Forget Me Not Friday!

As summer vacation approaches ,we are all making some great plans to spend time with our children. I can not help but think about some of these children that will age out during our summer holidays. Forever losing their chance at knowing the love of a family!
Help spread the word about all of these beautiful kids!
Do not ever under estimate the power of one person!
Get involved!



Stunning Sophia 6/23/1997

CHD

Makayla 8/17/1997

CP; ages out Aug 2011!
Amazing little girl that has adapted with her SN and uses her feet!

Boy 7/1/1997

Postoperative VSD repair

Posing as if to say "Choose me" :(

Letting go

Some say there are five not seven stages of grief. I am not really sure who is correct because when you are living it there is no clear cut pattern that grief follows . I gave up trying to count them in fact ,I decided to just follow her lead.

I have learned that when people ask how Pei is adjusting and I say "great" I am setting myself up for another journey into the trenches of grief.

Or maybe we thought that she had moved on only to be reminded that in fact she was still silently struggling .

Or just maybe I had just begun to accept some of this as her personality.

Do not get me wrong Pei has an infectious giggle and a smile that can just light up a room . But there also is a serious side that is never far from the surface.

But we have seen a change recently.

I mean a drastic change.

We have seen less of this girl.

In fact, we have not see this girl at all.

But instead I would like to introduce you to who has taken her place.

A little girl who seems lost no more,

A little girl who radiates confidence and happiness.

A little girl who can not contain or hide her smile .

Grief is a complicated and often misunderstood emotion. Pei is a master at stonewalling. Behind that wall was fear, anger and sadness. That is a large load for such small shoulders to bear.

I realized that I could not force this process ,it had to be at her own pace.

But it appears that the walls have come down ...

and unveiled is the most amazing little girl just wanting to be loved ,accepted and belong.

This is the beautiful face of letting go

... and man it is beautiful!

Welcome to our new hangout!

To say that the girls LOVE the sandbox is an understatement! So, we decided to upgrade the little turtle sandbox that sat on the patio. After getting an umbrella ,a couple of chairs and 2,000 lbs of sand ... they have their own little paradise!

I think the girls are pretty pleased with the results!

But I do not think everyone likes the sandbox !

Look at that face!

Maybe I should have titled this post "Mischief Makers".

Forget Me Not Friday!

Every Friday I am focusing on children that are dangerously close to aging out in China. Once they turn 14 their chance to be loved and cherished by a family is gone.




Girl 10/1997

birthmarks, nevus
contact WACAP


Ages out in July (DOB July 1997)

repaired CL/CP; blood disorder

contact WACAP

Athletic girl 9/23/1998

Healthy - positive for HepB

Healthy Girl! Her special need is her age :(

~8-1997~ contact GWCA

This is just a beautiful group of girls !!!!! Please pass the word on about these precious kids and help them not be forgotten!!!!

Forget Me Not Friday!

I am back again with a few more precious children to add to last weeks list. If you have not seen the girls from last Friday that are still waiting scroll down to take a look.

All of these kids are dangerously close to "aging out" in China. When they reach the ripe old age of 14 their chances of ever knowing the love of a family are gone. Forever. At 14, they are deemed unadoptable and are considered "unlucky" in their society with their orphan status.

So please pass the word on about these sweet kids !

Beautiful girl ! 12/10/1998
cl lip palate, Hep B

I love this girl! Why is she still waiting!!!!!!

Boy albinism 9/14/1998
He wants a family! :(

His future is so grim if he does not find a family.


Beautiful Jennie! - Girl -Hep B -8/12/1998

CHY Fall 1997

ages out fall 1997

So precious !!!!!!

For info on any of these children contact Annie: 5puppies@comcast.net

"Forget Me Not" Friday!

This is my first Friday to join in to advocate for some wonderful waiting children who are dangerously close to aging out . When each of these children turn 14 they will loose their chance of ever knowing the love of a family.
As the mother of a soon to be 17 year old ,I could not even imagine him out and on his own in this world.
The girls posted below all age out this summer ! This means they have just weeks to find families. Please feel free to copy any or all of the photos and help spread the word .Just maybe someone will see their daughter and bring one of these sweet girls home.

Girl, outgoing 8/7/1997

repaired cl lip,cleft palate

Precious girl 8/1/1997

seizure free epilepsy

Girl DOB Summer 1997, deaf and mute

for more info contact Annie 5puppies@comcast.net

Girl DOB: Summer 1997, deaf and mute

for more info Annie 5puppies@comcast.net

Easter!

Here are some random Easter pics!

Ava was the winner of the golden egg!
Pei did not care about the golden egg ...she just wanted chocolate :)

All wired up on chocolate!

Wishing all a blessed Easter!

Does the Easter bunny bite?

It is really funny how a three year old mind works but that is the infamous question for the week.

So Sunday Ava thought it was a great idea to head to the mall and have a photo taken with the cuddly lovable Easter Bunny. So she convinces Pei that this is a great plan and she is in like Flinn . Pei s just easy like that :) So we begin the process of getting them dressed .And can I just say it is a process .

~Fancy dress

~Hair combed and styled

~Just the right pair of shoes

~While you are combing the 2nd diva's hair ,diva 1 has messed hers up!

~multiple wardrobe malfunctions

~And yes lipgloss!

Now multiply that x's 2!

Mind you I am having a flashback to the photo shoot with Santa Clause. The look on her face says it all.

I swore I would never do that again! So, I get into the car cautiously optimistic :) Why shouldn't I we have just been at Chuck E. Cheese this past week and all parties LOVED the big mouse!

So, I shot a couple of shots before we got in the car ...just in case Someone changes their mind.

Well, I will spare you all the details but after circling EB about 5o times , lots of talking ,lots of crying, looking at his big teeth , this was the end result.

Pei was such a good sport! I think she will be my daredevil!
But you know his teeth are really big!!!!!

The boy from baby house #10

This past week I walked in the door from church and began watching the most amazing story about a little boy from Russia named Vayna. There I sat with my purse still on my arm completely enthralled by the story of the boy from baby house #10. I know people who watched it that could not believe that this really happens in this day and time. But for those of us who have walked the road of adoption and seen where our children have been, we know that this is reality. I have seen both sides of adoption . I have two beautiful daughters ,one lucky to be loved and cared for by a wonderful foster family in China . The other not so lucky ,Ava lived her days "housed" with no one. There is so much that these sweet sisters have in common but yet they are vastly different in so many ways. This past week I sent a letter to Pei's foster family thanking them for all the love and care that they showered Pei with. As far as I am concerned Pei has three mommas .Her birth mom who gave her life , loved her for three days and then carefully placed her where she would be found. Second , her China mom who took Pei in her heart and loved her knowing that she would one day have to give her up . And then there is me,her forever mom. I see Pei's life as an unbroken thread. There were no gaps of loneliness or isolation on her path. In my mind, she was passed and carefully handed to the next . From one mother's arms to the next and loved on her journey to us. But Ava's story brings so much sadness to me.From the beginning her life was filled with a series of gaps. She has been home three years this September and those at the orphanage would not even recognize this baby girl now. When we meet her it was like she was waiting on her life to begin. So at 14 months her life began when we walked out the gates of that orphanage as a family. As I watched Vayna's story I was taken back to that place that you do not want to visit. This was a trip back to Ava's beginning and for this mom it is a raw place on my heart. I have to ask myself could this have been her story. Yes ,it could have been any of our kids story. And right now there are children who lives read like a scene from Vayna's life. This week I have found myself so thankful of all the doors that closed ,road blocks and all of the delays in the process . Broken roads might not make much sense at the time but they happen for a reason. I am reminded of this with each sweet giggle , each tiny, little hand reaching for mine and hearing a little voice say I love you. If you have not seen this dateline story of the boy from baby house #10 here is the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600#/42535819 Go to videos and click on the boy from baby house 10. What a wonderful ending this story has!

What's been going on???????

Well ... A little Tex time ! He looks really comfy swaddled in Ava's favorite blanket :)

A little peep time! (Can you tell we all shop together too!)

More time with the peeps!!!!!

A little swimming!

A little climbing!

a little driving!

pony time!

And lots of sister time and lovin it !!!!!!!

Introducing ..

Hello , my name is Alina B. At a mere six years old I have been told that I am quite the leader. I have beautiful blue eyes and light brown hair.
I have been described as charming ,thoughtful ,serious but I also can light up with joy :)



I am brave, stubborn:), and active. I prefer cars over dolls and love to talk and tell stories!



I was born in Russia in August 2004 and have been waiting ever since for a family of my very own. A family that will love ,cherish and treasure me as every child deserves.





I am HIV+ . Despite that with proper medical care I can one day be a wife,mother and even a grandmother.

My greatest need now is a family to love.

To be chosen.

Could you be my family?

For more information on Alina B. or one of the other precious waiting children with HIV you can go here :

http://reecesrainbow.org/alina-b-15

http://reecesrainbow.org/category/waitingchildren/hiv

Great information resources on HIV adoption :

http://www.projecthopeful.org/

http://positivelyorphaned.org/