PLEASE HELP!

Hi all,

My husband and I are Children's Pastors at our Church and have been for many years! Every year the children attend Church camp in the summer. Most of our Church kids, and all our ministry kids do not have parents who can just write a check for them to attend a week of camp. EVERY year these kids work so very hard to EARN every penny to pay their registration, gas, clothes, and anything they need to go to camp. We have spent days upon days in front of businesses from 8 am till 8 or 9 pm selling candy bars that were melting faster than we could sell them, as well as baked goods they baked. Here where we live more and more businesses are getting to the point they will not allow our kids to sell in front anymore. Especially the large ones where it really helps. We are praying for ways to help get these kids to camp where they can have a week to be a kid and get to know their Heavenly Father! Our own family will be going and we will be fundraising so we can go as well so there is nothing left for us to help all these kids earn their money. Through prayer I felt led to open a chipin for the Kids Camp Fund and to make the video that is on the blog now. PLEASE keep all these kids and any that will be coming, the teens going and the adults going all in your prayers. Also please pray if the Lord would have you to store some treasure in these kids! Please share with ANYONE who might help! Thank you :) Here is the video in this post too :)

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

MY SCARIEST Moment as a mom to a boy!

First off I can thankfully start by saying HE IS OK! By the grace of God! :) Noah and Samuel were playing in my room while I was paying some bills online (ooops need to remember to go back and pay them bills! ) and they were giggling and playing and such and for some reason, perhaps the leading of GOD!) I happend to look up at the right moment and saw Noah chewing on something! I was like what do you have in your mouth! I really thought it was dogfood at first because our dingy dogs love to bring some into another room and set on floor and eat one at a time so I am digginn in Noah's mouth expect dog food and instead I find a pill! That was by far the SCARIEST momens as a mom to Noah I have had yet. The 2nd scariest I have had ever! I will share later about the first. Anyway, so it appears to be a sudafed and he has gotten the coating off and there is very little of the colored part left and some white. I am panacking because 1) I have NO CLUE how he got this, 2) was this the FIRST or the LAST one he got? and 3) Bobby is gone in my car on errands and I am trapped! FREAK OUT BEGAN! I called bobby hysterical and told him to get home NOW! I called peds office who gave me number to poison control and was told to get closer to hospital if I did not want to take him in now and wanted to wait but to get closer. I am thinking ok, so you think I need to be closer. humm I want to be there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The big issue was we had no clue for SURE if it was sudafed and for sure how many he may have gotten. Bobby arrives, we load samuel (who I am also watching even though I did not see him take one) and we head to ER. They never did figure out for sure if it was a sudafed. They observed him a couple hours I guess. They said that if he had toxic levels of anything that he would have shown symptoms and hadn't so they sent us home. We are home now, boys are fed and down for naps and I am one worried mama! I am worried bout both boys cuz sam was in room too but neither is acting like anything is wrong. Noah was sleepy at hospital at a weird time which scared me but doc said not to worry. Now that they are home and napping, guess what I AM WORRIED! I am not a doctor so prayerfully he knows what he is talking about. I still dont know how he got the pill. someone must have dropped one on the floor and didnt realize cuz the package was up high still and I have trouble getting them out of it so i dont know :( ugggh scary! we are all real sick with flu here on top of everything!

Thank you JESUS for protecting my prescious baby boy!

by the way, the only time I have been more frightend as a mom was when Celeste was about 12 and she was haveing some very scary symptoms and we were in a ER and she had gone paralyzed from waist down and arms were getting weak and the doctor said he thought she had gilliam barre syndrome (? on spelling) and that her lungs would go paralyzed soon and they were gonna have to put her in a drug induced coma for awhile and put her in pediatric ICU. I was like FLIPPIN out and scared. Then she was paralyzed from neck down adn I got more scared. doctor left to write the orders and I called the prayer chain! By the time they got ready to move her upstairs she was better! and NEVER had another symptom like those again! She still sometimes has no reflexes but other than that no sign of anything left! THAT was the scariest I think. I dont know maybe these 2 or tied! I just kept telling bobby, I dont want to loose Noah. How did this happen. I STILL can't believe it. I told Bobby I wanted him to move our heavy bed so we can vacuum under it and behind everything just in case. I am ready to go out a buy one of those jumper things on a stand and only put him down in it if I am even slightly distracted! so scary! no more bill paying. and I may boycot sesame street. Elmo let me down with keepin the boy mesmerized! ok I am grasping for something funny in this post. AT least we have the happiness that Noah is OK! :)

WE send you kisses and blessings in the wind!

hello from MISSISSIPPI

Hello from Mississippi :) Well, I did it. I drove further than I ever have before. We are at our stopping point on our way to Atlanta for the conference! I am nervous about the drive tomorow as it is all unfamiliar territory and driving in big city of atlanta once there but we are excited :)


Here is a shot Celeste got of the welcome to MS sign today :)


This is a picture of the 3 travelers this morning before we left the house!

We stopped along the way for lunch and to visit with a dear friend Barb and her daughter Katherine. Barb and I met on the internet at JEM Ministries :) She had not had a chance to meet Noah yet and now she has :) It was great to see them even for a short visit! Noah is sleeping under the quilt lovingly made by Barb!! I am suppose to have pics of Noah eating a cupcake she gave us for the room tonight but Noah fell out before we got back to the room and is sleeping so I guess it will be tomorow before he eats his cupcake!

Katherine meets Noah

Barb neets him too! :)

Meridian is famous for its carosel (which is closed right now that we planned to visit. they have some horses around town. this one was in the mall so we set Noah on it :)

another shot of him on it bein sweet and FUNNY

Celeste acting silly! :)

Please keep us in prayer as we go on the rest of the journey tomorow and for traveling home sunday and monday.

WE send you blessings and KISSSES IN THE WIND!

Road Trip Baby!

Noah, Celeste and I are leaving town in the morning to drive to Atlanta, GA for a Women's conference there! :) We will be stopping part way and staying in a hotel over night to break up the trip! Celeste is BESIDE herself excited! :) heehee And Noah was quite curious when I was packing toys in a suitcase. At first he kept trying to take them out and I said, we are taking these on our trip tomorow. All of a sudden I guess he figured it out and he started runnin round bringing all kinds of things for me to Add to suitcase, including things TOO BIG to fit :) heehee :) Anyways Just wanted to share our joy and excitement! Bobby needed a haircut for work and Noah's bangs were getting long so I gave them haircuts tonight and really messed up Noah's WORSE than last time! ugggh I am suppose to get better NOT worse! poor baby! I don't have time before we leave to try and fix it so it will have to do! He did MUCH better this time and only fussed when I did around the bottom of the back of his head. The front looks good but of course it has that gorgeous face to go with it :) the sides and top back are horrible. Thank God it will grow and I will get another chance! anyway here are some pics for your enjoyment!

Daddy and Noah! :)

You can see pretty good how bad it looks. I so don't know what I am doing. Did not plan the sides to be soo short not that I don't like them short but can't figure out how to make it go with top. He needs the top long right now because I run my hands through it to comfort him! And those bangs are just too cute :)

another shot with Daddy! :)

back of his head

playin with a basket! :)

Noah is brushin my hair for me! :)

tired baby boy who did NOT get much of a nap.

Celeste is taking a photography class this semester and having to use black and white film. Here are 2 pics she took of Noah and then cutsified on her computer :) What do you think! :)

Caption reads "What do you mean I can't go outside alone??"

caption "Its Yougart I swear" Noah is so into the drinkable yougart or any kind for that matter.

Next time, pics from ROAD TRIP!

WE send you blessings and Kisses in the wind!

HE DID IT!

HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Noah was finally able to stack blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maria brought a different kind of larger blocks than we have been using and worked with Noah this morning (actually was monday morning, it took me this LONG to get the video to LOAD! UGGGH, back to your regularly scheduled post!) and HE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was holding my breath and TRYING not to say a word the first time :) This is the picture of the first tower he built and below is a video of the other times he was workin on it! of ALL times for me to be folding clothes and NOT have the video running! UGGGH so I dont have the FIRST time on film but flew to get the camera to take the picture of the one they made! :)





Noah and Maria HE DID IT! FIRST time stacking blocks. LOOK how high they went!

Mom's Little Sweetheart and such

I wanted to share a bit about our FIRST Valentine's Day with Noah home! :) I just am so loving all the holiday's that last year I celebrated in sadness because my baby was a world away and put his gifts up in the crib to WAIT and this year he is here and so blended into our hearts and lives! A friend said to me the other day, its like he has always been here! :) Anyway, Daddy worked so it was a pretty usual day but when daddy came home we had gifts and supper and dessert and just time together :) I must say that it is so hard to find cute boy's clothes and things for boys for holiday's is worse at times. I did FINALLY find Noah a little tshirt for Valentines after having spent over a month looking at tons of sweet little GIRL outfits for valentines! I normally try to do onsie's because pants just don't do well on Noah but sometimes you just have to deal! lol I LOVE what the shirt said and it was definitly not girly so it was a go! :) and he did walk out of the pants before the night was over :) heehee Also at the end is a video where Celeste and I gave a gift to bobby and y'all get the pleasure or punishment depending on your perspective of seeing it! heehee I can't believe I am actually showing this to anyone but here ya go! :) heehee



My two little sweethearts! :) Celeste scares me to death sometimes playin with her "Bubby" as she has termed Noah as of late but he LOVES it! :) Made for a great shot! :)


Noah playin in his little tikes garden! HE LOVES this toy! :)


Here he is sorta waving! This is such a cute new thing! He waves bye bye and hi or HEY which he says ALOT now! When bobby comes in at night Noah jumps out of my lap and FLIES to the door and as bobby is opening it he is jumpin and screamin HEY DADADADADA heehee so cute



Not a good shot but had to jump through hoops to get it at all, but this is Noah giving Bobby his FIRST EVER valentine from a SON! :) And I had to go all over the place to find one that said from your son that was from a little boy and not a grown son! but I succeeded!


Such a beautiful child! :) Yes I know he is a boy and I should say handsome which he is as well but he is also beautiful1


the pants were too big and twisted and he kept putting toys in them! lol

he loves this toy and he bounces on it all the time :) and then sometimes he throws it! :) or just sits on it and watches ELMO!

here he is fixin to throw it! heehee you should have heard him grunting as he lifted it! :)


Here is Noah eating his Valentine's Cookie! :) He loves to eat!

Yes Noah is cryin in the background of the video because the only way we could do this for bobby was to put Noah in the high chair to watch us. If he was down he would run and scream at my feet for me to hold him! :) My little man LOVES his mommy to hold him and is VERY jealous when she has to do things with Jei Jei or someone else! And he waited long enough for a mama so that is understandable but sometimes mama has to do other things and we needed to do this for daddy! :) and no tears were involved in all that crying by the way. Weirdest thing to me how he cries like that at times but no tears! Anyway he is fine and I picked him up as soon as it was over! :) Ok, so here is the video!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

WE send you Blessings and Kisses in the WIND!

LOVE and Tears

Early this week, I learned of the passing of two beautiful little girls in Ukraine, Margarita and Katerina. These little girls were living in the institution that babies are transferred to when they turn four. It really hit home for me because though Noah would have been sent there had he been in that country and had he not been adopted by someone. He was considered 'unwanted' and by some standards hopeless just like these and so many others. These girls could have had such a different life but they died of the flu. They suffered alone, without a mother to hold, nurture and love them. They died alone, without ever knowing the love of a family. My heart is heavy with the suffering that they knew during their short journey's on this earth. But my heart rejoices that they no longer suffer and that they are no longer alone, that they are now in the arms of a loving Father in Heaven. They now know LOVE!

Earlier today I received an article regarding children in institutions in Bulgaria. My heart breaks to think of these precious children, children like Noah and my friends Breelyn and so many others, children with limitless potential, suffering, without the love of a family, in these institutions.

These children cannot speak for themselves. They cannot call out to tell us of their suffering, of their pain, of their hunger, of their loneliness. They cannot, so we must do it for them. We must be a voice for these children.

For the next two days on Reece's Rainbow (February 14th-15th) the pictures of all of the waiting children in Bulgaria will be viewable by the general public in an attempt to raise grant money for them and help bring them home to loving families (you can ALWAYS donate, but this is a concentrated effort to get these children home as quickly as possible). Won't you please consider donating to the grant funds of these precious children? PLEASE follow the link to the page and donate even $5 will help! EVERY penny adds together to help! PLEASE pray about whether the Lord would have you to give one of these children or another child across the world a HOME and a Family and LOVE this Valentine's Day! Go HERE!

As you spend this day focusing on LOVE, imagine for me what you would think of love if you had NEVER been in a family. Never been kissed and hugged and loved on. If you grew up in a crib instead of rocking in a mother's arms! It rips me to shreds EVERY time I think of how often Noah's cries had to go unheard, and I KNOW it was not because of lack of caring at his orphanage but how much can a couple Nannies do to care for so many babies? Noah was in one of the best orphanages I have come to find out about and I know he still suffered because he was there. Imagine a place much worse. Please think about the most money you spent on a valentine's day gift today and give AT LEAST that much back to God in the way of helping one of his little ones! And please do consider if one of these is saying mommy or daddy to YOU!

In closing, I'd like to share with you a poem written by Meredith Cornish in memory of Margarita and Katerina. This really got me and most of it can be said of any orphan across the ocean waiting for a family to call their own!

While we were. . . .

While we were eating...
... they were hungry

While we were playing...
... they were restrained

While we were tucking our kids into bed...
... they were alone

While we turned up the heat...
... they laid in the icy cold

While we wrapped our children in blanket sleepers...
... they laid in their own excrement


While we sang songs and listened to music...
... they listened to the screams and cries of those around them

While we rocked our babies...
... they silently rocked themselves

While we hugged our kids...
... they scratched at their own faces and pulled their own hair for stimulation

While we cried over scraped knees...
... they moaned in their loneliness

While we brushed our daughters' beautiful hair...
... they had their heads shaven to stave off the lice

While we fought off the flu with love and nourishment...
... they got the flu and went Home.

No longer suffering... but so many more still are.



Margarita



Katarina