Saying Goodbye to My Blog

I've toyed with the idea of ending my blog for a while for MANY different reasons. The reasons to continue are becoming less important to me these days so I'm feeling the need to say goodbye and the new year seems an appropriate place.

I'm not sure that I'll be leaving for good, but if I do come back I hope to have a different emphasis or purpose for this blog. One of the reasons I've been hesitant to quit is because of my passion for adoption and I've loved hearing from families (a few) who've been inspired to adopt because of my blog...that's PRICELESS to me and so I'm going to have to trust G*d will use me to encourage adoption in another way. I think I'll keep the blog here for a while and you can ALWAYS email me with questions concerning adoption (or anything else) at k95 @ comcast.net (remove spaces).

I know this sounds dramatic, but this is going to be painful for me. I LOVE my blog...which is mostly the problem (if you get what I mean). Blogging has taken far too much of my time and affection.

If I do come back I'd like this to be a little different and since I'm not sure if or how that will be I'm going to say goodbye blog-friends! I've learned so much from you all and hope still to stop by occasionally and visit those of you with blogs.

This may not make sense in this context, but it makes perfect sense to me and is my little reminder:
(on dying to "SELF")

"It is never fun to die. To rip through the dear and tender stuff of which life is made can never be anything but deeply painful. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free." Tozer in The Pursuit of God

and another from the same book...
"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever."

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had a wonderfully quiet Christmas. It's so rare for all of us to be together so much and we just enjoyed the time we had. We went to the candlelight Christmas Eve service at church and then Megan begged for some "Christmas ice cream". Then the kids were coerced in front of the tree for a picture.





The girls are excited that their stockings are going to be filled tonight.

Miyah found baby Jesus under the star and gets to open the first present.

Let the fun begin!


Never mind the expensive toys...these Dollar Store swords were the hit this Christmas. I should have known.


I know it's strange, but Matt asked for a smoothie maker this Christmas and got the Magic Bullet. I figured it'll be a good dorm room appliance to take with him next year.


The girls with their live cubs. They were so excited to get these. This is the only thing they asked for this year.

Mei Lin and I fell asleep on the couch in the early afternoon.

After dinner we went to a movie then came home for some family time.



Enjoying some smoothies.



Megan's so sweet. She spent some of her break making a quilt for the girls' animals.

On New Year's Eve both Megan and Matt had plans with friends and Pat and I invited some families over to play games. The little ones played and watched a movie while we talked and played games. Both of the families were part of our small group Bible study this summer so it was good to get together again.

Happy New Year to you all!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2009.

Lydia NEEDS Your Prayers!

I'm so saddened by today's (Dec 23) journal update from Monica, Lydia's mom. PLEASE keep Lydia and her family in your prayers.

Click below to read the latest news from Monica (under "journal" for Dec 23):
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lydialimeieikomiyashita

Family Visit and Catching Up

You can usually assume that if I haven't posted in a while it isn't for lack of events to post about, but rather too much going on to find the time to post. I'm hoping to catch up in the next several posts.

But first, Pat's brother and his family stopped through for a couple of nights on their way down to Disney. It had been over a year since we'd seen some of them and over two years since seeing the entire family. We all had a great visit and the kids really enjoyed each other. I have the sweetest nieces and nephews and it was so nice to catch up with my brother and sister-in-law.

Pat and his brother, David
My niece Grace with Mei Lin

My sister-in-law Colleen and my niece Cate

Colleen and David

Marty and Megan

Playing cards

The gingerbread house making

Icing problems

Marty

Cate

Grace

Liam


Grace was like a little mother to the girls and they loved her!


Pat reading The Advent Book with the kids. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of ALL of us on the couch for advent the next night.

Traditions

Here are a few of the Christmas traditions chronicled by camera. Most don't need any explanation...



Miyah's reaction to making cut out cookies...


Mei Lin's reaction to making cut out cookies... check out that throat



Megan's masterpieces

Miyah did a great job, too

The day we got our tree Mei Lin constantly sang "O Tismas Tree, O Tismas Tree..."

Miyah's just excited about Christmas!

The Breakfast Club

Emilio Estevez? Judd Nelson? High School detention?

No!

A dozen incredible women? Amazing Support? 6:30 AM at Cracker Barrel?

YES!

This was our second monthly breakfast and since we're making this a monthly outing I guess we can call it a club.

This amazing group of ladies includes adoptive moms and adoptive moms-to-be. I love these ladies and look forward to our time of fellowship. This month we had a few new faces as our little group grows with women longing for the support and fellowship that can only be understood by fellow adoptive moms. We've each been through that long, painful wait to bring home our children and all the blessings and challenges of adoption. Several have been blessed with special needs children that require multiple surgeries and ongoing medical care, and a few have lost a child and can share in the "fellowship of the suffering".

I'm so grateful that God has brought us all together. We really DO need each other. And I am truly blessed to call these ladies "sisters".

Amy and Tisra have written about our morning breakfast, as well as Leslie's post from last month. I forgot my camera both times, but Amy and Leslie captured both occasions.

Amy is waiting for her little Ruby from China and has three of the most adorable little guys you'd ever want to see. She also happens to be a part of that fellowship of the suffering. Amy has the sweetest spirit.

Tisra is a new friend. I just met her this weekend, but I'm sure I'll be getting to know her better soon. She is a mother of three and waiting for her fourth child from Taiwan. I found out she also homeschools and lives two minutes away.

Leslie is mommy to three sweet kids. She adopted Susannah this past fall from Kunming, China (Mei Lin's age and from the same orphanage). Susannah has had a severe heart defect repaired since coming home and will have her cleft lip repaired in March. Leslie is an amazing woman with a strong love for God and his children.

Anne is mommy to Elizabeth, one of my girls' best friends and she's had a long wait for her Clare in China. We can't wait for that referral! Anne is one of the most loving people I know. Her and her husband (and Elizabeth) just exude God's love. She's also a homeschooling mommy.

Heather is mommy to five kids now, two biological, three adopted. All three adopted children have special needs requiring frequent doctor visits and surgery. Amazingly they are looking into adopting one more little girl to round out a family of eight. I know I've mentioned before that Heather is like the Energizer bunny. She's ALWAYS going and always joyful. She and her husband have a huge heart for people and for orphans in particular and have taken in dozens of foster children over the years. Heather homeschools her 6 year old, Wyatt.

Jo is mommy to two sweet children adopted from China. Her Grace is Miyah's great friend and Anna is now living with Jesus in heaven. Jo is a strong, giving woman. She always has the right perspective on a given situation and a great story to go with it! Jo is the initiator and organizer of our little breakfasts.

Teresa is mommy to one biological and one adopted daughter. Isabella (from China) is Miyah's good friend and we always enjoy our visits with Teresa and Bella. Teresa is a cancer survivor and a sweet, giving woman. Even through her most difficult times I've never seen Teresa frustrated or angry. She emulates a love for life that I admire. Teresa also homeschools her girls.

Stefanie is mommy to three sweet kiddoes; two biological boys and one little girl she adopted the same time we adopted Mei Lin. She's blessed with daughter, Corinne, who has special needs including a repaired heart defect. Stefanie is beyond sweet because she's sweet, but so real and always thinking of others. When Anna was in ICU she planned our little prayer vigil with Jo. When Leslie was in China getting Susannah, she organized a little prayer group for them. I could go on. She's helped in so many ways. Stefanie homeschools, as well.

Angela is mommy to four kids, two biological and two adopted. Her two adopted girls are my girls' ages and the youngest, Claire, is from Mei Lin's orphanage. Claire has just today completed her eighth surgery since coming home in June. Please pray for her recovery. That girl is a trooper and we can't wait until the day she'll be running around with our Mei Lin. Angela is a caring, generous friend. She's been with me through both adoptions and has been a constant source of support for so many.

Patrice is mom to three biological grown children and two adopted little ones. Patrice has one of the sweetest spirits I've ever known. She always has a kind word and even though she doesn't look a day over thirty, she's adorned with that beauty of motherly love for everyone she meets. Her wisdom and grace are always an encouragement. Patrice homeschools her kindergartener.

And Robin is mommy to one adopted daughter and waiting for her second from China. I haven't had much opportunity to get to know Robin as of yet, but I hope that will change soon. Robin also has shared in the suffering of losing a child.

I'm so thankful for each of these women and their loving support.

The miracle of this little group is that as we began emailing back and forth before this month's breakfast, we all became sentimental and sappy about how much each of these ladies means to each of us and most of us had stories of praying for friends just like we've found here.

God has truly heard all of our prayers and knit our hearts together.

A Dickens of a Christmas

Every year our little historic downtown closes its streets to host a nostalgic event called A Dickens of a Christmas. Men, women, and children dressed in Victorian clothing portray characters from "A Christmas Carol" and walk amongst the crowds of people and booths. We always enjoy this little event, but this year we went mainly to see Megan dance. The temperature was rather chilly, but we enjoyed all the sights and sounds.
It was hard to capture any great pictures during Megan's dance because my view was obscured by a couple of posts and speakers.



Megan after her performance


I think Santa needs an eyebrow trimmer for Christmas. I think this was the only "visit" my girls had with Santa this Christmas, but you know me and how I feel about the guy anyway.

I'm not sure which Dickens character he would be

After all that walking we stopped at a little cupcake bakery for a snack.

Not sure why I took this picture, but JOY seems to be a theme in my life these days.

"I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY." Luke 2. And my favorite, "In His presence is fullness of JOY" Psalm 16:11. Christ's presence/coming (Immanuel-God with us) brings great JOY if we know Him and have constant fellowship with Him. I'm constantly reminded that there is joy to be found in every circumstance as I remain in His presence. He came to be Immanuel, "with us". Nowhere else do I find "fullness of joy." Not in health. Not in financial or job security. Not in family. Not in friends or relationships. Only in HIS PRESENCE! That's what Christmas is all about.

Children's Hope Christmas Party

The girls and I enjoyed an evening with Children's Hope (CHI)staff and families. We used Children's Hope to adopt both of our girls and absolutely love our local staff and social worker. Unfortunately the agency has hit hard times and had to close our local branch. I love all these people and I'm so thankful to them for helping us bring our precious girls home. Some local CHI families planned a little christmas get-together, just like old times. I didn't take many photos, but here are a few.

Mei Lin with Amanda, our social worker. Amanda is a new mommy to little Sam. Isn't he adorable! We love Amanda and will have to come up with a reason for her to visit us...but unfortunately it probably won't be a homestudy.

Elizabeth and Miyah

When in the South...Celebrate Like a Southerner

Many of you may remember these from last year. My sister had sent one to us and we thought they were hilarious.

Yeehaw and Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards