Comfort

Isa 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

Court Date Assigned

I woke up to news of a court date. An answered prayer!!!! Our court date for Leia is March, 5 at 0950. So, that will be next Thursday night our time. Please pray that a second court decree will soon follow...when that happens we get to travel!! I do not know what judge we have been assigned. I figured if Holly and Trena knew they would have told me maybe. I guess we will just see how this court date goes. Means I have got to get the baby bed put together this week and get a picture of her room sent for the judge to see. I think I will work on that this weekend and resend new family pictures. The last ones I sent were over a year ago; I think they need to be updated.

It's 7:00 AM

I wonder and think what everyone is doing halfway around the world right now. The things I do know...it is 7:00am and people will be returning to work today after a long holiday, maybe some of the babies are sleeping at the House of Hope while others are waking, people are getting ready for school or work, people are eating breakfast, maybe some families will be united with their adoptive child, and then there are all the things that I have no idea. I do know we long to see and hold Leia. The wait has become so hard. I thought it was hard waiting for a referral, but at least then there wasn't a little child growing without me. When waiting for a referral time just kind of stops because nothing happens, then you get a referral and time is still stopped here but yet it is moving on the other side of the world...moving without you.
Everyone I know asks when are we going to get her? Do we have any idea when it MIGHT be? I cringe at even trying to estimate those questions. Because I have no idea. I know when I want it to be...NOW!! I know we will get through this because with God by our side all things are possible.
Below are two photos...one of a beach in Kaohsiung City that we hope to visit. And the other is the highspeed train that we will ride from Taipei to Kaohsiung City.

Funny

I was shocked to see these photos of Leia on the computer yesterday. I had resigned myself to know updates or anything with Chinese New Year in full swing, the babies with foster families this week, and Jenna being gone back to Canada. David and I were thrilled to see these photos of Leia. Trena said that Leia's birth mom came to celebrate a day with them. She seems to be doing very well with her job and new home in Taipei. Please pray for her as she does not want anything to do with hearing and accepting the Gospel. She has told them the Bible is boring. Please pray that she will see and accept the truth for what it really and truly is. Trena said she held Leia for about 10-15 minutes and acted as though she were a cousin or an older sister and is not wavering with her decision at all and seems to be at peace with her decision and is moving on. That is a blessing for her to be able to begin the process of moving forward in her life. Please pray that the courts will assign us and the Brodine family court dates very soon that are not too far out in the future. Our babies are growing so fast without us. Also, please pray that we will be assigned a judge that will process things in lightning speed. Logan says, "It is taking too way long for Leia to come home," and indeed it is.




So, Wednesday night we were on our way to church when Olivia asked us if Leia was going to have a strawberry on her head. For those who don't know, Olivia was born with a Hemangioma on the top of her head. The doctors said it would go away, but it hasn't. She now has hair that covers it, but she knows it is there. We told her that Leia didn't have any strawberries that we know of. A few quiet seconds passed and Logan, very matter of factly, chimed in that you can't put strawberries on people's heads. "We don't wear strawberries on our heads." We told him that she didn't have a strawberry on her head and tried to explain it, but he insisted that we were just silly.
Thursday Logan was taking a nap with me and we were getting ready to go to sleep when I asked him if he was still my "Little Bird Man." We have always called him "Little Bird Man" because he has a long skinny neck and was like a little bird when he was born. He laughed at me and told me he wasn't a bird, and then said very seriously, "But I am a man.....but I can't work." I laughed so hard I was almost crying. He proceeded to tell me that I needed to call Daddy and tell him how funny and silly he was.
Logan and Olivia went with my mom and dad to Clarksville last night and got back tonight. They had so much fun. Logan was a bit cranky and teary-eyed after they got home. He was so tired. He went to bed at 11:30 last night and got up at 7:30. he is normally in bed by 7:30 or 8:00, so he was beyond exhausted. Mom had to wake both of them from their nap so they could eat dinner and get on the road. Carson enjoyed being the only child while they were gone. And he ate it up too. He had our undivided attention. He starting to talk a bit more, not very understandable, but at least he is being verbal. I can't believe he will soon be 2. I know the nonstop talking started when Logan turned 2, so maybe we will be having funny conversations just around the corner.

Delve into this

Click on image to enlarge.

Baby Shower Invite for Laura Gerrald

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moments in time

Happy Chinese New Year Baby Leia....
Chinese New Year has begun...which puts a halt on everything. That has been very difficult for us this week. People on the other side of the world are enjoying a week or more off of work with friends and family. And we sit and wait to hear of anything about a court date. The wait is becoming very difficult. Some days I want to pack my bags, run to the airport, buy a ticket, and arrive in Taiwan with a mission to hold my baby girl. People tell me, "be patient," "it will happen," but they have no idea how hard the wait has become. Until you have been in these shoes you have no idea. We have been waiting almost as long as a pregnant elephant waits to see her baby. Yeah...it is a long time. And the ironic thing is, we still don't know how long it could be. We pray every day, every prayer, asking God to watch over our precious children and to protect them and care for them. I know she is fine, but she is not with me, and I can say as a mommy, that is not fine. Please, Please pray for us as we wait more. Leslie said it so well today that we hurry up and wait to only wait some more. Please pray for Lance and Leslie as well as they are in the same waiting game as we are. When you begin the process to adopt all you do is wait. It is surreal the amount of waiting that goes on. Please, also, if you have any items to donate we are planning another fundraiser yard sale for sometime in March. Airline tickets have gone up :( Thanks to everyone who has helped so much. I have started collecting items to take when we travel, so if you would like for us to take anything or would like to donate money for us to buy items for His Hands when we travel please contact me. As I wait and wonder when will she arrive, I try to remind myself that Today is, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice in it" Psalms 118:23.



Tonight I introduced the potty to Carson...with no luck. I am by no means beginning potty training him. I have no desire whatsoever to potty train him twice. We will be waiting til after Leia is home and we are adjusted. After dinner, he started acting like he was going to take care of things, so I ran him to the potty. We sat in there for about 20 minutes with books, with no luck. But we are going to start talking about it more. He is no where near ready.

Valentine's Day Celebrations
David and I went out Friday night. We went to Cantina Laredo, my absolute favorite restaurant, then to a movie. I think the best part was sleeping in til 10:45 Saturday morning and not wondering if the house was about to fall down from kids running everywhere. The kids went to Mammaw and Pappaw's house. They had a bunkin party in the living room. The watched movies and baked cookies. Saturday I cooked dinner, pulled out the china, decorated really quick, and had a very nice dinner. Mom and Dad came over, ran around the house playing hide and seek with the kids, ate dinner, and watched a movie. Overall, it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend.


Olivia thinks it is hilarious to dress her brother up. I think I will save these photos for future reference. Carson thinks he needs to be prettied up as well running around the house with Olivia's hairbrush. Oh the memories!





Mammaw has officially told the kids that they can quit praying for "big snow." We have had several dustings this year and an ice storm. Last Monday I awoke to my kids screaming that it was time to get up because it was snowing "huge" outside. I sat straight up in that bed like someone had poured cold water on me. Snow??? The weathermen had said nothing of the sort. I had no idea. And hospitals don't care if it is snowing outside. I felt horrible, was still recovering from a horrible sinus infection but bundled my kids up and we went trekking through our 6" snow. They thought it was incredible. And I will have to say it was beautiful. The snowflakes were larger than cotton balls. It was a wet snow, perfect for playing. The kids loved running around with their umbrellas and singing in the snow. They had the time of their life sliding down their playhouse in the snow. They had quite the packed landing down below the slide. I wished I had more pictures but it was snowing so hard I didn't want to ruin my camera. We headed in, warmed up, and I began packing to drive into work. I attempted to take a nap up there before I had to work Monday night. That was an absolute joke!! No nap, and I still had to work. I mean a room, brighter than normal daylight even with the lights out. So, I headed home Tuesday morning even though I knew I had to drive back in for Tuesday night. I slept like I have never slept before. David had a snow day at home Monday afternoon and Tuesday with the kids. They just stayed in and played. Roads were okay other than our street. Thankfully we have one vehicle that is 4WD. Because, Thursday I attempted to get out of my driveway and got stuck. Had to call Ben Gerrald to the rescue. Crazy morning! Olivia had school, and she was a basketcase. I mean, come on, it was her Valentine's Day party. So, with the help of Sarah coming to stay with the boys, Mammaw to drive us to the party (better a little late than never), and Ben to pull us out, we made and continued on with our day.
Thursday was a day filled with 4 kids in the car and lots of stops. Sarah and I headed out with the kids and made all of our stops to all the businesses participating in our Shoes for Orphans Souls shoe drive. Please pray for our shoe drive that it may be successful and bring tons of shoes for many orphans. The kids were actually pretty good, considering they were stuck in the car all day.
Last Wednesday night, Jonah, Sarah and Jeremy's little boy gave Olivia a kiss and told her he loved her. She in return hugged him and told him Happy Valentine's day. After church Wednesday night we came home and Olivia and I made her Valentine's for her party and put together her goody bags. And of coarse, she had to make some for her brothers, Jonah, and Daddy got the biggest goody bag of all complete with his favorite Candy of M&Ms.

His Hands Taiwan News, by Leia

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Be a Voice and Do Something

How can anyone that is a child of God watch this and not do something? How can you not do anything and know that we are commanded to do something? How can you sit at your Sunday lunch and gorge yourself while not only orphans are starving but people around the world have nothing to eat? These children have no one...no one but you and I to be their voice. They can't make a better life for themselves without you and I, because they are children. We would be nothing without God as our Father and these orphans will be nothing without an earthly mother and father and the knowledge of God our Father. So, are you going to be a voice?

Shoes for Orphan Souls

Salem Road Church of Christ will be hosting a Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe drive beginning February 15-April 1. Drop off locations will be coming soon, or if you would like to make a monetary donation you can always contact me.

Ways You Can Help

Pray for Shoes for Orphan Souls
Please pray for the children living in orphanages throughout the world and for those individuals who are working to collect shoes.

Donate to Shoes for Orphan Souls
Your gift will provide a pair of new shoes to a needy child overseas. Many of these children have never owned a new pair of shoes.

Whirlwind....

Well, the last couple weeks have passed in a whirlwind of chaos. It all started with Logan swallowing a toy car, an ice storm, Carson getting into my thyroid medicine and eating the rest of the contents, Carson falling at Mammaw's and busting the back of his head open, and finishing off the chaos with me sick. I think I am ready for Spring....
We haven't had any new news regarding the status of our court date for Leia. We are praying we might hear something this week. I do not know if the courts will be closed this week or next for Chinese New Year. Hopefully we will have news of a date before the government shuts down for a few days. We received an update about Leia yesterday. She seems to really enjoy her bottles, as she is now over 10lbs. When we received our referral for Leia, Holly and Trena informed us that the cartilage over her right ear was double the normal size. The doctors told them it was purely something cosmetic and can be corrected. We have since received pictures of her ear, and it is very minimal. I did notice in a picture that was sent to us last week that she also has a pea-sized not on her right cheek. They say it is the same texture as the rest if her face, is not hard, and will depress when it is touched. I am a mom and nurse, so naturally I am thinking the worst regarding this knot on her face. I am so ready for her to be home, and I can take her to the doctor and have it checked. Please pray that it is nothing serious. They say it has been there since birth. As the days go by the wait becomes harder. I know that she is in God's care and that is what allows me to get through the days without being in complete worry. Not that I don't think everyone at His Hands is taking wonderful care of her, because I know that they are.

Memory Lane-
Olivia has now discovered how much she loves to play Barbies. Last weekend when we were iced in I got out all of my old Barbies as well. So, she now has quite the collection and loves to play with them. She is very concerned that they must all be wearing shoes that matches their outfit. She has this Barbie house that my mom got her at a yard sale and it has a bathroom. She really pulls down the bottoms so they can sit on the potty. I thought that was really cute. She has a pink convertible Barbie car that she piles like 14 Barbies in. For those of you in the south, you know who we see that can fit more people in a car than we can in a house. David thought this was hilarious.
Logan has had quite the adventure with swallowing/choking on whatever foreign object. We have been the the emergency room 3 times in 2 weeks. And, by the way, I am not a mamma who flips out and runs to the er. But, when you baby is turning red and purple from crying so hard because his tummy hurts, that calls for action. And a nurse knows that green bile vomit is NOT a good sign. So, he has been poked, prodded, tortured (with due cause), and scanned more than mommy ever cares to see again. A child should never have to have an enema. That is pure torture for a child and will cause a parent to shed the same crocodile tears. Dehydration is no good for the veins when you need an iv stared. They attempted 3 times. He was such a little trooper they said. He layed so still and didn't even fight them. After the first stick and digging around he was crying for Daddy. Through his river of tears he sobbed, "Daddy, come help me." I called David, and all Logan could say was, "help." Daddy came during his lunch break and stayed a couple hours. We were trying to distract Logan as well because he couldn't have anything to drink or eat. Daddy distracted him by letting him play games on his cell phone. Logan is just like his Daddy and is quite the little savvy techno toddler. Anyways...I think all is well with him and he is on his road to recovery. His complaining is minimal now.
Carson is such a clutz. He runs into walls, trips on his own feet, and hurts himself terrible even when there is nothing in sight to touch him. Thursday night he was at Mammaw's house and falls and hits his head on the fireplace hearth, and none other than the knife sharp corner. Mammaw says it looked like an animal had been slaughtered in the living room. Head bleeds always look worse than they are. Daddy brought him home and bandaged his head up like Rambo. He still has sticky medical tape marks in his hair and forehead that have not come off even after a bath. He is now sleeping better, except for when he falls out of his bed, which is pretty regular.