Making Footprints

Finally!!!! We are launching our new website www.makingfootprints.org. All proceeds from sales made through this site will help the poor, widows, and orphans in our future mission trips. Please check this site often as we will be adding new items frequently. We are so excited about this. Please help us one footprint at a time.
If you are a family who has started the adoption process please contact me and I will give you information on assisting you with a fundraiser through our website.
Please add our button to your blog. You can copy the code from the Making Footprints site.

Remembering that first touch

So, I am in a sentimental mood today. I have been reading so many adoption blogs and blogs of those who have a love for orphans that parallels my own. I love reading about the feelings people feel when they hold their child for the first time, their days of pain as they wait through a pregnancy or knowing their baby is out there but they can't hold their child yet, and all the emotions that go with having children.
I love my four children to the depths of my toes and beyond. As Buzz Light Year says, "To infinity and beyond," is the love I have for my children. I remember so often the emotion I had when I held Olivia, Logan, Carson, and Leia for the first time. There was the overwhelming emotion of love that cannot be put into words. Then the emotion of knowing they are YOURS and Gods, and no one elses. You are responsible for that being for the rest of your life. Their life will be a testament to your life as well. What a responsibility for parents...wow.
To know you have carried a child within your body and delivered a beautiful miracle from God is priceless, just like waiting for God to choose the perfect orphan to be your child forever and waiting through an unknown timeline is priceless as well. There is fear with either scenario, but also a calmness in knowing that God is control of it all.
To Olivia-
You are my angel who I held for the first time. I was in awe and wonder when you were placed in my arms. You were worth every ache, pain, sickness, and fear. You are such a light with your smile, love, kisses, and hugs. You are an amazing big sister. You are at an age where you are my friend. We talk, play, and have fun. I love you!




To Logan-
You are my little knight. I was so scared when they took you to a bed where they could care for you closer than in my arms. The first 10 days of your life were horrible for me. They wouldn't let me hold you, kiss you, or feed you. And the few times they did, it was so brief. But, in the end, God made you a strong and vibrant little boy that keeps me on my toes, who gives the best bear hugs, and is learning to be such a gentleman.




To Carson-
And I thought I would travel far to Vietnam and pick up a little girl. But, God had a better idea. You were right here in the same state. We found out about you 6 months into the adoption process through Vietnam. I became a friend with your birth mother after she chose us to be your forever family. I love her with a love so strong that my heart breaks every time I think of her, because she does not see the amazing little boy that I hold everyday and hear the best little bear chuckle that is so sweet to everyone's ears. She loves you, I know that for a fact. I watched you be born and stood by while your birth Mommy held you first and cried so hard. The moment will never leave my mind, and then she handed you to me. I love you.




To Leia-
To the other side of the world and back you came. I thought the process would never end. We started the research and 20 months later you were in my arms. I will have to say Christmas for our family is amazing. Your birth Mommy chose us to be your forever family on Christmas Day 2009. I waited everyday to see pictures of you and dream of holding you. And it finally happened on May 12, 2010 that I held you for the first time. You snuggled right into my neck and there you have been ever since. You, along, with your sister and brothers are like diamonds in the air for me, each beautiful with your own cut into life, clarity of where you came, color of your skin. Each of you sparkling so bright in my life.



Remembering touching and holding your child for the first time is an amazing gift God has given us that only you can have. No one else shares that same moment; it is your moment. For those of you waiting through a pregnancy or waiting through an adoption, take a minute and dream about that first touch. Carson and Leia's birthmom's had their "first touch" with their sweet babies, even if it was for a brief moment. No one can take away the moment they did have. I remember everyday that there are two woman in this world that changed my life forever. I remember the look in their eyes as they said goodbye to the child they had given birth to...a look I will never forget. I know they loved more than people will say. They loved enough to be selfless. They were not thinking of themselves when they gave their child, they were thinking of the child. Love to all who are waiting for that "First Touch."

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

Paint the world
with love all around.
My lil artist making her debut
Sneak Peek of what I will be selling

Brittany this is yours : )

Such a good big brother.
They adore her
I told him to open his eyes...lol
Leia and Lindsey from church
An Arkanas Lord's Day Sunset
A peek of Fall in my dining room
Bummed because it is raining for the first time in months
Practicing her site words.

Ethiopia Mission Trip Giveaway!

Korah Project 61 from Kari Gibson on Vimeo.

I came across www.mycrazyadoption.org blog yesterday, and boy was it inspiring. This family will be giving away 2 trips to Ethiopia for a mission trip with Visiting Orphans. I would love to win this trip, but it will be awesome for whoever gets this opportunity. The team will be working in Addis Ababa with Project 61 for extreme needy children living in the Korah city dump and a 2-day ministry for orphaned street children (feeding program). There will be a special outreach at an orphanage 1.5 hours outside the city, as well as an excursion to Negash Lodge to see the beauty of rural Ethiopia. They will also visit Fistula Hospital for an exclusive tour of the center and the courageous women featured in the movie “A Walk To Beautiful.” [itinerary subject to change]
All you have to go is go to www.mycrazyadoption.org and purchase one of the Simply Live t-shcirts before October 28 and you will be entered to win this amazing opportunity to serve God in another country by ministering to the poor, orphans, and widows. So, give yourself a chance to be a part of this.

Minus 1

147 Million is a huge number. But, just think, it could be 147 million minus 1, 2, 3, and so on. All it takes is a heart open to love. I love the orphans with a passion I cannot describe. And, God loves us so much more than that. Don't be afraid of the unknown. There is a child out there that NEEDS you, and you NEED them. You walk ten months with a life growing inside of you and your love for that child grows so much before you even meet that child. When you adopt, you have an adoption pregnancy that can sometimes last from 2-3 years...just think of how much love you would have for that child after that long of waiting to hold that precious one.
My husband says I cannot adopt them all, but if there were a way I could, I would. My heart breaks for them, cries for them, and loves them from the other side of the world. I challenge you to look into the eyes of an orphan and tell them, "No, I cannot protect you. I cannot feed you. I cannot clothe you. I cannot hold you. I cannot handle you in my life. You might be too much for me to handle." Did Gid say that to us? I hardly think so. He loves us so much that he sent his son to DIE for you.
As you lay in bed tonight thinking there is nothing You can do for the orphans, think of the child who has no one to call their own, has no food, has no clothes, cries out and knows there is no one to soften that cry and fear for them.

Be the Change

I started reading Quaker Summer a little over a week ago and am almost finished. It is a fictional Christian book. All I can say is everyone should read it. It is about life, how we get to that point where we know that there has to be a change. And figuring out what that change is going to be and how we are going to go about making that change. An awesome read.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world," was sang by Michael Jackson (not a favorite of mine, but those words hold some meaning to me). And Jesus said, "In as much as you've done it to the least of these, you've done it unto me."
God wants us to care for the poor and the lonely and the sick, not just for their sake, but for ours. Because in this, we become like Him, growing a bigger heart than we ever thought possible.
"Sometimes you have to go a little crazy to find the life you were meant to live."

The only family picture this family has ever had
The only shoes they own, most of the soles cracked in 2
Precious Souls, yes souls

Life around here has been crazy, nonetheless, good. Olivia has gotten into her school routine. She is now reading, adding, telling time, and teaching me things she already knew. Logan is loving his Day School Program. He constantly asks when he goes to school again. When we pick him up and ask what he learned, he responds by saying, "Letters and Numbers. We played outside and I ate cheeseballs for a snack." Gotta love him. Carson loves to color when I do school with Olivia. Logan and Carson have been spending a huge portion of their day outside and loving every minute of it. Leia has now added a full crawl to her list of things she can do. She prefers her army scoot but can manage just has quick with the good old fashioned crawl. Her first tooth finally broke through and makde its presence known a little over a week ago. Yay!! Not that she was letting no tooth hold he back from eating adult food. She still refuses baby food, and eats pretty much the same thing we eat for every meal.
Miss Naomi Grace made her grand appearance a little over a week ago. We've only seen a few pictures but are hoping Mammaw will have lots more to share. Olivia sure is excited about having a "girl" cousin.
We are only a month an half away from Leia's first birthday. I cannot believe our bbay girl will be one year old. She is growing way too fast. She is such a happy, bubbly, snuggly little girl. We have something special planned for her first birthday and can't wait for all who want to participate. Even those who live far away will be able to be part of this special time for her. More to come as it gets closer.
The pool came down this weekend, and the patio is ready for a fall cookout. Now if the temperatures would drop about twenty degrees it would be perfect. The pumpkin patch trip is scheduled for this Tuesday. The kids are super excited. And, so am I.

Orphan Sisters

Leia and Mia are sisters, in a way. They are orphan sisters, born in the same country, spent their first months together, until they were united with their forever families. This past weekend they got to see each other for the first time since we brought Leia home. I'm sure they don't remember each other, but I pray they develop a bond that holds together a lifetime. They have a story...together, to share with their children and grandchildren. We love you Leia, Mia, and Mr. Buttons. You are all most precious to us.

Psalm 119:105

Do we really let God's word light the paths of our lives or do we seek the guidance of men? God has all the answers, and he isn't hiding them from us. We have a book that is for us, made just for us. All we have to do is let it lead our lives and illuminate the path that we should take. There have been so many times in my life when I have not allowed God to guide my paths. I pray that I will be able to keep my focus clear and straight on the path that He has designed for me. I want His path, not mine. My path leads to nothing, but his path will lead to an everlasting life with him.
I know for me, I need someone here, in the present, to keep me accountable. I can recall so many times when I have called a friend, poured out my woes, only for her to answer with what God says. It puts my thoughts back into perspective and I am able to stop overanalyzing. Until I call that friend again, and she is there again to remind me of the path. Friends do that for each other. It is such a wonderful thing to have someone who can step in and say, "WEll...."
I believe that everyone has room to change and that everyone should change everyday. If you don't change then you aren't striving hard enough to be the Christian that we should be. A Christian is to be like Christ. And we will never be perfect like Christ, so there is always room for improvement on my part. I want to change. I do not want to be the same tomorrow as I am today. I want to be better tomorrow than I was today.

My Harvest is Overflowing

We spent the weekend in the ozark mountains with my family. It was soo wonderful just to be away from everything for a couple of nights. We wallked the creek, listened to the birds (singing while they migrated, Olivia informed me), read books, studied the Bible, kids running in every direction. Mom and I cooked a good ole Southern breakfast. Justin, Brittany, and Kaden joined us Friday night and Saturday afternoon. We had our annual fall family photos. It was incredible windy as the cold front moved through, but we captured some good ones. I will be editing this week and will post soon. Here are just a couple of candid shots.

I cannot even begin to put into words the amount of fun the kids had. Logan and Olivia went hunting with Papa. Logan was even telling Papa to be quiet. They ran, made stone soup, widdled sticks with Daddy, threw rocks, roamed the creek and fields, and so much more. They made memories that I hope they remember 20 years from now.

My harvest is my family. It has grown. I have sewn and am now reaping a beautiful family.