My OTHER Girls

TobyMac Concert,2007


TobyMac Concert,2007


Going to feed the horses.

These are my other girls.
They are the daughters of my brother and his wife.
Different as night and day, but just like all the rest of the kids in this house.

They come and stay with us during school breaks.
When we buy vehicles, we make sure there is room for our children AND them.
When we plan trips, the kids ALWAYS ask if Layton and Riley can go.
If it has been a while between visits, the kids ask to go and get them.

And they like to check the blog, every once and awhile, to see what's going on.

Today's blog is about them.

We love them very much.

Don't You People Have Your Own Beds?!

This is what happens when you have a large family,

the biggest bed in the house,


and a SpongeBob Squarepants marathon!

LOOKING FOR MAMA

I purchased this picture while we were waiting for our China referral. The artist named it,"Looking for Mama". It's hanging in my home office.
There were days when I was sad and could not explain it. I would look at the picture and somehow feel comforted.
Sometimes I would imagine what the little girl's face looked like. I would picture her climbing through the door and into the small room. Sometimes I would imagine her turning and chasing the little chicks around and around, giggling, falling, and then getting back up.
It made the wait a little easier. I knew that one day she would climb those steps , walk through the door, and there I would be.

When we got our referral it was for a little girl from the Yunnan Province. While we were in Kunming, I notice a hat (in an antique shop) that looked just like the hat the baby girl is wearing. I told the clerk that I had a picture of the hat. She proceeded to explain to me that it was a hat worn by the Minority children of the Yunnan Province. A "Tiger Hat". It is part of traditional dress of the Yunnan Province- Mary's first home.
So , she found "MaMa".

I can't wait to tell Mary Elizabeth that story.
I think its cool!

Red Cowboy Boots

Mary Elizabeth dancing in her Red Boots.




We purchased these red boots for Hannah in 2000.
She would talk me into letting her wear them all over the place.
She NEVER wanted to wear them with anything red. Her outfits were usually a combination blues, purples and hot-pinks .

Rachel found them in the shoe closet in 2005.
She has worn them to church, to a Mother-Daughter luncheon, they were her "ruby slippers"for Halloween,"santa shoes"for Christmas programs, and she has worn them to the grocery store with her daisy duke shorts and cowboy hat.

A few months ago, Mary Elizabeth found them.
She likes to wear them with her jeans, jammies, dresses, bathing suits, and her"birthday suit".
She dances around in them like she is Fred Astaire.
Anything goes, as long as she is wearing her"red boots".

I hate to see her grow out of them.

I'm not sure if we will ever have another little girl to wear these boots.
If we do not, I will pack them away with Hannah's first baby doll and her first Barbie.

I'm sure that my grand-daughters will love them just as much as my daughters have.

The apples don't fall far from the trees.

Rain Rain Go Away.......

The rain has FINALLY stopped. What do the kids want to do? Go clean the barn!

Hannah and Liv playing with our goat,Claire.



Eden and Chappo.



Hannan playing the "rake guitar".


Caleb walking in the pasture .


Hannah with her ponies, Sunny and Pixie.


Our friend ,Eden, with her girl-Netta.


"Boots Ain't Boots If They Ain't Dirty!"- Caleb



They are having such a great time with these animals. We should have done this a long time ago.


Peace.

Time Flies When Your Having Fun!

White Swan Hotel, China 2006
Home, USA 2008




Mary Elizabeth ShuMin Thaggard joined our family in Feb. of 2006.

Seems like yesterday.

She is growing like a weed. She speaks as fast as I do, has a beautiful smile and a southern drawl that Scarlett O'Hara would die for.

She has a love for Chinese and Mexican cuisine, bows and cowboy boots.

She will spend an hour coloring in a coloring book, and she asks for an Elmo Birthday cake-EVERY morning. I guess she figures I will give in at some point.

She loves her brothers and sisters and is looking forward to a new baby in the house.

She loves to look at our China photo albums. She will point to all the sights and names them.

She has no desire to go to the potty. She likes her Elmo diapers!

Speaking of Elmo- we have to watch the Elmo Dvd at least 7 times a day!

She is a Blessing to us.

What a fun kid!

Chinese Starfish

Amanda de Lange is my new friend.

My adoption agency's director told me about her and her ministry.

I e-mailed her. She replied. Here we go!

I am in awe.

Guys- if you have ever felt led to do something to better the life of an orphan, but did not know where to start....Here it is!

This woman(with a VERY SMALL staff & LWB org.) takes these babies, cares for these babies, raises money for their supplies, takes these babies to the hospital for surgery, cares for them post-op,and when they are well enough-they are placed with their forever families through adoption.

How cool is that!

Don't just take my word for it. Here is the link http://www.chinesestarfish.org/.

Check it out for yourself.

Pray about it.

Dig deep.

Wait for the miracle.

PEACE .