Important April Update

 There are peak and valleys in life and the Lord has sustained us through a tumultuous winter.  And we are coming up on the other side enjoying the warm spring days together as a family.  These two heart heros have been cleared by their Dr. for six months until their next appointment.  That seems like a lifetime for us and we rejoice in their energy (most of the time)!   Our daily medication routine has dropped to only a few medications.  After insurance stopped paying for the liquid form of their heart medication, they started to swallow it--no problem--like champs!

His favorite Doc!

 James has been the strongest most resilient trooper through his recovery.  Yes, he has days asking to get his cast off.  And days asking when he could do this or that but he has grown so much in the past year.  Adoption is hard....real hard....for a child who knows nothing but orphanage life...they only know how to survive on fight for themselves.  James came to us and has given us the chance to love him and has been willing to let down his guard to trust us.  He has allowed us to shape and mold him through loving guidance.  I look back at his file and they labeled him with words I will not repeat, for they are not him.  He is our son, capable of anything.  James has learned to read and write this year, a language he never spoke, or heard just over a year ago.  He tries his hardest and wins over the heart of just about everyone he meets.  He smile is always big and his heart even bigger!

                                     Three extremities in a cast does not slow James down!

 Everything turns into a race at our house.  It's in the blood.....or maybe the milk, or water.  Okay, I       don't know why???

                          These two are well known at the AFCH.  They think they rule the roost there!

 About once a year we go the a REAL movie!  This time we hit the theatre with recliners....wow what a treat and with free refillable large popcorn and drink.....score!!!  We saw "Miracles from Heaven"

                  Wrestling is a popular sport at our house too.  It's mostly just pile on each other till someone starts crying.

Over spring break we took a little trip to the Madison zoo.  It's a wonderful free activity!  Despite the hail, we dashed between raindrops and had a great time.  Since the zoo was not very crowded,  (maybe the hail scared people away) the zoo keeper allowed the kids to pet the tortoise.  Joseph (not pictured) ran in touched him and dashed out.  Not impressed!

           Our faithful Bubba Gump, he puts up with a lot and always up for whatever the kids want.

                     James won tickets to the UW band concert from AFCH.  What a great treat!

 What happens when you have a sister.....she dresses you up like a girl, over and over and over!  Joseph is so easy going!

                                Bike rides for some, scooter ride for those with casts.  This radio flyer works great and was designed for children who don't have movement/strong use of their legs.  He still has mobility and can get around everywhere.  Love it!

                                                     Two little cubbie bears at AWANA.

Superhero in my book (and hers).  Ryan overheard her asking Justin.... "How Do you get that web thing to fly out of your hand?"  One day....Huahua...One day!

                                        Oh that Smile, sweetness in a superhero body!!!

                                                                 Jordan and Teddy Bear.

                                                            -- SISTERS FOREVER--

 Jackson has sustained a long winter of surgeries, casts, and rehab therapy.  He is back at what he loves the most, racing his dirt bike and qualified at the local races to move onto regional races in two different classes.   Despite this tough break, I pray he sees how God can use this for the good.

                         Can't keep this guy down! When he really wants to get going he holds his cast up and                                  pedals really hard with one foot.  Determination from within.

        Joseph taking a few spins on the dirt bike with Dad.  He usually comes back and is saying more.

                                                                       Sweet bonding.

                                              Jordan riding at grandpa's house.

                                         

                Someone has a funny sense of humor--- James was "fixing" the tricycle.

                                                               Two peas in a pod.

The Little Red Merry-Go-Round

On October 28, 2015, in the midst of our hospital stay with Joseph, and as our tumultuous winter was beginning, I first saw this little boy, Dallas.  The red little merry-go-round-caught my eye.  This was the little merry-go-round Joseph played upon in the orphanage in Guilin, China.   I saw Joseph play upon this with his foster parents.  Upon further probing, We learned this little boy was only 11 months old and had a single ventricle ( like Huahua) and we believed at the time had not had his Glenn procedure.  The Glenn is the second of three surgeries single ventricle children need in order to survive.  He was not vaccinated and his heart was growing more vulnerable and weak by the day.  He needed a family and needed one immediately.  As our plate became more and more full, complicated with broken arms, surgeries, ailing parents, and cancer, we decided there was no way we could adopt another child.  So I did the next best thing and advocated for him.   I advocated as if he was mine and put his face and profile out there for as many people to see.  Orphans are alone in the world, they have no one fighting for them!  I would fight for him and find him a family!  Many people think they can't make a difference in the overwhelming needs of orphans.  But One person can make the difference in their life, advocate, make their faces known, share their stories, make their needs and life real to others.  I spoke with a few families, encouraged about single ventricle children and thought  he might have a chance to be adopted.  To have his life saving surgery!  He needed a massive expedite within a few months to make it home!   To my agonizing disappointment....family after family said no.  I cried for him.  Knowing his time on earth was short.  In late December, an update came through that he had actually received his Glenn surgery. (why it was never put in his file???  We will never know!)   I cried tears of HOPE for him......this bought him time to find a family to find him and get him home before his next surgery is needed.

Fast forward a two months.... Dallas' file was lost for few weeks, then moved agencies.   Now he is named "Jaxen" with the new agency.  I was hopeful he might have a chance to be seen by a new prospect of adoptive parents.  In reality, I think most adoptive parents might all "know each other"  through social media.  But I continued to advocate and keep tabs on him and search for his parents, all the while my heart ached.... because I knew the truth God whispered into my ear in that hospital room back on October 28.  

 

Why do we advocate?  Why do allow ourselves to be vulnerable and hurt for these children?  Orphans....are they really our responsibility?  Wouldn't life be so much easier to move on and live comfortably and enjoy what we have....the problem is...... our hearts and lives have been changed....

1 Peter 1:22NIV

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

James 1:27 (NIV)

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Understanding, believing and living out the gospel is fully reflected in Adoption.  Not everyone is called to adopt...but everyone is called to care for orphans and widows.  So we'd like to introduce our youngest son.....

         Cao Wen Xiang--  He is 15 months old and has the one of the most severe forms of Congenital Heart Disease.  (Hypoplastic left heart syndrome.)  We are working very fast to bring him home.  You may ask how to help....Pray...pray for his health to sustain him until we get there.  He is not vaccinated against anything and China runs rampant with Hep A, B and C among any other common childhood diseases that a baby would normally be vaccinated against.  Sadly, (and very frustrating) they will not vaccinate children like him, when they need it the most!  He has a single ventricle heart and running between 75-80 % oxygen.  His fingers show clubbing, which is how his body is deteriorating from lack of o2.  Pray for our adoption process to move smoothly and quickly. Lastly, financially, pray about how you may be led to walk beside us through this process. This will be our fourth adoption in three years and adoption is expensive, but a life is invaluable to our Lord. We serve Him, knowing we serve the God of the universe,  and we do not flinch that this is where God calls us to be.....

    THAT TRUTH that was Whispered in my ear 5 months ago,......THIS IS MY SON  and I WILL FIGHT for him, TILL THE DAY HE IS HOME SAFE IN MY ARMS.  We love you!