Hey! Where's my room mate??

Samson always likes part of a "group". He likes to be with people or his siblings. He's very social! Here he's with sibs- Hope (left to right), Grace, Samson, Gabriel.

Gabriel and Samson are the same age. They were closer in size when they were younger, but Samson has a heart condition. It was "fixed" but can not be repaired. Further surgery cannot be done. There are new medications that can help in future. These medications didn't exist when he had his surgery 15 years ago!! Amazing!

All of the boys at home have always slept together in "the boys room". A big bedroom with 2 sets of bunk beds. Until we started preparing for 5 new brothers. So Samson moved into a smaller bedroom and sleeps on the top bunk of a set of bunk beds waiting for a new brother to join him. The only problem is he has been waiting so long now, he's tired of waiting! He wants to move back into "the boys room" with Gabriel and Isaiah!! LOL!

The bedroom Samson now sleeps in has 2 door ways, one to the hallway and one to my bedroom. He wanders in circles just to "see" us when he goes to the bathroom at night. He's lonely! He really wants a room mate!!

Meanwhile Isaiah and Gabriel have the top bunks in "the boys room". I won't be surprised if I see Samson snuggle up on one of those freshly made, waiting bottom bunks one morning!! :o)

Soon Samson- soon!!

Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

I love this book!

Right now it is on sale for $5.99 at Christianbook.com That's a steal because when I first started buying these books for ALL of my children in the 1990's (can't remember when it first came out, but my 35 yr old was about 14?) it was $12.99. You can see inside the book some too at that website.

I have bought this book for everyone of my children. The story is just so touching and appropriate. Even though some reviewers reviewed it as a book for younger children, the message applies to all parents and their love for God and their children of ALL ages. I think God gave Max a very special gift of words. Max can express God's love for us in words like no one else.

My Samson (picture on the right) is 15 and he has a huge book collection. But I had not given him this book yet because he's just learning not to be so hard on his books. I also had not given it to my youngest four children yet either. (they are 7,8,9,10) So a few Sundays ago after church I read it to those five children and gave each child a copy. I always write a little message inside as to who the book is for and something special about them and sign with my love. They were thrilled. They had seen the book and read the book because it is on our book shelf and everywhere the older children's copies sit. But having your own is special. I hope they read it to their children, and their children read to theirs! They are big enough to understand the great importance of this now.

Quite late on Thursday night I saw someone was in the bathroom and quietly tapped on the door to see who it was. It was Samson. He never responds to the tap or says anything! LOL! He opened the door and came out with his book (Just in Case You Ever Wonder) tucked under his arm with freshly washed wet little hands. I was so surprised. He wasn't sleeping so he got his now favorite book and was reading it by the bathroom night light which is quite bright! It was so cute. It just touched my heart. When Samson "gets it" he really "gets it" and we learn in humility from him. He is precious.

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!!! Please Pray!!

WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

July 4th is our court date!!! YES!!!!

Please pray! The Judge has asked Social Services to write a report stating that it is in the boy's best interest to be adopted. Sometimes they are slow and drag their feet with these reports. We need the report there before July 4th.

This is the count down!!

Really?? REALLY!! LOL!!

I have been praising God all week for helping me complete a literal mountain of paperwork for the adoptions and our group home. I wrote about it here- http://godsgiftsinmylife.blogspot.com/2011/06/god-is-good.html

Then today I learn that the Ministry of Justice for our Country wants a letter from us about the progress on our Dossier (because it has been 6 months since we committed) for our last 3 boys to her by the 27th!!!

And the mail brought a larger than usual packet of re-applying for homeschool in our District with state law up-dates!!

Aaack!
I need a personal assistant!!

Please pray fro Brian and Rachel

I hope Rachel doesn't mind my posting her blog address here. They lost their precious son in our Country today. I don't think he was even 2 yrs old yet. He was just a sweetie. Now he's home in Heaven with my 3 girls (Joy DS 5 months, Angel 28, Molly 27 ) who are already there. They are dancing with the angels. Jesus is holding their son in His arms.

Please keep them in your prayers.
breezysunday.com/blog/

Why boys??

I love when people ask us "Why boys?, Why are you adopting five boys??" I figure- why not boys?

For all of the years we have adopted we were told that boys were harder to place and more boys needed homes. So we readied ourselves for boys! LOL! And we ended up adopting SEVEN girls!! and only four boys!! LOL!!

Truthfully when we looked at the list of children on Reeces Rainbow, that had Down Syndrome, that had been waiting a long time, there were many more boys.

Then we had to look for children in the same orphanage. More often than not, more boys were listed together. In fact there are only two older girls (one is chosen) with our last 3 boys, plus I think 2 or 3 more older boys in the same orphanage. All with DS in this poor tiny town.

We chose our first two boys by chance. God's divine intervention! They were together and we heard that they had been listed a while with no interest. They were under the age of 5, we were looking for children under 5. Tom thought we could adopt two together to start with. :o) Since visiting our Country last March, he's changed his mind! He'd thinks three would have been better. But I'm happy we'll start with two, even tho initially I wanted three! LOL!

We put tons of time and thought choosing our last three boys. We chose three because four would be too many for us and for our last adoption three will keep us busy enough! :o)

So now we can say we will have adopted seven girls and NINE boys!! LOL!! In the end there were more boys. But you really never know who God will send!!

(((HUGS)))

Thank You!! Thank You!!

Someone precious donated to our Family Support Page. We just cannot Thank You enough!

Our Julius just turned 4 this week! It is a birthday present to him to come home!! (Paul turns 4 in September)

Thank You!!

(((HUGS)))

airfare sky rockets (almost a pun!)

Julius and Daddy March 2011

We had budgeted so well. We anticipated all of the costs. I was very happy that Tom's only expense first trip was $600 for hotel and $899.99 airfare. Some meals were free, part of the $600 was food. He spent only $50.00 cash on small items.

We aren't sure what hotel costs for 4 will be- Tom, Matthew, 2 boys. I do know Tom will keep expenses down! I've taught him well! LOL!!

We had thought we had our expenses covered for the trip of picking up the boys; until we saw airfare was now $1,600.00!! Tom and our son Matthew who is almost 20 will travel to get the boys. I told Matth I'd pay him for lost wages from his work. About $210.00. But now with two tickets $3,200.00 and two tickets we're guessing $1,600.00 for a total of $4,800.00 just to bring the boys home!! We are really frustrated by the huge increased amount.

Matthew understands that I can't re-imburse him for lost wages. I will however cook for him when he gets home to repay his kindness. That will help his budget.

If Tom could care for 2 boys alone that would save us a great deal of money. But it would be too hard on all three of them. ;o)

If anyone would consider donating any small amount to help we'd greatly appreciate it. You can click on the button on the upper right "Born in my heart". It is a link to a tax deductable page for donations. The boy's lives are worth every penny. It's not for us, it's for them. We don't bring them home for us- we bring them home so they won't die in the institution. 95% of children with Down Syndrome die in the institution before reaching adulthood. They go to an institution at age 4 or 5. I saw photos on youtube of how they lose weight and become deathly thin and gradually lose their will to live. Rocking most of the day in their bed or crib.

Please pray our credit card covers this amount for increased airfare! Next tax season if the adoption tax credit is still there, we can use that to pay for the 3 luv bugs airfare. Unless it goes up even more????!!!! OY!

Thanks for listening!! :o) I "feel" so whiny with my requests. I know you understand.

((((HUGS)))) I love you all!