Having a child with a single ventricle anatomy can sometimes be stressful, if you allow your imagination to float to the unknown. As a mother, we want to know our children are healthy and protected. After Huahua's surgery, she healed, we moved on and life went back to normal. But her heart will really never be fixed. The surgery was palliative. So we learn to lean not on doubt and fear, but in our eternal joy that comes from knowing Christ. This fontan surgery made her heart/anatomy function better, so she is no longer blue all the time. She feels better, but the reality is still her heart will eventually stop working. We have had to face this over and again as unknowing people ask what her future holds, but this is where we can no longer live in fear. It would be easy to slip into the valley of fear knowing your child may die before she learns to drive, before she has a chance to go to college or get married. But we will not live in fear of the unknown. We will live out our faith in the one who created her for a specific purpose. We will use this opportunity to share our faith, in trusting God for the answers--whatever they may be. Our lives and everyone she touches have been so blessed by this little girl. The joy and laughter she brings is worth every tear that may fall. God created us to care for others and it is our honor to be her family and share the incredible news of hope in eternal joy with her!
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| March 2013 in China 2 years old--one month before God stirred our hearts to adoption. We would pick her up in Dec 2013 only 8 months later!!! She loves to hear the story of how Mom and Dad came to China to get her! |
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| Yep---she has the adrenline junkie gene too. She loves to ride. NOT MY IDEA-DADS! |
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| The pants do look really cute though. |
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| Post ride exhuastion.....we have to MAKE her take a break. |
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| Best big sister around! |
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| OEHLHOF MOTOCROSS RACE TEAM |
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| Father's Day ....It's a tradition |
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| My Daddy and Me |
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| Holding her worm! |
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| Unprepared trip to the beach while fishing. |
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| Turtles in the sand..... |
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| Turtles crawling out to sea!!! |
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| BEAUTIFUL BEACH PRINCESS |
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| CELEBRATING 6 MONTHS HOME!!!! |
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| READY FOR THE POOL....notice the shoe choice, she still picks them out herself! |
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| Jordan used to fall asleep on the lawnmower too! SO sweet. |
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| Loves the pool and even puts her head under the water! |
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| DAY at the WATERPARK! |
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| She loved the slides and the wave pool. A bit disappointed she could not go on the big slided. Then she saw the catapult swing and asked if "she could go on that?" I told her maybe next year! Yikes! |
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| One year ago while at the water park another mother was in China picking up her daughter, Huahua's best friend. She was able to capture some pictures of my baby and sent them to me! It made our day at the park so much more special. Awaiting to meet and bring your child home can be a long time of agony. I thought it was only appropriate for us to have this picture celebrating our little sweetheart--passed out--but I'm in heaven on earth! |
