My birthday. :)

Today is my birthday.

So three things.

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#1-

I had hoped and counted on mom and dad being gone getting my new baby sister for my birthday, but it looks like it will be awhile yet. :(

Read the adoption update here on my mom's blog here: Well, we have news...

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#2-

Me and my birthday Buddy, Aaron Nalle!

Aaron was adopted from a mental institute in Ukraine. He spent too many birthdays on his own, but now he is home and healing with his family.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

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#3-

I put out a plea on facebook today.

It's my birthday today, and can I ask you a favor? This is Sutter. Like me, he is also turning 15 this year, he has cerebral palsy, and he is waiting for a family in EE.

I was at his orphanage, I was at the institution he will end up at (when he ages out next year), and no person should ever have to live in either of those places. I'm also pretty sure I met him. He needs out ASAP before he runs out of time!

Would you be willing to donate just $15 to his grant? As a present to me, and as an effort to save his life.

And if you donate today, let me know and I'll enter you in a drawing to win a free custom hat of your choice (see here). Email me at forhisgloryhandiwork(at)gmail(dot)com or comment here.

The link to donate is: SUTTER and THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Feeding Casey, Simon, and Bobby

This morning I found out that sweet Bobby HAS A FAMILY!!!!!

Praise God! I can't wait for them to rescue him from that horrid place!!

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My friend Julia Nalle, is hosting the second Mulligan Stew over on her blog. And this year she is feeding three of the boys I've advocated for - Casey, Simon, and Bobby!

Casey

Simon

Bobby

Today is the last day of the stew... and there are still some goals to be met! (Even though Bobby now has a family, he is still part of the stew.) There are lots of amazing prizes and lots of families and children to choose to donate to. Go check it out, and be a part of something amazing!

Oh, and as an added incentive, if you donate today, you can be entered in a drawing to win this amazing piece of art done by the famous Aaron himself!

The Motorcycle

Aaron

Aaron has no real working muscles or tendons in his arm, he somehow manages to weave the pencil through his fingers and uses his shoulder to move it. Amazing.

Ok, now go help feed these children and families! :)

NDSC - Friday

Friday morning was a great start to a great day! After a RR breakfast at McD's, we dropped Lilya, Ruby, and Braden off at Kid's Camp (Ru and Braden did great, Lil no so much), and started to set up the RR table in the exhibitors hall which opened at noon. While taking Ru for a potty break, we met Elmo and Cookie Monster!

"MOM! LOOK WHO I FOUND!!"

What a diva!

Aaron had to get in a picture too!

Cookie and Molly!

And now... we'll experiment with what happens when Caleb and Molly forget their cameras, and I am in charge of capturing precious moments between advocate and baby. This is the reason I split Thursday and Friday up!

At the RR table (as are all the rest of the pictures in this post!) - Julia Nalle and Mila!

Mila B with her daddy, Shawn - she loves having a daddy!

Self portrait of the 3 of us! Dusty, Sonya, and I Attempt #1 

Attempt #2 - Dusty would rather play with my nose and Sonya would rather laugh at me

Love this love bug!

Ruby loves her Caleb!

Elizabeth and Dusty

Sonya and Josh

Lilya loves Caleb too!

And Sonya loves her Elizabeth!

Mr. Cheeks! Ohhh my goodness is he ever a CHUNK... I thought Jonathan was, but this little man is 8 mo old!

He was adopted via foster care, and Molly (above) and Caleb were loving him up!

Dusty was done with whatever Caleb was telling him... ;)

Sonya and Julia

Dusty and Julia

Elizabeth and Sonya

Sonya and I

Andrea Roberts (Director of RR) and Kendall, who a RR baby and Mr. Cheeks big brother!

Sonya and Josh

Her crazy long tongue!

Sonya and Julia

Please not that all the above pictures are in chronological order of when they were taken. By the end of the week, we were VERY good at playing pass the baby! ;)

National Down Syndrome Convention

For those of you who don't know, or haven't figured it out from seeing me in other's pictures, this past week was a very exciting week for me! I had my sweet friend Rachel publishing posts for me here, but I actually was gone in Washington DC!

I went with Michelle Zoromski and her family as an extra pair of hands and babysitter, because this past weekend was the National Down Syndrome Convention (or NDSC)! There were lots of adopted RR babies there, and I got lots of snuggling done. :)

I got to hang out with lots of cool kiddos this week, here are a few of them! :)

Sonya (aka Sonka) Hinz!

Bellie Spitz!

Lilya Zoromski!

*Photo credit*
Caleb Lococo with Reece Roberts (Reece of Reece's Rainbow!) and me with Aaron Nalle

I'll post more pictures soon, I promise! I'm still working on recovering from lack of sleep and a virus of some sort I picked up from one of the babies. Can't wait to tell you more about this amazing trip!

Birthdays!!

On Monday, I posted about Mr. Aaron... Well guess what! His Birthday is TODAY!

And guess who else has a birthday today!!

Miss Khloe!!!

I love it! Both these precious kids have birthdays today!! Why is that so exciting for me? 13 years ago today, shortly after noon, a baby was born. Her mother would have NEVER in a million years believed you if you told her in 13 years she would have 7 children, two of them adopted, and two who are very special! But that's the way it is now. :) Yep, it's my birthday today!

While it's nice to finally be a teen, and we have some fun stuff planned, I can't help but be reminded of things like this -

**Image from Taking God's love to the Ends of the Earth**

We talk about cases like Carrington's... she was just days from death. I wonder how sweethearts like Tanya (above) are hanging on?? She is 13. Yes you read that right. She is 13. Older than me... I can't wrap my mind around it, but one thing I do know. I will not just sit here and do nothing. In fact, I refuse to do nothing.

So as I celebrate, my birthday, I wish Khloe and Aaron the happiest of birthdays!!! And I pray, because that's about the only thing I can do right now, for ones like Tanya. Will you pray with me?

'Mazing Monday - Aaron Nalle

It's Monday! And here is a very special boy I want to tell you about!

AARON for the Nalle family–Palmyra, VA

UKRAINE

   

Follow the adoption journey of the Nalle family on their blog at www.covenantbuilders.blogspot.com

Aaron!

At the institution where he was living before Gotcha Day!

Playing in the sand with his big brother Elijah!

And now - three happy brothers! :)

This boy LOVES to swim! :)

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!"

More swimming!

I told you he loves to swim!

Dear Aaron,

I have story to tell you! Back a long time ago, before you even knew you had a family, there was a nice lady who commented on my blog. Her profile said Julia so I clicked on it. It brought me a page with her blog, and a bunch of blogs she follows (which is a lot!). I went to her blog and that was the first time I saw your face. You were (and still are!!) such a handsome little guy! :) Then I started following your journey home, and I followed several other blogs from your mama's sidebar. Then I talked my mom into buying a piece of your puzzle that your family was doing as a fundraiser. It didn't take much to convince her since I was talking about you all the time. I remember when they met you... I had your mom's blog up constantly, and refreshed it every time I walked by. Then came the whole fiasco of waiting for a court date, and the judge might not approve the adoption since she had never done and adoption case before. But then.... they got you OUT! And you came HOME! Home forever and ever. But your lovely mama still yells and shouts at the top of her lungs for those left behind. It's definitively not in vain because look at Mr. Judd who is home now!!! And Mr. Patrick also has a family coming for him because of her! You are doing so well now, getting stronger everyday! Soon you will have some time in the hospital, where the doctors will try and fix your arms. I'll be praying for you buddy!

SAFE. In Papa's arms...

(I can promise you he doesn't wear butterfly wings all the time... :) It was for a play, and you can read his mama's post about it here!)

I love you Mr. Aaron! You are one very special boy, and you have a very special family who loves you very, very much! Love, Sarah