November Updates

I can feel the busyness of the season already filling our home!

We had an amazing weekend of inspiration at the Show Hope dinner and then at our church. John and I discussed how blessed we feel to be a part of the adoption community. Such wonderful families and amazing kids! The plight of the orphan is so big but we celebrate that our God is bigger! One thing I heard from the president of Compassion International, Wess Stafford that has stayed with me is him saying to Believers....you might not be called to ADOPT but you are called to ADAPT. He discussed adapting our finances, our priorities, our churches, our missions to help the orphans. He also stated this is not an option for Christians....this is not an area you can say "that's just not my thing." I also agree with him as he talked about being so close to the heart of God when working in orphan ministry. Its so true! As I've watched others adopt....even years ago, as I've spent time in an orphanage, and even as we've experienced our adoption of Elizabeth. Truly....its such a blessing to be a part of the lives whom God holds so close to His heart.....the orphan. Its simply the gospel. We were all spiritual orphans whom God adopted into his Forever family. 

So on Sunday, our church acknowledge Adoption month and Orphan Sunday. We decided to celebrate our families multiculturalism and the kids wore some of their Chinese clothes. 

Tonight we prepared our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. The kids were really excited about doing this. So they packed their boxes with socks, candy, matchbox cars, colored pencils, watches, lollipops and several other things. Its amazing what you can fit into a shoebox! We also included a note with a photo of the kids. Langley added a note to her box and I thought it really captures the heart of Christmas. She is a neat kid. This is what her note says:

Dear Friend. I hope you like the gift I'm giving you. I am 9 almost 10. My name is Langley. Jesus loves you very much. He never forgets you. I love you. Now you know someone cares for you and always will. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God Bless Everyone!

Also today is Veteran's Day and I'm very proud that both my father and my father in law served in Vietnam. At Mac's school they do a wonderful Veteran's Day program. Mac and "Pop" (my Dad) went up on the stage and Mac introduced his hero to the whole school. He practiced several times yesterday how to say "Veee uht nahm". He really did a great job. I was so proud of both my Dad and Mac.

Finally some news about Elizabeth! We got her physical therapy officially started and I'm very excited to see how she progresses with our new PT. We are looking at splinting her hand so that we get her contractures less severe. Our PT is very creative and eager to work with Elizabeth. I'm so thankful to have someone so skilled working with us.

We also did an initially consultation with a pediatric orthopedist who referred us to a hand specialist who we also see this week. The exciting news is that the doctor thinks Elizabeth does have some muscles "firing" in her arm! So there is a possibility that surgery could benefit her. We have many more conversations and testing to go through but it feels really great to know we MIGHT be able to offer her some improvement through surgery!

Here are a few more photos.

Elizabeth fell asleep in her high chair one day...chasing her older siblings is very tiring! : )

Also....had to get in Daddy's alma mater....here is our Vandy cheerleader!

And some cool shots of my big kids playing soccer. I LOVE to watch my kids play their sports....so fun!

November is Adoption Awareness Month

In case you weren't aware....November is National Adoption Awareness Month. We are fortunate to live in a community that embraces adoption and we are able to participate in several events.

One organization that we are honored to support and be a small, small part of is Show Hope. This organization was started by Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman, who adopted 3 daughters from China. Most in the Christian community are familiar with SCC's music. There are several of his songs playing on my blog : )

SCC has released his new CD and the first track is simply amazing. Its called "Heaven is the Face of a Little Girl". Here are the lyrics:

Heaven is the face of a little girl 
With dark brown eyes 
That disappear when she smiles. 
Heaven is the place 
Where she calls my name 
Says, “Daddy please come play with me for awhile.” 

Chorus: 

God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more, 
But God, You know, that this is what I’m aching for. 
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door. 
So right now... 

Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep, 
Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing. 
And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms, 
Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams 

And God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more, 
But God, You know, that this is what I’m longing for 
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door. 

Bridge: 
But in my mind’s eye I can see a place 
Where Your glory fills every empty space. 
All the cancer is gone, 
Every mouth is fed, 
And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed. 
Every lonely heart finds their one true love, 
And there’s no more goodbye, 
And no more not enough, 
And there’s no more enemy (no more). 

Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss 
And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone. 
Heaven is the place where she takes my hand 
And leads me to You, 
And we both run into Your arms. 

Oh God, I know, it’s so much more than I can dream. 
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive. 
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see 
Heaven in the face of my little girl, 
Heaven in the face of my little girl.

Most of you know the story of the Chapman's and their daughter Maria, who died tragically May 2008. So these lyrics are just so powerful knowing their story.

When I first heard and then read these lyrics my heart paused and pondered on the "bridge" section. I know that place of longing for heaven and the weariness of this world's suffering. Several times, in the face of suffering I have prayed "Jesus come quickly". 

When I sat in the orphanage in Hohhot and saw the hopelessness, lonliness, hunger, and disregard for human life...Jesus come quickly.

When I visit adoption and waiting children websites and daily encounter more and more and more children who spend another day alone, with no family, no love, no future....Jesus come quickly.

When I hear of another friend, another parent, another child dying of disease and pain...Jesus come quickly.

When I think of my baby girl left alone at a hospital gate in the cold night of New Year's eve and then lying in a crib, belonging to no one...Jesus come quickly.

I do long for that day when Jesus returns and we are with our Lord forever and He will "wipe every tear". But as I have sat in prayer about "Jesus come quickly"...He has revealed something to me.  I am to "go quickly" into the these sufferings of His beloved. I can take with me His story of Hope, Love, Peace, Salvation and tell the story through serving, feeding, clothing, befriending, speaking Truth, and adopting His beloved. 

This is Adoption Awareness month. Go quickly! Love His Beloved! He calls YOU Beloved!

Halloween

We have conquered the first "major" holiday! Whew!! 

Elizabeth was a trooper as always. She has gotten so much more comfortable with so much of life in the past month.

She allowed me to put the costume on her as I told her it was a "hat" and a "dress". She likes to dress up and likes accessories....definitely a girly girl. So she went along with the costume. She did not like seeing Langley greenified as Elphaba (aka Wicked Witch) from the musical Wicked. She also does not like people in mask or just "scary" looking in general. I've shown her some of the Christmas stuff and she's not crazy about Santa or anything animated.....can't really blame her when you think about it!

Here is Elizabeth the Pink Poodle, Langley as Elphaba, Mac is Batman, Gray is Spiderman, John is the Wizard, and I'm Dorothy.

We had our "small" group from church over for a pre-trick or treating party. Elizabeth did great with the crowd in the house and had a great time running in the backyard with the big kids. We then went trick or treating. It was really fun "introducing" this odd little tradition but as soon as Elizabeth figured out that something to EAT was going into her pumpkin she really got into it! She happily approached each door and held up her little pumpkin. And she has learned to say thank you "sank ooo". What a sweet girl!

When we got home we barely got her out of her costume and she was sound asleep as we sat her in her bed! I think she had a great time!

Fall Fun

Alot of different updates and alot of photos......

We are quickly approaching our 4 month mark since we met Elizabeth. She is still doing so well. She continues to fully bond with her family and we enjoy getting to know more and more her fun, easy going personality. Here's a quick flashback. We got an updated photo of her right after we received her referral in March. We stared at this photo for many hours while we waited to travel & met her. We think this photo was taken sometime early last spring. She was about 17 months old.  We noticed how bundled up she was in this cute red coat. When we were in China we came across a coat that was very similar. We recently had an early cold snap and I took a few photos of Elizabeth in the cute red coat. Its not exactly the same but pretty close. Doesn't she look different!?!?

We have a really fun backyard. Since we just moved in we are still discovering new things. We have a big cornfield behind our yard and one day Gray's was coloring on the backporch enjoying the fall weather. Suddenly some REALLY BIG tractors came through the field and started cutting the corn. At first Gray was upset yelling "hey, don't take my corn". But I explained to him that it wasn't our corn and the farmer was harvesting it. So he was enthralled watching them cut & shuck the corn....it really was neat. 

Grand & Papou made fall visit and this is Papou playing football with the boys in the backyard. We love having them visit and enjoyed making smores with them at the firepit after dinner.

Fall colors starting to burst through the green on our tree.

As I've mentioned...I'm homeschooling my 4th grader. It has been challenging and rewarding. I've learned ALOT about my child and her education to say the least. One of the pros to homeschooling is taking advantage of community events. Recently we went to a historical home's fall/pioneer festival. My kids LOVED visiting the Colonial Doctor. They asked lots of questions about all the instruments and cutting people open.....hmmmm wonder where they get that from??? It was really cold that day...can't you tell!

And today we did one of my favorite fall activites and also one of my favorite photo opportunities.....The Gentry Farms Pumpkin Patch!!!

First we played inside the barn. We went with alot of homeschool friends, most significantly cousins Graham, Davis, & Corinne.

Corinne "weaving"

Gray emerging from the Corn Maze

Pumpkin Portraits

Tire Swing Time

I love this low angle photos of the boys on the Tire swing!!!

Corinne is getting bigger!

Langley is over the 4 ft mark!

Little Squirt

My Big Boy Gray. Mac was busy and I didn't get his photo...dang it!