it being over. Please, continue to lift us up. We have visited R several times now, but I will update more about that later. I am physically and emotionally exhausted.
In Him,
E

Introducing....our girl

Oh boy, what a day! It was a day full of emotion-both amazing and not so. The "not so" will be shared at a much later date. The amazing .... well, see for yourself.

She is beautiful and ROUND! R is quite little but so heavy. It only took her a few minutes to warm up to us and from that point on loved hanging out. Her director and "teachers" seem to love her very much. They wanted to show her off for us, so they brought in the speech therapist (yes, there is a speech therapist at this orphanage) to perform a song with her. She was very cute and followed directions quite well. We have several videos that I'd love to share but it will take some time for us to learn how to do that.

I'll be honest here- we had no idea what to expect. We didn't know how high or low functioning R would be. Is she "behind"? Yes. She is not walking unassisted and seems very much still like a toddler- she'll be 5 in January. But, at the same time, she is more advanced than we thought she'd be. After us showing her once, she tried to color alone on the magna doodle we brought.

She tried over and over to unzip and zip the zipper on the book I brought (with buttons, zippers, pockets). R loved the book with animals and fur to feel and kept flipping back to the cover to feel the chick. With the love of a family we have no doubt that the sky is the limit.

Here she is doing the famous Down syndrome split. She can go from her stomach to a sitting position without ever moving her legs....it's amazing and freaked our facilitator out a bit.

See what I mean about round!:)

We are URGENTLY seeking prayers. I cannot share the details at this moment but understand that we need prayers now. There is a spiritual battle occuring all around us and we are in the very midst of it. Satan has shown his ugly face time and time again. We cannot let him win.

I will share more later. For now, it's off to eat, look for a new apartment and go see our girl.

In Him,

E

Our journey so far...

First, thank you for covering our family in your prayers. I know that many of you are curious to know exactly what has happened to make our trip so rough up til now.

I'll just list things in order by which they happened-
1. Washington DC airport- I know sometimes there are security searches and they pull people at random. We had passed all check points, scanned our boarding passes and were literally about to turn down the long tunnel (I'm sure there's a name for it) that leads to the airplane when I was "chosen" to be searched. Lucky me, huh?!?
2. The German airport- what is it about Germans that makes me so uncomfortable? I was already a bit uneasy about having to be there in the first place. There were 2 security checkpoints. Hubby got through both....I was not so lucky. That's right- I was stopped both times. The first time they used the wand to make sure I was safe, felt me up and down, took off my shoes, etc. The second time, they used the wand, PULLED MY PANTS OUT AT THE WAIST, etc, etc. I was fuming and nervous beyond belief by the time it was over.
3. We arrived in Ukraine only to be greeted by a drive who hardly spoke any English- I mean HARDLY spoke any English (he was not the driver we were suppose to have). He sped away from the airport and immediately upped his speed to 190km/hr (118 miles/hr)!!! I didn't know if we'd make it alive to our apartment or not. He sped around town making several mysterious stops only to drop us at the door of our apartment with a "Welcome to Ukraine!" and off he sped. Hubby swears he thinks he was making some sort of drug deal. Who knows?
4. We were without a phone, internet, money, food, tv...nothing for about 8 hours. Call me a spoiled American if you want, but talk about being afraid. The phone in our apartment didn't even work making it impossible to call anyone!
5. At the airport we were told that our facilitator would be over very soon. Tick tock, tick tock-Late that evening we finally saw her. I believe she felt bad about leaving us and brought us food- bread, butter, cheese and water. Plenty to get us through the night.
6. The next day we ventured out in search of some place to exchange money as well as find groceries. Exchanging money was easy. Then came the groceries. We were minding our own business trying not to stand out. I'm not sure what happened but we were followed around the store by a security guard radioing someone on his walkie-talkie the entire time. Again...very intimidated. We couldn't get out of the store fast enough. On the way back to the apartment a policeman thought to take it upon himself to stare us down until he could see us no more.
7. We were promised phone calls from facilitators that didn't happen. We were promised internet connection that didn't happen...for days and days.
8. We had an elf bed. Really- hubby says he felt like Will Ferrell trying to sleep in that thing. It's funny now but at 2am it wasn't so humerous.:)

There is much more to the story that I just don't feel good about sharing on these pages. We've had a rough time. We have been left in "the dark" about many things and lines of communication have not been upheld. It wasn't until yesterday that we had internet and were able to get in touch with our families. YESTERDAY- TUESDAY!! We left FRIDAY!!

I had an extremely rough night Monday night and literally looked at my husband and said, "What are we doing?! Can't we just go home?!" I know that's not possible and it was probably Satan showing his ugly face, but that's how down I was at that point. Thankfully, we met up with Ellen and Andy Stumbo (adopting Nina- Reece's Rainbow) and Frank Garcia (adopting Kelsey, Reece's Rainbow- his wife, Renee, is already home) Tuesday and had a wonderful time. We were able to walk around Kiev a bit and have lunch together. I had no idea how much we needed those few hours- just to be able to talk with others who spoke our language.

Last night we spoke with our angels back home over Skype and oh how this momma needed that! I am still missing them more than I thought possible, but we are pressing onward. My sister is awesome and took our 4 and her 2 to get a Christmas tree yesterday....all by herself. Rock on, J!! Thank you so much for making this season special for our kids while we're away! They turned the webcam around to the tree last night so that we could see it and it is beautiful.

Yesterday we were able to meet with SDA and receive Ruslana's referral. There were 3 photos of her in the file and since they only needed one, they let us have the 2 youngest- one was taken when she was around 6-9 months and the other when she was around 18 months. I am so glad to have these as we have missed so much of her life already.

I am writing this from the train. We are headed to R's region and are about half way into the 18 hour train ride!! Hubby just fell asleep beside me and our facilitator is on her bunk reading. We have a new facilitator- one that I don't believe anyone from RR has ever used. We will arrive in Sevastopol at 6 am, get cleaned up and head over to begin paperwork around 8:30. Prayerfully, before lunch we will meet our girl. I can't believe we're really almost there.

I am tired and need to get some rest but will try to update tomorrow after meeting Ruslana. Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!
In Him,
E

We're HERE!!

***This was written and saved on our computer Sunday. We just now have internet service and many, many things have happened. Truthfully, we've had a very rough time. I'll post more tomorrow (I hope) and fill you in a little. We are leaving for Ruslana's region around lunchtime tomorrow (Wednesday).

WE’RE HERE!! It’s Sunday here in Ukraine. We arrived yesterday to a very overcast, grey, cold day. I was searched a total of 3 times at 2 different airports. Hubby- not searched once! Let me tell you, it’s very nerve wracking being searched in a German airport. Twice. At 2 different security points. We’re thinking it may have been something in my boots. Just plain ‘ole black cowgirl-type boots. I ended up having to send them through the scanner alone and it seems they have some sort of metal piece in each of the soles. Who knew?! The 3rd search happened in Washington, DC. They were just pulling people aside randomly to search and guess who was chosen?!

When we arrived in Ukraine, a driver picked us up at the airport and drove 190km/hr down the highway. I was warned by several other adoptive moms about how fast and crazy people drive. They were right. I was sitting in the back seat sqeezing hubby’s hand for dear life. We finally made it to our apartment and crashed. We had been awake for around 24 hours and traveling for about 22. After a few hours of much needed rest, our facilitator stopped by to give us our cell phone and some food for the night.

We don’t have internet in our apartment yet so for now I will have to update somewhere that has WiFi. Hopefully, it will be up and running in the apartment soon.

I’m missing our kids terribly. I haven’t been able to talk to them yet, but will boot up Skype in just a few minutes. Leaving them Friday morning was hard. SO hard. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat anyway, but telling them good-bye for 2-3 weeks was crushing. I know they’ll be fine. They are being cared for by my mom and sister and will get much love while we’re gone. But it’s hard. We’re missing our middle’s 13th birthday. It’s Christmas time- our family’s favorite season. Our baby is only 3 ½ months old- I don’t want him to grow while I’m gone.

But, as sad as I am to be away from my children, I can’t believe we’re here. Prayerfully, just days away from meeting our angel, Ruslana. Oh, how we’ve waited for that day! And yet as eager as we are, she has no idea we even exist. We have prayed and prayed for her without her even knowing about us. No reason to be excited to see us. No reason to accept us and reach for us.

Today, I’m asking for prayers for our children at home, for our process here in Ukraine and especially for Ruslana.
In Him,
E

Invites

I'm getting to them, I promise. Just trying to do 3948 things at once.
In Him,
E

We're Leaving on a Jet Plane....

Can't you just hear the music? That's right...we got our travel date today!!! WOOHOO!! Now this crazy mama is freaking out a bit. You won't be hearing from me much around here for a while. The blog will go private this weekend so I can speak more freely about our journey. If you'd like an invitation to still be a reader, you MUST email me in the next few days (nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com). There are a limited number of invitations and first dibs go to family, so first come first served.:) These pages will not take priority over spending some quality time with my angels the last few days we are home, so again- email me SOON!!! I will try to update as much as possible once we are in country.

Financially, we are still quite nervous. Several things happened this week that were unexpected and have us on edge a bit, but GOD IS GOOD and won't leave us now.

WOOHOO!! Ruslana, here we come. I can't believe this is really happening!
In Him,
E

Look who is 3 months old today!!

Oh how I LOVE this little guy!! I can't believe it's already been 3 months.

In Him,

E

Almost There!!

I feel like I should update everyone on the status of Ruslana's adoption. We thought we would have received our travel date last week but because of the H1N1 virus outbreak in Ruslana's country, things are moving a little slower. PRAYERFULLY we'll receive news tomorrow or Wednesday, and yes, I'll let you know when we hear something.:) If my calculations are right (which I'm sure they're not:), we'll be traveling around the end of the first week in December.

I'll be honest- I am terribly excited and beside myself at the thought of FINALLY meeting our angel, but a part of me is very sad. We may miss Christmas. I know. I know. "Think about God's gift to us, E." "Think about what God is blessing you with this Christmas, E." "How could Christmas be any sweeter than meeting one of God's angels chosen just for you- one that He has chosen to share with you?!?" You see, I've heard it all, and I know. I really do and can't believe that He chose us. God is blessing us in the most undeserving way. We are so unworthy, yet, He continues to amaze us with His goodness over and over, and I'm still uneasy and sad. Sad that we may not be here to celebrate with our family. Sad that my kids may be waking up without us Christmas morning. I am praying for peace. I know our children will be surrounded with love during our entire absence.

I am also a bit uneasy about $. I feel like I keep coming back to this. Of course, it has turned out that we will be traveling during the busiest time of year and guess what that means? The most expensive time to fly. We thought our total flights would be around $4000 and that we would have some air miles or discounts through a friend, but I'm not sure that will work out. So, this is what it's looking like-

2 round trip tickets for 2 adults- around $2,200
2 round trip tickets for 2 adults for 2nd trip and 1 ticket home for Ruslana- $3400

Yikes! About $1600 more than we were hoping. And the more I sit here and type out my worries and complaints, the more I realized that we'll be fine. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that God has our entire trip planned. I know that financially we'll be okay. I know that Christmas will be a time of rejoicing and celebrating no matter which continent we're on. I know that God is Almighty and will have faith in Him forever!

I am so human.
In Him,
E

Sweet Kirill NEEDS a family!

I want to introduce you to Kirill. Oh, I just want to scoop him up and squeeze him!! He is an orphan with Down Syndrome whose time is literally ticking away. If a family is not found for him in the next few days, he will be sent to an institution that he will NOT be able to be adopted out of. Period. Please, help me spread the word about this angel. Kirill does have a grant worth $1185 available for his adoption. Just this week, another angel who was down to hours before transfer was blessed with a $5,000 grant and matched with her family! That's all Kirill needs- a family willing to commit. You don't have to be ready to travel tomorrow. You just have to be willing to commit to him and get busy on your paperwork. A simple commitment will save this boy. Please, join me in prayer for this sweetie.

Below you will find more specific information about Kirill. If you wish to view more specifics about his country and the requirements to adopt from there, click here.

In Him,
E

Kirill
Boy, Born May 1, 2006

SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!

Kirill is a very special little boy. He is being given one chance to find a family. Placing him can mean the full referrals of many other children with Down syndrome waiting in this far western region of Russia (close to the border with Europe).
Kirill is 3 1/2 years old....his mother was very young when he was born, and she simply was not able to care for him. The truth is that there is no place for him in this society...she wasn't really given a choice but to give him up. Kirill is HEALTHY, with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. He is a very tender and affectionate little boy.

Progress report at 2 years: He recognizes his caretakers and reacts to them calling his name. He crawls and walks with assistance and eats from a spoon. He is doing very very well considering his environment, and will really benefit from early intervention services here with his new family!

At 3 1/2, he is walking and climbing everywhere like a very typical little boy!
And look how cute he is in this new photo, with his glasses, he is like a little Reece! What a blessing, that his orphanage was able to provide him with glasses! Someone PLEASE save Kirill!

№ 8c2c Brothers and sisters no

Date of Birth: May 2006

Gender: Male

Eyes: Gray

Hair: brown

Character: Kind, gentle, at 2 years of walks with support.

Contact Andrea for more information.

Blog Award!!

This award makes me laugh! Thank you so much, Lyndi, for honoring me with this beauty and reminding me to keep it real. Lyndi is a fellow adoptive Mommy friend who only a few months ago returned home with Patrick- a LOVE who is also blessed with Down Syndrome. I am amazed at his progress in just a short amount of time. His is truly an angel!



The nitty gritty-

Here are the rules for this award:

1) Must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.

2) Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.

3) Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

4) Tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.


So, are you ready to learn so little known facts about yours truly?!! Here goes-

1. I can do an "Irish Heel Click". Yes, you heard right, but don't you dare ask me to perform for you. This is only done in the privacy of my home around my hubby and kiddos. The girls actually had the nerve to compare my "click" with one of a youth pastor the other day. And can you believe who's they thought was better?!?! Not mine!



2. I LOVE classical and piano music. I could listen to it all day long, but I'd probably be divorced if I did that. It makes my husband crazy!



3. I am absolutely, without a doubt, an introvert. You may be thinking "what?!?" with the way I blab on these web pages, but it's true. If you were to meet me in real life, you may not even think I was the same person. I am quiet and would prefer to stay home in my "bubble" than to be socializing with the best of them. I was a cheerleader. Yes, an introverted cheerleader. And not just any cheerleader, but the captain of our cheerleading squad. I'm not sure what happened between then and now.



4. I have a problem getting dressed in the morning. There...I admitted it. Many, many, MANY days you will find me still in my pajamas at 4:00 PM. This is one of the many benefits to homeschooling, I guess. Truly, it's so bad that one of our dogs begins following me and showing concern that I'm leaving him when he sees me get dressed. He knows that the only reason I get dressed is to leave the house. Pathetic, I know, but my lounge pants are SO comfortable!!



5. I am 32 years old. It's funny because I can never remember how old I am- really! All last year I thought I was 32 until this past birthday when my hubby informed me that I was in fact turning 32. Wouldn't you know it- I am able to be 32 for another whole year. It's quite sad, though, because I was never able to be 31.:(



6. I am 32 but have a 16 year old. I know what you're thinking, so go ahead and do the math. Having her so young absolutely shaped who I am today. I did not drop out of school. Actually, I graduated with honors thanks to much support from my family. Thank you Mom and Dad!



7. Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to be a Neonatologist. I'm not sure if that dream will ever come true. I believe that God knows it is physically beyond possible for me at this point in my life, so He's replacing that desire with my new passion for orphans. Still in the business of helping those who need it most.



8. I am NOT graceful although I dance around with my girls and pretend that I am. Just a couple of weeks ago I was chasing our youngest daughter through the family room and tripped over an electronic keyboard that had been left on the floor. Yes, I did see it and tried to jump over it but didn't make it. I hit the hardwoods (I now know why they are called "hard"woods) with barely enough time to stop my nose from being crushed. Literally, I was within a 1/2 an inch of a broken nose. Hubby thought we'd be heading to the hospital after he saw and heard my hit. My knees felt it the next day.


Many, many days I notice new bruises on my legs, arms, hips and wonder where in the world they came from. I share this problem with my Mom so I'm sure it's genetic.:)



9. I have lived in the same county my entire life. I have also attended the same church since I was a baby. I love it here and can't imagine living anywhere else. Of course, if God calls me to Africa, I suppose I should follow.



10. I do not have OCD but the clothes hanging in my closet are sorted by color and season. I have NOT always been this way and blame my husband for this problem I have. If you were to see the rest of my home right now, you wouldn't believe that my closet is so neat. I'm not sure why the compulsiveness doesn't spill out into other rooms, but it doesn't.

Now, I really need to get to bed so I'll continue with my award recipients tomorrow. Hope you all have a blessed weekend!!
In Him,
E

Handmade rocks!

One of the tassels I made last year that I wish I hadn't sold.:(

First, an update (for all of you who keep harassing me:). We are PRAYING that we receive a travel date next week, and PRAYING that it is for the first week in December. A family who submitted paperwork the week before us just got a date this week for November 30th. I promise, I'll keep you posted.

Christmas. Oh how I LOVE this season of giving!! And I'll go ahead and say that this post isn't about whether we should or shouldn't exchange gifts or how much or little we should spend. For my family, we are focusing on both the orphan crisis and giving gifts.

We adore creating. We love getting our hands dirty and pouring ourselves into our creations. There are so many others out there who love the same thing. If it's something that I cannot make myself, I'd much rather support a fellow creator instead of Walmart or Target. Don't get me wrong, you'll see us many days strolling the aisles at Target indulging ourselves in the popcorn combo snack for $1.50. I love Target's clearance. Very rarely do I buy something there that isn't 75% off. Sorry...back to my topic.

Handmade. Support the locals. Support other Moms. Support other adoptive families. Support the "little guys". Let's support each other. I encourage you to check out Etsy. The talent you will find there is unbelievable. I am including just a few of my favorites.

FreeBranch Jewelry- this lady does beautiful work. Maybe I'm partial because she is my sister, but I don't think so. She has such an eye for nature and incorporates that into her jewelry. And can I just say that I've told her she's crazy for charging so little for her masterpieces?!? Yes, she charges between $8-$10 per pair of earrings and doesn't even charge shipping! J's Etsy shop is brand new but you can visit her blog and view a few more of her creations here. Just snoop around, I'm sure she won't mind- her jewelry photos are in a couple posts.

Dare I say I am the proud owner of several of these bags (and some of my family received them as gifts last year) and I LOVE them!! I never knew what to do with those silly, plastic produce bags at the grocery store and didn't dare throw them away. Now, I don't have to worry about it. I have owned my mesh veggie bags for about a year now and they are still going strong. And the price, you ask? Only $6 for a set of 4. Stop by and pick up some for yourself and those you love.

And these....well, let's just say DON'T EAT THEM!! Yes, they look good enough to eat but they do better in the bathtub. That's right- each of these works of deliciousness are soap (the popcorn above and the cupcake things below). Everytime I look at them they make me smile. The same family members who received the reusable produce bags above also received some soaps from LoveLeeSoaps. The popcorn soap even comes in it's own popcorn bag. Too cute! The owner of LoveLee is also only 19 years old- how cool is that?!

Oh, and Red Letters. Can you guess what Red Letter Words stands for? Just think "Bible". The creator of Red Letter Words is a strong Christian lady who proclaims her faith through her work. She is able to put any favorite scripture onto canvas.

And of course, there is Shaping Lives Pottery. Our daughter was part of a huge holiday show this past weekend and was so blessed by the many people she met. I know some of you are reading this- thank you for supporting my girl! She sold A LOT but has plenty left ready to ship. I will post more pictures of immediately available items tomorrow. If orders are placed this weekend, she will ship Monday afternoon.

Again, I encourage you to support each other. Visit a few of the artists I've mentioned. You won't be disappointed.

In Him,

E

**And, of course, don't forget Reece's Rainbow's Angel Tree Project. Each of these children need a family NOW and your small financial gift could mean the gift of life to these angels.

Sweet Zoe

THANK YOU for all the prayers for Zoe. She had surgery late Sunday night to remove the key- it was lodged somewhere in her throat. Amazing how God kept her safe through this ordeal. Obviously, they kept her for observation and to make sure there were no tears. And YAY there was no further damage. Monday she was able to go home.

I'll write more tonight. In case you haven't noticed, I've been MIA. Hope each of you have a blessed day!
In Him,
E

Urgent prayer request

We learned just a bit ago that a dear friend's 2 year old daughter swallowed a key and it is lodged in her throat. She has been transported via ambulance to a local Children's Hospital for surgery. Please, pray for sweet Zoe and her parents Kelly and Jeremy.
In Him,
E

CANCER FREE!!

Praise God!! Many of you who have been around for a while know about and have been praying for my dear sister-in-law, Markana. Today's test results......

MARKANA IS IN REMISSION!!!

She has been battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma for over a year now. Her PET scan results today showed she is cancer free!! Although I will miss my trips to Nashville to help care for my sweet niece on "chemo weekends and weeks", I will not miss the reason why I needed to go. Markana now faces a 6 week stem cell process before it's all over. Please, keep her in your prayers as she faces the final phase of this nasty illness. I urge you to visit her Caring Bridge site (link in right sidebar) and leave her some encouraging words.

Amazed by HIS grace,

E

SUBMITTED!!!

Oh, yes, our paperwork has been submitted in Ruslana's country! This is HUGE, I tell you. We are praying that we leave U.S. soil before the end of November. This may be a miracle, but have you been watching this journey?!?! The whole thing has been a miracle!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!

I received several emails from people wishing to donate to our "orphanage donation" bag. A few people who have been to the orphanages in this country suggested some wonderful items- lotion, chapstick, black socks. And very clever- black socks because the floors are so dirty! Not that I want to think about how terrible that is, but a good solution if you must have one.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers for our family! We are almost a family of 7- crazy!
In Him,
E

Sorry....I've got nothin'

That's right...nothin'. No news. Prayerfully, by tomorrow night I'll know something terribly exciting. A hint-

This photo was taken a year ago- I can't wait to see what she looks like now.

One prayer request- evidently H1N1 is rampant in Eastern Europe. These countries don't have access to the medical care and supplies that we do here. Many government agencies, businesses and even schools are closing for several weeks in Ruslana's country. Please pray for these people especially the children. Orphans aren't looked at very kindly there and any extras (medical supplies, disinfectant supplies, etc) will not make it to the orphanages. Prayer is the only thing that can protect these angels.

In Him,

E

*I am considering giving up one of my travel bags to make it a donation bag- hand sanitizers, socks, etc to donate to R's orphanage. If you have any "in's" or any suggestions, please let me know. The things we take for granted are what these angels need most right now.

Tomorrow's Secret

Tomorrow (Monday) might just be the day that something much anticipated happens. You're waiting for me to tell you, right? Sorry. You must wait. And I'll only tell if it really happens. How mean is that?!?

We have been through the ringer the past few months- the ups and downs of adoption. We are no different than any other adoptive family, though. Each of us have our share of trials, but God HAS seen us through. Even now I marvel at where we are today and the miracles that God has shown our family.

I'll give you a hint and say that this part of our journey may just be ending soon. See you tomorrow!
In Him,
E

EXCITEMENT!!

Yes, I am sure you are all expecting the usual "cute kids dressed up in costumes post". After all, it is October 31st, right? Well, I have those cute pics of a pirate, a 50s waitress and a sweet little dog, but those will have to wait.



The excitement in this house tonight is because Reece's Rainbow 2009 Angel Tree is up and running. Since Reece's Rainbow's beginning 3 years ago, more than 225 angels with Down syndrome and other special needs have found their forever families through this amazing ministry. And it IS a ministry! No profit is being made (they are a 501c3 charity). Therefore, the annual Angel Tree which runs from November 1- December 31 is extremely important.



Let's all agree that international adoption is crazy expensive. CRAZY! Usually, at least $15K and many times creeping up there around $25K. This is the numero uno reason that families cannot commit to bring orphaned children home. There are families willing and waiting but don't have the funds or access to those funds to put toward an adoption. The Angel Tree's purpose is to raise as many funds as possible for each of these children to offset some of the costs associated with adoption.



Ruslana was granted $5,350 through generous donations to Reece's Rainbow. Some of this money came from one large individual donation specifically for Ruslana, but some of these funds also came through the Angel Tree project. $5,350 is HUGE! And any amount towards the fees of adopting a specific orphan could literally give a family the nudge they need to commit.



There are many faces I see on this year's tree that I am praying about joining our family (8, 10, 14 maybe!:). Yes, Mom, I just said that. I can't help it. Ruslana may be the last....but she may also just be the spark that kindles the flame (along with baby boy, of course).

The ornament you will receive with a $35 donation. There will be a photo of your sponsored child on the reverse side. Our ornaments graced their own special tree last Christmas and was one of the most treasured places in our home.

Join me this year in sponsoring and angel (or 5:) from Reece's Rainbow's Angel Tree. There are 166 orphans with Down syndrome from around the world who are in need of grant donations.

DISCLAIMER: ONLY CLICK ON THIS LINK IF YOU ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE SOME OF THE MOST PRECIOUS FACES ON GOD'S BEAUTIFUL EARTH!! I MEAN IT!!


NOW GO!!

In Him,
E

Love Notes

First, where have I been? I know, I know, it's been a week since I posted last. Thank you for all your concerns!:) Let me just say- I have gone from my house in GA to Knoxville, TN to Nashville, TN and back again- all in 2 days. Just a quick trip to finish one adoption document. And guess what? ALL OF OUR PAPERWORK IS NOW IN RUSLANA'S COUNTRY!!! WOOOHOOO!! Talk about a HUGE load lifted. Now, I can breathe just a little bit. Well...maybe not.

We have been so incredibly overwhelmed lately that we haven't had many moments to just sit and enjoy each other, so we are making time for that. We also now have to think about traveling in the next 4 or 5 weeks and getting ourselves and the kiddos ready. I can't believe we are finally at this point.

And the real reason for this post....LOVE NOTES- they are something each of us (kids included) share with each other. Such a simple yet deep way to communicate our feelings for one another. You will often find windows or mirrors "painted", construction paper notes, pictures and post-its hanging around our home. And don't be surprised if you find a sweet note stuck somewhere unexpected- under a pillow, in a sleeping bag, in a car or in a briefcase. Try it. It's a very simple way to tell those closest to you how much they mean to you. And I will say from experience, you will make someone's day!!

This one even was tri-folded with pictures and a note on the reverse side.

And yes, each of these signs are currently hanging in our home....even the "Mother's Day" one.:)

Oh, and I must say that I am a very blessed woman. My hubby knows my heart- just look at what I found last week in our bathroom.:) Good thing I'm not a "high maintenance" babe!

In Him,

E