Holding Hands!!!

Nolan loves ...

having his picture taken!!!

And what was Miss Gracelyn doing ...

enjoying her icecream!!!

We're doing great!!! Nolan still is not talking yet ... we can't wait to hear what is has to say. But he sure is smiling a lot. He smiles all the time. He does great with his one arm ... he uses his short arm to help him out when needed. Gracelyn is talking all the time ... she is either talking or a sleep. She thinks she is the boss. Even though her right leg is about 3 inches shorter than her left ... it doesn't slow her down. She can keep up with Nolan.

All boy!!!

If we only knew ...

a french fry would do this ... we would have bought  McDonalds out earlier today!!! PTL for french fries.

Gracelyn's Gotcha Day

We got Little Miss today.  Boy, did she have a bad day.  We went to the Civil Affairs office this morning and Gracelyn was already there playing in the playroom.  The orphanage director called her and she came over.  The director told her here is mama and she no. LOL  I took her and she just screamed and screamed ... the asst. director came over and took her and Gracelyn told the director something in Chinese and pointed at me.  Like it's her fault!  She is talking very well in Chinese.  She went to sleep and we brought her to the hotel and she woke up right before we got to the room.  She has finally cried herself to sleep.  I pray that when she wakes up that she will feel a little better.  Nolan would try to play with her or give her things and she would hit at him.  I think she has been the little queen at the orphanage. ;) They told us she doesn't like to wear diapers and she love hair bows.  She my kind of girl ... y'all know I like bows in my little girls hair.

 

West Lake

We walked to the West Lake yesterday morning.  Very beautiful lake.  Nolan just walked and looked.  I can imagine what is going through his mind.  Never stepping a foot out of the orphanage for the first five years of his life to staying on the go.  He is the sweetest little boy.  Full of engery and life.  Nolan is fearfully and wonderfully made. He is no longer an orphan. 

What a difference ONE day will make!!!

What a difference one day will make in the life of a little 5 year old boy.  We had to go and sign some more paper in Ningbo where Nolan is from.  He saw his orphanage director and he didn't even cry for her.  PLT  He didn't want much do to with her.   I think his figured out we're not so bad after all.  He is already learning a lot of what we say.  But he isn't talking.  I will post pictures tomorrow because it is already 2am here.  We got into Wuhan around 11pm tonight.  We got to get up early in the morning. Thanks for the comments ... I'm reading them I just can't post them to our blog.  Ch*na has Blogspot blocked ... I'm having to email my post to our blogspot.  Thanks again for your comments and prayer ... keep it up!!

Gotcha Day for Nolan!!!

We went to the Civil Affairs office to get Nolan along with another family from GA.   .  They brought Nolan in and he came right to us.

He would call us Mama and Baba and he gave us kisses.  He sat in our laps and played with his Spider Man car that we brought him.  And  I was thinking

this is to good to be true.  No crying!!!  That lasting until he heard the orphanage director and orphanage worker say it was time to go and they were

about to leave.  And then it started ... he started crying and he started to try an escape. I think he was thinking we just can for a visit not to take him and bring home.  The poor little guy fell in the floor and pitched him  one more fit.  He cried, he kicked, he screamed in Chinese ... he wanted his mama (orphanage director). I'm so thankful that Albert was here with me because I don't think I could have restrained him ... he is a very strong little boy.  So Albert got a very good workout. When we got back to the room he was still planning his escape ... he would try to get out the door.  Finally Albert sat down in front of the door and Nolan fell in the floor and screamed in Chinese he wanted his mama.  Then all of a sudden he stop crying and said something to Albert in Chinese then the staring contest began.  Albert and Nolan just sat in the floor and stared at each other for about  10 minutes.  Then asked I Nolan if he wanted to go and get something to eat and he got up and we went to Pizza Hut with the other family.  He didn't cried anymore ... well as of yet ... we don't know what today will hold.  We are suppose to go to his orphanage and sign some more papers.  Please pray that he will have peace with us and bond quickly to us.  We fly out of Ningbo tonight to go to Wuhan.

God is good and I know we has great and mighty plans for Nolan!

Who are the brokenhearted?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me (and you) to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me (and you) to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" Isaiah 61: 1-3 Who are the brokenhearted? Orphans, and they are being held capitve and they need to be released from their prison (their orphanage) and brought into a loving forever family.

Homeschooling is going great this year!!!

Our Itinerary while in China

10/7 We fly out of Atlanta to Shanghai then by train on to Hangzhou which will be Sat. night China time (Oct 8th)
10/9 Gotcha Day for Nolan
10/10 Travel to Ningbo to visit Nolan's orphanage (his family for the pass 5 years of his life) and to get his passport then fly out of Ningbo to Wuhan.
10/12 Gottcha Day for Gracelyn
10/14 Fly to Guangzhou
10/15 Medical Exam
10/20 Consulate appointment
10/20 Train to Hong Kong
10/21 Fly out of Hong Kong @ 9am to Detroit-Atlanta (should be in Atlanta around 7:30 pm on the 10/21)

Please keep us in your prayers!!!

Bring Our Children Home

Answering the Call ...

I pray that His people will answer the call the adopt. He is calling and His people need to respond. He is not going to let any child into a family that He hasn't already predestined. But there will be children that belong to families left behind because His people didn't step up and take the step of faith. I know it's hard to step up ... but once you take that first step God will show you that you're moving in the right direction. He isn't going to call you to do something that He hasn't already equipped you to do. These (His) children deserve a loving family. Many people reading this blog have room in their hearts, in their homes for one more. We throw away food at each meal that would feed one more child. We are responsible. I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty but if you feel guilty you may need to think of "WHY" you feel guilty. No one should ever adopt out of guilt. I don't want anyone to miss the blessing God has waiting on them. And it breaks my heart to see the eyes of the little ones waiting for their family to find them. They are helpless but we are not ... God has blessed us now it's time for us to bless someone else. Change the life of a child and I can guarantee you, your life will be changed more. "Once our eyes are opened, we can not pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."
Proverbs 24:12
Until They ALL Have Homes!

Waiting and Wondering!?

We're waiting on LOA to come and we're wondering what Nolan and Gracelyn are up to on the other side of the world? Waiting is so hard ... this has been our longest wait so far. It has been almost 8 months since we've sent in our LOI for Nolan. In the beginning we were hoping to have him home before his 5th birthday ... we know that's not going to happen. Another birthday will come without his mama and daddy. :(

And he is off ...

Blake packed up and headed out for KY today. He has done this for the past 4 years but this time is different. We always knew that when he left each fall that he would return to spend the summer with us. But this summer was cut short because he got a full time job back at the seminary (SBTS) in which he will be attending. What a great blessing!!! I also realize that our precious little boy has grown up. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was praying "God please just let him be healthy and I will dedicate him to You" (as Hannah did with Samuel) 1 Samuel 1:26-28. He is now a young man ready to start a new journey of his life. We rejoice in the Lord knowing that he will have a wonderful christian young lady (soon to be bride) to walk beside him on the this journey of life.

Now for the empty bedroom ... we always joked about Blake and Kayla's bedrooms telling them we were going to kick them out and fill them up again. It is hard to see an empty room ... a room once full with ALL of Blake's stuff is now empty but it will be filled again in a few months with Nate and Nolan's stuff. Well, I guess we weren't joking after all about filling their rooms once again but we were joking about kicking them out. We will let them go freely but letting go is easier said than done!
Blake's first Easter

One of my favorite pictures of Blake!

Peacher in the making and he didn't even know it at that time in his life. But mama knew, just never told him, until God called him. ;)

Blake and his bride to be (Abigail)

Little Miss Gracelyn updated pictures

Little Miss is with a foster family in China. And from her update we are told that she is loved very much by her foster family. By the looks of the pictures she maybe just a little bit spoiled.

Updated pictures of Nolan

God is so good ... He has blessed us with updated pictures of Nolan. In some of his pictures the look on his face tells me that he knows his has a mama and baba (daddy in Chinese).