A year later.

One year ago, the lives of a family changed forever.

It's been a year since Selah's accident.

One year since I wrote this post.

A year ago today, the Clanton family was visiting NY and Jon took Sam and Selah on a walk.

A few minutes later, they were all fighting for their lives. A couple hours later, Jon and Sam were doing okay, but Selah was still fighting for her life and not expected to live.

She did live, and slowly recovered.

One year later, she is home, and still recovering but progress is slow.

Just a few seconds was all it took. And it's been the hardest year of their lives.

Life is fragile, and things can change in an instant.

It's been one year, and her family is hurting. Jon, Yvonne, Steve, Shad, Sam, and Sarah. Please pray for them.

Please pray for sweet Selah, that she would start responding more and more, and heal.

Read today's post from Yvonne here, last year from her perspective. And get your tissues ready.

And read updates on Selah on Yvonne's blog: My Real Life By Yvonne.

I made this video about them two months after the accident, so it's not very current, but still worth watching.


Please keep Clanton's and Selah in your prayers!

Waiting Wednesday: Sutter

Thank you to all who entered and shared my birthday giveaway for Sutter! Two friends on facebook ended up winning. His grant also jumped a couple hundred dollars! :)

But.

He doesn't have a family yet.

And I found out on Monday that his birthday isn't in the summer like mine, it's in FEBRUARY 2014. 

Which means he doesn't have a year until he ages out, he has SIX MONTHS!

When I posted on my birthday, I only knew the year he was born, and hoped it would be later in the year, but no.

HE HAS SIX MONTHS.

Then he will turn 16, age out and be sent to one of the worst adult mental institutions in his country. I visited that institution when I was in his country on a mission trip.

I also visited the orphanage he is currently at, and I'm pretty sure I met him, even though I didn't get any pictures.

But the institution he'll go to.

I was literally sick to my stomach at some of the things I saw there.

Sutter can not walk, so he will be confined to one of the bedridden rooms, the worst place in the institution. He will be confined to a bed the rest of his life, lying in his own waste and not ever going outside.

THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. HE CAN'T GO THERE.

 I'm begging you, please.

HE NEEDS A FAMILY NOW.

If you can't go get him, SHARE SHARE SHARE his picture and his story. And donate to his grant if you can.

But most important PRAY. PLEASE PRAY for a family to step up and get him before it's too late. (A family must be filed to USCIS before his birthday.)

Thank you.

Some more about him from someone who has met him:

 - Sutter is easygoing and organized.

- Sutter is a really smart boy. He likes to make puzzles and he can solve them really fast. His favorite game was copying a picture and rebuild it with little colored pins on a board with holes. If you try to fool him, he will say ‘no’ and start to laugh contagious. I’m sure that he would be able to participate in some kind of education.

- He had several operations as a child, which improved his locomotion, but after his growth spurt he lost some of his mobility again. He tries to walk with crutches and he gets PT for it. With the right medical care I’m pretty sure he would be able to walk.

- Some days he is really kind for the other children in his group and then he acts really helpful. Other moments he tries to get all the attention. He would do very well in a family, where he gets the attention he deserves.

Visit his page here: Sutter

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!

Catch Up - Friends in Ohio

When I go somewhere out of state, I've been making it a habit to connect with old friends, new friends, and online friends. Because the adoption world is so spread out, it's hard to go anywhere without being able to do that.

Our trip to Ohio (see previous post), was no exception.

When I found out we were going, I wanted to go visit Sarah's quilt shop.

Sarah is a young lady who runs a quilt shop with her mom. She also happens to have Down syndrome. I've read her blog for a few years, and I was looking forward to meeting her!

After the GPS got us lost, we finally found the beautiful little quilt shop. We had fun chatting with Sarah and her mom and of course, shopping from all the beautiful fabric.

If you are ever going to be in Cleveland, I encourage to go check them out! Their website is here, and you can also read Sarah's blog here.

Oh, and Elijah was apparently tired of riding in the car because when we buckled him back in when we were leaving, he signing "May I please be excused?" Ha! Nice try buddy!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And then came the surprise of the weekend. I had mentioned on Facebook that we got to Ohio, and Summer messaged me wanting to know where, because they wanted to come see us!

So, long story short, that awesome Spitz family packed up for a road trip and came to visit us at the hotel!

We swam, we ate, we talked, we played, and we had soo much fun!

When Summer and Dave were in Ukraine adopting Bellie, they met my mom, who was just about to bring Elijah home. I met them for the first time in DC last summer, and then again in September and May when I went to watch their kids. And that's it. So our families really haven't really met. Until they came to see us! :)

I'm so glad they finally got to meet, and I got to see my Spitz babies again, even if just for a few hours!

Thank you for coming Summer and Fam! ♥ you!

Catch Up - Road Trip to Ohio!

Aside from my last post, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Life got busy then blogger decided to stop working. I now have to type all my posts in HMTL because otherwise it won't let me blog, no matter what computer or browser I use. :P

So we're gonna play catch up!

A couple weeks ago, we we went to Ohio for my cousin's graduation party. We road tripped it and made it a much more enjoyable trip by renting an RV.

We survived the trip there.

We dressed up as Cousin Eddie (Christmas Vacation) when we got out of the RV. (Yes, that would be my father, and it was his sisters idea. It had to be explained to me, apparently I'm not movie smart (which I already knew)!)

We jumped on the bed while playing our ukuleles.

We hung out at the pool.

We played at the park.

We celebrated Jonathan's 3rd birthday!!

And we slept in crazy ways in makeshift beds.

And stay tuned for my next post to see who we got to visit!!