Time Passes by So Quickly

Adoption Family Camp

Girls at the Clemson Football Game with Audrey

First Trick or Treat

My Three Amigos

Gabriels 9th Birthday at the Yellow River Game Ranch

All Is Well

OK! I know it has been waaaaaay to long since I've posted but I'm a little busy. A good kind of busy. The children are growing, changing and healing. They are learning about God, baseball and the violin. I'm so proud of them all and feel soooooo blessed. I just had by 42nd Birthday and thought to myself, "my life is great, no regrets". I've started an Adoption Support Group at our church and had a great first turn out. We will meet again next month. I cant wait to see what God has in store for it.
Our adoption is not finalized yet and we have some "glitches" with the system but are working them out and will hopefully get the green light to proceed forward. I'd love to finalize before Christmas.

Are We There Yet?

This is this question we heard on our 7 hour drive to the beach. Burt and I had a great time keeping score of who asked the most times. We didn't tell the children so we thoroughly enjoyed our little game. This was our annual family beach trip and the children did fantastic. They all had a wonderful time and enjoyed the ocean tremendously. I was proud of them all. Our family is growing every day and I look forward to what God has in store for each and every one of them. I am truly blessed with my 7 children....... so far (hee hee).

Homecoming Party

Last Sunday 7 dear friends hosted a Homecoming Party for our new family. We were overjoyed at the outpouring of love, well wishes, prayers, praises and the generosity of so many friends and family. The kids did Fantastic and were so excited to be going to "their" party. There were over 100 people there and the food and fellowship was outstanding not to mention the decorations, crafts for the kids, pictures of all who came and so much more. From the bottom of our hearts we thank each and every one for lifting our family up during this very exciting time in our lives.

School Picture Day

Sorry for not writing more often but that's just the way it is. I don't do my e-mails as much or talk on the phone as much or clean the house as much but .... that's OK. I'm doing other things. Like raising a large family. It still hasn't dawned on me that I'm the only one I know with 7 children. I hope to meet another large family in my lifetime. They are few and far between.

We decided to have our school pictures taken today so we went to Stone Mountain park. How many kids can say they have their picture day there? Homeschooling has it's perks!

Things are going well as we are all learning to get along and become a "Big Fat Happy Family". We've gotten the "buddy system" down when going places and have even had the manager at a grocery store give me a dozen roses because she was shocked that 7 children could go through the store and not be heard. Little did she know that I gave them the "mean mommy" speech in the parking lot just seconds earlier. It worked and we were a blessing to others. Life is different but just as special and we still covet all your prayers.

Adoption is Greater than the Universe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgNXQ2CazUg
The heart and soul and origan of adoption.
May you be blessed by this video.

We're Home!!!

Yes, we've made it back with our new family and we've been home a week. I went out to WA Sunday February 10th and Burt and the girls joined me on Wed. the 13th. What a wonderful Valentine's Day we'll never forget. I took us 3 planes to bet back but the kids did fantastic. We looked like little ducks all in a row following Burt in the different airports. Sorry its taken so long to write but time sure flies when you're having fun. The children are settling in and learning a lot, as we all are. I want to thank many wonderful friends and family members who have helped in so many ways. The house decorating, food, clothes, goodies & gifts, words of encouragement and taking the big girls to different activities has all been a wonderful blessing. I just pray that I've expressed how truly grateful I am to each and everyone. Several friends are planning a "Homecoming Party" for everyone to meet and greet the new children on Sunday April 6th. Details to follow later. We hope to see many of you there. Burt and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

We're Going to Pick Up our Kids

The time has come for us to add to our family. God has been by our sides this whole way. At times I know we didnt realize that but looking back we can see it now. I'm leaving this Sunday 10th and will be back Mon.18th with our new precious children. Burt will be joining me with the girls on Wed. Please pray that everyone does well both physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritual. My prayer is that all my children's hearts will have peace and security. That they will not be afraid and that God will turn their hearts towards us. I've shared this with many of you but I am still in awe that out of the millions of children in the world God has chosen these children to be apart of our family. As with our bio children, He picked them and only them for us. WOW, I feel so honored and humbled. The journey that started 3 years ago has come to pass. We had no idea in the beginning that this is where God wanted us. Thank you all for your constant prayers and support. We are truely blessed.

We've been Approved !!!

Yes, it's finally here. We have been officially approved to adopt our children. Hallelujah!! The state of GA sent the ICPC package back to WA last Tue. 22nd to state that they approved our adoption but did not let our social worker know until Mon. 28th. I have no idea why. Anyway, we met with her on Tue. to read through a lot of papers and then we called the children to tell them. They are really excited. I'm floored. Even little Perry understands and said "I go with you?" I said, "YES".
We are waiting at this time to hear back from the kids social worker to find out what they expect with regards to our visit and then we will make our plans. My prayer is that it will be Valentine week. We'll see. Thanks to so many of you who have been so supportive.

Pray for those in GREAT need

Here is a great adoption story about a US soldier who adopted a disabled Iraqi orphan, and his passion to continue to rescue those who have been left for dead: The images are graphic.
http://wcco.com/local/soldier.adoption.Wisconsin.2.616112.html

I Just Visited the Children

These pictures are not in the right order.
So sorry I have no idea how to do this.





Gabriel and his guitar. He's very proud of it and wants to bring it on the plane.

Alyssa being a Princess in my coat.

Perry and I had just put his picture book together of our first visit. I gave him Thomas the Train stickers to add to his book. He's very proud of the front.

The boys out sledding at their foster home. Perry squeals with delight.
Outside with the boys.


Alyssa showing her monkeys she got at Christmas.
Meeting the children for the first time. They are giving me little gifts.
Reading Perry a book.
Feeding Perry and Alyssa Smarty candies.
A group picture at our first visit.
The car I drove all over town.




Yes its hard to believe but I just got back last night after visiting the children in Washington. It all started out after I learned of a lady named Nancy Thomas who specializes in adopted children and I ordered some of her books. While on her web site I noticed her seminars and noticed that she was going to be in the same town as the children. Burt and I thought, wouldn't that be funny if we were there the same time as her seminar. Well we weren't but with things going so slowly Burt said I should go and see the children at the same time. We asked the social worker if that was doable and she said yes. Because of some very special friends who gave us Buddy passes I was able to go at the drop of a hat. (Thanks guys, you're the best). It took me 3 planes to get out there and 2 to get back. I left on Wed. and got back on Sun. What an experience. I couldn't have orchestrated it better myself. God was in control and took care of me the whole way. I got to see the children for 2 hours on Thur. at their group visit and then on Fri. I visited the boys at their foster home and on Sat. visited Alyssa at hers. I met some fantastic people at the conference and had lots of kisses and hugs from the children. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. We are truely blessed.

We Need Your Prayers

Oh the challenges and injustices I feel right now.

We got a call yesterday from our Social Worker stating that she had received our ICPC packet last Thur. from James Graves and just opened it yesterday. This is after we had called her 3 times last week. She said that they had sent a 6 inch packet of papers that she wouldn't be able to go through until next week. She also stated that they were asking for items she had gathered this summer. This goes to show that our US system needs help!!! There are children who will never get adopted because of this bureaucracy. I know that for a fact form the differnt adoption loops I am on. There are children that will grow up in the system and never have a place to call home or people to call their family. God created, The Family. It is not good for children not to have parents. A Mommy and Daddy to love them. The more I read the more I learn that children can not grow to their fullest potential spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally without parents... without a family. They most likely end up back in the system whether incarcerated or in the Welfare system and repeat the cycle. Pray that the bureaucratic red tape of our system does not continue to keep families hostages. Pray that our social worker can focus on this case. Pray for the children's emotional state. They are all having a hard time waiting. Jayson said he saw an airplane the other day and thought it was us. Alyssa said on Christmas day that she was meeting her new family the next day because she took it literally that it was most likely we would be there after Christmas. We will be sending them a video of us now and Burt and I are in prayer weather I should go in the next week to visit with the children. We want to be in Gods will. Thank you for your prayers.

Why We are Called

Why adopt?......"Don't you have 3 children already???" "Are you crazy?" Well, let me start first by saying......"No, we're not crazy!" We are very content as a family of 5 but feel that God is leading us to open up our hearts and our home to more "little ones" who need a home, love, security and a family to call their own. We have been truly blessed and are being led to share those blessings with other in need. The Old Testament has many scriptures that show God’s concern and compassion for orphans. Adoption is the most loving and permanent way to care for these little ones. Psalm 68:5-6a says about God, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...” " We are called by God to look after widows and orphans in their time of distress." (James 1:27) When we adopt we demonstrate LOVE to the watching world. We can show love, not in words, but in actions. Adoption is sometimes expensive and definatley exhausting. It is inconvenient! Plus, it lasts a lifetime! Why would we do this? Very simple: “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). I am reminded of a story I've heard....
A man was once walking on the beach and saw a boy picking things up and throwing them into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed the boy was throwing starfish back into the sea one by one. There were hundreds of starfish surrounding him, and looking up the coast there were infinite more starfish on the shore. The man asked, "What are you doing?" "Helping the starfish," he responded. "But there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of starfish that have been washed ashore along the coastline. You can't really believe that by throwing back a few hundred starfish in the ocean, that you're really going to make a substantial difference, do you?" The boy turned to the man and said nothing. He then picked up another starfish and hurled it into the sea as far as he could. He then looked in the mans eyes and said, "Made a difference to that one…"
"Why adopt?" I guess for us, we feel that it is what we have been called to do. We are being led to share what God has blessed our family with and yet I know in my heart that we will end up being the ones blessed most of all, by the presence of these precious little lives that God has entrusted to us.
I just wanted to share this with you.
May your New Year be filled with love and hope.