Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Leiney Grace

January 30, 2012

Changsha, Hunan

China

January 29 AND 30, 2013
We celebrated for 2 days, and Leiney Grace enjoyed every minute!

This year's gift was a jade pendant of a goat to symbolize the year in which she was born on the Chinese calendar.  She was so excited and kept telling us "Thank you for my necklace!  I love it".

Our two 9 year olds get along so well together!
Sweet Ethan gave Leiney Grace $2 for her Gotcha Day present - melted my heart!

Enjoying her "Gotcha Day" cake today!

Little did I know last year just how gracious God was in placing this precious child into my arms.  Leiney Grace has such a sweet spirit - full of love, gratitude for even the smallest things, and joy! God has blessed us richly over this past year as we have gotten to know and love her more deeply.  I am blessed to be her mother!
What a difference a year, heart surgery, good nutrition, the love of a family, and education can do for 1 amazing little girl!
I am in awe of what the Lord has done.  How miraculous to weave 10 lives together so quickly.  What a mighty God we serve!  I am blessed to be on this journey and give Him all the glory!

Brotherly Love and Prayers

This past summer Hudson began saying he wanted a baby brother from China.

He has never wavered - he wants a brother not a sister

He has figured out sleeping arrangements and is adamant that his baby brother should sleep in a crib just like he used to do.

At church Sunday, when prayer requests were being taken, this precious son of mine said - "Dawson".
The worship leader did not hear him clearly.
Hudson repeated himself - "Dawson"
Still struggling to understand Hudson, the worship leader replied in all sincerity, "The dolphins.  You want us to pray for the dolphins. Ok"
Hudson, with the help of his sisters who were also on the front row, repeated "Dawson!"
We prayed for Dawson.
My heart swelled while my eyes filled with tears.
My heart overflowing with love for this child
and with gratitude to the Father for entrusting him to me.
I am blessed beyond measure!

A Day to Celebrate

                              D

                              T

               C

Instead of Dossier to China, DTC can stand for a Day to Celebrate. Today in our house, it stands for both! 

A little one needs our help NOW!

When I knew the Lord was leading us back to China again, I truly believed He had planned for our next child to be a girl.  I also believed our daughter would  be "one of the least of these".  I did not want to compete for a minor special needs little girl.  I prayed that God would lead us to a child whom no one else wanted to adopt.  Those feelings led me to look at the shared list.  I was astounded by the number of boys on the list.  My heart grieved as I would see 1 "female" followed by 20 "male"s.  This little guy was one of those forgotten "male"s on the shared list.  We prayed about whether he was "our son", but David and I never felt peace thus did not feel that God was leading us to pursue his adoption.
However, I could not get this child's face or his story out of my mind.  It has been 2 months since I first emailed Love Without Boundaries in an effort to get medical help for this little boy.  Today I received a wonderful blessing - the orphanage has finally agreed to allow LWB to provide medical treatment for "Bryant" who is diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, the same heart defect that Leiney Grace was born with.  Yes, this precious little one has been named for us by LWB.  "Bryant" has had an ECHO but the doctors in Shanghai want him to have a heart catheterization first to ensure that he is "operable".   Here is the link to "Bryant" 's LWB' s page. http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/programs/medical/sponsor-a-child/m.children/223/view/824
Please consider donating to help give this little boy a chance at a normal and healthy life.  To see the difference TOF surgery can make in the life of a child, just look at our daughter, Leiney Grace.  11 months ago when I met her in China, Leiney Grace was malnourished with clubbed, blue-tinged fingers and toes from long-term lack of oxygen.  Her color was gray most of the time, and she could barely walk from the hotel bed to the bathroom without being significantly out of breath.  After heart surgery, Leiney Grace ,with beautiful pink lips, fingers, and toes, could run, jump, play, ride a bike, jump rope, etc.  This surgery is life and death for a child with TOF.  Please consider donating to help "Bryant" have a chance to receive this surgery also!

Leiney Grace on Christmas morning - pink lips and all!

Look at her coloring and then go back to the top picture and look at "Bryant"s.  This child needs heart surgery to have life!