Both a SAD and HAPPY Day!

Today was one of those days for me when I was feeling extreme opposite emotions....very sad...and then later in the day, very happy! This morning, I attended the funeral for a precious three-year-old girl from China. She was adopted 11 months ago by a family in the town where I live. I had met the mother for lunch one day before we both got our referrals for our precious daughters. Our girls were on the same special needs list with our agency. This couple traveled to get their daughter in March of last year and we went to China in June. We had not had a chance to get our girls together and now little Emme is in heaven with Jesus' arms wrapped around her. I feel SO very sad over their loss! I have been holding my little Emmie this week and cannot imagine the loss they are feeling. Please pray for this family. After the funeral in the morning, which was quite special but very sad, I had to switch emotional gears. I loaded up some of our China souvenirs and headed to meet up with some friends so I could loan the items to them. The "happy" emotions kicked in because I am overjoyed for this couple (our friends) who will be traveling to China soon to adopt a precious daughter who is less than a year old. This couple has been waiting for their referral for about three years and finally received it on Valentine's Day! On Sunday night, they will be having a fund-raiser to help raise money to cover the cost of the adoption. Please pray for this family also....they don't have the funds that are needed...yet! God is SO good and I know He will provide....in His perfect timing. Thank you for joining me in prayer for these two special adoptive families who are at opposite ends of the spectrum of life right now. Bless you!

Red Envelope Day...March 31st

I saw a group on Facebook about this event and joined, but I also wanted to let anyone reading my blog know about it. Because I am an adoption advocate, I am definitely also a "life" advocate....thus, I am against abortion!

What is Red Envelope Day? You send a RED ENVELOPE to President Obama, mailed on March 31st. Write these words on the back of the envelope....."This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because the life that was taken is now unable to be a part of our world." If you are PRO-LIFE, I challenge you to visit the website and mail one or more red envelopes on March 31st.

For more information, click on the words "Red Envelope Day" above for a link to the website.

Strange Weather!

Only the 17th of February....and we had sleet today for awhile!! Nothing really stuck, but it surely was strange.......especially since we had weather highs last week of at least 70 degrees, maybe higher. The kids wore shorts and t-shirts to school, and I fretted that they were not going to be able to wear their winter clothes any more. They ALWAYS outgrow them before they get enough wear out of them. (sigh) Jasper says "don't sweat it" (no pun intended), but I think it's a shame. Anyway, back to the weather. Tomorrow, we will have higher temps again and it is supposed to rain most of the day, with possible tornadoes. Now it's time to bring out those umbrellas and boots! Whew...I can't keep up with it!

What's the weather like where you are? Getting snow or do you feel like you live in the Bahamas where you are? Curious here, so leave a comment if you would like to.

Winter Jam Fun!

Girls just wanna have fun!!! And we did...at Winter Jam last Saturday night! It was Hannah's first youth concert event and I was a chaperone. There were thousands of kids (and accompanying adults) jamming into the civic center for a night of loud Christian music, expensive concessions, and loads of fun. We rocked with New Song, Pure NRG and Toby Mac to name a few. We had a pretty good-sized group (around 35 or so) and ended up in what I call the "nosebleed section" so we could get seating together. If we do this again another year, we definitely need to line up earlier! Anyway, we had a blast and here are a few pics.

Being silly while waiting in line!

Hannah with her small group friends.

Wooo Hoooo....this is awesome!

Rockin' with Toby Mac...on stage.

Early Valentine's Celebration

Jasper treated me to an early Valentine's Celebration Friday night a week ago, and we took the kids to a "parent's night out" at a local church near us. We had three blissful hours to ourselves! We went to this fun Mexican restaurant that has awesome decor and great food. The music was a little loud, but it just helped you get into the spirit of the place. It had a party-like atmosphere and great lighting. We had a fajita special for two and dessert afterwards. It was interesting to try grilled cactus, but I don't think I'll make it a regular part of my diet. I enjoyed having that special time with Jasper, and really enjoyed getting to eat my food while it was hot...and not being kicked by Esther Marie the whole time!! (She likes to keep her feet on me in some way while she is eating.) I wish we had more chances for "date nights," but I'll take what I can get!

Don't Wait Too Long To Spend Time With Friends!

Last weekend was a great one...particularly because we got to visit with out-of-town friends we had not seen in a year. (advice: Don't wait that long to see friends, if you can help it!) They invited us to their oldest daughter's dance competition...this is our third year to attend, so I guess you could say it is becoming a "January tradition"! We met them Friday night at a Cracker Barrel and the kids had a blast getting reacquainted. It's amazing how much the kids have grown in a year. We were also happy that our friends could finally meet Esther Marie. We adults reminisced about our trip together to China when we adopted MaryAlyce and Ellie....and talked about their upcoming trip to adopt their next daughter. We are becoming quite a large group when we meet so people take notice and ask about the children. When Jasper and I go out with our whole family, it is almost inevitable that we will get into a conversation with someone about the children and adoption. That's never a problem for me though because I am such an adoption advocate at this point. I probably should wear a t-shirt that says...."Hey, if you ask me about them, make SURE you have time to talk!" (haha) Anyway, it was good to see our friends, the "H family," and we had a blast at the dance competition on Saturday!

If you haven't seen some good friends in awhile, pick up the phone and call to find out how they are doing and make plans to see them soon!

Happy Chinese New Year! (Year of the Ox)

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the Ox (Ji Chou) or Chinese year 4707 which began on January 26th. The celebration goes on for two weeks and preparations are quite extensive. (You can click on "Chinese New Year" for a link with more information.)

Each year, we like to join in the celebration in a small way to celebrate the Chinese heritage of three of our children. This past Saturday, we attended a Chinese Festival and enjoyed Chinese music, entertainment, games, dancing and artwork. I was excited to learn there is a group who wants to build a traditional Chinese garden in our area. They are raising support for it now, so I signed the petition.

After attending the festival for a couple of hours, we went to a dance competition and were able to spend time with our friends who traveled to China with us when we adopted MaryAlyce. They are waiting for travel approval to go back to China to adopt another precious little one. Then they will have three beautiful daughters...Emily, Ellie and Elissa. Congratulations to Lewis and Pam....we still wish we could have traveled again with you!

It's been way too long since my last blog post, and I look forward to writing more soon! I hope you all have been blessed and staying well.

Well, I will sign out for now and wish you.....

Gung Hei Faat Choih

"bless happiness, and prosperity"	恭喜發財
This is a greeting of prosperity reserved for Chinese New Years. It is also the phrase required before gifts/lucky money is given by the host during New Years.