Hello peoples!
I made it! I am moved in to college and have been experiencing my first day on my own. Ok, it's a little scary.
Yesterday dad and big bro helped me move in and get settled. Though I guess it was more "help" and "settle". When they left I still had two totes to unpack and my room was a mess because nothing was where it needed to be! But I managed to get everything settled this morning, mostly. And, as annoying as they can be at times, I'm very grateful to dad and big bro for helping me move in. I don't know if I could have done it on my own.
Today has been pretty chill, all the big activities will be tomorrow or Sunday. I had time to do register my bike and just relax. I have a feeling I won't have much time for that for awhile.
Well that's about all I've got for now, time to find the bike paths on campus.
That's my view!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
"Commander Hoops"
Hello peoples!
I want to talk today about one of my precious little buddies from the orphanage.
Meet "Commander Hoops".
I want to talk today about one of my precious little buddies from the orphanage.
Meet "Commander Hoops".
She was one of my friends in the feeding room and here in the Angel room. Now the reason for her nickname is because one of her favorite toys was a little rubber ball that looked like a basketball, and she had the fastest little army crawl I've ever seen!
I know it's not super easy to see in this photo but my little "Commander Hoops" has a limb difference.
But she never let that stop her! She would play and crawl around the Angel room to her hearts content. She can't walk on her on yet. As I'm sure you can imagine she has some balance problems, but if you hold on to her she is more than happy to try her best at toddling.
We had very confusing information about "Commander Hoops" because before we left we were told by AWAA that she did not have a family yet, but while at the orphanage the Assistant Director, Mrs. G, told us she had been matched with a family while we were there. Now being home we haven't gotten confirmation either way. And while I desperately hope Mrs. G was right about her having a family, we just don't know yet. And if she doesn't have a family, then I hope someone is ready to snatch up this precious girl.
While I was playing with her one day I decided that I would just start recording and then just play. I know the camera isn't super steady most the time but I wanted to have something. Be listening at the beginning because in the first few seconds I captured one of "Commander Hoops" infectious giggles.
That was just one of the moments I had with her. "Commander Hoops" and I had a lot of fun together. Here are a few other lovely photos of here!
Eating the ball because why not
Reaching out
Hi there girly
Always very somber
Not happy to be interrupted from play time
Such sweet eyes
Nannies showing her standing
The nannies wanted me to have a good pic of her precious arm
So in review "Commander Hoops" is a very sweet, very playful, and very independent little girl who needs the love of a family. I pray that if she's already matched that her family brings her home soon. If she's not matched now I pray that she will be soon.
It's midnight in China as I type this. I hope my baby girl is sleeping well.
That's my view!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Catching Up & `Mazing Day
Hello peoples!
I don't even know where to begin with today!
I feel like I've gotten very behind on my blogging and I have kiddos I want to talk about and many topics I want to address. But for now I just want to praise God for all He has done today!
My mom has been getting a lot of blogs posted on individual kids that we met at the orphanage. You can find her blog here. But today someone recommended that she join a Facebook group for those advocating for orphans. She joined the page and shared her posts and people couldn't stop asking her questions! Many families now want to pursue some of these kids!
It was so incredible to watch God at work today and see all these kids that I fell in love with are finally getting close to having families!
I have plenty of other things to say but I want to put them in separate posts. So until then...
That's my view!
I don't even know where to begin with today!
I feel like I've gotten very behind on my blogging and I have kiddos I want to talk about and many topics I want to address. But for now I just want to praise God for all He has done today!
My mom has been getting a lot of blogs posted on individual kids that we met at the orphanage. You can find her blog here. But today someone recommended that she join a Facebook group for those advocating for orphans. She joined the page and shared her posts and people couldn't stop asking her questions! Many families now want to pursue some of these kids!
It was so incredible to watch God at work today and see all these kids that I fell in love with are finally getting close to having families!
I have plenty of other things to say but I want to put them in separate posts. So until then...
That's my view!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Re-entry Issues
Hello peoples!
So I know I did promise to blog, I just didn't think I would be blogging about this today. I'm sitting at my sisters volleyball camp. Now realize it's not unsusual for her to be the only Chinese kid out there but today I noticed there are a ton of blondies out there. And it's just still so weird to not be seeing Chinese children running around. And I'm sitting up in the bleachers with a blondie mama with her blondie daughter on the court, her younger blondie daughter with her, and her bitty blondie baby boy. Now granted, it would be a lie to say this little boy isn't precious. BUT so are all the sweeties I met last week. Like sweet baby boy, or the little emperor, or my bitty bus buddy. Those little ones were darling. And all my big boys are just as sweet. And I sit here wondering why blondie baby is valued over my boys? They are just as cute, just as sweet, and just as ornery.
My hearts desire is to see all those kiddos come home so they can be loved on just like blondie baby. Because right now blondie baby has a future wide open to him. He can be whoever he wants to be. He can do whatever he wants to do. He has a life. But my boys back in china are stuck. Their "future" is to live out their days in the facility. They can't have a job. They can't have an education. Their only out is a family. And when they hit 14 their days of hoping are over. Their window of opportunity is closed.
And I can't stand it! It hurts! I haven't stopped crying for my babies since coming home. But I don't want to. I don't want to ever forget them. I will keep praying for families to come. For a child's future. I will pray for you to hear how amazing these kids are. I will pray for china. I will return next year to the orphanage to give more love and care that thy desperately need. Even if it will never be filled completely till they have a family. But what I really want to know is what will you do? Will you pray? Will you visit? Or will you bring a precious child home?
That's my view!
So I know I did promise to blog, I just didn't think I would be blogging about this today. I'm sitting at my sisters volleyball camp. Now realize it's not unsusual for her to be the only Chinese kid out there but today I noticed there are a ton of blondies out there. And it's just still so weird to not be seeing Chinese children running around. And I'm sitting up in the bleachers with a blondie mama with her blondie daughter on the court, her younger blondie daughter with her, and her bitty blondie baby boy. Now granted, it would be a lie to say this little boy isn't precious. BUT so are all the sweeties I met last week. Like sweet baby boy, or the little emperor, or my bitty bus buddy. Those little ones were darling. And all my big boys are just as sweet. And I sit here wondering why blondie baby is valued over my boys? They are just as cute, just as sweet, and just as ornery.
My hearts desire is to see all those kiddos come home so they can be loved on just like blondie baby. Because right now blondie baby has a future wide open to him. He can be whoever he wants to be. He can do whatever he wants to do. He has a life. But my boys back in china are stuck. Their "future" is to live out their days in the facility. They can't have a job. They can't have an education. Their only out is a family. And when they hit 14 their days of hoping are over. Their window of opportunity is closed.
And I can't stand it! It hurts! I haven't stopped crying for my babies since coming home. But I don't want to. I don't want to ever forget them. I will keep praying for families to come. For a child's future. I will pray for you to hear how amazing these kids are. I will pray for china. I will return next year to the orphanage to give more love and care that thy desperately need. Even if it will never be filled completely till they have a family. But what I really want to know is what will you do? Will you pray? Will you visit? Or will you bring a precious child home?
That's my view!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Tick Tock
Hello peoples!
Yes, I realize I am WAY behind with my blogs. I want a blog for every day, for special children, for important posts, all the photos I can upload, and I have some major jet lag! I feel like there is such an urgency to everything! People have to know how precious each child is and how desperately they need to come home! I want to tell all about the trip. But I would also like to feel awake when I'm supposed to. Not at 2 in the morning.
So yeah, this will probably be another short blog, sorry about that. But jet lag has just been tearing me up. My day is sooooooo off. I drag myself through the day and am alert at midnight. And all day all I can think about are my kids. Right now it's about 3:30 in the morning they should all be asleep. Wonder how feeding time went? How's our sweet older boy (mom's dance partner) doing? Is he crying like the nannies said he does when a group leaves? Does he know that he's too old? That China won't let him be adopted at 16 or 17? Barely a year younger than me, but his life is a closed door. Yet mine is and open book. A world of possibilities. And he's trapped and without a family. It breaks my heart being away from these kids. I just want to see them all have families. There is anywhere from 180-200 kids at the orphanage. Guess how many are adopted a year?
75?
No
50?
No
30?
No
25?
No
20?
No
15
Only 15 kids a year…
Who could ever choose just 15 of those precious angels? I would bring them all home in a heartbeat. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get a few more posts up. Because every day is one more day that these kids don't have families.
That's my view!
Yes, I realize I am WAY behind with my blogs. I want a blog for every day, for special children, for important posts, all the photos I can upload, and I have some major jet lag! I feel like there is such an urgency to everything! People have to know how precious each child is and how desperately they need to come home! I want to tell all about the trip. But I would also like to feel awake when I'm supposed to. Not at 2 in the morning.
So yeah, this will probably be another short blog, sorry about that. But jet lag has just been tearing me up. My day is sooooooo off. I drag myself through the day and am alert at midnight. And all day all I can think about are my kids. Right now it's about 3:30 in the morning they should all be asleep. Wonder how feeding time went? How's our sweet older boy (mom's dance partner) doing? Is he crying like the nannies said he does when a group leaves? Does he know that he's too old? That China won't let him be adopted at 16 or 17? Barely a year younger than me, but his life is a closed door. Yet mine is and open book. A world of possibilities. And he's trapped and without a family. It breaks my heart being away from these kids. I just want to see them all have families. There is anywhere from 180-200 kids at the orphanage. Guess how many are adopted a year?
75?
No
50?
No
30?
No
25?
No
20?
No
15
Only 15 kids a year…
Who could ever choose just 15 of those precious angels? I would bring them all home in a heartbeat. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get a few more posts up. Because every day is one more day that these kids don't have families.
That's my view!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
I'm Back!
Hello peoples!
I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to be able to blog again. The past few days have been a nightmare of technology problems. Oh, your VPN won't work. Oh, no wifi. Oh, no internet. Oh, let's turn off everything on your phone except texting. Doesn't that sound like fun? Well miracle of miracles, it's all working again. Praise the LORD!
I have so much I want to say but so little time to blog. I hope to have more time tonight but for now I have one important thing to say…
BRING THE CHILDREN HOME
These precious angels need families. The scary words in the files don't tell you how sweet she is or how feisty he can be or how tightly the hold on when they hug you. They need to come home. They need to be loved. They are precious gifts that would bring joy to any family. Their smiles light up the whole room. So why would you leave them in a culture that doesn't realize how special and beautiful they are?
That's my view!
I can't even begin to tell you how great it is to be able to blog again. The past few days have been a nightmare of technology problems. Oh, your VPN won't work. Oh, no wifi. Oh, no internet. Oh, let's turn off everything on your phone except texting. Doesn't that sound like fun? Well miracle of miracles, it's all working again. Praise the LORD!
I have so much I want to say but so little time to blog. I hope to have more time tonight but for now I have one important thing to say…
BRING THE CHILDREN HOME
These precious angels need families. The scary words in the files don't tell you how sweet she is or how feisty he can be or how tightly the hold on when they hug you. They need to come home. They need to be loved. They are precious gifts that would bring joy to any family. Their smiles light up the whole room. So why would you leave them in a culture that doesn't realize how special and beautiful they are?
That's my view!
Friday, July 11, 2014
Americans in China
Hello peoples!
So if you have ever flown you might know how uncomfortable the change in pressure can be on your ears during take off and landing. But just make your ears pop and your fine, right? Ever wondered what could happen if you couldn't get your ears to pop? Or not fully? Welcome to my world! It's normally not to bad beside most flights I've been on are short so my ears may not feel great on the plane but after coming down I'll be fine. However after a 13 hour long flight my ears started to adjust…and then the dissent started. Started as expected, pressure in my ears that wouldn't go away. But then next thing I know my left ear is in excruciating pain getting worse and worse and not stopping. It hurts and I can't make it go away. I'm sitting crying, writhing in pain for half an hour or longer. When we finally landed it still hurt and I couldn't hear well out of that ear at all I felt like I was deaf in one ear and could barely pay attention to the conversation of the group. By the time we had dinner it finally really cleared up. But even now it still feels odd.
Speaking of dinner, we had some amazing food that our lovely guide ordered for us. She is really sweet and so much fun to talk to. Even if Jason has freaked her out a bit with baboon impersonations and attempting to describe cereal to her.
Oh I also decided how the family dynamics of our group seem to work. My mom and Gretchen are both mamas for the group but Jason I decided is the crazy uncle. (the baboon didn't explain it enough?) So we have Ma, Mama Gretchen, and Shu Shu Jason.
Well we are going to be heading to breakfast here pretty soon so I will be back later.
That's my view!
So if you have ever flown you might know how uncomfortable the change in pressure can be on your ears during take off and landing. But just make your ears pop and your fine, right? Ever wondered what could happen if you couldn't get your ears to pop? Or not fully? Welcome to my world! It's normally not to bad beside most flights I've been on are short so my ears may not feel great on the plane but after coming down I'll be fine. However after a 13 hour long flight my ears started to adjust…and then the dissent started. Started as expected, pressure in my ears that wouldn't go away. But then next thing I know my left ear is in excruciating pain getting worse and worse and not stopping. It hurts and I can't make it go away. I'm sitting crying, writhing in pain for half an hour or longer. When we finally landed it still hurt and I couldn't hear well out of that ear at all I felt like I was deaf in one ear and could barely pay attention to the conversation of the group. By the time we had dinner it finally really cleared up. But even now it still feels odd.
Speaking of dinner, we had some amazing food that our lovely guide ordered for us. She is really sweet and so much fun to talk to. Even if Jason has freaked her out a bit with baboon impersonations and attempting to describe cereal to her.
Oh I also decided how the family dynamics of our group seem to work. My mom and Gretchen are both mamas for the group but Jason I decided is the crazy uncle. (the baboon didn't explain it enough?) So we have Ma, Mama Gretchen, and Shu Shu Jason.
Well we are going to be heading to breakfast here pretty soon so I will be back later.
That's my view!
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