It is still the Season for Miracles

Around December 20th I was on one of the yahoo groups I have belonged to for about 2 years, and just casually scan through it, since we have been home with our children from China for over a year now. Something on one of the post caught my eye and even made me want to check out this families blog site. When I got there, I discovered they were a wonderful Christian family and had adopted from Guizhou where Hope is from. Their little girl is Madi and she has been home about 9 months, not only is Madi from the province of Guizhou she is from Hope's orphanage which is extremely rare as this orphanage is so small. My Christmas Miracle, it may not be the miracle of receiving sight, or a pair of new legs, but for this Mom's heart it was a Christmas Gift of a Miracle of the Heart.

You see today, January 2, 2007 I was getting ready to board a plan in Beijing China for Guizhou to go and get my sweet little girl and one of the coldest and bitterest winters ever to hit China blew in while we were there, it was 17 below zero that day and when we got to Guizho and on January 3rd received Hope they would not allow us to travel to her orphanage. It was a 3 hour drive over very rough terrain. I remember leaving Guizhou and the Guangzhou with a very sad heart for Hope, we did not receive anything from the orphanage to present to Hope when she is older as a reminder of her life or where she had lived or who she was, there was nothing but a finding add that I personally had sent off for during our adoption journey waiting time.

I did not know if Hope had been happy the two years she lived at the orphanage, if she was well treated, I had no knowledge of any of this. She was clean when she was brought to us and with only the clothes on her back nothing more. She didn't cry when she was left and she was handed to me by the Assistant Director and was interpreted by our guide and told this is now Mama and Baba, she didn't cry, she didn't smile, she just stared at us. We met with him in a private room for about 2 hours and he answered questions for us and then he left. We met the next day and signed all the papers for Hope's adoption and she was our sweet little girl forever. Now why should this matter to me so very much, Hope is profoundly deaf both ears. She was abandoned at a city park in the same town where her orphanage is located at the age of 2 1/2, she then lived another 2 years in her orphanage. I just did not know how she was taking all of this in, she had no way of communicating this to anyone, she had no communication skills at all. She would cry when she wanted or needed something and then smile or laugh when she received it. We began immediately giving her ASL signs to communicate with us and she was a happy thing, runnnig, laughing, smiling and playing. But, was this normal there wasn't sadness - my heart was hurting...for two years now I have wondered what has gone on in her little mind and what her life was like in the orphanage.

Then just a couple of weeks ago I was given that GIFT, that MIRACLE, when I went to Tammy's blogsite, they traveled to Hope's orphanage and took photos. When I saw them I was amazed at the size, how very small. I had visited other orphanages and had been to China three times. When Hope came home from school, I sat her on my lap and showed her the photos and she remembered the orphanage, she remembered her bed, the 2 story white house (apparently it is used to house foster families for a short time), she remembered the director and assistant directior calling the director Ja, and she was estatic, it was a happy memory for her. Tammy has agreed I could include some of those photos that Hope remembered on this blogsite and I am also going to include Hope and her signing as she saw those photos one photo in particular is one of our update photos of Hope as we were waiting to travel and Hope is on one of the little outside sliders and she remembered where it was and could describe the house and the buildings on both sides of that house to me completely. Hope has a memory that is unreal. Please feel free to visit Tammy's blogsite and share in the powerful prayer her husband shared with Director Chen http://enjoyingourjourney.blogspot.com/ Thank you so much Tammy for sharing this gift with myself and with Hope. The scripture verse that you quote on your blogsite For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:10-12 is also the scripture promise the Lord gave us when He gave us the heart to begin the journey of adoption.

100 Good Wishes Quilt

A Chinese Custom. 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth with a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth goes into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth can go into a creative memory notebook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.
We found out about 100 wishes quilts through our daughter Dawn when they were adopting Kya from China. It is a tradition to greet the new baby with a 100 Good Wishes Quilt. Although this is a Chinese tradition, it is a great tradition for any child to be welcomed this way. What a treat.

We had about 10 months to prepare for Hope's adoption and therefore were able to have friends and family send us 100 Good Wishes along with fabric. However, we found out about Joel the end of May 2007 and discovered that if we did not travel by July 11, 2007 to complete his adoption that he would no longer be eligible for adoption according to the Chinese Law, it gave us no time to make a 100 Good Wishes Quilt.

However, Mama Judy came to the rescue. Mama Judy is Hope's God Mother but she seems to have become the adoptive Mama Judy of all our adopted children and the quilter sewer of all quilts. She 4 adopted children's quilt and then she set out to completely make Joel's and designed it with all the the things that he loves. Bless you Mama Judy that Joel will have his own tradition and one that he will cherish and remember and can hand down to his own children from generation to generation and know that he is loved and wanted forever and always.

Thanksgiving 2008 A Blessing of Baskets Full

Most of my family together and a wonderful weekend, with a houseful of God's Blessings. Aunt Nancy and Uncle Jerry came for Thanksgiving Day what a joyful fun day we all had with the kids and each other. I just love having a houseful, it really seems like the holidays for me. I remember too many lonely holidays and finally the Lord has heard my crys and gave me the desire of My Heart and filled my life with the sound of children and the laughter of and joy of not only the children but with their parents. God is truly good to me in my years of maturity. On Saturday we took Joel and Hope for their regular Saturday riding lessons and Autumn and Kya also were able to ride.

Now we are up to Halloween

Joel just loves Star Wars and so he went as Adacan Skywalker and Hope went as Tinker Bell, dressed in her favorite color, PINK!!!!!

October brought Autumn and also Birthday Celebrations

We visited Dawn (better known to Joel and Hope and JJ) for niece Autumn's 5th birthday in October, a Spiderman event. Just a few wonderful pictures of the kids. To see the full event please visit Dawns blogspot http://ladybugsandfrogs.blogspot.com/. Then in November we traveld again for Kya's 5th birthday and this time we went to Chuck E. Cheese again the kids just had a blast.

LWML Convention September 2008

Joel was the Presidents Page and Hope the youngest LWML attendee and loved every minute.

More of Joel with his friends Carol & Henry

There were so many pictures well over 300+ so I had to take just a few and place them here on the blog site for your viewing. I can tell you one thing Joel had the time of his life. They visited a car museum, Homossa Springs, The Shriners Rodeo, Old McDonalds Farm. Talk about a weekend.