.

Isaiah 43:5

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Happy 12th Birthday, Rachel!!!!

Happy Birthday, Rachel!!! 
Your 12 years old!





We love you so, so much, Rachel!  What an amazing young lady you are becoming!  God has a grand purpose for your life and it's so exciting to see that plan unfold as you grow up.  We are so proud of you!

Love always,
Mom and Dad

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Home... ONE YEAR today!

Matthew and Michael came HOME one year ago today on Christmas Eve.

They have come so far!

Mommy feeding Michael for the first time
Mommy holding Matthew his first day home

Matthew ~ age 2.1 years, 15 lbs ~ 
First day home

Michael ~ age 4.3 years and 16 lbs ~ 
First day home



ONE YEAR LATER......



Matthew!!

Matthew!!

Michael!!

Michael!!

There is NO LIMIT to what God can do!  
He can restore life to those who were near death!

Praise God, 
Matthew and Michael are full of life today!

They have both gained 13 lbs and grown 7 inches in height!
Isn't it amazing what prayer, love and good nutrition will do!!!


People say we must be special people
for doing what we have done.  
They say they could never do what we have done.
Neither are true.

We are just regular people,
Being obedient.
Being His hands and feet on this Earth.

You can too!
Go, make a difference in some way.
Refuse to do nothing anymore!



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Happy 1st GOTCHA DAY anniversary Michael and Matthew

It was one year ago today that Matthew and Michael became free!!!!  

Jeff, Jason and Holly sprung them out of the orphanage and into a life of freedom and family.


Why do I use the terms free and freedom?  
Because from this day forward they would be free to:

Free to be loved unconditionally
Free to be wanted and cherished
Free to be fed when hungry
Free to be cleaned when dirty

Free to cry and have someone come
Free to show fear 
and have someone comfort them
Free to voice complaints and not be punished
Free to receive proper medical care

Free to get out of the confines of their cribs
Free to learn to crawl, walk and run
Free to feel fresh grass under their feet 
and sunshine on their faces
Free to breathe in fresh air every day
Free to grow up and live.

Happy Gotcha Day anniversary Matthew and Michael!!!!!  We love you so much!!!!!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Happy Birthday, Holly!!!!

Happy Birthday to our precious daughter, Holly!
 What an amazing young woman you have become.
We love you so much!!!!


It really is hard to believe 18 years has passed by since you were born.  What an amazing day that was.  I'll never forget even a moment of it.  You have been such a blessing to us, Holly, every day of the past 18 years.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for your life and watch how you follow His calling.  

Happy Birthday!  
Love, mom and dad



Saturday, December 10, 2011

Adoption Court, Then...and Now!

One year ago today, Jeff stood alone before a judge in Ukraine and pleaded for our sons lives.  

Literally.  Stood alone.  And pleaded.

The boys were clinging to life.  

He pleaded for the judge to allow them to be adopted; where they could receive the medical attention they desperately needed, where they could receive unconditional love from our family, where they could be free and no longer confined to their cribs destined for the adult mental institution, where death waited.

Praise God, the judge agreed and one year ago today Michael and Matthew became our sons!

We do not have any pictures from court that day.  Cameras were not allowed but the memory will forever be burned on our heart.

*****************************************************

Fast forward 363 days and two more blessing added to our family!

*****************************************************

Two days ago, on December 8, 2011, I stood before an American Judge asking to officially become Sarah and Sydney's mommy.   Jeff had already adopted them in Ukraine and now it was my turn here in America.

The Judge agreed and I officially and legally became Sarah and Sydney's mommy.  God is so good!

Their circumstances were vastly different in some ways and eerily similar in other ways.  The girls were in MUCH better physical condition than the boys because they were in a different orphanage than the boys, just one town over, yet, worlds apart.  They were cared for better and actually fed.  Though their orphanage lives were 'good' by orphanage standards, the outcome would have been the same.  They would have both been transferred at age 4 ( Jan, 2012 for Sydney, March, 2012 for Sarah) to the same adult mental institution that Matthew and Michael would have gone to as well, where death waited.

Praise God, that was not to be.

God won!

 

Saturday, December 3, 2011

On this day last year....Meeting Matthew and Michael for the very first time

One year ago today, 
Jeff, Rachel and Kayla got to meet Matthew and Michael for the very first time.

And Matthew and Michael got to feel what unconditional love feels like when they were placed into the arms of their daddy and sisters for the very first time.

Rachel holding Michael for the very first time

Rachel holding Matthew for the very first time



 Nothing can prepare you for the moment you meet your sons and they are placed in your arms for the first time...

To finally be able to hold them and breathe in their essence after 8 long months of praying and paper chasing, 
is almost indescribable.  

Matthew and Michael had waited MUCH longer for us to find them.  
For Michael ~ 4.3 years.  For Matthew ~ 2.1 years.

The boys were so, so TINY and frail, and lifeless.  They were bundled in 5 layers of clothes that hid their fragile 15 lb bodies. 

 Today.... 
they are tiny no more and FULL of life!






 The boys have each gained 11 lbs and grown 7 inches...
all in ONE year!  
Amazing what lots of prayer, love and good nutrition will do!
 
Thank you God!

Happy 1-Year "Meet-your-daddy-and-two-of-your-big-sisters-anniversary" Michael and Matthew!!!

We all love you so very much!!!

*You can read the posts from that actual day HERE

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Matthew is THREE today!!!!


Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew!!!



We had such a great day of celebrating with Matthew!
We had cake, ice cream, presents and LOTS of love to go around with mommy, daddy and LOTS of brothers and sisters!




Matthew enjoyed opening his presents but was not too sure about eating the cake.

He tried ONE bite...


...and he was DONE with the cake!

 

That's okay!  We ate the cake with gusto in honor of Matthew!! 





Justin could not wait to 'sneak up' on the cake and get his hands on it!



Below is the only picture of Jeff we have with Matthew from today ...see the reflection and camera flash in the window.  Jeff is usually the one taking all the pictures so we have to remember to snap a few of him as well.  Jeff loved on Matthew and wished him a happy birthday today, we just didn't think to capture it on film. We're thankful to have this picture though!


Happy, Happy Birthday Matthew!  
We love you sooooooo very much!!




Friday, October 14, 2011

Catching up post

It's been quite awhile since I have posted because we are all just getting over being sick.  Not terribly sick, just allergies/gunky noses/coughing type of sick.  Sick or not, we have been one busy family....

Our local Buddy Walk was last Saturday.  The day was cool and overcast but then cleared up to make for perfect walking weather!

Buddy Walk 2011



 We had a GREAT turnout!


Rachel and Faith handing out Reece's Rainbow fliers!


We hosted the Reece's Rainbow table again this year.


Holly walking in the Buddy Walk with Sarah and Sydney!




Jason walking with Justin in the Buddy Walk!


Sarah meeting big brother Wesley for the very first time!!!

  
Sydney meeting Wesley for the very first time!!!


Volleyball!

Rachel's volleyball season is going really, really well!!!


Bleachers are not stroller friendly so we usually sit on the sidelines to watch the games.


Best view in the house!



Household fun!

The newly emptied-out bottom two shelves of our bookcase has become quite the hot-spot for playing these days.

 



Holly taking a walk with Sydney.  Perfectly in step!!


Holly showing Sarah some weeds wild flowers!


Jason entertaining the little ones



YUMMY!



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