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! =-)

This is your mission

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

His Kids Too! (The last night bonfire!!!) https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=414934528570545&set=pb.142498729147461.-2207520000.1349967547&type=1&theater

Just the other day it came out as I shared my burning desire with my daughter-in-law. I told her how much I wished I could go back to Ukraine and help take care of orphans! Her response was appropriate as we began our evening together. "This is your mission!" I knew what she meant as we walked in the kitchen together after she came home from work that day. I have my family to take care of! I knew she was right! I take care of our grandson during the day as she and my son both work. Plus, it's my job to get the kids ready for school, clean house, do laundry, make dinner preparations, make doctor appointments, go the the doctors! go grocery shopping, wipe noses, give baths, kiss boo boos, give encouragement and pray, pray, pray for my family!

Until I can go, again, I want my light to shine right where I am! Lord, help me to be a city on a hill. I know you love orphans more than I do. Thank you for the experience of adoption and bringing Lera home. I pray for others who are adopting. Be with them, Lord, and help them find their children! In Jesus name, Amen. 

*Home

On October 22, Lera will be *home* for 3 years!!!  It's pretty cool this is the same month we celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Just last week, I was aware while she was learning to read six new sight words (this, the, by, my, city, home), she could get the others wrong, but she always recognized the word *home! :-) *My birthday is this month and so is Lera's sister (Michelle) and brothers (James and Micah). *By the way, Lera and her family can't wait to get dressed-up and go trick-or-treating for Halloween and visit the pumpkin patch! ;-)

 Lera recognizes this word and gets it right every time! (home)

*The third anniversary of my dad's home going is on October 30, 2009. Lera never had the opportunity to meet her Paw-Paw when she landed with me in *this country. Though we continue to miss him here, we will see him in a better country - a heavenly one! For God has prepared for us a *city! (Hebrews 11:16)

We miss you Paw-Paw <3

Our Sweet Arrival, Hannah Grace!

 

On April 2, 2004, I remember thinking I was in labor. With this being my ninth labor, each one was different and had a mind of their own. My labors could start and stop and have no real pattern until the very end. So, it was hard to say when the first pain woke me up that morning what was going to be expected. I got the kids ready for school and put off calling my midwife until after I got back from taking them that morning. At the time we had three kids in private school where my husband was the Pastor. It was a 30 minute drive on the Beltway from our Laurel home to Forestville, and I remember being afraid to drive, but ended up doing it anyway. I prayed the whole time not wanting to be in labor on the Beltway and God answered that prayer. Our oldest daughter was at home asleep. We had two little ones not in school, one in public school, and one along with our oldest, who were out of school, but no one expected her on the day that she came. We were transitioning from our 6 1/2 years of being Pastor and Pastor's wife at Forestville Baptist Church during a recent merge when ours and another Church came together. Pastor Thomas joined his new congregation to Forestville's older congregation and took over as my husband stepped down believing God had something else He wanted us to do...

I guess it all happened so fast that we didn't take any good pictures for me to share. I tried to find a good one, but either I was uncovered or it was a blur.  Here is her story...I got home and decided to call my midwife and let her know this could be it. She asked me some questions and decided she would come to check on me later that afternoon. I hung up the phone and began cleaning the house when my friend, Patsy stopped by and decided to stay. I told her I needed to take a shower before the midwife came and and started thinking I hadn't made much progress for this to be true labor. It all happened so fast after that and while I was taking my shower, I had one big pain that wouldn't stop. It felt like I went from a few centimeters to 10 all at once and I began calling out to our daughter and Patsy! Jim was at work when I was in the shower...he was the first one to arrive! I remember wanting him to call 911! He was on the phone with our midwife and she said don't call them, she was on her way!
You would think after having birthed eight babies before, we could have done this all by ourselves. Determined as I was to have help, I held her in! It wasn't the first time the midwife almost didn't make it! Happy to see her, I pushed her out easily when the midwife arrived. She had a short cord and I could barely hold her until the cord was cut. I remember being overjoyed at the speed of her delivery and thinking, that was easy! She needed a little oxygen, but was fine after that. She looked beautiful. I loved her tiny features. I was so proud! Sometime after the cord was cut, I was encouraged to take my second shower. It wasn't until I held her close enough with no more cord between us that I met her eyes looking into mine. That was when I knew she was different. Her eyes gave it away, but no one else suspected it. She had Down syndrome! Not until the next day when we routinely took her to the pediatrician's office for a newborn check-up, did they know, or at least discover she was in some kind of trouble...
To find out more about our story, please refer to my book, Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow. :)
I linked up with Ellen Stumbo's writing prompt: Holding my child for the first time www.ellenstumbo.com/holding-my-child-for-the-first-time/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EllenStumbo+(Ellen+Stumbo)