A Must-See Video!

The Strobels (adopting through our agency AGCI) traveled to Ethiopia in July to meet their new baby girl.  Watch the video below as they meet her for the first time.  We were moved by the video but were especially moved because at around the 5:15 point of the video several little girls are shown.  Is one of them Peaches???  God knows.

The Strobels' blog can be found at:  http://thestrobelfamily.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the video....and, as always, prepare to be moved. 


Meeting Ava Ethiopia Trip July 2010 from melanie Strobel on Vimeo.

Op-Ed on International Adoption from the Washington Post

There is an excellent post on the Christian Alliance for Orphans website about an Op-Ed from the Washington Post on the topic of international adoption.  If you've ever had questions about the ethics of international adoption - specifically, bringing an orphan out of his/her culture to America - this article makes some great points toward the realities of the life these children are coming from.  It also points out what a great nation we live in, a nation that has at its core the notion that race and ethnicity are of lessor importance than the person living inside the skin.  We are a nation that declares itself the "melting pot."  A nation which has taken in immigrants for several centuries from all over the world.  International adoption is a small picture of our country's rich heritage of openness toward receiving those in need.


Here's one excerpt from the Washington Post article written by Mike Gerson:

International adoption has its critics, who allege a kind of imperialism that robs children of their identity. Simon responds, "We have adopted real, modern little girls, not mere vessels of a culture." Ethnicity is an abstraction -- often an admirable abstraction, but not comparable to the needs of a child living in an orphanage or begging in roving bands. Adopted Chinese girls are refugees from a terrible oppression -- a one-child policy that Simon calls "one of the great crimes of history." Every culture or race is outweighed when the life of a child is placed on the other side of the balance.

To read the Christian Alliance Post, click here.  To connect directly to the Washington Post Op-Ed article, click here.

She's our little girl, though we haven't met her yet

As we continue to wait for our referral, we think daily about the fact that there is a little girl out there that is our little girl, even though we haven't met her yet.


She's Our Little Girl
~written by & humbly posted by Russ


She's our little girl
Though we haven't met her yet
Her face still unseen
Her hand still untouched
A distance still between us
Keeps our lives apart
But through this distance now a love
Grows within our hearts


She's our little girl
We pray for her each day
That God would be her Father
While we're still away
That He would love and comfort her
And rain upon her soul
His lovingkindness and His grace
To heal and make her whole


She's our little girl
Some day we'll bring her home
From pain and fear to love and care
Never again to be alone
We'll welcome her with loving arms
To help the hurt to heal
To be with us, to be one of us
To be a family.

Happy Anniversary Bo!

Today we celebrate 22 years of marriage.  Together, we've been through many things.  Some good, some not so good.  Yet, the great part of it all is the "together" part.  I'm thankful today for God's hand upon our marriage, keeping us together, keeping our eyes on Him.  I'm thankful for His grace upon our lives.

Together these 22 years we've grown in many ways.  We have rejoiced in welcoming into the world five beautiful children - and now anxiously await bringing another into our tribe.  We have grown together spiritually.  We have grown together to know each other more deeply - sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good!

I'm thankful for her love for God, her love for our kids, and her love for me.  There is no one I'd rather be together with.  She has been and always will be my best friend. 

Thanks for a great 22 years!

Happy Anniversary Bo!

First a story then some pictures

Well, I got supper in the oven and now I get to finish my blogging.  (two things that I don't like to do - cook & write!)  Although while I was cooking supper - all these thoughts were flooding my mind that I wanted to blog about.  About our adoption story - that's still being written!  It started with Eddie Joe's bday - I'm going to post some pics after I'm done writing here.

  Our story began with wanting to have children after we were married.  I had a hard time getting pregnant.  After a couple of years of "trying" - the thoughts of adoption came to my mind - but I really didn't know if I would be able to truly love a child that wasn't biological.  Eventually, God gave us "Sunshine" through in-vitro fertilization.  Then 3 years later, God gave us twin boys - also using fertility treatments.  Another 6 years went by and God gave us a big surprise - the Big Fella.  We thought we weren't going to have any more children - but God gave us this gift without any medical intervention.  All three of those pregnancies were tough and I had to be on bed rest for the last trimester.  Sunshine was born 7 weeks early, the twins 3 wks.  When the Big Fella was 10 mths old - "surprise" I got pregnant with Eddie Joe (EJ).  Big Daddy & I were NOT happy!  Pregancy & I didn't mix very well! :-)  It took a while for us to "get over it" and rejoice in the blessing of God's perfect plan.  The day after we brought EJ home from the hospital - I dove down into the pit of despair.  Post-partum depression.  Not just the baby blues - it was the REAL DEAL!  I won't go into the details now - but I was VERY sick!  Friends of ours even had to take EJ and care for him for several weeks - because I couldn't.  (talk about humbling!!)  BUT God healed me - hallelujah! 

So - now do you see the miracle that God has done in my (our) hearts to want to adopt?!  All by God's amazing grace!!  I don't have any notions that adoption is going to be easy or that I won't go through any sort of "depression" after we bring our girl home.  But I do know that I have a BIG God and that He is faithful and will give us the strength we need to get through the trials ahead.

On to the birthday pics:

We had family gift time on bday eve

Sweet times w/ youngest & oldest

Fav. present - Woody!  Hard time telling them apart...

Then, on his actual bday - we had some dear friends over to celebrate!

Gum!!!  EJ's favorite!

Would you like some spit with your cake?

The women listening intently to Ta talk abt something VERY important..

While the men play with Pat's new phone!  I'm just sayin...

Me holding the Henns precious baby girl "Giggles"

EJ with one of his best buddies Megan!

School starts tomorrow for Sunshine!  She will be a junior at the public high school.  I have already started my homeschooling of the other four kiddos.  We wanted to get a jump start with (Lord willing) a few big breaks ahead with travel to ET and transition time with "Peaches".  Oh Lord - please bring her to us soon!

~ Bo  (Big Daddy's nickname for me for as long as I can remember)

More Construction & Birthday Fun

Ok - here we go - this is my (Bo) 1st post on this blog.  It won't be nearly as creative as when Big Daddy posts - but we want to update everyone and he is just too busy with work right now to mess with the computer.  Every other summer the plant where he works has what is called "Turnaround."  They do major maintenance projects that require him to work 12 hr days/7 days a week for about a month.  He still gets home at a decent time - 6:30ish but he is VERY tired and ready for bed by 9! 
Here are some photos of the construction that has been happening on our house addition.

Cement truck fixin to park on the front lawn and stretch out its crane

 

Truck left HUGE ruts in the yard - its SO heavy!

Quite an amazing sight to see this going over the house!

Yes, they pipe the cement over the house & squeeze it out this thingy.

pic of the hole now with lite form framing it

        Another view - what a mess!!

 

  

Now on to Eddie Joe's Birthday:
(I'm going to have to get to this a little later - having a 6 & 7 yr. old conflict that I need to tend to plus I should start supper!)  Big Daddy would have had this cranked out in about 5 minutes - but I am slow & am constantly asking for tech. help from my big 3 kiddos!

Eddie Joe`s Birthday!!

Today is Eddie Joe`s birthday. It`s the big 6. He`s been talking about his birthday ALL year. He would always ask how many more days it was and finally the big day is here. Post a comment and wish Eddie Joe a happy birthday!!!!




    --Rye Bread