Cafe W

Ships are safe in the harbor...but that is not what ships are made for.

Disclaimer:

Don't let the daisy's fool ya! I am not running for office, nor do I teach a Sunday school class. We started this blog to document our family's adoption journey...a journey that is by no means filled with cotton candy and unicorns. It is fueled 100% by love, but I am learning that it is very HARD...every day...and this blog is my therapy I guess...like I have time to go to a real shrink! If your tender ears are offended by my occasional rant or a few Bible curse words here and there...this probably isn't the blog for you.

Monday, February 28, 2011

New - current picture of 8 yr old Lexie!

I posted details earlier today about Lexie adn Charlie.  A friend directed me to a new picture of her on the Lifeline Adoption Agency photolisting.  I wouldn't be surprised if they would consider a grant for her - contact me for more info!

So sweet and beautiful!

Read my post from earlier today to learn more about her story!

Help Me Help Them - this is SO VERY DOABLE!!!

OK - I have a favor to ask...and I don;t ask for favors very often..right???

So it is my turn and I need your help.
I don't want your $$$...I don't even want much of your time...I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO HELP ME MOVE!

This favor is very easy!!  A few mouse clicks and typing a couple of words...seriously - am I asking too much.

I need you to help me spread the word and tell the story of 2 very special angels.
I heard Mac wake up in his room this am, as usual I got up and brought him into our bedroom, Brian brought him his sippy cup with milk and we all three sat there snuggled together watching the morning news - me kissing on Mac, probably annoying the crap out of him. 

It is the best feeling in the world to just sit there together smelling his skin, kissing on his cheek, playing with his fingers, having him look up at me every once in a while and grin or tease me with his milk - pretending to give it to me and then pull it back.

Then I told Brian - you know what...this right here is it - what we are doing right this minute is what it is all about. 

We all probably think of a laundry list of wonderful things that an orphaned child gets when they are adopted into a family - they get great medical care, 3 meals a day, toys, good schools, they get to celebrate holidays with their family, play on a little league team...and the list goes on.

But honestly the greatest thing they get is what we were doing there with Mac...that is the big thing they are missing...and it is sooo easy to do...it is the best part of our day!

Our Luci is fortunate that while we are paperchasing to bring her home, she is in a very good orphanage and we have a lot of information about the specific care she receives.  We know she is warm and safe and well fed and well clothed and is a part of an amazing educational program.  She probably lives materially better than many children right here in Atlanta.

What she and all of the orphans like her are missing is what Mac and Brian and I do every morning - this simple little 15 minutes snugglng together.

They have never had someone go to them in the morning when they cry, pick them up, kiss and hug them, and then snuggle in bed with them and just sit there looking at them, rubbing their little hands, kissing their ear, rub their heads while they watch Curious George.

That is all they need to make them whole...that very simple, very quiet, peacful everyday love.
That is the part that all the orphanage donations in the world can't fix.

 SO - WHAT CAN WE DO????

One big part of this adoption world is called ADVOCATING...sharing the stories of specific waiting children...so that is what I am going to do and I need your help. 

I need you to read the rest of this post and then start running your mouths and sending the link out voa email and Facebook...and if you are personal friends of mine - I know you know how to run your mouth so get on that!  Just talk - talk to everyone - send the link. 

What are they going to do - talk crap about you for sending them a link about orphans...seriously - what kind of piece of crap person would dislike you for that???  And if they do - don't worry about it - they will probably get run over by a bus soon anyway.

So, I don't need you to send anyone a check - I need you to tell a story.  Direct people to this blog post and share their story.

If you have followed my blog or know Brian and I, you know that our Luci is a little burn survivor.  And - if you know me you also know that these little super troopers have a very special place in my heart.  They are very special kids that are tougher than most all of us because they have to be...but they are also the happiest most loving kids you will ever meet.

So this is the deal - I have 2 very special kiddos that are burn survivors and they need a family - Charlie and Lexie - they need someone to sit with them in the morning and kiss their head and look them in the eye and tell them they love them and mean it.

Again - I just want you to tell their story  - you can pray for them too, light a candle, do a rain dance - what ever tickles your fancy! If we all get their story out there and then one of those people that happens to listen to you clicks on over to the blog and reads their story and has a sister or cousin or a co-worker or a neighbor or a friend at church that wants to adopt or learn more about adoption or happens to volunteer with injured children and BAM!  Your wonderful little part of this miracle is complete!

Lexie or Charlie or both have a Mom and Dad! I have this dream of both Lexie and Charlie finding their mamma and daddy and then all three kids, Lexie, Charlie, and our Luci can go to Burn Camp every year together and have the time of their lives - they can be pretend cousins!

(By the way - if you even remotely think that you want more information about these two or just adoption in general - PLEASE contact me - I will help you every step of the way if you want - this is a very doable thing!)

Both of these children are burn survivors - they are not siblings - just both happen to be on the China Waiting Child list.

A little about Charlie: This little boy has my heart...if his future mamma and daddy end up living within a 300 mile radius of us we will have to be allowed to visit often.  He was burned on his neck and torso and this childs current condition is frustrating for me.  I happen to know first hand of the incredible care available for these children and Charlies burn is contracting - tightening up around his neck.  How the hell is he supposed to throw a baseball??!!? If you know anything about burn injury, you know that all this little one needs is a quick and easy surgery and then a good regimen of daily stretching and he is good to go! This is such an easy fix BUT...in China not so much.  Look - if someone brings this little man home I will personally bring you to my burn doctor (who we all know is a miracle worker!) and we will take care of business and put a smile on that face. 

I have read over his full file so I can tell you he is absolutely wonderful - right on track intellectually and socially and in great physical health - all of the details and specifics are in his file. He is 7 yrs old and there is plenty of information on him and I also am in contact with another adoptive mom and dad that met him when they went to get their child who was living in the same orphanage as Charlie.  It is a very good orphanage and he is being cared for very well and right on track in school.  This shy little guy seriously touched their hearts and they want the world to know what a special little angel he is. 




You see - his burn contractures are pulling on his little face and make it look like he is frowning - this needs to be fixed!  I want to see a smile on that face!!

And my second little angel - LEXIE - 8 yrs old!  She is just so precious!







FROM HER FILE:

Lexie has normal motor and intellectual developments as her peers. On admission, she could walk, run, jump quite well and was able to participate in all kinds of sports games and activities. She loves playing with other children. She has strong oral skills and is able to express her thoughts clearly, communicates with others fluently. She often asks questions. She also has strong ability of acceptance. She remembers Pinyin and Chinese characters fast once you teach her. She is diligent and often helps adults do something as her age appropriate such as cleaning tables or floor, washing clothes. Now she is in elementary school. And she is able to write down her name and some Chinese characters. She could do simple math. She is able to wash her hair, take a shower, put away her bed and daily used items by herself.

Personality and hobbies:
She is outgoing, active, well behaved, and easygoing. She seldom loses her temper. She is very polite and does not fuss over when she is excluded by others. She enjoys playing games with others and watching TV.So there you have it - two very special angels that need their mom and dad.  There is a wonderful network that exists for burn survivor children and amazing medical care.  Please forward the link to this blogpost to everyone you know - and if anyone would like more specific information on either of these children please contact me at taralee815@hotmail.com and I can share with you.  I also have a ton of "Been There DoneThat" parents that can talk to you about their adoption experience.



THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING THEIR STORY!!!!!

Tara & Brian & Mac

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Things that make my husband nervous...

Me reading blogs about fellow adoptive moms that have 5+ children....me reading blogs about sweet Southern girls that followed Gods call on their lives and headed to Uganda to take care of the children in a very real, scary non-glamorous way...and are happy as can be.

And I quote:  "You aren't going to go nuts on me or anything ???  He knows how I am ...especially the "me" before we met...I would jump on a plane to most anywhere...no reservations necessary...drawn to 3rd world countries.  I am not scared of much...even when I really should be. 

I think he is scared to death that I am going to walk in and announce that God has called "US" to cash in all his retirement and investments, sell the houses, quit our jobs and move to Timbuktu and adopt as many kids as we can get our hands on.

And I am not going to lie...I am totally entertained by the fear in his eyes!  I really shouldn't toy with him...he is amazing, he is very supportive of our adoption of Luci, he has a huge heart...but we are definitely two very different people and but the differences bring balance.

So since none of us are hopping on a plane to a far away place and putting our spouses in cardiac arrest...click on my button the the lower right...Compass In My Heart...and help out a bunch of kids that need some fresh water and de-worming medicine. Really...just send them 20-30 bucks and plant some damn good seeds!  Those of you with Home Shopping Network addictions...and you know who you are...just lay off for a week and send the bucks to Christie.  She is a beautiful girl from Alabama that followed God where he led her and found her way HOME...in a village in Uganda caring for the needy. Thanks that's all.  Gods hands...Gods feet...in a very real way.

So there...I gave you a perfectly wonderful way to plant some very good seeds and change a human being's life in a very real way...and if you aren't out there planting seeds in ways you feel led to...if you brush it off and reason away that you don;t have the time or money...that is all fine, God isn't going around looking for lightening bolt targets...that isn't how he does business...but don't you dare go bitching about crap in your life and sit around waiting on God to just fall out of the sky into your lap and make it all rosy. 

You plant good seeds in others lives...God plants amazing seeds in yours.  Can you follow that math???

There are lots of things in this life that are very difficult...planting good seeds IS NOT ONE OF THEM!  It is the easiest thing you can possibly do.

Ok I am done.

On the Newton homefront...we have sent in the very last piece of notarized paper that we need to for Luci's adoption. Thank you Jesus! Not the real wait begins...as tired as I am of paperwork...at least it keeps you occupied.  Now we wait...and nothing to "work on" that will bring her to us any faster.

Mind you - we have a 16 month old that keeps us plenty busy,so between him and work we aren't bored or anything.  But it is just hard to look at that beautiful smile on Luci's face and not be able to see her and hug her and have her here with us.

God's timing...I know, I know.

Good night all! Click on Christi's button....give those kids some water dammit!