a GREAT Christmas gift idea

My bloggy friend Erin is making these super-cute necklaces.  She intially started making them as part of their fundraiser to bring home their little boy.

        

Her son, Sterling, is now home and her fundraising efforts are to raise money for a Waiting Child.  She is Yegor's Christmas Warrior and her goal is to raise $1,000 for his adoption grant by December 31.  Hop over to her blog... if you donate to Yegor, she'll make you the necklace of your choosing (see her blog for specifics about $ amount to donate).  Additionally, if you donate $35 or more to a Reece's Rainbow Waiting Child, you'll receive a Christmas ornament with his/her photo on it (see the Reece's Rainbow page for details).

What would be even greater than Yegor getting $1,000 added to his fund is if his family found him this Christmas.  This little guy needs a family soon.  He's almost 5yo and could be facing transfer out of the baby house-- to an adult mental institution-- very soon.

These necklaces make great gifts... check them out.

And if you see me, be sure to ask to see my necklace with a photo of our Little Dude!

What's happening now?

As soon as the final background check comes in, our Home Study will be complete.  (One from each state in which you've resided since age 18 is required.)  It's been somewhat of a restful time knowing there is nothing more I can do until the HS is finished.  Today, however, I feel the urge to get our documents in order so that they're "ready and waiting" for our trip to the Notary the minute our last clearance arrives.  I'm also exploring Adoption Grant options since most of them require us to have a valid HS at the time of application.

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I'm thankful that our credit union offers Notary service at no additional charge to us, and for Kathy, the International Program Assistant at our HS agency, who's been doing her best to track down and speed along our background checks.

For such a time as this

This subject is something that rolls around in my mind from time to time.  While it doesn't have its roots in our adoption, it seems to creep into many areas of my life-- including this adoption.  Most of the time it'll surface in my thoughts then be crammed back into the recesses because 'I just don't get it'.

Why have I been brought to this place in my life?  What have I done to receive such a blessing?  Haven't there been so many more deserving people come before me?  And yet God's chosen me.  He's chosen me to be Mommy to a little boy from EE... all 47 chromosomes of him.

My four years of parenthood has taught me more about God's nature than all of my previous years of Sunday School, VBS, and Bible Studies combined.  It's offered a glimpse into how God must feel.  There are days that parenting toddlers is downright tough.  Yet despite their disobedience, there is never a time where I want to withhold my love or remove my hand of protection from those 2 little boys.  Is there correction and punishment?  Sure.  However, I'm continually seeking ways to shower them with blessings because they're my sons.

So maybe four years into this parenthood gig I'm starting to 'get it'  a little bit.  This blessing of our little guy is not about anything I have done... It's my loving Father showering me with His very best despite all of my shortcomings.  And for that, I am thankful.

Never far from our thoughts

As is the case with most moms, my children are never far from my thoughts.  Even when I go somewhere without them, I'll catch my eyes darting around the room to check on their whereabouts before remembering I'm traveling solo.

The same is with our newest little dude.  He is constantly on my mind and his absense weighs on my heart.  That was the case this morning.  I was thinking about our little guy while driving to Pre-School when  I heard the impassioned plea of our 4yo... "Mommy, can you go get _______?"  (insert his name in the blank)

If a heart breaking was audible, you'd have heard mine.  I choked out an answer as best I could.  How do I explain in toddler terms all has to be accomplished in order for his brother to come home?  These are children whose concept of time is defined by the 'number of sleeps' until an event occurs. 

While I have faith that we one day will bring our little guy home, I am keenly aware that each of those 'sleeps' until then I will only be able to kiss 2 of my 3 boys goodnight.

Heart's Desire & Lips' Request

This morning I had somewhat of a revelation.  It happened in the space between the time when I start to gain consciousness and my feet actually hitting the floor.
Over the past few days Psalm 21:2 has been rolling around in my head.  "You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips." 

In some ways I think the journey to our little guy began 30 years ago.  I was in 7th and 8th grade when I read the National Inquirer  during "free reading time" in Language Arts class.  (Right now some of you are thinking "What?!?  Your teacher had National Inquirer  in her classroom for free reading?"  There are others of you who also had 'Mother Rupert' as a teacher and it makes perfect sense.  But I digress.)  Each issue had two small photos of adoptable Special Needs children.  I remember praying that God would give me one of them because I'd want and love him/her despite the challenges.

That prayer, while sincere, was soon forgotten.  I moved on to the "more important" things in the life of an 80's teen... like Jordache jeans and BIG hair.  Though I forgot, God did not.

Eastern Europe is not a region I had ever wished to adopt from.  My heart was moved for Haiti, Kenya, and China.  There were things about each of these places that made perfect sense to me... we had friends there, we had traveled there, we knew some of the culture, and so on.

While competing in Summer Biathlon in the 90's, I had an opportunity to travel to Northern and Eastern Europe.  It was an amazing trip and I hoped to one day return.  To date, that has not happened.  And with the birth of our babies, I figured it would be quite a few years before it did.

That's where my 'revelation' from this morning comes in... not only has God granted me the desire of my heart in adopting a child with Ds, He is also fulfilling the request of my lips to one day return to EE.

This journey is amazing and the things God has orchestrated to get us to this exact time in our lives blows me away.

My friends rock!

Proverbs 31:13-- She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

Yesterday was a great day.  I was a reminded of how wonderful my friends are.  Being an avid knitter, the plan was to gather my knitting/crocheting friends for a whole day of knitting.  The goal was to craft hats for my friend Robyn to take to her daughter's orphanage when she travels to bring her home in a few weeks. 

Shortly after 8am, my first friend arrived with her yarn, crochet hook, and son.  Quickly, our home began to overflow with yarn, knitting needles, and children.  The kids had a great time playing while the Mommies worked and talked. 

This continued throughout the day and after a short break around supper time, the 'night owls' arrived.  It was close to 11pm before the yarn and needles were packed up for the night.


Here's our basket at day's end:

(Several hats were made prior to our get-together yesterday and there are a few more still "on the needles".)

I am so blessed to call this group of ladies my friends. 

P.S.  Don't put your needles away too soon... I'm going to call on your skills again when it's our turn to travel!   :o)

Please Pray

Since having my heart opened to Special Needs adoption (and particularly Down syndrome), I've read many amazing stories of God placing orphans in families.  One such story is unfolding even as I type.  A Mommy and Daddy left Pennsylvania yesterday to fly halfway around the world and bring their daughter home.  Here is a link to their blog and a photo of little Katie.  One bit of information you won't gather without digging deeper into their journey is that Katie is actually 9 years old and weighs just 11 pounds.  That is not a typo, it's a sad reality... 11 pounds at 9 years old.

This is a family who gives God all of the glory.  Please lift them up in prayer as they perform the final steps in receiving custody of Katie, the transition, and their subsequent return to the United States with a medically fragile child. 

God places the lonely in families;

He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

                                                                      --Psalm 68:6