Zoo Fun!!

Spent all of yesterday at the North Carolina Zoo with the family and good friends. We had beautiful weather and a lot of fun. This was Kate's first trip to the zoo ,but we anticipated she would enjoy herself because she really likes animals and the bigger the better. So many amazing and wonderful animals that God created just for the pleasure of man. The colors of their coats and eyes and the sheer majesty of their presence gives us a tiny glimpse of the mind and creativity of the Creator. Heaven will surely be awesome! Now ...a quiz. Can you tell which photos are of my children and which are of the wild beasts? Some days there is very little difference between the two groups :)

Happy Memorial Day

God Bless America

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a soleman prayer.

God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam.
God bless America,
My home sweet home.

Irving Berlin

Note to Self...

Remember to pray for the Chapman Family who lost 5yr old Maria one year ago today in a tragic car accident. And pray for any and all other families grieving the loss of a child taken too soon.

Hunter's First Horse Show!

This was an exciting day for Hunter...her first horse show (in the pouring down rain). Luckily the stables had a covered ring or we all would have floated away. She had a good time and we are proud of her for working hard.

Sweet Insight...

A couple of nights ago i had a neat experience. Just before i went to bed i went into Olivia's bedroom to check on her. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, i found her sleeping peacefully as she usually is. But this night i paused to really look at her sweet face and this is what i saw.....contentment, love, security, happiness, confidence, enthusiasm, belonging, peace. I saw a little girl full of life, discovering who she is in the Lord and assured in her role in our family. It was really gratifying . Then the Lord brought to my mind this same child , left unadopted . I could not help but be sobered by the thought of it. So many times in our adoption journey to Olivia i was afraid. Many times I just knew that God had picked the wrong woman in me to be a mother to a child that i knew nothing about. There were times i wanted to stop the process. I cried a lot, argued with God a lot, doubted a lot, hoped and prayed a lot. When it all was said and done, however, i knew that i could not say No to God and His Word. Olivia has now been our daughter for 51/2 years. And now I know that this little girl that God wanted to place into our family craves the attention of her mom and dad, loves relationships, loves having sisters, loves being challenged in any and every area, loves to please, loves to talk, loves having grandparents, loves to serve, loves being a big sister, loves music, loves having her own room and her own bed, loves having a dog ,and i could go on and on. I think God was showing me how tragic it would have been for this child to have missed out on all that she loves because i gave into my fear. Parts of adoption can be very scary. However, seeing Olivia, even for just a moment, without a family was heart wrenching. I am very thankful that i said "yes".

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish all of my girlfriends a Happy Mother's Day! It is still surreal to me that I am now the mother of 4 little women (to be). I know fully that this is a job that demands my full reliance on the Lord. I was never created to raise His children without Him. I pray that, with His leadership and grace, Randy and I raise up 4 passionate, devoted and tenacious women of God. Who could ask for anything more? Happy mother's Day!

Blessed Girlfriends

Kate was invited to her first birthday party a couple of weekends ago. Here Kate and the B'day girl relax in the hammock after the festivities. What a difference batween their first birthdays in Guatemala and their second birthdays in the US with thier families.
"I will not leave you as orphans..." John 14: 18

Fuling Reunion

This past weekend our family spent a few fun hours reuniting some little China pearls who all started life in the same orphanage in Fuling, China. All of these girls were just as precious as they could be. Some of them were in the orphanage through the very same months and adopted within days of each other. Then they joined their forever families and travelled half way around the world to wind up in each other's backyards. How amazing that God would bring these little ones together again after so many miles and and so many years. The girls enjoyed each other and the parents had a chance to meet and exchange experiences. Our Olivia is the one on the end in the red and white top with the bobbed haircut. So cute, all of them!!!