This and That

Brynn sporting her Gator colors for College Day at preschool!

 Barrett taking a little ride in the driveway.

 Two helpful brothers washing the dinner dishes.

Blake snuggled on the couch reading.

We have welcomed our Uncle Josh home from overseas and taken a child for an arm x-ray... all in one day!  A very busy week already!  More details coming up soon!

We have learned that a documentary, called Somewhere Between is coming to a theater near us.  After reading reviews on blogs from fellow adoptive families who live in states other than Texas, I was really wanting to see it.    I was so excited to learn that we too would have the opportunity.  Click HERE for more details about this documentary.  I've heard that it is heavy, but a must see.

Another

Another evening was spent at the ball fields.

 More family came, more scooters were ridden, and more snacks eaten.

 More cheers were made for boys hitting the baseball and making it across home plate.

 Another fun night and another win for our team!

T-Shirt

Remember these really cool shirts I told you about last week?  Well the link is up and ready for you to order one!  It is hard to see, but Brynn AiXin's name is in the first column, close to the bottom.

 Click HERE to order a shirt!  Proceeds will help a family bring their daughter home from China!

Shirts are $20.00 shipped.

You can order on the right using Paypal.

Shirts are available in sizes Youth S-XL and Adult S-XL.

Shirts will be delivered in time for Christmas.

National Walk to School Day

Our school had a big promotion for National Walk to School Day.  They were promoting health and fitness, encouraging students to walk to school.

 We don't live close enough to walk to school, but Blake was really wanting to.  So, we parked down the road from the school in the parking lot of a trail head, and walked to school from there.  It was a very muggy morning, and the walk was mostly uphill... so we arrived a little sweaty but ready for the school day.

 After a day at school/work, we journeyed back down the road to our car.

The back of Blake's school spirit shirt says Class of 2023... yikes!!!

 We had a fun time chatting along the way... and staying in shape of course!

Phone Dump

Run For the Little Flowers

Today we had the honor of doing a virtual 5K to help raise money for special needs orphans in China.      Click HERE to read the blog that hosted this wonderful event.

It was such a wonderful idea to have people all over the U.S. running in their own city... all for the common goal... to raise money to send to China Little Flower Mission.  Little Flower Mission is a home for special needs orphans in China, similar to where Brynn lived.

We set the mileage tracker on the phone and off we went!

 We all made it! 

Our two stroller riders having some sweet cousin time after the walk! 

China Little Flower Mission:

Recognizing the beauty and dignity of each and every individual person, China Little Flower works to build a culture of life by reaching out to those who are rejected, abandoned, deemed as useless, and who have no voice. Whether by direct care, support, or education, we seek to show the value of each human life and build a culture that respects, protects, loves and serves life! 

High School Colors

Brynn is rocking our high school colors on this themed day at preschool! 

I didn't get a picture of her on School Picture Day.  She was still sleeping when I left for work, which meant daddy was in charge of fixing her hair for the big day!  Either he forgot to take a picture of her before they left for school so I could see, or he just didn't want me to see how it all turned out.  Either way, I didn't get a picture and it will be a fun surprise when the official school picture comes in!

Baseball This Week

Well, this is actually baseball from last week since my posts are pretty much always a week behind.  We were coming off of the cold front we had over the weekend and got to wear long sleeves and bring blankets to this game.

 I decided it isn't my favorite way to watch baseball.  I would much rather have a nice, pleasant evening under clear skies to watch the game.

 Luckily the little guys ran around and rode scooters all through the game to keep themselves warm.

 Due to my being cold and wrapped in a blanket, not many pictures were taken!

 On to the next game...

Stormy skies were above us... just as we got out of the car and half way up to the fields, the rain started coming down.  And I mean coming down!  We ran back to the car to sit and wait it out.  We were pretty drenched by the time we made it to the car because of how hard it started coming down.  When the rain let up, we made our way to the fields.

   With the rain, came an unexpected cool front.  With wet bleachers, a soggy ground, and cool legs... we made it through the game.  We had some visitors come watch this game.  Not the best conditions for a baseball game!

 Uncle Bradley was busy making a bottle for a hungry little girl!

Puddles and mud provided a lot of entertainment for two boys I know!

And provided a certain mother with a big job of scrubbing VERY dirty baseball pants!

We lost a game and won a game this week and had crazy weather for both!

Boots and Tights

The boys have been dying to wear their boots.  It has simply been to hot to even think about denim and boots though!  We had a cold front come through last weekend and they were thrilled when they got to wear their boots to church!

It was even cool enough to get out Brynn's tights!

She was thrilled about this!

Boots and tights... the things that make this family happy.

The thing that does not make this mommy happy is how old a certain little girl looks in this picture.  I can't even handle that she is turning into a little girl right before my eyes!  Where did my toddler go?

We've almost made it through another week!  Looking forward to the weekend when we will be participating in a really cool fundraiser to help raise money for orphans with medical needs in China.  Be on the lookout for a post about it next week!

Sweet Sleeping Angel

Our nightly routine includes checking on the kids one last time each night before we go to bed.  When I went in to check on Brynn, I found this sweet sleeping angel in her bed.

The hands, the lips, the eyes.  Precious.

 I tried to use my phone to snap a few pictures, but then I went and grabbed the big camera to capture the sweetness of this girl.  The phone camera just wasn't cutting it.

 She chose her Christmas pj's to sleep in on this night.  They were the pajamas she wore on her first Christmas home with us.  They still fit her in the waist, but my how she has grown in height!  They are now capris pj's on her.

love.

Pray Today

I love this time of year.  I love the cooler weather.  I love the fall smells that the Scentsy warmer fills our house with.  I love all of the pumpkin tastes and decor. I love the fall colors splashed in beautiful flowers on our porch.   I love the coziness and freshness of it all!

 There is so much going on in the world around us right now.  It is easy to just sit back and enjoy the "easiness" of our lives, soaking in the freshness of the season,  but God commands us to do much more.  We are to take action.  There are many ways to take action.  Yesterday I listed several things you can "do".  Today I want to list several things you can pray for.
Robert and I are thrilled that God is using us to help start an adoption and orphan care ministry at our church.  Our launch Sunday was this past week.  We were amazed to see how God has already been working and planting seeds in the hearts of people around us.  In a later post, I will share more about the ministry and how God has brought together two friends with the common bond and heart for adoption to start a ministry in our church.   I pray that our own inadequacies won't get in the way of the big things God has in store for orphans around the world and families right here in our city, but rather that we will allow God to use us in big ways!  Please pray for the direction that God is leading the ministry and that we will be His hands and feet! 

China is a country that is dear to our family and we are happy that Chinese author Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature this week; his most recent novel is a work called Wa that portrays the grim reality of One-Child Policy enforcement. Mr. Mo said that the work was confessional for him --- years ago, he persuaded his wife to abort their second child. Mr. Mo said, "This left an eternal scar on the deepest part of my heart." Please pray that the masses of people in China who are now flocking to bookstores to buy his books will have their eyes likewise opened to the evil of the One-Child Policy.  information from Allgirlsallowed.org

Please remember to pray for the upcoming election!  We need to pray that God will have mercy on our land and that His people would stand for what is right.  It is less than a month away, so join us in praying daily for this important day in America.  And don't forget to VOTE!!!
China will also have a change in their political offices on November 8th, when the next decade's leaders will be named. Pray for the hearts of these new leaders---that they would fully see the suffering of the people under oppression. Most of all, pray that God would work a radical transformation in the lives of China's leaders by opening their eyes to Jesus.

It only takes a second to say a prayer that can change a life or a whole country.

Change a Life

Are you looking for something small you can do to help in a big way?

Below are some wonderful opportunities to help change the life of someone else.

You can click HERE to order a Henan Kids Calendar. This calendar has pictures of little ones from Henan, China, who are now home with with their forever families. We have our 2012 calendar hanging in our house, and love to see the faces of all these precious kids (including our own little one)! All proceeds go to purchase needed items for orphanages in Henan, China. Order now because the button will only be up through the end of October!  This is a wonderful way to help the orphans living in the orphanages of China!

Click HERE to read about a family who is waiting to bring their daughter home from China.  They are doing a t-shirt fundraiser. This is a wonderful way to support a family who are following God's call to give hope and a future to a child in China.  Let's help bring Jillian home!

(It says Another 1 home in black and God sets the lonely in families in white.)

The back will be filled with the names of children who have been placed in families.  How exciting to see a list of real names of children who have come home (you will probably see Brynn AiXin on that list)!  The order button will be posted next week!

 Ivy was placed in her mother's arms in China just eight months ago.  Prayers have been answered for this precious child. Now, more than ever, Ivy Joy needs your help... She needs your prayers, and she needs your support to come along side her family as they prepare for their arrival in Boston on Sunday where Ivy Joy is scheduled for life saving open heart surgery on Friday, October 19th!

Click HERE to learn how you can do a small thing that will help save a life.

Click HERE to follow Ivy Joy's journey.

Did you know that Haiti was recently ranked the poorest country in the world?  There are 35,000 people who live in the community of Gressier, Haiti with no medical care.  Click HERE to read about how you can help build a medical clinic for the Gressier community.  Join our family in supporting the Love+1 Project by joining the Bucket Brigade to help raise money for the construction of a medical clinic in Gressier, Haiti.  The clinic will have an urgent care center, a birthing center, pharmacy, and a dental facility.

Every amount you raise will make a difference!

*One concrete block costs 85 cents

*a bag of concrete costs $7.63

*120 feet of rebar costs $10.

Pocket change can truly impact the lives of children in Haiti through the Love+ 1 Medical Clinic.

There are so many wonderful opportunities to help change lives!

Let's take action!