Orphan Sunday-2011

Raising awareness requires assistance | Ruston Daily Leader

Raising awareness requires assistance Ruston Daily Leader

Happy Birthday

It seems like only yesterday you were a little girl in my arms, yet in only days you will be holding your own little girl.  What a blessing you have been to our lives. Being the first born you taught us how to love in a way we never had before.  You will soon experience it for yourself, the sweet love God gives between parents and children.  I am so proud to be your Moma and I am so proud of you, my beautiful (inside and out) daughter.  Happy Birthday and what a special one it is, to know you carry something so precious and full of life and love. Thanks for being the loving kind person you are, what a gift you are to all of us.  Happy Birthday Briley!
Love, Mom

Youtube Video Must Watch

Thank you to my friend Amy for sharing this very moving video.  I needed this today.  God has a plan for us all and Emmanuel is proof of that.  Thanks for inspiring us Emmanuel.

Another year older

We have celebrated both Tatum and Reid's birthdays this month.  Our youngest daughter and our youngest son.  What a joy these two have brought to our family.  They are so loved.  Happy Birthday Month Reid and Tatum.

Now some party pics!

Dinner out with the fam to celebrate Reid's turning 21!

 The Birthday Princess

 Decorating their own cake.

 Jenga by the fire after a late night swim.

 Ice Cream Sundaes and Shakes

 The Sleep Tent

Breakfast Cereal Bar

To Reid- Thanks for bringing such laughter to our family and being a wonderful loving son. 

To Tatum- Thanks for giving us so much joy and helping us to see life in a whole new way. 

To you both- you are loved more than you will ever know.  We are thankful that we were given the opportunity to be your family.

Celebrating!!

This past weekend we celebrated two of our children.  Our son Turner graduated from college and we could not be prouder.  We are proud of his accomplishment but, also of the man he has become.  He has always been a young man of adventure, with a free spirit.  He is loving, kind, passionate, and  hardworking.  God has given him many gifts and we know that God has a great purpose for Turner.  So, congrats "T", we are so proud and love you greatly!!

Our daughter Briley had her first baby shower, hosted by some of her closest friends.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful shower.  Briley is due in October, the same month in which she was born.  It seems like yesterday that I was eight months pregnant with her, now she carries her own little girl.  We are looking forward to the arrival of our little Bess Mary.  I know she will be just as precious as her mother.  We will continue to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Bess.  Congrats Briley and Matt you are going to be amazing parents!

Yikes, Little Girls with Big Question

It is the one question most adoptive parents dread.  "Why did my mommy who carried me in her tummy, not keep me?"  That's how the question was asked this morning.  It was the usual Sunday morning, the girls laughing and singing together.  I told them how lucky they were to have each other and their older siblings.  Tatum quickly ask "Did my mommy carry me in her tummy like Briley is carrying Bess?"   With the excitement around our house of a new baby, our girls must be thinking about their births. We have always been open with Tatum when she ask questions about whether are not she grew in my tummy.  I knew we were working up to "the question" one day.   I have read everything I've come across and everything given to me about adoption.  I knew one day our girls would ask but, how do you truly prepare to answer such an important question from your child.  I didn't really expect it so soon.  I think I expected that the question would come from Kenley. Being adopted at an older age, her knowledge of where she came from is obviously greater than Tatum's.   I have listened to Kenley as she has told me about her life in China.  At this point I feel she had not been told anything about her birth parents or how she came to live at "The House" (as she calls it).  The way  I look at it our girls are lucky to have two sets of parents, one that loved them so much that they gave them life and loved them so much they allowed them to be adopted so  they could be given a better life.  Then the one who loved them before they knew them and wanted them so badly that they traveled half way around the world to bring them in to their family.  Without a doubt I know that the girls were born to be our children, born to be a part of our family.  This was without a doubt God's plan.   My prayer is that they will be secure in the love that comes from their family, that they will be strong women who love Christ and that they will  live out their lives for Him.  I have prayed for the girls birth parents before, cried for them that they will know their daughters are safe, loved and cherished.  Kenley's question today was a reminder for me to pray again and to continue.

Oh How I Love You

Matt and Briley gave Barry and I a photo shoot for Christmas, they wanted to have new pics with their new sister.  A few weeks ago we set out to a beautiful pasture with our precious photographer Britney Smith.  Briley sent me a few teaser pictures today.  Oh how I love these people, each one so special, each one so different, each one so uniquely made.  God has blessed my life with a family so amazing, so special, and as I look as these pictures I can't stop smiling.  Oh How I Love You, ALL OF YOU.

Back To School Bash

We celebrated being back in school at the Back to School Bash!  Fun night!

A New School Year Begins

They had to have the "posed" picture

Kenley

Tatum

Ready to get busy

First day of first grade was an exciting day.  The girls have the same teacher this year and they are both very excited about being together.  Right now they are sitting next to each other in class, this may not last :).  They love each other so much.  It amazes me, not that they love each other but, that the love came so quickly and it is so real.
It has been 7 months since we brought Kenley home.  It seems like she has been with us always, yet the time together seems so short.  She is such a fit for our family, her siblings are in love with her and she loves having a family.  She has come so far.  Her English is improving.  She understands most things unless it is something she has never heard in English. She did call a carrot at dinner a rabbit, then laughed at herself.  She is growing in strength and understanding.  She has a great personality and she is a little mischievous.  With her English improving, she has begun to talk about her life in China.  We are thankful God brought Kenley to us.  What a true miracle, His will for our family and His power can not be denied. 

Kenley's Baptism

Kenley recently was baptised during our Sunday worship service.  It was a special day for our family.  A special day of being together and celebrating not only Kenley's being a part of our family but, a day of celebrating our publicly giving Kenley to our Lord.  We have prayed for Kenley before we even knew who she was or what her name would be.  The moment we knew she was ours we gave her to God, she is His child that we have been given the honor of parenting.  Thank you God for children, for the children you have blessed us with, and for Kenley.

God's Heart: Adoption

I Don't Know Circus

We planned a family trip to the Circus this past weekend.  As we talked about going to the Circus, Kenley said I don't know Circus. 

Kenley's new saying is I don't know_____.  It is great to hear her express what she doesn't know or what she hasn't experienced.  We did our best to explain to her what she might expect to see at the Circus.  It was a great time not only watching the Circus but, watching Kenley too.  To watch her jaw drop, to hear her say how did they do that and to see her laugh with excitement over a new experience was a special thing. 

It seems like Kenley has been with us for so long but it really has only been a few short months.  We look forward to all the great first for Kenley and to help her know______.  Know whatever it is she doesn't know.

The Backyard My New Favorite Room

My favorite room in the house right now, is not exactly in the house.  My favorite room is just out the back door.   At different times there are places I enjoy more in our home.  The past few months it has been the backyard. It is my new favorite room. Our family has always enjoyed the outdoors whether it be at a ballgame, working in the yard or playing in the yard.  So, it is no surprise that the backyard would be the place I find myself most these days, with the people I love most.