SpIGoT

Lysa

2011-11-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hi Lysa,

You put a comment on the blog about having pictures of Dean when he was a toddler. Your blogger profile isn't public so I couldn't figure out another way to get your attention! If you would leave your email address as a comment on this post, I won't publish it but will email you. How cool! I would love to know how you found us here. Funny!

Thanks!! Jill

Adeye's Giveaway! It's BIG!!

2011-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that a really big giveaway would be coming soon, but I had no idea just how big it would be. Adeye, at No Greater Joy Mom, asked for help with donations to this giveaway and she receiver over 100 items! I believe that God wants Vanya, the little boy for whom she is raising the money, to find a family! Vanya daily asks his caretakers for a family. Daily. They may not be able to do anything to help him, but God surely is ABLE.

Here's how to play (from her blog):

You will HAVE to leave a comment here on my blog telling me that you have donated in the Chip-In.

~~~ Receive one entry for each donation you make in the Chip-In (any amount).
~~~ Receive a second entry when you mention this giveaway on your own blog.
~~~ Receive a third entry for mentioning it on your Facebook or Twitter.

Please remember to leave separate comments for each of the above categories. And please do not forget to state your name so that I know who the winners are.

Thanks, y'all!

Vera's Birthday pics!

2011-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Vera turned 12 back in February! After weeks and weeks of buildup the day finally arrived! She's so happy to have her birthday celebrated!!

Here they are in all their morning glory! The Spicer Birthday Pic. Settle down, Deano.

As is now the tradition, Vera received a gift sack full of her very OWN treats and snacks. That may have been her favorite gift!

The Nerf gun vest for the Nerf gun enthusiast. We knew she was receiving a Nerf machine gun from her cousins so we had to get her properly outfitted.

The iPod! Remember the iPod God found for her?

No, Ella, the candles aren't for you. Everyone loves the birthday around here!

Ha ha, Mom! Vera let me sit by her for candle time. Maybe it really IS my birthday.

Nope! Louis Armstrong Vera took the lead in blowing out her candles.

Happy Birthday, precious Veronika!

We will happily celebrate your special day from now until forever! You are our treasured daughter and nothing would make us happier!

Random girly cuteness

2011-04-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

The girls are modelling aprons I hope to contribute to a giveaway here.

What do you think? Would you wear these aprons? More to the point, would you donate a few bucks for a chance at one? I don't know how she's doing the giveaway but it may be that you don't enter for any particular item, but you get a chance at all the items. I'll be sure to talk it up here when it happens!

Easy Craft time! (You can thank me later)

2011-04-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Need to make a sculptural, Asian statement with your dishes? Easy Peasy!

Place some chicken spaghetti in a styrofoam bowl, place wax paper carefully over the top, microwave for two minutes or longer.

Voila!

Hey Mom, what's up?

2011-04-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Me? I'm great! Just back from next door. Why do you want to take my picture?

That's silly, Mom. From the side, too? You must really think I look great!

(I have pulled the wool over your eyes just like the skullcap over mine. Awesome!)

Came home to ~~hide this stuff~~ say hi. Chillax, Mom. It's all good in the 'hood.

Shortly after this picture was taken Vera was frog-marched back to her Aunt Lissa's house, as is. Aunt Lissa and various cousins are probably still laughing at Vera's skillful heist of their clothing.

Oh, Vera. You are one in a million!

Thankfully.

Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?

2011-03-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger now and then with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.

David Livingstone

Who's the winner now?

2011-03-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's me. A winner of the lovely bracelet in the picture, above. I also 'won' a pie in the face of the sweet friend who had the giveaway. I know she's very grateful for my help in that regard. Right, Renee?

I also won something from the very start...the satisfaction of knowing I was helping a little beauty, Paisley Tam, find her way home. That's no small thing.

Gorgeous Paisley!

Just ask my mom. Yes, my mom.

From my soul sistah, Ashley of The Chaos Diaries, my mom learned that a little girl in Eastern Europe had been transferred to a mental institution despite having a family who was working hard to bring her home. A little girl Mom had seen countless times here on this very blog. A little girl who reminded us all of our precious Vera, of the fate that could have befallen her, of the potential we see blossoming in her.

Beautiful Lera

My mom was heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken. She was waking up at night, worrying and praying for Lera. Worse still, my mom found out that the adoption agency had demanded Lera's parents-to-be have all the money they needed for their adoption raised by the end of March. It was the middle of March. Things were looking a bit desperate, as they hadn't had huge success in raising their funds.

So, one fine day my mom up and wrote a letter. Here it is, in part:

Dear friends,

Of necessity, this is a long email. Please bear with me.

As most of you know, my daughter Jill has adopted two daughters with Down syndrome internationally. It is a very expensive process without even counting the money for international travel. As a result of these adoptions, Jill has become an advocate for adoption of Ds children and their new parents. I am constantly amazed by all of the wonderful people who are willing and enthusiastic about sharing their lives with these children. By experience, these are some of the most wonderful persons in our lives. We are thrilled to have three beautiful granddaughters with Down syndrome.
Now, the reason for my email:

In eastern Europe and Russia, once Ds children reach the age of five, they are taken from the baby house orphanage and placed in an institution for the mentally ill/insane. They are tied to their cribs and neglected, with no nourishing, and usually die within the first year. This situation is deplorable, as bad as the asylums of years ago in the United States.

A couple that Jill knows has been trying to adopt a beautiful little girl named Lera. I have seen pictures of her and she is precious. They have about $21,000 of the $30,000 they must have in hand before the adoption can move forward. They are desperately trying to raise the funds. However, Lera has already been moved to an institution, and I cannot get her out of my heart.

Reese's Rainbow is a non-profit that helps identify Ds children and helps with grants for the adoption. Jill has worked with them and the founder, Andrea Roberts. Right now, I am asking any of you who can afford $100, or really anything, to consider helping this family. All you will get from this is their, and my, eternal gratitude. And also, a charitable tax deduction.

She mailed it to friends, family, her Sunday School class. In less than a week, she had collected over $2,000 and a guarantee from a longtime family friend to cover the remainder, whatever the family needed to get Lera home. Some people had to wait until payday to give. Some people had the wife write a check for one amount, the husband for another and then agree to give both checks. Last I heard, the total she collected was over $7,000. It would have been higher had it needed to be but the family had lots of other support, too.

So who's the winner now? Paisley and Lera, of course. My mom. Those who gave, though perhaps not in the way they expected.

Some of those people have grandchildren who have yet to be born. If one of those babies is found to have Down syndrome I will just bet that they will be excited to welcome their grandbaby into the family, knowing that there are families willing to go for broke (literally) in their adoption of a child with Ds.

Some of those people may not be used to giving outside of church, or to adoptions. Perhaps their hearts have been opened to helping the least of the least around the world because that's what God told us to do. Perhaps they took a peek at Reece's Rainbow and opened their hearts to praying for those precious, precious faces who don't yet have a family fighting to bring them home.

I really enjoy winning things in giveaways, I do. Moreso, I really enjoy being a part of miracles. I would bet my mom would say she does now, too! It's an amazing place to be, watching God move mountains. It's amazing to know you were a part of it, whether it's by writing letters, donating, praying, encouraging.

I feel like I'm dancing around my point, so here it is: be a part! Don't just sit on the sidelines and let everyone get blessed.

Luke 6:38 ~~ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Here's your chance to be Jesus's hands and feet in the life of another family chasing hard after God and His command to care for the orphan: GO! BE A WINNER!

Commit Now All Your Griefs

2011-03-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

1 Commit thou all your griefs
And ways into his hands;
To his sure truth and tender care,
Who earth and heav'n commands.
Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,
He shall direct your wand'ring feet,
He shall prepare your way.
2 Give to the winds your fears;
Hope, and be undismayed;
God hears your sighs, and counts your tears,
God shall lift up your head.
Through waves and clouds and storms
He gently clears your way;
Wait for his time, so shall the night
Soon end in joyous day.
3 Still heavy is your heart?
Still sink your spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
And every care be gone.
He everywhere has sway,
And all things serve his might;
His every act pure blessing is,
His path unsullied light.
4 Far, far above your thought
His counsel shall appear,
When fully he the work has wrought
That caused your needless fear.
Leave to his sovereign sway
To choose and to command;
With wonder filled, you then hall own
How wise, how strong his hand!

What beautiful words of truth!

My friends are CrAzY!!!

2011-03-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

But one stands head and shoulders above the rest:

Renee.
She is one CrAzY CaJuN!

Right now, my CrAzY CaJuN friend is having a crazy fun chance to win some jewelry and humiliate some gals and guys who may or may not deserve it.

Why is my CrAzY CaJuN friend doing this? Why are those gals agreeing to help her?

Grab This!

You probably could have guessed why.

Renee is CrAzY in LoVe with PaIsLeY!!

Renee has been working so hard to bring Paisley home, cooking up a storm, saving pennies (and a whole lot more) but those international adoptions don't come cheap so she and her husband and some ZaNy FrIeNdS came up with this lovely giveaway.

Wanna see what you might win for the low, low donation of a mere $5? $5 that gets Renee that much closer to Paisley, that is.

Well, here ya go:

Aren't those gorgeous?

Now that I've tempted you with goodies, go over and read about the ways your $5 (or more...much more) could go toward humiliating some deserving (or not) people. That may be better than jewelry, but maybe that's just me.

Why are you still reading?

GO!!

(Click on any of the red words--get going!)

Memorial Box Monday--Ella and the stairs

2011-03-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

I have to do a Memorial Box Monday post today...know why? BECAUSE I HAVE A MEMORIAL BOX!!!! I just received it, providentially enough, on Monday!!!! Thank you Linny!!! It is beautiful and the kids were absolutely delighted with it. I read Joshua 4 to them as soon as I saw it mentioned in your sweet inscription. What a wonderful surprise that was! While we were discussing my new box and all its meaning, Anna asked if I had yet blogged about this story from a few years ago:

Ella, now aged 6.5 years, was then at the age of walking and exploring and was capable of going up and down our staircases with ease. For reasons known only to Ella and God, one day she decided to climb up the outside of the stair railing rather than on the stairs themselves.

This is in our entry hall and no one knew she was there until she had already made it to the top, where the railing changes from straight to curved at the "Juliet" balcony. I was back in my room getting ready for the day when I heard "Mom" yelled with that urgency that signals you to drop whatever you're doing and RUN. Anna, 7-8 years old, had seen Ella, resisted the urge to scream, calmly walked over and put her arms through the railing to grab Ella in a hug.

Now Ella is a noodle. Parents of children with Down syndrome know what I mean. If they don't want to do something or be held, they make like a slippery, cooked noodle and they are HARD to hold. Ella, the most skilled of our noodlers, must have been scared stiff because she let Anna hold her. Thank you Jesus!

Anna wasn't tall enough or strong enough to lift Ella over the railing so that's when she screamed for me. I am so thankful she didn't try to pull Ella over. I am so thankful she didn't scream when she first saw Ella or I'm afraid that Ella would've let go and plummeted 10 feet down to the hard tiled floor. I am so thankful I heard Anna scream the first time. There are so many points at which this little incident could have ended tragically, yet God had His hand on Ella and Anna. Of course, had it ended tragically, we would still know that God has His hand on Ella and Anna. We are simply thankful that His plans for that day were for life for our sweet baby girl.

I bolted up the stairs (somewhat thoughtlessly; I should've had Luke stand below Ella while I was climbing the stairs). I pulled Ella over the railing without incident. We quickly 'decorated' the bottom of the stairs with a plant and chairs to discourage further climbing incidents.

I am thankful that Anna reminded me of this story. I really do want to chronicle the ways we have seen God work in our family but moreso, I am thankful that Anna had already internalized the story and knew Who to thank and Who really saved her sister.

Well, if I were smart I would have come up with a MBM post that had an obvious object to place in my new box. Maybe a model of a hand (the hand of God holding Ella in place)? A picture of Anna holding Ella? Perhaps a picture of a gray hair or two on my head?

Fort Worth Botanical Gardens in late fall

2011-02-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Last December, I took the kids to the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden within the Botanical Gardens. (The pictures were all on my iPhone and I just downloaded them.)

The parks were incredibly beautiful, particularly with the fall color of the Japanese maples adding a red glow everywhere you looked. The kids enjoyed it and we got lots of pretty pictures.

Isn't that amazingly beautiful?

I have always loved the view from the top of the Rose Garden down to the lake. It's hard to believe we're so near the downtown hustle and bustle because the gardens are so purely peaceful...even with the Spicers in attendance.

Song got some great pictures of Anna and Luke, in particular.

Any time is a great time for a pose, right Emma?

God is showing OFF!

God was showing off when He made these eight beauties, too!

I promised the kids we would go back in the spring. I'm sure spring will be spectacular, but a sunny, cool day in late fall is awfully nice, too. As you can tell from the pictures, we practically had the park to ourselves.

I love the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens!

Angelina

2011-02-25T13:21:00.000-08:00

Meet Angelina. Angelina is Elizabeth's best friend.

Remember Elizabeth, below?

Elizabeth is being adopted by a precious family. They are so sad to think that Elizabeth's best friend does not have a family coming for her. They are trying to start a very important fundraiser for Angelina. You can read about it here. If you'd like to participate, let me know.

Not only is Elizabeth's soon-to-be family concerned about Angelina, so is a 14 year old girl who is trying to raise funds and awareness of Angelina's plight. Angelina has just a few months before she will be transferred to a mental institution. This is the same type of fate our Vera would have been subjected to had she remained in the orphanage when she turned 7.

Angelina is just a few weeks older than Ella. A few weeks. Ella will be 7 on August 19th. Ella happens to be standing right beside me. I'm looking at her tiny self and wondering how in the world I could drive her to an adult mental institution and leave her there. How could I leave her in such hard surroundings. Yet here I am, standing by as Angelina staggers toward that very same journey.

I want to help her. How about you?

These are older pictures of Angelina in the awful glasses. See the little girl in the background, below? Her new mommy took a couple of new pictures of Angelina during their first adoption trip a few months ago. You can see one picture at the bottom of this post. She looks great without the outdated, too-big glasses they stuck on her.

Look at Elizabeth and Angelina playing mommy with their dolls together! I think Angelina would LOVE to be mothered, too!!

This button is another link to the blog of the 14 year old girl who is advocating for Angelina.

Isn't that just the best?

Grab This!

You can read all about Angelina here. She has a long list of medical issues, but mostly they sound like minor issues or eye-related issues. Honestly, she seems very healthy and fairly typical for a little girl with Down syndrome. That's not a medical opinion so please don't take it as such!

I know that many people were very moved to find out that Elizabeth had been transferred to a mental institution and they were spurred to action to find a family and get her out of there. I would so love for God to find a family for Angelina BEFORE she has to be moved from the orphanage. It's really not a bad orphanage at all and it seems she is doing well there. Let's don't make her take a trip to a scary new place.

Please share the blogs that I've shared. Share the pictures. Share her story. Let's get this sweet girl home while we still can. Thanks!

San Antonio with Nini, Vera, Emma and Mommy

2011-02-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

We arrived in San Antonio on Friday night for our weekend of fun and cheerleading. Emma immediately tested the beds for us. Looks like it's a go for the comfy beds!

Nini graciously accompanied us on the trip.

On Saturday morning we headed to the riverwalk.

Murky water and all, Vera's excited to be here!

Lots of pretty stops along the way for photo ops. Peace out, Vera!

She's a bridge over troubled water, for sure.

Up the steps of the amphitheater to La Villita!

I'm not sure La Villita was ready for my scary monsters!

I guess it was...at least, it's resident fat cat was!

Don't forget the Alamo! or something like that...

Such a sweet granddaughter and grandmother!

Such a sweet granddaughter, grandmother...and then there's Vera

We heard about a parade and arrived just minutes before it began. I don't have a good picture of the longhorns that were driven down the street to start the parade, but they were impressive! I hadn't been at eye level with longhorn cattle...they are HUGE! I must admit I was a bit scared to be so close with only a meager barrier between us.

Love all the Texas flags unfurled!

Isn't this man's Native American costume amazing?

Love the senoritas!!

Love the American flags unfurled!

We saw many covered wagons.

More Native American costumes, this time modelled by children.

After the parade, we needed some sustenance. The restaurant we chose has waiters who periodically lead the costumers in dancing. The customers in question were, naturally, Vera and Emma. Oh boy! They certainly dance with abandon!

The next day we went to our cheerleading competition! Here are the girls by the rattlesnake sculpture on the St. Mary's Univeristy campus. They thought it was funny.

The Liberty Cheer All-Stars team Justice, in their pyramid! They did so well!! Emma is on the top left of the pyramid with her arms up and Vera is on the bottom left, kneeling under Emma.

The victorious cheerleaders, holding their treasured trophies!

Althought I don't have pictures, I did have the amazing privilege of getting to meet and eat with Tina of One Blessed Nest. We've been reading one another's blogs for so long that it really felt like we were having a reunion rather than a first meeting. How fun is that?!

I hope you've enjoyed a photographic trip to San Antonio with Vera and Emma. Be glad you don't have the audio version. Just kidding...I love my girls and my mom and I am so thankful we had this fun time together!!!

Ella's Favorite Subject

2011-02-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Herself.

Mine, too.

What a beauty!

Please pretend we didn't take pictures in my closet...

Can you guess??--a winner!

2011-02-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding!!! We have a winner!!!

In a completely unrigged (though sort of rigged because we're all "twins separated at birth" and stuff) comment, Ashley of The Chaos Diaries is the winner!! My guilty pleasure is actually planning weddings and looking at glossy wedding magazines.

The runner-up winner is Trish, who suggested I had started making wedding favors. Too close not to count, so if you'll choose a heart dish here, I'll send you one, too!

For all those who suggested crafty things, let me state for the record that I am guilt-deficient when it comes to crafting. I love creating things (when I have time) and wouldn't feel particularly guilty. Wedding planning, though? C'mon! I won't need my mad skillz for years. If ever...because I don't actually know if I have mad skillz.

So...I know Ashley's address but not Trish's address. If this is my facebook/FIAR friend Trish, just shoot me a message there. If not, shoot me an email: spicerfamily at att dot net.

Thanks for playing, bloggy friends! I only wish that it could have gone on longer. I love the guesses!!

I have developed a new interest of late. A guilty pleasure, of sorts. Nothing I have to hide from the kids so no worries there...just an interest that has nothing to do, really, with my current stage in life. In a few years it might come in handy...or maybe in a LOT of years...but for now, it's just a fun escape.

If you can guess (and more than one guess is FINE) what in the world my new interest is, the 3.5 inch, lacy, heart-shaped tray is yours! Well, assuming that the etsy shop where I found it still has it by the time someone figures it out! The artist has many heart-shaped trays, so if pink or pale green or mint green is up your alley, we could do that. All it takes is the right guess! If I get ZERO responses I might be persuaded to add some more hints. Or not, depending on if I also have ZERO interest in my silly game.

My family members are excluded because I know I've told at least three of you about my goofiness. And if Charlene suddenly shows up with the correct answer, Mom, I'll know you spilled the beans. Not that Charlene isn't smart enough on her own, but I know how the two of you work. :-)

So, what has Silly Jilly been doing?

Memorial Box Monday--The iPod

2011-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

In Christmas of 2009, I'll admit I was fresh out of ideas for gifts for Vera, Emma and Ella. My girls aren't the best at playing with typical little girl toys. I know that's no surprise as far as Vera is concerned, but even Ella and Emma don't really care for Barbies and baby dolls.

What I had noticed, however, is that they loved my iPhone and were surprisingly adept at using it. With that in mind, I decided to bring the grandparents in on my idea to purchase each girl an iPod Touch for Christmas. Part of my rationale, besides plain old Christmas fun, was that I had heard of a communication app that I thought might be a help to the girls: ProLoQuo2Go. See? Fun AND educational AND mostly paid for by someone other than me! Apple even had a special running: free engraving and free shipping. I had the girls' names and our phone number engraved on the back.

The girls were ecstatic over those iPods. So ecstatic, in fact, that Emma carried hers almost everywhere. I say almost to indicate the time, about a month after Christmas, that she left it outside overnight. It snowed. It never snows in Texas, right? Only if you've left your new iPod outside and no one knows until a few days later when it's wet and ruined. Emma, surprisingly, was not terribly disappointed. She still carries it around and pretends to talk on it and dance to the tunes.

Ella's iPod was never really put into her possession. I bring it out occasionally, particularly for doctor appointments and car trips. It's relatively safe in my jewelry drawer.

Vera. Oh, sweet Vera. Try as we might to keep it in a central location she always managed to steal off with it. Strangely enough, however, she generally managed to keep up with it. Well, until a few months ago when it went missing. We just knew it would show up any day, but in-depth searches of her room produced no results. Unlike Emma, Vera was NOT HAPPY to have lost her beloved and well-used iPod.

Last year when Christmas came around Vera asked for another iPod, a green iPod. She never asked for anything else. Just a green iPod. I just couldn't do it, though. I couldn't ask the grandparents to shell out again for a new one. I didn't think John and I should buy her a new one. She kept asking, though, right on through Christmas and on into the new year as her birthday is February 9th.

Yes, that's right. February 9th...two days from today. Once again, I struggled to come up with ideas for gifts because make no mistake, she wants to open "lots and lots of gifts!" I took my two oldest sons and their 14 year old cousin, James, to the store last week to help me. It seemed only fitting to take boys on a gift buying excursion for Vera. They were super-helpful and we had a fun time choosing some items for her.

This afternoon I made a little trip to the store to buy a few odds and ends like candles and powdered sugar and colorful icing and candles. When I left the store, I thought I might like to listen to my own iPhone on the way home and went searching through the console in the van for my headphones. I had just been rifling through that same console last week when I took Luke for his learner's permit because I thought we might need proof of insurance for our car.

Still rifling and finding no earphones, I stopped short. At the very back of the drawer, I see an iPod touch.

You know whose it is, of course. I did, too, but I turned it over to see Vera Spicer engraved on it, plain as day.

You know what my very first thought was? "God, You love Vera sooooooo much!" He just does. I guarantee you He'll be every bit as delighted as I am when she opens her old iPod with a new green cover on Wednesday morning.

I had thought I would write a different MBM today, one about the way God provided for Vera's adoption. I was close; I just got the sweetest reminder that what God always provides for is Vera.

When I get my memorial box, I believe I will put in a picture of an iPod. Like so many things that go into the box, the item itself isn't a bit spiritual on its own, but bears the mark of the divine when used in God's generous hands.

Job 31:16-23

2011-02-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

¹⁶ “If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

¹⁷ if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless—

¹⁸ but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
and from my birth I guided the widow—

¹⁹ if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or the needy without garments,

²⁰ and their hearts did not bless me
for warming them with the fleece from my sheep,

²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
knowing that I had influence in court,

²² then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.

²³ For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

Miracles

2011-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

We recently had a guest speaker in our Sunday school class, a man who speaks about ministering through your workplace. One of the questions he asked our class was, "Do you ever see supernatural events (miracles) in your workplace?"

For a second, I simply dismissed the question as irrelevant to the chronically unemployed mommy that I am. Then it occurred to me that although I didn't have a paying job, I do volunteer with Reece's Rainbow and that is a workplace of sorts for me.

As soon as the thought hit my brain a smile spread across my face. I see miracles all.the.time. Weekly or even daily sometimes. I have a front row seat as some of the most amazing, unbelievable, 'didn't think it could happen again but it did' events have transpired in the lives of families adopting children with special needs.

From the very start, I was amazed as I witnessed while two different 5 year old children who had only lived in cribs were lifted out, chosen by families who hadn't adopted before and didn't even have biological children with Down syndrome. That's a miracle. God worked a miracle in the hearts of those moms and dads to see past the dirty clothes and faces, the crossed eyes, the sickly pallor, the malnutrition and the blank looks; those parents didn't turn away because they saw their child.

I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've seen families who are days away from traveling to adopt their child(ren) with special needs and are short thousands of dollars. Equally as often I've seen God finance their trip. He uses all different means to accomplish it, to be sure. Sometimes he uses a whole bunch of people to contribute $5, $10, maybe $25. Sometimes He sells something for them and they get more than they'd hoped. Sometimes an anonymous donor shows up and gives them all they need. No matter how He works it the results are the same: a miracle.

I had the privilege of watching a miracle unfold in Ukraine last summer. A family went to adopt their son with arthrogryposis from a mental institution. He was the first to be sprung from that place and probably the first ever to be adopted in that village. The family, adoption novices, had to live with a peasant lady for weeks because there were no hotels. The accommodations were primitive, at best. They had no assurance that the judge would even hear their case (the problems with that issue seemed insurmountable for quite some time) and that, once hearing it, would grant their adoption. I'll never forget the imagery they used to console their anxious hearts as they walked to their long-awaited court. They knew the Reece's Rainbow family (and many, many others) were praying for them: they imagined thousands of bowed heads behind them as they testified before the judge, thousands of bowed heads pleading with a just and loving Lord to work on the judge's heart, thousands of bowed heads crying out for a boy to be saved from a horrible life. Their precious son is now home in Virginia, a miracle.

More recently, a family went to adopt child #7 and while in Ukraine found out that a little girl they had wanted to adopt (but were denied by the orphanage director) a couple of years earlier was now available; the orphanage director had his heart changed toward adoption and the little girl is now living in Florida with seven brothers and sisters. A miracle.

A couple of weeks ago the call went out around the internet for a boy in Latvia who was about to turn 16 and would thereafter be on the streets, kicked out of his orphanage, lost forever from adoption and family and hope. He had been to America and stayed with a host family and thought he had a family pursuing his adoption. The family decided not to adopt him but never told anyone until finally, with less than 2 weeks until his fateful birthday, the sad news was discovered. The boy, Davids, was crushed. Hearts all over the world were broken for him. The most desperate problem was that a family had to be found who had a special, Hague approved homestudy that said they could adopt a 16 year old, was current, and the family had to be able to file with the US government to adopt him before his birthday, an expensive proposition. It seemed so impossible. But God...

I still cry thinking about it. God brought forth a family that was already adopting an almost 16 year old from Latvia, their homestudy was perfect and allowed for them to adopt two children although they were originally going for one. Every detail was taken care of. Between the time the call went out for Davids and the time the family was found, almost all the money necessary for this new adoption had been raised for them. A miracle. A big, fat, could only be from God, better than we could have expected miracle.

How could we not praise such a God? How could we not trust Him over the details of our lives?

Today, right this very second as I type, I am just waiting for the next big, fat, could only be from God, better than we could have expected miracle because I believe God is setting up the situation perfectly. While we sleep tonight, a judge in an Eastern European country is going to be approached by an adoption facilitator and asked to set two court dates for two Reece's Rainbow families who are each adopting a child with Down syndrome. Both families have met their child, fallen head over heels in love with their child, and have been waiting months to go back, have their court date and bring their precious little one home.

Much like the family who adopted the little boy from Ukraine, this judge may not even grant a court date. That's the first hurdle and, like I said, it's happening while we sleep tonight. If that doesn't happen then three children will not get their families.

Three?

Yes. Another family, better known as my wonderful friend Ashley of the Chaos Diaries, is also in the process of adopting a princess with Down syndrome in that same region of that same country. If the first two families don't get a court date, Ashley won't be allowed to proceed either. If the families do get a court date but are denied the adoption of their children (which we have been led to believe would be due to the judge's predjudice against Down syndrome), Ashley won't be allowed to proceed in her adoption of Baby J.

Can you imagine? These families have been in process for over a year. Well over a year. If you haven't adopted this may seem a bit strange to you, but I can assure you that in their hearts these children are theirs already. They've been imagining and daydreaming about just how their new child will fit in the family, about all the glorious and wonderful new things they'll show their new child, all the love they'll lavish upon their little frames.

At this point, everything is out of their hands except for prayer. Like I said, it's the perfect setup for God to work. I think He lets us muddle around, grasping and trying and getting increasingly desperate, knowing it's all a prelude to His mighty work, started at the foundation of the world.

Tonight, I'll be up praying for my friends. I've said it before about my own adoptions: I'm a miracle junkie. I love to see God work in a seemingly hopeless situation. As I pray for Baby J, Kirill, and Evan, I'll comfort my anxious heart with the knowledge that ranging round the judge will be thousands upon thousands of bowed heads. I'll know that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective, and I'll be waiting for news of a miracle.

Psalm 77:14--You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

True, that

2011-01-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

Never explain yourself. Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it. ~Belgicia Howell

Emma's birthday morning

2011-01-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

Emma turns 10!!!

Thanks to my facebook friends, we had many wonderful gift suggestions including the

Pillow Pet Unicorn

IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!

Don't forget to pose, Emmy Lane!

The obligatory family picture...note the snow outside the window. How fun!!

I love that Emma is so excited over coloring books. She's been having a great time coloring them, too.

Digging into the Squinkies! Good call, Amanda T.!

Photographer as subject...deep.

Before the snipping. My new camera gets some interesting details, huh?

It was a happy day for Miss Em. She had a great time playing with her new toys during the day. We had cheerleading and then met the grandparents and daddy for dinner out and more gifts. Emma definitely relishes her special day. What a great quality!

So guess whose birthday is coming up next?

Oh boy! She's ready!!

Gorgeous Girl Gets a Snip

2011-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

(please ignore the tomato soup)

The bangs are almost grown out so Mommy thought a new 'do was in order. Seems Mommy was right! Ella has been happily flipping her hair back and showing it off to anyone and everyone!! So cute!

A Decade of Delights

2011-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

All pictures by Alyssa Maisano Photography

Wow! Ten years ago we welcomed our tiny little bundle of joy into the world around 1 a.m. on a cold Canadian night. Miss Emma Lane is our sweet sunshine, our sassy, spunky sister, our sugar-coated Spicer. No one in our family can quite believe that she is ten years old. It seems only yesterday we started our journey with Emma and with Down syndrome. How the years have flown!!

I couldn't possibly list all the wonderfulness of Emma Lane. She is such a sheer joy to have around. One thing we all like is the way she says her name: Emma Wayne. So do we, now. While she is quite capable of saying it correctly, I think she keeps saying Emma Wayne because she knows we (especially her beloved cousin Andrea) love it.

I love the way Emma has been carrying around a bedraggled, lined notebook for her homework. She pretends to write lines and lines of cursive in it, or perhaps practices some letters, or writes her name over and over again. I love it when she comes up and asks for her homework. "Mommy, homework please."

I love her confidence. She thinks nothing of walking into a room and announcing herself. She thinks nothing of sticking up for herself in a large family: No way, Luke! Stop it, Vera!

I love her confidence in herself as a valuable person. She is quite sure that everyone wants to listen to her sing (at top volume) or watch her dance (she has some MOVES). If you were to ask her why we should listen or watch she would clearly answer: I'm Emma! (And she'd probably roll her eyes...just a bit)

I love her hope for the future. She is going to marry Nick Jonas. She is 100% sure of that. One time, her daddy actually met the Jonas brothers and called home to tell her about it. She decided that meant her daddy was bringing Nick home as a present to her. She put down the phone and immediately started setting the dining room table for four: Mommy, Daddy, Emma and Nick, of course. While I loved that she wanted to double date with us, I was devastated to have to tell her Nick wasn't coming. It's a terrible thing to disappoint that loving, trusting, smiling girl.

I love the way Emma poses for pictures, just like the pictures here. She LOVES to have her picture made. Of course, if I were such a beauty I would like it, too.

I love, love, love the way she tells me: Mommy, I miss you. She invariably says it when we've been together all day, not when I've been away. I think it means she loves me and doesn't want me to leave, that she likes it much better when we're together. Me, too, Emmy.

I also love another of her frequent utterances: Mommy, come snug me. She wants me to drop whatever I'm doing and sit with her on the couch, or hold her in my arms, or anything else that involves close contact with Emma and her mommy.

I love to listen to her pray. She's been known to have some long prayers. She always asks God to bring Daddy home safely. Most famously, she was mid-prayer one night at dinner and prayed for Daddy to come home now and at just that moment the door opened and it was Daddy! I think God was showing off for His sweet girl.

I love the way she plays with blocks. Not only does she like to build but she likes to organize by type. She can be very thoughtful in her play.

I love the way we can always bring her back to a smile. She gets mad, she cries, she pouts, she is stubborn, but her default setting is happy and smiling and it usually doesn't take much effort at all to get her reset. After she cried about Nick, for instance, she didn't dwell on it or fall into despair. She went on with her day, happy as a lark. It's a great attribute.

I can't believe ten years have come and gone so quickly with my baby girl. She was the one I thought would stay young forever but she didn't. And that's good. I have loved all her stages and look forward to those we have yet to see. She's an amazing blessing and I love her more than I could ever express.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA LANE!!!

All pictures by Alyssa Maisano Photography

Memorial Box Monday--Luke's Mystery Illness

2011-01-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Thirteen year ago, when Luke was not quite 2.5 years old, he got sick and it seemed viral. Fever, sleepiness, etc. He would awaken each morning, eat breakfast, fall asleep watching a movie, maybe eat some lunch, sleep for several more hours, maybe eat dinner, sleep until morning. After a couple of days of this I took him to the pediatrician who said it seemed viral so there wasn't much to do.

A few more days, frequent calls to the pediatrician, some trips to the pediatrician, and we finally ended up in the hospital on the night of February 13th. I remember the date because we weren't dismissed until around 2 a.m. We kissed and said, "Happy Valentine's Day" as we worried over our very sick boy.

If I remember correctly, we ended up at the hospital with him twice. The pediatrician was very worried about meningitis but never would do a lumbar puncture to test for it because she was afraid if Luke didn't have it already he might catch it at the hospital. He had such weird symptoms. On some occasions his neck was quite stiff and other times it wasn't.

At some point during this time we cancelled a ski trip. Luke was just too sick and lethargic to leave. The whole time was surreal. I spoke with the doctor all the time, visited her office several times, yet no diagnosis was ever given and nothing ever really changed.

After two weeks (!!) of this I was horribly worried and didn't know what to do. Luke was my only child and I was afraid I was losing him. He had been sleeping in our bed so we could monitor him (while still not knowing what we were monitoring other than a possible spike in temperature). We had been praying over him nonstop, it seemed, but this night we prayed differently. We basically said we knew Luke was in God's hands and trusted God with Luke's future, whether that future was for life or for death. We knew He was the Great Physician and He could do what our earthbound pediatrician couldn't. In the deepest part of our hearts, we gave Luke to God.

The next morning looked exactly like the last two weeks. Luke woke up, ate a little, then was halfheartedly walking around our living room. Then his knees buckled under him and he couldn't get up or stand or walk. I laid him on the couch and he promptly fell asleep again.

Looking back as a more experienced mom, I want to yell at myself for not taking him straight to the ER. I guess I didn't because we had already been and nothing ever happened.

I continued to pray over him as he slept. After a couple of hours, he woke up and was PERFECTLY FINE. My sweet, good-natured, train-loving little boy was back. Just like that.

Our brother-in-law is a doctor and after hearing the symptoms (after Luke had recovered) he thinks Luke had viral encephalitis, which is an acute inflammation of the brain with symptoms such as headache, fever, drowsiness, fatigue and confusion. Poor appetite can also be a symptom in children. It certainly fits. Some people who recover from viral encephalitis have lifelong issues as a result. The only lingering problem we thought Luke might have was decreased arm/hand strength, but another pediatrician told us that likely wasn't the case.

I don't know what to put in a memorial box other than a picture of young Luke. I suppose I could put a piece of my heart in there, too, since our children are exactly that, aren't they? What I can't put in there is the knowledge, the deep heart knowledge, that God is in control and we aren't. While I'm not glad that Luke was so sick I am ever-thankful that God gave me that lesson as a new parent. It's so easy to worry over every little thing, isn't it? It's so easy to forget that God is their Eternal Father and He loves them more than we do, as impossible as that seems.

(I don't have any digital pics from Luke's early days...so we'll have to settle for one at his 13th birthday party. The years go sooooo fast, don't they? He hardly looks the same now.)

The Worst Year Ever

2011-01-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not ever. Worst year lately? Possibly.

Looking back, I can see only a few stressors, but boy were they big. Betrayed in a very passive/aggressive way more than once by someone I thought was a friend. A family member's stress that bled over into my life almost daily. In a lot of ways, blogging daily during October about Down syndrome was stressful, particularly when I lost several friends in the fallout.

Many times, God seemed far away and inaccessible. Many times, I coasted in my Christian life; the Memorial Box Monday posts gave me sustenance as I tried to keep God's amazing faithfulness in the forefront of my mind and heart.

As the year concluded, in my mind I really was calling it the Worst Year Ever, remembering only the trauma.

Francis Chan: Both worry and stress reek of arrogance.

Ouch. I used to like you, Francis.

You know what else reeks of arrogance? Remembering only the slights, the hurts, the betrayals. It points to a person who is full of herself and thinks she didn't deserve any of it, that all she deserved was the barely remembered happy times, new friends, rich blessings. Double ouch.

I don't normally make New Year's Resolutions but if I were to make one this year it might be something like this: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6

I believe that may be the way to the Best Year Ever.

Elizabeth C. and her NEW FAMILY!

2011-01-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

I just realized I hadn't updated my blog with respect to the beautiful Elizabeth C. yet. Her family found her (which I had noted), and what a darling family they are! Click on their blog to meet the Clark family...a family with three brothers for Elizabeth (they're keeping her name!) and two sisters. Both sisters have that extra chromosome, and one of those sisters just came home from China in September. Isn't that incredible?

I hope you will follow their family blog as they move quickly forward to claim their daughter and reclaim her and the abundant life the Lord has for her. I was searching my blog for pictures of Elizabeth that they may not yet have and found my prayer for her. What an amazing blessing to see how God answered that prayer with this fantastic family. My only complaint is that He didn't bring a family that lived a little closer to me, but who can really quibble with God's divine plan?

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever!!

Wilson met his Angel Tree goal!!!

2010-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

I'd love to think I had something to do with it but I didn't. And that's okay, because someone donated enough money to put every single child on our Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree at the $1000 goal!!!

Wow! I'm just stunned. We've never had such a successful Angel Tree event. Keep an eye on my sidebar 'button' for the Angel Tree, as results will show up in a day or two regarding the total amount raised, children who've found homes, ornaments mailed. It's been a great year!

So....where's Wilson's family? He's got a cool thousand bucks to help you on your way!!

Alexander the Great!

2010-12-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

As my facebook friends may have noticed, I am more than just a bit smitten by a certain little boy named Alexander from Reece's Rainbow. I was reading a friend's blog yesterday and found out Reece's Rainbow is about to start a new initiative called the New Year Warriors and I knew just who I would choose to 'warrior' for, having already decided that I would advocate for him this year! I do hope I am out of a job soon, though.

Alexander, as described below, has dual diagnoses of Down syndrome and epilepsy. In the coming days, I will be trying to demystify the idea of having a child with epilepsy by sharing what other moms are sharing with me. The quick answer, though, is that in the big picture it (having epilepsy or some other seizure disorder) just isn't that big of a deal.

Isn't that great to know?

Alexander-2H

Birthdate: February 2007
Gender: Male
Eyes: Brown
Hair: brown
Character: Calm, sedentary
Alexander is a sweet boy with brown hair and eyes. He was born with Down syndrome and also struggles with epilepsy. He has strabismus as well. Alexander is described as affectionate and social.

He sounds perfect to me!

Not Illegal, Immoral, or Unethical

2010-12-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

I heard those words from the mouth of a pastor earlier this year in regard to a sacrament that has more than the usual amount of personalization from its non-pastoral participants. "If it's not illegal, immoral, or unethical then I'm going to let them do it."

I've been thinking about those words, off and on, ever since then. A sacrament was to be performed, and as long as what happened didn't sink below the low standard he mentioned, then we should all be happy and not complain. In fact, no one did complain. His smokescreen worked. And make no mistake, it is a smokescreen, designed to take our eyes off the original purpose of the sacraments.

Sacrament. Clearly derived from the word sacred. It means 'to consecrate, to declare sacred, to set apart.'

As Christians, we are set apart by God. Our bodies are His temple. Our lives are not intended to be our own. Yet, as I have pondered the words of the pastor I have been convicted over and over again that I am living my life in exactly that way. I don't do much that is illegal, immoral, or unethical. I have set that low standard in my own life and can gladly claim (to myself, anyway) that I have lived up to it.

So what is the standard we should adopt? I don't feel capable of addressing such a large answer in such a small blog, but I do feel like we can find the answers in the Bible. I've listed a few:

Micah 6:8--He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Luke 10:27--He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Matthew 5:16--In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
1 Peter 2:12--Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

I think the last two verses get at what bothered me the most with respect to what the pastor said and how I live my own life. My light needs to shine before men. Not so they see me and praise me, but so they can see God and glorify God. I miss so many opportunities to shine. I miss so many opportunities to glorify God.

I don't write these things as a burden: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

No, this isn't a slavery to works, to 'shoulds', to guilt, but a call to remember that God is worthy of our praise, worthy of our honor, worthy of our obedience to His Word, worthy of our love freely given to Him and His children.

That's a far cry from not being illegal, immoral or unethical.

Why Adopting a Girl from China isn't like the Doctrine of Election

2010-12-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I received an email that purported to explain why adopting an older girl from China is like, or illustrates, the doctrine of election.The person who wrote it has not adopted, which really isn't all that important except that perhaps they are not completely familiar with the world of adoption, which types of adoption are really popular, etc.

[Let me quickly say that I am not opening a debate about unconditional election. In fact, it is secondary to a different point I hope to make.]

The gist of the writer's email is that little girls in Chinese orphanages are in a bad place and they need to be removed from that place. Their parents choose to adopt from China and are rather arbitrarily assigned a child. The idea is that these good parents have chosen to extricate a child from a world that otherwise leads to their destruction. Some of the other girls in the orphanage won't be chosen and will face a life apart from parents. On the face of it, that sounds an awful lot like election, doesn't it? God, in a move that often seems arbitrary to us mere mortals, selects those whom He would save, those whom He would extricate from a world of sin that will ultimately lead to their destruction. Those not so chosen are headed for their rightful destruction as sinners apart from grace.

Why do I disagree with this illustration?

Let me explain a tiny bit about the world of adoption, centered in the USA. Hands down, the most popular type of adoption is a healthy, white, female infant birthed from a non-drug user in America. Following closely behind is the same child in a male body. However, due to many factors those babies are not as easy to find as they once were. Enter the international adoption.

As of last year, the most popular country from which to adopt a child was China, closely followed by Ethiopia which has overtaken Russia as of late. Although the supply of healthy Chinese females has dropped dramatically in the last few years, those females are still very popular and much sought-after among international adopters.

What does this have to do with election? The adoption of a Chinese girl is very popular because they are seen as very desirable, very cute, smart, etc. They just need a home and many families are eager to provide that home, thankfully so.

So if the doctrine of election is like adopting a Chinese girl, we are saying that God is choosing some pretty desirable people for His eternal kingdom. That's where I have the problem.

Romans 12:3--For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

We are sinners. Filthy, waste-encrusted, wretched, hateful, mean, lovers of self, blind, deaf, bitter and hard-hearted beyond measure. If you could find such a child on earth and adopt that child, you might get the merest glimpse of the miracle of our adoption by God. And yet God chooses us to be His beloved children, washing us with hyssop so that we are whiter than snow, changing our heart of stone to a heart of flesh, opening our eyes and ears to His truths.

How quickly we forget just how awful, how depraved, how indifferent to others, how sinful we were before Christ came into our hearts. We think we need to be saved from a bad situation when what we need most is to be saved from ourselves and from God's justifed wrath.

How deep the Father's love for us!

How vast beyond all measure!

That He should give His only Son,

To make a wretch His treasure!

We are worse than we ever seem to believe; we are more loved by God than we could ever imagine.

Thanks be to God!

Christmas Pictures

2010-12-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

Well, they aren't exactly the Christmas pictures you'd expect to see a couple of days after Christmas.

On Thanksgiving, my mom gave all her children, grandchildren, and my dad a 5X7 canvas, paints, brushes, and instructions to return them to her on Christmas painted. No excuses. That's all she wanted for Christmas.

So that's what she got! The Spicer children, for the most part, took her instructions to heart and had a great time painting a canvas. The Spicer mom and dad also took it seriously. At the same time, we all had fun creating our very different paintings.

Anna painted a bridge to a path to a home on a hill.

Alex made golden trees.

I think Dean's started out as two orange houses but turned into a purple polka dotted tree.

Song created an ostrich on the savannah.

Emma's is just like her--sweet.

Ella is holding her lovely abstract work upside down.

Better!

I'm not sure if Vera's abstract work is upside down or not. Pretty sure she doesn't care.

Luke was not going for the paint. He used pencils to create a cool house.

He insisted this is his mug shot.

All good mug shots deserve a side view. Sigh.

It's hard to tell, exactly, but those are clay flowers attached to the canvas.

The clear winner, in terms of artistic beauty and merit, was unanimously awarded to John. He took a picture of part of our landscaping and then painted it (taking many liberties as to the actual beauty of said landscape in its current winter incarnation). He also took shards of rock from our yard and affixed them to the painting in certain spots. It looks really cool. John has not painted anything since junior high school. I think he was as surprised as the rest of us that it turned out so beautifully.

It's hard to see again the background of his shirt, but it was really pretty.

I guess next year we'll have to actually buy NiNi a gift...

I guess Richard Simmons fired his CEO

2010-12-27T09:01:00.000-08:00

Introducing a special blogger!

2010-12-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

My own sweet daughter, the Shanghai SongBird! Actually, she's been blogging for a few months but my amazing friend Lu at Poppies Blooming gave her a blog makeover and it's gorgeous!!! Click on the link, below, or the link on my sidebar to get there.

I expect Song will have some very exciting new posts relating to kids (baby goats) and two new horses soon. She also loves to share poems she's written and pictures of her doodles and the flowers she makes from clay. She received several new poetry books for Christmas so I hope her imagination is kindled for more poetry soon!

While you're there, leave her a comment or two...you know it'll make her day!

Merry Christmas, or This Means War!

2010-12-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

"Enemy occupied territory - that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to all take part in a great campaign of sabotage."

C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it withjustice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

These verses are familiar to us at Christmastime. Who doesn't like a Prince of Peace? Who doesn't want a better government, one full of justice and righteousness, than they currently have? It sounds as though those verses were written for us, today.

Not as familiar, however, are the verses preceding Isaiah 9:6-7.

Isaiah 9: 2-5 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multipled the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

Jesus was born into a world at war. What war, though? Isaiah, of course, was writing to the Jewish people. He was not, however, writing of an earthly war.

Revelation 12: 1-5, 9-10, 17 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a womanclothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her childhe might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne...

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world - he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God...

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus...

The war was never primarily an earthly war, although we see it on earth from the very beginning, even the beginning of Jesus' life on earth.

Matthew 2:13, 16 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."...Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Do you see the same wording in Revelation and Matthew? "Became furious." The devil became furious; Herod became furious. Herod/the devil killed all the male children...this was a Christmas at war. The devil mounted a full-on attack to win a war that had been declared lost since Genesis 3:15. Can you imagine him? The Lord's Son, born of a virgin, enraged him. He pulled out all the stops...killed the baby boys...outsmarted at every turn by the Lord Himself.

Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

He didn't only come into the manger as a sweet little baby on a bed of hay. He didn't only come as the Prince of Peace or a Wonderful Counselor. He came on a mission to destroy the deceiver who had the power of death.

Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.

Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rules and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

How did He wage the war? By laying down His life. Not the way we normally do it, is it? We want action; we want revenge; we want bloodshed. He gave us bloodshed. His own blood was shed for us.

Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

"Satan's work is not the chief peril dealth with in the death of Christ. God's wrath is." John Piper

Zechariah 3:1-4 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken you iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."

Jesus, the sweet, silent baby of our Nativity scenes, is God's Chosen Warrior who wrested power from the accuser, satisfied the wrath of God against a sinful people, and washed our filthy garments that we might appear before God in pure, clean robes of His righteousness, having been washed in His blood that was willingly spilled during a war that has been won yet still rages here on earth.

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

"For to us a child is born"

The Heroism of Joseph

2010-12-22T06:06:00.000-08:00

I have posted this essay by Elizabeth Foss in its entirety on my blog before, but I still love it and thought perhaps some of my adoptive moms might like to see it and share it with their sweet husbands! I post these words again today that so perfectly echo what I've seen in my own husband . John Dee, you are the hero of our amazing family!

I thank my God every time I remember you.

(originally printed: By Elizabeth Foss, Herald Columnist, From the issue of 12/22/05)

My son Christian was searching the bookshelves yesterday, apparently frustrated by the dearth he saw there. Since we have well over 1,000 titles at his disposal, I wondered what was missing.

"There's hardly anything on Joseph here! I understand why we need so many Mary books, but nobody says much about Joseph, you know? And he was a hero … " he trailed off.

A hero indeed. Though I hadn't spoken it, I had been meditating lately about the heroic good of St. Joseph and the Nativity. Commonly, we look at the story of Christmas as a birth story: We have a round-bellied Madonna riding on a donkey until she gets to a cave where animals joyfully welcome a lovely baby. As a mother who has been nine months pregnant during Advent and a mother with a newborn on Christmas Day, it is easy for me to identify with the birth story.

But the Nativity story is also a story of adoption. A strong man heard the call of a God to take into his heart and home a baby that was not his biological child. Against the raised eyebrows of those around him, but because he dearly loved his wife and the God they served, he traveled a great distance. He wasn't sure what he'd find there; to say that the accommodations were less than what he was used to is to understate the case. And then, almost immediately, it was his job to rescue the baby, to save him from grave danger.

Once they were safely at home, he raised the child as his own. He shared the faith of his fathers; he taught him the family trade. Certainly, there were challenges in this family that related to the adoption. This child, at 12, left his foster father for three days to return to the home of his real Father. How many children of adoption have experienced that same restlessness and caused the parents who have rescued them the grief that Mary and Joseph felt while they searched for their child?

St. Joseph was faithful. Perhaps he recognized that we are all children of adoption. We are all broken, disenfranchised, wounded and in grave danger. Our Savior makes us brothers and sisters, heirs to His throne. We become one family of faith, like that little family in Nazareth so many years ago.

For some reason, the Lord has surrounded me by the miracle of adoption. I have seven children. Five of them have godparents who are adoptive parents. Most recently, Christian's godmother welcomed a little boy from Liberia, just in time for Thanksgiving.

When I look at the fathers in these families, I am struck by their courage. Adoptive moms assure me that adoption is rarely ever a man's idea. And it is almost always an idea born of a woman's pain. The sorrowful heart of a mother meets the sorrowful heart of a child and together they begin a new life. But how do they get to "together?" They become a family through the courageous actions of a man who sees the pain of his wife and listens to her as she tells him about the pain of the child. Rarely, do these women beg and plead. Rather, like Mary, they trust God.
They pour out their hearts in prayer and God convicts their husbands. The program director for a Catholic adoption agency assures me that this is not the case of weak, badgered men who cave to whining women. Rather, they are tender, brave men who recognize a mutual need and hear a distinct call.

The father who adopts is strong and faithful. He travels to places like Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Guatemala and even hostile Africa. He saves the baby — often from abject poverty, illness or death. He is the St. Joseph of our times.

There are literally millions of children in this world who need rescuing. We are called in James 1:27 to care for the widows and the orphans. What does that mean exactly? Do we toss a few coins in the poor box or wrap an extra gift at Christmastime or do we take a risk? Are there brave men out there after the heart of St. Joseph who will travel great distances to difficult places to rescue a baby and give it a home all because it's the will of God? It is the will of God.

These are the weakest of us, the poorest, the most defenseless. In this country, we cannot fathom children who scurry along the murky puddles in Haiti scavenging for a few slender fish, only to come up without anything. These children are so malnourished that their hair turns orange and falls out in clumps. There are "dying rooms" in China where children who have cerebral palsy or missing hands or missing ears are left in the dark to starve to death.

And what will become of the children who grow up orphans if we do not have men like St. Joseph in our midst? According to Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation begun by Christian music legend Steven Curtis Chapman, who has adopted three daughters, "Statistics regarding the future prospects for children who emancipate from orphanages, the foster care system, or who grow up as street children are profoundly bleak … . Theft, prostitution, homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration and suicide affect the lives of the vast majority of those children who grow up as orphans and never find permanent, loving homes. In short, orphans by definition are children who for whatever reason have found themselves in need of permanent, safe, and loving families. And for such children, being taken in by a family through the "spirit of adoption" is their greatest need"(http://www.howtoadopt.org/).

They were going to stone the Mother of God. Joseph knew the baby was not conceived by him. He didn't understand it. How could this baby be his to raise? How could he be asked to overcome the opinions of his community, the misgivings of his own mind, and listen to the call upon his soul? Where would he find the courage? How could he possibly provide for the childhood of the child of God Himself? Why couldn't this be simple? Why couldn't he marry Mary and just conceive a baby of his own? Instead, he must set off on a two-year odyssey to distant and hostile lands to bring home a baby that didn't even look like him. And what of the future? This was an extraordinary way to build a family; how could he know what the future held, particularly with a beginning like this?

A hero? He was a hero. He was a strong, courageous, man of faith. And there are men like him today. They are Paul, and Joe, and Mark, and Chuck, and Scott, and Kevin, and Ed. They are ordinary men who are called to extraordinary measures for a humble, helpless child and the love of the woman who becomes the child's mother. They are the men of the Christmas story. God bless them.

Jess in FL, my FIAR friend

2010-12-20T05:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you, as always, for your support of Reece's Rainbow! You are a huge blessing to the children you sponsor and to me!! I had thought of you while trimming the tree and placing the two ornaments you had given me. So nice to know you thought of 'our' kids. May God continue to bless you and your family!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Memorial Box Monday: Elizabeth C. and George Mueller

2010-12-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

SpIGoT--Where Learning Flows, was started with the intention of being a homeschooling blog. I remained focused on that intention for exactly as long as it took me to set up and name the blog. My first posts were blurbs on each of our children. I discovered that they were much more fun to write about than our school work and I never looked back!

All to say that I do still homeschool my children. On Wednesday of this week, I was reading to Alex and Anna about the amazing Mr. George Mueller. If you haven't read of Mr. Mueller yourself, I suggest you stop reading my blog and immediately locate a copy of his autobiography and read it, then come back. To say that reading it has been life-changing for many, many people would be putting it mildly.

George Mueller is most famous for his faith and his praying on behalf of the 10,000+ orphans he housed, fed, clothed and educated over his adulthood. His goal, however, was not only the housing, feeding, clothing and educating of orphans; his goal, his overarching purpose, was to show a watching world that God is real, God is trustworthy, God answers prayer [John Piper, sermons].

Back to Wednesday, we were reading what is arguably Mueller's most famous day at the orphanage. He and the hundreds of orphans had awoken to a new day that contained no food, no milk, and no money to purchase any. One of his friends was visiting with his little daughter, whom George took with him to the cafeteria where the orphans were assembling. George led the group in a prayer of thanks for their daily bread, knowing none was in front of them.

In no time, a baker knocked at the door. He said God had awakened him at 2 a.m. and told him to bake bread for the orphans and he was just delivering it. Moments after that, a milk wagon broke an axle in front of their building. The driver had to unload all the milk to fix the wagon, meaning the milk would go bad before he could sell it. Would the orphans have use of his milk?

So, on Wednesday morning I challenged Alex, Anna and myself to take a minute and pray like George Mueller. We did so, and then we talked about the times we've prayed and seen God work immediately and the times we've prayed and God hasn't answered the way we would like, but we still know we can trust Him for our good.

Thursday morning, I got up and started scrolling through facebook updates on my phone. I didn't get far at all before seeing an update from Andrea Roberts, Reece's Rainbow founder, that said we need to get busy finding homes for all the other older girls with Down syndrome now that Elizabeth C. had her family find her.

I dropped that phone like a hot potato and ran into the kitchen were John and the kids were gathering for our morning family devotional. "Alex and Anna! Guess what I prayed yesterday? I prayed that Elizabeth would find a family and guess what!!! I just found out she did!!!" I think overjoyed would be a good word.

In one day, God had strengthened the faith of my family and found a home for a girl who desperated needed one. He's very efficient that way, our God.

My challenge to my readers and to myself is to continue to pray like George Mueller, trusting that God cares, God loves, God is real, God is trustworthy and God desires to make His Name known in a fallen world by answering our prayers.

I know that this isn't Monday but I don't think it matters. I'll post it on A Place Called Simplicity next Monday. I was gone all day yesterday and couldn't post this wonderful news and I just couldn't wait any longer to share the news.

How great is our God?

Now, where's the family for Elizabeth's best friend, Angelina? I believe it's time to pray.

Angelina R., July 8, 2004

UPDATE: Here is the link to the family blog of Elizabeth C's family! They just returned from China in September with a new blessing, also found on Reece's Rainbow. What a lovely, God-honoring family He found for our sweet Elizabeth!!

My new favorite Christmas card

2010-12-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, when I visited my new friend Renee's blog, I found she had left me the most wonderful Christmas card. Of course, I had to show it to you! As you can see from the video, Renee is adopting a darling little girl, but those who are still waiting weigh heavily on her heart, as they do mine.

Enjoy...but don't forget the tissues!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hello, my international friends!

2010-12-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

I like to check my sitemeter and see where folks are when they read my blog. I often see someone from Germany, the UK, occasionally Norway, but my face lights up when I see Ukraine.

Why Ukraine? you might ask.

Because, I might answer, I can generally guess those are Reece's Rainbow families who are over there adopting a little one or two or more. I totally get the boredom that can creep into the long stays in country. Although I remember my adoption trips very fondly (hey, who else gets to say they met a member of the Russian mafia?) I do know the yearning to be home. When home isn't coming anytime soon then at least we can read blogs and see normal family life and birthday celebrations and we can think of the day when we will celebrate our new little one's birthday.

So to my Ukrainian reader today--hello! I hope you're doing well! I hope you're soon home and immersed in recalling your new little one or two or more back to life.

Until then...enjoy a little dose of what passes for normal around here. ;-)

Outtake!

2010-12-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

From Anna's birthday morning--Song and especially Ella were not liking Anna's birthday breath!

Judging from the satisfied look on Vera's face, though, I'm blaming her.

Emma was thinking, "Look! A camera! I love cameras! Cameras love me!"

Dean is oblivious...all he cares about is Panda Claus.

Luke and Alex are counting down the birthdays until they're out of here and don't have to pose for birthday morning pictures anymore.

Oh wait, that's not funny at all.

At least Anna's laughing!

Happy 11th Birthday, Anna!!

2010-12-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

My sweet little girl is growing up!

Anna was born into our lives mere months after we adopted Song. For several years she tried to convince me she was Chinese, too, having travelled with me to China. In me, actually.

When Anna was born, I was very worried about Song's reaction to her new baby sister. I shouldn't have.

I remember sitting on our couch, holding my very new baby girl. Song climbed up beside me, looked at Anna, held out her arms and emphatically declared, "Mine."

She meant it, too.

When Anna was about 6 weeks old I realized one morning that I hadn't heard from her yet to let me know she was awake. I was a little worried as I hurried to her room, only to find that the 20 month old Song had clambered up into Anna's crib and had Anna in a sort of hug, talking away to this cute new dolly Mommy had brought home. Evidently Anna was quite involved in following the conversation, too, as she was giving no thought at all to her usual morning hunger!

Song repeated this maneuver pretty much daily until, when Anna was 18 months old, we had to discard the crib because her climbing had weakened it to the point where we worried it was going to be unsafe. No problem, though...they have shared a room ever since!

My other worry, when I gave birth to Anna, was that I now had four very young children and I was afraid I wouldn't have time for rocking and singing to Anna as I had the older children. I remember praying that God would give me time to snuggle my sweet baby girl. He did. In fact, He has been quite faithful to that prayer throughout the years.

Anna asks me to snuggle with her almost every single day. Still. How sweet is that?

I've added some birthday pics from our family celebration the morning of her birthday and her party that evening. Fun times!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!

Ligament laxity, illustrated

2010-12-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Ligament laxity simply means that your ligaments are loose, or as I like to say about Emma and Ella, they are extra stretchy. Ligament laxity, or even hyperligamentous laxity, is fairly common in people with Down syndrome. This means that those girls can do the splits without stretching and it won't hurt. It can have deleterious orthopedic efforts, but for us it just means that they can get their little bodies into some funny positions that the rest of us can't without killing ourselves!

Case in point:

Here's a short video with a better view of our human pretzel, Ella! Yes, that is my Texas twang recorded for posterity.

Dean is 6!!

2010-12-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

My youngest is now 6 years old! Wow! I remember when I never thought my oldest would be 6.

Our second birthday with Dean. His was the only adoption where we missed two birthdays during the process. Thankfully his was our fifth adoption or I might have gone nuts!

Isn't he the cutest little boy?!

Nothing like the Spicer birthday picture, is there? This is one of our better pictures, actually.

Next on the agenda...teach Ella to stop making her 'picture smile.'

I think I should get extra points for sharing a picture of me...first thing in the morning...no makeup...no hair fixing...just enjoying my little boy's JOY in his birthday morning.

For my pacifist British friends, please note that Dean has just opened a NERF gun. I will have to retract a statement about the NERF gun that I made on facebook, however. I said that it shoots foam bullets and therefore couldn't hurt a fly. However, if your big sister Vera shoots your new NERF gun from point-blank range at your eye then you might cry for a few seconds, although I'm still unclear whether the crying was from being shot in the eye or because Vera had stolen his NERF gun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUDSON DEAN!!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Wordless Wednesday--Have Yourself a Posed Little Christmas

2010-12-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

I can't say I didn't know

2010-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 24~~

¹⁰ If you falter in a time of trouble,
   how small is your strength!
¹¹ Rescue those being led away to death;
   hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
¹² If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
   does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
   Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

...but what have I done? How small is my strength?

Micah 7:7

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.

Brandon Heath--The Night Before Christmas

2010-12-02T18:06:00.001-08:00

I love this song! I love Christmas!!

Luke's Latest Lego creations

2010-12-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

The castle...a bit smaller than normal but nice details.

He has kitchens with ovens and drinks and even a roasting turkey! Just in time for Turkey day!

A building. We haven't quite decided what kind of building...maybe a bank/office? I really like it, though. I like his smooth front sidewalk and steps. You have to have a LOT of Lego bricks to do some of the stuff he does. Very nice!

And the winner is....

2010-12-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

I had a giveaway. Sophia was blessed! Now it's my turn to bless those who were able to give during this busy and often expensive holiday season. I wish I could bless you all but I suppose I'll need to leave it up to Jesus, who has much better gifts at His disposal than we do down here. ;-)

Here are the entrants:

Here is Alex choosing (and Luke choosing to act goofy, knowing I would post this):

And...the moment you've all been waiting for...Alex shares the winner:

Luke is giving you a hand, Carrie Joy!! You won!!! Go take a gander again at Laura Lu's photographs and tell me which one you want (although I seem to recall something about a barn) and which size would work best for you (I think it would look best in the larger size unless you have a small spot in mind to hang it). You can message me on facebook and we'll get 'er done so you'll have it for Christmas. Oh, and don't forget to give me your address! As soon as I get it your picture will be ordered from Laura and your book from amazon!

All four of the ladies who contributed are so special to me. CJ is one of Reece's Rainbow's biggest cheerleaders, often beating me in posting information about RR on facebook. Sarah, through her etsy shop, has contributed financially to numerous RR adoptions (and I have the necklaces to prove it!). Tina has long since inspired me with her family's generosity and loving ways.

Last, but certainly not least, Megan has become my new friend. Not just because she's a sweetheart, although she is, but because....

MEGAN IS ADOPTING SOPHIA!!!!

You can check out her blog here!! Megan is a single mom-to-be and has really stretched herself and her trust in God to help her through this expensive adoption. I can see already that it is true love that compels Megan toward Sophia and that is precious to see. She is head over heels in love with our darling little Sophia and I can see she's ready to move mountains to bring her home. Isn't that exciting news? Megan may not have won the giveaway but she's certainly getting the prize!!

Thank you, truly thank you all, from the bottom of my heart! Your generosity humbles me.

Elizabeth C.--my prayer request

2010-12-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

Today at A Place Called Simplicity, Linny is calling for a day of fasting and prayer, as she occasionally does. We've seen God move some big mountains when His people pray and today I'm adding my request to the many she will gather on her blog today.

I found out yesterday that Elizabeth C. was moved to an institution. A mental institution. In a former Soviet country that has never recovered its value of human life, much less disabled human life, since its repudiation of communism. I have written many times before about mental institutions in Eastern Europe. Today, I'll share what someone else has written about them, someone who was just there, someone who saw a teenaged boy with Down syndrome whose daily job was to wash out the toilet pots, who daily had excrement smeared all over his hands, who daily smelled overwhelmingly awful, who daily smiled at her and tried to interact with gentleness, who daily reminded her that a mental institution is no place for such a gentle soul.

That situation may be better or worse than where Elizabeth was sent; we don't know. If it's worse, it's not by much. In the USA, our institutions, relics of our own misguided past, are often in the news after yet another flagrant abuse is discovered. Their institutions don't even make the news; no abuse that is discovered will ever even be known, prosecuted, championed. The caregivers over these defenseless children wield enormous power inside the walls of the institution. I feel sure some use it judiciously and others use it maliciously.

So my prayer request: I ask for prayer that someone would step forward today and claim her for their very own. I pray that someone could move quickly with her adoption. Even in that situation, it will take months for her adoption to be completed, so I pray that God would send some mighty fierce angels to guard her innocence, guard her heart, guard that sparkle in her eyes until her parents can remove her and escort her safely home.

I pray for a kind-hearted caregiver for Elizabeth, one who treats her gently and who has a kind word for her every day. I pray for friends in the orphanage. Elizabeth has been ripped away from her very best friend, Angelina. They spent their days playing dolls together. I've never heard of nor seen a doll in an institution. Not a toy. Nothing. These are the places where active and imaginative children are tied to too-small cribs.

As I'm typing, Vera just came in to give me a big hug and good morning kiss. I'm weeping now. This is where she was headed. I cannot imagine Vera's spark being snuffed out by life in the institution. What a loss to me. What a loss to Vera.

I pray that when Elizabeth is adopted that God would restore the years the locusts have eaten, that He would meld her into her family as seamlessly as if she'd been born to them.

Isn't she beautiful?

She's been put into some awful glasses but that sweet smile just shines through, doesn't it?

Here is the info from Reece's Rainbow:

Elizabeth C.

Date of Birth: August 2003
Gender: Female
Eyes: Gray
Hair: dark brown

HELP! I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED ((

This sweet girl is 7 years old. We are so hopeful to find a family for her! Elizabeth is so beautiful, and she loves to care for her baby dolls. She is active, intelligent, social, helpful, and an orphanage favorite. She does wear glasses, but who knows if they are the right prescription for her? Elizabeth will do very well in a family setting, and I hope someone will "baby" HER very soon!

From her medical records: Down Syndrome, moderate mental deficiency, atopic dermatitis; delay in growth, amblyopia of high degree, congenital myopia with astigmatism

FULL MEDICAL RECORDS AVAILABLE
LOTS MORE PHOTOS AVAILABLE
I AM ELIGIBLE FOR AN OLDER CHILD GRANT (which currently stands at $975, but a fundraiser that has raised $990 has not been added, or at least has not been added in its entirety)

If you are her family then please contact Andrea Roberts at: andrea@reecesrainbow.org to get started. Today.

3 pictures of Wilson!

2010-11-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

He's even more irresistible now! What a doll!! He's at such a great age to come home to a family, having just turned 2 in October.

I just know someone's going to fall in love with those big brown eyes and blond hair. I just know they'll want to see God work and move mountains to bring this little guy home. I just know someone is dreaming of being cheek to cheek with him, feeling his chunky little hands pat them on the back as he starts to understand what hugging is. I just know someone wants to put some chub on that skinny little belly so they can blow raspberries on it. I just know someone wants to plop him into a big warm bubble bath and wrap him up in the softest towels, just to let him know he has a soft place to land now. I just know someone has some soft fleece jammies for him to wear as they slide him between clean sheets in his own bed and tuck him in after bedtime stories and prayers. I just know someone wants to tell him that Jesus loves him, in word and in deed.

I just know someone is wishing for a little boy who will love unconditionally, smile often, laugh more, stay little longer, need his mommy a little more, try harder to reach his milestones and keep the empty nest from emptying quite so soon.

God has a family for Wilson. I just know it's you.

Wilson

2010-11-26T14:50:00.000-08:00

Meet Wilson, or as I like to call him, Mr. Irresistible! Wilson was just added to the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree this week. The call went out that the recently minted 2 year old Wilson needed a Christmas Warrior. Those chubby cheeks, bright eyes, and sweet face just called to me so I volunteered my inestimable services. OK, so my services are quite estimable, even down to the penny, because we can all see the chip-ins on the top of my blog!

Wilson's deal isn't quite the same as Sophia's deal. If you donate at least $35 to his chipin (which sends the money directly to Reece's Rainbow) you will still receive this year's Reece's Rainbow ornament but it won't have sweet Wilson's picture on it. He was added to the Angel Tree too late. Even without Mr. Irresistible's face, though, the ornaments are lovely.

Wilson has another interesting deal going on. His region of Russia allows the adoption of multiple unrelated children, although there are some income restrictions for those who wish to do so. You can see all the other children in that region here. You can also read about Wilson and the regional adoption requirements there, but here is his info:

Birth Date: October 2008
Gender: Male
Eyes: Gray
Hair: brown
Character: Calm.
Friendly, quiet, gentle boy. Goes well in touch with adults. Shows interest in toys.
More photos available, single moms welcome.

I am still having a giveaway for Miss Sophia until December 1. After that, I hope to have another giveaway for both of my beauties. I want to help increase their grant funds at Reece's Rainbow so that people take a second look because some of the costs would be taken care of. I want to see both of them home next year, tucking in to turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes and green beans, pumpkin pies and spice cakes! I want to see them surrounded by a family of their very own, so full of thanksgiving for the gift of Sophia or Wilson they can hardly stop smiling.

I'm not sure I can emphasize this enough: the $10 donations here and there add up and before you know it, the kids are home! I also cannot emphasize enough that your donations to Reece's Rainbow for Sophia and Wilson are tax-deductible, so if you've realized that you haven't donated quite as much as you'd intended this year, this is a great way to do so. If you've realized you haven't remembered the orphan as much as you'd intended this year, then...well, you know what to do.

Sophia and Wilson thank you!

I'm having a giveaway!!!

2010-11-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

I'm killing two birds with one stone with this giveaway. It's sort of complicated, for a giveaway and all, so read through it and see if you can participate!!

The first bird: One of my dear friends in the adoption world, Laura Lu, had a very quick adoption happen earlier this year. It happened fast due to the earthquake in Haiti; their son was made available much more quickly than would normally happen in a Haitian adoption and they weren't yet prepared for the costs.

Zane is actually their second adopted son. Their first son was a domestic adoption. I have rarely seen a family work so hard to raise the funds for an adoption. Among other things, Laura's husband took an evening job delivering pizzas. I'll never forget the night of her birthday when he had to work. He showed up at their door with a pizza for Laura and their girls, a quick kiss and then he was gone. I still tear up thinking about the sacrifice and devotion. I share this because they are not the type to sit back and beg for help but this time around they simply didn't have the time to get their money together.

Laura is an accomplished photographer with a rare sense of artistry. She is having a fundraiser that features several beautiful photographs, some with scriptures or a quote, for sale in either an 8 X 10 or 11 X 14 size. Please go look now! I don't want to copy them without her permission. You can read about their adoption there, too. (And please, feel free to buy one yourself without waiting to see if you've won here!)

I AM GIVING AWAY ONE OF HER PICTURES!
(plus something else, but you'll have to read to the end to find out what)The second bird: I volunteered to be the Christmas Warrior for Sophia C, the beautiful little girl pictured below. (Newly discovered pictures of her!!) I am hoping to raise $1000 to help defray the adoption costs and get her home more quickly.

Soooooo, if you'd like to be entered in the giveaway for Laura Lu's beautiful photographs (your choice of size and image), please give a donation of $10 or more to Sophia via the ChipIn I now have at the top of my blog. If you have never used a ChipIn before I can assure you it is very easy and it will walk you through the steps. Your donation will go straight to Sophia's account with Reece's Rainbow. I don't ever see a penny of it. As I have mentioned previously, donations of $35 or more will also get you a Reece's Rainbow Christmas ornament with Sophia's picture on it.

So that's my plan. You donate to Sophia C's chipin at the top of my blog and you are thereby entered into my giveaway for one of Laura Lu's photographs PLUS a copy of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream. (Not that the pot wasn't sweet enough with a gorgeous photograph, but I just couldn't resist giving away that book, as Laura and her family so beautifully exemplify the ideals contained in it.)

I will draw the winner on December 1, 2010.

Thank you for reading, thank you for (hopefully!) sharing, and thank you for participating if you are able. I hope you win!!

Sophia C. and the Angel Tree--a Fairy Tale

2010-11-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, in a faraway land, a beautiful little blond-haired princess was born. She had an extra chromosome. No one understood that made her extra special! The doctors told her parents she was cursed. Her parents believed the doctors and sent her to live in an orphanage until the curse could be lifted. No one in her country understood that it was no curse, but a blessing. They kept trying to remove the curse from princess, without success, until...
Something extraordinary happened!

The fearless and bold Andrea Roberts, leader of Reece's Rainbow Adoption Crusaders, has kind helpers in this princess's country who scour the countryside, looking for pretty little girls and handsome little boys with extra chromosomes. When they find these children, like our princess, Sophia, they take pictures of them and send them back to Andrea. Andrea puts pictures and all the information she can find onto the Reece's Rainbow website so families like mine can find these pretty little girls and handsome little boys and bring them home. Home, after all, is the place where people with an extra chromosome are best able to reach their amazing potential!! Home is the place where princess Sophia's curse can at last be lifted...the curse of living in an orphanage with no parents to love her, place sparkly tiaras on her head and dress her in the colors of royalty, as every princess deserves.

So many families look at the pretty little girls and handsome little boys on Reece's Rainbow and know they want to bring one or two or three to their own home. Isn't that a happy ending? No, because the big scary expenses of adoption stand in the way of so many of the families. These special families could treat the pretty little girls and handsome little boys to a sweet life of fun, family, and festivities, if only they could clear the path of that dragon and bring their prince or princess home.

Sophia is a true princess and she needs her happy ending! Will you help her family-to-be find their way to her by slaying some of the big bad adoption expenses? Sophia's expenses are even bigger and badder than most of the children on Reece's Rainbow. She needs a knight in shining armor!

This Christmas season I am raising money for Sophia as part of Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree. The Angel Tree is our biggest fundraising push of the year and I am honored to help. I would be all the more honored (more like thrilled) if you would join with me in slaying the expense dragons in her way! If you donate at least $35.00 to Sophia's account (as explained below), you will receive a Christmas ornament with the Reece's Rainbow Christmas Tree logo on one side and Sophia's picture on the other side. $30 will go to Sophia's account while $5 goes into the Voice of Hope Fund to defray the costs of the ornaments. Click here for a full explanation. Speaking of money-hungry dragons, all donations are tax-deductible, too.

If you click here, you can donate money to Sophia by clicking the "Donate" button, which takes you to a Paypal page. On that page, near the top, is a box with a blinking cursor in it--put the amount you wish to donate in that box and click the yellow box that says "Update Total". After that, scroll down a bit and you'll see a place to log in to PayPal. If you have a PayPal account, I probably don't need to tell you what to do! If you don't have a PayPal account, however, please note that on the left side of the page there is a place to click and you can then just pay by debit or credit card. By donating in this way, you are ensuring that Sophia receives the money you donated.

Click here to see all the other pretty little girls and handsome little boys that Andrea has gathered from around the world! For the months of November and December all our precious little ones with Down syndrome (aged 5 and younger) are gathered together on one page so we can follow along and rejoice as their dragons are slayed and the path cleared for parents to bring them home.

Thank you for being a part of Sophia's happy ending!

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

We tried!

2010-11-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

We tried to cheer our baseball team to victory but alas, it was ultimately in vain.

Vera did the antlers

Anna and Ella did the antlers separately

and together

Even Emma did the antlers, despite never watching an inning

Daddy's antlers were a bit higher than normal

but Dean showed him the proper method

I'm afraid even Dean couldn't help Vera, nor could Emma hide her disdain

It was a good run, a good team, and a good time.

Maybe next year...

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening, we participated in one of the funniest little rituals we have here in North America...my children dressed in costumes and went door to door, begging for candy and actually receiving it while doing nothing more than saying, "Trick or Treat!" I think it's hilarious that we do this! Each year we go to my parent's neighborhood (our old neighborhood) to participate.

We have only gone trick-or-treating in our own neighborhood once. The houses are on 1+ acre lots and it takes forever. Since we're all about inefficiency in the Spicer household, we go to a neighborhood where the houses are closer together and allow for maximum candy haul. Many thanks to my parents for allowing us to invade their home while they suffered through a Ranger loss in the World Series. Many thanks to my sister and her daughters for hanging with us, too! As always, it was FUN!!!

Buzz Lightyear, made in....wait for it....China!

Buzz and Woody--You've got a friend in me!

Vera in the suit that I shamelessly begged for on facebook...and actually received from a cyber friend of the past several years! Isn't that cool? Vera had been asking for a suit for quite some time now. She wanted to be Daddy. She is incredibly happy to be wearing the suit, button-down shirt, and one of Daddy's old ties in this picture. Words truly cannot express her joy.

Emmapatra...Cleoemma...The Queen of It All.

I bought the Woody outfit for Dean but it was too small. No problem, however, because Ella has watched Toy Story approximately 1 billion times in the last two months and has even made her own sign (as in sign language) to show us when she wants to watch it. She was also incredibly thrilled with her costume.

Anna, being curled and whirled by my sister, Aunt Paige. Why?

The amazing results!

Anna as Artemis! I surprised her by finally making a Greek goddess costume for her this year! She had been trying to come up with something on her own but I was, regrettably, too busy with her younger siblings. Not so this year!! How fun!! We made a laurel wreath, bow, arrows and quiver and spray-painted them all silver.

Our photographer, Song, tried to tap into the dark side of their characters. The sad results are below:

One out of four ain't bad!

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 16.2

2010-11-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. By them believers

show their thankfulness,
strengthen their assurances,
build up their fellow believers,
adorn the profession of the gospel,
shut the mouths of the adversaries, and
glorify God.

They are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, so that, bearing fruit unto holiness, they may attain the outcome, which is eternal life. Their ability to do good works is not at all from themselves, but entirely from the Spirit of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

What's the best part of having a child with Down syndrome?

2010-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

Easy answer? It's the same as yesterday: other people.

First and foremost, the best part of having a child with Down syndrome is having the child, or in our case, children. We have three individuals here who call us Mom and Dad and who also happen to have an extra chromosome. If you've ever suffered with infertility, if you've ever lost a child, then you can really understand what I mean when I say that being a parent is such a blessing. Having little ones around for love and hugs and kisses provides sweetness beyond measure. Vera, Emma and Ella are incredible to have around and give me immeasurable joy.

Second, I have found a group of kindred spirits in places I wouldn't have looked before having the Downsie girls--other parents who have children with special needs. Most days, it's easier to look for ~~people who think, dress, and act like you~~ potential friends at church, at kids' sporting events, at kids' schools, etc. I was the same way until I had Emma. My friends are much more diverse now; we're joined by our common love of our uncommon children. Within this group lies a subgroup even closer to my heart: those adoptive families of children with Down syndrome. Some of the kindest people I've ever met are in that group and I find myself humbled and blessed beyond words to know them, wishing I had half of their compassion.

Third, I have witnessed so many people responding to my girls with kindness and love. I am all too human when it comes to remembering the hard times, the unkind words, etc. I would be remiss in not mentioning those many people who have gone above and beyond with my girls (with sincere apologies to those I will overlook). The supply manager in Russia who kept an eye on Vera and snuck special treats to her. Ella's foster mother who had to give her up but lovingly made me a scrapbook of her precious girl. Their older cousin who loves to take them for dates and doesn't mind if Vera comes along dressed as a boy, or Emma as a princess. You've already heard from Nini, who doesn't mind being snubbed by the girls but keeps on trying anyway. The many repairmen who have patiently allowed Vera to follow them around as they worked and talked to her without condescension. The O'Hearn family, Emma's Sunday school teachers for two years, who loved her unconditionally and always expected the best from her. The Hea family, Vera's Sunday school teachers one year, who uttered three of the sweetest words to me: We get Vera.

I've already touched on the sibling relationships but it bears repeating. My typical children bless me as they relate to their sibs with Ds. They have learned so much about accepting people as they are. They have learned patience. They have learned kindness. They have learned to help. They have learned responsibility to a great degree and have risen admirably to the challenge. They have learned the value a fallen world places on children with Down syndrome, and they have learned to reject it as untrue and unkind. They have learned that their siblings can be treated as siblings, are not breakable, can be taught to stay out of their stuff and can even be entreated to help with chores! They have learned how nice it can be to have little sisters to carry around, steal kisses from them and love them unreservedly.

I feel like I could make a separate category of "other people" and put myself in it. I'm not who I was before I had my girls. While the change wasn't as dramatic as becoming a Christian, it was nonetheless life-changing. My priorities have shifted; my life focus has changed completely. So many fears have been eradicated and a certain bravery has emerged. God has used them to refine me in so many ways and I believe He will continue to use them in my life.

I made it! 31 days of blogging about Down syndrome. I think I should have called it 31 days of blogging about being the parent of a child with Down syndrome. Thank you for sticking with me, for commenting kindly and more often than usual! Let's stay in touch!

photo by Alyssa Maisano Photography

What's the worst part of having a child with Down syndrome?

2010-10-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

My easy answer? Other people.

If you've been reading my blog this month you'll know why I say that. I've been slammed; my kids have been slammed. It isn't fun.

One thing that might not be evident, though, is that although I've written about all these things over the course of the last few weeks, they happened over the course of years. In a way, that's the problem: you are coasting along, thinking people have accepted your kids and WHAM! You find out you were just in deeper denial than you'd realized.

You might think that I need to develop thicker skin. I wish! The opposite seems to be true. Vera, Emma and Ella live in the most tender part of my heart. All the slings and arrows of the world have a direct shot to cause me pain. That skin won't ever callus, though, because all the sweet, cute, loving, adorable, funny things my girls do on a daily basis keep me tenderized. I would have to become indifferent to them in order to harden my heart to the world around us. Impossible.

All the sweet, cute, loving, adorable, funny things they do also serve another purpose: they keep me laughing, loving, and most of all, forgiving. We do all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We are not righteous, no not one. We are each the chief of sinners.

They also fill me with a deep hope that true acceptance of their humanity is close. Lately, I've been repeating the first verse of Emily Dickinson's beautiful poem in my mind. It comes to closest to speaking for my tenderized heart.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the song without the words,
And never stops at all.

iPhone apps for special needs children--and their mommies!

2010-10-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am shamelessly stealing my Down syndrome awareness month post today from one of my facebook friends, Renee. Renee has been tracking down some iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch apps this year that help her or, especially, help her children, two of whom have Down syndrome. She's done the work; I'm reaping the benefits.

If you've been wondering whether your child with Ds or other special educational issues needs an iPod Touch, this might be just the information to help you decide! I am linking to a page that shows all of her posts on the apps. Enjoy! I'll be back again this weekend with two more posts to finish up our month of daily blogging. Be prepared!!

photo by Alyssa Maisano Photography

Lisette

2010-10-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Girl, Born March 10, 2007

Lisette is healthy and active and just waiting on a mommy of her very own! She currently weighs 20 pounds at three and a half years old, so she’s still tiny! She was born with a heart condition that no longer requires medical check-ups. She is sitting independently, crawling and can stand holding on to the side of her crib.
Her head was shaved this summer, but her pretty brown hair is already starting to grow back! We have many photos of Lisette from the previous year.
More photos available.

She has a grant of $1791 today! The total estimated costs for adoptions in her Eastern European country, including travel, are $16,000, making hers one of the least expensive adoptions we have on Reece's Rainbow.

Can you tell she's one of my favorites? Even with the shaved head, she reminds me of a dainty little fairy.

Lisette was put on Reece's Rainbow last year just before Christmas, I believe, so she's been waiting almost a year. Actually, for a few months she had a family committed to her but they have backed out. On her birthday this year, I wrote a birthday prayer for her. My prayer today is that on her birthday next year she'll have a family working to get her home FAST!

I read one of the most touching, tear-jerking blog posts yesterday at One Blessed Nest. If you've ever thought that older child adoption would bring you an out of control, ungrateful child, please take the time to read about my friend Tina's precious daughter and her amazingly clear understanding of what it means to be in a family. It's why we do what we do...over and over again.

Just in Time for Halloween--The Super Downs Kid

2010-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Within weeks of Emma's birth, I heard it for the first time: The doctor said Emma is a Super Downs baby, right?

Or later: Is Emma high functioning Downs? What level of Downs is she?

Even then, with many of my opinions about Down syndrome still emerging, I knew that wasn't quite right. First of all, what is a "Super Downs" baby or child or even adult? What do they mean when they say high functioning? Why is it so important that you would ask someone such a thing about their child? How on earth could you think a doctor or anyone else might ascertain that my child with Down syndrome would have better skills than others with Down syndrome when she was just weeks old? Should we give her back if she's only going to be a normal child with Down syndrome?

Here's the thing, people with Down syndrome have a wide range of abilities, a wide range of personalities (one word: Vera) and a wide range of functioning. In the past, however, when most people with Down syndrome were institutionalized and were rarely seen in the real world, most of them functioned at a very low level. They weren't taught to read or write, didn't have normal interactions with family or with the world around them, were likely medicated/sedated, and they never were taught to do things for themselves because the nurses and aides thought it was more trouble to teach them than to just do it for them.

Due to greater access to early intervention therapy services, preschools, full school inclusion by law, not to mention the nearly 100% of children with Down syndrome who are NOT placed in institutions, we can now see a much fuller range of functioning. We can see that most people with Down syndrome learn to read and write, learn about a variety of subjects and have sincere and earnest interest in a few, just like the rest of us. They have abilities that far exceeded the expectations of even just a couple of decades ago. Each of my girls excel in very different areas and have weaknesses in very different areas. People with Down syndrome are not a homogeneous group anymore than any random group of people.

Yes, there are some who are much more debilitated than others, although those folks usually have more diagnoses than just Down syndrome that work against them. Yes, there are also those who are much more successful in school than others; a not insignificant number of people with Down syndrome have IQs that don't even fall in the range deemed "mentally retarded." I assume these are the Super Downs kids (can I tell you how much I hate that name?).

For those of you reading this who don't have children with Down syndrome I must ask: Is this ringing any bells? Does it sound like the typical population of children you know? Some children don't do very well in school, often due to extra problems they have that a typical child doesn't. Some children do very well in school and have IQs that fall outside the range deemed "normal." They are the scholastic superstars.

So back to the original question, but putting it back on those who asked: The doctor said your little one is a scholastic superstar, right?

Or to the parent of an older child: Is your little Johnny functioning at a high level?

How about this: let's remember that all children have strengths and weaknesses. Let's remember that God made them for a purpose, and those purposes are not always scholastic. And please, let's remember that all parents want to know you value their child above their child's achievements. I'm pretty sure your child or grandchild wants to know that about you, too.

Finally, let's put the Super Downs hero to rest, just in time for Halloween. She's not real after all, but she sure is scary.

How scary? As scary as one of Luke's first directorial efforts: Vera Spicer starring in Spider Da Ma'am!

Reece's Rainbow needs Christmas Warriors!

2010-10-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am the Christmas Warrior for Miss Sophia, first picture below. She is a darling little girl in a very expensive country from which to adopt. I am hoping, as her Christmas Warrior, to raise at least $1000 for her between Monday and New Year's Eve. Big task, right? Not too big for God. I have included a few more of my Reece's Rainbow favorites, several of whom still don't have Warriors. Look at the sweet faces, look over the list of children who were still available (or were available earlier today) and see if you could help.

The plain and simple fact of the matter is that children with larger grants to help defray the adoption costs are those who are most often chosen. We all wish that weren't the case but we have to help based on reality and not wishful thinking. As part of the fundraising effort, Reece's Rainbow will send an ornament with your Christmas Warrior child's picture on it to anyone who donates at least $35. The money doesn't go to overhead, it doesn't go to salaries...it goes to help save the life of a child.

The money that is raised stays in trust for that child until their adoption is almost complete to ensure that the money actually goes toward the adoption. Most (although by no means all) of the money for adoptions is due toward the end and while the family is in country, so this also ensures that upfront costs are paid by the family, in part as a way of ensuring their commitment. I say all this just in case anyone is confused about the way Reece's Rainbow handles their contributions. I will probably repeat it in a few days when the actual Angel Tree/Christmas Warrior program begins.

In the meantime, again, please look at these faces, go to http://www.reecesrainbow.org/ and search for the names I have listed at the end of the pictures, consider stepping out in faith to become a child's Christmas Warrior.

Maria has a warrior but I just can't help and share her cute face!

Caleb needs a sponsor

Hailey needs a sponsor

Mr Chubbalub, Henry, needs a warrior

Lisette doesn't needs a warrior...she's had a fierce warrior for a long time...what she needs is a family

Gibson needs a Warrior

I think this cutie has a Warrior

This is Alexander and he has a warrior...I just love that smile!! He needs a dad to wrestle him and tickle him!

Aisha K Russia region 23

Andy China

Brent Ukraine 35

Caleb China

Christian Russia region 6

Darren Ukraine 41

Devon Russia region 5

Dmitri B Russia region 8
Dmitriy P Russia region 16
Dmitriy Sh Russia region 8

Gavin Ukraine 20
Gibson Russia region 5
Grant Ukraine 38
Hailey China

Henry China

Ivan K Russia region 5
Ivan L Russia region 13

James Russia region 2

Jonas Russia region 9

Kennedy Russia region 2

Lawrence Russia region 2

Leeza Ukraine 2

Oksana M Russia region 13

Olga Russia region 3

Paul J Russia region 13

Sergei G Russia region 9

Toby Ukraine 26

Down Syndrome Awareness...in case you hadn't noticed

2010-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

I received a comment yesterday from Leah, another Reece's Rainbow mom. I'll get back to her comment after I take a moment for a public service announcement:

Leah is having an iPad giveaway on one of her blogs right now in order to raise money for BOTH the children they are adopting! They are going to Eastern Europe to adopt an older boy with Down syndrome and an older girl with a craniofacial syndrome, I believe. All donations to the giveaway are tax-deductible, by the way, and go straight to Reece's Rainbow, which holds the money in trust until shortly before they travel. Come to think, it won't be held in trust for long because it won't be long until they travel.

Back to my regularly scheduled post...Leah pointed out that her husband has not always known exactly what Down syndrome was (until he met her and her then 7 year old daughter). I tend to forget that not everyone has the same exposure that most people I know have had. I don't know why I wouldn't remember, however, considering what happened one Sunday night a couple of years ago....

I received a phone call from a man who identified himself as Ella's Sunday school teacher. He said he was calling to see if I could help him help her more effectively in Sunday. I was thrilled! How wonderfully proactive! "Sure!" I told him. "How can I help?"

"Well..." He proceeded to tell me that Ella was very frustrating to him. Just that morning, in fact, he had handed her an open bottle of glue and told her to make a thin line of glue on top of the lines on her paper. (Inside I'm screaming, "You gave Ella a bottle of glue! You gave a class of 4 year olds a bottle of glue?") To his horror, all she had done was bang the orange tip of the glue on the paper and make a big mess so he went ahead and made the glue lines for her. He then instructed her to take pieces of yarn and lay them directly on the glue lines and she wouldn't do that properly, either.

(I was, for the most part, rendered speechless.)

He went on to ask when I thought Ella was going to start talking. My voice returned and I told him that I assumed she would do so eventually, as her sister Vera who had Down syndrome and was adopted from Russia had not spoken much at all when we adopted her but speak quite a bit now.

The conversation vacillated between his frustration and her lack of speech for 30 minutes, with me answering his every question with uncharacteristic patience. Finally, he landed on the speech issue one last time. I answered it differently this time, saying that it was very unusual for a person with Down syndrome to never speak at all and I was sure that Ella would learn to speak.

Pause. Pause.

"Ella has Down syndrome?"

I have to admit I fell out laughing and said, "Well, no wonder you were frustrated!" We had to end the conversation quickly thereafter because I just couldn't stop laughing and I honestly didn't want to make him feel worse than I assume he already did.

Just so no one thinks I am trying to bash churches, let me tell you what I saw when I came to pick her up from Sunday school the next week (John was normally the person who took her to the nursery and picked her up but he was gone that week.) I saw this man's wife with Ella on her lap, both playing the piano and singing up a storm. It was precious! They just didn't know. Once they knew, their whole attitude changed. Information is a powerful thing.

So thank you, Leah, for the reminder that we actually do need Down syndrome awareness month for some people. In fact, I think we may need them for some of Ella's current teachers, who recently remarked how special it was that her class had two sets of twins. I teach in that class one Sunday a month, and there are only two sibling sets in it: a set of boy/girl twins, and Ella and Dean. All I can say is that it must have been some pregnancy and birth, what with having Ella in Colombia in August and Dean in China in November. Pretty impressive, huh?

So close!

One way to win a Canon EOS Rebel!!

2010-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

As I was perusing my friend Suzette's blog today, something caught my eye! A blog post, by one of her friends, that looked to be giving away a Canon EOS Rebel!! WooHoo!! A gorgeous family of 10, trying to be an even more gorgeous family of 11, is giving away the camera to help raise funds to bring their daughter home from China. Here's the info from their blog:

One week till we draw the winner of this bad boy! Suh-weet! Just click on the Chip-In button on the sidebar. Our goal is to raise enough to send our dossier to Ch*na once we get C*S approval, so every dollar helps us bring Kasidi Joy home! Thanks to those who have already chipped in, linked and blogged!
$25 = 1 opportunity
$50 = 3 opportunities, etc...
Blog post, blog link, FB link, FB post = additional opportunity!
Leave me a comment or email me to let me know you've linked or posted.

I am now shamelessly working for my additional opportunities, having already linked to their fundraiser on facebook! Let me tell you, though, that I believe in what they're doing and can testify that the more times you adopt, the harder it can be to raise the funds, if for no other reason than you're crazy busy and trying to feed all those mouths.

So, help a cute little girl get home and possibly win a camera next week. Not bad!

Memorial Box Monday: Doctors, Down syndrome, and deformities

2010-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm on the final downhill run with my pledge to post daily in October in order to raise awareness about Down syndrome. I have a friend who wondered aloud who on earth needed to be made aware of Down syndrome? She also has a child with spina bifida and felt like that condition needs much more awareness than Ds. I had to laugh...really, who doesn't know what Down syndrome is, at least to some degree? I think the purpose of Down syndrome awareness month is to bring to the forefront that what you thought you knew about people with Down syndrome might, in fact, be wrong or at the very least inadequate.

That brings us to today's post as well as back to Memorial Box Monday, the point of which is to memorialize those times when I could so clearly see God's hand in our life.

Our sweet Emma Lane (well, sweet unless she's breaking up with a pop star) was born via c-section because she was a frank breech (legs first, face up). I remember thinking that one nice effect of having a c-section baby was that the baby's head wouldn't be strangely shaped after the journey through the birth canal.

Imagine my surprise when I first glimpsed Emma as they put her in the isolette and her head was really angular in spots and not the pretty round head I had envisioned. Almost immediately, I started asking about her head shape to the doctors that we encountered over the week she remained in the hospital. Each one would sigh, their head would sag a bit to the side as they would sadly explain that nothing was wrong with her head; I was obviously just seeing the Down syndrome.

Even after we left the hospital, Emma still saw many different doctors to rule out various health problems related to Down syndrome. I would still point out the funky head shape; they would still tell me I was just seeing the syndrome.

As I waited in one of the common waiting rooms to see yet another specialist, I started to flip through some brochures from the hospital, having forgotten the immutable rule of waiting rooms: bring a book! One brochure was from the hospital's craniofacial doctors and it described exactly what I was seeing in Emma's head. Well, not exactly IN her head, maybe, but you know what I mean.

After returning home from the appointment, I trepidatiously made an appointment for Emma to see a craniofacial doctor at the hospital. When we walked back to see the doctor, the nurse escorting us bluntly said she was sure we'd need to see the surgeon next. I was appalled but decided to wait and see what the doctor said, which was that Emma had positional plagiocephaly and would need to wear a helmet for several months to correct her head shape. I was relieved, but surprised, since what I had read about positional plagiocephaly indicated that it was related to a child being put on their back too often. It wasn't usually a congenital problem and I had clearly noticed Emma's head shape from the moment she was born. The doctor brushed off my concerns and gave us information about getting fitted for a helmet.

A few days later, I was surprised to receive a call from that same nurse. In a nutshell, she had made us an appointment with the surgeon because she believed the first doctor had misdiagnosed Emma. I still find it amazing that she was basically insubordinate to that doctor in order to get our daughter better care. A few days after that, John and I found out that Emma actually had been born with craniosynostosis, a disorder that means one of the opening in her skull had fused prematurely. That meant that part of Emma's skull wasn't growing any longer and would need to be surgically released so that it, as well as the brain under it, could grow properly. Without surgery, that portion of the brain can be compromised due to pressure and can cause developmental delays.

I was stunned. The news of Down syndrome never even broke my stride but the news that my tiny daughter's skull would need surgery upset me greatly.

Due to the subpar care we had received during our time in Canada, we chose to seek medical care for Emma back in Dallas. Dallas is fortunate to have three different craniofacial surgeons of excellent repute. We can tell you about all three because we've met them.

The first wanted to wait on her surgery for longer than the commonly accepted standard. We weren't comfortable with that advice so we met surgeon #2, a man more impressed by himself than any I have ever met before. He ridiculed our faith and told us he would happily cut off part of Emma's tongue while he was reforming her skull. The third surgeon was, thankfully, the best-trained of the three and also the most humble, helpful, and honest.

In this story I see God at work and I see a need for holistic awareness of people with Down syndrome. God is easy to see. He used a nurse to keep us from a potentially harmful 'cure' and He directed us to a doctor who showed Emma (and Emma's fragile mommy) compassion and skill.

As far as the holistic awareness, I saw that with each doctor who told me that I was just seeing the Down syndrome. Ironically, they were just seeing the Down syndrome and completely missed the fact that she could have a problem outside the normal Down syndrome problems of heart, gastrointestinal tract, vision and the like. I am sitting here now shaking my head, wondering how many moms are out today seeing doctors who only look for the medical problems on the list and forget the basic humanity, with all its attendant problems, of the child.

Once again I am reminded of a quote from the book "Expecting Adam" by Martha Beck: Whoever said love is blind is dead wrong. Love is the only thing that lets us see each other with the remotest accuracy. As the mother of my beloved child, I was the only one for months who could see her as she was without being blinded by deformed perceptions of a syndrome. That, dear readers, is nothing but God.

I Beg to Differ... or... Not so Much

2010-10-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

When I ~~begged~~ offered to guest post on Jill's blog my first thoughts were 'I wonder if it will make her feel she has to extend that invitation to me since I posted it on facebook'. Well, it worked!

My second thought (for some this sentence in and of itself will bring much oohing and ahhing to know that I indeed am able to have more than one thought at any given moment) was 'Yay! She said I could post on her blog!' which was quickly followed by a third thought 'oh great... WHAT will I say??'

She did remind me it was Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I didn't have the heart to correct her with ... 'in the US'. Here in the UK we have Down's Syndrome Awareness WEEK in June. Yes, that is correct, we dedicate an entire WEEK to promoting and raising awareness for children with DS. Wow, an entire week. We're ~~stingy~~ generous like that.

And whilst people ~~who aren't adopting children from Eastern Europe and say they are my friends and would love to meet us in person~~ flock to London for fashion and art and driving on the proper side of the road, apparently they aren't coming here to celebrate DS Week. And likely not to speak proper English either (I've said ~~too~~ many times that there is English and there is American. They are not the same language)

I've been told it is because in the UK we're just nicer and people with special needs are naturally integrated into society more. If you don't believe me, watch this short video by the King of Lovely (a country in a flat in London) [yes, I've posted this before... but it's a catchy tune!]

So, finally onto my 4th thought. A list. If someone gives you the opportunity to write on their blog, make a list. Use lots of points, subpoints and use humorous anecdotes to make your point.

So, I'm writing a list for you. Just barely on the fringe of the topic of Down Syndrome...not that many points... nor a single subpoint and unless you are in my family, probably not that humorous. Ah yes, my brilliant husband has just piped in that the family really aren't laughing a whole lot either.

Ways Children with Down Syndrome are the Same as Typical Children

1. Refusing to tidy up. Yes, they are no more likely to tidy a room than a child without DS.


Yeah, probably not my child


This is more like it...

2. Emotions. Yes, they have them. Not just one... not all joy all day every day. I have the bruises to prove it... (of course I'm joking. Little Poppet would never after watching Pingu hitting his sister with a spoon then grab one of her spoons and hit me)

3. Potty Training. I'll get back to you on this one when I can be bothered to attempt it. So far, I consider it quite the achievement to have potty trained my husband. He's a typical ~~man~~. (Again, he's piped in with the notion that he came trained)

Being British we don't just have a porcelain throne

(if you already read my blog you may remember this 'quote' from this post in April of 2009)

Have I mentioned that we are 'on the cusp' of potty training? Realistically I could have started this ages ago. Little Poppet has made me aware in one way or another that she was ready for a 'change' for a very long time. But being the brilliant Mum that I am, I ~~procrastinate~~ waited to be sure I she was ready.

Or perhaps this quote also from 2009

We did purchase a little potty chair for her. I showed it to her and told her that she would get to go potty on it. Yeah, she got it. She immediately grabbed it and started filling it with her toys. Boy will she be offended when I tell her what to really put in it.

So, it is fair to say that it is a reflection of my parenting more than anything...

4. Eating. I can't really blame anyone for turning their nose up at my cooking and it comes as no surprise that there isn't a difference here either.

Even I recommend a hazmat suit when handling my cooking

5. Children with DS are always well behaved when out. No different to typical kids here. They save all their poor behaviour for Mum. Not even for Dad, just Mum. Grandparents think you are lying when you describe any of their antics. It confirms to them that you were the worst child on earth and the fact your offspring are so well mannered proves to them it wasn't their fault.

6. TV or telly as we like to say here. From what I can tell, there is no difference here either. ALL kids like to watch the telly with their noses touching the screen apparently. Which is why we don't allow the telly on very much.
(I'll spare you the video here, just a matter of principle)

7. Energy. There is a thought that kids with DS don't have as much energy as typical children. Yes, tell me that when I'm chasing my daughter around the house and catching her mid air when she leaps off the sofa. She is in super hero training. Problem is she doesn't have the cape yet so until such a time, I have to keep my eyes peeled and arms ready. I generally don't carry anything breakable anywhere in the house just in case I need to drop it to catch Little Flying Poppet. (to order your own super hero cape, click that link up there)

8. Shoes. Girls ~~women~~ I love shoes. My daughter is no different. I think she has more shoes than I do right now. And not that I'm complaining ~~much~~ but mine don't sparkle or light up when I take a step.

9. Toys. My daughter loves new toys. All kids love new toys. They all break the most expensive ones within days of getting them and they all lose pieces of jigsaw puzzles. And they all get bored with the new ones far too soon for our wallet, anyway.

10. Daddy. Little girls, whether typical or not ALL have the ability to get Daddy wrapped around their little finger. I think they learn this watching their Mummy. What can I say? The Mr. is wrapped around BOTH of his girl's little fingers! :D We'd not have it any other way!

So there you have it. Ten very scientific and highly qualified facts about how typical children and children with DS are the same. And to my mind, the ways they aren't the same are what make children with DS all the better! :DAnd now, I end with a message about being nice from the King of Lovely, Danny Wallace.
Thank you, Lu of Poppies Blooming, for your lovely guest post. You are welcome to make a list for my blog anytime!

Of Baseball and Down syndrome

2010-10-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Vera loves to play baseball. Really, truly, deeply loves to play the game. She's pretty good at it, too. She can hit and throw very well. Her big brother Luke, in fact, made a video of their game of catch last week. The camera was smudged so you'll just have to use your imagination in some parts. The part where she's hitting may make you seasick, as the photographer was on the outside of a hurricane fence and kept moving over the fence parts. Other than that, though, it's perfect!

As I might have mentioned once or twice or a thousand times, we are lucky to have a thriving Angel League baseball team here. Every spring we have a couple of months of games that are so fun to watch. These types of leagues are actually pretty common all over the country, I think. Baseball is a great sport as far as accommodating many different skill levels.

Professional baseball also has a couple of interesting ties to the world of Down syndrome. The unbelievably talented Albert Pujols has an adopted daughter who has Down syndrome. His wife had her daughter prior to meeting Albert and he took both of them as his own. Sports Illustrated had a beautiful story about him last year in their magazine. I think it's worth the time to read the entire article because the story really builds to a magnificent ending that brings me to tears every time I read it.

Another link, much less well-known, between professional baseball and Down syndrome exists with another professional team, last night's winner of the ALCS and soon-to-be first time World Series participants. Their chaplain has three children with Down syndrome: one biological, one adopted from Russia, one adopted from Colombia. I'm not naming any names, but...

Go Team!!

A few inspirational stories and videos starring people with Down syndrome!!

2010-10-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I could go on and on, but I've gathered together just a few fun and inspirational and tear-jerking pieces about people with Down syndrome.

Pete, the Purple Pumpkin, by the 12 year old big sister of a boy with Down syndrome.

My Son Can See Dragons, a story about the magical side of life.

Just a few days ago, a student with Down syndrome made a touchdown:

A few days before that, we have the Ike touchdown:

Another football story:

Homecoming King and Queen, both have Down syndrome.

Marathoners with Down syndrome:

One of my favorite op-ed pieces ever on Down syndrome! It's longer but worth it, I think.

My very favorite place to be inspired! You can see all the 'purple pumpkins' who have been chosen.

My very own favorite inspiration:

Enjoy!!

Connecting the Rainbow

2010-10-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you likely have the impression that Reece's Rainbow is only about adoptions of children with Down syndrome. In fact, the early days were just that: finding and disseminating information on children with Down syndrome who were available for adoption. Over four years later, however, Reece's Rainbow is about so much more. We expanded to include children with other special needs on our website probably three years ago. We have sent handmade blankets to orphans. We are heavily involved in fundraising and grant proposal writing.

None of those activities, however, float my boat like our latest venture: Connecting the Rainbow. I am shamelessly copying text from the website so you can see the goal:

The ultimate goal of Reece's Rainbow is to eliminate the need for the organization to exist. This goal can only be accomplished by educating and supporting families all over the world who have children with Down syndrome; giving them knowledge and resources needed to keep and raise their children with Down syndrome in the loving family environment they were meant to have. This is our mission.

Families in Eastern Europe are just starting to realize that they could raise their children with Ds at home rather than surrendering them to an orphanage as has always been encouraged. These families are truly pioneers; no special schools exist for their kids, no daycares will take them, few therapists are trained to help their children exceed the low expectations society has foisted upon them.

Small groups of parents are reaching out to each other and to Reece's Rainbow for help. Members of our large leadership team are rising to the challenge by travelling to Eastern Europe, bringing trunk loads of donated supplies and loads of hope, encouragement and training!

I can think of no greater joy than to see the Reece's Rainbow website empty of faces in need of families. I can think of no greater joy than to know that families across Europe had resources to help them raise their children with special needs, to know that their children were being accepted into a society that has long been steeped in indifference and sometimes outright cruelty.

We really aren't that far ahead of them; not so many decades ago we also hid our children with special needs in institutions and nursing homes at the advice of doctors and friends. We were led into our present atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion by strong parents who just couldn't do it, couldn't leave their precious child in the care of strangers and who demanded that their child be educated, be involved, be seen as a valuable member of society.

Connecting the Rainbow is just getting started, just getting a toehold in countries that are graciously receiving our help. More than anything, prayers are needed. Pray that the tide would turn as it did here, pray that all children would be seen as a blessing and not a curse, pray that Connecting the Rainbow could come alongside the parents in love and with great sensitivity.

Pray that Reece's Rainbow could work itself out of business.

Breaking up with a Down syndrome stereotype

2010-10-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

The number one positive stereotype given to people with Down syndrome seems to be that "they are all so sweet." Like any stereotype, whether positive or negative, it makes the group seem one-dimensional. People with Down syndrome actually have a normal range of emotions. While there are certainly some very sweet, friendly people who have Ds, there are also some who are shy and even occasionally unkind. Just like the rest of us.

Unkind? Why yes! Here to shatter the sweetness stereotype is our own Emma Lane, starring in her first movie.

The Breakup

Shelby has a family!!

2010-10-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yippee Jesus! I don't know the family but I am thrilled to announce that someone else has stepped up to bring this darling girl home!

The Good Samaritan and special needs adoptions

2010-10-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Luke 10~~
²⁵On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
²⁶"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
²⁷He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
²⁸"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
²⁹But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
³⁰In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
³⁶"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
³⁷The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Jesus spoke of three different people who walked by the beaten and helpless man: a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. If we were to put it into more modern-day parlance, we might say a pastor, a music minister and someone we despise as being a Christian half-breed and who would know they are despised. You'll have to fill in that blank yourself.

When I was in graduate school studying clinical psychology, one of the studies from my social psychology class had determined that people who had been given good news about their performance were less likely to stop and help an obviously ill person than those who had just received bad news. The inference was made that those people who were feeling really good about themselves didn't want to risk downgrading their self-concept by stopping to help someone who might be too needy, might take too much time. Those participants who had received news that led them to feel less than adequate were able to stop and help the needy person.

I often think of those findings when my friends in the Down syndrome adoption community wonder why, statistically speaking, more wealthy people don't adopt children with special needs nor contribute to help those who are doing so. I also think of the following verses:

Mark 9:33-37~~They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all. He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

I can't help but wonder how many people won't welcome a little child because they're just feeling too good about themselves. Life is good, I'm good, why in the world should I rock my boat? I don't need to be losing all my cool points by stopping to help. I'll leave that to the Losers.

Romans 12:3~~For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

I am including a link to a truly awful article from someone who thinks more highly of himself, and his eugenics, than he ought. He is, in the extreme, the opposite of the Good Samaritan. He is so sure of his cool self that he believes his is the only 'good enough' life to live. He strenuously advocates for never allowing a person with Down syndrome to live. For their own good. (I'll stop here because, honestly, I could go on and on about this article.)

The irony inherent in the Good Samaritan story, in the lives of those who won't slow down to help because they are just too proud of their station in life, is that helping is so consistently linked to satisfaction, to happiness. Jesus doesn't want us to be helpful or to be 'the last' simply as a form of self-abnegation; He is far too efficient for that. He wants us to be more like Him, to not think of ourselves too highly, to help others and to find joy in so doing. It all works together, which reminds me of another verse:

Romans 8:28~~And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

How Mary Beth Chapman saved 3 lives--and I found Reece's Rainbow

2010-10-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

It was the summer of 2006. I had six children: Alex, Luke, Song, Vera, Anna and Emma. Life was flowing along. It was easy. Almost too easy.

[cue the scary music]

An email appeared in my inbox from a fellow international, special-needs adoptive mom. Fearlessly, not suspecting it would rock my world, I opened it to find...

James, a boy with Down syndrome in China. No, no, no. Make that James, THE boy with Down syndrome in China. James lived in the Hope Foster Home. James had been visited by the Steven Curtis Chapman family and Mary Beth had evidently fallen in love. She had urged the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) to place James on their list so that he could have the opportunity to be adopted.

At that time, the CCAA would receive files of children from their orphanages and would give the files of the special needs kids to chosen adoption agencies in the US. The adoption agencies would then have three months to find families for the special needs children on their list. Occasionally the agency would get an extra three months to find a family if they had had enquiries that hadn't resulted in a match. More often, the file would be given back and that child's chance to find an adoptive family would be gone.

So, James, THE boy with Down syndrome in China, had his file sent to a Christian adoption agency. I don't know what, if anything, they did to find James a family. All I know is that with just a few days until his file was due to be returned to CCAA, James had not had any enquiries. Not one. My understanding is that Mary Beth Chapman found out and decided to make a big push to find James an adoptive home. Because of that push, I received the fateful email in my inbox.

The email stated that James was the test case for China. If he didn't find an adoptive family then China was not going to place any further children with Down syndrome on the lists they gave to adoption agencies.

John and I had the exact same response to that email and the possibility of all those darling Chinese children wtih Ds losing out on homes: NOT ON OUR WATCH!

I called the agency that day, only to find out that they were having a long weekend off. I spent some time discussing it with my Shepherd's Crook email group, just to have something to do while I waited.

The next week, I received a call from the agency and found out they had received calls and email from over 300 families regarding James!! John and I weren't the only ones watching!!

Eventually, we decided not to pursue the adoption. The agency had a policy of taking applications and then deciding which family would be the best fit for the child. We didn't feel like competing for him and we felt very confident that a Christian family would be chosen, which was, in fact, the case. One child saved because of Mary Beth Chapman.

Nonetheless, I confessed to my Shepherd's Crook group that I was a bit disappointed. I thought it would be fun to have a little one around again, and James was just so stinkin' cute. Also, I had clicked on the link from James' original email and found myself on the most amazing and surprising website called Reece's Rainbow. Song and I had spent some time looking at a single web page with about 10 or so cute little ones with Down syndrome that were featured on the site. One little girl we had thought particularly cute was a darling little girl named Maria in Colombia.

The very day after seeing Maria's picture on Reece's Rainbow, I received another email in my inbox.

[cue the happy music]

It went something like this: Jill, I know you were disappointed about James, and I didn't know for sure if you and John were still interested in adopting right now, but I got some new information about a little girl named Maria in Colombia. She was just given a very large grant yesterday. I was praying about her and your name kept coming to mind while I prayed. No pressure, but I wanted to bring this to you guys before I send an email to the whole group.

In no time, we committed to adopting Maria in Colombia. In just four more months we were in Colombia adopting her! I have to believe that if I hadn't been complaining about not getting to adopt James, my friend wouldn't have contacted me about Maria. Two children saved as a result of Mary Beth Chapman's efforts, and in even greater part as a result of my friend's prayers.

So what about the third child? I just couldn't get the idea of adopting a little boy from China out of my mind. Through a different Shepherd's Crook friend, I got connected to an adoption agency that would let you see and read all about the children on their special needs list from CCAA. For a few months, I followed the lists and one day, a little boy they were referring to as Spencer Nash was on the list. His information said that he was in foster care through...wait for it...Hope Foster Home, which is where James had lived!

Boys from China are, like those from other countries, less popular in the adoption world. The girls tend to get chosen quickly but the boys often wait and that was what happened to Spencer Nash. Nonetheless, somewhere along the way little Spencer Nash started to look like my son. Sometime later, he started to look like John's son, too, and before we knew it were committed to adopting a little boy from China. Three children saved because Mary Beth Chapman advocated for one.

Really, it didn't even stop there, as the family who adopted James went back to China and adopted a daughter with Down syndrome. I also have found out that a dear friend of mine made a friend of hers look at my blog after we adopted Ella...and that friend went to Reece's Rainbow and found two daughters, now in her home, dearly loved and thriving.

So, Mary Beth Chapman, an overdue but heartfelt thanks to you for looking past the labels and seeing the precious child in front of you, then lending your voice to his cause and following through.

Matthew 5:16~~In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Praise the Lord!!

Sorry!

2010-10-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

I am the eager reader of the sweetest blog by a mom who adopted two darling little blondies from Ukraine earlier this year. Both girls have Down syndrome, but one was especially mistreated by her orphanage. She was put into a little room, in a crib, and left. Rarely changed, never taken outside, never held just to hold her, left banging her head against the crib bars for stimulation. You need to see her now! She is the smaller of the two girls, Hailee, and she is doing marvelously!

Harper and Hailee have been brought into a fabulous family. Their mom, Adeye, recently posted an entry that I wanted to share because we have had the same types of experiences. We find ourselves talking to someone who doesn't know our family's history and when we say we have three daughters with Down syndrome they reply: Oh, I'm sorry.

John is usually the person who gets this reaction, as he is the one most often out in the world meeting folks who would have no idea that he has such an unusual family. His response is very short and consistent: There's nothing to be sorry about. We think they're great!

As Adeye says in her post (which you really NEED to read), what should we be sorry about?

The sweetness, the giggles?

The beauty (if you don't believe me, just keep scrolling down to the next post with all the gorgeous pictures), the strength and fortitude my girls show in learning new skills?

The hugs, O, the hugs?

Should we be sorry that they may never leave the nest? Ha! I'll be sorry if they do! OK, ok, I'll be sad but proud. and a little sorry

Should we be sorry that it can often take the girls longer to learn things? Na! It's good to slow down and savor life. Makes the triumphs all the more triumphant!

Should I be sorry that having Emma was God's way of revealing a purpose He had for my life? Should I be sorry that He didn't pick a more glamorous calling? No--He picked that one thing that fills me with joy and that, I hope, shows His power working in me. Strangely enough, it feels awfully glamorous some days...not because I get any particular recognition out in the world but because I feel so loved by God.

That, gentle readers, is nothing to feel sorry about!

Thankful Thursday--Inspiration Through Art

2010-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today I thought we needed a happy post for my month of blogging about Down syndrome awareness! Not much makes me happier than beautiful pictures of my children, so you can easily see that I am ecstatic!!

A few months ago, I heard about a wonderful program called The Littlest Heroes Project. Since then, they have changed the name to Inspiration Through Art. By any name, however, this is a wonderful program. Children with special needs are photographed, free of charge, by a professional photographer in their area. Because we are in a large metropolitan area, I had many wonderful photographers from which to choose. We were assigned my first choice: Alyssa Maisano Photography! She kindly came to our home, another benefit of Inspiration Through Art. We are fortunate to have some lovely areas to photograph and some rather lovely subjects, too.

What a sweet program! What beautiful results! The girls will eventually be featured on the Inspiration Through Art heroes page. I don't know how Alyssa will choose which picture(s) to use, but I do know the girls look fantastic. I especially love the supersaturation of color in many of the pictures.

Thank you, Alyssa, for allowing me to share the pictures here! Naturally, I shared a LOT of pictures (including some funny outtakes, particularly of Ella) but I could have shared many more. I'm not entirely lacking restraint!

ENJOY!!!!!

photos by Alyssa Maisano Photography

Did you have a favorite, or two or three? Let me know!!