I get by with a little help from my....sister!

 

Brady was too little to climb in the play structure so Allie gave him a little boost. Check out that smile! He was NOT a happy camper when she wasn't there at his beck and call though. He stood at the bottom yelling 'Allie....ALLLLIEEEE!'...and then crying. Goober.

Valentine Playdate

We celebrated Valentine's Day at Chuck E Cheese with some of our OCA friends. Brady LOVED Chuck E Cheese. Everyone around here is finally feeling better after being sick most of last week. I had all the little one's at the doctor's. That's a load of fun, let me tell you. Allie has serious doctor issues. I am sure we are talked about every time we leave;) FYI, according to the doctor's scales Allie is 36 pounds, AnnaClaire is 28 and Brady is 30. He feels like 40 though-solid as a rock. He's doing FANTASTICALLY. We are thrilled with the progress he is making. Hope we don't take a huge step back with his upcoming surgery. Last time we did, but he has made so much progress that I am hopeful it won't be nearly as bad as last time. He continues to amaze me with how clearly he can say things WHEN HE WANTS TO. Most of the time he's hard to understand but I know he can talk more clearly because I have heard it. After surgery, his speech should get even better. I have to say that his special need has been a lot easier than we anticipated. If you are someone who has considered a cleft affected child and thought it would be too much, I am telling you that Brady is pretty much a worst case scenario with an EXTREMELY wide cleft and it has been mostly a non-issue day to day. There are some cutie pies left on Children's House's current list that are in need of a mom and dad...:) If you are interested in checking them out, you can email me at loosclan@gmail.com and I will send you the link to view them.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

 

Haircut!

 

Last few hours of the Facebook Challenge

If you haven't already donated, please consider it. I have such a burden on my heart for these children. If LWB wins the $50,000, TEN children will have lifesaving heart surgery. Once they are healed they'll have a good chance of being adopted and to grow up knowing the love of a family. Isn't that worth $10?

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51591

Party!

Jeff took this pictures at a wonderful birthday party that we were at on Saturday.

PLEASE READ!

From Amy E of Love Without Boundaries...

My message is a bit long today but I hope you will read it to the end. We have just 24 hours left in the Giving Challenge contest on Facebook. 24 hours to try and stay in the lead. And we can’t do it without you.

As I type this, I am staring at the photos of 12 babies who are hurting because they were born with heart disease. Their eyes truly haunt me, first because they are orphaned and as a mother it is hard to accept that any child has to be sick without a mom or dad to comfort them….but second because I know that without surgery, the pictures I have of these children might be their last. Do you know how small a baby’s heart is? And how fragile an orphan’s life is when that tiny heart has a defect? These pictures are of children who are blue, children who are tired, children who NEED OUR HELP.

I also have on my desk the photos of children whose hearts we have healed. They stare out at me with pink cheeks and smiles, and in many…with their new adoptive families. THIS is what it is all about. Saving lives, giving a second chance, and allowing a child to find their family and know complete love.

In the next 24 hours we have a chance to give the GIFT OF LIFE to 10 more children in need. The charity with the most unique $10 donors at 12 noon PST on February 1st will win $50,000. Heart surgery in China averages just $5000 per child, so with that prize….ten children can have a second chance at life.

I am not going to ask you today to find 10 more donors, or even 5 more donors to help us. I am asking you to find just ONE person in your life that hasn’t donated and to ask that person to please help you save a life. For just $10. If all of us do this, we could have over a thousand new donors in just one day.

How often do we spend $10 on things that last just a moment?

$10 for two fancy coffees, $10 for a movie and popcorn, $10 for a dinner out. How about for today, for the next 24 hours, we all find $10 for something that will last a LIFETIME. $10 to save a baby’s life and allow a priceless child (who is orphaned and totally innocent) to get a second chance at finding a family to love them.

Find just one friend in the next 24 hours, and encourage them to join our cause and donate. $10 for the life of a child. Of all the money you have spent this week….this might be the most important.

Thank you EVERYONE for keeping LWB in the running for the top prize. We love our supporters and give thanks everyday for the amazing generosity, compassion, and kindness you show to those who live as orphans each and every day. We truly are a family, bound together by the belief that every child born on this earth matters.

Here’s the link! http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51591 Let’s do it for the kids.

Amy

hmmm

You know your teenager is playing too much Guitar Hero when your 4 year old starts singing 'Paint It Black' and KNOWS THE WORDS!

I signed up AnnaClaire for preschool this morning. We weren't sure if we would send her or Brady at all but decided to go ahead and send just her. I think Brady will benefit from one on one time with me and AnnaClaire would probably like an occasional break from him too. We'll see how it goes and if he is upset about not getting to go, we can take a slot when one opens up during the school year. We'll definitely send them both for 4 year old preschool.

Can you believe it is time to order Cameron's cap and gown? YIKES! I am off to do that now...

Go Vols!

Yes, my husband has lost his mind! That's what 3 teenagers and 3 preschoolers will do to a person. He's all ready for Tennessee's big game against Kentucky tonight. I'm so proud.

America's Next Top Model

 

 

From the Love Without Boundaries Blog

Next week, we have set Jan 22/23 as a one day Facebook fundraising day to help complete the funding for baby Yang's heart surgery. You can find our Facebook Cause through this link http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51591
With the Facebook challenge ending on Feb 1, our Director of Operations, Sheri Russon, came up with the perfect way to encourage our friends and family to help with the Facebook Challenge:

$10 can save 10 lives.

It really is that simple. A $10 donation can in turn allow us to finish the Facebook Challenge in first place, and can allow us to use the $50,000 prize to SAVE THE LIVES of ten innocent babies born with heart disease who are struggling to survive.

Please tell your friends and family about this wonderful opportunity in front of us. I just can't even begin to tell you the deep sadness that each of us at LWB feels every time we are given the news that an orphaned child's heart has stopped beating for the last time. We have cried so many tears knowing we were too late, and even more knowing that a child died as an orphan. It is so horrible to know a child has died alone…...without having a mom or dad to hold them when they are hurting or afraid.

We really can do this....but we need everyone's help. Let's all be a part of something BIG! Let’s work as a united team to give life to ten children who will not survive without surgery.

Let’s show 10 tiny babies who have been abandoned that they ARE important and that they are not alone. Let's all step out of our comfort zones in the next week and ask at least 5 friends to donate $10 to save 10 children's lives.

It is NOT about “winning” or the money to us, even though we have to keep bringing it up to finish the challenge in first place. It is about the very real fact that there are orphaned children dying with medical needs right this very minute....and how wonderful it would be that through this unique challenge, we can change 10 of their lives forever.


Thank you everyone! Remember…..$10 can save 10 lives. Let’s do this together and know we were a part of something truly GREAT!

You Guys Kill Me!

Yes, AnnaClaire is potty-trained. Just like her older siblings, she simply decided one day that she was ready. It's been so nice only changing Brady and not Brady AND AnnaClaire who always seemed to poop in tandem. We'll be going out this weekend to let her pick out a special treat. Brady's been telling me sometimes when he needs to pee pee but he is a ways from being trained. I really can't believe that AnnaClaire is trained because she is the first of my kids to be trained before age 3. Woo Hoo!

Sorry that our news wasn't a new daughter like some of you thought. Actually, since Jeff has started his own business we don't currently qualify (because we can't prove income) so I can assure you there will be no adoption announcements. We are happy to rejoice with you all who are in the process and to pray for those special little ones who wait.

Brady's surgery has been confirmed for Monday, March 10. He'll get to eat cake on his sisters' birthdays but he won't be able to have candy for Easter. I think the Easter Bunny might just bring all the little ones non edible treats this year.

Big News!

here's a hint;)

January pics

some misc. pics from the last few weeks

Bad Blogger

It's been a while. There is so much I missed blogging last month (Allie Day, Jeff's b'day, Ryan's b'day-13!!!, Christmas....). I'll get to it but for now just wanted to update a little. Brady FINALLY had his appointment with the surgeon today. It was originally scheduled for December 18th but his doctor was sick so it was moved to January 3 but the doctor was called into emergency surgery. I took him in today and he was treated like royalty. They really love him at that office. It looks like Brady's surgery will be March 10. They had said mid February but Allie's birthday is March 8 and AnnaClaire's is March 9. I didn't want them to get all the presents and Brady to not even be able to eat cake. I asked about mid March and the doctor said that would be fine. The big boys are out for spring break the week of the 10th so it will be a great time for the surgery.

I encourage you to check out my friend Tonya's blog. You may remember that we waited together through 2 adoptions and we were in China together when she adopted Ayla and we adopted Brady. Her precious Ayla had surgery in December and they discovered that she has cancer. Tonya is a picture of strength and faith. I wish I could be more like her. Anyway, she's updating frequently and I know that she appreciates prayers.

That's all for now:) It's good to be back.

AnnaClaire Day!

Today is a special day. Many years ago on December 5th, my dad asked my mom to marry him. She said yes:) The next December 5th, my parents found out that they were expecting a little blessing...me! Two years ago today, Jeff, Cameron, Allie and I walked into the Civil Affairs office in Nanchang and met our very own little ray of sunshine. We didn't expect the babies to be waiting for us when we got there, but when we walked in there they were. I picked out AnnaClaire immediately. Unfortunately, Jeff had the video camera and was taping another child he thought was AnnaClaire. LOL (I can laugh about it now!) When they called our name to go and get her she was bucking back and forth and grinning ear to ear. I thought that surely there was something wrong with her. What baby would be so happy to meet strangers for the first time? That would be our AnnaClaire! Bless her sweet heart, she was the stinkiest, dirtiest little thing and didn't have any teeth or any hair. On the way back to the hotel from the CA office, she would stood on our laps and jumped (while we held her around the chest, she could barely sit unassisted-such a difference from Allie when we got her). Little ACE radiated pure joy. God has blessed us greatly with each of our children; they all have their own special gifts, talents and place in our family. AnnaClaire is our sunshine. Our road to AnnaClaire was a bumpy one but God always knows what He is doing. AnnaClaire can turn a bad day into a great day with her smile. Thank you Lord for entrusting this sweet angel to our family. We know we are blessed!

After 30+ years, my dream is finally coming true!

I am...ahem...I mean ALLIE and ANNACLAIRE are getting a Barbie Dream House for Christmas. I am drooling over it already. And it comes fully furnished! Is it Christmas yet? Truthfully though, all those years of buying boy toys when the big guys were little and wanting so badly to buy some girly stuff too...well, I am finding that I am enjoying buying for Brady more than anyone else this Christmas. Boy stuff is so COOL!

We are having some issues getting our Christmas picture. Allie fell off the couch face first a few weeks ago and had a giant goose egg on her forehead which turned into 2 black eyes. Beautiful. As that started to heal, she turned up with a big bruise on her cheek. No one knows where that came from. Then at the end of the week, it was finally faint enough to take the picture. WELL (and I know you know where this is headed), yesterday Brady and AnnaClaire were playing with some tea pitchers in the kitchen and I heard a 'bump' and Brady started to cry. Not his 'I'm a little hurt and I need some comfort' type of cry, but the 'I am in PAIN' cry. I go over to him and scoop him up and he has a goose egg on the side of his head near his eye that had already turned bright blue. Today it is even more awful looking. I was thinking we might still be able to salvage the Christmas pics and planned to take them tonight...ha ha. You think I would know better by now. Today Brady was running through the kitchen, fell face forward on the hardwoods and now has a lovely busted and swollen lip to go with his other boo boo. Did someone say Mother of the Year??? Where can I accept my award?