The referral for our boys was received today! We have been given permission to plan our travel. Hopefully by tomorrow we’ll have airplane tickets for the near future! Is it too ambitious to hope to travel next weekend????
For posterity
Found these…
About Anna:
First times saying “Grandpa” came out “gump gump.” This was really cute, but she grew out of it too quick!
February 16, 2009
Papa’s Tap tap? (Papa’s laptop)
One, two four, four (refuses to say three, even when prompted!)
Papa’s mushmush, Anna’s mushmush! (mustache!)
Hewwow! Hi! (Instead of good morning)
Anna awake! Papa awake! Mama ni-night.
Boogers! (when she picks one out and gives it to us)
Anna See? (when she wants to see what you’re cooking)
Anna no shoes on.
Anna kick-up (hiccup)
February 20, 2009
Funny toddler story of the afternoon: Anna wandered around the house quietly after her nap since I was faking a nap on the couch. After half an hour of playing quietly and wandering around with her blankie, she came into the living room where I was mostly asleep and yelled repeatedly, “Kitty awake!!!”
2 years – From “No more monkeys jumping on the bed rhyme”: “No monkeys jumping on car!” “No monkeys jumping on grass” “No monkeys jumping on bowl!” “No monkeys jumping on another bowl” hahahaha
July, 2009
“Anna eat it all gone!”
August, 2009
“I’m reading book-ses”
On Maggie:
May 18, 2010
Reaches across midline
Cries when I take a toy
Responds to no-no
Crawls
Pulls to standing
Flaps arms in response to clapping
very beginner cruising
First taste of dog food
Chases mommy
March/April 2010
She started sucking hard on her lower lip, which is really cute, especially when she tries to talk at the same time.
She has been preaching baby sermons, oh so cute.
When I hold her upright and carry her around, she has so much new control over her upper body and leans back to look at me, leans over to look at the floor or to just experiment.
When I lay her down somewhere… she is never there when I come back. With slight turns done by scooting and squirming and multiple rolls, she is all over the place.
When she sees a toy she wants, she works to get to it and often succeeds.
I bought some baby food and she is chowing down like there’s no tomorrow.
She learned how to pass toys back and forth between her hands.
She just found her feet last night!
She has been just staring at her own hands for a day or two.
Filed under Everyday Stuff
On Suffering
I just started working through Beth Moore’s, “Living Beyond Yourself” Bible study, which is about the Holy Spirit living in you. Page one is titled, “Many Hardships” and follows some of Paul’s journey in Acts.
Acts 14:22
“… Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
Near the end of today’s lesson is a quote from John Stam from 1932:
“Let us remind ourselves that the Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial involved. On the contraary, we ar etold to expect tribulation and even persecution, but with it victory in Christ.”
John Stam was imprisoned in China after being a missionary there. Eventually, his wife was too. His son grew up and followed in preaching the word and also in imprisonment. And years later, his son also followed! If that’s not inspiring… if that’s not a little perspective on your suffering, then I don’t know what is! Somehow, after reading today’s study, my joy is restored, even as my boys are months away from coming home.
Filed under Everyday Stuff
Sorry…
Sorry for the lack of updates! We were in Seattle with Brian while he worked there all week. The girls and I got to see the sights and we all ate out every night. Fun! So glad to not have to be away from my Love.
Seattle was full of contrasts. I felt so incredibly rich every night as I laid my head on a hotel pillow. I was well fed, well loved and in a room with room service. That day I had ‘seen the sights’ and seen people with none of the things I had. I don’t think the man eating out of the garbage can was well fed, loved or had a roof for his head at all.
I’m hoping for adoption news this Friday. Praying for it!
In orphanage fundraiser news… we have $900 for the orphanage!!!! Wow! And one stack of cloth diapers, one more if I get to East Portland, five tubes of diaper ointment and some clothes too! We are so thankful to have you loving on the same kids we love. Thank you. Can hardly wait to meet our boys…
Went swimming at the hotel every day. Even Papa got to go one night!
Who says you need a double stroller for two kids?
Flamingoes are like big, obnoxious chickens:
Cute!
Space Needle:
It was ‘just one of those days’ for Maggie:
Seattle all around us:
Big girl
So big!
Filed under Everyday Stuff
Donations for Orphanage – Update
Today we had five tubes of diaper ointment and $300 donated for our sons’ orphanage from people in our church. Thank you so much for your love and support! Your support of orphans shows love and acceptance of our sons… thank you!
Our goal was to raise at least $500 for a donation to our sons’ orphanage. Thank you for getting us so close to the goal already and we have plenty of days left! I can’t update the chipin manually, so you’ll just have to pretend it says, $300.
Any money raised in addition to the $500 can still go to the orphanage; the $500 is just a goal. If you’d like to sponsor something besides the orphanage, such as hiring “grandma’s” to come and love on the kids (see life2orphans.org), sponsor a surgery, or support another family who is trying to adopt their child, but who cannot move forward because of money, we can direct you.
Some have asked: How are WE doing on affording the adoption expenses? As you may know, airplane tickets have skyrocketed since gas prices have gone up and the summer season is beginning. (they went from $1200 each to $2000 each!) What we budgeted and what God has supplied… will probably still be enough to cover the airfare. We are humbled by your gracious desire to bless and care for us and our sons. We hope that we will not have to ask for help, but will keep you updated. If we are short for the second trip this fall or winter, we will host one or more fundraisers to bless you even as it helps us. (maybe a benefit garage sale, a bake sale, a home-canned peaches or pears sale, a raffle drawing…. ???)
We love you!
Filed under Everyday Stuff