Micah Six Eight

A Review

2012-01-28T09:08:00.002-05:00

WOO HOO!! BiblioPlan was reviewed in a CATHY DUFFY REVIEW!!

Seeing that review was a very nice way to end a very hard week!!

Fatherless Friday - God is On The Move

2012-01-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I can be a bit of an airhead.... Okay - maybe a lot of the time.

Last week when I posted my Fatherless Friday I was feeling really sick so I claim that as my excuse.

I posted "my kids". The ones who are often on my heart. The ones I have been yelling about lately.

When I wrote the post, the only two children whose grant accounts I looked up were Heath because a fundraiser is going on for him and I wanted to post his numbers and Jack because I love him dearly. I didn't pay any attention to any of the other grant accounts.

Then on Sunday - sick and barely able to lift my head off the pillow except to lose Saturday's lunch - I received an e-mail and a link to THIS PAGE...

When I finally had the energy to open the page and look I was floored. Absolutely floored.

It is a page for ALL the RR babes who have over $2500.00 in their grant accounts.

So what you ask??? So what???

GO LOOK!! A whole host of MY KIDS are on that page!!!!!

A little over 6 weeks ago almost all of them had but a bare pittance in their accounts. You could barely take your family out to dinner on what some of them had. And most of them had been listed on RR for YEARS.

Now a bunch of them have THOUSANDS of dollars. THOUSANDS.

And where did that money come from??? YOU GUYS. So many of you who have faithfully and lovingly and sacrificially given over and over and over again. Gifts of love from here, there and everywhere. Gifts without fanfare. Gifts without fundraisers or Giveaways. Gifts from the heart. Gifts coupled with prayers for families to bravely step out and cross the ocean.

Rejoice with me as I SHOW you the numbers below on not just MY KIDS but OUR KIDS.

Your Kids.

HEATH.
Last week he had $800.00 in his grant account.... THIS WEEK HE HAS $2161.00.

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO HEATH THROUGH LEAH HARDWICK'S GIVEAWAY....

BRENT SPENCER

In the middle of December Brent had 0.00 in his account... Now he has $3128.15.

On December 12 Spencer had 600.00 in his account.... Now he has $7543.30

These boys were transferred to the SAME mental institute - they CAN be adopted together.

Jack.

In December he had less than $100.00 in his account... This week he has $2285.10... Does this little boy know how many people around the world are praying and longing for him to have a family???

Paul Nikita

$2,217.50 $4706.00

Look at these numbers!!! These two boys were at the BOTTOM OF THE PILE!!

Paul had $150.00 on December 12 and Nikita had $325.00.

Danila Yegor Arina

$12,856.48 $4045.00 $6680.83

Again - I am in total shock at these numbers!! Click on Danila's link and see the updated picture of her!! She is precious! And Yegor!! Arina!! Are my eyes deceiving me???

Dimtry Mark

$3518.50 $4190.00

We FOUGHT to get Dimtry over the wall and now look at how much has been raised. Mark?? Sweet precious Mark?? My cup overflows.

Robyn Jin Wu Sergei

$4739.61 $3635.45 $8086.00

Precious babes. Love in Action!

Meredith HANSON
$6433.50 $124.00
Meredith had $620.00 in her account on December 12 after being on RR for 3 years. Look at her numbers now!! Go Meredith Go!! Hanson I have just added. He is a TRUE LOST BOY. He resides in a laying down room at Aaron's old institute so he definitely needs a lot of loving!!

TWELVE OF THE SIXTEEN CHILDREN LISTED HERE ARE ON THE NEW RR MOVING MOUNTAINS PAGE. These are the kids with the LARGEST RR grant accounts.

NONE of OUR KIDS even came close to having that much in their accounts a mere 6 weeks ago. I am in complete awe. To see the love you have poured out on the Least of These.... It does a heart good. Thank you.

Keep praying for these babes. They ALL NEED FAMILIES.

We are removing the money barrier bit by bit. So many dads and moms out there are terrified to jump off that cliff because they wonder how they can ever afford to pay for an adoption. You are helping them see that GOD WILL PROVIDE. You are helping pave the way. Keep praying. Keep giving. Keep advocating. I KNOW God is moving in hearts. I know that some of these precious kids have families RIGHT NOW who are on their knees seeking the Lord's desire. He is pounding on hearts. I know this and I rejoice. God is on the move.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

every nation sees his glory.

Tornado Aaron

2012-01-26T17:00:00.002-05:00

Proof...

He may be cute with his little winks and deep dimples...

But give this boy five minutes and a distracted and sick Mama and this is what you get...

Disarming smile or not...

He is a disaster waiting to happen!!

Flu Woes

2012-01-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

Forgive my lack of posting... Mama is still sick.

I was supposed to travel to Lancaster, PA for a Christian School Convention tomorrow to share about BiblioPlan. While there, I was also going to see two very special little girls....

Verity and Katie. Sisters. You may not recognize the one in the blue. That's Katie. Remember Katie??

The little one who was rescued out of a laying down room.

Look at her now!!!

God is good!!

And not only was I going to get to see sweet Verity and Katie...

But I was also going to get to see another very special treasure.

My sweet Nithya.

In 2008 I had the privilege of traveling to India to help my friend Karen bring Nithya home and I was going to get to see her!!

I am so bummed.

Being sick stinks!!

It is also very very miserable....

Demolition Aaron...

2012-01-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

Mama's sick.

Mama's sick and Aaron is having a blast. He is taking full advantage of Mama being completely down for the count. The Aaron tornado has hit our house and it is going to take a month to dig us out!!

Sigh!

Schooling Aaron

2012-01-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

He came to us as a blank slate.

When you could get him to talk at the institute, which was rare and guarded, his speaking vocabulary had deteriorated down to simple discussions about machines and airplanes. The two things he could see and hear while sitting in the empty shed day after day.

He knew nothing.

Nothing.

All he had retained from his past life was a gorgeous smile and a God-given ability to find joy in the hardest of circumstances.

But whatever he had learned at the baby house was completely lost. Wiped clean.

For our first six months with Aaron we focused on helping him feel safe and secure. He wasn't ready to learn about colors and numbers and letters. His learning centered around knowing that Mama and Papa were not going to leave him. His focus was on what he was doing each day and where we were going and when we were going to go back home. His mind could not comprehend past the deep need for the security of always knowing where we were and if he would be with us.

Colors. Numbers. Letters. They were of absolutely no concern to our shell-shocked little boy.

Though he was six and was desperately behind, school was not what Aaron needed.

We treated him as we did our boys when they very very young. We read hundreds of books, played games, surrounded him with creative toys, showed him his colors, his numbers and counted things over and over and over again.

Aaron had no trouble playing with toys, his creativity is endless. He has a great attention span and he loves reading books. He was happy.

In the language area he struggled. We saw him learn s.l.o.w.l.y. After several months he retained the color word red. A few months later he started remembering yellow. But it was slow. It was discouraging. We wondered if he would ever learn.

He could build ever challenging puzzles, he tried to meticulously color inside the lines despite his handicaps, he could figure out any mechanical device handed to him, he could navigate all around the computer, he could tell you how to get home from any point on the map but...

It took a year for him to learn to say the numbers to 10. A year. Despite our counting to him every day, a thousand times a day. It took him a year to remember the words for four colors. Four.

He just couldn't remember the words. He couldn't keep them in his head. Anything that didn't involve language was easily grasped and easily understood. But remembering those pesky words.... He was again and again defeated. It was hard to understand why. Our theory centered around the loss of his native language at the institute. A year where he received nothing. The blankness of the walls and rooms. The total lack of anything stimulating. He lost everything he knew. We weren't working with a six year old child who needed to go from his language to a new language. We were working with a six year old child who LOST his language. We were working with a child who was equal to a newborn babe in terms of what he knew.

We had nothing with which to compare. There aren't too many studies of children who were in Aaron's shoes. A cognitively normal child, treated as a severely mentally disabled child from birth and then at age five exiled to a mental institute out in the middle of nowhere. How in the world??

We knew we needed help beyond what we could give him. Speech. Therapy. Adaptive services.

But we wanted him home with us. We wanted to teach him and watch him grow. We felt torn and frustrated.

We decided to get him tested through the school system. The dreaded IEP. We wanted to see what they said about our little guy.

Of course they fell in love with him as soon as he walked into the building. You can't help but love Aaron.

His tests indicated that he or course desperately needed Speech, OT and PT. They also indicated that he was way behind mentally. This didn't surprise us. But they did not want to label him as mentally disabled. Everyone around the table believed after spending time with him that despite his struggle with language, Aaron is a very bright little boy.

We were so relieved. We did not want him labeled either. We know that he is extremely bright. We believe with all of our hearts that if he had been born into our family that he would be at the top of his class, not at the bottom.

After testing and after much discussion, we decided on a rather strange but workable plan.

We are going to continue to home school him. But he will also attend public school part-time. He will receive OT, PT, Speech and will be attending Kindergarten 2 mornings a week during their math and circle time. He will also go out to recess with his class 2 days a week and will do art, music and library.

By doing it this way we get the best of both worlds....

If we had chosen to home school Aaron full-time he would have only received speech from the school.
If we had chosen to put him in school full time he would have been placed in 1st grade and would have been completely lost in the classroom, but he would have received all the services the school had to offer.

By home schooling him part-time, he gets to go to kindergarten instead of 1st grade which is a much better match for him. He also gets ALL the services the school has to offer. He also gets to continue to learn his math and reading from us.

Those who tested Aaron all agreed that this was the best workable plan because he would be getting the one-on-one help he needed from those who love him best, but we would get some help in areas where we felt weak.

This past week was Aaron's first time in the classroom.

He loved it.

The children loved him.

We think for now this is going to work.

Fatherless Friday

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

These are some of "my kids". The ones who break my heart on a daily basis.

Sweet Lost HEATH.

We saw him every day for six weeks. We watched him as he was pushed in his wheelchair to the eating sheds. Tiny little Heath sharing the wheelchair with another boy. We would often see him sitting in the dirt, quietly rocking back and forth and playing with a dirty piece of string... Sweet little Heath. Quiet. Serene. Lost.

PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO HEATH THROUGH LEAH HARDWICK'S GIVEAWAY.... Heath now has a little over $800.00 in his grant account.

HANSON

He is in the same place as Heath. We never saw him. Why??? Because Hanson is in a laying down room. Hidden. This picture is when he was at the orphanage. This is NOT a recent picture.

Poor little guy only has $124.00 in his grant account. Who will love on Hanson??

BRENT AND SPENCER

Both transferred to the SAME PLACE. Both desperately in need of families.

How Long Oh Lord??

Oh sweet Jack.

He now has $2055.00 in his account. Will someone out there PLEASE be the answer to his prayers???

And the rest of my passed over babes... Oh No... I have not forgotten them...

Paul Nikita

Danila Yegor Arina

Dimtry Mark

Robyn Jin Wu Sergei

Meredith

Some of my babes... Some of the ones who desperately need families....

Please pray for them. Give. Share about them on Facebook and in your Blogs. We can't forget about them... these Fatherless babes...

We just can't forget...

Little Lost Lamb

2012-01-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

"His eyes cross badly, his teeth are rotten, he cannot bear his own weight, he smelled horrible.....BUT he is PERFECT!!!"

A Mama holding her little one for the first time. The smell so horrid that she gags when he is placed in her arms.

Yet to her - he is perfect.

Chosen.

Loved.

Cherished.

Wanted.

Already claimed as her son.

What a beautiful picture of love in action.

Despite the distended belly and the rotten teeth and the overwhelming smell - he is deemed perfect.

Rob and I sat here and choked back tears as we read their blog this morning. We remembered sitting with them last year on the steps in the Capital of that country. Both of our families agreeing we would never ever cross that ocean again. It was too hard and we just wanted to get through the process and go home. But God called them back. He called them back. We marvel at this dear family who made their decision to get this little guy based on who needed rescue the most. Their choice wasn't based on a picture - their love wasn't dependent upon ability. Their choice was based on the desperate need of the little five year old in their arms who faced transfer any day and who would not have survived.

"He will need immediate medical care...like straight from the airport to the hospital."

They crossed the ocean for him. They took out loans and sacrificed earthly pleasure to get him. A little lost foul-smelling neglected boy. Of little value to the rest of the world but considered a priceless treasure to the Carmichaels.

Luke 15: 3-7 Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Little lost lamb... You are a beautiful demonstration of the love God has lavishly bestowed upon each of us.

Dirty, sinful, sick and lost human beings that we are.... He gave His ALL for us.

I John 3: 16: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us."

I John 4: 9-10 "God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. "

Wonderful Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

What a difference a week makes!!

Aaron's first casting was HUGE.

The difference between the first and second casting was enough to shock the doctor into saying we may only have to do this two or three more times!!

WOW!!

Wow!!

We were expecting at least 8 weeks of grueling trips, and now we may only be doing half that number.

Wow!!

Aaron is only looking pleasant in this picture because Dr. Z has not started the hard part. When the real casting starts... Mama is not taking pictures but is instead loving on her screaming babe!!

But Wow!!

We are so relieved! Of course we are not being overly optimistic.... but cautiously happy.... Oh Yes!!

Okay... On this Wonderful Wednesday....

While I rejoice in our casting good news...

I want to share what one 19 year old girl is doing for a couple of needy TRANSFERRED orphans....

She's doing a LOST GET FOUND Giveaway...

and DO YOU RECOGNIZE ONE OF THOSE ORPHANS????

SWEET LITTLE HEATH!!

One of our Lost Boys.

Both these babes have been transferred and both are just desperate for a family.

And a 19 year old girl who has her head on straight is doing everything she can to help them find families!!

She gets a standing ovation in my book.

She is fighting for these two babes and people... we need to support her!!!

She was able to acquire a whole ton of Giveaway items so your chances of winning something is pretty huge!! So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE donate to either Heath or Celine.

PLEASE GO HERE AND SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF A GIRL WHO IS NOT OUT PARTYING BUT WHO IS FIGHTING FOR TWO HELPLESS BABES ACROSS THE OCEAN.

And finally.... whoever sent us the sweet package from Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets... Goodness me what a sweet surprise!! Thank you so much... And the family who sent Aaron a 150 piece large sized puzzle... THANK YOU - he is chomping at the bit to build it! And the other family who sent him a nerf gun he can use with his mouth.... WE ARE JUST OVERCOME!! The kindness of strangers takes my breath away!! These are but a few of the gifts we have received over the last year. I am so lousy at thank you's.... I get stunned by the gifts and just overcome with how to even express our gratitude. Please know that we are so blessed to have so many who love our son and who have lavished him and his family with blessing upon blessing.

History

2012-01-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make.

I love history. I love reading history books. I love writing history curriculum. I love teaching history at a Christian homeschooling co-op. I most especially love studying history with my own kids.

But for the last two years... I have not done history at home with the boys.

I MISS IT.

Last year Ben started taking classes at our local Community College. He took two wonderful semesters of U.S. History. He had outgrown me. Elijah took my class at our Co-op that same year, so we didn't do it at home. This year Elijah is doing history on his own. Next year he probably will be taking classes at the community college. He has outgrown me too.

Aaron is not ready for me to start history yet, although he does play on the floor while I teach my middle school history class.

I MISS DOING HISTORY WITH THE BOYS.

It was the highlight of our early homeschooling years.

We spent time reading history together every single day. We had great discussions. After we read our history together, they read literature books that matched what we were studying. We did it as a family. For two of those years, I had several other children that I was "homeschooling" along with my own, and even though each of them was in a different grade, it didn't matter. We all still did history together.

Studying it in order, from beginning to end.

I didn't start out doing history that way.

When I first started homeschooling, Ben had been attending a Christian school, and I just continued the history curriculum that his school had been following. I hated it. It was primarily U.S. history, and its focuses were memorizing and testing. We went through the motions for the remainder of that year while I scoured the internet for better options.

I found one. Right in my own backyard.

BiblioPlan.

Originally written by some ladies at our Christian homeschooling co-op, BiblioPlan was designed around two ideas: (1) integrating the study of history and literature (studying both at the same time), and (2) studying the events of history chronologically (as much as possible). BiblioPlan students followed a four-year plan: They studied the Ancient era, the Medieval era, the Early Modern era and then the Modern era. When they reached the Early Modern era, they studied U.S. and World history at the same time. When they were finished, they started over with the Ancient era again-- only this time, they read more advanced literature and studied each topic in greater depth. In a perfect system, each student would cycle through the four years of study three times, getting more and more advanced as he or she grew. The repetition would cement their history lessons in their minds forever.

When we first started using it, BiblioPlan was just a reading guide that told you two things: (1) Which history lessons to read each week, and (2) What literature readings matched your history lessons for the week.

There were no maps. No homework assignments. No tests. No books full of timeline figures. No craft ideas.

Just a reading guide.

And we loved it.

My boys came to the table eagerly every single morning for our history readings. Since the Guide didn't have bells and whistles, I scoured the internet to find maps. I had to create my own questions to quiz the boys, and we had to find pictures to fill our timeline books. I even found art projects to accompany what we were doing. I spent hours pulling it all together.... Plus more hours at the library and on Amazon tracking down the good quality books that BiblioPlan suggested.

We were happy.

I miss it.

Rob and I are part-owners in BiblioPlan now. We create all of the bells and whistles so that parents don't have to do all of the extra labor that we had to do when we first used BiblioPlan. We now offer maps, question pages, timeline books, craft ideas and our own history texts that add in the Christian element. All that parents have to do on their own now is find the suggested literature books in their libraries or on e-readers.

It is a good history program.

But I am not doing it with my own boys, and I miss it.

Teaching at the Co-op is not the same as sitting at a table with my own kids and reading stories of the past to them.

It makes me sad.

I'm looking forward to starting Aaron in BiblioPlan next year.

We'll start in Ancients... I definitely think he will like it!!

If you are a homeschooling family... And if you want to bring all of your children to the table together... And if you want to watch history unfold... And if you want to read good quality literature... And if you want to learn Geography as you learn history... and if you want to watch God's story woven into the human story... and if you want your children to LOVE your time together... then you ought to consider using BiblioPlan. I'm not putting my heart and soul into a curriculum that I don't believe in 100%!!

We have Teacher's Guides to sell to Christian and Classical schools too!!

Mama's Art

2012-01-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

What do you get when your cast is boring old white???

You get Mama art!!

It might not win any Art Awards but Aaron likes it!!

I wonder what Mama will come up with next week???

Aaron and I are dragging out of bed again tomorrow morning at 1:30 am for round two at Shriners! We PLAN on getting in and out as fast as we can since we are only seeing ONE doctor (amazing) and just getting the cast removed and replaced. Would love some prayers as we travel to Philly and back. Last week we drove through a good bit of snow which was a surprise.

For a bit of Aaron trivia.... For the first 16 van rides - Aaron refused to sleep. I tried everything from bribes to penalties but nothing worked. He could not stop watching the cars and trucks on the road. We would lay his seat back, get everyone in the van to stop talking, tell him to sleep... etc. etc.

Nothing worked.

He would sleep for five minutes and then be up and watching the happenings outside his window.

When Aaron doesn't sleep - Mama doesn't sleep and it made for 16 very very miserable van rides.

In desperation I went to extreme measures...

A blindfold.

On ride 17 I put a blindfold on him and told him it was time to sleep. I was so worried about traumatizing him though that I only laid it on top of his eyes and then removed it a few minutes later for fear he was laying there freaked out. He was sound asleep. Gone. I didn't believe it. I thought he was pretending so I sat there and waited for him to move. Nothing. He slept until the drivers stopped for a rest break. Two hours of bliss.

Of course I didn't sleep because I was too busy waiting for his little head to pop up.

Last week... We didn't just lay that old blindfold on his head. We tied it on. He promptly went to sleep. It eventually worked its way off but he was sleeping so we left it off. When the drivers stopped and he woke up... we just tied it back on and he fell right back to sleep. He slept the entire way to Philly.

Woo Hoo for Blindfolds!!

Woo Hoo for Sleeping Aarons!!

Woo Hoo....

We will see if it works tomorrow!!

Shocking Update

2012-01-14T09:25:00.001-05:00

It has been a hard week. I have felt worn down, tired and overwhelmed with life. I'm being honest. For a multitude of reasons I have just been running on empty.

Because of how I am feeling and because of the treadmill we will be running in the coming months as we try to write for BiblioPlan.... and as we make the weekly treks to Shriners for Aaron... I have felt like taking a blog break. Letting someone else yell for a bit.

Just stopping.

Yesterday I had little to no energy to write a post even though it was Fatherless Friday. The temptation to just not do one was very very strong.

But I made a promise that I had put off for far too long and so I wrote yesterday's blog.

As I was writing I became a bit overwhelmed when I saw how many of the older children had 0.00 in their accounts. I started putting pictures up and it just seemed like it was every other child.

I made a decision after doing the first page that I would focus only on the boys. I was on overload seeing all their sweet faces.

BY THE TIME I WAS DONE I HAD PUT UP PICTURES OF THIRTY NINE LOST BOYS LANGUISHING IN ORPHANAGES AND INSTITUTES IN EASTERN EUROPE AND ASIA.

THIRTY NINE.

I walked away from the computer. The post had depressed me. I was in and out all day. I checked comments a few times but I never went to the website at all to check to see how the boys were doing. It was just too much.

Until last night when I received an e-mail that only 9 boys out of the THIRTY NINE had 0's by their name.

WHAT??

I immediately opened up the RR website and began scrolling through... Every single boy in the 6-9 category had money in their account. Many of them had more than $5.00. At least one had almost $100.00.

I started crying.

I went from page to page ticking off boy after boy who had received a gift of love from one or more of you.

When I was done... Only 5 boys had 0's by their name.

FIVE.

This morning.

It is down to three.

THREE

Three little boys - All on THIS PAGE.

Daniel Marlowe Dixon

After such a demonstration of love yesterday, I have no doubt that by the end of the day - these little guys are not going to be left behind!

Now some scoffers would click their tongues and say that little difference was made yesterday. Thirty Six boys received a drop of money into their account. So what. Most of them now "only" have $5.00. A pittance compared to what they need.

Yes in today's economy $5.00 is a pittance. It doesn't even fill the bottom of the bucket. Against adoption fees that normally run over $20,000.00 it is a joke.

But I stand against any scoffer who would mock what quietly took place yesterday.

I stand against anyone who would scorn the offerings of love that were shown.

I have seen God take $5.00 given in love - just a pittance by the world's standards - and I have seen a child brought home because of it.

Yesterday 36 boys were given those same gifts of love.

I know that the God I serve can take $5.00 measly dollars and multiply it beyond our wildest dreams. I know He can because I have seen Him do it.

What took place yesterday was precious beyond words.

You let 36 boys know that they have value. They are precious. They are of great worth.

You rallied around the Least of These.

Thank you! Thank you!

If I could give every one of you a hug I would.

If I could even begin to express in words how much it meant to me to scroll through their pictures last night and see all the offerings of love I would quickly write those words down here.

But I am at a total loss as to how to express how I feel at the present.

Just know that I am grateful beyond words to be part of a community of believers who sees a need and puts love in action.

Thank you!!

Fatherless Friday

2012-01-13T10:40:00.001-05:00

This is a LONG OVERDUE Fatherless Friday!!

I promised months ago I would support a fellow blogger in her lonely pursuit to get the zero's erased on all the Reece's Rainbow children who are 6 and up.

She e-mailed me in October and asked for help and I have wanted to do a Fatherless Friday to support her ever since.

To make sure that every child listed on Reece's Rainbow who is six and older has at least $5.00 in their grant account.

It doesn't seem like much.

But when you see a $0.00 under a child's name....

Well....It just kind of makes your heart bleed a bit.

Doesn't anyone care? Is this child worth so little that they don't even merit $5.00??

I feel my friend's pain. The older kids are the ones who are least likely to ever be adopted.

Their ages scare people off. They are no longer cute and cuddly.

Bonding is sometimes harder.

The orphanage behavior is often increased.

And with no grant money.... Well... The cost can seem way out of reach!

And the boys... the hard to place boys... They are the ones least likely to be adopted with no grant money.

Time and again - they are the ones left behind.

So on this Fatherless Friday... Will you help?

Zero the Zero's?

EVERY SINGLE CHILD ON THIS PAGE HAS A $0.00 UNDER HIS NAME. These are ALL the boys on Reece's Rainbow who are 6 and older. They have NO GRANT MONEY. Nothing. Not one nickel that indicates that someone out there cares.

Will you care? Will you pick one or two or a few more and make a donation to their grant account? These are precious treasures. Boys created in the image of God. All of them stuck. Many of them sitting in cribs or in wheelchairs with nothing to do day after day. All of them would benefit from being in a family. Not one should be left behind.

Will you help Zero at least one Zero on this Fatherless Friday??

Please??

REECE'S RAINBOW

For those who do....I thank you in advance....

Puzzle Mania

2012-01-12T13:19:00.000-05:00

AARON LOVES PUZZLES!!

Yesterday when I dug several puzzles out of a grab bag at our Co-op he was overjoyed.

He spent the evening working on one of them.

He's really quite good at building them.

He loves figuring them out!!

He is very capable of doing 100+ puzzles except the pieces are too small and he ends up having us build while he directs the process. That's not much fun. So we are forever trying to find puzzles with pieces that are easy for his hands to work.

Considering that Aaron had never built a puzzle before we met him...

I think he has come a long way....

What do you think???

Shriner's Trip #??

2012-01-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

Monday found us dragging out of bed again at 1:10 am so we could make the long trek up to Shriners in their van....

We had a new driver for our trip...

He likes to drive FAST. Thus, we made record time getting to Philly!

Unfortunately he was also a bit bossy. He kicked his Mama off the bus when she commented on his wild driving! Good thing she didn't have far to walk!

We saw both doctors again. The news from both of them was a bit disheartening to hear and I was glad that Rob was along for the ride.

From his lower extremity doctor (Dr. VanBosse) we learned that Aaron needs surgery on both his knees in order to allow them to fully straighten. Not being able to straighten his knees means he tires very easily when he is standing. This is definitely true!! We talked about other possible surgeries beyond that, but I can't process more than one at a time. On a more positive note, Aaron has now graduated to wearing day braces that fit inside his shoe. They are no longer visible and are EASY to get on which makes him very happy. He will continue to wear his other braces with the straps at night.

From his upper extremity doctor (Dr. Z) we were reminded again just how little function Aaron will most likely ever have in his hands/arms. Starting Monday, Aaron will be going through a series of serial castings on his right arm in order to give him the ability to reach his hand to his mouth. But the casting will not be increasing his range of motion. It is limited. So he will be able to reach his mouth but will no longer be able to lower his arm as he is now able. It makes us both a bit sad to consider....

Aaron definitely doesn't find the casting process pleasant.

We are figuring he will have to suffer through about 8 or so different casts.

He wanted a red cast but Dr. Z went for boring old white in order to keep the cast as light as possible.

Of course the highlight of our trip to Shriners was seeing all the families.

We took over the cafeteria at one point!!

We saw sweet Madeline and her Mom!! Madeline enjoys casting about as much as Aaron does... poor babe!

We also enjoyed seeing Gerri and Victoria and their Mom.

Love love love these girls!!

And little Robyn - Oh My Goodness she is precious!!

Aaron was beyond relieved to have another boy (Fuxia) to hang with because he was a bit overwhelmed with all the girls!!

And... drum roll please...

I have been waiting to meet this babe for a very very long time...

Victoria!

Last May I wrote THIS POST and THIS POST after the Ferrone's met her.... When I go back and read what I wrote and look at her pictures from then I am just in awe.

This baby was in a LAYING DOWN ROOM! She had never been held until the Ferrone's came storming into her life.

She spent her life just laying in a crib. For years.

Now look at her!

She stole my heart completely on Monday. She stole Rob's too. Especially when she started flirting with him at lunch!!

Seeing her cruising around the examining room. Feeding herself.

It was sweet beyond words.

I am so grateful that our trips to Shriner's are not just grueling sessions with doctors. I am grateful to be able to rub shoulders with other Moms and Dads who have children with arthrogryposis. The encouragement we receive from the other families is priceless. I'm also grateful to be able to see all the Reece's Rainbow children whom we prayed home.

Though we traveled in ice and snow on our way home, we can say without pause that God is good.

Christmas With the Lost Boys

2012-01-08T21:24:00.001-05:00

We received an e-mail from across the ocean the last week in December.

The words in the e-mail were sweet indeed.

The pictures were even more precious.

In the last week of December, Alyona and her crew drove up to Aaron's old village and shared the Christmas story with about twenty of the Lost Boys. (Yes, the tiny boy in the caretaker's arms is one of the Lost Boys...Break.My.Heart - We believe he has only just recently been transferred there).

They learned about Jesus and that He Loves Them.

They were given small gifts.

They were allowed out of their empty, lonely rooms for one precious hour.

And of course I cried.

Three times this year Alyona and her team have ministered to the Lost Boys. That equates to THREE HOURS. Three hours that the highest functioning boys have been allowed out of their rooms. Three hours where they were not sitting in a shed. Three hours where they could laugh and sing. Three hours.

Of course it isn't enough. Of course we noticed right away all the 40 walking and wheelchair boys who are missing from the picture.

(Heath)

Of course we realize that there are 40+ more boys laying in misery in their beds in hidden buildings.

(Hanson)

Yes we are counting heads.

Of course.

But it is something. In September 2010, a week before we took Aaron out of the gates forever, we wrote THIS POST about the Lost Boys. How hard it was to leave them behind. The reality of their existence. That we would leave no stone unturned to try to get them help. We prayed that God would send someone to minister to the boys we left behind.

God is slowly but surely answering those prayers.

In this last year, three times these few boys have been allowed to encounter people from the outside.

The significance of that sentence is huge.

The director has been at that institute for TWENTY FIVE years. When we walked through the gates in July 2010, we were the first people to ever break into that world. The first. And it scared her.

She didn't know what to do with us.

She resisted our presence. The last day we were on the grounds she threw a fit I will never forget about our taking Aaron out of the institute.

But in the last week of December 2011, just a few days ago, she sat with the Lost Boys, with her granddaughter by her side...

And when Alyona finished, the director made sure that the boys understood. In Alyona's words:

"After we told the boys about Jesus birth and finished our program, she started asking the boys how much they understood and what they remembered, she wanted to make sure they remembered who Jesus was and why we all celebrate Christmas."

Unbelievable.

But what was even more unbelievable was what happened next...

The director talked to Alyona for a LONG time.

And at the end of the conversation - she welcomed them back. She wants them to come.

She wants help.

The director was very welcome to us. She, that used to be pretty difficult, opened her heart before us and asked that we could come more often and work with the children as much as possible.

Slowly but surely the doors are opening.

God is doing a new thing in that closed mental institute across the ocean.

But understand this...

It can't happen without the church. Alyona and Slavik minister to a whole host of other extremely needy children and adults in their region. They go into orphanages, they work with families who are choosing to keep their special needs children, they minister in a teen prison for boys (most of the boys are orphans), they minister in a special needs institute for girls and they minister to poor children who attend the public schools. The list of things they do is unbelievably exhausting.

Here is their most recent prayer list and need list:

· Pray for our team of volunteers as we all minister to the children;

· We need a minivan so we wouldn’t spend so much on transportation that we hire. We spent about $8000 a year just on that.

· Orphans to get into families;

· New curriculum, wisdom and ideas on how to work with special need children (mentally and physically).

This opportunity requires us to get more and more information how to work with special need children! Please, please, please, those that are involved in such programs, share with us ideas. We would like to learn from you as you have better opportunities and great programs. We need to get a good curriculum for such boys and girls while the directors are open to partnership. It is such a great privilege to enter the sanctuary of those that this world considers as trash. We want to show that they are loved by God and us.

Financial support.

If you can help in any way - If you are experienced or have access to curriculum they can use - Please let me know.

THEY NEED MATERIAL AND THEY NEED FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

Monthly support is essential to keep their ministry going. They are doing what many of us desire to do - THEY ARE MINISTERING TO THE LEAST OF THESE!!

Donations to Alyona and Slavik can be made to Harvest International - their link is on my sidebar.

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING. Keep praying. There are 110 Lost Boys in that institute. Only two of them are currently listed for adoption. Heath and Hanson. Please. Prayers matter. We have been storming heaven for those 108 other boys. Praying hard the the director would list more boys. We have been praying for a family for Heath and Hanson for well over a year now. It is hard to keep praying when it just seems like all is lost but Our God Lives and I know He hears. I know He is moving and working in this institute. I know this.

Pray for Our Lost Boys and Pray too for the Lost Girls. The director in the Special Needs Girl's Institute that Alyona and her team visit keeps the girls there locked up tight. NONE of them are allowed to be available for adoption. The door is closed there. The director refuses. Once a girl is transferred in - they are forever Lost. But God can change hearts. We know this. We have proof under our roof. God can change hearts.

Pray church.

Pray.

Give. Support. Come Alongside.

The Lost Boys and the Lost Girls across the ocean desperately need YOU.

P.S. Please do not remove any of the pictures from this blogpost! Thank you!

God and God Alone

2012-01-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

I stole this collage from Sarah White.

Look at these babies.

I scan through these pictures and I am in awe at how many have been on our blog in the last two years. So many whom we have prayed over - cried over. So many whom we thought were lost forever. Little ones barely hanging on - others transferred to far off places.

Look at them.

All of them are home.

Every single one is an answer to prayer.

Every single one.

196 babes.

Jonah, Emory, Gavin, Levi, Jordan, Sam, Vera, Vika, Ian, Kirill, Baby J, Zara, Brady, Daniel, Madeline, Gabe, Yuri, Jonathan, Peter, Clayton, Julia, Eleeza, Katya, Jonah, Grady, Cameron, Eden, Mia, Evan, Anastasia, Victoria....

The list goes on and on and on...

196 less orphans in the world.

All home.

2011

Special Post

2012-01-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

I know...

I'm cheeky...

I have a post to share.

This isn't it.

On Monday we are off to Shriner's for a new round of serial casting for Aaron. We will go up every single Monday for 2-3 months.

Not looking forward to it AT ALL except that we are going to see a whole host of RR and AMC babes on Monday. Just wait till you see THOSE pictures!!

Since I won't be here on Monday and I teach on Tuesday.... I am going to post a special Blog Post.

A Lost Boys Post.

Complete with a few precious pictures of a few of the boys.

Precious pictures.

So come back on Monday and enjoy!

Aaron agrees.... His Mom IS Cheeky!!

Fatherless Friday

2012-01-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

Almost there.

There are a host of families who are so very close to traveling.

They are almost ready to board the plane and meet their little ones.

Some of them are fully funded. Some are not. Some have their bags packed and ready to go. Others are running around frantically trying to get everything done on their check-off list. Some are calm. Others are hysterical. None of them are truly breathing. As I've said before, you stop breathing when you jump off that cliff and don't commence breathing until you step off the plane with your little one/s in your arms.

They are all in need of our prayers, our support, our love.

It is a scary thing to cross that ocean. To walk into a different culture, a different world and try to navigate your way around it. It is humbling to be dependent upon others to navigate you through the adoption process over there.

They need us.

These families and more.

They need us to stand beside them. Pray for them. Encourage them.

Each of them has a different story... Here are but a few...

ROBERT AND JEN - Robert and Jen committed to getting three precious little boys from across the ocean. They got all of their paperwork in and were just waiting for their travel date. Adoption is not for the faint-hearted though and they definitely discovered this when they learned that another family from a different country had stepped in and adopted their three little guys. Their hearts were a bit torn in two to say the least. They are still crossing the ocean though. They KNOW God has called them to adopt. They are packing their bags - stepping out in an even greater leap of faith. Unfortunately - on top of everything else - just this last week - someone broke into their house. To say they are feeling vulnerable and scared and in desperate need of the body of Christ to come alongside them would be putting it mildly. Please pray for this family. Send them a word of encouragement. Let them know that you are going to journey with them as they go!! They need us.

PATRICK - Oh My Sweet Patrick. I don't know how many of you remember a blogpost I did last summer about a little boy who had just plain ripped my heart out! I was ready to cross the ocean on a row boat to get him and Rob was ready to row the boat with him. Thankfully the Lord brought a family quickly to soothe our aching hearts. They are leaving soon. I am asking for you to pray that little Joshua's (Patrick) heart will be prepared for a new Mama and Papa. He lost his own Mama just a short time ago. Please pray that he will be open to these new people in his life. Pray that fears will be calmed and that he will be able to trust again. Pray for Mike and Jennifer as they cross the ocean. Pray that they will be covered with peace and that God will grant them wisdom as they bring this little orphaned boy into their family.

EASTON - And then there's Easton. Last February I was yelling for him after learning that the family who wanted him would not be allowed to adopt him because of the rules in their country. Their hearts were broken and that broke mine. But God brought a family for him and in just a few days HIS FAMILY is crossing the ocean. He has already been transferred which adds layers of stress and sorrow as they encounter what life has been like for their son over the last year.

GRACIE - This sweet little muffin has a Mama and Papa who are within a week of travel but have not raised all that they need. They are down to the wire in regards to finances. A number of people have stepped up to help. A BABY CONTEST is going on to try to raise money for Gracie and 2 other families who are also in need. Would you help this family? Either enter into the Baby Contest or just make a donation. I LOVE to see the little ones taken out. I love that Gracie will not have to spend years and years waiting but instead she has a family who wants her NOW... They want to hold her and love her and put bows in her little hair. That just makes me jump for joy. Please help this family!!

ANDREY - This family is near and dear to our hearts!! When Rob and I were across the ocean they were too - getting two precious treasures. We had the privilege of spending a pleasant evening walking around the capital city and sharing stories. Though we were together but one evening, both our families feel quite knit together. When the Lord made it clear that they needed to rescue another little one, they were not picky. They took the neediest child on the RR list at the time. Andrey. Please pray for them as they cross the ocean. And if you feel led - help them out. They have basically funded their adoption themselves as they are humble people and did not fundraise. I would love to bless them before they go.

SHANE AND OLEG - The Patterson's story is wild to say the least and they definitely could use our prayers over the coming weeks. Last summer they hosted two precious elementary aged boys and absolutely fell in love with them. They had been released for adoption and so the Pattersons decided that they were going to get them. When they arrived in country, they discovered that an aunt had stepped forward and the boys were no longer available. They were deeply grieved but Adoption is on their hearts and they knew that they hadn't traveled across the ocean to leave empty-handed. After much prayer and discussion, they decided to pursue two precious little guys with Down Syndrome. The boys had had a family coming to get them but backed out and so they were left hanging. The Patterson's needed to change their paperwork and needed an new appointment date so they came home. While home, Lorraine's Mom died suddenly. It has been a rough couple of weeks. They are traveling this weekend and could really use prayers as they meet their little guys and work through the process to bring them home. Pray that God would continue to comfort them as they work through the losses they have experience in the last weeks. (Both the boys and Lorraine's Mom)

Please lift up all of these families and the others that I didn't highlight. You can find them HERE.

They need us. Some need our financial support. All of them need our prayers. Make comments on their blogs if you can. Let them know you are supporting them. Cheer them on!!

Adoption is not for the faint-heart.

It should not be done without the Body of Christ walking alongside!

Sometimes It's Hard.

2012-01-05T10:33:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's hard.

It's hard to watch my little guy with his little hands that struggle to work.

Sometimes it's hard.

Christmas Day with the guns was one of those times.

While his brothers and his Papa played freely with the guns at Christmas.

While his cousins after arriving pulled and shot to their heart's delight...

Aaron was left out in the cold.

He couldn't work the gun.

Sometimes it's hard.

I tried to find guns that he could work. I stood in the store for an hour checking out every one. Trying hard to fulfill Aaron's desire for a 'shooter gun'. I thought I had found the perfect gun. The trigger was loose, it was small and looked easy to manage.

But when we took it out of the box and tested it on Christmas Day we knew it was another fail for Aaron. He could cock it using his legs and a string around his neck but once the gun was cocked - the trigger tightened. He could not shoot the gun.

Yes we could shoot it for him while he half-held it. But it wasn't the same.

So in the midst of our Christmas chaos - with his brothers, his Papa, his cousins enjoying the guns and the darts - our little guy was left out again.

It stung.

He showed himself no pity though. Despite the hurt that was nestled deep in his heart - our little guy made the best of a harsh situation. He laughed. He cheered. He collected bullets. He held the bucket. He withstood being shot and he stayed in the midst of the battles that raged.

It humbled me to see my little guy laughing and playing in the midst of the chaos. Finding joy though he was experiencing such loss. I know few in this world who would stay and play in the midst of such disappointment. Most would run off and hide. Rant and rave at what they do not have. Throw fits and shout angry words at all who would hear.

Aaron stayed.

I was proud beyond words of my little guy who has had so many strikes against him. I was proud that he didn't walk away. I was proud of the joy he exuded. I was proud of my son on Christmas Day.

But I also grieved and my Mama's heart was crying out that just once - just once - I would like to see him be able to play as they are playing. To enjoy life as they are enjoying life. To take part as they are taking part. Sometimes I just wish my little boy had hands that worked.

Sometimes it's hard.

Where Little Boys Belong

2012-01-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

When its cold outside....

And your little hands are not well-equipped for regular gloves....

NEVER FEAR...

TOE SOCKS ARE HERE!!!

Sweet Aaron.

Happy to go outside.

Happy to ride his bike.

Happy to run free. Playing. Laughing. Doing what little boys are supposed to be doing.

Going where little boys are supposed to be going...

Outside. Where Little Boys Belong.

BRENT ISN'T.

He's sitting in a room at a mental institute....

Just sitting.

Day after day.

Listening to the moans of the boys around him.

Probably moaning himself. Rocking back and forth. Lost. Forever Lost unless SOMEONE GETS HIM!

In our PASSED OVER BABES Giveaway back in December...

We were giving away a $100 dollar Gift certificate to the Vintage Pearl.

Well the winner of the Vintage Pearl GAVE IT BACK.

They GRACIOUSLY told us to donate the certificate to another babe.

I've been caught up in the Angel Tree Craziness and so we made an executive decision...

We gave the certificate to my dear friend Patti over at A PERFECT LILY.

And she is using it for BRENT.

So he can find a Mama who will bundle him warm and let him go outside and play....

SO HE WON'T HAVE TO SPEND HIS EVERY WAKING MOMENT AS A LOST BOY.

Someone else donated a KINDLE for BRENT...

Goodness gracious the unbelievable kindness of people just blows me away!!!

BUT YOU NEED TO ACT QUICKLY...

THE GIVEAWAY ENDS TOMORROW.

GO HERE to donate to help Brent's grant fund increase..... And maybe you can win one of the cool prizes....

And maybe next year.... Next year we will get to read on someone's blog.. somewhere... that sweet Brent is getting HIS gloves on so he can go outside to play!!

Running free.... Where Little Boys Belong!

Christmas with Aaron - Part Mayhem

2012-01-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

It started out serene.

While Aaron was playing with his new "Granddaddy's" truck, Elijah had distributed the presents so everyone had their own pile.

We don't always do it that way but felt for Aaron's sake that it would be better for him to see his pile since he still was pretty oblivious to the fact that there were presents under the tree for him.

To say he was thrilled at his pile would be putting it mildly.

We took turns, going around the circle, enjoying what each person had received.

There were definitely some laughs shared...

Yes, Elijah gave Ben toilet paper in retaliation for Ben giving him a large, stuffed My Little Pony last year....

Gee thanks Mom!!!

But mostly it was pleasant.

Each of us enjoying what the other had received.

I was taking few pictures and just enjoying the peaceful moments....

Peaceful and quiet with the MESSIAH playing in the background....

Then Rob opened a gift.

It was from "Aaron".

Being the mature man that he is... He set aside his gift and waited for the next person in line to open HER gift....

NOT...

He tore into that box like a kid in a candy store.... laughing all the way!!

Shooting all of us defenseless minions in the room...

But then Ben opened HIS gift from Aaron...

And the war began!!

When Elijah found HIS Aaron gift....

Mayhem erupted....

This only added fuel to the fire!!

Oh Yes.... It was pure Mayhem in our Christmas room....

Except for Aaron....

A midst the bullets sailing around his head..

Despite getting his very own Aaron Gift...

He plugged away quietly and happily, opening every one of his presents..

Happy Happy Boy in the Midst of a Christmas Gone Wild!!

A Christmas I doubt he will ever forget.

Merry Memories little fugitive from across the ocean... Merry Memories to you...

Christmas with Aaron Part Three

2012-01-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

He was content with his stocking full of candy and his family surrounding him.

He was pretty sure Christmas was now over except for a bunch of family coming later to visit.

He was sitting on the floor talking and playing and oblivious.

Then Elijah turned on the train.

Choo Chooing its way around the track under the tree in the other room.

Aaron KNOWS trains.

Trains are pure happiness to Aaron. They represent everything wonderful and magical in this world outside of sheds and orphan buildings.

His keen little ears perked up.... What was that? Granddaddy's train?

Here??

He pulled himself up and walked with wonder into the living room...

Mama come look!

Papa do you see??

Elijah? Ben?

THAT'S SO COOL!!!

Do you see?? Do you see??

AND..... GRANDDADDY'S TRUCK.... DO YOU SEE??

FOR AARON??? Papa!! Mama!! Aaron's truck??

Aaron can help open it.

Totally oblivious to all the presents under the tree ... focused only on the train and the truck!!

Pure joy!!

Utterly content.

His brothers.... not so much....

.....stay tuned for Part Four in which pure mayhem ensues....

Toppling Goliath

2012-01-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

There was despair in the Christmas Warriors chat room yesterday morning.

Thirty-seven children still had not reached their $1,000 Angel Tree goal.

There were no big donors waiting in the wings with big checks to save the day.

We were a bunch of tired, battle-weary and empty-pocketed Warriors whose only job description was that we all cared deeply about a bunch of castaway kids.

We had given it our all for weeks and weeks, but THIRTY-SEVEN children were still on the wrong side of the $1,000 wall.

We still needed to raise thousands of dollars if we were going to get them all over that wall.

How in the world?

We were a group of little Davids, armed with nothing but a few pebbles to cast at a mighty foe.

But God was on our side.

And our purpose was true and right: To stand in the gap for the voiceless ones. To share with the world the fact that these forgotten orphans have value. To defend their right to live, and to have a life that's worth living.

And so we rallied. Although we were tired and discouraged, we got up, dusted ourselves off and went back to work. We determined in our hearts that we were going to show these precious babes to the world one last time before the Angel Tree was over. Whether or not they all made it over the wall, we were at least going to show the world their pictures and tell their sad stories one last time.

So we slammed the internet with their faces. Over and over and over we put their faces out. And with God on OUR side - people began to SEE the children. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them.

And ALL THIRTY-SEVEN began to move towards the wall.

The half hour updates on the Angel Tree website verified the fruit of our labor.

Step by step. Inch by inch.

Every single one of them was moving toward that wall.

So many people were responding that the Reece's Rainbow website went down.

Panic set in as we prayed for it to come back on-line.

Most of the donations were small ones of $5, $10 or $20 each, representing hundreds, thousands of people out there who were seeing the babies and responding in love.

It was beautiful to behold. When the first babe finally jumped the wall after hours of labor, we rejoiced. Then another jumped. And another. By early afternoon five babies had jumped. There were still 32 left, but all of them had moved closer to the wall.

And then a donor stepped forward with a challenge: he or she would pull the BOTTOM FIVE babes over the wall if we could get another TEN babes over the wall first.

We were a mess. Strategy went out the window. We just started hollering and yelling even louder.

If we had been strategy-minded, we would have told people to stop donating to the bottom five, because they were already guaranteed to make it over the wall.

Thankfully, we were a bunch of Hysterical Warriors who cared little about strategy and cared everything about all 32 babes who we refused to leave behind.

So it went on as before, with every single child advancing. The bottom five kept swapping places with the others. It was a cacophony of craziness. A few hours later, the first child jumped. Screaming ensued. A half hour later, another followed. The Warriors chat room was going hysterical.

So many people were jumping on the website to donate that the servers were struggling to keep up.

Then we had only 23 babies left. Only one more to go, and then the bottom five would go too.

That would leave 17 babes.

What happened next was absolutely beyond words.

Around 6:30 p.m., Number 22 jumped the wall.

In the half hour from 6:30 to 7:00, Michelle from RR set to work distributing our big donor's money to pull the bottom five over the wall as promised. But within that same half hour, the donations for all the babes poured in like water over a broken dam. They were jumping the wall so fast that we couldn't keep up with them all. It was wild beyond belief.

At 7:00 pm, when the site refreshed and everyone expected to see 17 babes left on the wrong side of the wall, there were instead only ELEVEN left.

ELEVEN!

I was in complete and utter shock and awe at what God had accomplished through us. Looking at those eleven remaining babies, I knew that we had won. I knew then that we would get them all over that wall.

The mighty Reece's Rainbow Warriors were not going to leave those last Eleven behind.

A bunch of pebbles with a Mighty God makes for victory every single time!!

And, thank the Lord, I was right. Within another hour or so, they all had made it. All Thirty Seven Babies.

Through the Angel Tree, those poor lost babies got their chance to speak to hearts all over the world-- both in the world across the ocean, where people often throw their 'broken' children away, and in our world on this side of the ocean, where we often eliminate them before they can even take their first breath.

The Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of everyone who saw those poor babies' pictures yesterday.

Yesterday the Lord of Hosts made it clear to all that these babes are precious, that they are worthy of His attention, and that they are on HIS heart.

And yesterday, for a few hours, the world listened to the cries of the many children whom it has hidden away and forgotten.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO LISTENED. THANK YOU.

GOD IS ON THE MOVE....

2011-12-31T14:25:00.000-05:00

HE'S MOVING PEOPLE.

God is moving in hearts.

THE BABES ARE MOVING UP!!

Don't miss out.

It is beyond fun to watch the little ones climbing up that wall and slowly dropping over to the other side.

It is even more precious to go on blogs and Facebook and SEE THEIR PICTURES EVERYWHERE!

This morning 37 babes needed to cross and now only 32 babes are left behind!!

BUT ALL OF THEM HAVE MOVED UP!!

And a private donor has given this challenge - if we can drop 10 babes over the wall - TEN... than that donor will drop the FIVE LOWEST!!

THAT EQUALS 15 BABES!!!

Come on - Take part.

Spread their faces across Facebook.

AND PRAY LIKE MAD THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL USE THIS DAY TO MOVE IN HEARTS....

THAT MAMAS AND PAPAS WILL SEE THEIR BABES!!

Take part in helping these kids find families on THIS DAY - THE EVE OF A NEW YEAR!!!

-------------------------------

It is not just about the money.

It is about being seen.

Really seen.

Having people SEE these babes who are laying in cribs across Eastern Europe and Asia.

They are helpless. Defenseless.

They are voiceless.

Unless people SEE them. See their plight. See their need.

Unless they are seen... they will continue to lay there.

Stuck in their cribs.

Helpless and defenseless.

We have to do whatever we can to be their voice. Shout their need from the rooftops.

To call the church into action.

To Pray.

To love.

To Give.

To raise up families.

So the next Aaron installment is going to have to wait.

So that on this last day of 2011 - You get one more chance to SEE the 2011 Angel Tree Babes who have been left behind.

See them.

Yesterday over $4,000.00 was raised for these babes. Twelve of them jumped the wall.

I wish you could have heard the shouts from the Warriors mud room each time another one was pulled over the wall.

It has been a mighty battle.

Today it ends.

We're just a bunch of little David's facing a rather BIG GOLIATH.

We need $11,000.00 + dollars to finish the job.

More than that - We need these 37 babes to be given a voice across the nation.

They need to be seen.

Will you help spread the word?

Will you consider digging deep and donating to one or two or more of these babes?

Help pull some more of them over the wall?

Join with all us little David's???

Please?

THE CHILDREN ON THIS PAGE ARE THE 37 WHO JUST CAN'T BE LEFT BEHIND!!

REECE'S RAINBOW'S ANGEL TREE

To See Them...

2011-12-31T08:42:00.000-05:00

I know many of you want me to give the next installment of Aaron's Christmas.

I've had some e-mails from some disgruntled followers that I am leaving you hanging.

I was even called "cheeky" by one follower who will not be named.

But, there are still 37 Angel Tree Babes who have not reached their goal of getting over the $1,000.00 wall.

Thirty Seven babes who NEED to be seen.

It is not just about the money.

It is about being seen.

Really seen.

Having people SEE these babes who are laying in cribs across Eastern Europe and Asia.

They are helpless. Defenseless.

They are voiceless.

Unless people SEE them. See their plight. See their need.



Unless they are seen... they will continue to lay there.

Stuck in their cribs.

Helpless and defenseless.



We have to do whatever we can to be their voice. Shout their need from the rooftops.



To call the church into action.



To Pray.

To love.



To Give.



To raise up families.



So the next Aaron installment is going to have to wait.



So that on this last day of 2011 - You get one more chance to SEE the 2011 Angel Tree Babes who have been left behind.

See them.

Yesterday over $4,000.00 was raised for these babes. Twelve of them jumped the wall.

I wish you could have heard the shouts from the Warriors mud room each time another one was pulled over the wall.

It has been a mighty battle.

Today it ends.

We're just a bunch of little David's facing a rather BIG GOLIATH.

We need $11,000.00 + dollars to finish the job.

More than that - We need these 37 babes to be given a voice across the nation.

They need to be seen.

Will you help spread the word?

Will you consider digging deep and donating to one or two or more of these babes?

Help pull some more of them over the wall?

Join with all us little David's???

Please?

THE CHILDREN ON THIS PAGE ARE THE 37 WHO JUST CAN'T BE LEFT BEHIND!!

REECE'S RAINBOW'S ANGEL TREE

They Just Can't Be Left Behind!

2011-12-30T08:16:00.003-05:00

How in the world???

There are still 49 Angel Tree Babes who have not reached their goal of getting over the $1,000.00 wall.

My heart's desire is to see every single one of them jump that wall.

But we are talking $15,000.00.

By midnight tomorrow night.

Ugh!

Why does it matter?

Why do I care that all the kids cross?

Because God is on the move.

I jumped!!

In the last week thousands and thousands of e-mails have been sent. From ordinary people across the country who have been INQUIRING ABOUT THE ANGEL TREE BABES.



Thousands of hearts have been touched.



THOUSANDS.



That's God at work.



And it calls me into action.



So here I am on this Fatherless Friday asking for the impossible....



I'm standing with all my fellow Angel Tree Warriors yelling myself hoarse for these last 49 to be pulled over that wall.

I jumped!!

We just can't leave them behind people.

I jumped I jumped

Yes we are asking for the impossible.

The Warriors are completely tapped out....

$15,000.00 is HUGE.

We're just a bunch of little David's facing a rather BIG GOLIATH.

But God is on the move and so we cannot give up.... Every nickel in their grant account matters. Every nickel matters.

Please - will you consider digging deep and donating to one or two or more of these babes?

Help pull some of them over the wall?

Join with all us little David's???

Please?

THE CHILDREN ON THIS PAGE ARE THE 49 WHO JUST CAN'T BE LEFT BEHIND!!

REECE'S RAINBOW'S ANGEL TREE

A Whisper

2011-12-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

Revised from last year .... December 29.... in memory of December 29, 2009....

Just a whisper. A Holy Spirit breathed whisper. A longing. A stirring that began years before but began to grow louder and more insistent as time passed. Adoption. One day we said. One day. Later. Too busy now. Our days too full. Not enough money. Not enough time. Later. Much later. When the boys are gone. When we finish our current projects. When our bank account is above 0. Another day. Not today.

All good arguments but the whisper stayed. The stirrings continued. The voice wasn't silenced. The God-ordained encounters with those who had gone before kept happening. Consider. Just consider. Pray. But... but...no... can't... not.... all the arguments. Mental gymnastics. The money God. Where? It can't work. Our boys. It's crazy. We are broke. Our business is tumbling down. We are consumed with our side projects. Our schedule is insane. Dear Lord - it's just not the right time.

Louder. No longer a stirring but a wave. A push. An emptiness. A realization that we lacked. Something. Someone. Our lives were full of nothing. Crazy chasing after useless dreams. Circling - protecting our boys from what? Our spiritual lives - Church - worship - tithing - going through the motions. For what? Our passion gone. Realization of our empty cup.

Then a picture. A smiling face. A helpless child. The Holy Spirit whisper becomes a scream.

GO GET HIM. HE'S YOURS.

This child. In that country. GO. Now. Say yes. Despite the bank account. Despite the schedule. Despite the arguments. Despite it all. GO.

Two years later. Our 'whisper' celebrating Christmas with us. Our son. Our child. Our little brother. Ours. But more than Ours - God's. His child. His son. His treasure that He called out of darkness. To our family.

Aaron.

December 29, 2009 - two year ago - just a whisper in our hearts. I'm so grateful we listened.

Christmas with Aaron Part Two

2011-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

He thought Christmas was over.

Happy with his stocking in his lap.

Surrounded by candy and some weird pieces of paper he pulled out of his stocking.

But he was happy to oblige when we told him we needed to put Baby Jesus in the manger.

And those papers....

Mama told him that was his Angel Tree money.

Oh What Fun to decide which babes were going to get his money....

He searched long and hard and then settled on four worthy babes...

Randy Carter Tomas

Daniel

Me thinks Aaron wants the boys to be adopted!!

Elijah was next up to choose.....

He was very thoughtful in his selections but worried that his money would make but a drop in the bucket for his picks. It gave us good opportunity to discuss how God is able to multiply our small offerings.

Elijah picked Penny and Orson.

Ben didn't want to choose. He agonized over having to pick a child when the need was so great. His tender heart broke just seeing all the babes. He asked us to make his pick for him and when we refused he picked the little one who had the least amount in her account and gave her all of his money.

Dorothy

Rob.

I knew who he was going to pick. I knew when I was putting the Angel Tree money in his stockings.

I waited to see. He looked through the screen quietly and then said, "Where's my little man, Paul?"

Paul. One of our Passed Over Babes.

I was right. He captured Rob's heart a month ago and still has a firm grip.

Dad had us scroll slowly through the list until his eyes fell upon Alexander.

THAT ONE.

The little guy with the cute little elf ears.

Alexander

He was my pick too but Dad didn't know it because he wasn't in the room when I chose my babes. I thought that was a bit fitting - we both chose the same little one.

My other picks were...

Bennett Abbott Matthias

Yes, I go for the boys too!!

It was precious.

Taking the time to consider the babes. Choosing for the most part the ones who were still struggling to get over the $1,000.00 wall.

If that was all we did for Christmas - it was enough.

But the Living Room was calling.

Trains and presents were waiting.

But Aaron was oblivious....focused on the contents of his stocking.

Happy.

No memories of what we did last year. Just enjoying the moment and thinking that it was enough.

.......to be continued....

Christmas with Aaron Part One

2011-12-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

Oh. My.

Our Christmas started off quite horribly when Aaron came down the steps to discover that...

OUR STOCKINGS HAD BEEN STOLEN.

Yep. That Mean Old Grinch had STRUCK Again.

That nasty old elf really has it in for our family.

Every.Single.Year. he steals our stockings!!

Oh My. Will Christmas have to be cancelled???

The littlest stood with worried face... considered the problem from all angles and made a decision....

HE WOULD FIND THE GRINCH AND FIND OUR STOCKINGS!!

YES HE WOULD.

AARON TO THE RESCUE...

Of course Aaron had NO IDEA that the stolen stockings had anything in them....

He thought he was rescuing a bunch of empty colorful socks.

But after a long quest that involved a lot of noise and a good bit of help from his big brothers....

Aaron was able to claim victory....

Being the sweetheart that he is....

Aaron diligently carried one of the found stockings down to the chimney mantel so we could HANG IT BACK UP!!

Imagine his utter delight when he found out that...

HE COULD KEEP HIS STOCKING AND THERE WAS CANDY INSIDE!!!

Oh What Fun. Oh What Fun!!

And while Papa read the Christmas story from Isaiah 6 and John 1...

The littlest quietly feasted on Hershey Kisses from his stocking....

Pure contentment.

Christmas in his mind was THE BEST.

What honestly could be better.....

IN AARON'S MIND - HE HAD JUST HAD CHRISTMAS!!

.....to be continued.....

He Still Doesn't Know...

2011-12-25T08:29:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE NALLE FAMILY

Nope. As of last night, Aaron hadn't figured out the Christmas thing but he went to bed excited anyway.

He knows Christmas is Jesus' birthday.

He knows that it involves family.

He knows that presents figure into it somehow.

But he has no idea that HE IS GOING TO GET PRESENTS!

Despite not knowing, he put himself to sleep singing his version of Jingle Bells.... (This version entails singing "Jingle Bells" over and over and over again with tuneless joyful abandon)....

He went to bed knowing that something was going to happen zumorro but not sure WHAT that something entails.

After the littlest was safely tucked in bed (but not sleeping), his brothers, his granddad, his Mama and his Papa spent the evening arranging presents around the tree and setting up a train track while listening to him sing in the background.

Chuckling in delight as we considered what zumorro will bring for our funny little boy.

Oh What Fun.

Oh What Fun!!

A Weary World

2011-12-24T07:37:00.000-05:00

LONG LAY THE WORLD

IN SIN AND ERROR PINING

TILL HE APPEARED

AND THE SOUL FELT ITS WORTH

A THRILL OF HOPE

THE WEARY WORLD REJOICES

FOR YONDER BREAKS

A NEW AND GLORIOUS MORN.....

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!

Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

He is the Messiah, the Lord.

REJOICE WEARY WORLD....

THE MESSIAH HAS COME!!

Warriors on this Fatherless Friday

2011-12-23T08:16:00.041-05:00

REECE'S RAINBOW WARRIORS ARE WELL NAMED.

Yesterday morning there were (by my count) 60 children who were in the UNDER 500.00 category on the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree.

SIXTY BABES

Go look at the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree now.

THEY ALL MOVED UP TO THE OVER $500 CATEGORY.

Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM MOVED TO THE OVER $500 CATEGORY OR BEYOND!!

SIXTY CHILDREN MOVED!

How?

Two days ago, some generous donors issued a challenge: For every child in the under $500 category who bumped up to the over $500 category within the next 24 hours, they agreed to donate enough money to bump another child from the over $500 category into the over $1000 category.

When I first heard the announcement, I was skeptical.

For one thing, there were 60 children in the under $500 category, and MOST of them needed hundreds of dollars to get to the next level.

But I facebooked about it, and then I spent the day cleaning our house, getting ready for Christmas, cooking, baking and

RELOADING THE ANGEL TREE PAGE EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES, ALL DAY.

Watching. Laughing. Sharing with Rob what was happening.

It was awesome to behold.

People rallied from all over to get those 60 babes up to the next level.

And one by one, the kids who were closest to the $1,000 wall were jumping over that wall.

Reece's Rainbow's Angel Tree Warriors are well named.

Like warriors, they battled all day to get EVERY SINGLE CHILD over that $500.00 hump.

I STAND AND APPLAUD the generous donors who offered the challenge.

Whoever you are, you helped many, many babes to get over that $1,000 wall, at a cost of uncounted thousands of dollars!

YOU ROCK for inspiring thousands to stand in the gap for the babes who were being left behind!!

THANK YOU!!

And to All the RR Warriors out there....

YOU HUMBLE ME!!

THANK YOU FOR BEING WARRIORS FOR THE LEAST OF THESE!!

P.S.

All the children on this page are in the 500 + category.... There are 85 who still need to jump the 1000 wall before January 1st. If you want to help them jump.... You can click here...

It has definitely been a wild ride on the Angel Tree this year!!!

Christmas Merry

2011-12-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

They LOVE doing cookies.

Every year when I start to feel like our plate is too full and we just can't again this year....

They go into full protest mode...

We HAVE to do the cookies!!

So every day this week we are doing a different type of cookie..

Their favorite every year...

...the 'decorator' cookies....

Aaron's masterpiece on the left!!

MAMA!!! THIS IS SO FUN!!

Monitoring Papa's decorating skills....

Sweet boy....

I am so beyond blessed!!

The Perfect Gift 2011

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

Last year at Christmas I had a crazy idea....

One of those wacky brainstorms that hit me in the middle of the night...

I challenged people to take part in the "Perfect Gift".

It involved putting small amounts of money in envelopes and giving it to people so they could pick a child off the Angel Tree and place that money in their grant accounts.

Close to $2,000.00 was placed in stockings across the country.

Because it worked so well..... It actually became OFFICIALLY a part of Reece's Rainbow this year.

ANGEL TREE DOLLARS

Last year I placed money in each of our stockings.

Dad, Rob, Ben, Elijah, Aaron and I all had an envelope.

Dad picked a little one whom he considered to be the 'least of the least'. Her RR name was Zara.

He had me print her picture off the website and he lovingly carried it over to his house.

He put her picture next to his Bible and each day he would pray. He prayed for Zara.

In September he got to hold the answer to his prayers.

His little Angel Tree pick is going to be ripping into presents under a Christmas Tree this year.

She is loved, wanted, cherished.

I'm wondering who he is going to pick this year.

I'm wondering what tale I will get to tell next year.

Because we are doing it again.

SHHHH... Don't tell but I have already put our Angel Tree Dollars into the Stockings!!

Want to participate??

You run around trying to find those perfect Christmas gifts for your kids, your grandkids, your husband, your wife, your niece or nephew. What to get. What to get. You look in catalogues, browse the aisle in the stores. Wonder. Wonder. Think. Think. Finally you figure out what they would like, what they need, what would be fun... buy them - wrap them up. Place them under the tree. You smile. You can't wait for Christmas day.

But something is missing. You just know it. Something is missing that you should be giving them. What?? They need an envelope. An envelope in their Christmas stocking. It could be red. It could be green. It could be a boring old white envelope.

Inside the envelope - some ANGEL TREE money. Maybe a 1 or a 5, or a 10, or even a 20. Maybe a 100. Whatever. A bit of ANGEL TREE money in an envelope. What's it for? This Perfect Christmas Gift? What is that little bit of money for....

It is a chance on Christmas Day to stop - go to the computer - let your child, or grandchild, or niece or nephew, maybe your husband or wife, how about a neighbor or a friend - let them take their ANGEL TREE money - go to the Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree and let them pick a child - any child - or two - or three - and put that money in that child's account.

You already sponsor a child?? That's okay. Pick another child. The more the merrier. This is their Christmas gift pick. It is EASY. A five minute gift. But priceless. Then - for just a few minutes, stop and pray. As a family. Pray for that child. Those children. Consider them. Consider their world, their circumstance. Pray that a family would come soon. And... Maybe - maybe - maybe - it could be your family. Maybe.

What a gift. What a Perfect Christmas. For just a few minutes - in the midst of the hustle and bustle of presents and festivities ON CHRISTMAS DAY - to let your children, your family, your friends - to let them be reminded of the Lonely - the Lost - the Fatherless. To let them - for a moment have their hearts broken for the 'Least of These.' 1, 5, 10, 20, 100 dollars. Just a bit of money. But what a priceless gift.

And Maybe - just maybe - that little child or children that they picked will, next Christmas, be getting a bit of money in their own Christmas stocking. So that they too can pick a child.... and pray...

Do it. Give the Perfect Gift..

Come on. Do it!! It costs little and yet it means so much!

Click HERE to get to the ANGEL TREE.

Click HERE to learn more about the ANGEL TREE DOLLARS.

You Decide....

2011-12-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

What do you think??

Did this cute little guy...

The one with the killer dimples...

And ready-made smile....

Did he....

Did he just wink at me?????

YOU DECIDE!!

Artem Has a Family

2011-12-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

WAY TO GO LITTLE MAN....

PRAISING GOD HERE IN VIRGINIA....

One down.... 14 more to go!!!

Paul Nikita

Danila Yegor Arina

Dimtry Brent Mark

Robyn Jin Wu Sergei

Meredith Spencer Jack

My Sweet Son

2011-12-17T11:18:00.002-05:00

My oldest son turned 17 this week.

Aaron thought he had a LOT of candles on his birthday cake and definitely needed help in blowing them all out!

Our sweet son loves music. Passionately loves music.

So does his Dad.

All the guitars in our house belong to Rob. Ben has played them and loved them for several years now. But he didn't have one to call his own.

He never asked for one. It wasn't his style.

But at 17 - a young man needs his own guitar.

Happy Birthday sweet son of mine!!

I love you more!!

Sweetness

2011-12-16T17:41:00.000-05:00

THE THOUSAND DOLLAR WALL!!!

Paul Nikita

$1000.00 $1001.00

Danila Yegor Arina

$1000.00 $1000.00 $1115.00

Danila's Warrior Yegor's Christmas Warrior

Dimtry Brent Mark

$1000.00 $1288.00 $1,000.00

Dimtry's Warrior

Robyn Jin Wu Sergei

$2549.00 $1,654.00 $2329.00

Robyn's Warrior Jin Wu's Warrior Sergei's Warrior

Meredith Artem Spencer

$1080.00 $5,555.00 $1456.00

Meredith's Warrior Artem's Warrior Spencer's Warrior- ME!!

$1528.10

THANK YOU!!

All FIFTEEN babes have jumped the wall.

Thank you!!

When this whole Giveaway started... I struggled each day to find the Passed Over Babes amidst all the other babes on the Angel Tree. I had to look carefully through the rows to find my kids. It took a lot of time each day to find each of them on the tree.

But in the same way that I can pick my boys out of a crowd of hundreds...recognizing them through a Mama's eyes of Love.... within a week, I began to SEE the Passed Over Babes.

Their pictures jumped out at me. I could spot them quickly and easily as I scrolled down the tree.

They had worked their way into my heart.

I can't bring any of those Passed Over Babes home, but I am not going to stop caring, praying and longing for them to find families.

They will not be forgotten just because the Angel Tree is done.

They are MY Babes now.

------------------------

Unbelievable!!

2011-12-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

Another leaky tear morning..

Another morning to sit in awe at what the Lord has done.

Another morning to realize that His ways are good and right.

Another morning to Praise Him!!

190 people donated to the Passed Over Babes.

$11,137.10 raised for 15 children across the ocean.

Unbelievable.

None of this was in my scope of imagination.

THANK YOU.

Every single one of you.

THANK YOU.

13 of our 15 babes jumped the Thousand Dollar Wall.

I have no doubt that Paul and Nikita are going to jump soon. No one here wants to see them left behind.

Rob and I spent an hour working on generating the list so we could pick the 10 winners in our Giveaway....

Here is the list. Please notify me ASAP with your e-mail and address (leave a comment with your e-mail address) so that we can get you your prizes ASAP!!

1. A 10 Dollar YOUR CHOICE Gift card. JOYCE DONAHUE

2. A 10 Dollar YOUR CHOICE Gift card REBECCA KOENIG

3. A 25 Dollar YOUR CHOICE Gift card MAMADALA

4. A 50 Dollar YOUR CHOICE Gift card LEAH (Cora Lynn and Celine's Warrior)

5. A 50 Dollar YOUR CHOICE Gift card SUE H

6. A set of 4 hand-carved wooden Christmas ornaments (50.00 value) KIM BUCKLEY

7. SIGNED BIBLIOPLAN'S ANCIENTS BOOK PATTI RICE

8. 100 DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE VINTAGE PEARL KAYLA GLASCOCK

9. FLIP ULTRA HD VIDEO CAMERA 8 GB 3RD GENERATION - LESLIE (donated to Danila and Mark)

10. A KINDLE TOUCH JULIE (Has a son who is Spencer's age)

SO CLOSE... SO CLOSE LITTLE MEN....

Paul Nikita

$845.00 $900.00

THE THOUSAND DOLLAR WALL!!!

Danila Yegor Arina

$1000.00 $1000.00 $1115.00

Danila's Warrior Yegor's Christmas Warrior

Dimtry Brent Mark

$1000.00 $1288.00 $1,000.00

Dimtry's Warrior

Robyn Jin Wu Sergei

$2549.00 $1,651.00 $2279.00

Robyn's Warrior Jin Wu's Warrior Sergei's Warrior

Meredith Artem Spencer

$1050.00 $5,555.00 $1456.00

Meredith's Warrior Artem's Warrior Spencer's Warrior- ME!!

$1528.10

THANK YOU!!

Micah Six Eight

A Review

Fatherless Friday - God is On The Move

Tornado Aaron

Flu Woes

Demolition Aaron...

Schooling Aaron

Fatherless Friday

Little Lost Lamb

Wonderful Wednesday

History

Mama's Art

Shocking Update

Fatherless Friday

Puzzle Mania

Shriner's Trip #??

Christmas With the Lost Boys

God and God Alone

Special Post

Fatherless Friday

Sometimes It's Hard.

Where Little Boys Belong

Christmas with Aaron - Part Mayhem

Christmas with Aaron Part Three

Toppling Goliath

GOD IS ON THE MOVE....

To See Them...

They Just Can't Be Left Behind!

A Whisper

Christmas with Aaron Part Two

Christmas with Aaron Part One

He Still Doesn't Know...

A Weary World

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born; O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!

Warriors on this Fatherless Friday

Christmas Merry

The Perfect Gift 2011

You Decide....

Artem Has a Family

My Sweet Son

Sweetness

Unbelievable!!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!