Happy World Down Syndrome Day!!

HAPPY WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!! Pretty cool that there are 3 copies of the 21st chromosome thus 3/21- March 21st!!

I am working on rewriting our adoption journey to our sweet baby boy and hope to share it soon. I am finding that reliving the days leading up to his arrival make me very emotional. We have been so abundantly blessed by our angel and the fact that he has that extra chromosome makes him even more amazing! We are truly honored to have been chosen to be his family.

I am reading the book "Gifts- Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives" and the first line of the foreword summed my feelings up. It says "Your life will have flashes of color you never knew possible." This was written to a new mother of a baby with Downs not long after his delivery and unexpected diagnosis. Oh, how I wish women who choose to terminate pregnancies after given a Downs diagnosis would hear that. Even in our angel's short life, we have been blessed beyond measure and have already been a witness to many of those colors we never knew existed.

Thank you, Lord, for choosing us!

In Him,

E

I AM Blessed

And yes, his eyes are that blue.

One of our favorite spots on our property.


Markana, she loves it! Thank you.

My only one with chocolate eyes.

Our middle and youngest "chatting". He LOVES his girls!

Brother love!

Dressed just like Daddy.

I could just eat him up!!

Sorry, not as many of the girls. They had other things to do. Baby couldn't get away.:) Enjoying this glorious weather!!

This one absolutely cracks me up- he was laughing so hard both our middle and I had tears streaming. I have no idea what came over him or what in the world he thought was so funny.

Oh, how I love my kiddos!!

Take a few moments to listen to and read the words to this song (don't forget to mute music at bottom of this page). The chorus is what I pray for each of my children. And I find myself praying it daily.

In Him,

E

I'm open and enjoying the journey with God!

If you couldn't tell, I have been in deep prayer over the past few weeks about surrender. If I am being honest with myself, I don't know if I can say that I've ever been 100% surrendered. I'd like to think that I have been 99% ....but not a full 100%. Sad. I want it so badly. Yet, even in my weakness and disobedience, God continues to bless me. My life is full.



Recently, someone very, very dear to me sent me a note (THANK YOU!! You know who you are! )- a note God knew I needed. Inside, she included a devotion torn out of an Upper Room (did you realize it was dated May 18th? Our anniversary!). The part she highlighted was this- "If we are in a hurry we can miss such moments, even fail to recognize them while we're busy looking for something else. On the other hand, if we slow down we can notice these things, savor them, and praise God with thanksgiving." And the thought for the day at the bottom of the page was this- "Instead of rushing through our days thinking only of the destination, why not enjoy the journey with God?" Enjoy the journey with God!! Amen!!



Again, my eyes were opened. I am so blessed. God is using me, and I trust that He will continue. I believe with every part of me that more children are to come. Special needs? Maybe. We are certainly open to any child regardless of need or color IF GOD places that child in our lives. God is color blind and wants each and every child in a family. Period. On the other hand, I guess as much as I believe more children are to come, maybe I'm wrong. That is what's in my heart of hearts but maybe it's not so. My deepest prayer is that I am able to be open and hear God's words for me.


I believe with God there's always more. He's never finished and requires us to keep moving in HIS name until the very end.






Haiti's got me. We speak of Haiti daily in our home. The despair. The devastation. The orphans. The hundreds of thousands and maybe even over a million orphans! In tiny, little Haiti! It honestly makes me want to throw up! I cannot even imagine. But is "speaking of Haiti" enough? Last night I watched a short documentary from a rescue group that recently returned from a trip to Haiti. I went to bed in tears.

And Jesus said..... "This is my command: Love each other." John 15:17


I love this blog. I love that I can come here and write what I want, straight from my heart. Many times I have contemplated hanging it up and only writing in the prayer journal I keep by my bed. Sometimes it would be so much easier. But I think that that's when Satan would win. I would be one less person talking about our God.

I love looking back at my faith journey and seeing how I've taken 5 steps forward only to turn around and take 3 steps back. I love the friends I've made and sad for the ones I've lost because of our differing opinions. But through it all, I have grown and changed in His name.

My prayer tonight is that each of us can be open. Open to His word. Open to His call. And know that His call is absolutely NOT always something we have in mind for ourselves. Many, many, many times it's the very thing that scares us the most. We don't get to pick and choose. It's not "Oh, this sounds like fun, oh, but that might make me a bit uncomfortable." Or "People may judge me or think I'm crazy if I do that, sorry God." And I'm not pointing fingers because I know I'm guilty of sheepishly turning the other way when God has asked me to step out of my comfort zone.

Complete surrender. For our "yes" is on the altar.

Yesterday, I mistakenly posted this quote while really meaning to save it for later. It's taken from one of my very favorite blogs and written by a woman who knows what it means to completely surrender. You can visit her blog by clicking her name at the end of the quote.

In Him,
E

"We decided a long time ago to always be open to what the Lord had for us. We decided long ago that our lives were not our own and that we would use the days we were given to open our home to children who needed one of their own. We decided a long time ago to quit limiting God with our time frame. We decided a long time ago to step out of the boat no matter what the cost. We decided a long time ago to say," Yes Lord." " ~Amy

URGENT NEED FOR FAMILY FOR UNBORN BABY GIRL!!

Please, read through this email I received from The Shepherd's Crook Ministry. If we were in a better place right now (not looking at upcoming open heart surgery:( ), we'd be very seriously praying about bringing this angel home. What a wonderful birthmom she has to have chosen LIFE despite her prognosis. And let's face it, although her prognosis sounds daunting, how many children do you know who have been miraculously born free of many prenatal diagnoses?!! I'm not saying she will be born without challenges, but only God knows.

***FOR GA FAMILIES- We know of an attorney that has just begun an adoption ministry. He will do all legal work in GA probono, so possibly no legal fees for GA families!! That's HUGE!! Email me if you live in GA- nogreatergiftmom@yahoo.com

Join me in praying for this angel and her birthmom and that an adoptive family will come forward quickly- her birthmom needs to know someone will love her daughter. If you feel as if your family may be a good fit for this sweetie, email TSC at the email listed near the bottom of this post soon(I've highlighted it).
In Him,
E


We are in need of a family for a very special baby girl that is due to be born around July 4th. Her birth mom is a sweet, brave young lady who has chosen to give her baby life despite the recommendations of some in the medical profession. She has chosen to give her baby life with great hopes that there will be a family that desires to adopt this precious baby girl, and that this family will also be prepared to meet all the baby's medical needs and lifelong challenges. Please consider whether God would have you open your hearts and your home to this baby girl. The baby will be born in San Diego, California. She is at least partially Hispanic. The birth mom has had a very healthy pregnancy and has cared for herself very well. The baby is currently at about twenty-four weeks gestation; the potential problems predicted for her, based on several ultrasounds, are as follows:

deformities of both hands and both feet, with likely clubbing of both feet and one hand
small jaw and chin
underdeveloped stomach
hydrocephalus and underdeveloped brain
there are also some key elements of fetal brain development that are missing or not able to be visualized at this point
her neck appears to be fixed in a hyperextended position

As you can tell, this child's disabilities could be severe. She is probably facing surgeries for her hydrocephalus and skeletal deformities and will probably have some level of impaired cognition (intellectual ability) and brain development. The doctors are not sure how her small stomach growth will affect her feeding ability. The birth mom has expressed her desire to place the baby with a Christian, two-parent family. She would like some level of communication and openness as the baby grows so she can be kept up to date on the baby's progress. Any family that comes forward for this baby must keep two things in mind: first, be hopeful that the child's prognosis will be better than the doctors have predicted; second, be prepared to parent a child who may have severe lifelong disabilities. There will be many more ultrasounds and consultations with specialists, so the baby's diagnoses may become clearer as the pregnancy progresses; but we are hopeful that we will find a family willing to commit to adopting this little girl now, regardless of whether future ultrasounds indicate that her condition is likely to be better or worse than we believe it to be now. The adoption will be handled as a private, independent placement. Costs would include the attorney fees in California, as well attorney fees in the adoptive family's state.

There may also be some additional costs for counseling to the birth mom. The exact fees have not yet been worked out, but there is no agency fee involved and everyone is doing their best to keep costs to a minimum. Potential adoptive families should be ready to move forward with the adoption regardless of whether or not the baby will qualify for any state assistance or SSI (Supplemental Security Income, provided through the Social Security Administration).

Possibilities for this type of assistance and funding will need to be pursued by the adoptive family. If you are interested in being considered for this precious child, please send a biographical information letter about your family, and a recent family picture. Families need not have a completed home study at this point, but must to be able to complete one well before the baby's due date. To request more information, or to send your family's biographical sketch to be presented to the birth mom, write to: july-baby@theshepherdscrook.org. And please join us in praying for this birth mom and for her special baby—that the pregnancy will proceed safely, and that an adoptive family will be found quickly.
In Him,

Alison Weibert,

RNTSC Medical Ministries Coordinator

A few of my favorite things

This post is for any mom with a baby but may be specifically helpful for those of us with babies with Downs.

There are several things that our sweet baby boy loves- things that we know are especially good for him.

*This mirror. Yes, I spent a total of $5 at Wally World for this beauty! It's the kind that one would normally hang on the back of a door to admire herself and her outfit in. I just laid it on it's side and voila! Now baby can admire himself!

*Rubber letter mat squares- $3 at our church consignment sale for the entire alphabet. These are perfect for physical therapy. And the colors are great.

*Now, granted we just got this teether today, but he has been playing with it for about 45 minutes now. I do believe it is love. This is a super, super oral motor stimulator- 5 different textures on a soft but durable silicone. Not to mention the fine motor skills that are being practiced while holding and putting the teether in his mouth.

It is manufactured by Born Free. I checked their site and it is sold out (we must not be the only fans), but we found ours at Target for $7.99. If you are local, go quick- Target only has one left!

*And the all too famous vibrating strawberry. Again, great texture and oral stimulation. Need I say more?!

*One last thing that we do not have yet that a speech therapist recommended is a battery operated toothbrush. She recommends "getting in his mouth" daily- move the toothbrush around and rub his cheeks and the roof of his mouth.

In Him,

E

Anyone make buttons?

No, not the kind that keeps your shirt together, silly!! The kind that you are able to put on your blog (and others) that will link back to your own. Did that make sense?

I am pretty clueless when it comes to anything to do with the internet or computers- I can check my email, look up topics on Google and post something here. Beyond that....I need help!!

If you are willing to make a very special button for me (actually, for the CUTEST angel boy you have possibly ever seen!), I would be so appreciative. We'd like to have one for a prayer campaign for his upcoming open heart surgery. Thanks so much!
In Him,
E

Preach It, Sista!

Linny hit me in the gut- Thanks, Linny! I really don't like the word "gut", but you know what I mean. Read her words. Pray over her words. Let them sink in. Dive into THE WORD and listen. God will answer.

God has really been stirring my heart lately, and Linny's post was meant for me. She says exactly what I feel but writes it ever so eloquently. It seems like many posts I'm reading these days talk about completely, totally giving it ALL to Him. Absolute surrender- emotionally, spiritually and physically. I even receive things over email and snail mail that speak the same thing.

I've said before that people tell me I can't save the world (some roll their eyes when they hear what I call the "passion" in my voice- it goes something like this, "Oh, E, stuff like that is everywhere. You have been blessed to be born in the U.S., and you can't get so caught up in saving all orphans or doing away with everything good in your life because someone else doesn't have it."). I know that. It's not my job- I'll leave that to my Savior. BUT, if He asks me to help Him.....if He asks me to leave it all and move to Haiti, I'd like to think I would. If He asks me to adopt 35 children, I'd like to think I'd say "yes". If He asks me to give up chocolate FOREVER, I'd like to think (DEEP breath!!) that I'd hand it over and never turn back. God calls us to do hard things so we have no choice but to completely lean on Him. Some people think because it is hard or because something other than our plan happened, that it absolutely couldn't be God. Oh no, not so!! Total reliance is what He seeks.

Now, go read Linny's post.

In Him,

E

God is pushing

God has been pushing and poking and shaking me alot lately. Well, let me clarify- He always pushes and pokes and shakes......it's just sometimes I try to look the other way. I often think to my human self, "Really?!! I don't think I can do that, God. How about I just pretend I didn't hear you?" Is this just me or does anyone else share this fault?

Almost one year ago I met an angel, "A". Our lives were on similar paths- both waiting for our little ones with Downs who were living half way around the world. Seven months ago "A" and her husband traveled to Taiwan to bring home beautiful Grace. I have no doubt that God placed "A" in my life for a very specific reason. That reason is a post in and of itself- something I may share one day. "A" works hand and hand with God to push and poke and shake me. Sometimes intentionally and others just through her words and thoughts. She has been a rock for both my husband and I throughout our entire adoption journey. God used and continues to use her over and over to show us the exact verses to pray over. She has especially challenged me this past month through her own searching, praying and waiting. I urge you to visit her blog- A Family Rebuilding the Wall. You will be blessed. **And as a bonus, she lives just 30 minutes from me!! God is good!

I also want to share a clip from another blog I love. This is from My Life, My Desire and hit me in the face today-

"IS THIS TRUE OF ME?
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call,
because then you are not bothered by what He requires. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod
you on to do His will.
You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.
Never consider whether or not you are of use - you are His."


I KNOW what God has called us to do. Now we must do it.
I pray you have a blessed weekend!
In Him,
E

Laundry Detergent....Revisited

I had several questions about the laundry detergent we make, so I thought I'd write an entirely separate post addressing those questions.

1. This soap DOES NOT produce suds. We tend to think that suds=clean, but that's just not true. Feel confident that your laundry is just as bit as clean without the bubbles.

2. This detergent is so incredibly easy to make and not at all time consuming. The soap grates very easily- it takes us a fraction of the time it would take to grate an 8 ounce block of cheese. The melting of the soap is probably the longest step but only around 10 minutes. And remember, you do not have to stir constantly just occasionally to keep things moving. But DO NOT try to melt on a high temperature because you are impatient like me.:) You will surely have burned soap- yuck!

3. Sensitive skin- our red head also has extremely sensitive skin and suffers from eczema. Her eczema is not extreme but she does suffer from other weird skin things quite often, and this soap DOES NOT affect her negatively. We have never seen any break outs of any sort from the detergent.

4. How do we store it? I keep ours in a big 5 gallon bucket with a top. The 1/2 cup sits right on top ready for use. Some people do transfer the detergent into gallon milk jugs or any similar type containers, but for me it takes up less space in one big bucket. I find it's just easier to be able to remove the top and scoop out what I need.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! We love this detergent recipe. It even works great on cloth diapers with no extra pre-treating.
In Him,
E

Remember this?

I LOVED this song growing up. And I had no idea that it had been 25 years!! Yes, I was alive then but very young.:) Which one is your favorite? I love them both. The "old" one because it was the original and won my heart so many years ago, and the "new" one because of what it stands for. And I finally get it now. The images rock my very soul. Join me in continuing to pray for Haiti.




And now this.....




In Him,
E

Franklin Springs- our favorites

We love Franklin Springs Media- a wonderful, Christian company that produces wholesome, inspiring DVDs. Some of our favorites- The Eden String Quartet, Peasall Sisters, When Robin Prays (our FAV DVD honoring Down Syndrome), A Journey Home and Rejuvenate with Serene Allison. We'd love to own them all, but this is it for now. Check them out....you'll love them!
In Him,
E

Homemade- Laundry Detergent, Chocolate, Baby Food and Wipes

Wow- what a title, huh? Doesn't the "chocolate" sandwiched between the other topics make you hungry?:)


Really, we have changed the way we do things around our house over the past few years. If we can make it, have time and it's a better financial decision, then that's what we do.



Laundry Detergent- I have been making our detergent for about 8 months now. And I LOVE IT!! It is so terribly easy and a great financial decision. Before making our own detergent, I was spending about $10-$13 every month or so. Now I think we spend about 1-3 cents per load. Crazy! I find the basic ingredients at our local grocery store- Borax, Fels Naptha and Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soad. Some people substitute the Fels Naptha with whatever soap they have on hand (Ivory, Dial, etc). I have tried this and it doesn't seem to fight the stains as well for me.


The detergent is even fabulous for getting out those super tough stains. I keep a toothbrush in my laundry room to dunk into the bucket whenever a stain needs some extra tlc. Just scrub the detergent directly onto the stain and poof!


Instructions-



1. Grate entire bar of Fels Naptha into shallow pan (easy for the kids). Yes, I use my cheese grater. It looks a bit like cheese, too, so you can trick someone by offering them a bite.:) Add a cup or 2 of water and simmer on low until ALL SOAP HAS DISSOLVED. The dissolving part is very important for the end result. Stir frequently as not to burn.




2. While the soap is dissolving, fill a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full of HOT water. Mix in 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Laundry Booster. You may add more or less of either of these to your liking. I usually add a bit more.





3. When soap has fully dissolved, add it to your bucket concoction. Stir well. Finish filling 5 gallon bucket with hot water. Viola! You are finished!!



Now, I have used the detergent immediately. Some people say to let it sit overnight. I haven't seen a difference in effectiveness. Also, the detergent will be ugly- a slimy, lumpy goo. That's perfect! You know you did it right when it looks like this. And I guess you should stir it occasionally. I remember to sometimes.:)





Oh, and I use 1/2 cup per load of laundry (add a little more if you have some extra nasty clothes).


My girls enjoy helping me make it, and I enjoy letting them be my stirrers!




Baby Wipes- We were blessed when our youngest angel was born with these beauties. My SIL, Markana, sent them to us just before we left to pick him up. I LOVE THEM!! We use them primarily for diaper changes, but also for washcloths at bathtime.




Yes, I still use the disposable wipes for dirty, dirty diapers and for time away from home. While I'm getting these lovelies wet with warm water, I also rinse out the disposable wipes. That way any chemicals that come with the disposables go down the drain. And I can trash the yuck in the disposables!



I'm sure these are super simple to make (just flannel fabric squares), but mine are from Moo Cow Momma. She makes them in hundreds of different fabrics and colors. Our's are a variety of cute boy fabrics.








Homemade Baby Food- I don't buy any premade food. I just don't like it. It is so incredibly easy to mush up some fruits and veggies and a whole lot more nutritious, I'm sure.

Also, we started our sweet boy on organic cereal but there was really no need to continue after a short time. First, he is formula fed and gets plenty of iron from the formula. Second, cereal is really only on the market to assist in getting babies ready for eating "real" food- you can water it down or thicken it up as much as you need. And third, our sweetie spit it up. He wasn't (and isn't now) a spitter upper unless he had eaten cereal that day. Cereal no more!

In order to make his food, I simply mush up his meal for the day. This photo is of sweet potatoes and banana.

I have been just using a fork to do the mashing but did break down and buy a baby food grinder yesterday. I'm not sure how it is going to work because it was super cheap and mostly plastic. The fork may be our best bet. With the fork, I simply mush until I get the consistency I want.


The food never resembles the liquified food you find in baby food jars- it's thicker and does have some teeny, tiny chunks. Baby has never had a problem with it, and I hope this makes it easier on him later trying more textured foods. He has been such an easy one to feed- no spitting or gagging at all. And super clean!



To date we have tried sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, mango, avocado, carrots, green beans, prunes, pumpkin and peas. I had a harder time with the peas because the skins didn't want to cooperate. Baby is not at all picky and doesn't mind his foods mixed. Sometimes it's even apples and avocado for breakfast!



A tip about apples- skin, slice and boil them. They will turn super soft and perfect for baby. If you feed your angel cereal, save the water you boiled the apples in. It is natural apple juice and would probably taste scrumptious mixed with cereal.



Also, I have considered making baby food in bulk and freezing it in ice cube trays. My only delimma is that I'd have to remember to get it out with enough time for it to thaw before a meal. But it would be the perfect portion size and easy to store. Still thinking about this one.



A great site for info about making your own food is Wholesome Baby Food.

This sweet boy sure does like it!! This is his new high chair. Look how tiny he looks in it!

And last but not least- Chocolate. We did a unit study on the Olympics, and I let each girl pick a country to focus on. Our youngest chose Canada, so we made this delicious Canadian dessert. YUMMY! They are called Nanaimo bars and you can find the recipe here- Nanaimo bars.

Of course, this isn't a very delicious picture of them, but I promise they are so good!

Phew. That was a long post. I hope each of you have a blessed weekend!
In Him,

E

Facebook

First- you guys crack me up!! Seriously. If you haven't had a chance to read the comments from my last post about my quirks, you must. They will make you feel much better about yourself. Some of them are crazy, but dare I say I do understand each and every one!! And some of your quirks even reminded me of some I forgot to list. I'm keeping those to myself. You will absolutely think I've lost it if I publish my "real" list. :)

And now on to the real reason for this post. Uh-oh. I'm bound to get hate mail for this one. But here goes-



I understand that Facebook can be used for good. Spreading the word about prayer requests. Keeping people posted about illnesses, recovery and needs. But, really- does the world need to know that you just took our your trash?! Or see the pictures of you posing in your bikini at the beach last summer?! Really?!



Now, I HAVE a Facebook account. I broke down and signed up about 8-9 months ago. I hate it. I (almost) never get on. I did find a dear friend of mine from years and years ago, and I am so grateful. But beyond that, it is completely worthless to me. Every time I log on I feel like I'm back in high school, and by the way people talk, you'd think that's where we were. To prove my point I logged on this morning. This is what I saw-


*Someone trying to build some virtual barn.

*People trying to figure out which "Steel Magnolias" character they were most like.

*People talking about "The Bachelor", what happened and how tragic it was! Tragic, really?!


*Some posting pictures of the latest and greatest (drunken) party. They are married with children!


I want to hear your thoughts. Disagree with me if you need to....I'm ready for it. Tell me what I'm missing. Is Facebook really a reason to miss hours and hours of time with your family? I am guilty. The internet sucks me in TOO MANY times! There. I said it. But I truly see people addicted to FB. Posting about every....single....moment of their day. And don't even get me started about Twitter. Is nothing private anymore?!

I am sure this post may not be one of my most popular. Start the comments.


And to all of my friends who have a relationship with Facebook- I still love you in spite of your Facebook status!:) As for this girl, I'm done.

In Him,
E

Am I the only one?

Okay, people. Am I really the only one who has these quirks? These are true stories- beware. Your image of me may be forever altered. And I sure hope others come forward and tell me I'm "normal". Not that I want to be normal, but still.



1. Laundry- it doesn't bother me, really. I'd much rather be folding laundry than....say.....scrubbing baseboards. But there's a thing about laundry that I'm a little obsessive about. Towels. They MUST be folded a certain way. I have come a long way in my 14 years of marriage because I used to be the towel nazi. I mean it- this wild look would come over my face until the towel was "fixed". Don't ask why. I really don't know. Nowadays (is that a word?), I just put on a pretty smile (read- gritting teeth behind my smiley lips) and shake my head approvingly as my children fold the towels all crazy. Then, in the dark of night while noone is looking, I sneak into the closets and drawers and refold everything. And after a sigh of relief and a real smile on my face, I slink off to bed and dream of how neat my closet looks. (Color coordinated, of course)




2. Small foods- I must eat them in even numbers. ONLY!! I don't know why it's only small foods- nothing big like chicken, salad or avocados. Foods like pretzels, popcorn, raisins all must be eaten in even numbers. I do this very discreetly so most people don't even know. I've also been known to actually give an odd numbered food back to the person who gave it to me just so I'd only have an even number. AND we won't even talk about M&Ms and what the different colors do to me. Different colors plus even numbers!!! It's enough to send me over the edge!




Please, know that I DO NOT need to be committed. My family is okay with my quirkiness and just hands me an extra small food when they see I have "the look" on my face.



And Valerie Abbott is a friend of mine in "real" life. Valerie, if you are reading this, please know that we don't have to speak a word of this to anyone. Okay?!!:)


In Him,
E

A Very Brief Recap

Courtesy of his older (middle) sister

I'm truly sorry to all of you that are still waiting on a response from me about one thing or another. I just couldn't get it together this past week. Not an excuse but just what happened. Sorry. Thank you to each of you who have been asking about my hand and giving me tips on how to care for it. I must say, it looks great and is healing quite nicely. I bet in another week or so you'll never know I was burned.

Our week-


1. Baby went to cardio on Monday. Surgery is tentatively scheduled for mid April. He will go back in March for another check-up, and we'll set the date then.



We are having to move forward with the surgery because the echo Monday showed the defect already causing some changes in his lung pressures. Not good.





2. I have been up to my eyeballs (literally) in consignment sale washing, pricing, tagging, bagging.......I am so glad that tomorrow all of this will find it's way to our church and out of my home. I want my basement back!!





3. Our oldest got her license (not sure why I never posted that). Not only did she receive her license, but she bought a car. It's a super cute navy Honda Civic and suits her to a "t". Do I like her driving alone? NO WAY! Will I have to get over it? Eventually....give me time.:)





4. Hubby and the 2 youngest girls went to help an elderly lady today by removing a downed tree from her backyard. A neighbor had already cut and split most of the wood- they just wanted it gone. So, in the cold they went. They came home with 2 trailers full of nice oak! Now, they DID NOT do this for money but the elderly lady insisted (after both hubby and our youngest kept trying to give it back) and shoved it in our youngest daughter's pocket. Upon inspecting the wad of cash on the car ride home, she found that the sweet lady had paid them $200!! $200 for letting them help her AND free wood. Any ideas how we can now repay her? She has already said she will not take the money back. Think, think, think.





And off to bed I go. Therapy for baby in the morning. Gymnastics in the afternoon, then on to the church to rid myself of too many girl clothes!!


In Him


E

Let's Not Forget

Haiti. "Let's Not Forget".....how shallow are those words?! Really?!! Forget what? That these people are suffering- NOW! The earthquake was 6 weeks ago, and we all knew this would happen. The earthquake is "old" news. You don't hear the stories on every news and radio station like you did for the first couple of weeks, yet Haitians are living it. The despair and chaos is still very real in this country that is literally around the corner from our home.

The children. My heart breaks. Truly I cannot put into words the emotions that fill me when I think about the children. The loss they must be feeling. Yet in the midst of all of this, I hear story after story of people, children PRAISING God. PRAISING HIM!!

And back to the "let's not forget" part. What can be done? What shall we do? What AM I DOING?! This is what fills my heart today.

God is not finished with me yet. Our nice, happy little world was rocked in early December when we made the heart wrenching decision to come home without Ruslana. We have been covered by overwhelming love and support since that time, but I'm not naive in thinking that everyone supports our decision. I feel it. The judgement. Words don't have to be said. And I've had to deal with that.

But above everything else in this world we KNOW that God is with us. He gave us this heart for His children for a reason. And that reason is? Oh geez, I don't know. People have said to me, "E, you cannot save the world." My feelings about those words- tell me why not! Give me one good reason. Not an excuse but a reason. If I give into the "I cannot save the world" mentality, then I feel like I'm throwing in the towel. Our journey to Ruslana last year was hard. Ukraine was hard. But I refuse to just give up and give in to society and the "easiness" that so many think is the right way. God has mighty, mighty plans for me and I cannot wait for those plans to be revealed.

I have prayed about Haiti specifically for several years now. Is Haiti in our future? Only God knows. Of course, my prayer is "YES!! PICK ME! PLEASE, USE ME!"

Sorry for the rambling in this post. My heart is going crazy tonight.

In Him,

E

**Disclaimer- the "us/'s" part of "Let's" is not directed towards any one person, but more towards myself.

In a Funk

I'm in a funk. Knowing God is not finished with us, but wanting to know NOW what His plan is. Ever felt that way?

This week I'm dealing with loss all over again (another post for another day). In addition to that, we're dealing with strong emotions that come with knowing your sweet angel will soon have open heart surgery. Staying outwardly strong is something I'm good at.....all the while inside my own heart aches. Fear is creeping in. And I know who "fear" belongs to.

For Lent this year I am focusing on prayer. I used to be so disciplined in keeping my prayer journal and what a blessing it was! I loved being able to look back and see the exact prayers that God answered. Truly amazing! I am so ashamed to say that I have allowed other things to take it's place. But NO MORE! I am focusing on prayer this Lenten season, starting a new prayer journal and listening for our Father.

This guy continues to be my steady hand. Thank you, God, for putting him in my life.

Just after sneaking up on the kids with snowballs!

In Him,

E

Ouch!

**I don't know why I couldn't space between paragraphs- sorry!

Wow. I can't imagine being a "real" burn victim. I mean, yes, I was burned last night but to be burned badly enough to require hospitalization has got to be horrific.

Other than being burned by the stove, oven or something else minor, I've never been burned. I have an incredibly high pain threshold, but for a good part of last night I was in agony. After doing what he could for me and making sure I was okay, hubby went running for the computer to look up what the best treatment was. REMEMBER THIS- COLD WATER!!! NO ICE, BUTTER, ETC! I truly couldn't bear not having my hand in the water for more than a few seconds. I even slept on the sofa with my pot of water. If I removed my hand from the water, it almost felt like it was on fire.

Today is much better. Still quite a bit of pain, but I am free from cold water now. My hand is very swollen, so much so that I had to remove my wedding band with vaseline this morning. I am unable to use it very much, but how is that really an excuse when children need me?

We've determined that the burn is 2nd degree and from what we've read is "the most painful type of burn". Very reassuring. I hope we got it in water soon enough for there not to be any permanent damage or pealing. From what we've read, the capillaries expand and rupture trying to get rid of the heat thus causing damage to your skin. If cooled quickly and properly the capillaries "chill out" and don't expand too much.

I will be fine, and no, I didn't go to the ER or the doctor for that matter. Call me stubborn, but they would just drug me up and I refuse. I am tending to my wounds quite nicely here at home.

Oh, I guess I should tell you how this all happened. I was being a very sweet wife (patting myself on the back here) and making sick hubby some homemade chicken noodle soup. The chicken was boiling but had too much water in the pot, so I decided I would drain some. As I lifted the pot over the sink, the pan hit the edge of the counter and splashed back onto me. THANKFULLY no children were around. I can't imagine.

In Him,

E

Boiling Water Burn

It had never happened to me....until tonight. I'll let you know how I am in the morning. I have the feeling not much sleep tonight.
In Him,
E

Just so sad

PLEASE, join me in NOT supporting shows such as Family Guy and those affiliated with them. Let them know your disgust. I just don't get it.

I realize this may be old news to most of you, but I know it's worth a post anyway. Sarah Palin is a HUGE adovocate for people with special needs. Regardless of whether or not you share her political views, this lady is shouting from the rooftops and opening doors for children like her Trig and our angel. She, Trig, her family and the entire population of those with special needs deserve more respect than this. It's disgusting.

**Remember to turn off music at the bottom of the page.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Praising and thanking God today for the LOVE I have in my life!

Disclaimer- no paper was ingested by baby in the taking of this picture.



In Him,

E

A Little Catch Up

So, blogging has been the last thing on my "to do" list for the past week or so. Sorry to all of you waiting in suspense as to what our next move is (yeah, right! I'm sure there are so many waiting in suspense!:) A brief recap of our week and a half....mostly in pictures. Because I'm lazy like that.


Sweet angel boy was baptized January 31st by our dear friend, Laura. It was such a special day shared with our family and many friends. Our family gathered back at our home after the baptism for brunch and air hockey wars. Laura- honestly, I can't imagine not having her in my life. She has been such a solid source of love and encouragement over the past several years, and we are truly honored to be able to call her our friend. She is so genuine and will absolutely drop what she's doing to talk if you need her to. Our children have grown up together. I had the joy of keeping her two kiddos for about 4 years while she worked at our church as a youth pastor. We were blessed by Laura on such a special day.








Our youngest daughter turned 9 last Tuesday. Our "baby" is becoming quite the young lady whether I want to admit it or not. Birthday breakfast consisted of the traditional sausage balls. Still don't know how that tradition started but our kids look forward to it nonetheless. We had a fun day taking some friends of hers to the bowling alley, to Dairy Queen for icecream and then heading back home for a spend the night party. And what a wonderful Mimi and Papa our kiddos have!! They blessed the birthday girl with a treasure- doesn't every girl need an Asian parasol?





And today, well today our oldest turns 17!! Crazy to think that 17 years ago I was giving birth to our fiery redhead. And though she can be outspoken and a little bit stubborn (can't we all?!), her heart is soft and full of love for the Lord. She is the only one of our kids (and hubby) who'd rather have monkey bread for breakfast on her birthday. So, monkey bread it was- served on my Grandma's china . We then headed to her favorite restaurant for lunch- a quaint, "reborn" southern home filled with delish southern cuisine. The china doesn't match nor do the chairs, but it adds to the charm of one of our favorite places. I'll share those pictures tomorrow....maybe.:) They are on a different camera, it's late and I am too tired to load them right now.


Pictured here with her "friend"- yes, that's what I call him. A sweet boy, but still. S...l...o...w...l...y.....we are coming to the realization that she is indeed growing up. Tomorrow hubby is taking her to (hopefully) get her drivers license. Eeekkk!!

I decided to take some Valentine's pics of the kids today. Most were taken inside because it's blistery cold out. But, we did venture out onto the front porch for a total of 32 seconds. I took about 53 shots during those few seconds- can you tell they are cold?! Baby is okay. He got many, many snuggles as soon as we got in....smiling the entire time!

And well....just 'cause he's so terribly cute I am sharing these. He began eating "real" food a few weeks ago. From the very first bite, it's been love- no spitting, gagging, nothing. To date, he's eating avocado, sweet potatoes (what he has on his face in the picture below), bananas and apples. We'll be venturing out and trying cauliflower and peas next week. I am making all of his food just because it creeps me out a bit to think about what might be in the store bought baby food. But I drink Coke- does that make any sense?

Not sure what he was thinking here, but this picture cracks me up! I think he was sad he couldn't have icecream at DQ.:( Sorry, buddy.

Hope y'all have a blessed week!

In Him,

E

URGENT- HOME NEEDED FOR BABY GIRL!!!

I just received this from Shepherd's Crook - a wonderful orphan ministry for children with special needs. Read through and pray for this sweet little one.
In Him,
E

Hello everyone:
We have just learned of a situation involving a little girl here in Ohio who has not yet been born and who is in need of a family. She was supposed to have been delivered via Cesarean section in early March, but it looks like her birth is imminent. The birth mother is currently in the hospital and has been given steroids to aid the development of the child's lungs as the end of the pregnancy draws near. In addition to being born somewhat premature, a neonatal neurologist believes that this baby girl is going to be blind and will have MRDD, hydrocephalus, seizures, and cerebal palsy. A final diagnosis will be made after the delivery, but this is what is expected at this point. The baby will be transferred to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus once she is born so that she can be evaluated for a shunt that will relieve the pressure caused by her hydrocephalus.
The reason that this precious little girl is being put up for adoption is that the birth mother is currently incarcerated. Because of her inability to parent the infant after she is born, we really need to find a family for her soon, lest she be placed into the foster care system. Up to this point, the birth mother has been calling the baby Annabelle, and hopes that the name can stay with the baby in some form. She would also like to receive annual updates on this girl via photos and a letter. The agency that is working to place her—Caring for Kids—is not charging any fees for their services. That means that the only fees that the adoptive family will face are the attorneys' fees, although there might be minimal fees for post-placement visits, as well.
Anyone who is interested in adopting this baby girl, please write to annabelle@theshepherdscrook.org for more information. And please join us in praying for this tiny one's future.
In Him,
Greg
Administrative Assistant