Some dear friends of ours recently hosted an 11 year old girl named Anlly from Colombia at their home for three weeks. Anlly needs a family, and our friends prayed that God would find her a family while she was here. Our friends and Darrell and I advocated HARD for her. Our friends introduced her to just about everyone they knew in search of a family for her.
Darrell and I invited her to the Spanish-speaking Sunday school class recently started at our church. Our wonderful friends who lead the class adopted a boy from Colombia a couple of years ago and welcomed Anlly with open arms, as did our entire congregation. Our church's larger campus has a Hispanic ministry called Casa de Vida, so the next week the pastor there introduced Anlly to the congregation and allowed her Spanish-speaking guide to talk to the congregation about adoption. A week or so later Anlly boarded a plane to Colombia--this past Friday as a matter of fact--and many tears were shed.
Where am I going with this, you may ask? We all prayed for this child. We prayed HARD. We cooked this child a Colombian meal, and our friends invited us to spend time with her on numerous occasions over a breakfast, a lunch and finally even a pedicure! Through all of this, God finally opened our eyes and told us: YOU ARE HER FAMILY.
Please pray for us, because Monday we begin the paper chase to try to adopt Anlly. Which is why we told her "Hasta Luego", or see you later. No goodbyes. And God willing we will get to her quickly and bring her home before next Christmas.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Muck and Miracles
My heart is heavy right now for my friends who are in the throws of adoption challenges. I logged in to post an update and read the blog of a friend who was crying out because things have been so hard. I have friends locally at home who have cried out because of things they are going through related to adoption. I appreciate that these friends are real and transparent with their struggles, and I appreciate the ones who stand by us through the mud and the muck because they have btdt and they care.
Adoption is a tremendous blessing and I think most of us who have been through it would likely agree. It is a miracle like no other that Jesus shows you His heart by allowing you to care for children who come to you from another person's womb. Things of great value come at a price, though. A price that, through faith and perseverance, is more precious than gold! Fight the good fight, faithful servants.
It has been a while since I filled everyone in on our situation. We have had our share of muck, mostly in the form of sibling rivalry and questions about why our girls' parents in Ch*na chose to give them up. I cannot tell my girls that their birth mothers wanted to keep them, but what I do know and I can tell them is that their birth mothers loved them enough to give them life. At the very least, children who are adopted have the trauma of knowing they were abandoned or have lost their birth parents for whatever reason. This is huge! I can also tell them that God loves them and chose them for our family because that is where He wants them to be and we are so happy that He chose us.
As far as miracles go, our family is slowly healing and growing closer together. Chelsea is a very smart girl and is doing great in 5th grade at her public school. We wanted her to go to a Christian school like our other two, but you know what? It didn't happen, she is where she is, and she is surrounded by the most supportive friends and faithful, excellent teachers that anyone could ask for. She is thriving with math, science and spelling, and her reading is coming along fabulously. She can sound out just about anything now with only a few problems with vowel cluster sounds and those weird English rules, and we are working on expanding her vocabulary.
We have some more really big news!!! Chelsea recently returned home after a week in the hospital. After six months and lots of tests, we have learned that she has a condition called sacral agenesis, a deformity of the lower spine. It has symptoms similar to spina bifida, but it is not the same. She had a through the knee amputation of her left leg and is doing beautifully! She had a severe reaction to a scopolamine patch that they gave her during surgery which caused her to have non stop hallucinations and no sleep for almost 50 hours straight. However, once she was through that (and it was scary, y'all!), she healed beautifully and now we are home.
Chelsea will now begin the process of receiving a prosthetic leg in the next few months, and we hope that, for the first time in her life, she will be walking.This is truly a miracle!!! We didn't think she would be a candidate but she is surrounded by hundreds of praying people and has one of the best orthopedists in the world. To God be the glory!
Adoption is a tremendous blessing and I think most of us who have been through it would likely agree. It is a miracle like no other that Jesus shows you His heart by allowing you to care for children who come to you from another person's womb. Things of great value come at a price, though. A price that, through faith and perseverance, is more precious than gold! Fight the good fight, faithful servants.
It has been a while since I filled everyone in on our situation. We have had our share of muck, mostly in the form of sibling rivalry and questions about why our girls' parents in Ch*na chose to give them up. I cannot tell my girls that their birth mothers wanted to keep them, but what I do know and I can tell them is that their birth mothers loved them enough to give them life. At the very least, children who are adopted have the trauma of knowing they were abandoned or have lost their birth parents for whatever reason. This is huge! I can also tell them that God loves them and chose them for our family because that is where He wants them to be and we are so happy that He chose us.
As far as miracles go, our family is slowly healing and growing closer together. Chelsea is a very smart girl and is doing great in 5th grade at her public school. We wanted her to go to a Christian school like our other two, but you know what? It didn't happen, she is where she is, and she is surrounded by the most supportive friends and faithful, excellent teachers that anyone could ask for. She is thriving with math, science and spelling, and her reading is coming along fabulously. She can sound out just about anything now with only a few problems with vowel cluster sounds and those weird English rules, and we are working on expanding her vocabulary.
We have some more really big news!!! Chelsea recently returned home after a week in the hospital. After six months and lots of tests, we have learned that she has a condition called sacral agenesis, a deformity of the lower spine. It has symptoms similar to spina bifida, but it is not the same. She had a through the knee amputation of her left leg and is doing beautifully! She had a severe reaction to a scopolamine patch that they gave her during surgery which caused her to have non stop hallucinations and no sleep for almost 50 hours straight. However, once she was through that (and it was scary, y'all!), she healed beautifully and now we are home.
Chelsea will now begin the process of receiving a prosthetic leg in the next few months, and we hope that, for the first time in her life, she will be walking.This is truly a miracle!!! We didn't think she would be a candidate but she is surrounded by hundreds of praying people and has one of the best orthopedists in the world. To God be the glory!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Update
I miss my blog friends so much! I want to share a quick update on Chelsea. It's all good news so I can hardly contain myself! I'll try to make this brief because I need some shut eye.:-)
I think the last time I talked to y'all I said she would be attending a small private school as a second grader (Chelsea came to us with a 1st grade Chinese education just before her 10th birthday; I will say, too, that she was in a fantastic foster home and her foster parents took VERY good care of her). She has the prettiest teeth I've ever seen! More importantly she was loved, and that's what matters most. Long story short, my family and the special education teacher at my other kids' school said if she enrolls in second she will never be able to "jump" grades. In other words, the next grade would have to be third, not fourth, if we were able to catch her up quickly. She is VERY SMART!!!
Sooo...we made the decision to enroll her in our local school district which is very good. She has a wonderful teacher, my MOM works at the school and my mom has known her teacher and the specialists who will be working with her for a LONG time. These are good, trustworthy, caring, Christian people. They care about Chelsea's education, and they also care about her as a person. The other school has outstanding, Christian teachers as well, so we had to trust God that we made the right decision. It was a hard one but so far has been really good for her.
I have so much to say since it's been so long. Now for the other big news--we weren't sure if it would be possible--we have had so many doctors' appointments and so many tests and made so many trips to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas--we think (we will find out this month) that Chelsea suffered the effects of Spina Bifida--but she WILL BE A CANDIDATE FOR A PROSTHESIS!!!!!!!!!! I cried. I cried more than once. Chelsea cried. She called her "China family" and they cried! The only thing more that I will say is that the surgery will be in mid-November and that God deserves the glory. Thank you God from whom all blessings flow!
I will try my best to update after the surgery. Good night, y'all.
I think the last time I talked to y'all I said she would be attending a small private school as a second grader (Chelsea came to us with a 1st grade Chinese education just before her 10th birthday; I will say, too, that she was in a fantastic foster home and her foster parents took VERY good care of her). She has the prettiest teeth I've ever seen! More importantly she was loved, and that's what matters most. Long story short, my family and the special education teacher at my other kids' school said if she enrolls in second she will never be able to "jump" grades. In other words, the next grade would have to be third, not fourth, if we were able to catch her up quickly. She is VERY SMART!!!
Sooo...we made the decision to enroll her in our local school district which is very good. She has a wonderful teacher, my MOM works at the school and my mom has known her teacher and the specialists who will be working with her for a LONG time. These are good, trustworthy, caring, Christian people. They care about Chelsea's education, and they also care about her as a person. The other school has outstanding, Christian teachers as well, so we had to trust God that we made the right decision. It was a hard one but so far has been really good for her.
I have so much to say since it's been so long. Now for the other big news--we weren't sure if it would be possible--we have had so many doctors' appointments and so many tests and made so many trips to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas--we think (we will find out this month) that Chelsea suffered the effects of Spina Bifida--but she WILL BE A CANDIDATE FOR A PROSTHESIS!!!!!!!!!! I cried. I cried more than once. Chelsea cried. She called her "China family" and they cried! The only thing more that I will say is that the surgery will be in mid-November and that God deserves the glory. Thank you God from whom all blessings flow!
I will try my best to update after the surgery. Good night, y'all.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...
It's been almost two months since my last post and my only excuse is, well, we have been busy being a family. Darrell graduated with his MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been tearing things up at work, church and home with his free time (literally--our side entry gate is gone and a new one is under construction).
Luke, Katie and Chelsea have just 1.5 more days of school left, and I am working up the courage--errr---creativity to keep all of them entertained during the summer months. Our family is doing fantastic as we get to know each other and grow together since Chelsea's arrival on January 31st.
Chelsea, Luke and Katie are doing great together. Yes, they have their usual bouts of sibling rivalry, and yes, I did have to tell Chelsea that it's wonderful that you love your brother enough to stand up for him, but he being 9 years old and over 100 pounds gets quite embarrassed when his 10 year old, 60 pound sister tries to defend him when another boy in the neighborhood pool shoots him with a water gun! Teeheehee
Chelsea has had so many firsts in her first four months here. She is an amazing little girl with a huge spirit. She "runs" so fast with her walker that we have already had to replace it once. She crawls around the house and tears through pants, socks and shoes like there's no tomorrow, so we need to either be at peace with her clothing budget or I need to learn to sew. She can roller skate with the best of them and is learning to swim. Her next appointment with Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas is June 7th. We are very prayerful, eager and hopeful that they can do something to help correct her limb difference.
We are enrolling Chelsea in the 2nd grade in a very good, small private school in the fall. She will attend classes three days a week and I will home school two days a week. We are going to work together to catch her up to a 4th grade level where she should be. She speaks exclusively English very clearly and is already reading at a late first grade level! She has a tremendous vocabulary for just four short months and knows how to count American money and it's exchange rate in China. LOL She is absolutely brilliant and we are so blessed to be able to see all of her talents blossom. She can draw beautifully and pick any tune you give her out on the piano.
Chelsea is a brilliant, compassionate and caring child and we just couldn't imagine her anywhere else but with our family. That sibling rivalry thing? We will keep workin' on it and pray that it will subside. It has already gotten immensely better in the last month, so we think we are headed in the right direction.
Good night, all. God's blessings to you!
Luke, Katie and Chelsea have just 1.5 more days of school left, and I am working up the courage--errr---creativity to keep all of them entertained during the summer months. Our family is doing fantastic as we get to know each other and grow together since Chelsea's arrival on January 31st.
Chelsea, Luke and Katie are doing great together. Yes, they have their usual bouts of sibling rivalry, and yes, I did have to tell Chelsea that it's wonderful that you love your brother enough to stand up for him, but he being 9 years old and over 100 pounds gets quite embarrassed when his 10 year old, 60 pound sister tries to defend him when another boy in the neighborhood pool shoots him with a water gun! Teeheehee
Chelsea has had so many firsts in her first four months here. She is an amazing little girl with a huge spirit. She "runs" so fast with her walker that we have already had to replace it once. She crawls around the house and tears through pants, socks and shoes like there's no tomorrow, so we need to either be at peace with her clothing budget or I need to learn to sew. She can roller skate with the best of them and is learning to swim. Her next appointment with Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas is June 7th. We are very prayerful, eager and hopeful that they can do something to help correct her limb difference.
We are enrolling Chelsea in the 2nd grade in a very good, small private school in the fall. She will attend classes three days a week and I will home school two days a week. We are going to work together to catch her up to a 4th grade level where she should be. She speaks exclusively English very clearly and is already reading at a late first grade level! She has a tremendous vocabulary for just four short months and knows how to count American money and it's exchange rate in China. LOL She is absolutely brilliant and we are so blessed to be able to see all of her talents blossom. She can draw beautifully and pick any tune you give her out on the piano.
Chelsea is a brilliant, compassionate and caring child and we just couldn't imagine her anywhere else but with our family. That sibling rivalry thing? We will keep workin' on it and pray that it will subside. It has already gotten immensely better in the last month, so we think we are headed in the right direction.
Good night, all. God's blessings to you!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wanted: A Vacation, and Quick!
The hubby and I are both yearning for a much needed vacation, and honestly I think all the kids are, too. I mean, there's only so much of the day-to-day drama that comes with adoption that one can take before everyone begins to feel downright exhausted, both physically and emotionally.
On the upside, things have been getting slowly better each week. We just need to hang in there until June when we can go camping at our favorite place with the rest of our wonderful family. Until then, we need to try our hardest to ensure that the drama is tamed and doesn't start to set the mood of our every day, which can be very hard to do sometimes.
We took Chelsea to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas last week. She was seen by an orthopedic surgeon who told us her leg could not be saved--the vessels and tendons are too atrophied and if he tried to stretch them they would break. How's that for medical terminology? OK, those are my words not his, but he essentially said the same thing.
He also said he would not correct her 54% scoliosis curve--that doing so would make her back stiff, reducing her mobility (ability to crawl) and adversely affecting her quality of life. I must admit that the news hit hubs and I like a ton of bricks. After all, we were certain her scoliosis would be fixed. How's that for a Pollyanna update?
I do have hope that Chelsea can get some help, but we must wait a few weeks for her next appointments. She was referred by the orthopedic surgeon to the leg specialist to see if she is a candidate for a prosthesis. He felt that her hip would need to be a candidate for correction before she would be considered for a prosthesis. She was also referred to a developmental pediatrician at Scottish Rite's Rainbow Clinic to diagnose any internal "conditions" she may have.
The bright side to all this? Chelsea is seeing the best doctors in the world in their fields, and we are grateful for that. Her pediatric wheelchair came in, and we are thankful for that! We have been talking to her about Jesus and Easter and His death on the cross and what He did for us, and she is listening! We are immensely thankful for that.
Here are a few photos of the kids smiling. We do smile a lot, too, and we are thankful for that! Happy Easter, ya'll. :-)
On the upside, things have been getting slowly better each week. We just need to hang in there until June when we can go camping at our favorite place with the rest of our wonderful family. Until then, we need to try our hardest to ensure that the drama is tamed and doesn't start to set the mood of our every day, which can be very hard to do sometimes.
We took Chelsea to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas last week. She was seen by an orthopedic surgeon who told us her leg could not be saved--the vessels and tendons are too atrophied and if he tried to stretch them they would break. How's that for medical terminology? OK, those are my words not his, but he essentially said the same thing.
He also said he would not correct her 54% scoliosis curve--that doing so would make her back stiff, reducing her mobility (ability to crawl) and adversely affecting her quality of life. I must admit that the news hit hubs and I like a ton of bricks. After all, we were certain her scoliosis would be fixed. How's that for a Pollyanna update?
I do have hope that Chelsea can get some help, but we must wait a few weeks for her next appointments. She was referred by the orthopedic surgeon to the leg specialist to see if she is a candidate for a prosthesis. He felt that her hip would need to be a candidate for correction before she would be considered for a prosthesis. She was also referred to a developmental pediatrician at Scottish Rite's Rainbow Clinic to diagnose any internal "conditions" she may have.
The bright side to all this? Chelsea is seeing the best doctors in the world in their fields, and we are grateful for that. Her pediatric wheelchair came in, and we are thankful for that! We have been talking to her about Jesus and Easter and His death on the cross and what He did for us, and she is listening! We are immensely thankful for that.
Here are a few photos of the kids smiling. We do smile a lot, too, and we are thankful for that! Happy Easter, ya'll. :-)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Chelsea's 10th Birthday!
I couldn't end today without posting pictures of our sweet soon to be 10-year-old. Her birthday is March 19 but we celebrated today with our families at home.
Chelsea wasn't a fan of the lasagna, the garlic bread or the salad, but oh how she loved the ice cream and cupcakes!
She ended up trying the lasagna at the end of the day and decided she
liked it. I think she was really hungry, not to mention she and Luke had
been swimming in frigid water in the front yard in a blow up pool, so
they were both shivering and hungry by the time they finished.You should have heard all the laughing and splashing to be had swimming in that cold water!!! Poor Katie has a little bit of a cough and couldn't participate, so she and I watched the two elders swim while dad had some alone time throwing the boomerang at the park.
The wire cage in Chelsea's birthday picture above was NOT one her gifts! Hahaha!!! Actually, Darrell has been making the cages for our newly acquired rabbits from my brother and sister in law, and he had just finished making this particular cage right before the party. Yes, we have added rabbits to our small animal farm. This brings us to 1 cat, 8 chickens, 2 rabbits, 1 goldfish and 9 minnows (I think).
Here's a picture of Luke holding one of our new bunnies. Aren't they cute?!? Both of them, I mean. :-)
For those of you who are wondering how things are going--we have ups and downs and are on the adoption roller coaster ride, probably will be for some time. But along with the challenges we have laughter, we have smiles and we have milestones. We know God brought us together and He is with us through the tough times and the good.
God's blessings to all of you in the coming weeks. I'll post again just as soon as I get the chance. Love, Laura
The wire cage in Chelsea's birthday picture above was NOT one her gifts! Hahaha!!! Actually, Darrell has been making the cages for our newly acquired rabbits from my brother and sister in law, and he had just finished making this particular cage right before the party. Yes, we have added rabbits to our small animal farm. This brings us to 1 cat, 8 chickens, 2 rabbits, 1 goldfish and 9 minnows (I think).
Here's a picture of Luke holding one of our new bunnies. Aren't they cute?!? Both of them, I mean. :-)
For those of you who are wondering how things are going--we have ups and downs and are on the adoption roller coaster ride, probably will be for some time. But along with the challenges we have laughter, we have smiles and we have milestones. We know God brought us together and He is with us through the tough times and the good.
God's blessings to all of you in the coming weeks. I'll post again just as soon as I get the chance. Love, Laura
Friday, February 22, 2013
This Blessing Called Adoption
I don't have a lot of time to post, and things have been really, really challenging here. Chelsea and Kate had a tough time of it the first two weeks, and know it's Luke's turn to feel way outside his comfort zone. Of course Chelsea is certainly outside her comfort zone, and both of these kids are strong willed, so you can only imagine the friction they have had with each other. Right now they are tolerating each other, which is a step in the right direction.
That said, I want to focus on the good rather than the bad and the ugly, because the good far outweighs the challenges that originated the adage that "adoption is not for the faint of heart." Chelsea had a 4.5 hour doctor appointment yesterday. She had all her vaccinations, x rays, an ultrasound and blood work. The good news is she turned to me for comfort during this appointment. Those of you who know about attachment challenges know that this is a VERY important step in the bonding process. She didn't cling to the Chinese doctor or the nurses she has never met as they were helping her position properly for the x rays. She clung to ME as she was scared and hurting. We have even been known to rock and sing "Rock a Bye Baby" together! This may seem a strange thing to do with a girl who is almost 10, but it is very important in the bonding process, and BOTH of us enjoy these moments together. Hooray!!!
I just got off the phone with the pediatrician's office. We learned several things already about Chelsea's medical condition--some we were aware of and some we were not. Her scoliosis curve is at 54%. I'm not sure what her treatment will be yet, but the doctors said the curve is significant. The good news is we have been accepted as patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, one of the best in the world for treating scoliosis and limb differences. The appointment is March 26th, and Chelsea is EXCITED about the prospect of being able to walk on her own one day.
Chelsea is also learning English at warp speed. In fact, she can handle addition ad subtraction of 4 digit numbers. I think she is reading Chinese on a late first/early second grade level. She does not recognize many English letters. We are working on that so she can learn to read over the next few months and be ready for school in August. That gives us 6 months, but I have no doubt she can do it. She is VERY smart. :-)
I'll give more updates later as time permits. Darrell and I will try our best to be joyful and content with our circumstances as God leads us down this path of new experiences and faithfulness.
That said, I want to focus on the good rather than the bad and the ugly, because the good far outweighs the challenges that originated the adage that "adoption is not for the faint of heart." Chelsea had a 4.5 hour doctor appointment yesterday. She had all her vaccinations, x rays, an ultrasound and blood work. The good news is she turned to me for comfort during this appointment. Those of you who know about attachment challenges know that this is a VERY important step in the bonding process. She didn't cling to the Chinese doctor or the nurses she has never met as they were helping her position properly for the x rays. She clung to ME as she was scared and hurting. We have even been known to rock and sing "Rock a Bye Baby" together! This may seem a strange thing to do with a girl who is almost 10, but it is very important in the bonding process, and BOTH of us enjoy these moments together. Hooray!!!
I just got off the phone with the pediatrician's office. We learned several things already about Chelsea's medical condition--some we were aware of and some we were not. Her scoliosis curve is at 54%. I'm not sure what her treatment will be yet, but the doctors said the curve is significant. The good news is we have been accepted as patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, one of the best in the world for treating scoliosis and limb differences. The appointment is March 26th, and Chelsea is EXCITED about the prospect of being able to walk on her own one day.
Chelsea is also learning English at warp speed. In fact, she can handle addition ad subtraction of 4 digit numbers. I think she is reading Chinese on a late first/early second grade level. She does not recognize many English letters. We are working on that so she can learn to read over the next few months and be ready for school in August. That gives us 6 months, but I have no doubt she can do it. She is VERY smart. :-)
I'll give more updates later as time permits. Darrell and I will try our best to be joyful and content with our circumstances as God leads us down this path of new experiences and faithfulness.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Moments Like This
We've had our "normal" ups and downs during this first week and a half home--like sleepless nights, sibling rivalry and the flu--but it's moments like this that make our journey so beautiful!
These girls have really enjoyed being sisters, and I think "little" brother is happy to have more time hanging out with dad and just doing guy stuff.
Goodnight friends!
Friday, February 1, 2013
It's Good to be Home
By the way, the wheelchairs were so helpful. We were able to get them from the hotels and they provided much more mobility for her than the walker, especially outside on the streets. China is full of uneven pavement, stairs and steps (even in the bathrooms), and getting around with a limb difference there was quite the challenge.
Love to all, Laura
Thursday, January 17, 2013
China Love
Well, words can not express how excited we are to be leaving tomorrow morning to adopt our China love, Chelsea Q! We'll try to post a photo or two on the blog and/or Facebook.
As you all know, we are a PRAYING family, so if you would pray along with us we would really appreciate it. :-) Prayers for our children and family who are caring for them back home, and prayers for our new sweet one as this transition will most likely be very hard for her. Our primary goal over the next few months is to bond with her, and in the process tell her about Jesus, His love for her and her eternal salvation. Thank God for His precious gift!
As you all know, we are a PRAYING family, so if you would pray along with us we would really appreciate it. :-) Prayers for our children and family who are caring for them back home, and prayers for our new sweet one as this transition will most likely be very hard for her. Our primary goal over the next few months is to bond with her, and in the process tell her about Jesus, His love for her and her eternal salvation. Thank God for His precious gift!
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