Wishes Do Come True!

What were you doing this time last year?

Can't remember? Well, we sure can. One year ago today, the beautiful face of our daughter and sister was revealed to us for the very first time.




A few days prior, Rob celebrated his birthday. When it was time to make the wish and blow out the candles, we all knew what his heart desired. We had been so disappointed when our referral did not come by Christmas time. Terrified to get our hopes up and then dashed, we glided along. Rumor Queen posted some hope of referrals brewing, but our agency emailed a notice that we may not know anything until the following week. WEEK??? Several of us from our travel group were preparing to stalk, I mean visit, our agency in hopes to catch a glimpse of our precious girls sooner. I was the closet geographically, so I joked that it would be simple to camp outside their office until they assigned each of us our children. (Truthfully, I don't think any of us were really joking - we wanted our daughters home!)

We kept ourselves busy by creating Chinese New Year packages for Emily's four year old class. We used Chinese stampers to stamp the bags and then filled them with an assortment of fun celebratory items. It was a nice project, over the course of those lonnngg weeks that helped keep our spirits up and focus on the prayer that our daughter was never alone, she was living well in our hearts. We also spent time lovingly preparing a care package that we could send once Hannah was chosen and we knew where she was.





I believe we read this book a thousand times. To this day, I cannot get through it without weeping.



But, on February 1, 2007, life changed in the way that we had prayed for since October 8, 2005, when we were logged into CCAA to adopt a baby girl from China. I left for work the same as any other day and since I had not heard anything, I assumed that Thursday would not be the day. Just in case it was, I had brought with me (as I had done everyday that month) my formal Referral Sheet, loaded with questions to ask at the time of referral. Heading out the door to take a student for a walk, my cell rang. It was my mother. Emily was recouperating from pneumonia, and I figured she had a question. When I heard her voice though, she was frantic. The house phone had rung - the caller id reflected a number she thought could be our agency. We hung up and at that very moment (3:57 PM, to be exact), I heard the most wonderful words...

"Hi Mrs. AdoptingMama, this is Agencyangel and I'm happy to tell you that you have a little girl, her name is Feng, Xiaowei. She is from the Jiangxi Province." My head was swimming, I was not writing on the neatly placed lines of my referral sheet, I was crying and shaking, still standing in the foyer of their home. At one point my knees buckled ever so slightly, I lowered myself to the floor and wrote fiendishly to capture every word. Not the glamorous moment I had pictured in my brain, but it was certainly a moment that will remain etched upon my heart. Many say that referral is amazing, honestly, it is indescribable. I know during that conversation, I managed to commit to my memory that she was 8 months old, yippee! And she ended our call with, "Heather, wait til you see her eyes, she has the biggest, most beautiful eyes." SEE...When can we see her???

Agencyangel advised us to sit by our computer and she would email our pictures and the formal referral as soon as all the families had been notified. My feet did not touch the ground as I squealed away from their home and landed in my own family room to see, finally see, our daughter. So we sat, and we sat, talked a little, sat some more and then, this came...









I recognize that I am biased, but we thought she was breathtaking. I actually gasped when I saw her, she looked perfect in every way. Until Emily's birth, I did not believe in love at first sight, but that perfect little creature changed my heart. And now, our second daughter captivated just the same. I felt such devotion to her, I wanted to bring her home and I prayed that I would do well by her. As delightful as those moments are, it always sends home the reality that soon she will leave the only family she has ever known and the only home she has had. I prayed we were enough.

The following week, the agency scheduled a meeting so we could have the actual documentation and hard copy of the pictures. The meeting went very well and Rob and I carried around poster size copies of her pictures. EVERYWHERE! God bless all those who had to see this child over and over again! Emily got the joy of showing off her sister to her classmates, what a miraculous experience.

We received some updated photos of Hannah, which thrilled us to no end (and I am sure all the people who had to see the poster size referral photos were so happy to view yet another set of poster size pictures). One of these pictures is in a small frame and Hannah sometimes touches it and tells me, "Hannah, tiger!"






Knowing where Hannah was from opened up some new Yahoo groups for us and I joined them immediately. I would be blessed to find pictures of her Social Welfare Institute and even more blessed to find pictures of Hannah when she was very young.




Today, Hannah has been home with us for almost ten months. Hard to believe. She had stretched us in so many ways, her daddy who thinks going next town over is "far" travelled across the ocean to bring her home. Her sister, convinced she'd be the queen forever, now gladly shares her space and time with this adorable little girl. And me, well there are no words for how deep the river runs. It is that red thread, she is our destiny. For all of you waiting, I hope for speed and for you to have your own wish come true. I will pray until your referrals come in and until all our babies are home safe and sound.

"I have told you these things for a purpose; that my joy might be your joy, and your joy may be wholly mature in it's time." John 15:11

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for so many things, blessed beyond measure, and each week as I record my thoughts about being gracious, it occurs to me that I am thankful not only for what is now, but also what brought me to this place.

Years ago, as a youth volunteer for the junior and senior high youth groups of my home church, I thought I was pretty special. I had just graduated from college, I was 21 years old and had it all; great job, brand new sports car, nails done, hair coiffed, only the finest clothes, you name it, it was all good.

Then, something interesting happened...I was walking through the hall at church one Sunday and my dear friend Mary approached me. I remember the interaction like it happened yesterday...Her daughter was wearing a mini skirt and these really cool tye dye tights, she was high schoolish age and Mary was chiding her for her choice of apparel that morning. She stopped her tirade briefly to ask me a question, "Would you be interested in leading a group for the upcoming Mission trip this summer?" I love Mary and I love kids, but somehow sleeping on dirt floors and wearing (gulp) overalls, just didn't fit my image at the time - yes, I really thought this. She told me to sleep on it. She said she would contact (read "bug")me until I had made my decision. I was still living at home, and when I sat down with my parents for dinner, I laughed out loud when I told them about the proposition I had encountered. Thing was they didn't laugh...my father especially, offered this could be an opportunity that would change my life. Oh the wisdom, almost prophetic. A seed was planted.

So, that summer I went on the first of ten Mission trips I would take with this group of senior high youth. Did it change my life? - Oh yes, I would go on to pastor that youth group until I had my own family. I became passionate about serving others and though I still like the occasional finer things in life, I truly know the desperation that people in our own backyard live with daily. I met families with enormous medical needs and no insurance or financial means to receive care, I met senior citizens who had never in their life experienced running water until we arrived, I met children who had never slept in a bed, just covers on the floor (dirt floor, I might add). Here, in the good ol' USA there were communities with no economy, no hope and no future. I have ever since supported the mission that I originally worked with, and our family commits to support them as long as there is air in our lungs, even in the most difficult of times for us. Because those times will never look as dreary as what the beautiful people of areas in Appalachia have experienced.



There is a point to all of this - I received an email from one of the young ladies, Kate, with whom I travelled at least twice. Now a junior at Penn State University, she spent her winter break in Peru playing "Pato, Pato, Gonzo" (duck, duck, goose), offering a VBS program to families and building and repairing an orphanage. The pictures were positively heartwarming and these kids (45 of them!) worked HARD.

Kate said I planted a seed; I beg to differ, God laid it on my heart to plant a seed, just as God laid it on Mary's heart to move my mountain so that I might see the best He had in store for me. I pray my ladybugs will know the joy of serving others. Kate titled this picture "one of these things just isn't the same". I would agree Kate, you are a leader among your peers, an example.

Today I am thankful for all the seeds planted, be it missioning, the adoption community, motherhood, teachers, people serving people. It's all good.

Lordy, Lordy...Look who's FORTY!

Definitely more content with a hammer in hand and workboots on, our husband and daddy cleans up nice! Self proclaimed as "painfully shy", I have watched as he has evolved. For all the pumpkin carving, tree trimming, picture hanging, building, building, building, lullabye singing, Dora book reading, car riding, bike riding, dance class watching, and countless other daily events, forty looks really amazing on you! That smile - oh dear, how I love that smile!

Happy Birthday, honey! We love you!

Young, young, young Daddy


Junior in high school


All grown up!


First time Daddy!


Trip of a lifetime to become a second time daddy!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

"The strongest evidence of love is sacrifice." ~ Carolyn Fry

Forty-seven years ago today, my parents pledged their lives to each other. I am so thankful they did!




Happy Anniversary!

Sick Computer!

Lethargic, cranky, hot and just plain "not responding" much of the time, my computer is sick! I have been working an several projects, which have been unduly interrupted as a result (read Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!) Bear with me while I figure out how to cure my companion, I have tried all the homeopathic remedies suggested and now, I may have to take it in to be serviced. We shall see. In the meantime, I will try to post a few items to last us a couple of days:)

Thankful Thursday

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." ~ Proverbs 15:30

* Last evening, I got a wonderful email from our friend, Sam. From the below message, it appears as though all is well. I am so grateful for this news.



More Good News!

The CT Scan results, which we got yesterday, showed no changes since September's Scan. As the Dr. explained...This is great news!!!! He said that the mass may be the dead cells of cancer (or scar tissue) so they remain. He seemed pleased! We certainly are!!! The Dr. did say there may be a few nasties hiding inside the mass. He gave us the option of waiting awhile then starting up the chemo again if we saw enlargement in a later CT Scan or continuing treatments now. I opted for "now"!... and he then asked when did I want to start and I said "now"! My next treatment is this Thursday. I'll continue with another round of 9 (3 sets of 3) IV treatments and the Tarceva as long as tolerable...then another CT Scan.
Many thanks to all my prayer warriors...I'm not through fighting yet...please hang in there with me. I thank God every day for his healing power.

We continue to pray for Sam and his family - his attitude is indicative of how he lives everyday of his life. Without gushing, I feel it is important to note that Sam is a force to be reckoned with in serving the Lord and the community.

"If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited." ~ Proverbs 24:10

* I am thankful that God provides comfort that we cannot. For those suffering, we remain steadfast in praying for you and your families, but are ultimately aware that He provides the greatest gift as you navigate troubled waters.

We continue to lift my cousin Jeremy, as he receives radiation for a cancer diagnosis. We pray for his family, his wife, his son, his soon to be born child and his parents and brother's family. Watching those we love struggle is more painful than our own troubles.

We continue to pray for my aunt's brother-in-law and sister. Bob has been released and gone home, the future is unknown, but his family is united and prayerful at this time.



* I am thankful for Hannah's laughter, it is so beautiful and heartwarming. She has a strong will and a funny bone. It makes for a grand combination.

* I am thankful for my parents who share a Godly and loving relationship and are about to celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary. Wahoo!

* I am thankful for bands like Five for Fighting,and their committment to promoting Autism Awareness. You can click here to see their video and what they are doing to raise funds for research and therapies. Though my own family has not been impacted by Autism, I know too many who have been. I have a job in this field, my goal is for the research to provide advances that would leave me out of work forever!

Thanks for stopping by - it is always fun to know who visits. What are you thankful for?

Happy Birthday Alicia!

Happy Birthday to our oldest niece. She turns sixteen this week. Our family celebrated with her on Sunday. Not nearly as fascinated by the car keys as her brother was at the same age, Alicia is a laid-back, "take-it-as-it comes" kind of girl. When I asked her about her big plans for this week, she offered she had midterms the rest of the week and a lot of studying to do ~ yup, that's our Alicia!

Alicia has always set her eye on the prize and made it happen. Usually, with her nose buried in a good book, Alicia knows herself and her likes and dislikes. One Easter dinner, Alicia was about four or five, she arrived at her grandmother's home dressed in her pajamas and cowboy boots...her parents indicated some fights just were not worth having:)

Happy Birthday to you sweetheart - we are very proud of you.

Emily and Kevin - Rock on Kev!


Hannah and Aiden - Play Ball!

Ali and her faithful helpers!

Yea! Make a wish...