The M's Have It

Merry CHRISTmas 2010

2010-12-22T09:14:00.002-05:00

From our family to yours...

MERRY CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

From our HOME and HEART............may you be BLESSED by the miracle of God's Greatest Gift of all. His Son and our Savior....Jesus.

Snack Day!

2009-12-03T21:38:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is Marin's turn to bring snacks for her Pre-K class. She is ALWAYS excited when it is her turn. Well, she is extra excited because they will celebrate her birthday. Because her birthday is on Christmas Day and school is out on the 14th, they will celebrate early!!! It's fine with Marin....it just means that we get this celebration thing started early!!!!!

Happy Early Birthday Baby Girl!!!!!!!!!!!

ps.....notice Marin's cookie. She doesn't like icing! What's up with that? Oh well, means more for mommy!!

He's Back!

2009-12-01T11:27:00.005-05:00

Look who's back!! That's right, it is Santa's scout elf, "Peep"!!! He first came to spend the Christmas holiday with us last year. Out of the blue this morning, our door bell rang and what do you know......."Peep" left the book at our front door. Well, we all know what that means. Yes, that means "Peep" has come back and is in our house!!!! The girls, well Marin because Meisyn had no clue, were sooo excited. Marin jumped up and down exclaiming....."Peep" is home, "Peep" is home!!! I am SOO sure every evening when "Peep" goes back to the North Pole to report the happenings of our day to Santa he will have LOTS to tell!!!! Quite different than last year :-)

I guess that just leaves one thing to say.......WELCOME BACK "PEEP", WELCOME BACK!!!

Let the Joy of this wonderful Season begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T09:44:00.004-05:00

I know I have been the world's best blog slacker and I promise to go back and update things. However, I couldn't let this day pass by without posting my Thanksgiving wishes to everyone out there!!! I hope your day is filled with family, friends, food and many blessings that come from the One who gives us HOPE!!!!!

We have SO much to be thankful for this year......................and we are!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giving ALL Praise to GOD!!

2009-10-22T14:58:00.002-04:00

Meisyn is out of surgery!!! According to the surgeon, all repairs were accomplished according to "the plan"!!! She was taken back to the OR this morning around 7:40. After 1.5 hours of getting all her IV's and central lines in, they began her surgery around 9:30. And as of 2:40 we were speaking with the surgeon. He said she did very well during the case.

Thank you ALL for the many prayers that were offered on her behalf!!! They we heard and answered!! We give ALL Praise and Glory to the Lord on High!!!!!!!

We will keep you posted as this post-op phase continues. Please keep your prayers going!!!!

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BESSINGS FLOW!!!!!

Prayers needed!!

2009-10-21T21:59:00.003-04:00

Please remember Meisyn in your prayers tomorrow as she undergoes her open heart surgery. We are to be at the hospital to 6 am and the surgery is scheduled at 7:15. I know God hears all our prayers. He has a plan for Meisyn and we can't wait to see what great things He has in store for her!!!

Sisters.........

2009-10-08T15:14:00.006-04:00

Oh the joy of having sisters!

While we are still in the "transition" period, most days are good. But as you can imagine, we have have our ups and downs with *two* 4 year olds in the house. Our days and nights are non-stop and this old mama stays TIRED! Happy and blessed, but tired!

Sweet words

2009-09-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

Oh, be still my heart!!!! Meisyn just walked up to me and said, in English, " I love you Mama"!! Followed by the sweetest hug!!!!

What a Difference......

2009-09-24T21:26:00.004-04:00

.............one month can make!! It was one month ago today that we finally were able to hold, love on and kiss our precious Meisyn AiYan. Looking back we can see the transformation that has taken place in her little life. She is blossoming into such a sweet, (yet still sometimes naughty) HAPPY, loving and content child. It is wonderful to see those changes. She has blessed us and continues to bless us each and every day with her spunkiness, strength and willingness to love and be loved. She has endured more in her short life than we will ever know. She is strong, she is fighter and she is LOVED!!!! We praise God for entrusting us to be her parents, her family. This past month has been one of change......in so many ways. We are looking so forward to the future to see what changes God has in store for Meisyn and for our family!!!

Heart Cath.....over

2009-09-22T17:53:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and sweet words of encouragement!!! Meisyn's cath went well. Slightly more complicated than they first thought it would be. Therefore, the procedure took longer as well. No real surprises were found, just valuable information and "mapping" of her heart for the upcoming surgery. She did extremely well in recovery. Slept for nearly 3 hours, "dined" on scrambled eggs and noodles, was allowed to get up and play with toys and then tormented the doctor who preformed the procedure when he came in to check her before he discharged her!!! He soon saw just what we meant about her personality. We are home and believe it or not, she is being somewhat quiet.

Again, thank you for remembering all of us today as we begin this journey of mending Meisyn's broken heart!!!!

Cath update

2009-09-22T08:36:00.002-04:00

We are at Riley and Meisyn was taken back to the Cath room about 25 minutes ago. She was such a little trooper!! The doctors said that the procedure should take about 2 hours. We will update when she is finished.

Thanks to all of you who are offering up your prayes on Meisyn's behalf!!

Heart Cath..

2009-09-21T22:19:00.004-04:00

We will be leaving bright and early in the morning heading to Riley Hospital for Children. Meisyn will be undergoing her heart catheterization at 8:00 am. The procedure takes 2-3 hours to perform and it is done under general anesthesia. She will need to be monitored for at least 4-6 hours after the cath and will need to remain STILL for those hours!!!! Anyone who has been around Meisyn knows that will be a challenge! Please keep Meisyn, the doctors and nurses in your prayers tomorrow as we begin the first phase of preparation for her heart surgery next month.

Home!!

2009-09-20T21:37:00.004-04:00

Nothing is sweeter than FINALLY being HOME !! After 2.5 WONDERFUL weeks in China, it is great to be home. When we stepped off that final plane in Indianapolis 2 weeks ago I think we were all ready to kiss the Hoosier soil. I know that I have been such the slacker in updating the blog. Please forgive me. We had a rough time getting over the jet lag and getting our bodies re-adjusted to the time zone. For the first week, the jet lag was WICKED!!!! I'm not sure if it's because we are 3 years older than last time.......? Or what? I'm going with "or what?"

Meisyn is adjusting and transitioning into our family beautifully. It is so amazing to watch this child, who once had very little in her life, blossom with all the love, food, hope and support that surrounds her. With each passing day home, she plants herself deeper and deeper into our hearts. Tears spill over many times a day as I hear laughter and giggles as she and Marin are playing or when I sit back and watch pure happiness pour out of her little body as she hops and skips along as she plays. But most of all, it is the love that I feel for her....especially when she holds her arms up for me to hold her and she wraps her arms around my neck ever so tight for fear I may let go. Rest assured baby girl......I will NEVER let go!!!!

Meisyn, you have waited 4 years.........and now you are HOME!!!!!

China Bound!

2009-08-18T21:18:00.002-04:00

The time as FINALLY arrived for us to once again to embark on a journey of a lifetime!! We leave bright and early in the morning for China!!! Our suitcases are packed and we are ready to go!!! It seems like such a long time from that very first glimpse of Meisyn back in late January to now, time to finally bring her home. While our journey TO Meisyn is almost complete, our journey WITH Meisyn is just beginning!!!

While in China we will be posting our travel adventures on http://www.journeytome.com/ just click on adoption stories and then type in Meisyn in the search area or just look for her name.

Thank you to each and everyone of you that has walked this road with us. For every prayer that has been said, for every thoughtful word that has been said, for every offer of encouragement that has been given, to all the time, effort and love that has been given........THANK YOU!!!! May God bless you for blessing us!!!!!

Now, come and join us on what is sure to be one emotional ride!!!!

Ric, Jen, Megan, Morgan, Marin and Meisyn

Look who had a Birthday party!

2009-08-07T15:09:00.006-04:00

I just received these pictures of Meisyn with her birthday cake. STILL NO SMILE!!! I guess she just needs her mommy to put a smile on that sad face!! OBTW.... as you can see they CUT or should I say sheered her hair :-( Oh well, nothing a headband with a bow attached can't handle!!!

We also received our final travel arrangements today.

August 19 Leave for China

August 20-22 Touring Beijing

August 23 Fly to Hefei

August 24 MEISYN DAY!!!

August 23-27 Finalizing adoption and touring

August 28 Fly to Guangzhou

Sept. 2 US Consulate Appointment/Oath

Sept. 3 Fly to Fuzhou to visit with Marin's foster family

Sept 6 Fly home!! Arriving at 10:32 pm

It won't be long now !!!!!

4 Years Old!

2009-08-07T10:10:00.004-04:00

Today is little Meisyn's birthday!!! She turned 4 years old! Even though we are sad that we couldn't be with her physically to celebrate her birthday, our hearts have been there to celebrate!!! We ordered a birthday cake for her and received word that her orphanage was planning a birthday party. I just pray that today as everyone celebrated Meisyn, she felt the love and joy coming from all our hearts. And by this, maybe, just maybe a large smile broke out across that little sad face!!!!

Happy Birthday sweet baby girl!!!! We love you so much and are counting down the days until we finally meet and are able to hold you in our arms!!

Happy Birthday to you................

We love you,
Mommy and Daddy

We the People.....

2009-08-03T08:05:00.003-04:00

......here is a MUST watch video regarding the state of our country. Just make sure you have your "tea bags" ready. Oh, feel free to share this one on all your blogs and emails!!

We're going to China!!!!

2009-07-27T16:36:00.002-04:00

Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land. Proverbs 25:25

Praise the Lord!!! He is FAITHFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We finally received our TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!! Our agency called this morning around 10:30 to share the good news! We are so excited to finally know that we are officially going to China. Our tentative dates for travel have us leaving August 19th and returning Sept. 7th. We will be gone longer than normal because after all the adoption stuff is complete we are flying to Marin's Province to see her foster family for a couple days!!!! They are SOOO excited to see Xing Xing again after 3 long years!!! Want to hear something ironic? We left for China almost on the same day 3 years ago on our journey to Marin. And we will be returning EXACTLY the same date as before. We will be China for Marin's 3 year Gotcha Day anniversary! How cool is that??? The only sad thing is that we will miss Meisyn's birthday on August 7th. But I am going to order a cake for her to have on her birthday. Another family that will be traveling with will be missing their new daughters birthday as well (August 17th). SO, maybe we will just have a big O' birthday in China for both of them!!!!!!

Hang tight Meisyn...............we are coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's really important....

2009-07-21T16:29:00.006-04:00

I have spent the biggest part of the day, maybe even week, feeling sorry for myself because our TA hasn't arrived. A bloggy friend just posted this video and I watched it.(thanks Jenn for sharing) While watching, with tears streaming down my face, I realized once again what is important. And it's these children! While I would LOVE to be leaving tomorrow to bring Meisyn home , at least I know she has a home filled with love just waiting for her!!!! Why don't you take the time to watch this video. And after you do, how could you possibly say anything other than, "Lord, here I am, send me"! That is just what Ric and I did when we received Meisyn's referral. Learning of her heart condition, we trusted in the Lord to be our guide.

Day after day

2009-07-20T20:04:00.003-04:00

HELP...............I've been thrown in to "Groundhog Day"!!! Seems the last several weeks are the same. Get up, stalk computer for adoption news, stalk the computer some more, stalk again, stalk one last time before bed, get out of bed to stalk again, get up, stalk the computer for adoption news, stalk again.....and it goes on and on. The days are the same, the news is the same......ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's driving me NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE CC*A send our TA!!!!! I said please!

Just Because

2009-07-06T21:17:00.001-04:00

I Love these 5 faces!!!!!

Let Freedom Ring!!

2009-07-03T16:25:00.014-04:00

FREEDOM;

~The condition of being free of restraints.

~Liberty of the person from slavery, detention or oppression.

~To be released.

Our generation has never know anything other than FREEDOM. As our nation celebrates our Freedom or Independence from the rulers and laws of another country may we remember and celebrate all the men and women that are away from their homes and families fighting to keep our land and our lives FREE and for those who have already answered the call of duty!! There's one soldier that I want to personally say "thanks" to and that is our neighbor, Brady. Thank you Brady and all your fellow serivce men and women for making the extreme sacrific in order to perserve our Freedom!!!! Thank you!!

As Christians we celebrate another type of Freedom. FREEDOM FROM SIN! The Son of God bore ALL our sins and died in ALL our place so that we would be FREE......FREE INDEED!!!!

Today, I say "Thank you" to all the men and women in the service and I also want to shout it ........

PRAISE GOD, I AM FREE ~~ FREE INDEED~~ There is NO better Freedom!!!!!!

Take a few moments and watch this video and listen to words of the song.

(you will need to pause the music on my playlist at the bottom)

Full circle!!

2009-06-30T20:57:00.003-04:00

I just found out that our adoption paperwork, Article 5, was signed off on yesterday (China time) June 30th at the American Consulate. And now, it is on its way back to the C*AA for the final stop!!! It has gone full circle since they received the first form back in February!!!! What all this means is, we are waiting for the FINAL step in this long but AWESOME journey...our Travel Approval (TA)!!! The average time is 3-4 weeks from where are now. I am finally seeing light at the end of this long, frustrating, joyful, life changing and amazing road!!! Thank you Jesus for each day and the strength you give me to continue walking on this rocky path that is leading me to my new daughter!!!!

Responding with Purpose

2009-06-22T16:29:00.003-04:00

Isn't it amazing to hear God speak to you when you have been praying for something specfically? I've been praying asking for God to release me of ill feelings that I am having regarding this adoption and all the changes that are taking place with both sides of the government. That I have NO control of. Things that I am letting "eat at me" and consume me because I don't have an answer. I read this quote and felt God's breath on my neck while he was "talking to me"!

Respond with purpose
What upsets you is not what happens.
What upsets you is your response to what happens.Just as easily as you respond in a negative way,
you can easily and naturally respond in a
positive, empowering, uplifting way.The biggest problems are often caused by
what you choose to do about the smallest problems.
Most of those big, painful problems are so unnecessary.Keep reminding yourself that you are in control of you.
You are in control and you can decide
exactly how you wish to feel at any point.Imagine the power of remaining calm and focused
and resourceful when some totally unexpected,
disappointing development interrupts your day.
Truly, you can make the disappointments not disappointing at all.Respond on purpose, with purpose.
Feel the power and the joy as every moment gives you a way to move forward.

Ralph Marston

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T07:18:00.003-04:00

Wishing all the Father's out there a VERY HAPPY DAY! Especially one AWESOME daddy!
All of your "girls" LOVE you VERY much!!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Mooo!

2009-06-15T09:56:00.005-04:00

One Sunday a month is "Family Day" with Ric's dad's side of the family. At the beginning of the year everyone drew from a hat which month they were responsible for. It is that person's choice of what we do or go for the day. This month was Tara's month. She chose to go to Traders Point Creamery. It is working farm that raises their dairy cows and chickens on "pure" standards. They are grass fed, no chemicals are used and is as organic as possible. They make and sell yogurt, cheese, milk and cottage cheese. As well as grass fed beef. We had a wonderful brunch in their little restaurant/dairy bar followed by fun exploring the farm. Marin and Ki enjoyed feeding the baby cows as well as watching the chickens peck around the farm. We also took the time to celebrate an early Father's Day with Ric and Tara's dad . He and Cheryl will be leaving next weekend to go and work at church camp. Happy Father's Day Grandad Don! We Love you!! Needless to say we have a VERY enjoyable and fun day on "the farm".

TOAST

2009-06-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

That is what my brain is right now, TOAST! We just finished up our week of VBS. And what a week it was!! Our daily average attendance was around 950 children and 250+ teachers/workers. Our missionaries this week were from Tanzania Africa and the total amount of the offering was $14, 080.00!!! It's always a WONDERFUL week but by Friday everyone was exhausted. I had the privilege, and I am being honest here, to have taught 11 of THE sweetest 4 year olds ever!! Everyday they blessed my heart to no end. Something about the innocence of their hearts...... I had 2 of the best helpers/teacher as well. I don't what I would have done without them!! They were a blessing to me as well. The lessons that we learned are some I need to pratice myself. GO Lead, GO Risk, GO Tell, GO Obey and GO Serve!!! However, if the children don't remember their memory verse, or what the lessons were about, I just pray that will ALWAYS remember that JESUS Loves them and so do I!!!!

Check it out

2009-06-03T22:11:00.003-04:00

A bloggy friend is raising funds to help bring their new daughter home from China before she "ages" out of the system. She is giving away some things she has made. Go to her blog to read about it. BTW.....you don't need to look at the floral handbag with the knot tie strap that she made because that is one I'M going to win!!! hehe

Here is her link http://joyunspeakableandfullofglory.blogspot.com

Imagine This-----PLEASE Help

2009-06-03T15:14:00.002-04:00

Many of you know that Meisyn is in foster care due to the wonderful organization "Love Without Boundaries" (LWB). Here is an email sent today from Amy Eldridge, founder of LWB. Please help her with this wonderful cause!

OBTW.........................."TISSUE ALERT"!!! consider yourself WARNED!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Imagine This - please help!
I know this will be a longer story than usual, but I am going to ask you to read it all the way to the end. Something amazing happened to me today, and I believe it was for a reason. I hope you will feel the same after reading this letter.LWB has been working in China since 2003, and just a few months after we began helping children there, we decided to do our very first cleft surgery mission to Guangdong province. It was on that trip that I met Dr. John Padilla, one of the most extraordinary men I have ever had the honor to meet. His love and compassion for children born with cleft was humbling, and he influenced me in an enormous way. He helped heal 53 children on that first mission, and he promised me he would return to China with LWB every year to heal more. Tragically, John died just a few months after our trip to China in a plane crash. I wrote a blog dedicated to him that you can read here. I hope you do have the time to read about this extraordinary man, but for those of you who don’t have the time, I will tell you that John Padilla is a hero to me. He is the man who dared me to “dream big”, and our cleft healing home idea was created completely in his honor. I think of him every time we heal another child born with cleft.Recently LWB was invited to submit a project to a new proposed television reality show called “Imagine This”. This show was created in large part by an actor named Eion Bailey. Many of you might have seen him in Band of Brothers, on ER, or in many movies. He is a man with a heart of compassion, and he came up with the idea of doing a reality show where each episode would be shot in a different location around the world, and a team of people would come together to do something amazing…whether it is to build a school for kids in South America, or provide a well system for a village in Africa. We were asked to submit a project for consideration, and immediately we knew that we wanted to submit the idea of a new cleft healing home for a province in China, where all the orphanages in that province could send their children born with cleft for loving, one on one care. We have created our sample episode at this website location: http://imaginethistv.com/group/chinahealinghomeToday Karen Maunu and I had a conference call with Eion Bailey and one of the show’s producers. We were discussing the possibility of building a new cleft healing home, and Eion told me that he would really love to see it happen because it had personal meaning to him. He went on to tell me that he had a friend who had been so influential in his life. This man had believed in him from the very beginning, had invested in his future and his career, and was someone that Eion admired greatly. He told me that he wanted to see this episode happen because he wanted to dedicate it to this man’s life, as he had sadly passed away. And then he told me that this man had an absolute passion for children born with cleft, and I got goosebumps all over my entire body. “Are you by any chance talking about John Padilla?,” I asked holding my breath. And unbelievably, beautifully, miraculously…he was. So while I tried my best not to cry, I said, “Eion…I need to tell you a story.” And so I told him about LWB’s relationship with John, how he had gone with us to China and fallen in love with the people there. How he had told me he wanted to return every year to China to help even more children in the future. How he had told me that if I really dreamed of a day where no orphaned child would die from being born with cleft that I needed to never give up until we made it happen. I think everyone on the call was emotional by this point. Somehow a mom in Oklahoma helping orphans was on the phone with an actor in Hollywood who wanted to help bring change to the world, and we were both tied together through the same amazing man who had died far too soon. I am sure that John was up in heaven at that moment smiling, saying “I told you all to dream big.”There have been times with this foundation where I have known I was part of something absolutely extraordinary. I have seen miracles happen and have felt the enormity of God working for the good. I remember baby Kang, the baby who started it all. The heart surgeon in China told me he was not going to survive post surgery, but when thousands of adoptive families came together through the internet to pray for that one tiny baby, he rallied the very next day, and LWB was born. I remember baby Hercules from our cleft mission in 2005, and knowing that I was in the middle of something so beyond me as everything came together in the exact right way to save his life as well. I remember Baby Li, and Cui, and Chang, and hundreds more lives which have been changed because people came together and believed a difference could be made. I have been so blessed to see again and again that when people step out beyond themselves to help others, the EXTRAORDINARY occurs.Today, I felt again with everything in my heart that something extraordinary is going to happen. I don’t know what, I don’t know when, but I felt so strongly that something wonderful is going to come from this show if it becomes a reality. It might not even be in China…it could be an episode shot in Peru, or in Haiti, or in the US, but I believe that Eion Bailey and I were supposed to speak with each other today and learn about our connection to John Padilla for a reason. PLEASE join with us one more time and be a part of making something wonderful happen. We need your help! We need as many people as possible to visit http://imaginethistv.com/group/chinahealinghome, sign up to join the group, and leave a comment on how important this project and show would be to orphaned children. The producers will be meeting with the networks very, very soon, and there are still people out there who don’t think that America would want to watch a show where people are doing good in the world.YOU CAN HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. Log onto our page, join our healing home group, and leave your feedback that this type of show is EXACTLY what we want to watch, what we want our kids to see, what we believe is important. Forward this to everyone that you know, help spread the news for as many people as possible to voice their opinion. I know every single person who supports us believes that saving the lives of children is absolutely important. But now we need to take action and let the networks know as well. Thank you so much in advance for believing this project should be done and that our healing homes can give orphaned children a second chance. Let your voice be heard, both in John Padilla’s honor and in honor of every child with cleft who is in heaven right now with him because they lost their struggle. You helped save 10 babies’ lives with the Facebook challenge, you saved even more with the Cookie Contest, and now we have a chance to impact countless others by showing our support for this new series and an episode to help orphaned children in China. Thank you, thank you, thank you….for always believing that every child born deserves to know love. Together, I know completely that we can make this show and a new healing home a reality, and give some of the most vulnerable orphaned children real hope.Because every child counts,Amy

Tradition

2009-05-29T21:49:00.004-04:00

Today was the last day of school for the high school kids. And for the past 3 years, Morgan has had a "Last Day of School pool party". This year was no different. The sky was clear, the air was warm, the water was just right and the time spent with friends was priceless!! I'm glad Morgan will have these memories to look back on in the years to come. I'm already getting teary-eyed just thinking that next years party will complete the chapter of high school.............."The Final Last Day of School Pool Party"! WOW......where has the time gone?

LOA BABY!!

2009-05-21T16:43:00.002-04:00

Our agency called this afternoon with the news that they had received our "Letter of Acceptance" (LOA)!!!!!! Today is day 70 of our LOA wait. We are THRILLED and somewhat shocked to have been given this news today. With all the rumored slow down in Ch*na because of the swineflu we were surprised with the news!! But VERY excited about it!! We are hoping to to receive or "Travel Approval" (TA) in the next 5-6 weeks and then travel by early August!

Anyone want to guess what my "Feeling of the Day" is today??????

Hang on Meisyn, we are one step closer baby!!!!!

Feeling of the Day #2

2009-05-14T10:06:00.004-04:00

First of all, thank you to everyone who commented with their "Feeling of the Day" and thoughts. Each and every one made me stop and think about all that I have!!! Yesterday a fellow Rumor Queen (RQ) mom left this comment on RQ. Her words are so very true.

"I'm going to try to focus on the A that I DO have and not on the A that I DON'T have. So today I am grateful that I have PA for a beautiful girl who I already love with all my heart!! I'm taking myself back to early April and reminding myself how GREAT that day was when we found out she will be ours! Maybe it's not official, maybe we don't have LOA but PA is more than LOI and LOI is more than just waiting for the next list and waiting for the next list is more than working on a dossier - etc etc. Let's celebrate the A's we do have and the children we know will soon be ours!!"

Thank you Kittymama for your inspiration to us all!

Now on to the "Feeling of the Day"..............today my feeling seems to be..................

"WHATEVER"

I have NO control on what is happening on the adoption front. So, "whatever" happens today
I. WILL. BE. HAPPY!!!!!

He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
Proverbs 16:20

What is YOUR "Feeling of the Day"???

Feeling of the Day!!

2009-05-13T13:21:00.008-04:00

Update picture of Meisyn we received last week. She looks so sad :(

Those of you who have been or are traveling the adoption road understand what I am talking about. The adoption journey isn't an easy process. It has MANY ups and downs. Many tears, lots of heartaches, long waits, pure joy and immense love. Each day brings something "different" to the journey!! The most current issue in our journey is the dreaded......SWINE FLU".

Chi*a (C2A2) has all but stopped issuing anything in regards to the adoption process. How does this impact us you may ask? Well, we are currently waiting for our LOA (letter of acceptance). This is the step just before we are issued a TA ( travel approval). And without these things our travel time to go to Chi*a will be pushed back possibly MONTHS!! Naturally, this does not make THIS mommy happy!!

I wake each day with a different feeling........................lately the feelings aren't good. So, I thought it would be fun to post each day what feeling I have. Then post what could turn that feeling into something positive!!!

I invite anyone who would like to join in on the fun. Hopefully, we can turn our gray skies BLUE!!!

So, here is my Feeling of the Day....................

DISGUST

I am disgusted that the adoption boards have been so stinkin' silent!!!!! There has been NO news from C2A2 regarding any referrals, LOA's or many TA's.

So, what can I do to turn this feeling around? Believe in God's word!!

---Those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Now, here is the fun part. Add your "Feeling of the Day" here along with what can turn it into a positive. A scripture, a quote, a poem or whatever you want to share. My prayer is by doing this we will start to see our "Feeling of the Day" becoming more and more positive. And in return will make the wait of bringing our children home a more peaceful and enjoyable time!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2009-05-10T12:43:00.004-04:00

Wishing all the Mother's I LOVE..........A very special & happy MOTHER'S DAY!!!

~To my Mom, Shirley and Cheryl.....Thank you for being such wonderful mothers to me.....I LOVE you!!!

~And to Marin..................I am so very BLESSED and honored to to be called "mommy" by you!!!! You are the PERFECT gift and I love you so much!

~And to Meisyn...............I can not wait until next year when you will finally be home with your forever mommy that will love you for all time!

~And to Megan and Morgan..........I celebrate YOU today!!! Because you accepted me into your lives when things for you had been turned upside down. You both planted yourselves into my heart and allowed me to love you. You taught me how to love as a mommy...............but never did I want to take the place of your mother. You allowed me to become your second mom. It's because of you both that I am the mother to Marin (and soon to be to Meisyn) that I am today. I am such a better person because of you. I never knew I could love someone so much or so deep in my heart..........until I met you!!!! Thank you for loving me and for being the best "daughters" that I could ever ask for!!! I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

National Day of Prayer

2009-05-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

No White House ceremony to be held on Nat'l Day of Prayer

WHITE HOUSE - This Thursday, for the first time in nine years, there won't be a White House ceremony in observance of the National Day of Prayer.

Well folks..............I will be observing the 58th Annual National Day of Prayer!!!!! "Prayer....America's Hope!!! This year's emphasis is on..Praying for 7 centers of Power, 7 Days a Week.

*GOVERNMENT*

Pray our leaders will act with wisdom and integrity.

IKings 3:28; I Timothy 2:1-2; Exodus 18:21; Proverbs 11:3; Romans 13:1-2

*MILITARY*

Pray for divine protection and guidance for our armed forces. Intercede for military chaplains and loved ones at home.

II Chronicles 32:6-8; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 59:1; Psalm 5:11; Proverbs 2-8

*MEDIA*

Pray for fair and accurate reporting.

Proverbs 12:9-22; Esphesians 4:29; Philippians 4:8; Matthew 12:36-37

*BUSINESS*

Pray that God will raise up His ambassadors in the workplace.

Matthew 5:14-16; Galatians 6:9; Proverbs 29:2; Exodus 31:3-5

*EDUCATION*

Pray for protection in all schools and morally sound instruction.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19; Psalm 34:7; Matthew 19:14; Psalm 90:16-17

*CHURCH*

Pray churches will be strengthened and readied for revival.

Matthew 16:18-19; Ephesians 4:3-6; II Thessalonians 1:4; Acts 16:15

*FAMILY*

Pray that God will build faith foundations in families.

Joshua 24:15; Psalm 127:3-5; Ephesians 5:21; Mark 3:25; Proverbs 22:6

I ask you....................will you join me in this National Day of Prayer?? Because, "Prayer.....America's HOPE!!!!!!!

Easter

2009-05-06T21:23:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read that correct! EASTER!!! I am just getting around to posting our Easter celebrations. We were blessed with a wonderful time of celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a glorious day it was. HE IS RISEN.....He is RISEN indeed!!

Friday Night Fun

2009-03-28T18:48:00.004-04:00

It has become a Friday night tradition, started about 3 years ago, where a group of us that have children from China eat Mexican. Last night we had special friends join us. Betty and Salome from FTIA were in town for a conference and they joined us for dinner!! Everyone in the group have used FTIA for at least one if not every adoption. Therefore, it felt like "family" joining us. We all had a great time visiting and sharing stories with one another. I think the last count we had there were around 65 of us there. Which included one family from Ohio who drove over to enjoy the fun and several families who were there for the first time. Our local Mexican restaurant owner is wonderful. He and the "most" of the staff really love our children and are happy to see us come in. Needless to say, last night was "Friday Night Fun". Thanks FTIA gals for coming to join us. Come back soon.

Introducing...Our new daughter/sister!!!!

2009-03-26T20:41:00.004-04:00

It is with Thanksgiving and a Joyful heart that we introduce our new daughter and sister.
Meisyn AiYan
Born August 7, 2005
Dingyuan, Anhui Ch*na
We received word today that Ch*na has granted us "Pre-Approval" on the impending adoption of Meisyn. To say we are thrilled would be an understatement! We were also give notice of "Log in Date" for our dossier. That was March 12th. So the official count to our Travel Approval starts on March 12th. We are looking to travel late August or early September. But if Ch*na wants to give us a speedy LOA and TA, we would GLADLY accept their generosity!!!

We would like to ask that you join us in prayer for Meisyn AiYan. We pray that God keeps her healthy and safe until we can bring her home. And that he will heal her heart. She has a complex heart condition that will require surgery upon her arrival home.

Marin is VERY excited about having a "little" sister and wants to go NOW to bring her home!! We will have virtual twins. There is 8 months difference in their ages. What FUN we will have!! We can't wait! Thank you Lord Je*us for bringing this precious child into our lives and heart.

Here are our adoption stats: (for those who understand the adoption lingo)

Homestudy complete: Nov. 08
I800-A mailed to CIS 12-05-09
Fingerprinting appt 01-29-09
LOI 02-11-09
CIS/Hague approval 02-12-09
PA 02-25-09
DTC 03-06-09
LID 03-12-09

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!

2009-03-17T21:26:00.004-04:00

Hope everyone had a great St. Patty's Day! The weather here was absolutely beautiful and Marin and I took advantage of it. We enjoyed a great day with Auntie Tara and cousin Ki. We had lunch at a great little cafe' along the canal, fed the ducks and geese and then played and played at wonderful park in the downtown area. Marin and Ki had such a good time together. Isn't that what family is all about?!?!?

Wild Olive Tees

2009-03-11T13:37:00.002-04:00

Check out this cool new site for T-shirts. Love the scriptures these gals have chosen. http://www.wildolivetees.com
Time to go shopping!!!
Go check them out.

So far behind

2009-03-10T17:23:00.002-04:00

OK.....let's just face it, I am a SLACKER!! There has been so much going on for the past few weeks that has required me to do a lot of "paperwork"!!! More on that later. But, if you think about it.....you may figure it out!! I am behind on posting additional birthdays, birthday parties, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day and the beginning (and now then end)of Belles et Beaux competition show choir. Therefore, I will roll it all in this photo slide show. Hope everyone has escaped the dreaded winter bugs or you are recovering from their visits! Our Indiana weather has been very nice for the past few days but cooler temperatures are on their way back. Just remember, we are one day closer to SPRING!!!

A Party To Remember

2009-01-26T18:22:00.004-05:00

The long awaited day finally arrived! Saturday was PARTY DAY! For the past couple years Sandy, Becki and myself have had a joint birthday party for Marin, Cokie, Gabrielle and Darby. The girls all have birthdays around the holidays so this party helps to make their day a little more special. This year we did a Sweet Shop Theme. And let me tell you, it was COLORFUL!! The kids had a blast with a visit from "Sunshine" the clown and Miss Yvonne who did an AMAZING job doing face painting. I will let the photos speak for the wonderful time that was had by all. Happy Birthday girls...........I LOVE you ALL!!

Prayers & Help

2009-01-15T09:54:00.005-05:00

Please lift this wonderful family up in prayer! Their home burned yesterday as did all their possessions. But praise the Lord they all made it out safely. This is an amazing family of faith. Go back and read their blog and be ready to be blessed!! There is information on this blog on how you can go about helping this family if you feel led to. Also, on the blog with the info is a request to flood ABC news and Extreme Makeover with the reason why this family deserves a Home makeover. Will you help??

A Challenge

2009-01-10T09:25:00.003-05:00

While listening to the Christian radio station, K*Love, yesterday I heard a story where a Chicago area pastor did a spontaneous act of kindness. Through this act of kindness, the recipients were so touched that the Pastor wrote about it on his FaceBook page. One of the Pastors friends who read the story took the idea and set up a facebook group called 365 Club. The idea of the group is to commit to doing 1 (one) “random act of kindness” (RAOK) a day for the entire year! Go here to read the story.
Well, this got my heart and mind in motion. As Christians we should be doing this any way, however, most days we don’t. YET. I want to challenge us all. Let’s commit to doing this………at least one RAOK each day. By doing this, I know hearts, minds, bodies and souls will be happier, lighter, nicer and BLESSED! Once we see the difference that small RAOK made in someone’s life, we will wake each day excited to see who’s life can be touched next. Something so small as just opening the door for someone, or paying for the meal in the car behind you at the drive-thru, or offering a parking space to someone else, or simply saying “THANK YOU” for your willingness to be at work, or for the hard work you are doing. See, once you start, the joy builds in your heart, and you keep thinking off all the ways you can do this. By “paying it forward” with these RAOK God will not only bless you, he will in turn bless others. The only thing to remember is, it is GOD who is to be GLORIFIED by these RAOK, not ourselves!!
I am EXCITED…. Now every morning when I wake I will ask God “who needs my RAOK today”?
Please pass the word to all of your “Bloggy” friends, together we CAN make a difference. Let me know if you are willing to commit to doing one simple “random act of kindness” per day!!
“PAY IT FORWARD”!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

With love.......from China Daddy & China Mama

2009-01-03T13:47:00.005-05:00

We received a VERY special gift this morning. A gift of pure LOVE. We have been blessed with the opportunity to keep in contact with Marin's foster family in China. After our initial meeting in China, only after a few days of receiving Marin, this family has become a part of our family. We have shared every holiday, birthday and any monumental events that occurs in the life of Marin YouXing with this dear family. This morning, China Daddy, emailed a video of birthday memories of Marin as well as just memories of her life (from photos that we have sent to them and their photos) since leaving their arms. He took the time to put this together with music. He has done this many times for us but this one is so dear to me. He has included a photo of Marin's first birthday....in China with them. What a treasure we have, a video that chronicles all 4 of Marin's birthdays.

So Marin, always remember that this video, like all the others, was made for YOU by 2 people that LOVE you still SO SO much!!

Happy Birthday Xing......with LOVE, from China Daddy and China Mama.

~~you will need to pause the music on my playlist in order to hear the "Chinese" music that was put with this video~~

Fantastic FOUR!

2009-01-02T20:14:00.006-05:00

It is so hard to believe that Marin turned 4 on December 25th!! Seems like only yesterday we were in China and had that scared little 20 month old baby placed in our arms. Time has certainly flown. While Marin's birthday is Christmas Day, we choose to celebrate a few days later. We make sure that she realizes that her birthday is the same day as Jesus' and the day doesn't go by that we don't remind her that it is her special day too. We woke her on Christmas morning by singing "happy birthday" to her and to Jesus. When the day came for her "family" party she was VERY excited. She knew that the party would start when it "got dark" outside, so, like any 4 year old, she kept wondering ALL day when it was going to get dark. Needless to say when the family started arriving her excitement totally spilled over. She was thrilled to see cousin Ki, her grandmothers, grandad, aunt, uncle and sister all come through the door. She loved all her gifts that were so graciously given to her. Thank you all SO much. As usual, there were MANY tears in my eyes the entire day. Marin is the light of our world...........and our world illuminates because of her love.
Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Baby Girl!!!!

Christmas Memories

2008-12-31T16:22:00.006-05:00

How can you put into words watching your child's eyes, mouth and face explode with excitement at seeing all the beautiful Christmas decorations, learning about baby Jesus and his birthday, singing songs about baby Jesus, going to all our church activities centering around baby Jesus, seeing the pure joy of singing songs, in 3 services, at church, finding many wrapped gifts for others, learning how it feels to give instead of receiving, discovering a "scout elf" that has traveled from Santa's workshop, enjoying many holiday gatherings and waking on Christmas morning to her mommy, daddy, Megan and Morgan singing Happy Birthday to HER and to baby Jesus, then discovering that Santa had worked his magic....covering the livingroom with more toys and goodies than she could conceive?????? There are NO words for that, other than pure and complete LOVE. The LOVE that our Father has given to us in these gifts. First, a baby boy who came and died for each of us and then the gift of this precious child who has consumed our hearts and soul. Marin our prayer is that you always remember that Jesus IS the reason for this wonderful season. We love all the way to heaven and back!!

Merry CHRISTmas

2008-12-24T08:07:00.005-05:00

From our Family to Yours... Christmas is..............

The gift of a Father, His own precious Son,

So the world would be saved when His

work was all done...........

In God we Trust!

2008-12-09T19:21:00.002-05:00

I received this in an email today. If after you read the text and agree with the statement, please copy and paste it to your blog. Let's pass this along to everyone we know. It's time to put GOD back into our Country and our Lives!!

Payback is fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES !
........or front.
WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. WE'LL START WRITING IT ON THE FRONT OF OUR ENVELOPES, TOO! ! Including Bills !
You may have heard in the news that a couple of Post Offices in Texas have been forced to take down small posters that say IN GOD WE TRUST ..
The law, they say, is being violated Anyway, we heard proposed on a radio station show, that we should all write 'IN GOD WE TRUST' on the back of all our mail. After all, that's our National Motto, and it's on all the money we use to b uy those stamps
........We think it's a wonderful idea We MUST take back our nation from all the people who think that anything that offends them should
be removed. If you like this idea, please pass it on
The idea of writing or stamping 'IN GOD WE TRUST'
on our envelopes sounds good to us ..
WE'RE HAVING A STAMP MADE TOO!
Heck, let's use it as our signature on e-mails too! It's been reported that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, we have a very hard time understanding why there's such a mess about having 'In God We Trust!' on our money and having God in the pledge of Allegiance.

In GOD we Trust,
Jen

Christmas Card

2008-12-09T09:56:00.006-05:00

This is our Christmas card for this holiday season. Ashley at The Cutest Blog on the Block did our cards. She is THE best to work with. So talented. If you need blog "work" or cards of any kind, go over and see her.

Here's wishing you and your family a season filled with all the Peace, Love & Joy that comes from the Blessed Christ Child!!

Christmas is in the air...

2008-12-06T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas around here. A light fluffy snow is falling today, the house is decorated, the smell of cookies are baking and love abounds in our home! While our decorations were up before Thanksgiving, the spirit of Christmas is still as exciting as it was the day we completed our task. Marin is so excited every morning when she awakes about all the celebrations and the decorations. It's soooo much fun to celebrate the holidays with a child that is filled with pure joy.

Blog decor

2008-12-05T22:15:00.002-05:00

Check out the new side bar decor I just added. Don't you LOVE it? If so, hop over to Michelle's blog. She made these CHRISTmas blog decor items and has offer any and every one the chance to spruce up their blogs with these! And at the same time spreading the REAL meaning of CHRISTmas! Thanks Michelle.

Tagged, again

2008-11-28T10:32:00.002-05:00

One of our travel mates when we went to China, Dawn, has tagged me. The game this time around is rather simple. Here is what you do:
The Rules:
1. Grab the nearest book
2. Open it to page 56
3. Find the 5th sentence
4.Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with instructions
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the most intellectual - Pick the CLOSEST

With that being said, here goes.

Nearest book: The Power of Praying by Stormie Omartian
page 56: 5th sentence........ Holiness means purifying yourself.

Since my "tag" job is complete, I am going to pass the fun along to~~ Kim, Katy & Tara. Ok girls, "you're it"!

A Very Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday!

2008-11-27T08:18:00.008-05:00

From our Family to yours, A Happy and Wonderful Thanksgiving!

GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART

GIVE THANKS TO THE HOLY ONE

GIVE THANKS FOR HE'S GIVEN JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON

AND NOW LET THE WEAK SAY I AM STRONG

LET THE POOR SAY I AM RICH

BECAUSE OF WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US

GIVE THANKS...

"Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
~Psalm 100: 4b-5

Simple joy

2008-11-17T13:02:00.004-05:00

Throughout the morning the sky was teasing us with a few sprinkles of snow. Then, late in the morning the snow bucket must have fallen over because the sky let loose with the most beautiful fluffy snow. As I was picking Marin up from school it was snowing to beat the band. She was so excited when we came out of the church to see all the white stuff falling. Once we got home she ran out to attempt to catch some flakes on her tongue. While looking at the photos, that I just had to take, my heart started to ache and the tears started to rain down my face. My thoughts were of the ones who will NEVER know this type of joy in their lives. The ones that are left behind. Is it a coincidence that November is National Adoption Awareness Month? I think not. November is also the month that we reflect and give THANKS for all the Blessings that we have been given. I know the little girl in these photos is one of the GREATEST blessings we could have ever been given. For that, we are eternally grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that I can make everyday National Adoption Awareness "day" because every child left behind deserves the opportunity to find the joy in the simple things in life!

Thank You & Welcome Home!

2008-11-15T12:14:00.005-05:00

Last evening proved to be a very emotional evening for us. We started out the night by having our traditional Friday night dinner at the Mexican restaurant while anticipating our friends arrival home from China with their new son. After all 35 family and friends arrived at the airport we were approached by a lady inquiring why we were there. Once our story was shared she invited us to join her family and friends in welcoming a son, a solider, who had been serving in Afghanistan. Seeing that young man arrive "home" to his family and friends was very emotional! We so often forget that these men and women "are real" and have families too. And they are serving to keep our FREEDOM! We were SO honored to be apart of that homecoming! I'm sure he was VERY confused by who all these strangers were and not to mention all the Asian children there to welcome him. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!
The next emotional part of evening came when we finally saw Sawyer RUNNING down the ramp toward his new brother and sisters. What a sight to behold. A child, who only 2 weeks ago was an orphan, running, smiling, excited and happy to finally see the rest of his FAMILY. Needless to say, Sawyer has won the hearts of us all. He is such a beautiful little boy! Thank you Lord for impressing on the hearts of Mike and Becki your instructions to care for the orphans of the world. And for the faithfulness of this family.

WELCOME HOME SAWYER! Welcome HOME!!

Wonderful WORDLESS Wednesday

2008-11-12T13:53:00.002-05:00

Fuzzy?

2008-11-11T15:32:00.003-05:00

What do you do on a rainy, cold day (besides move winter and summer clothes around in closets)?? You start the holiday season EARLY and make "muddie-buddies"! This is the first time Marin remembers making them. Once the task of preparing was finished and she was able to sample her hard work she said to me "Oh mommy, these are sooo warm, soft and fuzzy!" FUZZY??? Never had thought about these snacks as FUZZY! Hmmmm. Well, no matter how you look at them, I think they "rock", fuzzy and all!!

A Blaze of Glory!

2008-11-10T20:28:00.005-05:00

So often we think we have to go looking for God's beauty in far away places. When all we need to do is just open our own doors. That is exactly what I found in my own back yard. GOD'S amazing work of art. He was putting His final touches on this wonderful masterpiece He calls Autumn. (the first two photos were taken the same day while picking Marin up from Pre-school at our church)

In FOREVER arms!!

2008-11-03T12:01:00.004-05:00

That is where Sawyer Andrew Duke is right now!!! In the arms of his FOREVER family. Our good friends are in China and met their new son this morning and reports ALL is well! Praise the Lord .....His love endures forever!! If you would like to follow along on their journey click here. We are thrilled beyond words for Sawyer and ALL the family!!

Knock, Knock....

2008-11-01T08:07:00.008-04:00

....who's there?
Banana
Banana who?
Knock,knock
who's there?
Banana
Banana who?
Knock, knock
who's there?
Orange
Orange who?
Orangen't glad I didn't say banana???
Oh how the world changes when you experience it through the eyes (and excitement) of a child! Those of you who know Marin understand the knock-knock joke and with that being said, her costume was certainly fitting! We have spent much of the week celebrating Fall and Happy "pumpkin" day. It started off with a card filled with MANY, MANY MANY halloween stickers from Aunt Cindy (did I mention MANY?). Countless hours were spent playing with those stickers. Thank you Aunt Cindy. Yesterday Marin woke with a smile because she knew it was time to go to school and have a "Fall Party"! Arriving back home waiting on the porch was a mysterious box!! "THERE'S A PACKAGE.....WONDER WHO IT IS FOR?.......(have you ordered something else, momma? I hate it when she calls me out on my shopping habits!)..THEN IT MUST BE FOR ME!!!!" Guess what? It WAS for Marin, it was a box FULL of Halloween surprises from GRAN! What fun she had for hours watching the movies, coloring playing with her ponies and puppies! Thanks so much Gran!! Then as afternoon fell, something click......"Momma, is it FINALLY time to go Trick-"out"- Treating???? Please, please, please!! Yes baby, IT'S TIME! Well, almost, as soon as daddy gets home. Thankfully he got home rather quickly because I'm not sure how much longer she could have waited. The treat-out-treating hours began with a ring of the doorbell from our neighbors........... LOVE those kids. Once we greeted and gave our treats to them we were off. First stop was in the neighborhood then to Kelly's. What a surprise waited at Kelly's!! A "spooky" cat bag filled with ALL kinds of treats, a black kitty and a GREAT story book about a farmer, his pumpkins and the love God has for all of us!! Thanks Kelly. Then on to a stop to visit the local Firemen. They looked lonely sitting outside the station all by themselves, so we stopped to say Happy Halloween. Then on to Grandma Shirley's. She had fun treats waiting there as well.....gotta love those lollipops. By this time....we were STARVING, so we decided, enough with the candy...let's go get Mexican!!! Boy it was good. After our tummy's were full, sleep started to knock on our door. After getting into our P.J.'s and reading our NEW book and saying our prayer, thanking God for all HIS goodness and TREATS, we fell fast asleep. So, until next year.............Happy Pumpkin Day!!

"Let the little children come to Me,.......

2008-10-24T21:51:00.007-04:00

...and do not forbid them;for of such is the kingdom of heaven."Matthew 19:13-14
Terrie, who is waiting to bring Joshua home had this on her website and was kind enough to offer to do one for Marin. I can not even begin to tell you what this image does to me. To see my child on the lap of Jesus. WOW!!!

Where has the time gone?

2008-10-23T18:27:00.008-04:00

Seems like only yesterday that this smiling face was ALWAYS coming in and out of the house. Now, it seems to us, that we HARDLY see this smiling face. Oh how I miss it!! Megan has been out on her own for awhile now, in her 5th year of college, working 2 jobs and just enjoying the life of a young adult. I can truly say that I miss having her around. She always has a ready smile to lend and finds laughter very easily. I LOVE it when she is laughing so hard that there is NO sound!! I even miss the times when she is laughing so hard and if is drinking something, it will spew out her nose!! Megan is easy and fun to have around. Always finds humor in things of life, even it is in regards to her. Such a happy and sweet spirit. And I MISS that! Not long ago Megan was at the house and was preparing to leave and Marin comes running to me with big crocodile tears about to spill over those black almond-shaped eyes and her rose bud lips quivering near sobbing. I ask her what was wrong and she said "Megan is leaving and going to her house, I don't want her to. I miss her". And with tears about to spill over my round, crow feet, blue eyes and wrinkled lips quivering I replied back, "I don't want her to go either because I miss her too".

Family visits

2008-10-17T16:22:00.008-04:00

Last week my sister, neice and great-neice came up for a few days to visit. This was the first time my great-neice (Lexi) and Marin have really spent any time together. Marin had a blast with Lexi. We went to the orchard, picked apples, had apple cider slushies and played in the hay. Later that evening Marin realized that they were all spending the night. She came running to me saying "Lexi is staying here tonight...that means this is my very first sleep-over"!! "It is going to be the best sleep-over ever". I believe they both had a great time together. I know I enjoyed spending time with all of them. Hope they make it back up here real soon!!

Supporting Adoption

2008-10-14T11:22:00.003-04:00

Update: I received my bumper stickers today!!! (man, that was fast) They are a very nice size and all the

colors are very brilliant. If you haven't gotten yours....better go to their site and get one!

I just saw this awesome bumper sticker on Lynn's blog and I LOVE it. This family is selling them to raise money for their adoption. So, go on over and get one....I just did!! Thanks Lynn for sharing about this great statement and cause.

Tag............I'm it!

2008-10-13T15:56:00.012-04:00

Well, this is my first time of playing "Blogger Tag". I guess we will have to see how I do. I was tagged by Lynn to list 7 random/weird facts about myself. Those who know me, know that EVERYTHING about me is random AND weird. Anyway.....here goes.

1. feel the need to keep Marin's toy's in a certain order or place WHEN cleaning the playroom. (each "little people" or doll for each doll house has their own place, etc)

2. will NOT advance the calendar early

3. love drinking pickle juice

4. love to eat burnt popcorn

5. fascinated with 1800's antiques

6. love going to airshows/watching airplanes

7. do not like massages.

There you go..........7 useless facts. Nonetheless.........I played the game!

So now I must tag 7 others..............
Kim at A Mother's Heart for China
Katy at The One Place I call Home

Tara at What More Could We Want...
Suzanne at Spicy Dragon & Dinosaur

Robin at Leese Adoption Adventure

Rett at 2+2=fourEVER family

Tina at Ferrell Family Fun

Ok, gals...consider yourselves TAGGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Parades and Performances

2008-10-09T16:17:00.010-04:00

For past couple weeks seems like we have experienced lots of parades and performances. A couple weeks ago was the Football Homecoming parade. Of course we had to go and watch Morgan as she was representing the Junior class officers and to see the awesome float the junior class put together! GREAT job guys! Then this past Saturday morning was the annual Quaker Day parade. Belles et Beaux walked and sang along the parade route with a couple stops to sing a number or two. At noon the group performed again inside the Quaker Friends Church as part of the entertainment for the afternoon. Then to top off the day, Belles et Beaux sang at the County GOP dinner for the Governor!! All three times the group did a GREAT job and sounded amazing! As if that wasn't enough singing, Tuesday night they sang again at the school Fall Choral Concert! This was the first time for anything to be held in the new high school auditorium and let me say that it is UNBELIEVABLE!!! WOW...not to mention the group did an awesome job again. I believe they a few weeks "off" before any more events are scheduled. So, rest those vocal chords!!

Learning all about APPLES!

2008-09-30T17:20:00.012-04:00

Marin and her pre-school class spent the morning at a local apple orchard. They were able to hear how the trees flower and produce apples, how they are picked and cleaned. Then they were able to go and pick an apple. Marin set out to find "the perfect" apple for her daddy. And she did! Then came the best part of the trip.....tasting the yummy apple cider and eating a cookie. Needless to say, Marin and all her friends had a great morning. Thanks Beasley's for a great time!

Playtime at the park

2008-09-25T21:42:00.010-04:00

Marin and I took advantage of the beautiful weather today and enjoyed some time at the park. We stopped by our "favorite" place to eat, picked up our "favorite" food, went to the park had a picnic lunch and then had fun playing. Needless to say the simple things in life like swinging, sliding and running are SO much more fun when you live it through the life of a 3 1/2 year old!!!

Let the "Singing" Begin!!

2008-09-25T17:00:00.009-04:00

This year Morgan began a "new adventure" in extra-curriculum school activities. She laid aside her softball glove, bat, helmet and sliding pad and replaced them with a sparkling, colorful "dress" along with dancing shoes! Bells et Beauxs is now Morgan's new adventure. It is the show/competition choir from her high school. And the stage is now her new playing field. Morgan has ALWAYS excelled in her musical/drama talents and the entire family was THRILLED when she decided to travel this new road. Belles et Beauxs are UNBELIEVABLE!! I get cold chills every time I hear them sing. They are amazing year after year. Last weekend the choir sang for a local apple fest and this weekend finds them attending a retreat to learn the new choreography for the upcoming show year. This is just the beginning of many longs hours. But the rewards will be priceless!!! Let the good times roll, Morgan! You are going to do an awesome job!!! So..........."Let the Season Begin!""

Time for School

2008-09-05T16:54:00.006-04:00

Wednesday morning found Marin awake at 5:30 AM!! Yes, AM. I am convinced it was because she was SO ready to go to school! Anyone who knows her knows that she normally doesn't rise in the morning until about 8:30. So, something was going on. This just happened to be her first day of Pre-School. It is SO hard to believe that she could be old enough to start. But, she is, and she had "a great day"! She was very ready to get to school and find her "apple" with her name on it and then to go to her very own desk. When I picked her up and ask her if she had a good day....her reply was "YES, I had a great day. BUT..my day was HOT!" Her class had just come inside from playtime and she was right, it was a HOT day! I can't wait to see what this year has in store for her............and what SHE has in store for this year!!!

Birthday's!!!

2008-09-03T16:59:00.010-04:00

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Ric and Morgan
Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!

Yes, today Ric and Morgan are celebrating their birthdays!!! One is 17 and the other is 47. You can decide which is which. We were blessed that we were able to celebrate this special day with family on Sunday. Morgan got to choose what she wanted for dinner for her birthday and she chose to eat at the Irish Pub. The food was good but the fellowship time with the family was by far the best. I hope both Morgan and Ric had a very happy and special day. You both hold a special and dear place in my heart! I love you both! May God continue to bless you and keep you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

SURPRISE!!

2008-09-02T14:52:00.012-04:00

Don't you just love a surprise party, especially when it is for someone else?? On Saturday, our good friends and neighbors were the recepient of just that. A surprise 25th anniversary party hosted by their children. It is amazing that all "'us" friends and family were able to keep it a secret for so long. Mike and Sandy had NO idea. Trust me when I say that a lot of scheming went on that day to get them back home. The look on their faces was just priceless. I'm not sure by Sandy's expression if it was...oh my a surprise party for us, or oh my there are tons of people in my house..it better be clean!! If it were me, it would have been the latter. I know they enjoyed spending time with family and friends that they hadn't seen in a while. It is a milestone they are blessed with. 25 years of marriage!! Whitney, you did a great job. Thanks for including us. Mike and Sandy...may God continue you to bless your marriage, your family and your lives for years to come! Thanks for being great friends. Congratulations!!

2nd Gotcha Day Anniversary

2008-08-27T20:53:00.011-04:00

August 27, 2006..............our lives were forever changed! The memory of that day is still very fresh in our hearts. We can still feel the heat of that Fuzhou day. We can still feel the butterflies, of anticipation, in our stomachs. We can still see those big brown eyes peering over the table the moment we walked into that room. We can still hear the most heart wrenching cry from a little girl who had, only minutes before coming to the hotel, been taken away from the only family, home and love she had ever known. And we can still feel the same love that engulfed us the moment we saw our precious YouXing. These past two years have been nothing shy of heaven on earth. Marin is no longer the young toddler that was placed in our arms. She has grown physically, mentally, socially and even spiritually. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She has such a sweet spirit about her and a smile that absolutly melts our hearts.
She fills our family with love, joy and laughter each day and has made us all better people. We praise God for the plan he had for us. The plan that placed Marin in our hearts. It was there that she grew until the day she was placed in our forever family. I continue to marvel at the beauty of adoption and how blessed our lives are because of this wonderful plan God had for us.

Our Precious Marin YouXing,
There will never be enough words to describe our love for you. You are the joy of all our lives. We can not imagine our lives without you. You continue to capture our hearts each and every day with your smile and sweet voice. Our prayer for you is that open your heart to Jesus, the One who created you for a purpose and the One who will not forsake or abandon you! We know God has great and mighty things planned for you. What ever your future holds, just know that we are there for you and will support you in all your endeavors of life. Thank you dear daughter for being a blessing to us all. We love you to the moon and back! Mommy, Daddy, Megan and Morgan.

Just remember..........

The past is history, the future is a mystery, Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.

God has given us an amazing gift through this precious child that we celebrate today!

Adopting a child won't change the world
but for that child, the world will change!

Let us never lose sight of that statement!

August 27, 2006..........

....August 27, 2008

All God's Grace................

2008-08-26T18:22:00.009-04:00

......................in one sweet face!!! It is a face that I NEVER tire of. It is a face that I adore and love. It's a face that makes me marvel at it' s Creator. It's a face that takes my breath away. On this eve of Marin's 2 year Gotcha Day Anniversary, I gaze into that face and see the beauty of her mother and father. I wonder if they ever think about her face. Do they wonder what her face looks like today? I can only pray that God has given them peace and understanding that when they see themselves in the mirror, they are seeing the face that I cherish and am blessed to love.

Back Home Again in Indiana!!

2008-08-21T14:33:00.007-04:00

On Monday, Ric's sister and family finally were able to say "we're home". Their belongings arrived from Florida and the unloading and unpacking began. While I helped, Marin got to hang out and play with Granny, Aunt Nancy and Makias (Ki). In July Ki arrived home from Ethiopia. He is THE most adorable little guy you have ever seen. His smile and laugh captures your heart in a way you just can't imagine. Auntie Jen and Uncle Ric love him more than words could ever convey. We are thrilled that Marin and Ki will have the opportunity to grow up and hopefully form a bond that only cousins can have!! Welcome Home family, welcome home!!

A bond forever

2008-08-17T20:06:00.005-04:00

There's nothing that warms the heart and brings tears to your eyes faster than seeing two little boys beaming from ear to ear upon seeing each other. Today we had that privilege at a cook out that our friends had. Stafan and Miller were best friends while growing up in the orphanage in China and are still best friends today. Miller's family was traveling back home and made a stop here so that the boys could see one another again. The two families meet earlier in the summer and the boys saw each other for the first time in a year. And even though this was only the second time they had been together you could tell of an unspoken love that they have. There is and will be a strong bond between the two that will last a lifetime! Praise God for these two families that have given "a new life and family" to these precious boys and understand the importance of their friendship.

Little Baker girl

2008-08-14T21:20:00.004-04:00

Marin LOVES to help "cook". Anything! If she hears or sees me in the kitchen preparing to bake, she makes a mad dash to get her chair. She will then pull it up to the counter and then off she goes to get her apron. Once she gets her apron on she will ask me, "do I look like a little baker girl?" My reply, "well yes you do, you look like a BEEEEAAUUTIFULL baker girl". We go through this same spill, EVERYTIME. Each time is more priceless than the time before. I was making cornbread for daddy's dinner and of course she heard me. (great ears this child has) So here comes the chair and apron. The excitement she has for such a simple thing as baking with me is more precious than gold!!

A visit to the Dentist and first day back to school

2008-08-13T21:08:00.010-04:00

Let's just say that Dr. Kahn wasn't Marin's favorite person today. Today was her first visit to the dentist and she wasn't impressed at all. Luckily, it didn't last very long and she was "outta" there.

On a happier note, today was Morgan's first day back to school!!! She entered the new High School as a JUNIOR!!! Can you believe that, a JUNIOR??? I just know she loved EVERY minute of her first day back. I can assure you all she has started her "count down" to the end of the school year in her agenda!!

Daddy is HOME!!

2008-08-13T20:33:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday July 30th, Ric left for a 12 day mission trip to Poland with 7 other members from our church. While there, they visited and worked in Warsaw, Krakow and Tomaszow. From the many stories and pictures that I have seen, I know lives were blessed and changed. I'll let Ric blog about his trip. Meanwhile, my mom and sister came to visit for a few days while Ric was gone. We had a great time taking Marin to the zoo, swimming and just running around with Gran and Aunt Cindy. By the end of Ric's 12 days away we were ALL ready for Daddy to come home! Needless to say, it was GREAT to finally see him at the airport. Morgan, Marin and myself went to welcome him home. Glad you are home daddy!!!

Introduction to our family

2008-08-09T20:05:00.000-04:00

For days now I have been trying to decide how to go about writing the first true post. I still haven't come up with the words, so I decided to just "jump" in and make it simple.

Ric and I first met in 1995 and have been together ever since. He is my best friend and soulmate. I can't imagine my life without him. He (we) has 2 beautiful daughters Megan and Morgan. Again, I can't imagine life without them as well. Growing up I never really wanted to have children...unsure why that is but just didn't. Well, in 2000, God started changing my heart. He placed a little girl adopted from China, that was our new neighbor, in my life to start preparing me for THE most amazing journey of my life. MOTHERHOOD! From that moment on, my heart has never been the same. Over the next few years the desires to adopt from China would come and go. Ric wasn't at all on board. But over time, God changed his heart. In October 2005 we submitted our application to adopt a little girl from China. After many months of paperwork we finally saw our daughter's face for the very first time in March 2006. We knew instantly that she was our child!! It was at that very moment that I became a "true" mommy. Don't get me wrong, Megan and Morgan are like my own girls. I love them as if they were. Marin YouXing was finally placed into our arms on August 2006 and continues to be the joy of ALL our lives. This blog will serve as a daily journal and scrapbook of our lives. It will also give family that live away from us to see what is happening in our lives. So, here's to the beginning of our something new.

2008-07-12T12:34:00.000-04:00

New beginnings

2008-07-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

There must be a beginning for something new. This blog is our something new. We have chosen to "step" into the 21st century with this blog so that we could document our journey through life. In the days to come I will try to document our journey together from the beginning. Of course, using the "cliff note" method!! Stay tuned, there is sure to be interesting things to follow.