Life with Grace, Faith, Hope, and Love ...

Fundraisers and Chinese Monsters

2012-02-11T15:33:00.001-07:00

Daniel's iPAD2 fundraiser is almost over. You still have a few days left if you still would like a chance to win the iPAD2 and you haven't had a chance to enter.

Here's a little video Daniel put together. He did a little interview with his dad. Please remember we are not professional actors. Ha ha! We all learned a little something while we put this together.  But most of all, we learned some interesting facts about China and had fun!!

Be sure and go down and turn the music off on my blog so you can hear the "interview".

We will be announcing the winner on Valentine's day sometime! Click here to see the original fundraiser post and to enter the giveaway.

Because Daniel mentions the Chinese New Year in his video, I thought I would give you a little bit more information about it. Chinese New Year is an important celebration in China.

And since we are going to have 2 Chinese daughters, we feel it is important to be finding out all we can about the culture, food, celebrations, and any other information about China we can acquire.

We really enjoyed learning about the Chinese New Year and it was more meaningful to the kids since it was something that had just happened a couple weeks ago.

Chinese New Year is a very old celebration, a time for repaying debts, enjoying feasts, giving "red envelopes" of lucky money to friends and relatives, and remembering ancestors.  There are many ancient and delightful superstitions surrounding this holiday. Here is one I wanted to share for anyone who might be interested. This is the story that Daniel read:

Long ago, in Han times, there was a monster whose name was "Nian". This monster came once each year to a little village and scared everyone! One day, just by luck, the villagers discovered that "Nian" had a couple fears of his own. He was afraid of the color red and even more afraid of scary loud noises!

The villagers prepared. When "Nian" appeared, everyone in the village ran for the red banners and noise makers they had made. They waved their banners and rattled their noise makers.

This scared "Nian" so much that "Nian" ran away and was never heard from again!
Which all goes to explain why people in China believe the color red signifies joy and luck, and why noise makers are rattled on Chinese New Year.

At midnight, firecrackers, paper dragons, noise makers, the waving of red ribbons and banners all help to drive away any lingering evil spirits from the old year. (In case "Nian" is still lurking about somewhere!)

The video below is a cute version of the story Daniel read in his video. I like it because it is in Chinese. :)

And as Daniel said in his video, "we hope you enjoyed the story and learned a little something about China as well."

Victoria's Birthday

2012-02-09T23:18:00.001-07:00

Can you believe she's THREE?? (yea I know a little late, but...)

I missed doing a blogpost on her birthday. Heck, I never even got Christmas pictures posted. That's how pathetic I am.

We had a rough time after Madalyn's surgery on Dec 13th. Madalyn was not sleeping well at all. (I remember after her heart surgery she did the same thing. She used to sleep so well, then not so great after surgery.) Someone please tell me if that is common or if it is just her...not sleeping well for weeks after surgery. I don't know.

Anyway, she was waking up a bunch at night plus she was on pain meds and oxygen and just plain not feeling well for about a month afterwards.

No sleep for baby means no sleep for mommy, right?! Then add in trying to get ready for Christmas, and everyone was just plain exhausted!

But we had to have a celebration! For our sweet Toria!!!

Look, a new ball popping elephant toy. Fun!

Since Victoria's birthday is on New Year's Eve, she's lucky we managed to throw something together for her.

Sad, I know...

But she had fun and I did manage to get a few pictures. :)

Cute girl with a red bow that one of the boys stuck on her head.

She enjoyed her new toy. Madalyn and Anna enjoyed it, too.

Look at those big beautiful blue eyes, not the boogers. Lol

She wasn't a whole lot more thrilled with her cake this year than she was last year. But at least no crying this time. :) Yay!

She really is a happy girl! Happy belated Birthday Victoria! We love you so much sweet girl!

We just cannot believe you are three!!!

Beautiful Baby Contest

2012-02-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

We entered Madalyn in the Beautiful Baby Contest on facebook. It is a fundraiser to help 3 different families bring home 4 beautiful children! What a great fundraiser idea! One of these little ones is precious Nellie.

You may remember her from my previous posts. She finally has a family coming for her so that is super awesome!! Anyway, you can visit their blog to read more about their adoption journey here. Or you can go to their Reece's Rainbow sponsorship page and if you feel led donate to their adoption grant and help them bring home their girls (they are actually bringing home another little girl besides Nellie). Yay!!

~~~~~~Vote for Madalyn~~~~~~

Anyway, if you would like, please go here and vote for Madalyn for the most beautiful baby girl! Just scroll down the page a bit until you see her name under "Who is the most beautiful girl?" and click on Madalyn!
Of course all the little ones are beautiful, but we are somewhat partial to Madalyn. This is her picture in the contest.

Oh and just for fun, here's a video of Anna and Madalyn. They are just playing and having a blast together. Yes, they are not always nice to each other, as you will see in the video, but for the most part they have so much fun. It's a cute video. Who says you can't adopt out of birth order?! :))

We are DTC!!!

2012-02-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

For those that don't understand Chinese adoption lingo, that means Dossier to China!! A huge day of celebration. :))

Yesterday I received this statement in an email from our amazing agency along with a tracking number:

"This is to confirm that your dossier is on its way to China."

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!! Soooo exciting!!

We have we been waiting a LONG time to hear those words.

And they finally came!!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember this picture??

Well, that whole set of papers (plus one more), is in route as we speak (so to speak) to a certain very large country in Asia where two certain precious little girls are living... :)) Yay!!!!

I can hardly believe it!!! It has been almost 7 months since we started this process with our first homestudy visit. That is just crazy! I sure wish we could've eliminated some time from this process by shortening the HS part of it, but that didn't happen. We should've been sending our dossier off 2 months ago!! But things have not happened in our timeframe. I just have to trust that they are happening as they should be in God's timing. It is so hard though, when you have a plan in your mind and things just really do not go the way you think they should. I know this is the way it is with adoption. Especially an international adoption. I know that in my head. But it doesn't seem to change what I want to happen. I still hope for things to go my way, in my time...

I also know our last adoption is playing a part in my frustrations. We are 7 months into this process. I was just telling Mark yesterday that 7 months into our adoption of Anna and Victoria, we were already on a plane headed across the Atlantic ocean to Ukraine!!

Wow! That is the difference in the adoption processes of 2 different countries! I understand that, but it still makes me feel like this adoption is taking waaaay too long! And we still have 4, to possibly even 7 months ahead of us before we will travel. :( That is a tough nut to swallow. I hate that! Just thinking that my girls will be another 6 months older before we get there is super hard for this mommy's heart. Hailey might even have turned 6 yrs old by the time we travel! I very much want to celebrate that special day with her!

Hailey's birthday is just a couple days after the 4th of July. We would really love to be home by then celebrating our nation's birthday AND our new daughter's birthday! THAT would be amazing, wouldn't it?!?

I want to thank everyone who has prayed for us and supported us so far! We are so thankful for that and we just humbly ask that you would continue to pray for a speedy process for us from here on out. Pray we travel closer to the 4 month mark than 7 months. :)   Thank you!!!

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that our iPAD2 fundraiser ends this month. I haven't been very good about updating about it, but you do still have time if you would like to be entered for a chance to win it. You can click here for more information. I will be posting an update and a reminder again real soon!

I800A APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

So if you are friends with me on facebook, you may already know this. But if you're not....

WE GOT I800A APPROVAL TODAY!!!

Well, we actually got it Thursday (Jan 19th) but I got a lovely email from our officer today letting us know we had been approved. I thought that was SUPER nice of her!! She actually sent me an email yesterday saying she had been assigned as our officer and she would be reviewing our file. But I never got it because for some reason it went to my Spam email. Ugh!! But that's okay because it made the email that I got today that much more exciting!! (so thankful I got that one). I was yelling in excitement and the boys got all excited and everything!! I was hoping we would have it by next Friday, so for it to come this week was just amazing!!! Yay!!

I just want to say THANK YOU to all who prayed for a quick approval! We were fingerprinted on the 27th so that is right at 3 weeks and 3 days from then. Exactly 7 weeks from the day they received our application, so that makes it 49 days I guess. Woohoo!! Super awesome and thank you God!!!

It should get here in the mail by Monday I am guessing. Then we have to get a copy of it notarized and send it to the Colorado Sec. of State and get their certificate, then straight to Washington D.C. and get Hilary Clinton's signature again (Lol) and the Chinese Embassy authentication. Then it will go straight to our agency and hopefully then, straight to China!!

FINALLY!!!

Girls, we are coming for you!!

It seems like it has taken forever to get to this point! This is a HUGE step!! Now it is only a matter of months. I am so excited! Once we get our letter of approval from China, we can send care packages to the girls. We will include photo albums so the girls can start getting to recognize our faces and know that they have a Mommy and Daddy coming. And lots of big brothers and 3 little sisters, too!

Now, I just wish we lived closer to Denver. I am seriously considering just driving up there with our paperwork though. It's about 7 hours to Denver from here, but it would probably save us several days of processing time and overnighting back and forth if I do that. If I walk our paperwork in, they will expedite it and have it done while I wait. But if I mail it in, who knows how long it will take to process. Then I could just mail it to D.C. from Denver. Hmmm... I just might be seeing a road trip in our future.
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I wrote the above paragraphs on Friday and planned to post it that night. Then everything hit the fan, so to speak, and I am just now getting this posted Sunday morning. We had a rough weekend. I got sick and several of the kids were sick with some kind of stomach bug. I especially hate stomach bugs! Hopefully no one else will get it! I feel much better, though, so at least the household can start functioning again. Although, I have to say my hubby did a great job of cleaning up after everyone and doing laundry. Thanks hon!

What a beautiful Sunday morning!! Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!!

Wow!!!!

2012-01-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Guess who ate her whole dinner tonight without a bottle??

Yes, this same little girl who has eaten ALL of her meals...

for her ENTIRE life... through a bottle.

So this...

and this....

With a smile...

and no screaming...

is pretty amazing!!

Super messy, but that is more than okay.

With this kind of smile during mealtime, we can do any messes you can throw out at us!

Boy do we LOVE this girl and we just continue to be amazed at how fast our precious sweet Victoria is progressing!!

A Praise and a Prayer Request

2012-01-10T16:48:00.004-07:00

Our dossier is sitting right here in my house, all authenticated and ready to go to China! Yay!! That is a Praise the Lord!! We sent it to Washington D.C. to the Dept. of State and the Chinese Consulate for authentication less than 2 weeks ago and it is back already! Next we will send it to our agency, where it will wait until our last piece of the dossier is ready.

Yes, there is still one more piece to the dossier puzzle. A very important piece. Our I797 approval notice from USCIS. Here is where your prayers will come in.

Our USCIS application was received on Dec 9th. We received our receipt and then our fingerprint appt notices mid December. We had our biometrics done on Dec 27th, a week or so earlier than our scheduled appt date. But we have still not been assigned an officer to our case. I have called twice and emailed them once. They don't like to give out too much info either. Lol They just keep telling me that they have 90 days to take care of it. They didn't buy into my asking for favor because our girls are so cute and have special needs either. Lol :))

It's kinda funny because the email I got back said and I quote " In addition, per our website, a significant majority of all pending cases are for ‘special needs’ children therefore there is no procedure for expeditious processing with the exception of life-threatening conditions which can be documented by a physician."

Funny, huh? Well I tried...

Anyway, would you please pray with us that an officer will be assigned soon and will approve us quickly. I know there are a lot of people in the same boat as us...waiting on USCIS. It is so frustrating knowing everything is done and ready to go to China, but we are still just waiting on them. Our process has taken too long already (our homestudy took much longer than we planned). So we are just really praying that we will catch a break here. Our little girls are counting on us. The sooner we get our dossier to China, the sooner we can go get our girls! So please pray for an officer to be assigned and a quick approval! Our daughters have been waiting for us for a long time already. Thank you we appreciate it so much!!

Simply a Nursery Rhyme

2012-01-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Did someone say Ring Around the Rosie?

We love this song!

Ring around the rosie...

A pocket full of posies...

Ashes...

We all fall down!

Yay!!!

Our singing voices not so great. Lol It's more like yelling...but the girls sure are cute! :))

Fundraiser Reminder and a Super SURPRISE!!

2012-01-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is a reminder for Daniel's iPAD2 fundraiser AND and a surprise announcement. So be sure to read all the way through to the end! :)

For the Reminder - Daniel's fundraiser is STILL GOING!! I have been a super bad blogger lately. It has been hard to find the time to remind people and try to get the info out there. It has taken some time for ME to recover from Madalyn's surgery, let alone Madalyn getting over it. LOL

Anyway, it IS still going! YEA!! You still have time to donate! :)

Daniel is trying to raise money for his plane ticket to China. A round trip ticket from where we live in Colorado, to China, will run about $1800. We are not quite there with his ticket, and we are still working hard on that. We have Daniel's ticket to pay for, plus my ticket, and another helper for me if possible. Plus we will need to pay for our daughters' one way ticket home. And according to my research, that will cost approximately another $2000 dollars. Yes, we still have alot of fundraising to do, but I digress... Lol We will focus on this one right now!

Please consider donating to Daniel's fundraiser. It is tax deductible (goes to Reece's Rainbow)! :)) Even just $10 will help. If everyone who reads this blog would donate just $10, it would make a HUGE difference! Here are the details, in case you have forgotten or you didn't see the original post:

Details of the fundraiser:

iPad 2, 16GB, wi-fi, a retail value of at least $499.00

$10 = 1 entry

$25 = 5 entries

$50 = 10 entries

$100 = 20 entries

$150 = 35 entries

$300 = 80 entries!!

It's so easy! The more you donate, the better your chances of winning! After you make a donation, you can get a free entry for each day that you share about the fundraiser on facebook or if you blog about it. Just be sure to leave a comment (and a link) on this blogpost when you do.
PLEASE spread the word!!

If for some reason we don't bring in enough money to pay for the iPad 2, we will split the money 50/50 with the winner. Praying we bring in more than enough money and we don't have to worry about that!

Oh and if we bring in at least $2500, we will add the iPad smart cover to be given along with the iPad 2!!!

Please please share our fundraiser with everyone you know! Share about it on facebook or on your blog if you have one! Every time you do, you will get an extra chance to win a super cool iPAD2 !!

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The next part of this post is our super exciting news!! And, without further adieu....the SURPRISE part of this post.

We have been keeping this to ourselves for a little while. For one reason or another. But we have decided to announce it earlier than previously planned and we are sooooo excited!!

Can you guess?? Can you guess??

I'll give you a hint. You know we are adopting a super cute and adorable little 5 year old girl, right?!

Well.....we are actually adopting TWO super cute and adorable little girls!! :)) I cannot keep the grin off my face, I am so excited! Ha Ha I knew you would be surprised!!!

Introducing little miss Ruby Mei ~

Oh my heart isn't she just so adorable!! We are so in love with her already and absolutely cannot wait to meet her! Hailey will have another little sister! One who will be traveling home from China with her. Wow! She is going to be surprised, too, don't you think?! :))

Ruby is 4 years old. She is in a different province than Hailey, but not too far from where Hailey is. We have been able to add her to this adoption without adding too much in the way of travel in China so that is nice. There is much I would like to share about us actually being able to add another child to this adoption from China, but I cannot at this point. Suffice it to say that the way things worked out, it was very clear that this little girl is meant to be our daughter as well. We continually are amazed and blessed at what God has done during this adoption! Wow! Thank you God!! We give you all the glory!

Adoption Update and Maybe a Picture or Two

2011-12-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

Whew!! Am I glad this month is almost over! I am finally starting to feel like normal again. Ever since Madalyn's surgery, I have just been so tired. Madalyn has really just had a tough time with her recovery and it has been exhausting. Christmas was really nice, but I have to admit it was exhausting, too. I'm ready for the new year to start, and maybe to slow down a little bit. Is that even possible?

It has been a year since we first saw Hailey's face and felt that tugging in our hearts. Wow, sometimes I really can't believe that we are in the adoption process again. I would've never thought that in a year we would have already gone in for USCIS fingerprinting and would be waiting on that approval!! And for an adoption from China no less! It just goes to show what can happen when you are open to and listening to His will in your life! This would not be happening without God! He has opened so many doors for this adoption. He has made things possible that did not seem possible to us! I love it when He reveals His plans and makes things work!

We headed to Albuquerque a couple days ago to the USCIS office to get our biometric fingerprints done early. I was pretty nervous, but because we had done it before without a problem, I wasn't too worried. Little did we know that earlier that morning in the USCIS office, the officer in charge had told the front desk guy that she would not be taking walk-ins that day. She was the only one there to do whatever it is they do besides the fingerprinting, and they were not to accept any people that walked in without an appt. Yikes, I'm glad I didn't know that!! Anyway, I am not sure why he didn't tell us that right when we got there. He said he would have to talk to his supervisor and had us sit down. We waited what seemed like a long time, and then he finally called us over and let us fill out the paperwork. He said she had work to do and would get to us when she could. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes before she called me back. She immediately pointed to the little section on the fingerprint appointment notice that talked about rescheduling and told me I needed to send that back in if we couldn't make the scheduled time. I just said, "ok, yes maam!" Then she proceeded to do my fingerprints and tell me all about her 20 month old grandson. Lol She was pretty nice and I was super thankful she had not chewed me out more! Mark went next, and she told him that they were not going to take walk ins that day. Oh geezo! But she was nice enough to look and see how far away we lived, and her heart was softened for us I guess. :) I tell you what, God has opened so many doors for us during this adoption process! We are just so super thankful!!!

Also, I was able to send our whole dossier off to the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. yesterday for them to authenticate. (The dossier for China has an extra step after the Secretary of State certification, which is different than a dossier for Ukraine). That is what we are doing now. Our dossier is complete, we are just waiting on that authentication. Plus our approval from USCIS of course! So that is a good feeling! Once we get that approval and get it certified and authenticated, we will be able to send our dossier to CHINA!!! I can't wait for that to happen!! It cannot happen soon enough! Will you please pray for us for a quick USCIS approval? I called them today to see if we had been assigned an officer yet, and we haven't. :( I did tell him that we were fingerprinted early and he noted that in our file. But I guess nothing will happen if there is no officer assigned. So please pray that we will get an officer and a quick approval! Thank you!!

I couldn't have this post without a pic of our dossier papers before we sent them off. :) I will do an after pic as well, when we get them back from the Chinese Embassy. :)

Here they are, all 12 of them...

Now for some cute pics of our girl. The best part, right?!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas sweet girl! Next year you will be home with us celebrating!! We love you little miss Hailey!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas from the our family to yours! Hope your holiday was wonderful and wishing you many blessings in the coming year!

With Love and Blessings from the Westbrook clan!

Adoption Updates and More

2011-12-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks and I really just haven't had a chance to blog. But I wanted to get in an update post before Christmas, so here it is.

First and foremost, I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has donated toward our FSP (Daniel's iPad2 giveaway)!!! We are just continually amazed at the generosity of all of you!!! Thank you so much!!! You guys are awesome!! Don't forget to leave me a comment when you donate so that I can be sure and get you entered into the iPad 2 giveaway! And if you have donated, please share about our fundraiser!! Please help us get the word out there!! Remember -- you get extra chances to win the iPad2 when you share on facebook or blog about it! :))

Again, thank you so very much from the bottom of our hearts!! You are helping us so much in being able to bring this sweet little girl home!!!

Isn't she precious?! We were super excited that we got some recent pictures of our girl!!

On the adoption front, there hasn't been a lot to report. We did receive our biometrics appt from USCIS last week, so that was super exciting!! We are going to go before the scheduled appt, like we did last time. The plan was to go as soon as we received the notice, but unfortunately because of the timing of Madalyn's surgery and all the time Mark took off for that, we were unable to go this week. Not to mention Christmas and all the stuff going on with that. But we are planning on going next week and walking in. Since we have to drive about 3 or 4 hours away to do it, we are praying all will go well. We didn't have any problems last year, so it should be fine, but any prayers for us would be appreciated. We are really praying this part of the process will be extra speedy. Our homestudy took so long and we would like to make up a little time here if possible. Not likely, but we are still hoping. Lol Our dossier is also complete, minus our USCIS approval of course. Well, actually it's not totally complete. It needs to be sent to the Chinese consulate and authenticated, but it's all ready, just needs to be sent. The plan is to send that next week as well, so that it's all ready to go to China as soon as our USCIS approval comes. Pretty exciting stuff, really!! I CAN"T WAIT til we are DTC (dossier to China).

CAN'T WAIT!!!

I really want to, but I am not as excited as I should be for all this. Maybe it's just because I'm super tired after having gone through all the surgery stuff with Madalyn. Plus her recovery has been pretty rough. Maybe I'm a bit spoiled because our adoption process was so quick last year. We were in Ukraine within 6 months of starting the process. So when I think that we will still not be traveling to China until June or later probably, it makes me sad. I just want to go get to my sweet girl as soon as possible and let her know that she is LOVED and WANTED so much! She has brothers who are super excited to meet her and little baby sisters to love on and play with. I just want her here. Period.

Anyway, that is our adoption update. Any prayers would be so very appreciated.

Madalyn's Update: Madalyn is doing pretty well. She has had a rough time, though. We spent one night in the hospital after her surgery, and then she was discharged the next evening. However, she was discharged on fulltime oxygen which was kind of a bummer, but not too bad because we are already so used to O2. She'd been on it at night, so we already had a concentrator and all the stuff we needed. Today (9 days post op) we went in to get her checked, and she got the okay to be off her daytime oxygen!! We are excited about that! She has had some rough nights and days and just has not been feeling well. I know her little throat is so sore and she hasn't been eating or drinking well. She lost almost a pound since last Friday when we were at the doctor last (6 days ago). But she looks good, and she is not dehydrated so that is positive. We are expecting at least another week until she is fully recovered. I think that this has been something that is ultimately good for her and will help her, but it sure has been rough getting there. Poor sweet peanut, she has been through so much. This was her 3rd surgery in less than 3 yrs. She had major surgery at birth, again at 7 months, and now this. That's alot for a two year old. Anyway, we are praying that this is it for her. That she will be done with all this major medical stuff for a very long time! :)

Right before surgery and still kinda happy even though it is super early in the morning. She has no idea what is about to happen to her.

The next morning after surgery. She is not real happy with people now. What a look!! Lol

Anna and Victoria have been doing great! We are so thankful that they have been so healthy so far and have not needed any major medical stuff. They are both just as cute and happy as ever.

I LOVE these girls!!! Could they be any cuter?!

We are so super blessed!!!!!

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Prayer Request for Madalyn

2011-12-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to ask for prayers for the next couple days. Our baby girl is having surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids tomorrow morning (7:30 a.m. MST). She has been having a heck of a time with respiratory illnesses since she was born. She has battled RSV, Pneumonia, croup, sinus and ear infections, etc. This last few months she has been full of boogers continuously and had several sinus infections. She has been hospitalized more times than I wanna count, and I am hoping this surgery will actually help all that. She had a sleep study that showed some apnea 6 months ago and ever since then she has been on O2 at night. That is getting to be quite a drag, I must say. For all of us. Lol We would just appreciate so much if you would remember our sweet girl in your prayers! Thanks and I will try to update as I can! For now, I am off to bed and not looking forward to my alarm going off at 4:30 a.m. Ugh!!!

Brent and Spencer and Hailey

2011-12-05T11:36:00.001-07:00

This is a long post, but please bare with me. You gotta read all the way to the end...

About a year ago, I posted this on my blog (you can click the link or just read below):
http://bringinghomeourgirls.blogspot.com/2010/12/family-needed.html

Here is precious Brent!! He is 5 already and at great risk of being transferred to the institution.

I know it looks like this little guy has a woman's sweater on. The other day somebody asked me how old "she" is. Hmmm...

Sometimes a picture can make it or break it for an orphan! Unfortunately, the ugly reality is people look at "looks"! It's true!! I am not saying this little guy is not cute! Because he is adorable!! I am sure this is not his best picture. It doesn't really matter, though!! Look and see past the sweater and the old picture! Look and see what what a treasure this little guy really is!

Brent (35)
Boy, Born June 21, 2005
Look how darling this little one is! Brent is HEALTHY, with no noted heart conditions. He is active and an Orphanage favorite. He is considered lower functioning than Spencer or Kareen, but will truly blossom like a flower in a loving family environment. He is almost 5 and will be facing the institution soon. He is blessed to still be at the baby house.
Please give Brent a chance! Brent can be adopted with SPENCER.

This was our first picture of Anna. We really couldn't tell alot from this picture. And this was the only pic we had for 7 months. Believe me, my mind was doing way to much imagining of what our little princess was gonna be like and if she was even still there... silly I know!!

We went from this....

to this.......

Still a somber little face, but so much different than the original pic.

And now this....

See... really a picture only tells a little bit.
You will not know what a treasure you have, until you see the "real thing"......

Please consider adopting Brent! Or donate to his adoption fund this Christmas and give the gift of a family!!! You will never regret it!!!!!

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Then about a month later, I posted this:
http://bringinghomeourgirls.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-posted-about-brent-last-month.html
I posted about Brent last month. This little guy is only 5 1/2 yrs old...
5 and 1/2 !!!!
Who out there reading this blog has a 5 yr old?? Or remembers when when your child was only 5. What a precious year it was, right?!! Maybe your little boy learned to ride a 2 wheeler that year, maybe he learned to read, maybe she got her ears pierced or started kindergarten, or whatever..... Could you imagine your little 5 yr old being taken away from all they've known and moved to some kind of institution-like setting. Where no one really cares about them.....where they can't really care about them -- there are just too many! And where they are probably only fed some kind of porridge, bathed once in a great while maybe, and made to lay in a crib for the majority of their life..... It ~~doesn't sound so great~~ sounds horrible, doesn't it?

Well....this is what Brent is facing! Brent is a live human being. A real life little boy!! Not just a picture hanging out in a file somewhere. A real live person! I think sometimes people look at the cute pictures of the kids and feel bad for them or whatever, but they don't really know the child, so it just doesn't affect them that much.

It wasn't until we actually left for Eastern Europe, witnessed the country and the people, and saw and held our little girls for the first time that we really understood that they are living breathing little people with personalities and likes and dislikes!! We knew in our minds they were real, we prayed for these girls and thought about them constantly, worried for them, we were desperate to get to them! We were in love with their pictures! But still, somewhere inside, I couldn't really see them as real people. Maybe I'm just weird or something, but I guarantee you, now I know!! My family and close friends know! They have seen us go through the adoption process, leave our kids and family and cross the ocean, meet and hold our girls, and fall in love with them! It is amazing really. Maybe I am still just in awe of what we have done, what God has done! And that our girls are really here! It is still so hard to believe, and we are so excited that we can now give them everything they need!

But there are so many more. So many! We can't stop here, we can't stop telling people, advocating for these little ones! This is what God expects!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and knows our souls, know that we know, and holds us responsible to act." (Proverbs 24:12)
"It is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14)

They are His children, and we must be his hands and feet. We must be willing to go and rescue these little ones!

"You are the helpers of the fatherless." (Psalm 10:14)

"Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matthew 18:5)

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18)

"A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God sets the lonely in families. (Psalms 68:5-6)

Here is Brent's picture again. Along with 2 more children who are in the same orphanage as Brent. Brent will be moved very soon to an institution. Spencer and Kareen, too! They may have a little more time than Brent, but maybe not. They are both nearing institutionalization age and if they need more room at the orphanage for younger children, they could very possible move them soon, too. All 3 of these kids are HEALTHY! That is huge!!

Please pray for these little ones to find their family!! Maybe you would even donate to one or all of these children's adoption fund. Every little bit counts and will help their future family be able to bring them home sooner! They are truly living on borrowed time!!! Maybe you can help get the word out and help us find their family!!

The family/families for these three beautiful chilldren ARE out there! Of that I have no doubt! We just need to help them find each other! :))

Brent
Boy, Born June 21, 2005
Look how darling this little one is! Brent is HEALTHY, with no noted heart conditions. He is active and an Orphanage favorite. He is considered lower functioning than Spencer or Kareen, but will truly blossom like a flower in a loving family environment. He is almost 5 and will be facing the institution soon. He is blessed to still be at the baby house.

Please give Brent a chance! Brent can be adopted with SPENCER.

Spencer
Boy, Born July 7, 2006
This blonde haired boy is ready to come home! He is almost 4 and will be facing the institution this year. He is HEALTHY, with no noted heart conditions.

Kareen
Girl, Born January 15, 2007
This pretty muffin is waiting for her family! She is healthy, with no heart condition noted in her records. She has brown hair and hazel eyes, and is already up and learning to walk! Her records indicate "meiotic nondisjunction", but this is just a fancy word for what happens to create "Down syndrome" genetically. She is considered higher functioning and is really doing well. She is an orphanage favorite, and the dircetor has asked for a family to save her from the institution.

I have $3694 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!

UPDATE!! I wrote this post a couple days ago and just now got to post it. And I just visited the my family found me page at reecesrainbow.org and discovered that Kareen's family has found her!! That is sooo awesome and I can't wait to see who her family is!! Yay Praise God!!! You can still donate toward her adoption and help her family raise the funds to bring her home!!
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As I was reading through these posts, I was thinking about how I could advocate for Brent and Spencer again. Kareen is already home praise God and you can read about that sweetie and her family here.
But Brent and Spencer have now been transferred to a mental institution. They did not get adopted. They are still waiting for their family to come and rescue them. Maybe they don't even think about having a mama anymore! Maybe they have given up any hope at all. I doubt it though... Brent is 6 now.  Spencer is 5 1/2. Five! FIVE!!!

Oh my, it is so heartbreaking!

And as if I didn't feel bad enough about these little ones, I realized something else as I read through their files. Spencer turned 5 on July 7th of this year. His birthday is 7/7/06. Well guess who else turned 5 on July 7th of this year?!?

OUR very own sweet, cute and special girl...Hailey!! She has the exact same birthday as Spencer!!! Oh My Gosh!! OMG!!! I am in tears as I realize the significance of this. Hailey is NOT in a mental institution. She is in a good place (mind you, not all kids with DS in China are receiving such great care as Hailey). But think about this...

Two children, born on the same day. One is a boy and one is a girl. One is born in Eastern Europe. One is born in Asia. Both children are born with an extra 21st chromosome. Both children have many things in common, many things not...

The girl's family kept her for the first 8 months of her life. Maybe they knew about her Down syndrome but most likely they didn't. When she was ill with a respiratory infection, they took her to the hospital where they were told that she had Down syndrome, and they abandoned her thinking they could not take care of her special needs.

The boy's family most likely abandoned him at birth. They probably were told about his disability when he was born, and decided right then and there that he was better off in an orphanage, at the advice of doctors.

That is what I can only imagine happened to Spencer. Obviously, I know more about Hailey's story.

These two children, born on the same day, on different continents, were abandoned to orphanages because of their extra chromosomes.  And that is where their commonalities will end. Their stories are taking a drasticly different turn. Hailey will be coming home to a family.  Spencer has been sent to a mental institution. (If you would like a reminder or to see what that is like, click here.)
That thought alone breaks. my. heart!

But it doesn't have to be that way. Someone could still adopt Spencer and Brent. I am praying hard that a family will step up, see past the not so great pictures of them and see 2 precious faces that just want to be loved. See their sons. Please God bring a family for these 2 boys. That is my Christmas wish this year.

Please take a moment and donate to Spencer's adoption grant. Even just $5.00. It's so easy!! You can do that here or here. Don't let money be what stands in the way of Spencer getting the opportunity to come home to a family, just like Hailey will be. And please pray that their family will find them quickly!

Thank You!!!

2011-12-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to say a big

THANK YOU!!!

to everyone who has donated toward Daniel's fundraiser so far!

You guys are amazing and we really appreciate it so much! As you all know, Daniel is very anxious to go!! He loves Hailey so much already! As a matter of fact, the other day, he got into an argument with my 4 year old son, Justin. Justin is also very excited to meet Hailey. Especially once he realized that she is probably going to be around the same size as him and most likely a super fun playmate! :) Anyway, he has always called Madalyn his girlie girl ("gullie gull") and he makes no qualms about showing his favoritism toward her. Lol When he realized that Hailey was his size, he decided to claim her, too. Well, that didn't sit too well with Daniel. So picture a 10 year old and a 4 year old arguing about which girl is theirs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justin: When Hailey gets here, she is mine.

Daniel: You already have Madalyn!

Justin: But I want Hailey, too!

Daniel: Hailey is MINE!! I'm going to China to get her!

Justin: Well, she is my size. I get her.

Daniel: No you don't!

Justin: Mooommm... Can I go to China with you next time you go? Cause I waannt Hailey!!

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Ha Ha Ha I was just cracking up listening to them!! Funny kids. :)

Mark is not going to be traveling with me to China for this adoption. Because we have so many kiddos at home, it is hard to find someone who can take all of them on. Especially with having so many little ones, ie. 3 two year olds...

Which reminds me, here is one of the benefits of adopting from China. Only 1 parent is required to travel, AND the trip is typically only about 2 weeks! Isn't that awesome! My only other international experience is our adoption last year from Ukraine. We traveled twice! That's 4 trips across the atlantic ocean!!! Four trips!! And for a person who doesn't like to fly, it was torture. Ugh! Anyway, for those of you that didn't know, the travel part of adopting from China is most excellent!! OK, back to my originally scheduled posting...

So because Mark is not going, Daniel is going to be helping me alot on this trip. I have read a few different people's opinions about their child who went on the trip with them and they said the kids came back totally changed and matured. I am hoping this will happen for him. I just can't wait to see his reaction to a whole new culture and all the other stuff he will get to see. :) I'm so excited to share this experience with him!

Anyway, once again I want to say thank you to everyone who has donated to our Reece's Rainbow FSP! You are

SUPER AWESOME!

And just because I can't do a blogpost without a picture, here you go:

Out of about 50 pictures I took that particular day of these three girls, this is only one of a couple where they were all at least looking at the camera. Oiy!!

Happy Friday!!

The Forgotten Ones

2011-11-30T18:12:00.015-07:00

Here are just a few faces of some of the children who are still waiting for someone to come and get them. Not just anyone, but their mama and their daddy and maybe their siblings. These little ones truly don't have much time left.

Artem - www.babynumber10.blogspot.com

They have been living in baby houses for all their lives most likely and most of them don't have any family, any person who comes to visit them. Anybody who really cares what happens to them.

Danila - http://www.mooscrossing.blogspot.com/

They are very close to being transferred to mental institutions. This is not a good thing. They are usually taken care of by consistent nannies or caregivers, fed on schedule, and given medical treatment in the baby houses. Not so in the mental institutes.

Meredith - http://amiracleformeredith.blogspot.com/

Some like Spencer here, who I have just recently found out, HAS ALREADY been transferred. This makes me so very very sad! The reality of the situation is that most of the children with Down syndrome who are transferred WILL NOT SURVIVE the first year of being transferred. Look at that sweet face!
Spencer - http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/

These little ones desperately need to be rescued. Yes I said RESCUED! I know some people don't like that term when referring to adoption. Maybe, however, they have never been to one of these places/orphanages/mental institutions and seen the reality that these kids face every day. If you don't like that statement, please visit this link, for a little more perspective. :)

Paul - http://reecesrainbow.org/679/paul-j

But that is a post for another day.

Today we just need to get these kids noticed!! Then once they are, maybe getting a family will come next!! These little ones have been all but forgotten, and because of some awesome blogging buddies of mine, these faces ARE getting noticed!!

Robyn -http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/

Click on these links and they will take you to some blogs where you can donate and that have some amazing giveaways going on! You can get chances to win some of these awesome things including an Ipad2, an XBOX 360, a camera, a Kindle, a Laptop, gift cards and more!!

All you have to do is make a donation of $5 or $10 to be entered! That could make for some great Christmas gifts this year!!!

You have to at least go and check it out! Click here and also here for lots more info and fun!!

Adoption is EXPENSIVE! Just ask us!! Lol We had to get an adoption loan to help us bring Anna and Victoria home. But it was worth it!!

So very worth it!!!!

But it is not an option for us again and we are having to raise every penny to bring our sweet Hailey home! You can check out our iPad2 giveaway here if you would like to help Daniel, too. He really wants to go to China to help bring his sister home. And I need him to go with me, as my hubby will not be going this time.

Look at her! I think she is trying to call us. Where are you Mommy? When are you coming, Daniel?

She was one of the ones still waiting last year. But next year she will be home for Christmas!!

Please help make that a reality for some of the faces pictured above. Donate to their adoption grant funds so that it will be easier for their future families to bring them home!

And most of all, don't forget to pray for all of these little ones!!

And a great Thanksgiving was had by all...

2011-11-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

OK so last summer Jordan went on a road trip with his Papa, all the way from Colorado to Washington. They got to visit some of my siblings and my nieces and nephews while they were there which was really awesome, especially for Jordan. He got to re-connect with family that he hadn't seen for like....12 years maybe. Anyway, the main reason they went was to do some deep sea fishing!! That is my Dad's absolute favorite thing to do!! So for Jordan to be able to to go with him on a road trip like that was just so great for the both of them.

My dad and Jordan caught a ton of fish while they were there!! And had some great bonding time. I love these guys, two of the men in my life, and I am so very thankful for them both!!

"What does this have to do with Thanksgiving?", you might ask.

Well....today our family strayed from the typical Thanksgiving day turkey and we had a FISH FRY!! Oh man, it was sooo good!! My dad can whip up some amazing beer battered deep fried fish! So yummy and we all ate too much. But isn't that what you are supposed to do on this day!?!

The last time we were in Oregon, Jordan was 10 years old!! The same age his brother Daniel, is now. Wow, that seems like so long ago, but yet just like yesterday... Don't they look a lot alike?

I am so thankful that my children have each other and will always have each other. There are a bunch of them and I know sometimes people wonder how we do this or why we want to have such a large family. But the fact that there are so many of them makes me feel good that they have so many siblings who love them and will always be there for them, when Mark and I are gone. Especially the girlies. :)

Jordan enjoying his fish.

Toria enjoyed hers too!

Anna always enjoys her some good food!!

So does Samuel :)

Daniel loved the fish. We had deep fried bottom fish and a salmon filet. Yum!!

And the man who makes the best fish fry in the world. My dad. So cool that he lives only about 10 miles away from us. :)

Beautiful Anna

The whole gang minus one. We really missed Roy today, but I am very excited that my oldest son is coming to visit us next week! Yea! I can get some updated pictures of him then.

Unfortunately, I still won't be able to get a recent picture of all of them together. By the time Roy gets here, Jordan will have already gone back to school. Ugh, that is just the way it is I guess...

Sweet Madalyn

Justin loves his "girlie girl". He is very protective of her.

Of course the day wouldn't have been complete without a little football (in the dark).

The boys posing in front of the football goal post that Samuel built all by himself.

My little Denver Bronco fan

Oh and just for fun, here's a pic of the girls last Thanksgiving.

It was Anna's and Victoria's first Thanksgiving ever! They have changed so much in just a year!!

I am so thankful for my family and friends and all the blessings in my life too numerous to mention. Also I am thankful that next year we will have another sweet face in the family pictures!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!!!!

Look Who's Standing

2011-11-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Every time we turn around now, we are seeing this sweet little face more vertical than we ever have before.

As a matter of fact, alot of time we think it is Anna standing there. Then we have to look twice and we realize it is Victoria!

And she is really enjoying this new found freedom and viewpoint...

She can reach so many more things! It's just so much more fun than being stuck on the floor all the time.

And best of all...

Just being up there and doing what your little sisters are doing! I mean, come on now. The competition is steep around here!

We're so proud of our little Toria! She is such a determined little girl.... a survivor.

And what a little sweetheart!!!

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Don't forget about Daniel's iPad2 fundraiser!! Please visit this link for more info!!! You can donate to Hailey's Reece's Rainbow account for a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation and to receive your chance(s) to win the iPad2.

Thanks for helping Daniel gain the experience of a lifetime!!

Thanks for donating!!!

2011-11-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is a quick post to say THANKS so much to Allison who was officially the first to donate to Daniel's iPad2 fundraiser!!! Thanks Allison!!!

Daniel was super excited to find out somebody had donated!!! And as a bonus for being his first donation, he wanted that person to receive extra entries for the iPad2. Yea!! You get 5 more entries! So please click on the Contact Us button on our blog to let me know your email info so that I can contact you in case you win! Thanks again so much!

Also, we have had someone donate to Hailey's FSP several times in the last couple months. I have not acknowledged that here on the blog because until recently I didn't know who it was and if it was the same person!! So....the person who donated (LL - I know your name but wasn't sure if you wanted it broadcast to everyone else), you are receiving some entries into the iPad2 giveaway as well! Thank you sooo much!! We are so appreciative. When someone donates toward your adoption and you don't even know them, it is so very humbling and so very amazing!! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!

Remember, anyone who donates please contact me with your email if you donate so that we can get in touch with you later if you win!
And because I always love blogs with pictures and I think every blogpost needs at least one, here's one I think is just so sweet.
Happy Wednesday!! :)

Two of my sweet girlies. :) LOVE them!

Response to Comments and Pictures!!

2011-11-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've got some cute pics to share of the kids at the park, but first I want to say thanks to those of you who have commented on our iPad giveaway blogpost. Thanks to Jane who featured Daniel's fundraiser on her blog!! That is so awesome!!! Thank you so much!! Her blog is a bloghop and once I figure out how that works, I'm going to try to add it to my blog. :)
Also, to Allison who commented on the iPad giveaway. Yes you can donate to the Reece's Rainbow box for Hailey. Please leave a comment when you do, and I will also get that info from RR. :)) I haven't yet figured out how to add a Chip-In that goes to Hailey's RR account, but as soon as I do, I will be adding it!

One more thing. For some reason, I cannot comment on blogs. Not mine or anyone else's for that matter. I can't figure out why, it just keeps sending me to log in over and over. Very frustrating, so that is why I am responding to your messages here. If anyone can to tell me how to fix that problem, please leave a comment and tell me. Thanks!! :))

Next -- a little bit of cuteness.

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We decided to go to the park the other day. It was a bit chilly, but pretty decent for Colorado in November. It won't be long before the girls won't be able to go outside at all, so we took advantage of the day.

Madalyn was super excited!! She loves going outside. And she took off headed down the street!

Good thing big brother is there to help her down the curb. She is ready to head right into the street. She is like a kid in a candy store. Walking/running everywhere and out of control...

Don't you love the green grass with snow at the same time??

We finally decided to try and get her to just ride in the wagon. She stayed there awhile with her sisters...

But she didn't last long. She had to help big brother Samuel by pushing the wagon.

But only for a little while. She is still not too fast of a walker and she got tired. We did walk a long ways after all.

So she rode again for awhile. The rest of the way to the park anyway...

My beautiful Toria

She preferred to be in the wagon I think. She didn't mind all the wood chips and even tasted some of them. But for the most part, Toria would rather be indoors I think. :)

Miss Maddie Pie again

Climbing is such hard work!!

Yea!! At the top finally. With the help of one of her great big brothers.

Justin is always somewhere "high" of course. He has always been my little climber.

And such the little athlete. Can't wait for pee wee wrestling this year! ;)

Samuel and Mark Daniel playing tetherball.

And Justin and his "Girlie Girl" again. He loves her so much!!

She loves him too!! They are great pals, except when he is holding on to her when she is wanting to go down!!

Now she's happy...

I just realized Anna didn't get in many of the pictures. Actually it wasn't because I didn't want to take any of her. But she just spent most of the time crying and frustrated. The playground is covered in wood chips and she has a hard time walking in that kind of stuff. And she was just unhappy for some reason, so I just didn't get any of her besides the one in the wagon. :) So next time, more pics of Anna I promise!

Remember please share Daniel's iPad2 fundraiser! Thanks!!!

Daniel's Ipad 2 Giveaway!!!

2011-11-11T10:01:00.002-07:00

We are excited to announce our first online (and local) fundraiser!! It is really our son Daniel's fundraiser to raise money to help pay for his airplane ticket to China!!

He is doing an iPad 2 giveaway!!

Here's Daniel's "story"...

Mark Daniel is 10 years old. He really loves his little sisters. When we found out we were going to have Madalyn back in 2009, he was 8 years old. He was sooo exited to have a little sister! At the time, we only had boys in our family. Six of them to be exact. So when she came, she surely was "extra" special, in more ways than one! :))

Here's Daniel holding Madalyn when we finally got to bring her home from the NICU. So sweet!

He was really happy when we brought the girls home from Ukraine! This picture was taken a year ago when the girls had been home for only about a month. Wow have they changed!!

Daniel was also the first one to say we needed to adopt little miss Hailey when we saw her new picture. :)

Then once we decided we were definitely going to pursue adopting her, he told us very matter of factly that he WAS going to China! No if's, and's, or but's about it. He was going! Lol

After we thought about it, we decided it would be a great experience for him and told him that he would have to raise the money to pay for the extra plane ticket. We went ahead and applied for his passport.

He was super excited to get that passport yesterday!!

Just about every day Daniel tells me he wants to go get Hailey right now! And I am always right there with him!! I can't wait either buddy!! He also tells us all the time ,that when he grows up and leaves home, he is going to take Hailey with him and take care of her. I guess he thinks we'll be too old and unable to do a good job by then. Lol :) Way to think about the future already Daniel!
Anyway, Daniel wants to tell you in his own words, what he is doing.

Please watch this approximately 45 second video.

Daniel really wants to be a part of this adotion and travel with us. To help him raise the funds, this is what we came up with.

Details of the fundraiser:

iPad 2, 16GB, wi-fi, a retail value of at least $499.00

$10 = 1 entry

$25 = 5 entries

$50 = 10 entries

$100 = 20 entries

$150 = 35 entries

$300 = 80 entries!!

PLEASE spread the word!!

If for some reason we don't bring in enough money to pay for the iPad 2, we will split the money 50/50 with the winner. Praying we bring in more than enough money and we don't have to worry about that!

Oh and if we bring in at least $2500, we will add the iPad smart cover to be given along with the iPad 2!!!

Winners will be chosen using random.org. So PLEASE donate and Share Share Share!! Spread the word and help Daniel raise enough money to go to China with me to bring Hailey home! You can donate in the Reece's Rainbow box in the top right sidebar of the blog for Hailey's adoption grant for your tax deductible donation or in the one below.

Thanks so much!! And please help us spread the word!!

A Teenager in the House again

2011-10-31T10:23:00.000-06:00

Sam, you turn 13 years old today! Wow has time flown! It doesn't seem that long ago that you were small. My little Halloween baby.

Here you are on the left with you twin cousins Jesse and Joshua. You have always loved hanging out with them!

Before you were born, we had promised your older brothers (and Jesse and Josh's older siblings) a Fall carnival party for that day, but you crashed the party!! We didn't get to have it and they have never forgotten that! Lol I'm pretty sure they forgave you for it though! ha ha

Here you are on your first birthday. You wore a cow costume that Granny made for you! So cute!

You have been growing up so big and fast! Here you are with Mark Daniel. When he came along, you loved being a big brother!

And you were very loved as a little brother! Here you are with Roy and Jordan.

You are growing up to be such a wonderful young man.

And such a loving big brother!

Here you are a couple years ago with Bumblebee (aka Mark Daniel) and your cousins Jesse and Josh again! Trick or Treating with them has almost become a tradition for your birthday.

And last year...

(it's you behind the mask)

We also got to spend your birthday with your cousins Madison and McKenna last year! Super fun!!

What a blessing you are to us!

And the rest of your family.

We know how much you love those girlies!

We love you so very much!

And we are so looking forward to watching you continue to grow into an amazing young man!!!

Happy 13th Birthday Samuel!!! We love you!

Our Blessing of Down syndrome and a Poem

2011-10-29T21:18:00.000-06:00

When you have given birth to a child who has Down syndrome (or other special needs), it changes you.

Completely and fully.

Our daughter Madalyn in the NICU right after birth and after her surgery for

Duodenal Atresia and Tracheal Esophageal Fistula

You view life in a whole new way. Nothing like you ever did before. You join this new "club", whether you wanted to or not. Sometimes you figure out it's a place you really kind of like to be.

For the most part.

You have joined an exclusive group, but not by choice. This group of folks who have experienced the same kind of grief as you... the loss of your child. Not a physical loss, but a loss nonetheless.

Of the child you thought you were going to have.

All the while experiencing this joy you never knew before. Maybe you even have a little bit of guilt for having grieved at all.

Because your treasure is so amazing.

Madalyn age 1

Even through all of it, (and because of) all the things you have had to endure because of these "special needs", you realize what a gift you have. You know you are reallly not the one who had to endure the worst of it. She has.

Madalyn after open heart surgery at 7 months.

But you could not imagine being given a greater blessing.

Madalyn. She is a sweetheart and a precious gift from above.

I came across this sweet poem and I thought I would share it. We continue to be so thankful our extra special blessings and as always encourage others to adopt a child with Down syndrome! It will bless your socks off!!

Heaven's Very Special Child

A meeting was held quite far from Earth
It was time again for another birth.
Said the Angels to the Lord above --
This special child will need much love.

Her progress may be very slow
Accomplishment she may not show.
And she'll require extra care
From the folks she meets down there.

She may not run or laugh or play
Her thoughts may seem quite far away
So many times she will be labeled
'different,' 'helpless' and disabled.

So, let's be careful where she's sent.
We want her life to be content.
Please, Lord, find the parents who
Will do a special job for you.
They will not realize right away
The leading role they are asked to play.
But with this child sent from above
Comes stronger faith, and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for their gift from heaven.
Their precious charge, so meek and mild
Is heaven's very special child.

by Edna Massimilla

Wrestling and Down syndrome

2011-10-22T20:08:00.001-06:00

If you know anything about us, you know we LOVE wrestling. And if you know anything about us, you know we are excited about Down syndrome. Soooo it would make sense that we think this is Super Cool!! I love reading articles like this. People with Down syndrome are just like anyone else, they can do anything they put their minds to! :)) Check this out...

Team embraces middle school wrestler with Down syndrome

Billy Wolfbrandt, left, has fun wrestling with teammate Danny Chung, right, during practice at Faith Lutheran Middle School.

Billy Wolfbrandt is one of the strongest wrestlers on the Faith Lutheran middle school wrestling team

Click here for more pictures.

Billy Wolfbrandt can't stop smiling as he goes through wrestling practice with the rest of his Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School teammates.
It doesn't matter if he is conditioning, stretching or learning new moves, if he makes a mistake, his teammates tell him. If Wolfbrandt, an eighth grader with special needs, requires more time to learn moves, the coaches work with him. When he scores points, cheers and high fives are aplenty.
Wolfbrandt is arguably the most-liked person in the wrestling room. He is inspired by the competition but likely not as much as those around Wolfbrandt are inspired by him.
Neither Wolfbrandt nor Faith Lutheran will allow his Down syndrome stop him from pursuing his passion for sports, particularly wrestling.
"It's been a thrill seeing him wrestle," Wolfbrandt's father, Lew Wolfbrandt said. "Everyone has been so accepting of him and he's just had a blast doing it. Part of what works with him is he feeds off the hard action of wrestling. The soft-touch and delicate sports doesn't do with him."
Billy Wolfbrandt is one of four students at Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School's middle school involved in the Mark 10:14 Program, which includes special needs students in regular classroom environments and in extracurricular activities.
Other students in the program have participated in the school's art club, computer club, choir, and basketball and track teams. Billy Wolfbrandt decided to play football and wrestle.
"He's always liked sports," Lew Wolfbrandt said. "He likes watching it on TV. He's a hard one to sit and watch a football game with because he's yelling at the TV the whole time."
As a seventh grader, Billy Wolfbrandt played flag football and wrestled. This fall, he played on the Crusaders' eighth-grade tackle football team, seeing game time as a defensive tackle and on special teams.
Though he was somewhat uncomfortable at the beginning, Billy Wolfbrandt grew accustomed to being knocked down and wearing heavy pads. Teammates would make a habit of forming a circle around him and cheering.
But he has made his biggest strides in wrestling, his father said.
Last season, Lew Wolfbrandt said, Faith Lutheran wrestling coaches would inform opposing teams of his son's condition. His opponents would compete at half speed, allowing him the opportunity to execute moves he had learned.
But this year, Wolfbrandt has advanced enough that opponents wrestle him the same as any other match.
Faith Lutheran coach David Keavin still periodically teaches Woflbrandt moves at a slower pace than the rest of the team, but the coach said Wolfbrandt has improved "three fold" from a year ago.
"Last year, he was new to it and didn't know how to control himself in the wrestling room, but he's gotten a lot better," Keavin said. "He's got the fundamentals down now. It's easier trying to teach him a move when I say certain wrestling terms. Now he understands them and he'll do them right away."
Keavin said Billy Wolfbrandt, who wrestles at 140 pounds, is one of the strongest wrestlers Faith Lutheran's team has and opponents struggle to take him down. The coach hopes he will continue to wrestle at the high school level.
"I hope to see him there," Keavin said. "I've talked to the (high school) varsity coach. He's glad to have Billy when he gets to the high school level. They'll get him matches just like I do, and he should have the same fun he has up there as he does with us."
Lee Segalla, who is in charge of the Mark 10:14 Program, said Billy Wolfbrandt has continued to progress since joining the program, adding participating in athletics in a big reason for the success.
Before he joined the Mark 10:14 Progam, "he didn't know many kids or know much about school, but now he knows almost everyone by name and he does very good in class," said Chase Povlov, one of Wolfbrandt's classmates. "It's good he's trying to do what everyone else is doing, and I think it's really nice he's on the wrestling team."
Lew Wolfbrandt said one of the biggest rewards about his son's participation in sports is watching how much teammates, coaches, opponents and fans have welcomed his son.
"He hasn't won a match, but if you ask him, he's won every one of them," Lew Wolfbrandt said. "Last week, he scored a bunch of points and at the end of the match the whole crowd cheered because when he gets up — win, lose or draw — he puts his hands in the air with a big grin and was happy he was able to compete."

Christopher Drexel can be reached at 990-8929 or christopher.drexel@hbcpub.com.

For the actual article, click here.

I just think this is awesome!! Go Billy!! :)

Pajama Pics

2011-10-19T22:36:00.000-06:00

Down syndrome Creed

2011-10-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

My face may be different

But my feelings the same

I laugh and I cry...

And take pride in my gains

I was sent here among you
To teach you to love
As God in the heavens
Looks down from above

To Him I'm no different
His love knows no bounds
It's those here among you
In cities and towns

That judge me by standards

That man has imparted

But this family I've chosen

Will help me get started

For I'm one of the children

So special and few

That came here to learn

The same lessons as you

That love is acceptance

It comes from the heart

We all have the same purpose

Though not from the start

The Lord gave me life

To live and embrace

And I'll do it as you do

But at my own pace.

Waiting Boys

2011-10-13T22:40:00.001-06:00

Okay, here are some of the waiting boys listed on Reece's Rainbow. All these boys are in China and all of them need families! Please consider if one of these little guys is meant to be yours. And if you can't adopt right now, please consider donating to one of their adoption grants. Even $5 helps. Money shouldn't have to be what stands in the way of these little ones finding a family. So the more money that we can get in their accounts, the more likely they to be adopted!!

Teagan is a cutie pie! I bet he would really blossom and develop quickly if only he had a family to give him the attention he deserves!

Boy, born January 20, 2007

Because Teagan has Down syndrome, his physical development, intelligence and mental development developed slowly and was delayed compared to kids of similar age obviously, especially motion and flexibility of his limbs were slightly poorer. In recent years, with the efforts of this institute and foster parents, he can stand by holding onto objects, walk slowly. Now according to his growth foster parents offered him speech rehabilitative and limb training every day.

Teagan is shy, has a ready smile, likes to listen to music very much. When music plays all of his attention is attracted. When being glad he will swing his body following the musical rhythms. He likes to play toys very much, in particular toy cars are his favorite toys. We hope that he who is shy could become more and more active.

Jimmy is really in need of a family! If he doesn't find one soon, it is possible that he may not be able to be adopted at all! :( Please consider this sweet little guy!

Jimmy, Born March 30, 2007

From a missionary who visited with him in May 2010: " Jimmy is a delightful three year old with Down Syndrome. He is decribed as being quiet and playful. Jimmy doesn’t walk by himself yet, but he can get anywhere he needs by holding onto furniture and walls. He only says a few words, but understands so much more. Jimmy has a close relationship with his foster father. When foster dad hugs him and raises him up, he laughs happily. Jimmy also loves the outdoors. When foster mom takes him to pick up his older foster brother from school, he raises his head in his stroller, looks at the sky, and laughs heartily. He is curious about everything. "
Update in July 2011: Jimmy, now four years old, has been on the shared list for a long time … At the time his file was submitted, he didn’t even walk yet! Now he runs. When the file was prepared, he didn’t speak at all. He’s still a man of few words, but he does call those in his foster family by name … If his family doesn’t find him soon, they may move him out of his foster home to make room for another child who they feel may have a better chance at a family."
More photos available, along with full medical records

Silas is sooo cute! I love his glasses!!! Oh my goodness, he looks like quite a character! Sounds like he is doing really well, too!

Boy, born May, 2007

Silas has Down syndrome. He is very bright and has excellent verbal skills for a child with Down syndrome. He likes to sing and perform. He is doing well at kindy. He has good relationships, but is a little cheeky, lively and has a strong will.
More photos and video available, along with full social history and medical records

Caleb (China) is as precious as they come!! Oh he is adorable!

Caleb Born November 29, 2007
From a missionary who visited with him in August 2010: “ Caleb is extroverted, active and restless. He has a ready smile, enjoys playing with other children. He loves listening to music, watching cartoons. He is energetic and likes being outdoors!” More photos available, along with full social history and medical records

Luke is older and he really needs to find a family! He looks like he is really needing a mommy!

Boy, Born July 24, 2003

From a missionary who visited with him in August 2010: “ Luke is a sweet boy who came to the orphanage at the age of 4 years. He began their “Half Heaven” kindergarten program and is doing well. Luke is able to eat and ress by himself, is potty trained, and plays well with others. Luke is very fond of music. He is physically active, and medically healthy”.
More photos available, along with full social history and medical records

Henry is such a little guy. He is not quite 3 years old yet and it would be the perfect time for a family to bring him home. He is super cute too!

Henry Born November 20, 2008

From a missionary who visited with her in August 2010: “ Henry is so cute! Totally healthy and chubby, and will do great in a family.”
More photos available, along with full social history and medical records

All these little guys are just precious. Like I said above, please consider adopting an orphan with Down syndrome!

I know... it can be scary and overwhelming to think about going through the whole international process. It can also be scary to think about how your life might change by bringing a child from an orphanage home. And if you don't already have experience with DS, it might seem even more challenging. What will it be like? Will they be able to bond to your family? Will you be able to bond to them? Will they have all kinds of behaviors and issues that you can't handle? There are so many questions. And it definitely requires alot of research and reading and learning about all those issues!! For sure don't go into something without researching and learning all you can about it!!!

But I am also here to say that it is totally worth it. Our family would not be the same without our daughters. We are so glad we stepped out in faith and adopted the girls. Was it hard work? Yes!! Was it sometimes not so easy and very stressful? Yes!
But it was oh so worth it! :)

Dirty faces and all.

Adoption Update

2011-10-11T14:37:00.000-06:00

First of all, I wanted to say THANK YOU!!! to the people who donated to our FSP! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! I know this is a bit late, but I have not forgotten! It was so exciting to see that $0 go to $125!!! So thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts! It is awesome to know that people who don't know us (and who do) are so very generous!! :)) Every dollar helps us get closer to our girl!! :))

We are still waiting on our homestudy to be done. We have been told we should have the first draft by this Friday, and I am really hoping that will be the case! Then if everything looks okay to us and our placement agency, it has to be sent to the State of Colorado to be approved. That is one of the requirements of our state. I'm hoping that it won't take too long to get that part done, because I am very anxious to get our stuff sent to USCIS. I have "heard" that I800A's are being processed relatively quickly lately. I'm hoping we can get ours in while this is still the case. If there's anyone reading this that can either confirm this or has experienced something different recently, please leave a comment and let me know! :) The quicker that part is done, the sooner we can send our dossier!
Our dossier for China seems to be somewhat easy I'm excited to say. Although I use the term easy loosely. We are not done with it yet, and my only other experience with putting together a dossier is the one we did for Ukraine. And anyone who has adopted from Ukraine knows that Ukraine's dossier is certainly not easy (kind of a big pain in the rear really). Ha!
It seems like things are moving super slow. I know, it's only been a couple months. And I really wish I had some updated pictures of our girl. But since I don't, I will have to just share this one again. I never get tired of looking at her sweet face! I just wanna go get her and give her big hugs and kisses! I want to get through all of this time consuming paperwork and just bring our little girl home! I absolutely cannot wait to meet her!

Isn't she just so beautiful?!?

Well, that is about it for my update. Please pray that our homestudy gets done super fast and that we can get through the USCIS part quickly too! Thank you!!

It's hard to believe we were back in Ukraine on our 2nd trip last year on this day getting all the last pieces of paperwork ready so we could pick up our girls from the orphanage forever! And a year ago today we FOR SURE weren't thinking we would be sending our paperwork back to USCIS to bring another daughter home! :) But I'm so glad we are!!! Thank you God for allowing us to do this again!!

A New Look

2011-10-11T00:23:00.000-06:00

In case you hadn't already noticed...we changed the look of our blog and the title, too! So if you were a little concerned that you were not at the place you thought you were supposed to be, don't worry!! You are at the right place, it just looks a lot different! :))

A Few Facts

2011-10-09T23:58:00.000-06:00

Since it is Down syndrome Awareness month, I figured I'd better do a few blog posts with some facts about Down syndrome. Here's a couple to start with.

What is Down syndrome?
Down syndrome is a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and intellectual development. It occurs in approximately one in every 800 live births. Individuals with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. It is the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder. Down syndrome is not related to race, nationality, religion or socioeconomic status. The most important fact to know about individuals with Down syndrome is that they are more like others than they are different.

The Cause

Down syndrome is usually caused by an error in cell division called nondisjunction. It is not known why this occurs. However, it is known that the error occurs at conception and is not related to anything the mother did during pregnancy. It has been known for some time that the incidence of Down syndrome increases with advancing maternal age. However, 80% of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35 years of age.

Health Issues

Many children with Down syndrome have health complications beyond the usual childhood illnesses. Approximately 40% of the children have congenital heart defects. It is very important that an echocardiogram be performed on all newborns with Down syndrome in order to identify any serious cardiac problems that might be present.

Some of the heart conditions require surgery while others only require careful monitoring. Children with Down syndrome have a higher incidence of infection, respiratory, vision, and hearing problems as well as thyroid and other medical conditions. However, with appropriate medical care most children with Down syndrome can lead healthy lives. The average life expectancy of individuals with Down syndrome is 55 years, with many living into their sixties and seventies.

And I've decided to add my own Down syndrome fact for the day.
Children with Down syndrome are SUPER CUTE!!!!

(More DS facts to be continued...)

Thankful

2011-10-08T22:27:00.001-06:00

Just so very thankful tonight,

for the many beautiful

blessings in my life...

Our Before and Afters

2011-10-06T23:35:00.000-06:00

Seems like there have been a lot of before and after pics going around lately so I decided to go back and look at Anna and Victoria's pictures from a year ago. Wow have they changed!! Check em' out...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victoria was 21 months old when we met her. She weighed 12 lbs and could not sit up or hold a toy. She didn't even have enough energy to hold her head up for very long. She didn't even really know how to be "held" in our arms.

Before

After

A year later she weighs 20 lbs, is crawling, pulling to stand, climbing, and learning sign language. She loves to hold books and turn the pages, play with toys and watch baby signing time. What a special blessing our little Toria is!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anna was 19 months old when we met her and weighed 14 lbs. She could crawl, sit up and play with toys. She was cute as could be, but very serious and rarely broke a smile. She was very curious and thoughtful about all that was going on around her.

Before

After

Now Anna weighs 23 lbs and is walking all over the place. She is still very curious and gets into everything. Did I say everything?! She is very smart, knows lots of signs and will mimic almost anything you do. She is intense (especially about her food) but is also a very happy girl. She loves to smile and laugh and be the center of attention. She has gone from a baby to a little girl so fast! We sure do love this little lady!

A few more pics of them together...

At our apartment in Kiev (Oct 2010)

At home in Colorado (Oct 2011)

Need I say more? We are so blessed!!

Bring Our Children Home

2011-10-05T20:06:00.001-06:00

What a great song with pictures of former orphans! I love it!
So very thankful for the Father that loves them more than we
do and will help us bring our children home!

Four Girls Still Waiting

2011-10-04T19:38:00.000-06:00

Four beautiful little girls waiting for their forever families. All these girls
are in China, just waiting, waiting waiting...
Are you their Mommy or Daddy??

Meet Callie!! Callie is already 5 years old, just like our Hailey. She
needs a family soon! Isn't she just adorable?

Girl, Born February 24, 2006

From a missionary who visited with her in August 2010: “ Callie is an active girl who enjoys being outdoors. She can drink by herself , go up and down stairs, and play ball.”

More photos available, along with full social history and medical records.

$1074.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

And here's Tara!

Looks like Tara just turned 9 years old. Wow! She has been waiting
a really long time!! :(
Girl, Born September 30, 2002
China
She is extroverted and can express her feelings very well. When she is happy she will greet you warmly and embrace you enthusiastically; if she thinks that she was treated wrongly she will make sharp sound and cry loudly to blow off her discontent. She has made great physical progress and can go up and down stairs and loves to dance around!
Please contact: Ky Bower

Meet sweet Penny!

She is a little peanut! Only a little over a year old! She would adjust
easily into a family I'm sure!! She is just precious!!

She giggles when she is teased. She likes to shout out loud when she is happy. When she sees food, she gets very excited. She turns her head when her name is called. She enjoys listening to music and having her foster family sing to her. She likes to play with dolls and enjoys being outdoors. She is a child with Down Syndrome and an ASD heart defect waiting for her permanent home.

And this is Erika!

Looks like someone shaved her head. :( She will be even more
beautiful when her hair grows out!

Girl, born October 2009

This sweet little girl has been in care since she was approximately 5 days old and is waiting for her forever family. Upon admission she was found to be 18.8 inches tall and weighed 6.6lbs. She has been diagnosed with Down’s syndrome as well as a heart murmur. She reportedly likes to dance with adults. She also enjoys playing with her peers whom she likes. She is described as an active little girl with strong adaptability and clear likes and dislikes. She enjoys playing and excitedly screams and laughs when she does. As of April 2011 she was able to walk alone, respond to her name, wave and follow simple instructions. In May 2011 she was 34.2 inches tall and weighed 30.8 lbs.

This little girl is in need of a family who are comfortable and prepared to parent a child with Down’s syndrome. To adopt this child, applicants must be 30-54 years old and meet an income requirement of $30,000 plus $10,000 per additional family member, with $80,000 net worth. More than 4 children in the home may be accepted.* See country criteria for complete requirements.

For more information on any of these children or to learn more about adopting a child with Down syndrome or other special needs, please visit Reece's Rainbow!!

We're More Alike Than Different

2011-10-03T19:12:00.000-06:00

Presenting the "We're More Alike Than Different" youtube clip that I think is so awesome! It's well worth a few minutes of your time to watch and see what just a few adults with Down syndrome are doing with their lives! And if you would like to see more about them, you can go to the National Down Syndrome Congress and watch the full video there that shows more about the lives of the people in this clip. It is worth a few minutes of your time as well!! :))

"See, we're more alike than different!!"

P.S. Don't forget to scroll down and turn the music off on my playlist before you try to listen to the video.

Mini RR Reunion

2011-10-02T21:27:00.000-06:00

I posted these pictures on facebook, but never did add them to the blog. So I guess that will be today's blog post in honor of Down syndrome Awareness. :)
In August we had some company come all the way from Texas. The Harper family!! It was kinda spur of the moment and not planned, but we are super glad they came!! My kids are still talking about how much fun they had and keep asking when we are going to get to go to Texas to see them again! We met this family last year while we were in Ukraine adopting the girls. Well, we met 3 members of the family anyway....Wendy, Charlie and Levi.

At a park in Ukraine.

Mark and Wendy reading the map trying to figure out

where we were.... Wendy was a great tour guide!

Charlie

Levi

Wendy doing her best to entertain her two boys. They kept her busy!

These boys were in a different orphanage than my girls, but in the same city. And I had the honor of getting to go with Wendy on a couple of her visits with the boys. It is a bonding experience when you spend time with someone in a place like that. When you are basically alone in a whole different country and culture and not knowing the language and feeling so very far away from home. And we were both adopting 2 children with Down syndrome.

Anyway, here's the Westbrook and Harper kiddos together on the front steps of our house in our little ol' town in SW Colorado. There were 16 kids in my house for a couple days!! And I tell you what...you really wouldn't have been able to tell. The Harper kids are such great kids!! We really enjoyed your company, Harpers, and we can't wait to get together again!!

I 'm gonna leave you with some cute pics of four super special Reece's Rainbow angels. A year ago all 4 were still in their home country, just waiting for the day they would leave the orphanage forever with their family. And now here they are:

Charlie and Levi Harper

Anna and Victoria Westbrook

former orphans

Myths About Down syndrome

2011-10-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

                                                                  Grab This Button

Ok, I am going to attempt this. I am going to try to blog every day for the month of October. I think I tried last year, but I'm pretty sure I did not accomplish it. Probably didn't help that we were in Ukraine for about half of the month and then home with the girls the last part with a couple 24 hour plane rides in between. :) Things got really busy, and my blogging definitely didn't reach high on the priority list.... This year actually seems just as busy, but we are at least in a routine now and it seems sort of possible. Ha! I will try!

So anyway, I am going to start with some myths about Down syndrome. I thought it was interesting and thought you might think so, too. I got this information from here, and yes I copied it to share it with you, but I wanted to give credit where credit was due. So enjoy!

Down Syndrome Myths and Facts

I get emails or phone calls very often from families who have a new diagnosis of T21. Sometimes it is their friends or relatives who make the first contact. Then soon, the parents are emailing or calling. This has brought me a unique perspective of the entire process of receiving the news of Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, in utero. I would love to share some of the things that are said to me, and clear up any confusion.

Myth #1:

My child will die young, as individuals with Down syndrome do not live longer than the mid 20′s

Reality: This is simply not true. Individuals are living well into their 50′s and even longer, now that proper medical care is being given to treat heart or other life threatening conditions. Many individuals are capable of employment, living independently, and enjoy many hobbies and activites. See our T21 individuals in the news.

Myth #2:

Your child will suffer.

Reality: Again, this could not be further from the truth. Many people in the world require corrective surgery. If your child needs surgery for any reason, the medical care given to individuals with Ds is wonderful. You can expect your child to do beautifully, and continue to thrive. While as many as 30-50% my have a heart condition, only approximately 5% will require open heart. The care of that 5%, by qualified pediatric cardiologists, is remarkable. The remaining 25-45% will have other less invasive procedures, or just be monitored. The cardiac care these days is absolutely amazing!! All other corrective surgery is also incredible. Any medical conditions can be treated today, unlike years ago when treatment was unknown. With proper medical care, individuals go on to live happy and wonderful lives!

Myth #3:

The physicians have told me that my child’s Down syndrome is worse than other cases.

Reality: This is simply impossible to tell in utero. Or even right at birth for that matter. Even children with many surgical needs have gone on to do amazing things. Karen Gaffney is an amazing example of an individual who needed much corrective surgery, and has gone on to do amazing things. She is not unique, this happens all over the world. I have met soo many families who have seen their family member through medical care, and the individual goes on to do beautifully in every way.

Myth #4:

The physicians have told me my child has a mild case of Down syndrome.

Reality: While there are many different abilities for individuals with Down syndrome, a physican can not tell in utero or at birth, how a child will fare. Most instances where an individual has a more difficult time learning or behaving, is indication of a dual diagnosis. Typical children have this exact possiblity. If a child needs corrective surgery, that does notmean they will have severe developmental delays. Individuals with Down syndrome benefit from loving homes, early intervention, inclusive education, appropriate medical care and positive public attitudes.

Myth #5:

Your chances of having a child with Down syndrome increases greatly after age 35.

Reality: Yes, indeed your chances increase. But let’s discuss the word greatly. When we see the estimated rates in the books, you may see that at age 20 it is 1/1231. At age 25 it is1/887. At age 30 it is 1/685. At age 35 it is 1/274. And finally at age 40 it is 1/78. So, yes, your chance does increase with age. And boy, when you put it that way, it sure does look like it increases greatly. However, if you were to look at these numbers in percentages, they look a little more interesting. Age 20: .08%. Age 30: .15%. Age 35: .36%. Age 40: 1%. So as one physician said to us, “Leave the guilt at the door”, because at age 39, our estimated risk was 1/100. That means there was a 1% chance of having a child with Down syndrome. That means we had a 99% chance of not having a child with Down syndrome. He went on to add, “Who would think to not have a child if you have a 99% chance of this not happening?” Now, to set the record straight, this was the way he put it. We say, ”Wow, what a miracle. We had a 99% chance of not having this gift from God. Whew, that was close!” We don’t ever want to imagine what our life would be like with out our beautiful daughter. So indeed, the numbers do increase. However, when you look at it from a percentage view point, it sure makes this drastic rise, that many professionals talk about, seem pretty insignificant doesn’t it? You have a better chance of having other things happen to you. In fact, there are a lot of ailments we all have a greater chance of having than the chance of being blessed with a child with Down syndrome. One additional point to add to this; 80% of all children born with Ds are born to mothers 35 and under. Many think this happens only to older mothers, since there is an increase. However, as you can see, the great increase is not as great as is told, so with the decrease in women having children at older ages, this makes the number of children with Down syndrome being born more often to younger moms. Numbers are interesting aren’t they?

Myth #6:

Bringing a child who has Down syndrome into your family will be harmful to your other children.
Reality: Again, just not true! In fact it is just the opposite. Your other children actually have a higher chance of becoming more compassionate and accepting of other people. The benefits have been a best kept secret until Dr. Brian Skotko did a study on the affects of having a sibling with Down syndrome. Another unexpected blessing.

Myth #7:

There is a higher divorce rate for families who have a child with Down syndrome.

Reality: While divorce can happen in any family, the studies are actually showing it is currently lower in the families who have a member who happens to have Trisomy 21. Perhaps it has something to do with the many lessons they teach us about life. Click here to see more on this.

Myth #8:

This will ruin your life.

Reality: It has indeed been a new journey for all of our families, and one that can require many graces at times. (Show me parenting that doesn’t need more at some times!) But ruining our lives… that is simply not happening! An extra chromosome is all it is. The fear of that, is much more paralyzing than the reality. Enjoy your pregnancy! Enjoy your baby!

I just wanted to add that it is probably obvious that we don't think having a baby with Down syndrome has ruined our life. As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite! That is not to say that we didn't have a tough time when we first got the news. Madalyn was our first baby girl after 6 boys. We were not expecting to have another baby, but once we accepted that, we were pretty happy. And finding out she was a girl was so exciting! But then we found out she also had DS and that was tough. Add to that, we knew she was going to have a bowel issue (Duodenal Atresia) that would require surgery at birth and heart surgery later, and you have a recipe for a little bit of stress. And it continues to be hard at times.  Parenting a child with DS is not always easy.  Let's face it, parenting itself is not easy! But it is so very worth it!! It is the farthest thing from ruining a life that I could ever think of. As a matter of fact, out of all the parents who have children with DS that I know, not one of them has ever indicated anything like that to me. It has always been the quite the opposite!

That may be because most (but certainly not all) of the parents I talk to are Reece's Rainbow families. :) And you know what that means! These are the people who have discovered what a joy it is to raise a child with DS! And they are bringing another child with DS into their family. Sometimes even 2 or 3 at a time! Kinda like us... :))  Ha! But the really cool part is that many of these families are adopting kids with DS without having had a child with Down syndrome previously!!  I just think that is really super cool!! What an amazing organization Reece's Rainbow is!! (But that's the subject of another post). I could go on and on about this, so I better stop now.

I think I will go love on my little girlies before bedtime...

Good night!!

Blog Construction

2011-09-29T10:49:00.000-06:00

As you may be able to tell, our blog is under construction right now. We are trying to make a few changes to update it and make it look pretty. :)

Do you like my construction pics? These are pictures my husband took last year of a construction site outside our apartment in Kiev. Yes, that is the type of thing that interests my hubby. :)) And it helped to entertain him during our time there... Glad I could finally use them here on the blog!! Ha!

Pink Courthouses

2011-09-28T20:35:00.000-06:00

One year ago today, after having traveled many miles across a huge body of water (Atlantic Ocean), we made a mad dash in a tiny black sports car (our taxi) to this cute pink little building (our courthouse)...

...sat before a lady in a robe (our judge) and answered some questions about ourselves. We listened to alot of talking in Russian that we did not understand, waited while our facilitator had to make a phone call to our other facilitator to confirm something in our paperwork, and tried to not worry about what they were talking about. Then we were asked to stand and state our names and ask the court if we could adopt these two precious little girls.

There was more talking and then everyone started smiling and our facilitator told us the judge declared us Anna and Victoria's parents. Woohoo!

We were so excited we took a picture of ourselves back at the apartment. After court, we had had to rush back to our car because our facilitator needed to be somewhere else (because they really are sooo busy).

We celebrated by walking up the really long hill from our apartment to eat at McDonalds. :) Two more little girls now officially part of the Westbrook clan!!

Anna Michal Faith

Then

Now

Victoria Margaret Hope

Then

Now

They have grown so much!! We are still so amazed at the wonderful gifts we have been given and we continue to be thankful that God deemed us worthy to be their parents. It has been a ton of work and some hard times mixed in with the good, but it has been so worth it!

If you are considering adoption, but maybe a little bit hesitant or afraid or whatever...please take that leap of faith like we did a year and a half ago! I am positive you will not regret it. :) We cannot imagine our life without these two!

Workouts and Gymnasts

2011-09-20T09:37:00.000-06:00

Normally, the girls have their Early Intervention people coming to the house for therapy. Once a week for physical therapy and twice a week for speech.

But today, they got to go somewhere else for P/T. It was a nice change for them.

They got to play outside first. They always love to be outside!

Walking around on the wood chips was good for practicing balance and perfecting their walking skills. Anna is getting so good at it. I think she is walking most of the time now!  Instead of taking a couple steps, falling, and then just crawling the rest of the way to wherever she was going. :)

She's so cute, still walking with her hands

up most of the time for balance.

They had fun just digging in the wood chips, too.

I love watching them interact with each

other. These girls have their moments, but they

really do pretty well most of the time!

Justin was having a great time as well.

He's always telling me how much he loves

his "gullie gulls" (girlie girls).

He's my little sweetheart.

Madalyn really wanted to get on the swing. They didn't have any

baby swings there, so we tried her on this one and she really

liked it! When it was time to head inside, she did not want

to get off that big girl swing!!

But once we got inside, the swing was quickly forgotten.

And they all had a blast!

Toria loved the trampoline and really got to giggling

anytime someone bounced by her.

Climbing was fun, too!

Madalyn trying out the rings.

And Justin, my little monkey.

I think he could have a future in gymnastics!

The balance beam was just the right height for them.

They loved the bars! Aren't these the cutest little bars

just the right size for 2 year old girls!

Toria preferred to crawl up and down the mats. It was just her speed!

Hopefully we will be doing this a couple times a month.

It was a great workout for them and the extra bonus for me....

they all took a great nap! :))

And who knows, maybe one of the girls will take a liking to gymnastics and follow in the footsteps of their cousins Madison and McKenna.

And if you haven't seen the video of gymnast Chelsea Werner, you gotta check it out here!! Oh, yea, she's got DS, too!

Adoption Progress

2011-09-15T13:26:00.001-06:00

I just want to tell everyone who has read and left comments here on the blog thank you so much for the encouraging words about our family adopting Hailey!!! It is just really awesome to know that ya'll feel that way! (Sometimes it surprises me that there really are that many people that read this blog). Anyway, thanks a bunch and keep commenting, we love to hear from you!! :))

Here's just a quick update as far as adoption stuff is concerned. At the beginning of September we officially got our pre approval (PA in adoption lingo for China adoptions) for Hailey. For those of you that don't know China adoptions, it just means that we are officially locked in to adopt her from China! That was really exciting and it means that she is taken off the China shared list and that she is "on hold" basically for our family. And it also means that now we have 6 months to get our dossier sent to China. We are hoping our homestudy update will be done this month and we have already started working on dossier documents. We were told to expect to travel sometime next summer, as the timeframe for adopting from China typically runs about 9-12 months. Of course, we are really praying and hoping that it will be much sooner than that! That is just too far away to imagine! Our little girl needs to come home way before her 6th birthday in July!! Alot depends on how fast the homestudy is done and how long immigration will take. So if ya'll will remember us in your prayers, please pray for a smooth process and quick approval from USCIS. We haven't actually sent our paperwork to them yet, and I will keep you updated as we go. But it doesn't hurt to start praying ahead of time, does it?! :))

I finally got our blog button added. Please add it to your blog if you have one and help us get the word out about Hailey's adoption. Thanks!!!!

Grab This!
Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

Then and Now and Cowboy Hats

2011-09-11T22:49:00.023-06:00

Today we decided to head to town for lunch at the park and some shopping.

While we were at the park, we remembered that we had done this very thing one year ago today. It was actually Sunday Sept. 12, 2010 but you know what I mean. We spent the afternoon at the park and river with our kids. It was the day before we left for Ukraine.

I remember being so happy that we were not actually going to be flying on September 11, because that is just too scary for someone who is already afraid of flying (me). Ha! :) And I remember being so excited to finally be almost there, but yet so sad to be leaving my kids and going so far away!!

Anyway, it was kinda cool because it wasn't planned but there we were at the same park having lunch and hanging out. This time with 2 more little girls!

And beautiful little girls I might add. I'm not biased or anything!

Here's the kids from last year.

And this year....

Notice the same rocks and everything.

They've changed so much! Especially Madalyn. Wow!

And now we have Anna and Toria here with us! We are so blessed!!!

Toria - one sock on, one sock off.

Victoria ate dirt for the first time today. I'm pretty sure she didn't like it, but I was glad she was interested in putting something besides just her hand into her mouth. You go girl!

I just liked this picture. There's just something about a guy in a cowboy hat. :))

We are so thankful for everything we have and the many blessings we have been given. What a great day!

My Little Tornadoes

2011-09-06T21:47:00.000-06:00

Somebody is going around my house.

Room to room.

Leaving me a little trail of sorts.

Hmmm...I wonder who it could be.

A trail that looks more like the kind a tornado might leave behind.

More drawers torn apart and tossed aside. Something (or someone) is having a bit of a good time I think.

Could it be 2 little tornadoes??

Another room caught in the path of destruction...

Could this be a clue?? Yes, I believe so!

Ah-Ha! Somebody caught in the act....

Finally, I have located both culprits!!

Who us??

I think it's time for a bath and bed. It's no wonder I can't get anything done around here!!

Yay for bedtime!

(or so I thought!)

After getting the 3rd girl in her jammies, this is what I found...

Naughty little girls.

"Uh-oh". Look at that guilty face.

Ugh. I give up!

"Don't look at me, it's not my fault."

Introducing....Hailey

2011-09-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

Does anyone remember this little girl? She has been listed on Reece's Rainbow for quite some time. Isn't she precious?!

This sweet face is little Hailey from China. We first noticed her a couple months after we had gotten home from Ukraine with Anna and Toria. Her little picture just tugged at my heart, and I remember thinking how I wish we could adopt her. It was one of those thoughts where you know you can't really do it, but you just want to think about it! And how awesome it would be if you could. But then reality hits you as you stare at the 7 kids you already have at home and 4 of them are age 3 and under... And you just spent 25K on an adoption and you are still really just adjusting to it all...

I would love to go into the whole story, but I will try to shorten it a bit. Last Christmas, we first saw her picture. For 5 months or so, we prayed for her, thought about her, prayed some more, and just really were hoping she would show up on the MFFM page at Reece's Rainbow. She is so adorable I thought for sure someone would step up and claim her! But that didn't happen and in June I noticed she had an updated picture.

And oh my word.... She was even cuter in this picture! This one really got my attention and tugged hard at my heart!! I immediately started posting her on facebook and on this blog to see if anyone was interested in adopting her. I honestly could not believe she had stayed listed that long! She is absolutely precious, especially in her new picture!

We kept praying for her and trying to find her a family. And there was no response. Nobody inquired about her that I know of. And certainly no one asked me. We started praying for her as a family. We told the kids of how much she needed a family and they kept saying that we should just adopt her. But Mark and I of course, were not so sure.

I emailed Andrea to see if there were any other pictures I could use to continue to facebook and blog about her. She sent them, and when I saw the pictures, I really did not want to share them. They were so adorable, and it was then that I realized that I wanted her. I was falling in love with her and I didn't want to share her pictures because I was sure after seeing them, someone would commit to her right away.

Can you see why? :)) SO precious!

But I did it. This little girl needed a family and who was I to withold sharing pictures of her out of selfishness! You can see my post about Hailey here.

But as time went by, there just seemed to be something speaking to my heart and it kept getting louder and louder. So I decided to research it a little bit. Adopting from China is way different than adopting from Ukraine. I found that out real quick. They have some pretty strict requirements and I wasn't so sure that our family would even qualify to adopt from China. That could've taken us out of the running real quick. But as it turns out, we did meet the requirements!!

Alright, now what? We may meet the requirements, but how could we do this and can we afford to do this? Is this even right? We had to know for sure before we could move forward at all! And there were just so many questions.

I think we were trying every way we could to get out of it. NOT because we didn't want Hailey!!! But because we just really wanted to make sure that this was something that God was asking of our family. That this was the child He wanted for us and that this was truly His will. Well, I will tell you this... God made it abundantly clear to us that this was from Him. I have never been more sure of something in my life! There have been some pretty amazing answers to prayer and doors opened in the last several weeks! Really! You just gotta trust me on this I guess. And there have been so many little things that have happened to confirm this for us! So so many! Someday, I will be able to share them. But not yet...

Anyway, here is our little girl! We are trying hard to get the paperwork done and the funds raised! This process is not going to go as quickly as the last one did, which I don't like. But we do have faith that God is in control and it will all come together in His time! We are going to try to move as fast as we can. But we are exactly where we are supposed to be and trusting Him. We have already seen amazing blessings since we obeyed Him and committed to adopting this precious Chinese blessing! Little miss Hailey is 5. She needs to come home already!

Our First Fundraiser

2011-08-30T17:05:00.001-06:00

Coming soon....there will be a picture of someone really special! But you will just have to wait a little bit longer.

I'll be posting about our precious one really really soon! As a matter of fact, I already have the post written. I am just waiting on word that it's okay to post about it. :) hee hee

In the meantime, we are back to that never ending job of adoption paperwork and fundraising. You can't really help us with the paperwork, but you can help us with the fundraising!

My nieces at last year's River Run for Orphans - Durango, CO

Our family is participating in the River Run for Orphans on Sept 17th, as I mentioned in a previous post. It is a great organization that is doing alot for orphans around the world. We are even going to have a table for Reece's Rainbow so we can tell everyone about the awesome things that are happening because of Andrea and the whole Reece's Rainbow family!

We are so excited about that!!

Here's my nieces and their friend, at our Reece's Rainbow table last year while we were in Ukraine. These are some special young ladies who have a heart for helping people!

Anyway, if you would like to sponsor our family in the Run, and help us with our adoption expenses, that would be God-Awesome Amazing!! :)) Oh and by the way, we have been offered a matching grant up to $5000. So any amount you give would be doubled! Isn't that so cool!?! You can use the Chip In up on the left sidebar of the blog if you would like to help.

Thanks so much and if you can't give anything (or even if you can), we would love it if you would pray for us. We are trying hard to get this little one home as quickly as possible, so prayers for the process to be smooth and for us to be able to raise the money we need would be so very much appreciated!!!

A River Run for Orphans and some news...

2011-08-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

We are sooo excited to be able to finally announce this.

And really, this was a bigger surprise to us than it's gonna be to ya'll.

But that is the way God works, isn't it?

When you are least expecting it....

You get super blessed!!

Well, it's not quite totally official, so I can't share who the precious little one is yet...

But....(insert drum roll here).....

We are ADOPTING AGAIN!!!!!!

Yay!!!

It's somewhat surreal, cause we weren't really planning on this. I mean, we just came home with the girls 10 months ago!! I know, I know... there are those of you out there who adopted last year as well and are already adopting again. Even some of you that have already been there and back again!! Wow!!! But we just did not think it was in the plan for our family right now. Don't get me wrong, I knew we would eventually do it again at some point. I just didn't think the timing was right now.

But apparently God had other plans! Things are most definitely happening in His timing, and we would not want it any other way!

Last year at this time we were stressing hard cause our dossier had been submitted for 2 weeks and we still hadn't received our travel date. We were so anxious to go and the waiting seemed endless...

But eventually we got there and the time has just flown by ever since we returned home with the girls last October!!

But anyway, back to today!! We are waaay excited and cannot wait to share more, but in the meantime, we are trying to raise some initial funds!

Here locally, there is a really cool event called the River Run for Orphans.

Our church and our family participated in it last year while we were in Ukraine to help raise money for our adoptions of Anna and Victoria.

We are so very Blessed!!

Like the awesome Reece's Rainbow booth they set up?

We are doing it again this year! There is a 5K run and also a 1 mile run/walk (which our whole family will be participating in). We are trying to find people who would like to sponsor us, and help us raise money for this adoption. If you are a runner, maybe you would like to run in the 5K part and help gather sponsors for us as well! If you are not local to us and you want to help, just leave me a message and I will get in contact with you. You can click here to go the official website, or here's a little info as well:

River Run for Orphans

Saturday, Sept. 17

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado

A River of People

Creating Resources for Orphans

8:30 Registration

10:00 1 Mile Run/Walk

10:30 5K Run/Walk

11:30 Closing Ceremonies

12:00 Concert

The Reality of Orphans around us:

•Every day 5,760 more children in the world become orphans

•By 2015 it is projected there will be 400 million orphaned children

•HIV/AIDS alone has orphaned 15 million children

•Every 2.2 seconds a child loses a parent somewhere

If you want to know more about the statistics specifically related to orphans with Down syndrome, click here. Just do it!! It will blow your mind!

This pic is my sweet nieces and a friend loving on little miss Madalyn last year while we were in Ukraine. :))

If you would like to help us, please either leave a comment on the blog or you can click on Contact above and send me an email and I will get you all the information you need.

If you do, you might get a hint at who the special little someone is. :))

We absolutely just cannot wait to share it!! So be sure and stay tuned...

Happy Birthday Son!

2011-08-18T09:14:00.000-06:00

Four years ago today, we found out you had been born. The next day, on August 19, 2007 we brought you home from hospital.

What a beautiful precious boy you were!

Everyone fell in love with you right away.

An unexpected blessing.

A beautiful little boy with a heart of gold.

Here you are with your cousin McKenna
Your first Christmas

And at the pool

We weren't sure it would happen until
the very last minute...

but we were so happy to be celebrating your
first birthday with you!!!

Christmas with Papa

Riding Monte...always a favorite thing to do.

And then, finally Adoption Day!!

        Thank you God for the amazing blessings in
                                   our life!
                    Thank you for our 6th son,
                           Noah Justin James

What a handsome young man.....

who turns 4 years old today!!!

Happy Happy Birthday Justin!!
We love you to the moon and back!

2011-08-16T07:53:00.000-06:00

Uh-oh. Here it comes...

Wait...

Aaaaaahh.....

...chooooo!!!

Whew!!!

That was a big one!

Okay, I'm good now.

Listening to His Call

2011-08-12T08:01:00.000-06:00

This is a part of my blog post from last year, August 16th, 2010. Just thought I'd share it again.

"When I first found RR, I showed some of the pictures to Mark and told him of the situation that these children were facing. Our hearts were burdened for all these precious babies. We were so moved by what we learned and we knew we needed to do something! I would've jumped in right away to adopt, but I was afraid. Of many things... We also just didn't think an international adoption was an option for us now, or ever.... There were other reasons, too. But God was working on our hearts and after only a couple months, we knew that this was His plan for us and the other stuff didn't matter anymore. He reminded us (me especially), that my fear needed to be replaced with faith in Him. Trusting Him and stepping out of my comfort zone to follow His calling for our family."

And we are so very glad we did!

"We are thrilled that we have turned what started as a burden in our hearts, into action! And even after this crazy ride of an international adoption comes to a stop, and we have our girls home, we will continue to try to help. We plan to stay a part of this rainbow family and continue to do whatever we can, whatever God calls us to do next! Maybe we'll get to do it again! :) :)"

Here's the original post from last year in case you want to read the whole thing:

http://bringinghomeourgirls.blogspot.com/2010/08/check-out-rr-blog.html

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't 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