Wordless Wednesday

Blessings from my "snack 'til you nap" nest ~

Tina

One Month and Counting & Sunny Days!

So much to post and not enough time, so I am going to double up . . .

One month from today (by the time you read this it will be yesterday), on May 23rd, 2009,  I will watch as my Taylor bird says, "I do"!  I am so excited for her (and Frankie, too), but I am so not ready to see my bird fly.  I know that I have done my best at nearly 21 years of flying lessons, and it's time for her to spread her wings.  I know that she will soar.  I know that I'll be proud.  But, I also know that I'm not ready.  She is perched on the edge . . . and I have one month.  One month.  Between now and then we have a little bit going on, besides getting ready for the wedding.  On May 4th, Bry and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  On May 7th, Taye will celebrate her 21st birthday, and on May 9th, she will graduate with her Associates Degree in Elementary Education.  On May 10th, I will celebrate Mother's Day (ahhhhhh, that's me putting my feet up).  On May 17th, Bryce's 23rd birthday.  On May 19th, Teddi's first Gotcha anniversary (can you believe it?) . . . and then four days later wedding bells will ring.  I think I'd better get ready . . . soon.

I love you my Taylor bird, you too little bird.

Now for the sunny days . . . 

This picture was taken in January 2008, when Teddi was still Xiao Xiao.  She and her friend Yin Yin were celebrating the Chinese New Year together.  Yin Yin has waited nearly a year since Teddi left Zhuhai  for her day to come, but this week the clouds parted, and Yin Yin became Sunshine.  You can follow her story at Sunny Days.  Sunny's mama awaits her in Minnesota, as they run the MN Greyhound Rescue and she has many, many four-leggers whose lives depend on her.  Sunny's daddy is with her in China, and if you get a chance to read his posts please do, they are great!  Sunny and her daddy and mama are spending a lot of time on Skype (with the web cams), so Sunny knows her mama.  Jen, I can't wait to see your girl in your arms!

Celebrating in Texas . . .

Sunny days in Guangzhou!

Is this girl precious,

or what?  Welcome home sweet Sunshine girl!

Blessings from my nest . . . where I am battening down the hatches for May!

Tina

Eleven Precious Months (and an update)

Today marks eleven months since that "dream come true" day that we met our little Flit in China.  Of course we didn't know her by "Flit" yet, but it didn't take us long to figure out that our little bird was of the humming variety!  Thankfully she has settled down considerably over the months.  She's still the precious girl we fell in love with, just not as hard to keep up with!

The wonder of a whole new world.

A rare moment of "still" in China.

Teddi was three years and four months old at Gotcha,

yet quite babyish and not very stable on her feet.

Oh how far she has come . . .

Oh little Flit, you are so much calmer now.  

Maybe calm isn't the right word . . . you are less "flitty".

Yes.  Less flitty, and stronger and stable.

Your silliness makes my heart sing.  You say "mama mama" and

you kiss me a hundred times a day, or so it seems.  It's as

though you are making up for lost time.  We are.

You march to the beat of your own silly drum.

I love that about you.

And just like your caregivers all said,

You are a "happy girl".  

You find so much joy in everyday life,

although I suppose it still isn't "everyday life" to you.

We could all take a lesson from that.

Oh how I love this face.

I loved you before I ever met you my sweet girl.

I memorized every picture I had of you,

 and I longed for the day that I would hold you close.

Thank you Father God, for bringing our little bird home.

I love you Teddi girl with all of my heart, and I am so very blessed to be your mama!

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

~ Update on my dad and some China sweetness . . .

My dad is doing better, and I am so blessed by everyone's encouraging comments, and for your prayers.  He did indeed have his gall bladder removed late Wednesday evening, and that went okay.  Prior to the surgery his heart decided to do a couple of tricks.  Nothing life threatening, but enough to land him a bed in ICU where they could monitor him more closely.  He remained in ICU until today (Sunday) when he finally worked his way back into a regular room.  He is on the road to recovery, and I look forward to seeing him in Texas in a few short weeks when they come for Taylor's wedding.  (We are under the five week mark for the wedding countdown, yikes!)

Now for the China sweetness . . .

I have two new friends named Jennifer who are both very close to becoming mamas to their own Zhuhai girls!  Jennifer O. will travel in less than three weeks for her daughter Lily (age seven, I think), and Jen K. will become a mama in a matter of hours to her own sweet girl, Sunshine -- better known as Yin Yin, who was Teddi's dear friend.  Any of you who have brought your dreams home from afar know what these two mamas are feeling right now.  My heart is so excited for both of them, I just have to share the joy!  Their blogs are in my blogroll if you want to take a peek, "The O'Cain Crew" for Lily, and "Sunny Days", for you guessed it, Sunny! 

Blessings~ T

His Word For Wednesday

Don't be afraid, for I am with you.

Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

This little man is my three month old Brogie, secure in the grip of his daddy's strong hand. What a picture this photograph creates for me of the verse above . . . God's word tells us not to be afraid or discouraged.  He says that He will strengthen us and help us.  He promises to hold us up with His VICTORIOUS right hand!  When we are weak He is strong. 

At three months Brogan was totally dependant on us for his survival.  He fully trusted the strong grip of his daddy not to let him go.  God promises us the very same thing, that He will uphold us with His victorious right hand.  Not just His hand, but His victorious hand!

My heart is heavy this week.  Many whom I love are struggling right now or have loved ones who are struggling.  They are struggling with BIG things, miracle needing things.  My prayer list is long, and the needs are great, but our Lord is greater than the need.  

My own daddy has been hospitalized since Monday night, and is in great pain.  Tests have determined that his gall bladder needs to come out, they are running other tests first to make sure "there is nothing else going on".  He is in Michigan and I am in Texas.  He will have surgery later today, I feel so very far away. Uphold Him Lord.   I have friends who are hurting and desperate, they need strength, and peace, and they need healing.  Others have loved ones who need the same.  Some need a miracle.  Uphold them Lord.  There are babies and children fighting for every breath they take, fighting battles a child should not have to fight.  Uphold them Lord.  

Thank You Father that You know our every weakness and our every need.  Thank you that when we feel so very small, Your mighty hand is holding us up!  Father help us to turn over our fear and discouragement to You, and as we do, please strengthen us and help us.  Bring peace Lord, and healing.  You alone are Able!  May we praise You in all circumstances, and may we bless Your holy name!   In Jesus name, Amen

Blessings from my nest ~

Tina

Update on David and Rebecca and their waiting children in Brazil ~  Many of you prayed for David and Rebecca's adoption situation.  The desperate need for a job for David (in Michigan, where they have the highest unemployment rate in the nation)  before the courts halted their adoption process.  After two interviews, and things looking promising, David did not get the job.  Since then the orphanage where the children reside has decided that it would be foolish to halt the adoption of this sibling group of FOUR (we know how hard sibling groups are to place).  So word is that this case is "on the back burner" for awhile, instead of being terminated by the court.   We all know that God's timing is perfect, even when it comes to back burners! Thank you Lord for "staying" this case.  Friends, would you please continue to pray that the Lord would move the mountain that stands between this precious family of six in the U.S. and their four waiting babes in Brazil?  He is Able!

He is Risen!

He is risen indeed!  

Thank you Jesus for the cross.

Blessings from our very blessed nest~

Tina

Helloooooooooo . . . Flit Calling

Dear bloggy friends and faithful readers,

Mama says to tell you she is waaaay behind on her blogging and that she is going to try to post again soon.  For now I will tell you that we had a really fun time with Bryce.  He got to "sleepover" on Friday and we got to hang out with him on Saturday.  He got to see Brogie play soccer on Saturday morning, and that made Brogie smile really big! We got to go bowling and out for pizza, too.  That made me smile really big.

There is lots and lots of talk about The Wedding .  . . all I know is that I am going to be the flower girl, and I get to wear a very pretty dress.  There are lots and lots of stacks of white en-buh-lopes sitting around and people talking about addresses.  I think it has something to do with in-buh-tay-shuns.  Mommy is making lots of phone calls and saying stuff like, "We're almost down to six weeks" and she looks a little frazzled (if I do say so myself).

So should we talk about me?  Let's see . . . I know . . . I'm getting taller!  Mommy says I'm three inches taller than when I was in China.  And guess what?  You know how I weighed 27.5 pounds for a very long time?  Well I did.  For like seven months I weighed 27.5.  Brogie was getting bigger, but I was always, always 27.5.  Well, you know how I turned four in January?  Well in January I got a new number, it was 28.5.  Mommy was so happy!  Then in February I got a bigger number, and then yesterday I got an even bigger number, 31.5!  Mommy says that is four pounds in three months, I'm not sure what that means, but mommy is very proud of me.  She also says I am waaaaay heavier to carry around--but she still carries me, oh yes she does!  Lets see . . . what else?  I love school, and speech and mommy says that I am doing good!  I love to draw with markers, and mama thinks I use a lot of paper, but she says that's okay.  I love to sing, and mama like my Hallelujah song the best. I made it up myself, it sounds something like this, "Ha-yuuu-ya, Ha-yuuuuuuuuu-ya".  Do you like it?

Well Brogie is waiting to play with me, so I better go.  I'm glad mama finally gave me a turn to "talk" to you all.  She says she luvs you, and she'll be back soon.

Love,

Teddi ~ a.k.a. "Flit"

Oops, mama said not to foget to say . . .

Blessings from our nest!   xo

Wordless Wednesday (No Foolin')

Blessings from our nest ~ 

 

Tina