Isn't she LOVELY?

We received an early Christmas gift today.....an update on Florie!  We sent a gift package to her last week through Ann at Red Thread China.  It contained a soft photo album of us, two cameras, a letter to the orphanage director, a bag for her "things," and some candy and cookies for the children and nannies.  Today we received an update on her size and found out she IS enrolled in the Half the Sky program!  We are so thankful that she is healthy and doing well.  We are still waiting on our LOA (letter of acceptance) from China....hopefully that will come in January.  After that letter, there are several steps with the US government, and then we will receive TA (Travel Approval).  I am HOPING and PRAYING that we can travel in early April......but know it could be later.  It is really hard to know WHO she is now but to not be with her, but I am so relieved to see that she is happy, healthy, well-fed, and LOVED.  Her eyes still pull me in....they are so bright and happy.  I cannot wait to meet her, to hold her....to learn her!

Guo Qiu Ru has been living in the orphanage all the time ,she is under Half Sky Program now, Qiu Ru can walk by herself now ,she understands what adults talk to her too ,she likes to play toys in the playing room or play outdoors ,she attaches to her grandma very much ,loves to smile ,she is a very happy child !

Merry CHRISTmas!

Love,
Eve

Worse Times Now or Then? or just the same?

How is it ALREADY December 16?  Time is flying by!  In the last week alone, we have had a HUGE project my 5th grader had to do, a "snow storm" (By Tennessee definition, anyway), the stomach bug, strep throat, an almost better safe than sorry ice storm, freezing temperatures (meaning the two dogs are always inside) AND rain!   The care of the house has dropped to the WAY bottom of my list, as presents are prepared, Christmas cards and the Christmas letters addressed, and my favorite candy making time has taken over.
I alternate between complete joy and complete exhaustion....how will it all ever get done?  I also started to "nest" last week, and have the playroom and guest room ripped apart to "clean out" so we can start to get ready for Florie...in hindsight, probably should have waited until after Christmas!  Why do so many of us feel like Charlie Brown in his Christmas special...almost depressed, like SOMETHING is missing?  One of my wise friends (aka Shannon) put on her FB post today:

Oh no....feeling so tired/cranky with the busyness of the season. Wonder if our modern busyness mimics the crazy atmosphere in Bethlehem trying to take a census? Thankfully Peace, Hope, Rest, Love, and Joy is coming soon!

Can you imagine the STRESS of being 9 months pregnant, and having to ride on a donkey to get to the census?  What control did Mary have?  Was she full of joy the entire time she was riding there?  What if Mary and Joseph did not make it in time?  What?  No hotels left?  (maybe our no super new awesome Xbox game left??  jk)...But, on CHRISTmas, God brought it all together....it all worked according to his plan.  And, the most beautiful thing is, we get to share in that blessing year after year after year.

So, with this new focus.....that I am where I am for a reason, that the busyness happens for a reason, that the chaos is there for a reason.....I am off to the races, but with added thoughts of PEACE, LOVE, HOPE and JOY.

Blessings!

Eve

A Thanksgiving to Remember!

What an amazing week this has been!  Saturday the 20th we worked for our friends the Bishops as they did an adoption fundraiser through Both Hands Foundation.  William was there all day and went right into work that night, and back to work on Sunday night.....even into Monday.  Monday the 22nd was when the new special needs list was coming out from China.  It was the first one we were able to be "matched" possibly.  BUT, we ended up with our first trip to the ER in a very scary night for our middle son Ben.  He was accidentally hit in the side of the head at soccer and was stunned....pale, sleepy, and just out of it.  It takes a lot to scare this Momma, but he succeeded, and we were off to the ER.  FORTUNATELY, he improved while we were there and became "normal" Ben again....it was just a concussion, and he has to sit out of soccer for about 10 days.  That night, I had to wake him two times.....so I kept refreshing Rumor queen and my email JUST IN CASE a referral came to us.  About midnight, a big file came through....and I thought THIS IS IT!  It is happening....but, instead, it was from my dear friend Amanda at Starfish, and was a blog to post for her since she cannot do so from China.  (It was for sweet FAITH.....who has a port wine stain...).  For me, I felt like God was telling me just to keep my faith in Him...he knew who our daughter would be, and just to keep trusting.  That Tuesday, the 23rd, two of the boys were home from school....it was a busy day around the Boger house.  I had not checked my email in awhile and did so shortly after noon.  That is when IT came....the referral from Xiaoqing at BAAS.  She had called our house, but I had missed the call.  This is what I saw:

FLORIE!

Her eyes are so bright, and I just knew it was HER....we even share the same birthday.  She is 17 months old, from Beihai SWI in Guangxi province.  William and I did not have a lot of time to talk until we went to Arkansas for Thanksgiving.  Even though I had my thoughts, she needed to be BOTH of our daughters.....when we talked, he said that we were the family for her, and she was the daughter for us!  So we sent our LOI on Thanksgiving day, and were able to tell the boys who were over the moon excited!

I have a really cute video of them when we told them...but will have to get that on You Tube first to post on here.  Also have two more pics of Florie that I need to cut and paste! 

We are so thankful.....for ALL of our kids!  We received our PA dated 11-28-10, and are now on to the LOA (Letter Seeking Confirmation) wait....I do not want to guestimate too much when we will get her.  RQ has all kinds of charts and averages, but until the paper is in my hand, nothing is "certain."  Our hope is that we will have her in our arms by her second birthday.

Praying for Florie and for the Bishops' who leave in less than 36 hours for China to get Maggie!

THANKFUL For our BLESSINGS!

Love,

Eve

Starfish Foster Home NEW HOME Fundraiser!

Two Starfish Moms have started a fundraiser for the new Starfish Foster Home.....they are hoping to raise $25,000.  Please read below and pray for new home, and donate if you are led!

Thanks!

Eve

A new home

As you all probably know, Jack was our daughter's fosterbrother at Starfish Fosterhome in China. They litterally saved my girl's life! How can you ever repay something like that? I always have the feeling that I have to do something to help them.
So, I started helping out with their website and we are sending boxes of babyclothes regularly... but they need a bit more this time.
Starfish is moving to a new home. The residents of the apartment building were not that happy with the fosterhome occupying three apartments and housing 50 children! Amanda de Lange, the founder of Starfish has found a new facility but it needs a LOT of work:

There are some volunteers and hired Chinese men working there now and they really want to move in before Christmas...... it looks like it will not be finished by then though. And this means they will have to move the babies to an unfinished building. This breaks my heart, I just can't stop thinking about it. If I could, I would be in China right now to help, but that's not possible at this moment. The only thing I can do is let as many people as possible know about this and about the effort to raise money. What an awesome christmas gift it would be for those babies to move in to a decent home!

So please go to  http://www.crowdrise.com/starfishnewhome/fundraiser/starfish-china and donate! Every dollar is welcome! Skip Starbucks today and donate a dollar to Starfish. I hope we get a lot of people donating one dollar.... we can make a difference together!

BOTH HANDS project for the Bishops THIS SATURDAY!

This is a post from my dear friend Stefanie who has worked with me to start Our Covenant's Call, the orphan and adoption ministry at our church.  She also has the Stitches to China blog you see to the right :).  Brook and Stefanie are adopting their 4th child soon, and are doing a BOTH HANDS project this Saturday.  William, the boys and I will be working it, but if there is anyone out there able to donate, please see her link below.  And, if you have never heard of BOTH HANDS FOUNDATION as an adoption fundraiser, please email me!




We are excited to be a part of a "Both Hands" project on Saturday November 20th. Both Hands ministry is a ministry that serves adopted families needing to fundraise and widows in need. We will be working on Ms. Nanny's home. She is an 87 year old widow who is unable to meet the needs of her home. We have had a group of wonderful people offer to come alongside us and be on our work day team. It is a wonderful blessing you get to experience when you put yourself out there and say you need help. It is hard to say you need help. It is hard to ask friends/family to help you on a project and mail support letters on your behalf. I have witnessed and benefited from some amazing genorosity of our friends and family - all of which I couldn't of experienced unless we did this project. Below is a link to our fundraising page at lifesong. All donations are tax deductable and go straight into our adoption fund. If you feel led we would appreciate any donations towards our project.

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/bhProj.html

You have to scroll down to our name/date. Our fundraising letter is included on the link.

So hopefully at the end of the day on November 20th we will have taken care of some of Ms. Nanny's needs. And Maggie will have a new story for me to tell her of how a group of people came around to love on her, value her, and help in bringing her home.

Mrs. Nanny

Need YOUR Help! Hague immunization Exemption Bill

Hi everyone,

I am writing to see if you would mind emailing YOUR Congressman with the information below...There is a current "law" that children being adopted into our country MUST have their immunizations before they LEAVE their country of origin.....even if they have already had the shots at their foster home or orphanage.  As a pediatrician, I am a firm believer in immunizing children, but this is ridiculous!  These children who are usually in a state of shock as they are placed with their new family are then required to undergo a physical 2-3 days before leaving China (which is good, to make sure there is no infection that could be spread on the plane), and then receive up to EIGHT shots at once!  I would never give my boys that many at once....the pain, the soreness, the resultant fever.....AND, the shots are given so close to the time the children leave for home, they provide NO immunity for the trip home any way!

In the past, there was a bill passed that the adoptive parents (like me!) could take a waiver saying that the child would receive a physical exam within THREE weeks of their arrival in the US...including shots.  Then, when an adoptive child came to see me, we drew the required blood including titers to see if the child HAD been vaccinated previously and if the vaccine worked.  THEN we would initiate immunizing the child.

I am asking you to email your Congressman....so that they will vote on this bill soon.  They reconvene briefly for Congress on Monday November 15.  Please do so as soon as you can!  

You can look up your Congressman here https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml and send it to him or her through this link! 

The part below in blue you can cut and paste, and then the part in red you could add some personal tidbit....future adoptive grandparent, future adoptive friend, aunt, uncle, etc.

Please forward to anyone you can!

Thank you!

Eve

S.1376 : International Adoption Simplification Act
Sponsor:  Senator Amy Klobuchar
A bill to restore immunization and sibling age exemptions for children adopted by US Citizens under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption to allow thier admission to the United States.
7/21/2010--Passed Senate amended. International Adoption Simplification Act - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to include in the definition of "child," and thus in the exemption from required admissions vaccination documentation, certain children who have been adopted in a foreign country that is a signatory to the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention) or who are emigrating from such a country for U.S. adoption. Includes in such definition and exemption a child who is under the age of 18 at the time an immediate relative status petition is filed on his or her behalf, has been adopted abroad or is coming for U.S. adoption, and is the natural sibling of: (1) an adopted child from a Hague Convention signatory country; (2) a child adopted under the age of 16 who has lived with the adoptive parents for at least two years, or a child who has been abused; or (3) an orphan who was under the age of 16 at the time an immediate relative status petition was filed on his or her behalf. Makes such provisions effective on the date of enactment of this Act, except that such an alien sibling who has attained the age of 18 on or after April 1, 2008, shall be deemed to meet the age requirement if a petition for classification of the alien as an immediate relative is filed not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

My personal note:

Congressman Blackburn,

I am a pediatrician and mother of three biologic boys. We are adopting a daughter from China and hope to travel in early summer 2010.  As a pediatrician, I feel the present required immunizations are traumatic and useless to both the adopted child and to the "safety" of others.  The child may have been previously immunized in China in either their orphanage or foster home.  In the past, adoptive parents were allowed by our government to sign a waiver stating that the child would be evaluated by a US doctor within three weeks of arrival in the US.  Now, the child receives immunizations in China approximately three to five days before departing for the US.  Even if there was no pain or trauma inflicted on the child (which there is!), the time frame does not allow for the said immunizations to be effective before travel.  So, we are pumping our children with immunizations (up to 8 at a TIME!!) that are painful and ineffective for the travel period, and they are also likely not up to the US standard for quality control.  Please vote on this bill AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!  Give our adoptive children the same RIGHTS we give our biologic children!

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

Eve Boger, M.D.

Fall Fun and a Special Treat!

I love fall....from the changing of the leaves to the pumpkin patch field trips, to the cool crispness of the day, it is one of my favorite times!  We have had a busy season with Alex and Ben both playing travel soccer and Jack starting kindergarten and playing rec soccer.  They have all been troopers and I am so proud of them!  We recently had our Cub Scout campout at Boxwell.  Since Alex is a Webelo 2, he was in charge of setting up the room for dinner (for 145!), serving the dinner, building the bonfire, and helping "retire" an old American flag.  Before Scouts, I did not realize that you can only retire a flag one of two ways....1) burial (land or sea) or 2) burn it, after cutting each red and white stripe and burning it one by one.  We do the latter at Scouts and it is always a very solemn ceremony!

Jack and Ben and friends

Jack's favorite new face

Ben waiting patiently for dinner

Alex serving dinner

Flag ceremony

Alex also was PLAYER OF THE WEEK this week for his soccer team.  He was SO proud! Tonight he has to turn the shirt back over to his coach, so we took a picture of him.  (He also made math club this week and I am pleased to note that he was equally excited about that!).

Alex in his player of the week shirt

Jack on the run!

Our SPECIAL TREAT arrived yesterday!  One of my former room parent partners left two HUGE bags of toddler GIRL clothes on our porch for FLORIE when she gets here......the boys were so excited!  They dug into it right away with lots of oooohs and aaaaahs.....Jack held up one dress and said he knew Florie would be lovely in it!  Jack also got to go to the treat box this week at kindergarten, and he chose a Hello Kitty mirror to give to Florie.  It is waiting on her in her soon to be room.

We are not matched yet.....and are not sure when "IT" will happen.  Right now it is just really nice to know that our papers are in China, and the rest is in HIS control!

Thank you Tricia for your sweet gift!  We love it!

Love,
Eve

DTC TODAY!!!

I cannot believe it!  The paperchase is OVER.  Our dossier is on its way to China.....we started the adoption "process" on July 5th with our homestudy agency, American World.  Over the next 6 weeks, the boys were very patient as I collected papers, made emails, and ran errands to get the necessary items for our   dossier (the pack of papers that basically tells our life story!).  We paperchased in the midst of swim team, summer camp, birthday parties, soccer camp, running club and starting 5th, 2nd and kindergarten!  We received our completed home study on August 26th and sent it off on August 27th for USCIS approval (from the Department of Homeland Security).  William and I had to be fingerprinted again for this last step, and then we received our approval for that on October 6 (the letter actually came on October 12!).  Then, it was off to Washington DC for the US Department of State and the Chinese Embassy for the last "stamps."
After I mailed it to our courier, The Assistant Stork, I emailed our agency BAAS (Bay Area Adoption Services) to find out anything else I would need to send with our dossier.  I found out a few days later that our BAAS special needs coordinator was leaving for China on October 26, and would be gone until November 8 or so.  She requested that we get our dossier to her to review before she left.  Unfortunately, it took longer at the Embassy than expected, and I had lost hope that I could get it to BAAS by Monday, October 25.  However (praise HIM!), our great courier was able to work with us and we got our dossier to BAAS yesterday.  The SN coordinator reviewed it and has taken it to China WITH her to HAND DELIVER it this week!  Thankfully, no more chances of being misplaced, lost, damaged :)
So, now we wait....for a LID (log-in-date) and then for the next shared lists to come out. I do not know when we will match....only God knows that and I fully trust Him for his timing.  The boys are SO excited....they cannot wait to SEE her.....they have prayed for months that wherever she is, that she is warm, full, and loved.  Ben prayed the other night that he knew his heart would smile so big when he finally gets to see HER face!  (me too, sweet boy!).

So that is our BIG milestone....one of many, I know.....but it now feels so much more "real," tangible....

Love,
Eve

Remembering our China Mission trip

I pulled  this from our mission trip blog a few years ago.  My friend Shannon wrote it and I just loved it...as a reminder of what the Good Samaritan REALLY is.  I am doing the "empowered to connect" class by Dr. Karyn Purvis right now (please see her book THE CONNECTED CHILD if you are anywhere around adoption!) and we talked recently about being "good samaritans."  What makes a person walk by others in pain?  Is it because it will cost me time, or money?  DO I not have the time?  REALLY?  Or is it because I have never suffered?  WOuld I act differently if I had been in the shoes of the beaten down...the tired, the hurt.  
When we went on this mission trip, we felt like Good Samaritans....but we quickly saw it was not us, but the children we encountered, who served this role.  People tell me how "good" my family is for being "willing" to adopt.....but I think we will be the ones who are "lucky."   


Please go reread Luke 10:28-37

I am the "expert in the law". I knew the commands and I came on this trip. I was ready to love certain neighbors but not these. The first day at the orphanage I asked my Savior "who is my neighbor". Father, forgive me.

I have seen the "beaten" and "half dead" and as a priest wanting to walk by thinking unclean, unclean. I have often had eyes that sees leipers not children. Father, forgive me.

And I have been the Levite. I am the one given Glorious knowledge and responsibilities. An opportunity to share the One. But I quickly cross the street as I look upon the broken, robbed, and oppressed. Father, forgive me.

Who is the Samaritan? By the grace of Him perhaps I have been at times and hopefully even more today. But I will tell you who the heroes are on this trip.

It is the hungry boy who walks by a group of more disabled children and quietly drops his bag of cheerioes on the floor so they can eat. He drops it unsuspectedly so that others wont rush in and take from the defenseless ones. The hungry feed the hungry.

The hero is the fatherless who lovingly tend to younger ones needs. They feed them, protect them, guide them and obviously love them. The fatherless parent the fatherless.

The hero is the child who gets a beloved lollipop and then is given a second one. What does he do with the second one? He gives it away. The poor give to the poor.

Last year's leader sent us an email and one of the most insightful and loving things she said to us is that we will discover that we are the ones with the disabilities, not the children. We agree.

High School Reunion

This past weekend was my 20th high school reunion.  I grew up in a small town in Arkansas where there was one junior high and one high school.  It was a great place to live as a child.  We rode bikes ALL over town, had three wheelers to cruise in open fields on, and lots of family nearby.  It is a farming community, and sadly, one that has suffered over the past few years.

Upstairs Hallway

Entrance to High School

It was so fun to go back and see old friends...and also a good wake up call about how easy it is to let those important to us slip away slowly as we get caught up in our daily routines.  I drove past friends' homes where we used to play outside and could still vividly remember the smell of Newport Lake where we would feed the ducks and swans, and hope that there were no snakes nearby.  The smell of oil and tires always smells "comfortable" to me from my years of hanging around my Dad's farm.  It is hard to go back and see the place where you once lived not faring so well...but it was wonderful to see all of my classmates, some teachers, family and old neighbors who are doing well.  I hope to keep up better...to always call when we head back to Arkansas and try to set up time to visit.  No more "maybe next time I will have more time!"  The older I get, the more I can see that there is NEVER more time....unless you make it!

      

Alex and Grandad at the farm

Jack tasting soybeans for "ready to harvest" taste

  

Grandad and Ben...picking all of the soybean crop!

We surprised the boys on the way home with a long pit stop at the Memphis Zoo.  We have never taken them there, and boy did they have fun!  We saw wolves and grizzly bears, Gaboon Vipers, PANDA BEARS :), a sea lion show, a giraffe very up close and personal, and just had loads of fun!  The boys were all tuckered out and had a great time, as did William and I.  We were happy to get back home too, and get back into the groove.

Jack pretending to be Mommy :)

William and the boys

The boys and me

A beautiful grizzly

William and Alex talking about the quote

Land HO!

A very curious giraffe

PANDA BEAR!  (China :))!

One of Ben's favs....Komodo Dragon!

SO, my dear high school friends, BEWARE. I will be hunting you down when we head back to AR!

Love,
Eve

A sweet video of Jack

Starfish Alumni 2010

Planning versus Peace

I just read "Jesus Calling" and it SO fits today and my recent prayers.  We are waiting on one last form to be able to send our dossier to China (DTC) and then receive a log-in-date (LID) so that we may be matched with our daughter.  The form is the I800A and is presently at the US govt office....it takes up to 3 months to receive "approval."  I keep looking at Rumor Queen (www.chinaadopttalk.com) at all of the charts and scouring the dates.....what is the median time, the maximum time for approval, or notice, is there anyone else near my dates who has received the information I am so ready to see in my mailbox?  Then, I can make guesses like "if I have my I800a approval by _____, then my DTC may be _____, and our LID ____....you can see the trend.  OBSESSION.  I have been praying that I will use RQ only to glean information as there are so many incredible topics and tips, to support and receive support from others in the same boat as me, but NOT to fixate on it!

So, today, I read Jesus Calling:
You will not find My Peace by engaging in excessive planning:  attempting to control what will happen to you in the future.....Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.
Bring Me all your needs, hopes, and fears.  Commit everything into My care.  Turn from the path of planning to the path of peace.


At the end I fully expected it to say EVE.  This is hard for me...I am a planner.  From 5th grade on I planned to go to medical school.  William and I carefully planned the timing of our wedding to revolve around medical board exams.  I planned for Alex, and for Ben, and while planning for Jack, "got" Jack.  I wanted to adopt several years ago, but William was not ready, and God said no. Plan thwarted for the time being, but he had a plan.
I like being in control, but I realize more and more that this does not bring me PEACE.  It does bring me anxiety, tension, stress, hopeless feelings, and grumpiness, which then spills over to my family.  That is not what God wants for me....he offers PEACE.  I know that HE knows who is at the end of our red thread in China...who our daughter is, where she is, and when we will meet her....it IS in HIS control, and I am so thankful for that.  I just have to remind myself by whispering (or shouting!) JESUS when I forget.

I Peter 5: 6-7  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.


Proverbs 16: 9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.


Psalm 37: 5  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and he will do this.


Love,
Eve

Empowered to Connect Conference

Do you work with kids, live with kids, ever spend any time with children?  Have you ever read "The Connected Child" by Dr. Karyn Purvis?  She came to Nashville this weekend along with Michael and Amy Monroe from Tapestry Ministry to lead an Empowered to Connect conference.  Show Hope sponsored the event and it was WONDERFUL!  Although it is "geared" to adoptive children or foster children, their principles apply to EACH and every kid I know.  We talked about how to achieve secure attachment with our kids, and to promote TRUST by EMPOWERING, CONNECTING, and CORRECTING.  One of the things that really got me was when Dr. Purvis asked which do you do more of every day....connecting or correcting.  You know, my husband and I chose for me to leave my pediatric practice and become a stay-at-home Mom about 3 years ago.  Best decision for our family we have ever made.  BUT, lately, with three busy boys and a busy schedule, I have found myself CORRECTING more than CONNECTING.  I have been practicing an avoidant attachment with my kids....go to your room until you can come back to the family and be nice, instead of teaching them AS a family to come to a resolution...redo and resolve.

What are the goals when we discipline our kids?  How does what we do know and the parenting we practice affect our relations with our kids when they are teens?  I liked and very much agree with her thoughts that when discipline is "over" we want corrected behavior, contentment in the caregiver and child, and a deepened connection between the two.  Aren't we created to love?  to touch, to talk, to share?  To feel connected to God and to each other?  TRUST is so much......

Check out the website :  www.empoweredtoconnect.org and www.child.tcu.edu when you have time.  And read her book.  It is available on Amazon....

Love,

Eve

Starfish Babies that Need a HOME!

I wanted to advocate for these sweet Starfish babies from the Starfish Foster Home.  They have been on the shared list for a LONG time, and if you would like more information on one of them, please contact me.  I met Jack and Callum when we were at Starfish two years ago.  Jack has an amazing spirit for life and a laugh that makes you giggle too.  He is a smart boy and LOVES his new wheelchair.  Callum is a big boy who has come so far the past year.   Here is some more information on them...

Jack:  Jack is two and a half years old and has such a sparkling personality.  He really is the life of the party. He loves people and will let any one hold him.  He is smart and his CHinese is coming along so well.  He asks for anything he wants to eat and his favorite is M&M's but her also loves Cheerios.  He was born with Spina bifida and at birth his legs were already paralyzed.  He had surgery at about two months for the SB and later got s Shunt for his hydrocephalus.  He was recently given a wheel chair and at the end of day one he was navigating it around the house.

JACK

Callum:  He has got the best laugh and he plays really well with his friend Lucas. He will be three at the end of the year. He is such a handsome little guy and loves to Telebubbies and dances to them often.  He is very affection and loves being hugged.He likes to go outside and play on the slide.  He loves eating M&M's.  He was born with Spina bifda and a clubfoot.  He got emergency surgery when the sack started leaking and later had surgery for his foot.  He walks with a little limp and is probably doing to need more surgery on his foot.

CALLUM

Tristan:  He very seldom cries and is just a happy little boy.  He has got the best smile which he uses often.  He turned two recently.  He loves going outside in the stroller.  He had surgery for his spina bifida in Hong Kong and has gotten so much stronger in the time he has been in Starfish.  He was born with clubfeet and will hopefully have surgery for that in October. In the meantime he is pulling himself up on his feet and it looks like he wants to walk. He is really smart and some have said that he is so independent.

TRISTAN

James:  James is a double cleft lip and palate baby.  He is the most unique little boy because he just loves foreigners and will play with them more than our Chinese volunteers.  He loves music and will play with anything that makes a noise.  He loves clapping his hands to the music.  His favorite is a toy piano and loves the drums.  James' lip was repaired by Dr Lisa Buckmiller and a few weeks ago he had his palate repaired.

JAMES

Please pray for these precious boys and spread the word to whomever you can!  They need to get OFF of the shared list and INTO a home!!

Love,

Eve

Patience...Waiting...

Grrr.  Our last home study visit was over a month ago.  I had ALL of my paperwork prepared and turned in then...and I am still WAITING on the final copy of the home study to send in for our government papers.  Yes, I realize that I am not using the same agency for the home study as for the placement, and this does add a bit of time, but I just did not anticipate waiting THIS LONG for it!!  I realize that there is a LOT of hurry up and wait with the adoption process, but had not accounted for it now.
So, trying to be patient, and to use this time to listen to God...to keep my shield on as Satan tries to fight against this child coming home....and to trust.  He has a plan for us, and for this precious little one that He is protecting.  I knew my most trying part of the process would be the WAITING that is not in my control. It is a hard place for me, an uncomfortable zone, but maybe that is just where Jesus wants me to be right now.  Maybe is waiting there.....waiting for me.....
Praying for an open heart...

Eve

Jack's New Buzz Cut

All smiles

looking in the mirror

Looks like Alex from the back!

So much Hair!

SO PROUD!

Looks like Anakin when he became a JEDI!

Jack has wanted a buzz cut for the last 2 months, ever since Alex got one.  He decided that YESTERDAY was the day...since kindergarten is starting next week.  He wanted a 'BIG BOY' hair cut.  So, here you go.  I did not cry, and am very impressed with his courage to COMPLETELY change his look.  He is very handsome and very BIG looking!

Love,

Eve