please read...and pray

Hey...I need you guys to pray.
But first, please re-read this post from May 19, 2009, would you?

*******

Look at this darling girl!!

My friend Leah and her husband just adopted her.
Her name is Abbey
and she is one of Macy's friends.
We simply can't wait to see these two girls reunited!

This picture was taken when they visited the orphanage
after their adoption was finalized last week.

But what I'd really like you to take notice of is
the sweet boy in the background.

He is the only older child, out of 30+ kids in the Journey of Hope Project,
that still doesn't have a family coming for him.

He has heard nearly all his friends receive news of
a family coming for them.

He's watched so many other kids eagerly open care packages.

And, as you see in the picture above,
he's witnessed child after child walk out of the orphanage,
once and for all,
with their forever families.

And he continues to wait.

Older child adoption isn't easy.
Sometimes, it's downright HARD.

But really,
is it fair that any of us should have it easy
when this boy just wants a home to call his own?

If you feel God possibly calling you to adopt this boy,
please email me or contact WACAP.

And I would love it if all of you would join me
in praying for him!


UPDATE:
After much prayer, it turns out that WE are
this sweet boy boy's family!


*******

May 3, 2010
So today, almost one year after that post,
that sweet boy...our son...is finally the one who gets
to leave with a new family.
My heart leaps with excitement for him.
Although there are so many challenges and difficulties
that await him with the huge changes in his life.

Today, at this moment, my newest guy, along with his new
little brother and dad, are returning
to the orphanage to say
his final goodbyes, just like he saw so many of his friends do.

It is bitter-sweet.
Our new boy has a bright new future,
but he also leaves behind
a biological brother, who is too old to be adopted (by China law).

My heart aches as I think of how this might
hurt his heart...how he might try to hide that hurt...
or reveal it with unleashed emotions.

As you go through your evening...and during the night (should you awaken),
would you please pray
for this very special...and difficult day?

And also ponder this...
there are thousands...millions...of boys
and girls just like our Hao Hao,
who long for a day, that they too can leave with
their very own family.

oh-so-thankful for skype!

Skyping has been our lifeline.
LIFELINE.

Honestly, it is the best invention ever.
It even tops sliced bread.
Oh, yes it does.

I am so thankful, so thankful, so thankful.
Having this connection,
multiple times a day,
has been such a joy, I can't even tell you.

And so I figured out how to take snapshots
of the screen as we chat.


So here you go...

See?

You understand why it's so precious to me.

gotcha day {Hao Hao} pt. 2

Great pics from my incredible K-man.

Hao Hao
agreeing to be adopted...

Loving on his new little brother!
Those bangs on Isaiah are still a thorn in my side.

No adoption is complete without a trip to the local Wal Mart.
I think it's required.

More fun at the hotel!

Everything went well for K and the boys on this second Gotcha Day.
We skyped with them and HH is not nearly as shy
as we suspected.
He is all smiles and very animated.
Macy had a long conversation with him in Chinese,
explaining a few things and laughing a lot.
She said that HH said that Baba is so cute.
I love that!
And he readily called me Mommy.
Oh my heart.

I gotta run for now.
I hope to post a few skype pics that I took because they're so
darn funny.
I've got a lot going on so I will get to that when I can.

THANK YOU for praying for my amazingly brave husband.
He is sleeping now (I hope!).
Please continue to pray today as you think of him...

This ain't easy!

Talk to you soon.

gotcha day {Hao Hao}

I got an email from K-man early this morning.
He said Hao Hao (Elijah) is very sweet, doing very well,
and is being VERY helpful with Mr. Little Toot.

And the other thing he said (about himself) is that he's extremely
worn out and terribly homesick.

Please pray for a supernatural dose of energy, strength,
and whatever-else-he-needs-to-survive-this.

At the moment they are at dinner (Italian, of course).
Then we will skype with them.

I hope to have pics to post soon after that but if my
tired man isn't up to sending me any,
we'll just have to wait, I reckon.

plunger in my kitchen sink

So sorry I didn't post anything this morning.

No new pics from Kel so I just didn't have any good blog material.
Ya know?

However, I did have a photo-op here at home when
one of Lucy's little plastic cups got stuck,
right-side-up,
down into the garbage disposal.
Are you following this?

It took exactly three of us to shimmy it out,
after using a plunger.
Sigh.
Yes, a plunger.
In my kitchen sink.

I didn't take pics.
But I'm pretty sure you get the visual.


I got an unexpected skype call from my Honey a little while ago.
Gasp!
I love that man.
He and Isaiah were getting ready to leave the hotel
and head to the airport.

They will arrive in Henan at 11:30am (their time),
which is 10:30pm our time.
Right?
Yes, I think that's right.

Then...he gets Hao Hao (Elijah) sometime in the afternoon,
which will be early Tuesday morning here.

I hope to wake up early to a wonderful skype conversation!

I will keep you posted as I get info!