LOA!!

Ok,
not mine.

But hers. 

For him.

Which means our trip is getting closer!!

Ahhhhhh!!!
It is quite possible I am nearly just as excited to go on this trip with her as I was when we were going for our own kiddos.
It's just exciting in a whole 'nother type of way. 
I imagine it will be like being in the delivery room except without all contractions and placentas and such flying around.
Ok.
That was yucky.
Don't read that last part.
Disregard the placentas flying around.
That is some trippy imagery.

Anyhoo,
who else got LOA this week?
Coffee in the hotel anyone?
Don't make me drink alone!

This & That

This:

is what I found under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve night when I was setting everything up for the morning.

which inside reads:

Gracious this boy! Love him!

That:

is just plain ole injustice.
He just has to innocent.
Has. To. Be. 
Bates would NEVER do that.
Nevah.
Season 3 is available online.
You have no idea the self control I am exercising by not logging on to watch.
My sweet friend Elizabeth is going to a premiere party where they dress in period pieces.
You have no idea the self control I am exercising by not driving up there and crashing the party.
Mind you she lives 4 hours away.
And I wasn't invited.
Nor do I know anyone there.
But still......
it's tempting.
Ohhhh so tempting.
January 6th can't come soon enough.
Until then, if you need me, I'll be watching Season 2 for the not-gonna-tell-you-how-many-times.


I'm Laura Linney,
and this is Masterpiece Classic.

Introducing.......

Gracious you guys.

My heart is bursting.

Faithful, faithful God.

Do you remember this kiddo? 



He had a family.
And then he didn't.

He had another family.
And then he didn't. 

And then he had a family yet again.
And then he didn't when the social worker and home study agency involved have a policy of no dual adoptions. Period. End of sentence.

So the family went to China.
Adopted their daughter they already had LOA for. 
And had to leave him behind.

~sigh~

And now they are home.
And now this incredible family is racing to get back to China in time to call this sweet boy their son and get him the cardiac intervention he so desperately needs.

So it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Patrick. 
Soon to be orphan no more but treasured son.

The picture above was taken last year.
Now look at this picture taken just a month ago.

Can you see the difference?



   

He's growing right on up to a handsome young man!
But what he's also doing is becoming increasing cyanotic.
See how his hands in the picture below look almost dirty?
They aren't dirty.
They are blue.

I remember the night Joshua landed at the airport and we arrived into the PICU 2 hours later and as I was getting him ready for bed I noticed his hands, thought they were filthy from the plane and brought him over to the sink to wash them. 
Ummmm no.
They weren't dirty.
They were blue.

This kiddo needs a home.
And he needs a home quite quickly.
Enter the body of Christ.
They need our help.
They don't "kinda" need our help.
They need our help. 
And they need it quickly.

Want to read this families story?
Go here. 

Want to be a part of this sweet boys life and help bring him home?
Go here. 

Want to pray that the Lord will protect his heart and his health until they can get to him.
Get on your knees.

He needs us folks.
They need us to rally around them and bring him home.
Let's do this.
It's go time. 

What Is Quickly Becoming My Favorite Photo

Remember this? 
The plea.
The heartbreak.
The wondering who?

And now? 
Now he is forever wrapped up in her arms.

Love.
Love.
Love.

Kiddo has some major surgery headed his way in the coming weeks.
You can follow his journey right here. 

And as an aside....would it be wrong of me to print this out and put it on my fridge?
Is that weird?
Ok. That's probably weird.
But heavens to Betsy that look of pure joy on his face just makes me smile.

Edward & Percy

Let's do this.

Check this out.

Can we even for just a moment picture these two boys as grown men having been adopted into a family that loves and cares for them?
Can we even for just a moment imagine these brothers being able to pull out a scrapbook and read notes of encouragement or scripture or love from people across the nation?

Let's do this.

Let's make a difference to these two.

Go here. 

And you can send your $8 right here! 

Need the 411 on Eating in China

Because goodness you guys.
Food is my love language. 

I know I'm supposed to have one like
Words of Affirmation
Acts of Service
or Quality Time
but can I just submit to you today that I think there should be a 6th language and that is
Food. 

Ahhhhhhh.
Food.

It speaks to me.
It sings to me.
It. Is. Happiness.

So last time, China Trip circa 2011, we stayed on the island and I have a pretty good grasp of what the options are over there but this time I'll be staying off the island.

And though we all remember what happened last time we were in China and went off the island 

~shudders~

this will be different. 

I don't know where we are staying.
Hey Lori! Where are we staying?
Don't ya just love communicating with your friends on a public blog? 
Don't mind us as we have a whole conversation over here. 
I'll tell you if we are about to launch into a discussion on periods or bras or something so you can look away 
or join in for that matter.....
whatevs. 
But I digress.

So what's the what what on eating over there?
Tell me all about it.
What's this mexican place I keep hearing about?
Because really, if I can go to China AND get a chimichanga
whoa baby
I may just stay there.
Italian & Pizza place?
Where else should we go?
Tell me.
Tell me everything!

Just please
I buh-eg of you
don't use words like,
"Go north on X road and then go south-south east slightly and after turning east west you will run right into it."
Dude.
No.
I don't understand words like north, south, east or west.
Homegirl has no sense of direction.
It's why I married a pilot.
So that I don't have to worry about such things.

Problem is though, fly boy and his off da hook navigational skills aren't coming with me so I need words like turn left, turn right,
that I can {perhaps} understand.

Can't wait to hear whatchoo have to say!

Destination: China Baby!

I know.
I know.
I knooooowwww.

But come on.
That was fun.
Ok....fun for me at least.

Here's a hint.

 Ok.
Just kidding again.
Ha!
This is so fun!
It's my blog and I'll cry post a pink dress if I want to.

Before all of you unfriend me for good,
here is the real deal.
Meet Micah.

He is the soon to be son of a dear friend of mine and
she
has
asked
me
to
go
to
China
with
her!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I am ridiculously excited. 

Last time I went I was surrounded by 6 children,
boys no less,
so my ability to really drink it in and explore were limited to the playground and other such things that typically involved food of some sort.
Fun. Don't get me wrong.
But just different.

I will be her official coke & coffee go getter,
errand runner,
food fetcher
and I'm planning a very special trip back to Jacob and Joey's orphanage/finding spots/foster home(they are from the same area as Micah) where I will see these cuties again and so much more. 
We will be in GZ the entire trip.

Estimated travel:
January/February.

Whose coming with us?

Missing Family

People.

I am on my knees before the Lord asking Him to reveal who may be the family for these two sweet boys. They had been told over a year ago that they had a family coming for them and that they would be forever brothers. That is no longer the case and they have no one coming for them....nor do they know this yet......

I cannot, cannot, cannot, even begin to imagine the heartbreak when they find out. 

"Percy" is 10, "Edward" is 12

These two precious kids were/are still in the same group foster home that Jacob and Joey were in. I pulled up their picture the other day and asked the boys about them and it turns out that the one in the red is Jacob's best friend.


~sigh~

They shared a bed for years.
Jacob and Joey had a lot to say about them, namely how nice they both were. As you can imagine in a group home setting they do not remember everyone there as "nice", but these two definitely were.
I met these boys while we were in China.
I had lunch with these boys.
I played with these boys.



They.
Are.
Sweet.



According to Jacob, "Percy" likes to play Lego's and cries sometimes at night because he is scared.

Jacob is extraordinarily gifted at making things out paper, has been since we adopted him. And it turns out that the boy in the yellow is the one that taught him. According to my boys "Edward" is sweet and helpful to the other children.

 


Oh sweet Jesus make a way. 

The agency that they are with has agreed to waive ALL agency fees to make it easier for a family to be able to commit to them.
All. Agency. Fees.
This is huge. 



Beyond that there are some other efforts to help further offset the financial cost of their adoption.
A FB page has been created to help raise money to help an adoptive family for them.
You can find that group here: 

Further, you can purchase this gorgeous necklace for a donation of $10 or more and all proceeds will go directly into their specific fund.

If you have other items you would like to donate or if you would like to purchase a necklace please email Katie at hookedonfaith05@gmail.com

Lastly, here is a link to a video from another adoptive family that adopted a son out of that same group foster home. You can catch a glimpse of the boys in the foster home in this video. 

Click here for the video
  
The opening of the video is the SWI that oversees that foster home and the boys in the beginning are some of the one's that have already been adopted out. Halfway through it will switch to the foster home where you can see glimpses of them. 
Above all, please be in prayer for these boys. They have a lot of heartache headed their way and my prayer is that their story will not end there. There is redemption in store for these boys. 

Could you be part of it? 

If you would like more information on these boys you can email me at mommyof4jays@msn.com