3 more days til Christmas

Friday was a nice day but I kept feeling sad. I was happy when the bus pulled up and the bus driver called out to the girls. ~"Ho Ho Ho~!" They were so surprised to see him in his Santa hat calling them to climb on board with his arm waving them in. They giggled and got right on and daddy took a picture. :) After they went to school we did a little Christmas shopping and Jim took me to Panera Bread for some lunch. Rachel woke up and called to make sure we were alive...yup! the world didn't end!! We stopped by the grocery store for some milk and breakfast stuff for the kids in the morning and found a few stocking stuffers while we were at it. After Jim brought me home I tried to catch a nap but my grandson didn't want to sleep and Jim had to go to work. I got up to clean the house before the kids returned from school and started dinner. Alice's two friends came home with her. Soon it was time to go with Mrs. Amber to church and watch Alice in the Christmas play. I decided not to bring Hannah because she was not being nice to Alice's friends and she usually doesn't enjoy shows due to the lights and loud noises. It turned out to be pretty calm but it was better safe than sorry (she and Christian stayed home with her brothers). The kids are in bed. I am enjoying the peace and quiet. I just checked on FB and saw this thing called OhLife and decided to try it out. It helped me write why I have been so sad. - Rachel's friend died in a car accident a few weeks ago, 26 innocent people died in a school shooting with 20 of them being first graders last Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, Thursday Jim did his second funeral this month and a student from Meade High was hit by a car and died, there was another student just not long ago who was also hit by a car from Meade. I think with so many young people loosing their lives lately it is just way too sad. Plus many of my friends on FB have sick children, many with Down syndrome that we are praying for. To top it off Russia stopped all adoptions between the U.S and them....SO SAD! Many children will not be adopted that would have been and to think how close some of the families were to getting their children just hurts. Many prayers going up tonight! Bless all these dear Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Hannah and Lera with their bus driver on Polar Express Day! XOXO

Alice and the children in the Christmas play

Alice and the children in the Christmas play

 Alice and Lera with friends afterwards xxx

Lera had a reindeer cookie for refreshments :)

There's only 12 more days til Christmas!

We have Santa place mats on our table right now (we usually don't have place mats, but hey it's Christmas!). As I was finishing cooking dinner this evening for some certain hungry little ones, they were having a disagreement (fighting) over which place mat was theirs. Trying to keep them happy, at the same time, I started singing...Who's got a big red cherry nose?  I couldn't remember the rest of the song so I continued singing...I don't know how the rest of it goes... Haha! That's when I thought to find "Must Be Santa" on my lap top for us to sing! O What FUN!!!  From there we clicked on dozens more...Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and some not so Christmas songs, but hey, they were happy and so was I! You could say our dinner ended on a good note!

Then Hannah was sitting next to me when I typed this and said, mommy I write my name. So she did >>>  hannah <<< Yup that was her own hand typing! :-) 

I hope your days are merry and bright celebrating Christmas this year with your loved ones and your heart is happy and blessed!

MERRY CHRISTMAS from our house to yours! :)

Christian, Lera & Hannah - building with blocks before bedtime :)

So do you know your way home from here?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Our Christmas tree up with lights :)

We put our Christmas tree up last Sunday but I wanted to share what happened on Monday and tell our adoption story one more time!

Monday started out a busy day. I went to work with Jim to meet our daughter, Rachel who spent the night with her sister, Michelle. Michelle's boyfriend, Howard brought Rachel with him to where they were working at an old farm house near where we live. Before I left there with Rachel, Jim asked me, "So do you know your way home from here?"  I thought it was a very profound question as my mind had been all wrapped up in other things the whole way there. Like, how am I going to sell my book and how I so do want to help look after orphans! The tears fell down my face as I thought about them and how it was exactly what I needed to hear. Jesus Is The Way!

Monday night the lights went on our Christmas tree after the branches fell in place over night. James and Amanda worked together and did a great job! I thought it looked so pretty the way the lights reflected in the mirror and the window! :)

Later on in the week the kids were happy to help put some decorations on our Christmas tree! The cats were happy to take them off lol. Oh well, here are some pictures of our cute kittens checking things out. :) (Smokey not pictured)

Griffin laying on the Christmas tree skirt :)

Jacques too! :)

Symone & Jacques :)) You mean it was supposed to stay around the Christmas tree?

I wrote this post to remember "the way" came to me five Christmases ago in an e-mail. It read: little blond angel needs a home. Of course it was no ordinary e-mail. It was meant for me to read it! God sent it by another mom (now friend, Theresa Mitchel). It went all over the U.S. and was forwarded to different Down syndrome groups everywhere to the one I belonged to. When I got it, it hit the mark and went straight to my heart!! God knew I would read the e-mail and He prepared my heart ahead of time (please refer to my book - Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow to read the whole story - for this chapter please refer to Ch. 7 ~ Called!). God knew I would want her! He knew I was her mother! God is sooo good!!! His plan worked to find her forever family! I was her mama and now we have nothing less than a miracle, a little blond angel from Ukraine named Lera! This will be her fourth Christmas home already! Praise God! I'm so excited all over again!!!
 

Here are some pictures of Lera waiting in line to visit Santa this year. She was so excited! 

 Here is a picture of Lera and Hannah ready to go see Santa their first Christmas together! They were dancing in our kitchen and holding hands...SO CUTE! I added a few extra details :)

Christmas 2009

To finish this post I want to share this song one of my other friends shared earlier this week. Thank you April Shattery Jackson! Be blessed!! 

Third Day - Merry Christmas - Christmas Offerings 

http://youtu.be/3Xebv7muzxU

What Really Matters

Do you ever feel the prayers of others?

I want to thank you for praying! I'm not sure how many of you prayed for us? But I could feel them! It could have been just one or two of you, but I know God was in the midst and He was listening!!!

In a recent post I shared my new dream to travel with my husband and asked for prayer. Of course, I dream a lot about going back to Ukraine, but I think for now we are to share our adoption story here. I have no idea what that looks like, but I know God does! I just hope my husband will be preaching again and our hearts for adoption will be revealed and the orphans we left behind. 

With that said, let me tell you about several things that happened that encourage us!

Just the other day we heard from Vahan (Vagan in Russian), the Armenian worker we met at Lera's former orphanage in Ukraine. What a blessing! He called my husband's cell phone to let us know the Church we visited when we were there with him was praying for us and wanted to know how we were doing. Talk about God working, wow! I was so happy to hear from him, and I'm not the one that heard his voice! I just know he was on the other end of the phone talking to Jim and Jim was so excited to tell me he was on the phone with him!!!! Now Vahan knows I wrote a book and he is in it! :)

Then this morning before Jim went to work, I heard him praying after we read our Bibles...

(Jim has been working on a side job lately, he still works his full time job from 3pm-midnight.)  

...I heard him praying about another phone call he got at work yesterday...

It was from a Church looking for an Interim Pastor!

Of course I asked him about it :)!

He said he didn't talk to them...they left him a message...

I didn't push it, but I am anxious to find out how God is working, so please pray for us, and for God's continual guidance. This may not be where God will lead us, but I do know God is working and it is interesting for me to watch how He will open doors! :)

On another note, I too got a phone call from one of my book consultants this week. He wanted me to know he was sending me an e-mail with some different ideas and approaches on how to share my book. So please pray about this too! He will be calling me back in a few weeks to go over the ideas he sent me to think about. 

One more bit of news I have been praying about! My adoption agent is planning a trip to Lera's former orphanage in Druzhkovka. Only the children at the orphanage have the chicken pox and they are under quarantine. So please pray for the children that live there to be safe and for God to deliver them all from this outbreak. Also please pray for His Kids, Too! to be able to minister to the children at Lera's former orphanage...I am so excited!!!

Thank you for praying with me about all these things! What really matters is for more orphans to be looked after. As thankful as I am God blessed us with our our daughter, Lera, I know so many more orphans are still waiting! God bless you for all your prayers, for more orphans to be found, for each ones needs to be met, and especially for every orphan to love and be loved in their very own forever family!

Vahan and Lera 2009

Pastor in Ukraine 2009

Church in Ukraine 2009

Jim and I with Vahan at his Church 2009

Name of the Church we went to with Vahan 2009

Our dear church friends and their family! 2009

I linked up with Ellen Stumbo's Writing Prompt! :) http://www.ellenstumbo.com/what-really-matters/

Thanksgiving 2012

This Thanksgiving started off at school with Hannah's and Lera's classmates for a Thanksgiving *Feast! Christian holds up his edible turkey cookie and Lera holds up hers with some feathers missing. ;)

Hannah got new glasses on Thanksgiving Eve ! :)

Michelle and Howard woke up to some new piglets on Thanksgiving morning and sent us this picture! =)

Thanksgiving morning Amanda, James, Christian and Lera eating breakfast and watching the Thanksgiving Day parade! ~ Matt and his girlfriend Jessica stopped by later to join us! (Mikayla was with her mommy!)

 

Recap on our day: Alice kept the little ones busy making hand turkeys before breakfast when Amanda and I were busy in the kitchen. It was a nice day afterwards and the kids enjoyed playing outside while we got dinner ready. Caleb, Micah and Tim hung out inside on video games and joined the big kids James and Jim for Football games later while Rachel and I played a game of cards. Rachel won and not to mention the Redskins beat the Cowboys making a little history for some Norsworthy fans! :)

To Infinity & Beyond With Kool Aid Smiles & Hugs

Dear Crystal,

Thank you for who you are and what you left behind. Thank you for this picture of you with our little angels that you sent to me on Facebook (I remember it was taken in our home - you always had time for them! :). Thank you for being Rachel's best friend. Thank you for your smile, a treasure I will keep when the days are hard and the hope seems long for the trials we face without your face in our home, you left me this picture of you. Thank YOU! You are loved. You are beautiful. You won't be forgotten...

To infinity and beyond (the coolest tattoos by the way - even if I didn't know about it - thanks for doing that with Rachel - some surprises are worth keeping!)  I love you!

My Facebook post to Crystal- shared Monday, the morning after Crystal's accident from me to her wall): An angel left this earth yesterday. She was a daughter, a sister, a cousin and my daughter's best friend. RIP Crystal Benton ~ thanks for your kind and generous spirit and for your sweet smile. you were like a big sister to Rachel and we will all miss you! xx Our prayers go out to your family and loved ones. Our hearts are sad you left us too soon. But we will see you again! P.S. Please keep looking out for Rachel while your in heaven, you are her guardian angel now. Thank you. love you, from Rachel's mom...

 

Be determined to handle any challenge in a way that will make you grow.
~Les Brown

(copied from Facebook)

...fly high sweet angel...

I have a new dream!

Lately, it has been on my mind. But mostly, it has been on my heart. This month kicked off with Orphan Sunday on November 4, 2012. I wanted to share our story then, but God led us to go hear one instead. It was wonderful to be in the house of the Lord with other believers for the cause of orphans! On that day, we were privileged to go hear Amy Livingston tell how amazingly, God led her and her family on a chariot to Russia to go get their daughter!

* * * 

I tried to write this dozens of times...this is one of several tries! First let me say, God inspired a depressed mom, who couldn't understand why He gave her a sickly child, born with Down syndrome, but so desperately wanted to trust Him! ...He met me by still waters, at a man made lake, near our hometown, alone, at a place called Rocky Gorge...I needed to go there...far away from the noise, so I could listen to Him, even though I didn't expect Him to show up like He did! God spoke to me in a book I brought with me to read, titled, You Will Dream New Dreams! (above)

It was filled with parents telling their stories of having children born with different special needs. As I listened to each one tell how they took care of their children, I knew I was not alone, and I wept as I read each one. I asked God, "Will I really dream new dreams?" (please refer to my book, Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow, ch. 6, Life goes on...) from there, God led us to adopt Lera!

I know God told me I would dream new dreams! Now that we adopted Lera, I hope to travel with my husband back to Ukraine one day, but for now, my dream, is to get the word out about the many orphans we left behind. They too, need someone to speak up for them, so they can be found! 

What a miracle it is to have both our daughters with us, now, knowing what they each lived through. Hannah with her many surgeries. And Lera as an orphan, abandoned at birth. I know God gave them to us for a reason, or they both wouldn't be here! Just like God led me to write a book about them. 

Sometimes, I feel like I'm hiding, and wonder who would want to read it? Other times I feel brave, and want the world to know their story! It's just hard to be creative without a lot of money, when the whole point of writing my book was to help more orphans.

When God led us to adopt Lera in 2007, Jim had a business making good money, but God wasn't impressed with what WE could do! He wanted to prove what HE could do! After we qualified for adoption, and signed the papers, our faith was tested, and we began to feel the bottom fall out. Jim eventually lost his business and his truck in 2011, but we GAINED a daughter! And I would do it ALL over again knowing what I know now! I'm happy our daughter is HOME!!!!! I would rather have her than anything money could buy! And I'm thankful God led me to get my book published. BUT I know there's more to do! SO MANY MORE ORPHANS ARE WAITING! It is my heart to be able to tell their story too! Will you please pray for us? Thank you friends and THANK You Lord. I WAIT FOR YOU!!!!!!!

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:18 

Orphan Sunday

While I sit here thinking about it, daddy took our little blessings with him to visit the Bass Pro Shop. :)

I don't have anything special planned for Orphan Sunday, but God blessed us with two very special little girls brought together by adoption, so I wrote these letters to them.

Dear Hannah, Thank you for not giving up on me. Those first moments in time when you stepped through my comfort zone and I became your mommy, nurse, advocate, and best friend, I wasn't always good at taking care of you, but you didn't seem to mind, you still cried for me and wanted me there. Thank you for an awesome pregnancy. I knew you were special when you moved inside me like a ballerina. I felt you dancing, a tiny princess you were, stepping on my soul, making my heart smile and longing to hold you in my arms. Your day of appearance came like no other, with speed you danced into my world, and when you looked into my eyes, you took my heart where it had never been before. I loved our first night together. You tried your best to find comfort at my breast, tiring easily you found rest in my arms. The journey was difficult for you, and about to get harder, you needed your rest, the easiest delivery for me was also about to get harder, we both needed our rest. (To learn more about Hannah's birth and delivery, please read my book, Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow).

Dear Valeria (Lera), Thank you for allowing me to be your mom. I mess up a lot and don't always understand how to take care of you, but your hugs are the best and I love your sneaky ways to get what you want. I know you can't help it and sometimes I just have to laugh instead of cry because you mean no harm. It's not your fault you were born an orphan. Abandoned at birth, you never felt the comfort every child deserves being held in your mothers arms. I didn't know you then, but God knew you. You had to survive the best you could until we understood God had a plan and let us know we were your forever family. The years you waited, you learned to survive, taking comfort in the presence of strangers arms. Before we met you in Ukraine, Daddy and I prayed and prayed for God to hold you for us, until we could hold you for Him. To this day, you still love to be held and are not satisfied with a hug unless you are picked up, where your arms and legs wrap tightly around whoever is holding you. They are the best hugs! You so desperately need them, and I need them too (I love dancing with you in my arms when no one is looking, singing praises and giving thanks to Our God for bringing us together!), just hope when you grow as tall as me, I can still pick you up, or maybe you will be the one picking up me? I look forward to our life together. Thank you for teaching me I can do hard things. It wasn't easy adopting you, but so worth it. I am not who I used to be. You changed my heart. I don't want to stop loving you or the country you were born in. My heart weeps for the orphans we left behind. I know if Hannah had been born in your shoes she would have died, without hope. I know that because she lived, you are now with us.

Thank you God for my sweet angels who flew from heaven and whisked away my heart and made me a better me...Hannah and Valeria, you are my twins, and the prayers of a desperate mamas heart for something she didn't understand, but God knew all so well. Hallelujah! Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. Psalm 113:2

My daughters

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth - everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. Isaiah 43:7

There's nothing like having my children together. I can't tell you how much it means, but when I read this message from Isaiah this morning it hit the mark and brought tears to my eyes...I can image God knows exactly how I feel and I know He delights with me!

It just so happened when we arrived at the Copper Penny Farm yesterday, the hayride was loading up for its first hayride of the day. God ordained our meeting place with our oldest daughter, Michelle, right at that spot in the parking lot where the hayride was about to leave. Quickly, Michelle climbed aboard reaching out for us to put her sisters on with her with just in time for the three of them to ride away together. Thus the picture was taken as "my daughters" were gathered together. Thank You LORD!!  

Walmart

Saturday we went shopping for pumpkins at the Walmart pumpkin patch! 

 Lera found a big pumpkin!

 

Christian found one just his size!

Lera liked climbing in the pumpkins!

I asked Hannah what she thought about the little scarecrow at the pumpkin patch! ;-)

Lera holding her big pumpkin! ~ Wow!!

 

Hannah and her puppy found a pumpkin!!

Hannah hugging her pumpkin!












Amanda got in on the fun! =)












A blue eyed pumpkin holding a pumpkin! ;D

  

Last picture before we left...Lera made sure the little purple scarecrow was looking at the camera! =-)