Ethiopia Bound and Back Home

Waiting Children in Rwanda

2009-07-13T21:19:00.016-05:00

I have gotten a great response from the news stories that aired regarding our nonprofit Ordinary Hero. I am very excited about the people who want to jump on board to help children in need. I am putting together outreach projects at the moment in between designing my nonprofit website(1st time I've ever done this), advocating for children and more children, carting my own 7 children around for the summer and chasing down my dog, literally every day from the neighbors because he has turned into such a scaredy nerd from the 4th of July fireworks and still hasn't gotten over it and just keeps running off. I can't complain though. I love it all even if it is a lot of work.

I am VERY excited about introducing the new WAITING CHILDREN FROM RWANDA.
These kids are so precious. There are the two sisters, above and the two pics below. There are two individual girls below them. There are two individual boys below them. Next there is a sibling group of 5, yes I said 5, and they are AWESOME! They include a set of adorable twin boys, a girl who is the oldest and a two year old baby brother. Then there is a set of boy/ girl siblings. There is also a boy from Bulgaria which is the next country I am introducing in the next day or so. I have three or 4 kids from there.

We need to rally together here people!! Spreading the word is how these kids are getting adopted....that and prayer. So start praying and start sending people to www.ordinaryhero.org to check out these new little ones that are waiting for their Ordinary Hero to arrive and bring them home. You can read their bios on the site. I seriously believe that all of us together combining our faith and our address book will find these kiddos forever families. I have seen it happen too many times.

I need a base of people to stand with me and I thank all of you who have already agreed to stand with us in our advocating efforts. Yall are awesome!! I can't wait to share the good news of who is getting adopted. And don't forget the last list of kiddos from Ethiopia. Make sure to check them out and pray over the ones who are not chosen yet.

I have a button you can add to your blog that directs people to our OH site coming soon from a sweet blog friend offering her services. Can't wait!!

Now you can go to Ordinaryhero.org and check out these kiddos.

And if you haven't really felt the call to adopt yet don't feel guilty. Everything is in God's timing. But I must say you have to watch my sister's Gotcha Day video. It certainly will at least put a lump in your throat, and grab your tissues for you softies out there. This is what the miracle of adoption looks like.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Fox News Story...Part 2

2009-07-10T06:37:00.003-05:00

Fox finished up their story on the homeless and Ordinary Hero with their Part 2 piece last night. I thought Stacy Case did such a fabulous job of reporting and putting the piece together. For those who were unable to watch you can check it out by CLICKING HERE.

We can all be an Ordinary Hero to someone.

OH News....I have pics of some new waiting children I am working on right now. I will have them up on my OrdinaryHero site soon.

Also hop over to the OH Blog for some exciting news. Whoo Hoo!!

So excited to see how God leads these kids home.

Our Nonprofit...officially launched

2009-07-08T22:01:00.005-05:00

I am excited to say that our nonprofit Ordinary Hero is up and running. Many thanks go out to Stacy Case with Fox News for airing a two part piece on it starting tonight. You may watch the news story that aired tonight by CLICKING HERE. I thought she did a great job. For those of you local...stay tuned to tomorrow nights story. Otherwise I will post it on the blog tomorrow night.

Please visit our site at www.ordinaryhero.org . I am thrilled to say that all of the children on the waiting child list I posted before have people inquiring about them thanks to this blog. I am also proud to introduce you to new waiting children. Visit the OH site to view more. We are very excited about opening eyes to the need in this world and showing everyone that they can make a difference in a child's life in some way. Anyone can be an Ordinary Hero.

Also check out our OH Blog. I need followers for all of you mighty adoption advocates out there. Let's make a difference together. Let's speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Family Adventures

2009-07-05T18:52:00.061-05:00

Here I am again getting caught up on the latest happenings around here. If you arrived to view the waiting children then scroll down to my posts below. I am taking a break from the "make you want to cry" posts and just showing you everyday moments and how much a family can be blessed by adoption....and not just ours but this community is growing in the spirit of adoption. It is exciting to watch.

Yesterday was the 4th of July and my son came in literally at 6 in the morn and woke us up saying he wanted to run a 5k race that morning. He had such determination that I managed to shake the sleepy off of me and we raced down to the start line and signed him up real quick for the 5k. Of course, we arrived 10 min before it started....perfect timing, I'd say.

He did awesome to just up and run a race on the fly. He was one of the youngest runners.

I'm proud of Collin...he is our go getter. He also got a cool tshirt to wear around.
We made our way down to the park and met up with my family for the 4th of July festivities. We were greeted by some rain which my sisters, below, are demonstrating.

I love the 4th. All my sisters and their kids and some friends, and this year, my grandparents all get together and picnic and watch the fireworks.
There is always some fun dancing going on. Above, Nathan had some kind of robot move he was proud of.
Below, is William posing for a pic with his great grandparents. So glad they were able to come join us.

Below, is Baby Macy. For those of you who have followed my blog you know about the "Macy story". She is the little angel I found....or, who found me....and I was able to connect her to this precious family for adoption. What an angel she is....and look how big she is getting.
Below is Nathan posing for a pic with mom and dad for his 1st 4th of July ever. Boy, are we grateful for America and the freedom and blessings that it brings.
You see Collin...the teenager...was trying to relax...maybe still worn out from that 5k...when the cousins wouldn't have it.
Such fun having little cousins:)

It came time for the fireworks display and Nathan loved it. He was so sweet watching it. He was amazed.

Morgan graced us with her presence for about 10 minutes when she tore away from her friends to come say hello. What a sweet child.
Our friends, below had these cool ear muffs for their daughter which I thought was a great idea. Sure beats the holding of the ears and screaming because of the noise. How funny.
Last pic of the night is me and my sis with our two Ethiopian cuties. It amazes me that this time last year neither one of us had them yet ....we were still dreaming. Now in one year we both get to celebrate this year with our extra blessings from the same country. Our sister, Kasey is next to head to ET for her newest addition.
I decided to take the three younger ones to the park to feed the birds. Nathan had never done that so I thought it would be a sweet experience for him.
We got some McD's and found a spot by the big tree and had a picnic. We then found the ducks and the kids enjoyed throwing the bread out to them.

All that sounds sweet, right? Then the older of the three pack decides to start a fun game of "torture the birds". Throw the food down and wait for them to all get situated as they eat their bread crumbs....how sweet......then run at them as fast as you can and watch them all fly up in your face.

Oh, and did I mention that William broke his arm a couple of days ago? That is what playing tug of war over the door with big brother will do for you....William lost. You can tell, below, that it is really bothering him.

"I want to play 'torture the birds' ", says Nathan, as he joins right in.
Well we can't leave little R out of the game. How nice of the boys to include her in their fun game and teach her a little something.

There is just something freeing to be out in the open at the beautiful park away from all the cares that this world sometimes brings with it....isn't there?
It was a beautiful day to break away.
Below, we have the "cool dude" pose for the day.
Next we have our "dramatic pose" for the day. Nathan appears worn out from the bird chasing while William is demonstrating his "Back off birds" look.
A few days ago I took the boy pack plus a couple of extras to the Wave Pool for the day.
Nathan had never been here before and he takes off toward the bigger slide, not the baby slide, which ends in a pool of water. He said he was sure he wanted to do it, but he had no idea what to expect. He has "just" mastered his swimming and is doing great but I didn't think he would be ready to tackle a slide just yet.

Well you can see the look of concern on his face as he gets to the bottom.
Well, he hits bottom and swims to the side and gets out with a great big grin on his face and says, "I'm doing it again, that was awesome." He is one little guy who loves adventure.
Uh, do you think that William knew I had my camera?

The older boys head straight to the slides that leave your stomach at the top and give you a great big wedgie. They love that for some reason. Collin is demonstrating how much fun this scary slide can be.

Next, Cam has his turn at it.
Of course, he can't just go down the great, big , scary slide.....he has to get some air right in the middle of it for that added boost. He is our adventurist.

Nathan loved his first trip to the wave pool.
He even helps his long haired brother out.
I next wanted to post a couple of pics of Father's Day. The kids made Shane cards and this was our time to present him with them. I have to say that our room looks like this at all times. All the kids seem to think our bed is the most comfortable and all pile in at any given time. Our room pretty much stays in a sad state of order, I must admit.
How cute was this card that Nathan made for Shane. At the bottom it just says "your welcome". Maybe Shane has said "Thank you" quite a bit or something.

Morgan is our humorous child. She and her dad can crack each other up in a flat second. I think she got him with her card.

Of course she never misses a chance to pose for a photo op either.

Everyone had their turn giving Dad their cards which he loved. Those are always the best presents.

We later went to my sister's house to celebrate Father's Day and my whole fam disappeared while I was busy gabbing with my sisters. I found them all up in the game room cracking up over a game of "Catch Phrase". I won't say which son it was but he is old enough that he might not live this one down..... the question was "part man, part fish".......his answer......"Catfish".

Bless his heart....maybe he'll go into sports.

Hope you had a great Father's Day, family outings, fourth of July and everything else, yourself.

Goodbye for Now, Ethiopia

2009-06-30T09:55:00.043-05:00

Our final day in Ethiopia was kind of bittersweet. We were both ready to see our families and yet I was trying to take in everything around me, not knowing when I would be back. This world compared to America....well, there is no comparison and yet these people only dream of America and what it could possibly be like.
My sister took Lucy into her old room to say one last goodbye to her special mothers. IT WAS SO SAD. Seriously, I hate goodbyes more than anything. These mommas loved this little girl. I didn't think the one below was ever going to give her back. You can only imagine how they become bonded to these children. They tend to their every need and and love on them as if they are their own for months. Then that day comes when they have to say goodbye to that sweet face, knowing that they will probably never see her again. How do you say goodbye like that? Well, they do it quite often and I'm sure it never gets any easier.

Out in the courtyard on our way out the gates for that last time we find the children playing as usual. I am trying to take in everything that I am getting ready to leave behind. I am reminded again what a miracle in itself it is that these children were set apart. They not only have a future and a hope but most of them also had a family member, whether it be mom, dad, grandmother, uncle, aunt, who took that giant leap of faith to release that child into the custody of the unknown all in hopes that the child can live a better life....a life that even they themselves have never known but only dreamed about. It is a sacrifice that includes the one thing that I mentioned that is so painful to watch.....Goodbyes.

While on this trip I not only witnessed the love that my own son's birthmom had for him but I sat and watched the birthfamily, many of them mothers, of some of those within my sister's travel group come in to say their last goodbyes to that precious gift they have so selflessly handed over. I watched as they grabbed that sweet, little face in their hands and gave that one last kiss goodbye and then turned and walked toward the gates wiping their tears away. They opened the gate and walked out for many of them....forever, knowing the reality that they might never see that child again. I can't imagine what the walk home must have been like.

These are just a few glimpses of those gifts that were left behind...only to be moved forward into destiny. Each child is a gift from God.

The little girl below, as she peered through the front gate of the orphanage to try to get a peek on the other side, reminded me of a picture of this world. This little girl has been chosen. She has a family waiting on her, a destiny, and a future. For whatever reason in God's eyes her time is now. But on the outside of those gates is a world of struggle, of want, of hopelessness, and for many, death. It is a world that many of us can't even imagine in our wildest dreams, yet God loves them all. They are all His children, and you have some, like this little girl, who has been set apart and yet some don't have anyone who has taken the steps necessary to make sure they have a better life. That is when God relys on His chosen ones to remind them that God loves them and that they have a future and a hope.
So what lay on the other side of that gate? .....let me show you. It is a world of struggle, yes.....but more than that I see beautiful precious lives that God created and just need someone to give them a glimmer of hope.

Danny, below with my sister, has become kind of known to all the travel groups. Guaranteed if you travel to HH then you will meet Danny. He is a boy who lives across from the hotel and he longs with everything in his being to go to America one day. It is his dream. So when he sees the Americans he walks with you and talks with you, in pretty good English I might add. He talks of how he wants to go to America one day and study. It is his opportunity to get as close to his dream as he can when he sees the Americans arrive. I think at one point he even pretended he was part of the group. We went on a tour and I looked up and there was Danny right in the middle of everyone just chatting away. Everyone knows him and lets him tag along.

I found these buddies below just walking down the street together on their way to obviously go play some soccer. Do they get any cuter than this?

There is no Wal Mart. There are small make shift stands to get your basic needs. I watched each morning at the hotel as a young boy came in carrying what looked like a plastic sack of nothing but individual eggs. The brown fresh eggs that I'm sure he just removed from the chicken. That is how it works there. If you need something you go to the source to get it.

These were three cuties that greeted me in the streets each day. They came to know that I had treats to pass out every time I walked by. They became by new bff's.
You often see herds of sheep and goats at any random place. I guess when they don't have a sitter they just load up the whole goat herd and head out for the day.

I also spotted this cow resting in the road. I'm wondering if the woman in the background is looking for him or calling him in for dinner or what?

The street people, especially the children break my heart more than anything. This is the life that our adopted children were spared from. I am reminded each day I am there that these kids are no different than our own. This little boy below, running with all his might to get some crackers I had in my hand, is no different and has no less of a purpose in this world than my own son that I brought home from this country. God, help this little boy find his place in this world.
I'm guessing that these families live in the metal shacks around the corner. What does it take for a momma to walk up to a total stranger and beg for food for her little ones. What a picture this is....it is literally right on the other side of the gate that the little girl is trying to peer through. This is the reality that she is leaving behind when her forever family arrives to take her to her new life.

You can notice the crackers in all of their hands.
Just look at how beautiful all these children are.
God, help these mommas find food for their little ones.

Below is the life that the above children live in . They have no running water, no electricity, no plumbing. There are no luxurys, only hard work. You see a mom washing her clothes while her children play around her.
Below is the entrance to one of the tin shacks. I would see the children coming and going. Behind the tin entrance you see one of their homes built of sticks and mud. You also notice all of the little children's clothes hanging on the line.

These are boys that live in the tin shacks as well. They have set up some sort of vegetable stand out of one of them to try to bring in some income I'm sure. The little boy in the distance is the one that broke my heart. As I started passing out goodies to the boys he started crying and tried to make his way to me but fell down. That is when I noticed his feet turned inward and he couldn't walk properly. He did not want to be left out and was trying with all his might to make his way toward me so I just walked over to him.

As I approached him, he got a glimmer of hope in his eye. The closer I got the more my heart ached for him. He couldn't have been more than three or four years old. He was dirty. Who knows when the last time he had had a bath. He had a handicap. He had one shoe missing and a sock with a big hole in it with his toes sticking through. He had no one but his brothers watching him I'm guessing and he lived in the big dark hole behind him.
And yet.....Look how precious he is. Oh, it hurts me!!

So, now that we have seen a glimpse of what is on the other side of the gate, let us not forget those on the inside that still need families.

Here is one last glimpse of the waiting children at HH that still "peer through the gate" so to speak, to the other side wondering who is out there to come rescue them. Many thanks go out to those of you who have inquired about these children. My prayers are with those of you whom the Lord chooses to place these kids with. He knows who you are and these children will be forever blessed.

If you feel led to inquire of these waiting children see my post below for more info. I can't wait to post that they have all been adopted. That post is coming soon.....I just know it.

And when it is all said and done, and this amazing trip comes to a close.....

THE BELOW PICTURE SAYS IT ALL.........Thank you, Lord.

Waiting Children

2009-06-28T00:19:00.013-05:00

While in Ethiopia at the orphanage I was so taken by the waiting children. I just can't stand the thought that there are precious, smiling, joyous children who have a destiny and a future that lay before them and they just can't reach it yet because they have not been chosen into a family. I can't imagine what it is like for the children who are old enough to know what it is like to wait.

I guess why my heart is stirred so much in this direction is because my son was an older waiting child. He sat in his orphanage for two years waiting to be chosen. I now know that it was God holding him for us but at the same time I can't imagine what it was like for him. He has told us the stories of being scared and crying himself to sleep at night. And let me tell you.....when we showed up to finally pick up our 4 yr old, he was ready and waiting. They said he had asked all day when his mommy and daddy was going to be there. He came right to our arms and not one time ever looked back. He knew he was finally where he was supposed to be and he was surrounded by love to prove it. It is what these kids dream of and it is called FAMILY. They dream of a world they have never seen and opportunities they have only been able to imagine.....and then it finally comes true for them, or at least some of them.

My heart breaks for these kids and I know that it is only a matter of time before they are brought into families. God has been preparing a place for them and the time is drawing near. Besides that, they are just so stinkin cute I can't stand it.

Let me introduce them to you...kinda. I can't post their pics in order to protect them so I have come up with some glimpses for you to take a peek.

The above pic and the couple of pics below are of two of the most precious brothers. I am so glad I got to meet these kids first hand and experience their little personalities and that goes for all of them. These two are the approximate ages of 3 and 7, maybe a bit older. Their mother died from HIV/Aids in 2006 and the father is dying from HIV now. The older boy is in 3rd grade and loves school. My experience with these two is that they both have very sweet spirits. They stick out because of their smiles and the way they seemed to enjoy the other kids and play together. The younger one was always in the middle of what ever we were doing and loved me taking his picture. The older one seemed to look after the younger brother as well as interact with the other younger children kind of like he was watching over them. He was very sweet. They both have the best, biggest smiles ever with great big soft curls all over their heads. They seem to love each other and be very close. I can only imagine what they have had to endure in their short years with losing their mother and then watching their father take on the same illness when they know the end result. They are then put in the orphanage because their father knows he is going to die and wants his children to have a chance in life. Both children have been tested and are HIV negative. I got some of the cutest pics of them. I had them cracking up with my bodily function sound effects. It doesn't matter what language you speak....every kid knows that sound. It works like a charm every time. I can't say enough about them.....they were simply precious and are going to be such blessings to some family out there.
To inquire about them, their # on the site is B060.

The next waiting children I'd like to introduce you to are a set of sibling girls. OMG these girls are just absolutely precious to the core!!! Seriously, I have not been able to quit thinking about them. They are the approximate ages of 12 and 6. They are absolute beauty queens and have the sweetest spirits to match. I was so saddened by their story. They do not live at the orphanage yet. They still live with their mother who is dying of AIDS and I don't think has much time left. Their mother made a special trip to the orphanage with her darling girls just so that I could take some pictures of them to come back and advocate. She said her biggest fear is that her girls are going to be left with no one. She desperately wants the peace of knowing that her girls have loving, christian homes before she dies. Their names even have special meanings that the mother deliberately chose for them to have significance in accordance to her faith. As I knew their story, it was so sad to watch this mother as she smiled and gazed at her daughters who were kicking around the soccer ball for me to take their pictures. You could just tell how much she loves them and is proud of them. I can't imagine what these two have seen in their lifetime as well. They knew that Mom got them all dressed up in their best and made that long walk with them to the orphanage to then have their pictures taken. I just wonder what they talked about on the walk there and then on the walk home. It just has to be so surreal for them all, while knowing the fate that lay before all of them and then all of the uncertainty that comes with it.

These two are healthy young girls. The older sibling has what is called hip dysplasia where one leg is shorter than the other and she walks with a slight limp. I just stared at that leg that didn't meet up with the other and soooo badly wanted to just add an extra heal to her shoe or something and then let her experience walking normal for the first time. I can't wait for her to experience that. It seems to be something that could be so easily fixed once in America. She still got out there and had no problems kicking the soccer ball and running around after it. It was amazing. She is also said to love to read and draw in the 8th grade and the younger is in 1st grade and knows her English abc's. They have both tested negative to HIV/AIDS. All I can say is these beautiful girls are sweet, sweet, sweet...inside and out. They will be an answer to prayer for some family out there AND YOU WILL BE AN ANSWER FOR THEM.
To inquire about them their number on the site is B054.

These next two brothers are the sweetest things....and cutest little boys ever. Honestly, every time I looked at them...especially the older one, they just always were smiling at me. VERY sweet, mild spirits and they seemed very close to one another. They are said to be around the approximate age of 3 and 4 years old, maybe a bit older. Both boys are in school there in the orphanage and can say the Amharic and English alphabet. Sadly, both of their parents have passed away which makes them full fledged orphans, not half orphans. They were relinquished by their grandmother who could not care for them any longer. Oh, I can't even hardly stand looking at those little faces and knowing that they have no one in the world left for them.
I got some adorable pics of them. The younger one has the cutest, roundest little face...you just want to squeeze those cheeks, while the smile of the older one will melt your heart through and through. They are in perfect health. They loved playing with the soccer ball and swinging and all the things that boys love to do. They will be a priceless treasure to a family out there and that family will be one to them. I can't say enough about them...they are precious.
To inquire about them, thier # on the site is B063.

I will now introduce you to this next little guy. He is up for adoption by himself. He is anywhere from around 5-7 years old. I would guess on the older end. Both of his parents passed away when he was 4 years old. He has been cared for by his uncles who now can't care for him anymore due to the economic situation. He is in perfect health. He now lives at the orphanage while he waits to be chosen by a forever family. I just look at him and think that he is no different than my son who sat and waited by himself for his family to come along. I can't imagine what he has experienced with losing both of his parents. From what I gather it has seemed to make him strong in spirit and very loving and full of life. Some kids who have seen a lot in their short years have an inner strength about them. This little guy seems to have that.
He LOVED having his picture taken. Once he warmed up he never wanted to stop. He did every trick and every pose he could think of. He was adorable and quite funny and always had that smile on his face ready for me to snap away. He seems full of life and eager for a family to call his own. I just know he will fit perfectly in the family that God has picked out for him. Now it is just a matter of getting them together.
To inquire about this child on the site, his # is B059
To inquire about these children and read more CLICK HERE to go to the website. Then scroll down and click on 'Africa' and look for thier #'s.

To be able to see their pictures and to inquire about adopting any of these children contact
Mindy Anderson. Her email is manderson@allgodschildren.org or her # is 971.244.1474 to talk to her directly about them.

Let me know if you contact her and I can then send my pictures by email if interested.

I also encourage you to look at the other waiting children on the list that I did not have the priviledge of meeting. The director had a heartfelt story for each of them. They all need families.

And most importantly.....something we can all do.....PRAY FOR THESE CHILDREN.

Pray that their forever families will find them very soon and pray for their peace in the meantime. God will connect the dots as he always does.

An Emotional Day 2 in ET

2009-06-25T07:51:00.039-05:00

As if the first day wasn't emotional enough with me getting to witness and document my sister getting little Lucy Lane in her arms, my second day in ET was one I will never forget and one that was definitely set up by God.

I started my day by going to Hannah's Hope and passing out marshmallows to the kids. They loved them. They lined up and stuck out their little hands in excitement and gobbled them up....and then I spent about 10 minutes wiping off their hands and mouths.

I then just walked around and took pictures of all the adorable kiddos. You know, it is just hard to imagine that all these children are orphans and to think of what their life must have been like to get them to where they are.

But then as I walk I look at their little faces and then think of the destiny that lay before them and I am brought to tears. These children have been hand picked by God and brought to a place of hope. They will now have a chance at life and a future with endless possibilities because so many families have stepped up and said "yes" not only to them but the generations after them.

It is truly unbelievable to witness.

I got a sneak peak at this little cutie :)
It is the cutest thing ever to see all these little toddlers lined up taking a potty break. They sit and chat and hang till their business is done. I wonder what they talk about :)
The little one below stole all our hearts. He was such a ham....or should I say a stud. He found his girl and made it clear that she was taken......so darn cute.

I can't say enough about these special mothers. They not only shower them with love but they work their tails off making sure that every need is met for these little ones. They have a great schedule for the children and the children know it like clockwork.

Below you will find that Lucy Lane loved her special mom.

After I got to play with the kiddos a bit my friend, Ruth, arranged a driver and came to pick me up for one of the most important meetings of my life. Everything had miraculously worked out and had fallen into place for me to meet Nathan's birthmom and sister.

But first Ruth invited me to her house for dinner. I can't say enough about Ruth and what a blessing she is every time I am in ET. I would never have been able to accomplish this day without her.
Below, you will find what they do before dinner. She walked up to me first while I was sitting on the couch and stuck out the basin and I didn't know what to do with it. They just laughed and then our driver so graciously showed me what it was for. Of course...duh....they wash up before dinner. Who needs a bathroom?
Grandmother fixed us a wonderful, authentic Ethiopian meal of injera and then threw in spaghetti with meatballs and homemade fries. I think that was special for me as an American.
Grandmother's sister then lit up the coffee ceremony for me while she enjoyed looking through Nathan's photo album. They met him in September and were thrilled to see all of the adventures he has had since then and how much he has grown.

Grandmother made sure that the driver pulled his car all the way into her courtyard, and made sure he came in and ate and then went out to have a little chat afterwards. Can I say she is such a loving Grandmother. This culture bleeds love.
It was then time to leave and head to Nathan's orphanage. My nerves were on edge to say the least. On the way there I was humbled again as we drove through an extremely poverty stricken area to get there. This was the only area that I saw these homemade buggys in.

We arrived to the orphanage and pulled up to those gates where I had last stood with my son in my arms for that farewell picture. It was very surreal to stand outside that gate and listen to the children's voices on the other side.

The gate opened and I was greeted with lots of little smiling faces....two of which were Nathan's little buddies, the two brothers that I had sent an email out about needing homes. I can excitedly say that the director told me that all children in that orphanage have been placed and are waiting for their families to come get them. It was so great to see those familiar little faces again and they loved me calling them by name the second I walked in. Even the director was shocked. I told him that my son has not quit talking about them....so of course I know who they are.

I then walked in and found a woman sitting alone in the corner. I sat across the room until the director confirmed it was Nathan's birthmom. We then both got up and gave some emotional hugs.

She is mostly deaf and communicated a lot with her hands. I handed her the album and it was the saddest thing I'd ever seen as I sat and watched such love pour out of this woman for her son. She immediately started crying and hugging the album and kissing the pictures as if he was standing right in front of her. Of course I start sobbing watching it all and am overcome with the realization of what a true sacrafice of love it was for her to put her only son up for adoption only because she wanted more for him than what she could provide. It is true love to the core.
She especially loved the picture of him in his cap and gown for pre k graduation. When she got to that picture she just stopped and stood up and gave me a long hug and cried. Education is every African's dream. It means everything.

About 20 minutes later his sister who had walked there from school entered. She is around 13 years old. She is the sweetest child. She walked in, gave me a hug and then the mother immediately handed her the album and motioned for her to look at it. She glanced down at the first picture and buried her head in her arm and started sobbing. It took her a good 5 minutes to get her composure while excepting hugs from me. This little girl loves her brother. I can only imagine how it must have been for her. She is so much older than him that I can imagine her carting him around when he was a baby. With mom's hearing disability I'm sure that his sister was the one who heard him cry at night and cared for him just as much. They put him in the orphanage when he was 3 years old when the mother finally realized that she did not make enough to provide for all of their needs.

After we spent a good deal of time talking and answering each other's questions, I told them I had saved a picture of Nathan to give to his best buddy. So they called him in there and he sat in my lap and let me love on him a bit and I then gave him a picture of Nathan to keep.

I then went outside and passed out candy to all the kids who were so thankful. They all bowed their heads in gratitude when I handed them their candy.

This little one was the first child to crawl in my lap while I was there in Sept and was the first to throw those little hands up wanting to be held again this time as well. Lord, help me not bring them all home!! All these kids want in the whole world is love.

I then look up and see the most precious site ever. Nathan's sister had taken the album that I gave her outside and the kids had gathered around to look at the new life of their friend who left them many months ago.
You can only imagine how they dream of such a life and for their turn to come. The below picture is them looking at Nathan playing in the snow.
It was then time to say our Goodbyes. These two stole my heart and gave me such a better understanding of my son and his life before he came to us. Their love for him was evident and their thankfulness not only to me but to God for the life that was granted to their son went without needing words. It doesn't matter if you speak another language or no language at all....Love has a language all its own.
I spent the next two days tearing up every time I thought of this amazing meeting. I lost sleep over it and still need prayer over how to take it all in and decide what is the best way for our family to help them. I am so grateful that God orchestrated this meeting as only He could do. Now I welcome your prayers as to what God's plan is concerning the sister.

Lord Guide US!! Lord, Watch Over These Two....Lord Go Before Us All And Pave The Way....
I will talk about the waiting children in tomorrows post....those who I have come home to advocate for and find families for. They are precious and deserve a family.

Gotcha!!!

2009-06-23T12:38:00.032-05:00

Just getting the pics ready to post from our trip. I know I have given glimpses of Gotcha Day but I thought I would post a play by play of my sister getting her sweet Lucy Lane. I am in tears just looking at it all again. What an amazing, sweet reunion of two people who have waited so long to meet. Adoption is such a miracle.
Kristi was very excited as you can tell.....only moments away from meeting her sweet girl she has dreamed about.
I am trailing behind trying to shoot still shots and video all at the same time...one in both hands.
And I will let the pictures do the talking from here. Let these pictures remind us all of how our Father in heaven anxiously awaits his children to turn their hearts to him. He takes that which has been lost in His arms and loves us unconditionally. We are then made whole and complete and adopted into the family of God which fills that void in our lives. We are all adopted children of God and loved with an everlasting love which is no different than the love demonstrated below.

Enjoy this video on Gotcha Day.

Why My Hubby is the Best Dad in the World....Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T05:28:00.025-05:00

What is the best thing a father can do for his children?
Answer: Love their mother

He is raising 4 men of God to grow up and be his example of a Christ follower and loving father who gives so much of himself without wanting anything in return.

He not only loves his own but he loves those who cross his path. He loves his neighbor and gives our children the best example of it by his actions not just his words.

He is talented and blessed behind the keyboard which so often gets put on hold while he juggles his family and the time to spend with both. God has truly given him a gift.

He brings out our children's gifts and passions with his encouragement and support.
The kids love their lounge time with Dad.

He puts God first which makes him the best father and example he can be for his children.
He gives of himself sacrificially for his children and their enjoyment.

Ouch...above, for the good of the game and below, for the sake of the call to ET.

He's a kid at heart who always takes time to create memories for his children....

and tickles....and a sneak

He loves his daughters who are his joy. They have a 'Daddy' in every sense of the word who loves them with everything he has.

He teaches our children how to serve by his example as he takes the opportunities set before him to do so.
The kids always like to pile up on Dad. He's kinda like their pillow.

He supports everything the kids do.

And he supports everything I get him involved in and every crazy idea I have....which can be a lot at times with my crazy life.
God hand picked him as the father of my children and I could not be more thankful as I could not do what I do, nor be who I am without him. Our children are blessed because of him.

Happy Father's Day!!

Back From Ethiopia

2009-06-19T12:29:00.019-05:00

As I sit here in the DC airport waiting on our flight back to Nashville, words cannot describe the miracles that took place on this trip. We welcomed our little Lucy Lane to our fam. What a love I witnessed between one little girl waiting for a momma and one momma ready to love on that little girl. She is just an angel. She laughs all the time. She never gave us an ounce of trouble, not even on the 15 hours of plane rides. Those two just love on each other and Lucy loves Kristi like she has known her forever. Wow! What a perfect match the Lord worked out for her family.....for both of them.

Kristi was so excited walking into Hannah's Hope as you can imagine, while awaiting that glorious meeting with her new love.

This was the sweetest meeting of two people who had long awaited one another that I had ever seen. We just all cried...except for Lucy....she was all smiles. What a precious site it was.

I took hundreds of pics of the orphans at Hannah's Hope but I have to be careful not to show any of them online. I will go through and better pick some photos when I have time. For now, I will post a few from the trip. This orphanage was truly amazing. I speak from experience and having adopted before . My son came from another orphanage and there is just no comparison. I was so blown away by the love that these special mothers just pour on these little ones. For those of you still waiting on your children from this orphanage let me tell you that they are being well taken care of. And I cannot say enough about the director. This place shines with the excellence and love that she pours into it on a daily basis.

Of course the sites on the streets and in the lives of these precious people are just heartbreaking. It is very humbling and such a good reminder of how very blessed we all are in the US.

The pic below was of a fam that came up to me begging. You will notice the packs of crackers in their hands. I always have those on deck to pass out to the beggers.

The little guy below saw me passing out the crackers and didn't want to be left out so he came running with all his might, bless his heart. Of course I loaded him up.

Below, you will see that we took a tour of the Fistula Hospital. I wasn't allowed to take pics inside but this place was just amazing. They treat hundreds of women who have been shunned from their families due to having problems as a result of labor gone bad and other more traumatic details which leaves their bodies with an odor and brokeness in not only their body but their spirit. This place treats them for free and brings them back to normal and even gives them a new dress to leave in as well as a new spirit. I was completely blown away by the number of women who were living here while being treated.

More pics of Krisit and Lucy bonding. It was an immediate connection.

Below is a pic of Lucy in her room, beside her bed at Hannah's Hope with one of her special mothers. By the time we left on our last day her little bed was already filled with another sweetie waiting on her family.

Literally right outside our back balcony window of the hotel room was a little village of people who lived in metal homemade homes and some other homes that were made of sticks and mud. I would watch them live their simple lives of washing clothes in the buckets and hanging them to dry, fixing fires, and carrying water. I heard laughing and saw two little girls kicking a deflated soccer ball around. They didn't seem to have a care in the world when in their reality they lived in what we would call a campsite. At one point they looked up and saw me and gathered several family members to come wave to me. As much as I loved watching them, I think it was a treat for them to stare at the white face. They were adorable.

I am still in awe of how the Lord worked everything out perfectly for this trip. I set out with a prayer in mind to maybe find my son's birthmom and as God's will would have it....I did. I still cannot think about it without tears swelling in my eyes. It truly was an experience that I will never forget. I was able to meet his deaf mother and his older sister. The image in my mind of those two crying as they looked through the pictures of Nathan, the way they hugged the album and kissed his pictures as tears flowed and they lifted their hands to the sky in thanks to God as they hugged my neck, is an experience that will forever stay in my mind and heart. It truly was heartbreaking as I watched the love pour out of them for this little boy that this mother so sacrificially gave up because she could not provide for him and she loved him enough to give him a life she knew she could never have, nor could provide.

My heart is heavy and we have a lot of praying to do concerning his sister. It is a tough situation with many obstacles....but God got me there and He will continue to give answers. These two forever blessed my soul.

Thank you for your prayers....my steps were truly guided as He went before me as well as my sister.

More stories to come. Just ready to get home at this point.

They've got her!!

2009-06-16T09:56:00.007-05:00

Hello Everyone!

It's Kelly's sister Karson... For those of you that didn't get enough of me during Kelly's first trip to Ethiopia- I'm back! :) And here to let you know Kelly and Kristi officially have Lucy Lane! Praise the Lord!

We just got the first email from Kelly and Kristi. They are having internet problems so Kelly was the only one able to get an email (and wonderful pictures!!) out.

"We are finally able to jump online for a sec. It is impossible here.

All I have to say is that...Will, I am so glad I got to come. You will have some great pics to remember all this by.

Lucy(Martha) is just going to be the next poster child for adoption. She is all smiles, soooo sweet, loving, loves her Momma from the moment they met. They are inseperable. She slept great last night. She is honestly just a dream. She sucks her thumb...so cute.

We have spent quite a bit of time at Hannah's Hope. This orphanage is unbelievable. It is run so well. The special mothers are in love with these children. They are so well taken care of. I am just blown away and humbled once again by the love that pours out of these children. They are so adorable. Of course I have taken many pictures to bring home and especially of the children still waiting for their forever homes.

Our hotel is just walking distance from the orphanage. Right outside our balcony is a small group of hut type homes made of sticks and mud. As I lay in my bed in the mornings listening to the (stupid) rooster crow(over and over) and think that I might be out of my comfort zone, I look right out the window and see women up at 6am hauling jugs of water into their mud huts. It is something everyone should experience only to remind us once more how very blessed we are.

Not much time to email....many more stories of this amazing adventure but they might have to wait till we return. I am trying to attach pictures for you...hope it works.

We love you all and can't wait to introduce you to Lucy Lane. Kristi threw that bow on her the first day and she turned into a true Johnson. "

Kelly and Kristi

Sad How Long It's Been...But I'm Back

2009-06-09T21:36:00.096-05:00

I am enlightening you with about 10 different blog posts all in one. This will give a better appreciation for why I have not blogged in like a month. I can't explain...well yes I can, I'm getting ready to...just how busy the month of May is for our family. We have all three boys birthdays in May and now, as if that weren't enough, we added Nathan's birthday to May as well so that he would not be the only boy without a May birthday. Then you add end of school stuff, end of sports stuff, parties, life, etc....well it did get the best of me when it came to blogging.

We will start with Williams Birthday. Collin started the month of May and then William is next on the birthday list. William has been our baby of the fam up until we adopted Nathan this past year. I can't believe my baby turned 9. He is getting so big. I also can't believe it has been almost 10 years since I have given birth...Wow, I'm gettin on up there.
With all of our craziness last year, William got the jip on his party. It just never came so this year we thought it would be fun to surprise him with a birthday party. Well, with the help of some friends, and judging by the look on his face in the above pic, let's just say we got him good.
We had a group of his small friends as well as his adult friends all come over to honor our William.
The way I do birthday parties is like I do everything else. Sadly , I throw it all together last minute. The kids don't know the difference and have a blast no matter if mom is running crazy or not. I ran out and bought the water fun stuff about 2 hours before the party and got home in time to set it up before the first guest arrived.
Grab a basketball cake that they have in stock and stick a Wolverine on top....Perfect! He loves both so why not a combo theme.

Lots of boys and water guns....who could ask for more?
Happy Birthday to our sweet William....we love you.

Next we wrap up Nathan's award winning soccer season. Seriously, it started getting embarrassing, he was scoring so many goals. He scored 13 goals in one game...not kidding. He will definitely be playing with the older boys next season. This was a great first season ever for him to be able to play on the same team with his cousin, Hal.
The above pic is pretty much what it looked like. He waited for an opportunity and then just took off and left everyone. Those Ethiopians are fast.

Dad above is giving some encouragement and also a little, "Take it easy on em, buddy."
He loved every minute of it. He is so anxious to learn everything he can and plays with everything he's got. It is so cute to watch. He also received his 1st trophy ever which he was very proud of.
We ended the season with all smiles, ready to take it on again in the fall.

We then move into Lauren's State Final Soccer Tournament. Her travel team went all the way to State Finals. They played great and came in as State finalists and not the Champs. That was bitter sweet because the fact that they did not win means that we don't have to travel to Texas...boo hoo (although I guess I could have dropped in on Emily A)

Lauren has been with this team since she was 8 years old. This was the last game she will play with this travel team ever. It was a great way to end the season and her travel soccer career. She does not want to play travel as a senior in the fall.
She has made some great friends and has an awesome coach who has taught her how to be an excellent goal keeper and stuck with her all the way up through this year when she up and decided she wanted to play the field.

Many thanks go out to Coach Ashley for all of her hard work and encouragement she has given Lauren over the years. We've all grown to love her.
Above, one final hoo rah!!
Kinda sad it's all over.....kinda :)

We then have Nathan's preschool graduation....which was so cute. He started Pre K in January and has just done fantastic. He is learning so fast and loves school.
He didn't even freak out when he had to stand on the stage and sing. His little friend, Malik, however kept telling his mom to cover her eyes and not look at him from the stage....too funny.

He is a big kindergartner now. Many thanks go out to his awesome teachers who were so great with working with him as he was learning his English and learning how this great big world in American preschool works.

Now we have Lauren's final get together with a girls club she is in through school. They had a night with dinner and parents and the girls got all dressed up in their white and the mandatory white gloves and were escorted by their date while an announcer talked of all the great things that they have done. It's every girls dream, isn't it? Well, maybe not the 'parents' part.
Lauren, with the two young men in her life.....I kinda like the one below, looking very handsome.

Next is my sister, Kristi's baby shower for Lucy Lane who she will be going to get from ET in just a few days.
Of course all of us sisters had to get a pic together.
I had just enough time to run to Kristi's shower that was hosted by her friend and just happened to be on the very same day that I had scheduled........
to host my friend, Kelly's baby shower at my house. Whoo! Lots of running.
I showed up to my house to find these lovely ladies already throwing it all together. I also changed after I saw the pic of me with my sis's and thought I looked fat, ha!
Look how beautiful they made everything look in my dining room.
Our friend, Kelly and Ken are going to China to pick up their daughter they have waited for for over 3 years. This was a shower way overdue and long awaited. We can't wait to meet little Addie Grace.
Clean up time with Shannon, Kelly's sis in law.

We next have Cam's 5th grade graduation. He is now an official middle schooler with his brother.
Doesn't the above pic just show you how ready he is for middle school?
I have to mention that Cam's Birthday was next right after Williams. He has yet to have a party. He wanted to do something this summer so I will post those pics later. Our Cam the Man is a big 12 year old now. He is one awesome kid...always the jokester and always smiling. He's got some awesome break dance moves as well as getting down on the base guitar.
We then have to show some of our Memorial Day fun at Ken and Kelly's house. They were gracious to host this year since I was about partied out.
We had some awesome volley ball going on....yes, even with us old folks...well I did just enjoy taking the pics on the side and laughing at everyone since I had a hurt foot.
Above Cam was showing us some moves. Below, this little cutie was all smiles.

We've got Kelly and Shelley laughing at ....well maybe my husband below. Are you serious? Was that call that important?

Happy Memorial Day everyone.

We then have Nathan's 1st birthday party ever. He loves to dress up in all the super hero costumes. How awesome that they had a new Wolverine costume that had come out. He thought he was the stuff.
So I did the same preparation....Ran to Lauren's tournament and then stopped on the way home to grab the stuff for Nathan's birthday party. The other boys threw up some decorations while I set up for the party.
My Wal Mart ready to go cake had some awesome black icing that I didn't realize just how awesome it was until kids started eating it.

Kids always love the teeth....you gotta have the teeth.

Lots of Nathan's buddies, cousins and friends came to his party.
He had his awesome Ethiopian friends there as well.
Several Weimer cuties in the bunch.

I thought this was perfect. You have a premade clown cake. You buy the Power Rangers kit and stick it on and there ya go. Who doesn't want clowns and Power Rangers on the same cake?
I could do without that icing though.
Introducing Addie Grace.

We went to a night of music to benefit our friends, the Johnson's, adoption from China. They are there right now and we are all seeing some of the first pics. She is just precious. WE are so happy for them.
This was an amazing night of music for a great cause. Some amazing artists came out to share their talent. Above is our friend, Bryan White.
There were also some stories of adoption that really moved you. I was privileged enough to be able to share as well.
Peter and Hope rocked the house with 'The Prayer'.
Jonathan Pierce about moved everyone to tears he was so awesome.

Tommy Sims, Jason Eskridge and more just really made the night special.

Kelly and Ken with their little Addie in the background.

Natalie Grant was amazing as usual.
We got to hear from our friend Gwen O who always touches people's hearts toward adoption.

Now, if you have made it to the end of this blog post then congrats. I wanted to share a special new addition to our family. Yes, she makes 7 children all under one roof right now. We are keeping little R as a type of foster care situation to help out her mom for a while until she is able to get on her feet. She is a precious little girl and seems to feel right at home with all of us. She has been in our lives for almost 3 years now before she came to live here and is very comfortable with our family.
She had a little game going with Shane so I grabbed the camera cause I thought it was cute how she bargains with him. He had been throwing her in the air and she wanted to do it over and over. He was telling her 'one more time and that is it. '
So he grabs her.... and up she goes....uh maybe too high. I need to remind him he hasn't had a little girl like that in many years....she is not a boy.
So then the game is over......
except for maybe....'Just one more time'.

I hope this all puts into perspective how lovely and exciting this month has been. June has started the same way. Lots of new things to blog about with our nonprofit. I have a little more tweaking to do on the site and then I will get the word out. There is even an exciting news story coming out about it....I will share more on that soon.

Oh, AND I leave in 3 days for Ethiopia to travel with my sister, Kristi, to get her baby. Can I just tell you how excited I am about it. They are nerds about leaving their kids so Will decided to stay which created the perfect spot for me. I REALLY hope to find Nathan's birthmom while I'm there. Our wild trip will start very soon and I can't wait to document all of it. We welcome your prayers.

Kris Allen

2009-05-23T18:32:00.002-05:00

I will be updating like mad again real soon. It's a crazy month. But I wanted to share this video of our newest American Idol singing 'God of this City'. It's so great to have a christian "Idol" .
Go to this url http://vimeo.com/4787116 or the link below.

Kris Allen Singing "God Of This City" {American Idol} from Rick Smith on Vimeo.

2009-05-18T10:58:00.004-05:00

I want everyone who is local to come out to this benefit concert this Thursday night. It is going to be an amazing evening of music with some very talented artists with a heart wrapped around adoption. This will help raise funds for the adoption of Addie Grace Johnson. She will be coming home soon after a long wait time of over 3 years for this family who happen to be some of our best friends. We have walked with Ken and Kelly for over three years as they have patiently waited for this adoption to come to fruition. We want to help spread the word and get many people to this benefit concert and make this night a huge blessing for their family. The music will be something you will not forget. You will be blessed.

For directions and information please visit www.bringaddiehome.com .

Hope to see you there :)

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!!!

2009-05-10T11:05:00.042-05:00

May is our month for all of the boy's birthdays. Collin has the first birthday of the month. My big boy has turned 13!! He is our oldest boy of the bunch. I now have 3 teens in the house....I can't believe it.

Below you will find my little love as a baby. We called him "Big boy" and still do today. Growing up in a home of all girls, I couldn't believe that I had a son.....then I just kept on having them and couldn't stop.
Collin is our organized child....likes everything in its place. His friend said he was going to give him a Tide stick for his birthday because he is such a clean freak. He has taken his compulsiveness and it has turned to his advantage on the guitar. Over the past year he has just really developed a talent on the guitar that just blows us away. He drew a crowd in the guitar store the other day because he was playing John Mayer so well. We are very proud of him...he is such a great kid.
Collin wanted he and his buddies to go to Beech Bend again this year to celebrate his birthday.
We took them last year before we got Nathan and you can go to that blog post and read the similarities.

When we arrived the big kids took off and hit the "big" rides. Nathan was not scared of any of them but quickly learned that he was too short to ride some of them. Below is Shane trying to make him feel better about having to wait for the next ride.

This was so cute as William immediately helped Nathan get settled on the big slide. What a good big brother. He had never been on such a big slide before. His face below says it all.

Nathan is still the star as you can tell by the way Collin is trying to take his picture with his phone. He loved the tilt a whirl....that thing makes me sick.
William and Nathan became buddies as the older kids rode their rides. William enjoyed showing him everything.

This mouse roller coaster seemed to be a hit.

Then they got on some ride that shoots you in the air and then drops. I have a feeling they were showing off for the camera a little.
Bumper Cars are always a big hit with everyone.

A random sighting....a duck in a pot.....sitting on a nest of eggs right in front of a roller coaster was a duck or goose (not sure). She would let all these people come up and peer at her not to mention the noise of the roller coaster. What duck would pick that place to lay eggs?

This water log ride was a favorite. You do end up wet in the end.

Yes, Nathan is in the middle. He loved it. He loved all the big rides.

Poor William got stuck on a ride by himself and looked terrified when it went down the big hill in the end.

But after a couple of rides he had it down.

Above you will see the spot that we told the kids to stand so we could get a cute "picture" of them. They failed to read the writing on the wall.
We got em good!!

It quickly became the place of choice for some good soaked fun.

We ended the day with some mini golf and then I noticed a trend of Ky sightings so I decided to get some funny pics. Beech Bend is in Bowling Green, Ky. I am from Ky so I can talk about it. Ky roots go deep and we are proud of it. The below pics will explain.

There seemed to be a hat trend going on as well. I think I would make a good paparazzi.
You can't get a true feel for Ky unless you get your picture as Dale. We love us some Dale :)

We had a great time at the park. All 7 boys were great and had a lot of fun.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy....We love you.

Playing Catch up

2009-05-10T08:52:00.044-05:00

As part of my Mother's Day present I have treated myself to sitting down and catching up on my blog. I have not had any time this past month to blog and I will explain why. Above is a pic of me and my three sisters. We had a fabulous day at the spa to celebrate our youngest sister, Karson, turning 30. I told them it is a time of mourning for us that we have now all reached our 30's and the 20's are officially gone for every one of us. Oh well....now we are all in our fabulous 30's, although I am the oldest so not for too much longer.
We also celebrated prom this month...you can see my post below on the whole day. She was beautiful....it was a lot of fun.
I'm sure this all made Morgan not be able to wait until her prom. I will be doing prom for the next three years in a row between the two girls....whoo!

We have had Rugby going on with Collin and Cam. They are on the same team so it has been a lot of fun to watch. I have to admit, I do not get this sport. They all wear these really short shorts and then get in some kind of huddle with their heads buried in the middle. They then all fight over the ball and tackle....with no padding.
I mean....does this look fun? Collin found himself on the bottom.
Above, the two brothers are ganging up to get the ball.

Collin has the ball and he is off!
These two boys are such cuties. They almost look like twins because they are the exact same size. Collin is 12 months older.
Cam is going for the touchdown.
Oops...guess that touchdown will have to wait.

Above, you will see little brother, Cam seems to have one up on big brother, Collin. He thought it was quite amusing.
Collin's favorite thing to do is to tackle anything that moves. He loves this sport. It's a boy's dream.
This seems to be the season for sports. Lauren has gotten into softball for the first time this year. She and a group of her friends just thought it would be fun to all get on the same team and see what happens....none of them have ever played.

So I go to her game to watch her play for the first time....
....she walks up to bat...we are cheering....
....she bats....and.....
HOMERUN!!......Not kidding.....We were floored!
Who knew? I guess when you are a natural athlete you just get it.....she doesn't get it from me.

I have a feeling that the best part for her is hanging and acting goofy with the friends.

Below, you will notice in the background she has her fan club.....her boyfriend....and her Dad :)

Soccer is still going on for Nathan. Above is a cute picture of the two cousins before N got his haircut. Nathan and Hal are on the same team. It has been great for Nathan.
He has turned into the biggest ham.
I mean...does a smile get any cuter?

In the mix of all the sports and kids and running here and there I have been keeping sweet little R, above, for a bit, who doesn't like for me to take time to sit and blog :)
I also am getting into Wedding season....I have the best job capturing such beautiful moments for couples.
I fit in this wedding this past month as well as some school pics.
I shot my niece's kindergarten class pictures. I had to post a couple of them...they were such cute kids.

I seriously found this little boy kissing the Jesus statue. By the time I grabbed the camera it was just a sweet hug.
Then I'm not sure what they were doing to Him.....Ha!
The strings on the tassles were quite yummy! He decided to try out his friend's.

You have to just let kids be kids.....especially kindergartners.
Yes, I did get a good normal picture as well but I have not passed them out yet so I need to save it. This was a cute little group to shoot.

And thus wraps up my busy schedule and the reason it takes so long to sit down and post. I'm on a roll.....shooting for as many posts today as I can fit.

The Magic of Prom

2009-05-09T10:14:00.022-05:00

Prom is such a special time for a young girl. I don't know of another occasion that you have such an excuse to pamper yourself other than your wedding day. I would like to think that most young girls look forward to their Prom...I know that Lauren did. We had a wonderful time getting her all prepared for the special evening. I would say the guys get by pretty easy. It takes a whole day for a girl to get ready from head to toe for Prom. We started bright and early with the mani and pedi....of course I snuck a pedi in myself as well.
I don't know what we would ever do without Heather always being so gracious to do all of our hair. She came over and worked her magic and created the most beautiful prom hair ever for Lauren. Thank you, Thank you, Heather....you are awesome at what you do and have a big heart to match.
We then moved into the makeup portion of the day. The wonderful woman at the Clinique counter in the mall did her makeup to match her dress. She did a great job.
By the time we got nails, hair, and makeup done, we had about 30 minutes to run home and put on the dress in time for Nate, her boyfriend, and his family to show up for the big unveiling of Lauren getting picked up for prom. It was very sweet as you will see below. Lauren could not have looked more beautiful and Nate and his family seemed to think so as well. We have a long front porch which creates the perfect runway. I had her walk out the front door while he waited on the front porch at the other end.

You will notice the smile on his face and also on that of his Grandparents who came for the occasion as well.
Below you will find Papaw who tried to create the same moment with himself but it just wasn't quite as magical....but very funny.

They just looked adorable together. This is both of their junior prom. So sweet that they still give corsages this day and age.

Of course I had to get them to pose for some pictures for me. Above I had them in this cute profile picture of them looking off.....then my sister, Kristi, is over to the side spelling out the word G-A-Y. She seemed to think my pose was a little cheeseball but her cracking them up made the cutest picture.
Above they look like some kind of add for prom.

After all of the celebrating and pictures with the two fams it was time to head to dinner......
......and of course I followed them. A big group of them in the junior class met up at the Governor's Club for dinner in the clubhouse. We snapped some pictures outside of all of them beforehand. Above you will notice Lauren and some of her girlfriends. She has always been blessed with being the tallest out of the bunch.
They had a really fun group of kids that hung together for the evening. Below is a picture of Lauren with three of her best friends. They have all been besties since elementary school and have all played on the same soccer team as well.
I guess it was finally time for me to leave them alone. Below you will see them walking into dinner which was my last shot for the night. They then went to prom which was at an old plantation under huge tents with all of the lights and glamour. It was the perfect weather and she said that her prom could not have been any more perfect. I would have to agree. My baby is growing up.

How To Stay Young

2009-05-05T06:26:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law sent me this....I thought it was great!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Try everything twice. On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:

Tried everything twice...loved it both times!

2. Keep only cheerful friends.

The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches)

3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever... Never let the brain get idle.

'An idle mind is the devil's workshop..' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. And Jesus! LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

I love you, my special friend.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.

Remember! Lost time can never be found.

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

The Latest Happenings

2009-04-30T21:14:00.001-05:00

So it has been a while since I posted last. I have really dropped the ball. BUT, there is good reason. I have been busy trying to help some kiddos who were in need. I can't tell you how proud I am of my circle of friends and my sisters and my sister's friends. It is usually never convenient to help people in need. It usually takes stepping outside of your comfort zone and all that is normal in your life. It stretches you right to the edge of comfortable and pushes you over. But I have witnessed this first hand this past week. I have seen moms with many children say.."Yes, I'll take one more." I have seen lives rearranged and schedules changed and sleep given up and their own beds given up for the sake of a little one in need. I have witnessed hope replace despair, hugs give back confidence, and smiles that explain the joy that begins to fill their little souls. Anything that is worth while in this life will cost us a part of ourselves. It is called sacrifice. We give of ourselves to help others and then we learn who we really are and what we are made of. I have seen the selfless good in people this week and it just shows how much love is in this world and how so many people really do want to help in some way or another despite the sacrifice they have to make. I have seen little lives changed because of it and what more could you ask for. Thank you, to all of you who have helped these little ones and for all who continue to pray for them. Prayer will continue to guide the way the Lord directs. Things cross our paths sometimes, I believe, because the Lord trusts us with the task ahead. If we don't help when we see a need right in front of us.....then who will? I encourage you...and myself...as God continues to stretch us.

Some Ethiopian Fellowship

2009-04-19T22:24:00.045-05:00

First of all, my sis, Kristi, will be so proud that I posted on the same night.
We hosted the African adoption fellowship group tonight and had a blast. Many families came together with one thing in common.....the orphan....and Africa (namely Ethiopia). I can't tell you how it filled me with joy to see all these little ones running all over my house. Each child is so precious. There were even a couple of children who recognized each other..two were in the same orphanage and another two recognized each other from living in the same village. How awesome is that!! You can't help but think where these kids would be had someone not said "Yes, we will adopt." All any child wants is love and a family. They just want to know they belong and are loved. They don't care what color they are or how rich or poor they are. They just want to hear "I love you". If anyone ever questions what it is like to adopt, or to adopt an older child, or adopt a child when you already have children, or adopt interracially....then look at the faces of these little ones who all gathered here tonight and let that help with some of your questions. As much as the child that gets adopted is blessed, the family that takes them as their own to love and to raise stands amazed at the picture that God has shown them of His love and how full it is.
Ephesians 3:18
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Above you will see we had plenty of munchies.

This little guy had quite the attention of the ladies.

The kids found their way to the playroom for some fun.
This little guy just joined his family about a year ago. This family has kids in college which shows you what you can do with empty nest :)
Somehow all the children that come to my house enjoying leaping off of the slide and landing on the beanbag "game" .
A Weimer enjoying some air hockey.

The little one above didn't have a problem joining right in with the "leap through the air" game even though she has only been in America for 2 months.

These two buddies above were playing the "lets scoot down the stairs on our butts and see how cool it is" game.

What a cutie!!
These two finally pulled up a chair to the snack table and enjoyed whatever they wanted. They are both trying to decide if they should now eat the whole container of chocolate chip cookies as well.
Shane snuck in for a picture.

Elle with little brother, Levi.
Lauren and Morgan were among the older of the kids at the gathering.

My sister, Kristi, above and her family are awaiting their court date of their little 5 month old girl in Ethiopia.
One of the best parts is getting to mingle with everyone and hear each child's story of adoption and experience in America since they have been here.

The family above is just starting their adoption from Ethiopia...how exciting!

This little girl just steals everyone's heart with that smile and that gorgeous hair. This family has two adopted from ET as well as older bio children of their own.

Above you will see this awesome bracelet that is part of the Weimer's fund raiser for their next trip to ET to pick up their second set of sibling group of 3....yes I said "second set". They have three bio, three adopted from ET, whom they brought home about a year ago, and are going back for three more. Check out the Weimer blog for more info.

Above, I caught Nathan acting just like Superman...don't you think?

Tracy and Levi
Amy and her husband brought their little 5 year old home just two months ago.

This little one really enjoyed loving on her new friend, Prince, the dog.
This family above brought these two young girls home about a year ago.
This family is waiting on their referral of their little boy from Ethiopia.

My boys and the Weimer's oldest really hit it off. Baraket and Cam even entertained us with some smooth break dance moves they put together.

Above is Kristi, Heidi ( the brave mom of soon to be 9) , and myself.

Another Weimer is showing off her gymnast skills and her big muscles....I'm impressed.

Finally, check out Nathan's new do. I gave up on the fro when he came to me and said "Mom I don't like Afro....I want my hair little." So since it was balling up so bad in the back since he hated for me to pick it out, we took a trip to the barber and he picked out his own hair do. I drew the line on the zig zag down the middle of his head that he saw a picture of and thought was oh so cool. It is a little short for my taste but now we can start again with the fro (but don't tell Nathan) and see where we get. Wish me luck.

African Fellowship Group Tomorrow

2009-04-18T10:53:00.003-05:00

We are hosting this months African adoption fellowship group. Parents and children are welcome this Sunday, April 19 from 3-5pm. If you have adopted from Africa or are considering adopting please join us for a great time of food and fellowship to connect with those of us who have been blessed through the miracle of adoption in our community. It is so rewarding to connect with those who have like hearts and minds. If you are in the area and interested in coming then email me at
k.putty@comcast.net .

Our Easter Gathering

2009-04-16T10:23:00.035-05:00

I first have to show the mess above. We rolled into town Saturday night from Florida after a wild ride home with 17 people following each other in 3 cars with two stops for throw up, dump the coke bottle with pee in it (boys will be boys when there is no time to stop), about half a dozen stops to pee, and a three hour lay over in Alabama with a broken down vehicle when the alternator decided to go out, that some guy who pulled up in tractor (not kidding) came over and decided he could fix. We ended up leaving our friends in Alabama to fix their car and spend the night with their brother while we piled the others in the last two cars (with NO room to spare) and headed home. We left at 2 and got everyone dropped off and home by 12am. Thus explains us having to dig through bags that were dumped in the front door on Sunday morning to try to throw together Easter outfits. We made it to church...a little late...but we made it. And that was after an early morning trip to Walmart for Easter surprises, candy eggs to hunt, and ingredients to throw together a jello salad to take to my sister's after church.
.....And then we take our cute family Easter pic as if we hadn't a care in the world...somehow we always manage to throw everything together last minute....sometimes :)
We had a huge gathering at my sister, Kristi's house. Above is my friend, Janet's fam, Lonnie and his cutie pie daughter.

Lauren and Collin
My friend, Jackie,above, and her friend Shatana came by for Easter dinner.

Above is Kristi, the hostess with the mostess.

Nathan was loving all the candy but didn't quite get what the bunny's were for. Not sure if I know either now that I think about it....Ha.

Little Macy was putting on a show for her family.

Some behind the scenes of my sister with her camera.

cousin Braden enjoyed his first egg hunt.

Cam found his buddy for the day and they were inseperable....so cute.

I mean....do they get any cuter....This is my friend, Jackie's daughter.

Matt is grabbing a pic of his honey and my sister, Kasey and their daughter.

Candice joined us with her four children as well.

Above is Candace's 2nd child. This little one steals my heart.

The boys enjoying the hunt. Jackie's son, Tyshawn, is Nathan's age as well as cousin Tanner.

Funny pic of my sister, Karson. Uh oh....looks like someone is in trouble.

Janet getting some time with Baby Macy.

This is me with Jackie and Candace. I met both of these girls through my outreach at the mission and because of great people pitching in to help we saw that they and their children got on their feet and out of the mission. They are strong young women to be the single moms that they are and all the responsibility that comes with that.

Candace's newest little one above.....so cute.

Candace's 3rd child was found enjoying herself some cake...too funny.

Janet and her son having a laugh.

Uncle Matt and cousin Matthew.

Lauren was chilling after lunch with Papaw.

Me, my youngest sis, Karson, and my mom.

Me and Morgan.

Me and sis # 3, Kasey, with Candace's little one.

Janet's great looking fam.

The girlly cousins having some fun eating their cake.

My mom and Shane's mom.

Morgan striking a pose with Cam.

Time for the bunny hop race. All the cousins line up. ....And they are off...
Nathan really enjoyed his first Easter celebration of our Lord, Jesus, as did we all. There is nothing greater than gathering with friends and family for a time of food and fellowship.....even if it is the day after a wild ride home. It keeps life interesting....doesn't it? I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well.

Real Florida Fun!!

2009-04-13T10:27:00.056-05:00

I can't tell you how much fun we had in Fl with all 17 of us and then some. When you take a large group of girls you tend to attract a large group of boys :) Funny how that happens.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pics. I love the real life, fun, not so fun, capture the moment, type pics. The ones that tell the story of the trip are always the best.
Above, I couldn't find Shane and William for a while, only to then find them on the front deck taking advantage of the ocean breeze while they nap. It was quite the cozy resting place.
Nathan found his place in the hot tub with all the dudes.
Funny how all these guys found their way to our beach house for some pool/hot tub fun with the girls. They all seemed to enjoy Nathan being right in the mix as well. Don't worry....we stood guard on the deck above. Mom is never far away :)

Morgan and her girls found two other friends on the beach for some sun bathing.
Above, Nathan is too cute as he enjoys his skim board. He thought he was a surfer dude.

William got buried by Kenny and Collin. I think Ken enjoyed the sand more than the younger boys. He was digging every time we turned around.

Nathan had a theme going on for the trip. He would always raise his hands and say "What the heck?" He quickly realized it got laughs so it became the cute little thing he did every time we turned around.....especially between he and Ken.
"What the heck?"

"What the heck?"
I still love the below pic that Nathan was supposedly taking of Ken. Shane seemed to be posing for him although I was thinking I was just getting a good kiss....Ha!

These were two attempts of the girl's cute little group shot on the beach. They received no mercy.

These were such a fun, sweet group of girls. You have your freshman, above, and your juniors below. They all had a wonderful time, got along great, and we had not even an ounce of girl drama....Yeah!
Below you will see I had the fun idea of jumping on Shane's back for a cute shot. He immediately cried out in pain from his sunburn and left me hanging here for a minute. OOPS. Ouch!
Look how cute the end shot was. The more pain the better the shot is my motto.
Below is a cute family shot of Ken and Kelly and Alec. They are the brave souls who went on the trip with the rest of all 14 of us. They are such a fun family.

As you notice our cute family pic above I will share with you what it takes to get this fab portrait. I always get comments about how perfect we all seem......Well, that is far from the truth. Family portraits is about one of my least favorite things to do. I can take pics of other people all day long....but my own....not so much. Thanks to Ken for snapping these funny shots of us and listening to all the griping as well.
The girls seem to be having hair drama while I am trying to get some kind of control.

Again, cute family above. Then below there is the perfect shot.....until you get to Collin's face..Ugh! Why do boys do that?
Below, Morgan seems to be debating over the wind blowing her hair or something.

Some fun with Dad.

The waves were just huge. After my boys got through surfing with their Dad, we then noticed the double red flags that meant don't go in the water.
Fun group of girls below getting ready to go out for the evening.

The girls all had to have their fun hammock pics.

Sweet pic of Collin teaching Nathan how to surf or skim or whatever they do.

The boys just loved the beach. The freezing water didn't seem to bother them at all. It froze me to death just running on top of my feet.

Nathan loved his first experience on the beach. It was just amazing to watch him after seeing where he came from. This boy loves life and adventure and has so much to offer this world.
Our first day on the beach was a little chilly for Kelly and myself.
Collin didn't mind the cold a bit.

Ken, above, kept everyone stocked on smoothies throughout our whole trip. He was a dream to have around.

Nathan brought out his 4 year old side with the squirt gun that I'm sure everyone just loved by the end of the trip.
The bathing beauty's below wrap up our trip. It just doesn't get any better than this.....even with 17 of us all in the same house.

Happy Vacation to everyone.

Gotta Love That Fl Sun!!

2009-04-10T08:35:00.015-05:00

So why have I not posted in forever.....Here are some pics of one of the reasons. These are some shots to give you a glimpse of our first family vacation in sunny Fl with our new little addition. These are from our night at the track and our attempt at some family beach shots.....which are always fun :)
My son, Cam, above, loves to get hooked to nothing but a strap and fly back and forth at the height of a tall building. He LOVES it. It looks very scary to say the least.

Below is Nathan loving his first chance to drive a go cart on the track. He was so excited.

Now, enter our beach shots. I don't think I mentioned that we came to Fl with our friends, Ken and Kelly and their 1 child (they are brave for coming with us), and then we brought 12 children ourselves. The girls kept adding kids that they wanted to bring and I kept saying..."Sure".

Below are my boys who will one day regret acting so goofy while surrounded by beautiful girls.
I had to show this pic below that Nathan took. He was taking a picture of Kenny and then thought Shane kissing me in the background was the better shot....Funny.
How did I get so many boys?
Our brave friends who are traveling in just weeks to pick up their precious China doll.
Nathan enjoyed jumping in on the girl shot.
Morgan brought two friends.
Lauren brought 4 friends.

Great backdrop....don't ya think?
Wow!! We do have a big family....and we managed to get them all to the beach bathed and somewhat matching.
We have had a blast and have rented a fabulous house that fits all of us....and it has a pool and hot tub :) Take a vacation if you are putting it off. It is always worth it.

More pics to come of the fun in the sun.

Lucy Lane is back....YaaaaYYY!!!

2009-03-31T00:17:00.003-05:00

We are celebrating with my sister, Kristi and her family tonight. They got their referral this afternoon of little Lucy Lane. This is such a comfort to their hearts as they have been on an emotional roller coaster from the birth mom coming back to get the first baby that was referred to them. We are all very blessed to welcome little Lucy Lane to our family. She is just beautiful.

It really is unbelievable to think about God's plans for all our lives. For this little girl in particular, her destiny was almost handed over to another yet God had her in mind all along and made it happen as only He can do. While Kristi and her family were praying for and welcoming the first baby to the fam this baby's birth mother was facing an enormous decision that only she and God knew about and yet God gave her the strength to carry out. So God knowing all as He does, had this little baby M step up into the place of baby K and join the Johnson family. Unbelievable how it all works out. We will all continue to pray for baby K and God's plan for her life, as she stole all our hearts as well. Now we pray for a quick court date and smooth sailing from this point on.

Congrats to my sister...we are all thrilled for them.