Red Thread Sisters

Happy Birthday Emmy!

2011-04-10T21:47:00.001-04:00

The week prior and leading up to Emmy's birthday are full of celebrations. On 3/27 we celebrated having our daughter for 5 years. Happy Forever Family!! On April 4 we celebrate by talking about freedom because this was the date we came home with her and she became a citizen of the US. Then on April 10th we celebrate her birthday.

Yesterday we celebrated her birthday with her first party! She invited 8 friends and they had a wonderful time.

Happy Birthday Emmy - We love you!

February in Review

2011-02-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

This past month we had family come to visit. My brother and sister in law and the three children came for a visit. We had a wonderful weekend! One of the things we did was get the kids pictures taken all together. This made a perfect gift for our family.

We had a wonderful visit with them. The kids played really well together. I hope that we can see them again soon.

Emmy is doing wonderful in school. She is starting to put words together and she is reading with some help. I just cannot believe how well she is doing in school. She is so creative. This past week I went to have lunch with Emmy at school and we were excited to spend that time together. Emmy has lost her first tooth and it is hard to believe that all of these life changes are taking place. She has such a good sense of humor and is very sensitive. I would consider her very complex personality. Her beauty amazes me!

I love the way she takes care of her sister. The teachers at school say that Emmy helps Caitlyn off the school bus and walks her to her class. She kisses her and hugs her bye. I think that Emmy being with Caitlyn has helped in the transition for Caitlyn.

Caitlyn is doing wonderful in school too. She is learning so much and her vocabulary is increasing everyday. It amazes me how much she understands. This past week she has started talking about going potty in the big girl potty. For months when we brought it up she would say - noooooo! or I no want to. This past week she has gone three times in the potty. Way to go Caitlyn!! Not having to pay for diapers will be like getting a raise! Caitlyns priorities are food, laughing, eating, sleeping, and snacking!

It is fun to see how Caitlyn looks up to her bis sister. She calls her sissy but when she really wants her attention she will say - EMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEE. It's so cute.

I am doing great! Jeff turns 40 tomorrow. I'm in love with an older man with two adorable daughters.

Sunday - Sunny Day

2011-01-31T21:59:00.000-05:00

On Sunday we went to Grandpa and Grandma's with the cat after church. We had a great dinner and the kids were able to go outside and ride their bikes.

They had a wonderful time!

Our Week

2011-01-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

We are finally over the flu and sickness in our house. Emmy is back to her happy self and Jeff can taste again.

Today was a beautiful day and we took the girls to the zoo. All the animals were enjoying the nice weather too.

As they continue to grow I am reminded that God has plans for their life. I am thankful to be part of it.

Here are pictures of our zoo trip.

Busy Last Few Weeks!

2011-01-23T19:37:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks has been extremely busy. Caitlyn turned three and she has started preschool. She is doing so well.

Emmy has had the flu since last Wednesday.

I love LOVE to see the relationship grow between Emmy and Caitlyn. They play together and protect each other and speak to each other with such love. Don't get me wrong.. they act like normal sisters and they do fight and tease one another. I just see a deep love.

Here are pictures from the past few weeks.

Three Today!!

Birthday Dinner!!

Chocolate Cake!

The toes help with everything.

First Day of School

My class room.

Seriously??? You are leaving me here?

SNOW DAY!!!!

2011-01-10T10:17:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid there was nothing better or as much fun as a snow day. I never understood why it was not as much fun for my mother until now.

It is snowing today and we are expecting ice. School is closed and there is no daycare and no work for me. My dedicated hubby is heading to work. This is the second snow fall since Christmas. The pictures here are from the day after Christmas day as well as today.

December 26, 2010 Snow Pictures

January 10, 2010

We went outside and played in the snow. The girls had a wonderful time.

Life - Lemons - and Making Lemonade!!

2011-01-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Emmy decided we needed to make a Lemonade stand. She found a box and her and Daddy made a sign and we purchased the lemons. I told her for Sunday Dinner we would make the lemonade and drink it then. She was under the impression that we were going to make the lemonade and PLAY that she was selling it. She promised not to spill it. When anything comes up and she really wants to do it she will argue - review the different possibilities - angels - argue and try to get her way.

Mom was the party pooper and would not allow her play with the real thing so she pretended. I am enjoying watching the two play together. Emmy is a wonderful big sister.

We used this recipe and it was really good - PERFECT! We used 3 large lemons and it was almost a full cup. We also diluted it with 6 cups of water so it was not too sweet.

Perfect Lemonade Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

METHOD

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.

Serves 6.

Busy in the New Year!

2011-01-08T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of Caitlyn. She is starting preschool in a few weeks. This is what she looked like the day she went for testing. It is amazing how big she is getting. God is so good!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

2010 is done! It was an amazing year but it is good to put it behind us.

Today we took the girls to see Tangled. This was Emmy's favorite movie and the second time she saw it. This was Caitlyn's very first movie and she sat thru about 30 minutes. When the popcorn ended so did her interest.

After the movie we went to have dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's without the cat. Dinner was amazing!

Here are pictures of our day!

Growing up!

2010-12-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

The girls are growing up fast. They are getting a long great. Emmy is a good over protective big sister and Caitlyn must do and have everything her big sister has.

I just need to do better!

2010-09-21T22:00:00.000-04:00

Our life has changed so much and I need to update pictures here for our family on a more regular basis. Both girls are doing fantastic! All these are from the first day of school.

Dressed to Go Out!

2010-02-28T21:40:00.001-05:00

We went with Grandpa and Grandma to Ruby Tuesday's and the girls got dressed up for dinner.

They are just beautiful!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-02-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

This weekend was fun. The sun was shinning and the girls wanted to play outside.

GYMNASTICS

2010-02-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

The Circus

2010-02-13T13:35:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we tool Emmy to the Circus. She had a great time but she missed her sister so much. She was so glad to leave and go get her sister. It is very sweet that she always thinks of her sister when she is away.

Snow!!!

2010-02-13T09:09:00.001-05:00

We had snow yesterday!!! We took the girls out and they had a great time.

Home Sweet Home!!

2009-11-11T20:40:00.001-05:00

We have been home since Friday night and we are all fine. Here is a picture of the girls together. They are having a wonderful time together. Caitlyn just watches Emmy and follows her around. It is very cute.

Here are pictures of them together.

10 Days and Counting

2009-10-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

10 Days and Counting and our lives will be changed forever. This is a beautiful video called WHEN LOVE TAKES YOU HOME by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Caitlyn has only 13 more days in the orphanage. 13 more days of being an orphan. 13 more days without a family who loves her. She has 13 more days before her life changes forever! I am blessed to have a lifetime to love her. She will forever have parents and a sister!

When love takes you in... everything will change.

Emmy Singing in Church

2009-10-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

Where is Caitlyn??

2009-09-13T18:04:00.000-04:00

Caitlyn is located in Poyang SWI - near the Poyang Lake. We will be traveling to Nanchang in the Jiangxi Province.

We have a travel blog created.

A few more weeks and and we will be on our way.

Meet Baby Caitlyn

2009-09-04T21:55:00.000-04:00

On June 12, 2009 we accepted a referral for a Special Needs baby. Her name is Bo AoLian and she is from the Poyang SWI in Juangxi Province. Her paperwork was processed on December 26th - Our Christmas Day!! At that time she was extremely tiny. She was 11 months old and weighed only 14 pounds and was 22 inches long. Her special need is Tiny Body.

June 25th we received word that China had Pre-approved our application for Special Needs.
July 31th we received our Letter of Acceptance (LOA). This means that we China has officially accepted our application and the baby is our.
August 25th we received our Travel Approval (TA).

We have named our daughter Caitlyn Elizabeth AoLian. She was born on January 13th 2008. We started the adoption process for her on January 12, 2007.We will be traveling to China on October 8th.

As soon as we received our LOA we contacted Ladybugs N Love to get an update. Since Caitlyn is so young we chose not to send a care package and only ask 10 questions.

It took a while to get the information and it was worth the wait.

Caitlyn has grown so much! It is amazing. She is now 281/2 inches long and she weighs 18.7 pounds. She has 16 teeth and she has hair! She is described as being a happy baby with a good appetite. She sleeps thru the night and she they are potty training her. She can walk a little.

I cannot want to hold her in my arms and kiss those cheeks.

Emmy is very excited to be a big sister.

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2009-05-27T22:05:00.001-04:00

Catholic Vote

2009-05-09T12:56:00.001-04:00

Catholic Vote

Posted using ShareThis

2009-04-28T19:53:00.001-04:00

2009-04-13T21:35:00.001-04:00

Our Little Artist!

2009-04-04T16:36:00.000-04:00

Today I spent the day with Emmy and she wrote her name for the first time! I was so proud of her. Check out these pictures and I will tell you what each of them are in order.

1. Emmy's Rainbow - She wrote her name real nice.
2. Stairs from the bottom up. I guess it is from her point of view.
3. Our refrigerator. We do have a lot of stuff - magnets and such. The top panel is a picture of a banana and the bottom is a peanut.
4. Our Bathroom - birds eye view.

We had lots of fun today and I just had to share with you.

Love you all!

Orphan Hour

2009-03-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

***** COPIED FROM AWAA BLOG *****

Orphan Hour

I'm sure many of you have heard about "Earth Hour." This movement has its own US Ambassador appointed to it; yet sadly, there is not one Orphan Ambassador! How telling this is of the priorities and pursuits of mankind!

No matter what your views or concerns are for the Earth and global warming, I implore all America World families to turn all lights on in your house for one hour (Saturday, March 28th, 8:30 - 9:30 PM) in honor of "Orphan Hour." God's Word reminds us: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:27 ESV) Let's strive to remain unattached to this world and what it deems as important. And let us be more concerned with honoring the Lord and keeping His priorities our priorities!

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

So Beautiful!

2009-03-25T00:12:00.001-04:00

Chocolate...Chocolate... more chocolate!!

2009-03-23T20:01:00.001-04:00

Hey Baby... What's Cooking???

2009-03-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

Answered Prayer

2009-03-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

I was reading Rumor Queen the other day and I read a story about a company who is putting water filters into all China Orphanages. This reminded me once again that God is answering our prayer for keeping our Caitlyn healthy.

Please read the article CLEAN WATER FOR CHINA'S ORPHANAGES.

For additional information check out the website for A CHILD'S RIGHT. If you click on PROJECTS - Then China Project - You can view pictures of the children.

Princess or Chef??

2009-02-21T23:55:00.000-05:00

It was not long after we brought Emmy home that she developed a fascination with spoons and forks. She would mix - mix - mix all the time. Of all the toys she had around the house her spoon and bowl was her thing.

Last weekend we were making brownies and she was helping. It was early in the morning so this explains why she has her PJ's, Princess Dress, and Apron on while mixing. I drew the line when the spoon became a microphone.

This has become our thing... when I bake she is the assistant or am I the assistant? God only knows!

Conversations with Emmy

2009-02-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend Emmy and I were looking at pictures and this was our conversation.

Emmy: Mommy that is baby Emmy and Daddy.

Mommy: Yes it is. Isn't she cute.

Emmy: Mommy... Daddy and Emmy have same haircut. That is so silly!

Yeah... when I look at the picture above they do have the same haircut.

Emmy's Art

2009-02-15T09:56:00.000-05:00

Emmy drew and colored this Mermaid this morning and I thought I would share. She did a really good job to be just 3.

All By Myself

2009-02-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

This past week Emmy has been singing the same song... I do it all by myself. Mom... I do it! Mom... no...let me do it by myself. She will quickly redo what I have just done just to say she did it herself. She is not intersted in anyones help.

This morning she insisted on dressing herself. We set out two outfits and she chose the shirt from one and the pants from the other. She dressed herself from soups to nuts. She was so proud of herself. We shall see what happens tomorrow.

April 2007 heading to the Review Room

2009-02-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

This means that APRIL 2007 is in Review!! Our LID date is April 13, 2007. It is hard to believe that it is now 2009 and China is just now starting to look at the Dossiers that were received in March 2007. It sure boggles the mind at the number of waiting families.

Our Agency - AWAA has listed the next set of LID's in March that are waiting for Referrals. Please keep these families in your prayers. Looking at this list it could take 1-6 months to get thru March but God can work miracles. Pray for CCAA as they match the babies with the perfect parents.

Please click here to learn more about America World Adoption Agency.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-27T00:02:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-26T23:32:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Sun Ming to celebrate Chinese New Year. Today we are also celebrating the first time we ever saw Emmy's face. It was three years ago today. We are so blessed to have her part of our family.

What A Smile!

2009-01-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

My daughter makes me want to be a better Mom. This is the smile that makes my day. She make me laugh and at time she makes me cry. She is such a cutie pie she even smiles in her sleep. We think she is thinking about how tight she has us all wrapped around her little finger.

Christmas Memories 2008

2009-01-01T00:14:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-08T22:51:00.001-05:00

For 20 months we have been waiting for our baby in China.

Friends Forever

2008-12-08T22:29:00.001-05:00

I Love this picture.

2008-11-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

Click on the picture to make it bigger.

Beautiful Picture

2008-11-12T19:59:00.001-05:00

I found this picture online and I thought it was beautiful. Click on the picture to makeit bigger.

Free Coffee!!

2008-11-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

The Making of Pumpkin Pirate Pete!

2008-10-26T22:20:00.001-04:00

Silly Emmy

2008-10-18T22:59:00.001-04:00

Princess Emmy!

2008-10-18T22:41:00.001-04:00

Cinderella!

2008-10-18T21:53:00.001-04:00

Our Day at the Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-07T21:37:00.001-04:00

Our WDW Vacation Pictures!

2008-09-21T00:17:00.001-04:00

This picture made me chuckle....

2008-09-21T00:03:00.000-04:00

A man stacks bottles of water donated by World Food Program in Gonaives, Haiti.

This made me chuckle becuase this was when there was a concern that Haiti was in the path of Hurricake Ike. This seems like a lot of water to be dropped off right by the ocean.

This picture made me cry.....

2008-09-20T23:52:00.000-04:00

Click on picture to make it larger.

In the picture you can see the mother who draped her body over her child to protect her child. The child died in the arms of a mother.

The caption reads…. Rescuers find the bodies of a mother and child killed when an earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province on Sunday, Aug. 31, causing their home to collapse. In all, three dozen people died and 152,000 were forced to flee.

Please pray for everything that is going on in China.

Trip to Charleston SC

2008-09-20T22:33:00.001-04:00

Bring The Rain

2008-09-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

This has nothing to do with Emmy but this person has a beautiful blog. She is an amazing woman with God given strength. Click on the picture and be blessed.

Angela

Princess Emmy

2008-08-24T22:34:00.001-04:00

The past several weeks Emmy has evolved from Tom Boy to Princess and a beautiful transformation it has been.

It all started with a large box of stuff from Grandma that included necklaces, a crown, and a princess dress. Now Emmy loves wearing press on nails. She likes to get dressed up and dance around the house singing "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is cute.

Yes... this was stuck on her head.

Things you don't see very often

2008-08-11T22:25:00.001-04:00

I love my baby girl.

Emmy's haircut

2008-08-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Emmy and Mommy got our haircut and we had a great time. Emmy came home inspired to "do hair". Enjoy the Video.

Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!

2008-08-09T09:41:00.001-04:00

Last weekend Emmy finally got to see TaTa and her family. We went to a fun place that has a lot of bouncing toys and everyone had a great time.

2008-07-27T13:33:00.001-04:00

I took these pictures of Emmy today and she started soing these moves. The face is what makes them so funny.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-06T20:53:00.000-04:00

We spent the day at the lake and we had a great time.

How can someone compare this face with a fashion accessory?

2008-06-29T21:48:00.000-04:00

This person from Pittsburghlive just makes me mad.

This week they published another article by Sue Jones a person that works at the newspaper who has adopted from China.

Camping in North Carolina

2008-06-26T20:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to the mountains with Grandpa and Grandma V. We had a wonderful time.

Happy Father's Day!!

2008-06-14T23:47:00.000-04:00

Daddy and Emmy - 2008

Daddy and Emmy - 2007

Daddy and Emmy - 2006

Love you Daddy!!

Emmy gets a big girl bed

2008-06-01T15:40:00.001-04:00

Today is a big day for Emmy. She received her big girl bed from Grandpa and Grandma. We will now all have to cross our fingers and toes in hope that she will sleep in it all night.

This could be a long week.

June 1st. What a day that was 97 years ago when our dear Nanny was born. She was an amazing woman and we miss her so much.

There is so much that has changed since she has been gone. We have Emmy and she never did get to see her or hold her. She was so excited about us adopting and we were deeply sadden that she was not with us when Emmy came home. It seems like daily we can see a part of Nanny in Emmy. If it is not her love for life, it is her stubbornness and determination. These were Nanny’s best qualities and it seems only right that they be a part of Emmy too.

Emmy's Dream

2008-05-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Emmy always wakes up with a smile. It is not very often that she wakes up grumpy. She is up early and ready for breakfast. On Saturday morning this is how Emmy woke me up.

Emmy: Mommy!! - I flyin in the sky. WEEEEEEEEEE (moves arms like she is flying - talking like she was up for hours)

Mommy: You were flying? (I was deep in my own dream)

Emmy: Yes, In basket.

Mommy: Wow - Was I with you?

Emmy: Yes, (hold up 5 fingers) lots - manys with me.

Mommy: Sounds like fun.

Emmy: I had hair bows too.

Mommy: You have got to tell your Daddy about your dream.

In Remembrance of Maria Sue Chapman - AWAA

2008-05-22T19:20:00.000-04:00

This was posted on our AWAA Blog.

In Remembrance of Maria Sue Chapman

Dear America World Families,
Our agency grieves with you as we mourn the loss of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter, Maria Sue. It was an honor for our agency to have assisted the Chapman family as they brought such a precious life home. I use the word precious because this tragic event has reminded us all of how precious life truly is. We join you in prayer that the Lord of this Universe, who holds the whole world in His hands would be as close as possible to the Chapman family during this time of mourning.

We would like to give the Chapman family something formally in rememberance of Maria on behalf of America World and our families. What better way than to give to the agency the Chapmans created to bring more precious lives home like Maria? So, at this time, we encourage all of you to give to Shaohannah's Hope. They have created a special fund in memory of her called the Maria's Miracle Fund.

Christ as our Comforter,
America World Adoption

Pray for the Chapman family!

2008-05-21T22:17:00.000-04:00

My heart goes out to the Chapman family. Please take a moment and say a prayer for them.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Maria, one of the Christian singer’s six children, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The 5-year-old was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother, she said. Police did not give the driver’s name.

The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see Maria in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.

“It appears to be a terrible accident,’’ McPherson said.

No charges are expected, she said. The accident was witnessed by two other children; the entire family was home at the time, McPherson said.

Singer/songwriter Chapman, who recently was inducted into Music City Walk of Fame, is one of contemporary Christian music’s most recognizable and most awarded names.

He and his wife Mary Beth have long been supporters of international adoption, having brought three girls from China into their family. Maria was the youngest.
The couple is so active in the cause that they formed an organization, Shaohannah’s Hope, to aid families wanting to adopt.

With his latest music tour, which came through Nashville in November, Chapman started a campaign called “Change for Orphans”. He asked audience members at each stop to bring spare change to the concert, where it was counted and given to a local family to aid in their adoption process.

“I don’t know of anybody who loves his children more than he does and is so committed to the adoption concept, and to lose one, no matter what the circumstances, is heartbreaking beyond all comprehension,” said John Styll, president of the Nashville-based Gospel Music Association.

“He talks about his kids all the time. That’s his life. His kids are more important to him than music, that’s for sure.”

The tragedy was announced during Wednesday-night services at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, which the family attends. Maria had just graduated from the church preschool.

And word spread throughout the tight-knit Christian music community on Wednesday evening.

Styll got the news not long after Maria’s death.

“I’m confident I can speak for everyone in the community to say we will do everything we can to support this family, as we would do at any time, but especially at a time like this,” he said.

Most of the Chapman family was at Vanderbilt children’s hospital after the accident and could not be contacted. The long, gravel driveway leading to the home west of Franklin was blocked off by Williamson County sheriff’s deputies.

After quake, 1-child policy - MSNBC - AP

2008-05-19T19:20:00.000-04:00

I read this story today regarding the earthquake and the one child policy and I thought I would share it. Please continue to pray for everyone who loss homes, family, and friends.

After quake, 1-child policy causes pain
Grief, anger engulf parents whose only child perished in 7.9-earthquake
The Associated Press
updated 5:55 p.m. ET, Fri., May. 16, 2008

WUFU, China - Bi Kaiwei and his wife, Meilin, stopped having children after their daughter was born, taking to heart China's one-child policy and its slogan "Have fewer kids, live better lives."

For them and other couples who lost an only child in this week's massive earthquake, the tragedy has been doubly cruel. Robbed of their sole progeny and a hope for the future, they find it even harder to restart their shattered lives, haunted by added guilt, regret and gnawing loss.

"She died before becoming even a young adult," said Bi, an intense, wiry chemical plant worker, standing beside the grave of 13-year-old Yuexing — one of dozens sprinkled amid fields of ripened spring wheat and newly planted rice. "She never really knew what life was like."

Yuexing, a bright sixth-grader, was in school when Monday's quake struck, bringing the Fuxin No. 2 Primary School crashing down, killing her and 200 other students. Teachers had locked all but one of the school's doors during break time, parents said, leaving only a single door to escape through.

A couple's only child
Many among the more than 22,000 people killed across central China were students in school. Nearly 6,900 classrooms collapsed, government officials said Friday, in an admission that highlighted a chronically underfunded education system especially in small towns and compounded the anger of many Chinese over the quake.

In Wufu, a farming village two hours north of the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, most of the dead students were a couple's only child — born under a policy launched in the late 1970s to limit many families to one offspring. The policy was meant to rein in China's exploding population and ensure better education and health care.

The "one-child policy" has been contentious inside China as well as out. The government says it has prevented an additional 400 million births. But critics say it has also led to forced abortions, sterilizations and a dangerously imbalanced sex ratio as local authorities pursue sometimes severe birth quotas set by Beijing and families abort girls out of a traditional preference for male heirs. The policy is law but there are exceptions.

'The child is dead'
Farther down the lane from where Yuexing is buried, 10 more graves were laid out, some accompanied by favorite items — textbooks for English and music, a pencil box, a Chinese chess set. At one, a grandmother threw herself to the dirt and wailed as her husband lighted a handful of "spirit paper" believed to comfort the dead in the afterlife.

Another bereaved parent, Sang Jun, stood where his daughter, Rui, is buried, a simple mound of dirt beside his quake-shattered farmhouse. The house is surrounded by burned bushes — a traditional disinfectant.

"The house is gone and the child is dead," said Sang, who wore a T-shirt and plastic sandals. His parents, both in their 70s, looked on with tears in their eyes.

Resistance by ordinary Chinese has forced Beijing to relax its child policies, allowing many rural families to have a second child if the first was a girl. But in Wufu, the family planning committee seems to have prevailed on most families to stop at one child. Slogans daubed on boundary walls and houses all along the rutted country road leading to Wufu call on families to "stabilize family planning and create a brighter future."

Standing in the rubble of the school holding his daughter's ID and a posed shot taken at a local salon, Bi said starting a new family, either by having another child or adoption, is simply imponderable.

"I'm 37 years old and my child was 13. If we were to do it again, I'd be 50 when this stage comes along," Bi said.

Parents who lose children in disasters often feel intense guilt for what they see as a failure to protect them, said psychology professor Shi Zhanbiao. Parents, he said, may also recall their past relationships with their children with regret, thinking they were too stern, did not show them sufficient love or did not interact with them enough.

"They'll think that if they just hadn't sent their children to school that day, they would have been saved," said Shi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Science in Beijing.

'We have nothing else'
The loss is intensified for those with no other offspring to lavish with care and affection, Shi said. And in China, other, more practical concerns may also come into play because children are generally expected to care for their aging parents.

"They'll be worried about the future, because for the later part of their lives, they'll have no one to depend on," Shi said.

Bi said Yuexing was polite and smart. She had won a coveted place at the county's best high school on the recommendation of a teacher. She was a top student who got better after the family moved closer to school to reduce her commuting time, said Bi, who completed high school but failed the national university entrance exam.

In her pictures, Yuexing, whose name combined the Chinese characters for moon and star, is smiling and demure. The studio shot shows her wearing a bright yellow sweater and looking playfully over her shoulder.

Parents in Wufu said they plan to bring a formal complaint over what they say was corruption and malfeasance in construction of the school. They say officials moved the students from a group of one-story classrooms — all of which survived the quake — into a modern-looking, but unsafe building.

"We have nothing else, no other wish but to win justice for our children," said Sang's wife, Zhao Jing. "We put all our hopes on these kids, and this is the return we get."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671025/

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The Joy of Giving

2008-05-16T23:04:00.000-04:00

Children donate money for the Sichuan earthquake victims at a kindergarten in Jinan, Shandong province, May 16, 2008.

REUTERS/Stringer

All month I have been dealing with my grief for the people that have lost so much in China. First it was the Hand Foot and Mouth and now the earthquake. I have cried for the parents, prayed for them while I read articles and looked at pictures. I have looked at many of pictures of Mothers and Fathers grieving over the loss of their child and family members. I personally cannot imagine what they are going thru but there is a piece of me in China. For those of us who have adopted or are waiting understand what I mean.

I was on the internet and saw the picture of these children giving money to help and it warmed my heart. It looks like they have found Joy in Giving.

Please pray for the people in China.

Below is the Half the Sky update. I feel that it is truly a miracle that there have been no children hurt in the welfare institutes.

Half the Sky Earthquake Update - May 16
May 16th, 2008
Dear Friends,

I dearly wish I had more good news to report. The very best thing I can tell you is that we have not had a single report of injuries from the welfare institutions.

As of this morning (Friday) there were 19,509 people confirmed dead. The State Council today said there will likely be more than 50,000. Today’s government report describes one terrible scene after another: thousands homeless, thousands missing, thousands injured, thousands trapped or buried alive. Hope for survivors is dimming. There is an urgent call for body bags to prevent the spread of disease. There have been over 4,400 aftershocks.

HTS Director, Child Development, Ma Lang has arrived in Chengdu and sends this note:
I am deeply touched by your moral and emotional support. I only slept two of the past thirty hours. The first thing I did after landing was to donate some medicine to the Chengdu Red Cross. It was very much appreciated – exactly what was needed. They gave me a wish list for further donations: antibiotics for children and adults, medicine for diarrhea, cold capsules (not instant medicines that must be mixed in water), bandages, gauze, tape, iodine, cotton swabs, herbal medicine to stop bleeding and some for pain relief. Other much-needed donations include tents, tarpaulins, warm clothes and shoes. People in Chengdu are doing everything they can to help with the earthquake rescue. I saw all sorts of vehicles carrying things to the donation centers. I registered for blood donation and was put on the waiting list – the blood center was overloaded with donated blood and it’s difficult to transport the blood to the hardest-hit areas. More to come… Lang

Here is the confirmed information we have regarding welfare institutions:

The following institutions not mentioned in yesterday’s note suffered no serious damage:
Chengdu 2nd SWI, Chengdu 3rd SWI, Ziyang SWI, Neijing CWI, Chengdu SOS children’s village, Leshan SWI, Ganzi CWI, Guang’an SWI, Suining SWI

The following report damage, but, again, no injuries. Your generous donations will help meet all of these requests for assistance:

Bazhon CWI – Severe damage to building; children are fine.

Meishan SWI – Cracks in buildings, have evacuated all children (50+) to tents. They have adequate food, water and clothes but request 20 cribs and bedding.

Guangyuan SWI – Damaged buildings, all children have been in tents for 4-5. They request food, baby formula water, diapers, bedding and other daily necessities. They urgently need drugs and food supplements to protect against disease and heatstroke.

Nanchong SWI – There was substantial damage to buildings, all children (100+, more than half under 6 years-old) are living in tents. They need more tents, disposable diapers, children’s clothing, wagons, cribs and bedding.

Deyang CWI – Dormitory for school-age children was severely damaged. Although the other buildings seem fine, pending inspection, all children and staff have been moved to tents. There has been constant rain and much that was pulled from the buildings has been ruined. They request bedding and children’s clothing. They still have disposable diapers left from our assistance during the winter storms but will be running out of those as well as infant formula in the coming days.

Mianyang Zitong CWI (update) – Children have been moved back from the military base to a safe building in the institution. There is adequate food and water but they request clothes, bedding, infant formula, diapers and medicine for colds. They are now caring for 66 children, 23 of them under 2 years.

Sadly, 24 new orphans – earthquake survivors - arrived at the institution yesterday.

We are still unable to reach these orphanages: Abazhou CWI (52 children) and Mianzhu SWI

Please give what you can to help the children who survive go on with their lives.

If you would like to donate to Half the Sky’s Children’s Earthquake Fund, it would be great if you would do so at Global Giving. My apologies for giving incorrect information yesterday; the Ford Motor Company is generously matching EMPLOYEE gifts to Global Giving, not ALL! Still, it is an easy and convenient way to make a donation and helps HTS by handling processing of your gifts. Now maybe some other corporation would like to step up and match ALL donations?!
http://www.globalgiving.com/pr/2100/proj2086a.html

If you prefer to donate directly to Half the Sky, of course that’s fine. Here are the various ways: You can donate by calling Half the Sky (+1 510 525 3377) or on our website:
http://give.halfthesky.org/prostores/servlet/Categories?category=Children’s+Earthquake+Fund

If you would like a Canadian tax receipt, please donate at
http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s86248

If you would like a Hong Kong tax receipt, please call us at +852 2520 5266 or online at
https://www.paydollar.com/b2c2/eng/charity/payInfo.jsp?charityId=4947

Thank you for your tremendous support. Although it is heartbreaking to write these reports, we are so honored to be in a position to help during this terrible time.

with love,
Jenny

Posted in Half the Sky Journal, From Beijing, From the field
Posted by Jenny

America’s Favorite Mom - Email Follow Up

2008-05-15T22:41:00.000-04:00

I have received these two emails in regards to the email I sent to Marie and Telefloral regarding the Non Mom category. I know for a fact that this is what they sent to everyone but it was nice that they did at least reply.

Marie posted this statement on her website:

Monday, May 12, 2008

To all my friends, fans and viewers of America’s Favorite Mom, I would like to take this opportunity to address the emails I received this past weekend about America’s Favorite Mom.
I have read your thoughts concerning the “Non-Mom Mom” category as it appeared on the Today Show and in other promotions before the special was taped and televised.

Please understand that as an adoptive mother myself; I totally understand why this category concerned you. I would never address any of us women who love and raise our children as a “Non-Mom Mom.” When Donny and I arrived at rehearsals for the show, we came to understand that the category now included women who had adopted or who had taken in children to raise as their own. Though the Today Show segments had already aired as “Non-Mom Mom’s,” Donny and I were both 100 percent in favor of changing the name of the category for the actual show, no matter what, and the producers agreed. At one point I suggested “Non-Stop Moms,” because I know that when a woman feels that inspiration to parent a child absolutely nothing can stop her. The final, agreed upon choice, was “Adopting Moms.”

Donny and I both consider motherhood as the most important job in the world. Thank you so much for expressing your concerns. It’s always appreciated.

Marie Osmond

Response from Telefloral

Thank you for contacting Teleflora to share your thoughts about the "Teleflora presents America's Favorite Mom" program.
In response to your concerns, Teleflora is immediately changing the name of our "Non-Mom" category to "Adopting Moms." After closer examination, we can see how this may have been offensive to moms who have adopted children -- moms who are indeed real moms to their children in every sense of the word. In fact, many of us at Teleflora are "adopting" parents ourselves, including our president and owner. The essence of this category still focuses on a grandparent, neighbor, step mom, or mom to adopted or foster children, each one raising and loving a child.
This show of insensitivity on our part was in no way intended and we deeply apologize for any concern or distress we may have caused. It was always our intent to salute and celebrate all moms.
In closing, all of us at Teleflora would like to offer our sincerest best wishes to all the many women throughout the world who have worked so hard and given so much to earn the name "Mom."
Sincerely,
The America's Favorite Mom Team

A Late Mother's Day Post

2008-05-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

We put together an aquarium that was our gift for Mother's Day and Father's Day. As you can see Bubbles and Checkers love their new home.

Answered Prayer

2008-05-12T19:35:00.000-04:00

I found this information from the Half the Sky website. I snagged the picture of the Great Wall because it is my favorite picture showing a girl holding a red thread on the Great Wall.

Check out the website - it is an awesome picture.

www.halgthesky.org

The Earthquake in China
May 12th, 2008
We have received many emails and calls about the terrible earthquake that struck Sichuan and Chongqing yesterday. We have reached the three orphanages where Half the Sky operates programs: Chengdu, Chongqing and Yibin. All is well. At each place, the children were all evacuated until the tremors passed. The buildings suffered no great damage. And no child was injured.

We will reach out to other welfare institutions in the province today. Should we learn of any problems or earthquake-related needs, I’ll post another note.

Some of you have also written regarding the EV71 hand-foot-mouth virus that has affected many, particularly young children, in several provinces. The orphanages are taking special precautions and no child in an institution has been reported infected. We are monitoring this also.

While Half the Sky exists first and foremost to provide nurturing care and education to orphaned children, we are pleased to be in a position to be the eyes and ears on the ground in China for all of you who have such concern for all aspects of the children’s welfare. We are so grateful to those of you who make our presence in China possible.

Posted in Half the Sky Journal, From Beijing
Posted by Jenny

Ugly Betty is one of the best shows ever!

2008-05-11T11:21:00.001-04:00

This is a cool Widget that I wanted to share.

NBC - Moms and Non Moms

2008-05-10T07:22:00.000-04:00

This is was was posted on the website yesterday morning.

This is what is now posted on the Website.

I read about this on other adoption forums and groups. I too wrote a letter to NBC - TeleFloral - Marie Osmond requesting them to change the way that they look at Adopting Mom's. It is bad enough that they feel the need to separate us from the other Mothers but to be called a NON Mom just is not fair.

After all the emails from multiple Adopting Mothers NBC changed the website.

Please Pray for the Children In China

2008-05-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

It is hard to read stories like this and know that we are waiting for a baby that is in China.

Please pray for the AWAA families that left for China on Thursday and who are becoming parents today.

China says hand, foot and mouth disease spreading among children

The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

BEIJING: More than 11,900 children have been reported sick with hand, foot and mouth disease in China, and at least 26 of those cases have died, a state news agency said.

Twenty-four of the deaths, in the central province of Anhui and Guangdong province in the south, have been blamed on enterovirus 71, one of several viruses that cause the disease, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday.

Two other children one in Guangdong and another in the coastal province of Zhejiang have also died of hand, foot and mouth disease but it wasn't immediately clear which strain of virus killed them, it said.

Xinhua said 10,212 children had been reported infected in the hardest-hit areas, including the provinces of Anhui, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and the capital Beijing. All were below the age of 6 and the majority were under the age of 2, it said.

The total number of infections reported nationwide by Monday was 11,905, Xinhua said, with smaller outbreaks in Hebei, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Jiangxi and Henan provinces and in the city of Chongqing.

Although nearly all the deaths have been blamed on enterovirus 71, also known as EV-71, it was not immediately clear how many of the overall infections were traced to the virus.

Zhejiang's provincial health bureau said on its Web site that only nine of its 1,198 cases had tested positive for EV-71. Chongqing said none of its 42 infections have been confirmed to be cause by EV-71.

Xinhua said the jump in cases was due in part to a new regulation from the Ministry of Health classifying hand, foot and mouth disease among those that have to be reported to the central government.

The agency said a majority of the cases were reported in Anhui province, where 5,840 cases were reported, nearly all of them in the fast-growing city of Fuyang.

Enterovirus causes a severe form of hand, foot and mouth disease with symptoms including fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters. It is easily spread by sneezing or coughing. The viruses mainly strike children ages 10 and younger. Some cases can lead to fatal swelling of the brain.

The illness is not related to foot and mouth disease, which afflicts livestock.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment, but most children affected by mild forms of the disease typically recover quickly without problems.

The World Health Organization says the virus normally peaks in June and July so there could be an increase in infections as the weather warms.

The outbreak is another headache for China as it prepares to host this summer's Olympic Games, already tarnished by unrest among Tibetans in western China and an international torch relay disrupted by protests.

Isn't she cute?

2008-05-05T22:47:00.000-04:00

Isn't she cute?

Bubbles and Checkers

2008-05-04T10:39:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we purchased two Goldfish and we named them Bubbles and Checkers. They are currently living in a one gallon bowl but next week they will be moving to a fashionable 10 gallon tank with filter.

Happy Birthday Zach!!!

2008-04-27T20:44:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Zach!! We are sorry that we could not be there to celebrate with you.

Love,

Uncle Jeff, Aunt Angela, and Emmy

Dossiers Reviewed By the CCAA

2008-04-27T10:32:00.000-04:00

From the AWAA Blog -

Today, the CCAA’s internal website was updated with the following information: “The CCAA has finished the review of all adoption application documents registered with their office before December 31, 2006.”

Our LID date is April 12, 2007.

"Born In My Heart" Art Auction

2008-04-24T21:46:00.001-04:00

"Born In My Heart" Art Auction

April 24th - April 29th
(Beginning the 24th @ 9:00am PDT)

In nearly every orphanage in China, children in need of heart surgery wait to be healed. In an effort to help as many of these orphaned children as possible, Love Without Boundaries began the "Born In My Heart" art auction five years ago. This is an annual event that serves as our special tribute to the miracle of adoption, and also as a fundraiser to help us provide these essential operations to children who need emergency heart surgery.

You can help to save the life of a child by taking part from April 24-29. Every penny raised will help to heal precious children and give them the opportunity to grow and thrive, and perhaps even find a family of their very own. So please bid often and bid generously!

Auction items will begin to launch at 9am (Pacific) on Thursday, April 24th. Nearly 300 items will be added throughout the day, and the auction will close Tuesday, April 29th (again, with items closing throughout the course of the day).

We have some absolutely incredible items this year, all donated by LWB's fabulous supporters! Just a few of the items you won't want to miss are: "Jia: Portrait of Hope" by Leila Ashton: an original oil painting of one of our LWB heart babies, a life-size replica jade burial suit, two giclee prints of "Qi Pan" by Zhao Kailin, personalized digital lifebooks, the most beautiful collection of quilts imaginable (including several "100 Good Wishes" quilts), beautiful paintings (both originals and giclee prints), caligraphy, custom adoption videos, amazing photography, embroidery, gift baskets, jewlery, clothing, heritage items and so much more!

You will be able to access our auction from the Love Without Boundaries website homepage at: www.lovewithoutboundaries.com, beginning April 24th (auction items are not available for preview).

You can also play a part in healing hearts by posting about the auction! If you have a personal or family website or blog, we would be so grateful if you would mention this event, as so many children are counting on us for surgery. Help spread the news that lives can be saved!

Thank you in advance for helping to make this year's auction our best ever!

Love Without Boundaries

Art Auction Committee

Disney Princess on Ice

2008-04-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

I took these pictures on Saturday before we took Emmy to see Disney Princess Wishes on Ice. We had wonderful seats that were close to the ice. Emmy did really good and sat thru the entire production and she was so focused on the characters skating. She recognized all the main Princesses and the other Disney characters. I think she was most excited to see The Little Mermaid - Cinderella - and Tinker Belle.

We had a wonderful time. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma V.

Last Party for Emmy's 3rd Birthday

2008-04-14T16:18:00.000-04:00

One year down - God knows how many more to go!

2008-04-12T22:19:00.000-04:00

Today was our one year LID for our second adoption. We have officially been waiting for one year today. Our agency received referrals for the month of April and the LID was thru January 9, 2006. The current wait is 28-29 months.

I have to say that this first year's wait has gone by fast. We have added our name to the waiting child list and could receive a referral - or find our baby at anytime. We are leaving this in God's hands. As with anything we take life one day at a time.

On Thursday we celebrated Emmy's birthday. We have been celebrating since March 29 when we were in Missouri. Finally Emmy informed me that she was done celebrating. Too funny!!

2008-04-10T23:08:00.001-04:00

2008-04-10T19:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Emmy!! We love you!

2008-04-02T20:04:00.000-04:00

Katie and Emmy

2008-04-01T23:24:00.001-04:00

Katie and Emmy have a special bond. They have journeyed thousands of miles apart and live in different states but yet they have managed to get together to play. These two girls are truly tied together by a red thread.

Happy Easter!!

2008-04-01T22:22:00.000-04:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Celebrating Birthday's

2008-03-28T08:44:00.000-04:00

This week Emmy and I are in the big city of Bolivar Mo. We are here to celebrate Grandma's birthday.

We flew to St. Louis and drove for over 5 hours to get to my parents house. Yesterday was Grandma's 60th birthday and we had a great time celebrating. On Saturday more family and friends are coming to visit.

I will post pictures when I get home.

Thank you Secret Sister

2008-03-28T08:40:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post and say thank you for the gift I received from my Secret Sister. The rabbit was so soft and cuddly and Emmy LOVED the palm pet. She was so cute petting the chick.

I will post pictures later.

2008-02-29T22:19:00.000-05:00

Everyday I see Emmy growing up into a little girl and she is showing signes of no longer being a baby. She loves caring for her dolls and changing the doll diapers.

Plast from the Past 2007

2008-02-09T12:35:00.000-05:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Here is our Year in Review and of course it is a little late. In 2007 we did the fastest paper chase in history. We started the paper chase on January 11, 2007 and our I171 came on Valentines Day and we were LID April 12, 2007. This is the start of the red thread. Emmy’s birthday is April 10th and she was brought to the orphanage on April 13th. This week of April is going to be a special week for our girls.

Bad weather in China

2008-02-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

This has been a hard week for me. I am reading about how cold the weather had been in China and it breaks my heart to know that somewhere I have a child there cold, hungry, and waiting to be saved.

If you are interested in reading more - check out http://www.halfthesky.org/.

Please donate to make a difference. http://give.halfthesky.org/prostores/servlet/Categories?category=Little+Mouse+Emergency+Fund