Thanks Ida !

Dear Hurricane Ida,
You have dumped a lot of rain on us today. Our yard used to be nice and green and dry. But not today !

 The boys have enjoyed all the rain !

They have always wanted their very own lazy river !

A poem for Maggie

A dear friend of mine,Wanda, awoke at 2 AM this morning with our family and our waiting daughter, Maggie, on her mind. She just could not sleep and went to the kitchen and wrote this poem.
It is beautiful and healing to me.  It describes our journey and heart for Maggie and her journey and heart for us and of course God's plan for all of us.

Maggie Caroline

I was found at the intersection of life and death,
Only hours after taking my first life giving breath.

Found by strangers not knowing what to do, I was placed
In an orphanage while I waited for you.

God's angels took me into their care, they fed me and
Clothed me as I waited there.

From morning til evening God held me in His heart,
Knowing I was yours right from the start.

When God looked into my parent's souls, He said, my
Children don't worry, I will love her and make her whole.

As God's eyes searched the whole world through,
He saw the heart of Walker and Will, too.

With brothers to protect her and lots of love to share,
He could place His tiny daughter in their loving care.

So when you see the Beams' together and there's five instead of four,
You'll know their hearts expanded and God opened up a door.

A door that leads to life and love and so much more,
For parents who will follow God to any distant shore.

Orphan Sunday 2009

Today is Orphan Sunday.
All across the world, People are speaking up for the Fatherless.
Today, the orphans voice is being heard and lives will be changed, children will be adopted and God's people will make a difference.

Chuck and I shared our heart for Orphans today at church.

God truly gave us the words to speak.
We pray that people all over the world open their eyes and their heart to care for the children who have no family.

Living History

Today, we visited Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson State Historic park for Alabama Frontier Day.

We love learning about history through reenactments- called Living History.

The boys learned a lot about life in Alabama in the 18-19th century and even "met" Andrew Jackson and Davey Crockett

The French fort, Fort Toulouse, is a re-creation of the last or 3rd French fort built between 1749 and 1751, and is a National Historic Landmark.

The American fort, Fort Jackson, is built on the site of the original fort in 1814.  

It is nestled between the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers and is scattered with beautiful Water Oak trees filled with Spanish moss.

This is the La Compagnie Franche de la Marine du Fort Toulouse, a living history organization dedicated to researching, recreating, and reenacting the everyday life of the French Marines, their families, and the Native allies. They reenacted a military training exercise and fired their musket's.

A 1750's French Marine jacket - Very Handsome
.

Native American Reenactors representing many different Indian Tribes
They performed a ceremonial Indian dance around a fire.

A Magician reenactor entertaining the boys.  They were amazed at his tricks !
Notice the beautiful two hundred year old water oak with Spanish moss in the background .
 This place is Amazing and so is Home Schooling !

Christmas Ideas

So, Stefanie from Ni Hao Y'all has a little fun Christmas Linky party going on. You can post about Great Christmas present ideas and we all can share. Sounds great to me, because we will probably be in China at Christmas time and I need to get shopping !!!

Here are some present ideas for ages 6-12
My boys would LOVE these !!!


Amphibious Remote-Controlled Tank from Vision Forum

$58.00

Age Range: 8 Years and Older
This Super Power 4-Wheel Drive Amphibious Chariot storms across sand, grass, or concrete, and—with a touch of button—effortlessly transitions from land to sea as the wheels fold in and the propellers power-up, transforming it from a fast battle tank to a amphibious combat vehicle in a matter of seconds! This all-terrain, remote-controlled vehicle also features an onboard cannon which launches airsoft bbs up to one hundred feet. From Land Tiger to Water Dragon, this is the ultimate toy war machine!



Detective Communicator Watches (2-Pack) from Vision Forum

$58.00
Age Range: 12 Years and Older

These lightweight, two-way communicator watches are a great tool for staying in touch with your fellow operatives in the field. Whether you’re on a commando raid or a black-ops reconnaissance mission, you can quickly signal your partner with the latest find or directive concerning your maneuvers. Fully functional as both a digital watch and two-way radio, these sleek units are designed for immediate use in your stealth adventures. Features include: auto squelch, internal VOX, backlit LCD display, lithium ion battery power source, 12 hour AM/PM wristwatch, and an adjustable band. Range up to 1.5 miles. Multi-channel functionality. The perfect tool for coordinating your covert operations. Set of 2.





Fun Ride Super-Z Zip Line from Vision Forum
( I have always wanted one of these )
$149.00
Age Range: 6 Years and Older

Grasping the handle of his Zip Line, your adventurer can soar off into the air on a wire stretched from tree to tree, down the slope, defying gravity in his ride to the end of the line. With a cable length of 90 feet and a weight limit of 250 lbs., the Fun Ride Super-Z Zip Line will be a long lasting favorite for the whole family. The cable is made of steel-stranded aircraft wire and has a super tough, resilient trolley to create a smooth, swift ride. Your set will come with a mounting platform design plan, tensioning device for easy setup, and a one-year limited warranty for endless hours of outdoor fun. So, hang on, take a big breath, and fly!



Jonathan Park Goes to the Aquarium from Vision Forum
(4 CDs)



My boys (and I) love listening to the Jonathan Park series. We have almost all of them, except the new ones. We have all learned so much about science and it helps make long trips enjoyable
( without watching movies !). I really love these !!!

Maggie's Closet

This is one of my favorites that I have made so far ! The fabric is from
Heather Bailey 's Pop Garden and the pattern is from The Hand Made Dress

I would love for Maggie to wear this special outfit on the day we make her adoption official in China.

These ruffle pants are so fun to make and easy !

They are from Sandi Henderson's patterns and the fabric is from her Farmers Market line. I really hope they fit her ! We'll see.....

More ruffle pants !

I am not sure who the maker of this fabric is...it's just cute !

Happy Birthday Walker And Maggie !!

We celebrated Walker's Birthday on Saturday with family and friends.
I can't believe my little boy is already nine years old.
Walker is so full of joy and smiles !
He just lights up a room ! I love you Walker ! You are an amazing young man !!

Today is Maggie's birthday - one year old ! We celebrated at home this morning with pink and green flower cupcakes ! It has been a little hard today knowing that our daughter is not with her family on such a special day. We so long to have her home.

It has really been hard lately...

We are still waiting on our Travel Approval. We do know that the USCIS has received our I800 form and as soon as they can process it and send it to China - our TA can start to get processed. We are still anticipating a mid to late Dec. travel date.

Wordless Wednesday

Rojo Cabeza ?

My sweet husband - Chuck - has really, really red hair. He has traveled Internationally a lot on mission/medical/building trips and his red hair is always very popular with the locals.
In Mexico they would say " Rojo Cabeza !!!" and follow him around. He really has an incredibly genuine and funny personalty and loved it.

I was just wondering - What will the Chinese locals think of my darlings red hair ?
What will Maggie think when she first looks at us ?
Chuck is convinced he will make her laugh and smile ! He's a great daddy !!
Just random thoughts I have....

Operation Giggle !

Have you ever just wanted to do SOMETHING to make a difference ? Have you ever wondered how to begin ? Operation Giggle is wonderful opportunity to make a difference !

Please visit Julie and go HERE to buy a raffle ticket to help raise money to ship Christmas presents to the beautiful children at The New Day Foster Home.
**The raffle starts Monday **


This is the sweet little dress - SIZE 2T ( would be super, duper cute monogrammed !)I made and had the privilege to donate. Each $3 ticket puts your name into the bucket 1 time. All proceeds from the raffle go to the freight expense to ship the gifts to China for the kiddo’s. They really need these funds. So far they have raised $250 and they HAVE to raise around $1000 in November to cover the shipping. Let’s rally together to raise this freight money so the New Day kids will have a great Christmas!!

Dresses, hair bows and Maggie's room

These two dresses are my newest creations. The pattern is from here I modified it a little and I love them.





I hosted a sewing party the last two Sunday nights. Five wonderful and talented ladies came over and we all cut, pinned and sewed together. I showed them how to make the reversible jumper dress for their little ones. Also, we were all blessed by my newest best friend Ashley. She showed us how to make these adorable hair bows. I never thought I would be making bows for my little girls hair !



And lastly, Maggie's room is slowly coming along.
I am sure it will start to fill up with toys and baby dolls soon !

"More Paperwork ?" You Say

I was a little caught off guard when I received two e-mails from our agency outlining the directions for this phase of our adoption - Waiting on our Travel Approval. Our agency is absolutely wonderful and was very helpful in giving me clear and concise directions on how to do my paperwork. I just thought I was really done with paperwork. (This is all still very new to us even though we have been paper-chasing for over a year now).

These are the forms we had to fill out:
1. Visa applications
2. I 800 FORM (9 other documents,which I already had, also had to be included)
3. DS230 Form

Just three things right ? Well, there is a lot that goes into these three forms and I was a little overwhelmed by them. I immediately got to work filling out the forms and collecting all my documents, copies of documents and forms last weekend. Thankfully, it was the weekend and I couldn't mail anything until Tuesday ( Monday was a holiday). Every day, I went over and over the forms and directions and every day I found a lot of mistakes that I had made. I got so used to filling out forms for Chuck and me, that filling out forms for Maggie confused me.

I got it all straitened out eventually, and mailed everything off. Now, we just wait for our TA and pray I don't get a call saying I need to redo the forms.

A pink room and LOA signed

Last week, Maggie's room was finally painted a perfect shade of sweet pink. I love how the color is very subtle, but still very pink !

We got the baby bed out of storage, the boys helped put it back together and set it up. Her room is finally coming together ! I will post more pictures of it later. I am hoping to get an artist to paint her name above the crib.

Last week we also signed some very important papers from China - The LOA (Letter of Acceptance). Chuck and I both signed the paper saying that "yes" we officially accept Maggie's referral. We then sent the LOA back to our agency, and they sent it back to China. Now, our TA (travel approval) can start to be processed. We are tentatively traveling to get Maggie in December. I can't think of a better Christmas present !

100 Dresses

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or "100 Good Wishes Quilt".

I really wanted to have a quilt made for Maggie, but I have never made a quilt and I do not know anyone that quilts. So, I never got started with it.

But, I have been sewing a lot of dresses. So, instead of a 100 Good Wishes Quilt, she may have "100 Dresses sewed with LOVE" by me !

Even my sweet hubby has gotten involved and made a pattern for this cute dress !
( as he watched a football game of course ). We call it "THE CHUCK" dress... ok not the cutest name for a dress, but he was so proud of his design. I used a 12 month onsie and the most adorable fabric.

I tried some of the dresses on my friends little girl who is just about the same size as Maggie should be in December. They fit her so good ( a little big) and were so cute on her !

I am just a beginner sewer, but I really enjoy sewing. I am learning as I go and have made a lot of mistakes ! I am trying new and more complicated patterns and am loving it ! It also helps "pass the time" as we wait for our travel approval.

Paper work !

I've been busy ! It seems when you are waiting on your Travel Approval, you don't just sit around and wait. No sirree !

Yep ! More paperwork..lots of paperwork...and lists and questions about the lists ......and questions about the questions on the list. Hope I don't loose the list....or forget the list.....

My brain is mush ( or is it moosh?).

Of course all this is worth it !

Just look at this precious face that has no idea she has a real life family, two adoring brothers and the Worlds Best dog ! She has no idea that we love her to the moon and back !

Orphan Sunday

On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan…and what we can do in response.

November 8, 2009. Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

I am helping to organize an Orphan Sunday event at our local church. There will be several families telling their own adoption story and bringing awareness to Orphans. We will also honor those that have adopted and have information on what can be done NOW to help. Chuck and I will be sharing our heart for orphaned children too.

Maggie

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

LOA !!!!!!!!!!!!!

We received our LOA today ! We are so excited and filled with JOY !

Let me introduce you to our daughter -
Maggie Caroline !

 

Maggie's referral picture (around 6 months old).

 

11 months old and ADORABLE !!

 

Why I love HOME-SCHOOLING

It really is feeling like fall here. Yesterday, we awoke to very cool temperatures. It was around 60 degrees at 8:00 AM, and who wouldn't want to have school outside ?







The boys took a little break to practice their archery.




Reading a good book outside is so much more enjoyable !

We did most of our subjects on the back porch while we listened to birds sing, woodpeckers hammer on a tree and lizards scurry up the brick wall. It is days like these that I feel completely BLESSED ! I certainly don't deserve to have all that I have been given, but God in His Grace has allowed all my DREAMS to come true.

But by the Grace of God I am what I am... 1 Corinthians 15:10

The Apron Dress

 

 

I am in LOVE with sandi henderson's
PORTABELLAPIXIE dress patterns and fabrics.

I finally, found the apron dress pattern at a very nice fabric store and picked out these delicious fabrics. It took me three days to complete the dress. It is definitely for the adventurous sewer ! But, I was determined to at least try my best. I think it turned out pretty good. In fact, I am so completely astonished that I actually made this dress.

I first saw the apron dress on ETSY and knew that I loved this whimsical style. Well, now I am going to try the pants with a ruffle at the bottom. My confidence is boosted and I am on a sewing high. It is so fun to imagine our little Maggie in all these dresses, but we are really ready for the real thing !!

Maggie updates !

We used Ladybugsnlove to make an orphanage phone call for us. We were able to get four new photos of Maggie, updated measurements and asked ten questions about Maggie.

It was wonderful and amazing to see how Maggie has changed. The only photos we had were her referral ones and they were taken when she was about six months old. She looked like such a little angel baby. In the new photos, she is standing in her walker (one of her favorite things to do) and looks so big ! She is almost 11 months old now and she is able to sit and stand by herself. She is clutching a little toy and it is obvious that she LOVES to play ! Her cheeks are so big and round and it looks like she has no problem eating !! We have been praying that she has found favor in the orphanage and with the Nannie and from looking at her healthy cheeks - we believe she has found favor with someone responsible for the feedings. Maggie also has the most beautiful rose bud lips I have ever seen ! Seriously, her lips are so pretty ! We can't wait to see a big SMILE on her face. Oh, and she has four teeth.

Her updated measurements at 11 months are :
Height: 28 in
Weight: 16.5 lbs
Foot: 4.7 inches ( I think she would be in a childs size 3 shoe)

Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land.
--- Proverbs 25:25

Fall Break

(Picture taken Fall 2005)


The "Beams of Light" Home-School is taking a Fall Break !!
We are taking a small break from school to spend some time with our family and friends, go fishing,sew,eat too much and relax.

We have been schooling for 8 weeks now and we are loving our SonLight Curriculum !!
This has been our best year of schooling and even the boys have commented on how "fun" school has been this year. Thanks to SonLight, I am so much more organized and consistent. We are so pleased with the readers and read a-louds. The boys BEG for me to keep reading ! Geography is taught in such an interesting way, and we nearly always go to the globe or map with every thing we are studying.

I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home and snuggle on the couch with my boys and read about missionaries in China like Gladys Aylward or timeless poems by Robert Louis Stevenson. We have seen the fruit of having family Bible study time in the morning and eating meals together around our kitchen table. I see my boys developing into best friends and enjoying each others company. My heart is filled with GRATITUDE and CONTENTMENT for such an amazing opportunity to home-school.


Be still and rest in the Lord... Psalm 37:7

Sew Fun !

Here are some more dresses (size one)I made for Maggie.

I am not sure what size she is in, so all these dresses may not fit her.

I hope to get some updates on her soon !!

Kisses In The Wind

I found this beautiful poem. It says exactly what we are feeling at this time of waiting and wanting to travel to get Maggie so bad. The boys have been blowing Maggie kisses since we got her referral.....

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--- © Pamela Durkota, written for Josh

Draw.Write.Now.

The boys have been shut sick in the house now for four days.

That is a LONG time for my very active and energetic boys (and momma) to be inside.

They have watched WAY too much TV and played WAY too much computer games.

So, tonight they got creative. Finally.

They pulled out their Draw.Write.Now books out and stated drawing...quietly, peacefully..


AHHH !!!

The Flu !

I have walked around all weekend with a thermometer in one hand and a medicine dispenser filled with Motrin in the other. Fever, chills, headaches and all kinds of stomach issues abound.... How did this happen ?

I tried so hard to protect us from this dreaded sickness..The Flu. I also tried to not get prideful when everyone around us has had it and we didn't. I thought we might be safe, maybe get through this 'flu season' without the flu.

Although it is not confirmed, I am pretty sure the boys and Chuck have the Swine Flu. Thank God, I have been well and able to take care of everyone. I can not imagine what it would be like if Momma is sick too.

I am thankful that we had a restful weekend watching football (War Eagle !!!) and eating home-made soup and cornbread. The boys have loved that they get to drink Sprite and Coke when they are sick and watch their favorite movies. We have been reading our Sonlight readers on the couch and having lots of snuggle time. Hopefully, though, the boys will be over the FLU soon and back to their normal, running around selves !

Golden dragon Acrobats

Last night we saw the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats perform at Auburn University !

The Golden Dragon Acrobats are an internationally famous troupe from Hebei, China. The company has traveled to over 65 countries on five continents. They have won several major awards over the company's history, including the National Association of Campus Activities Entertainer of the Year Award and the Campus Activities Today's Performer of the Year Award.

They were amazing !!! Of course, I forgot to bring my camera....

The last act was the most incredible and nerve racking thing I have ever seen. An acrobat man climbed I think 10 chairs and did some amazing acrobat stunts at the top of the tower of unstable, very high chairs. Amazing,Amazing, Amazing !!! Did I say the acrobats were amazing ?? And the Chinese woman were all so beautiful and graceful. We really enjoyed the night. If you get a chance to see this * amazing * performance you will be so AMAZED !

Maggie's Room

 

This was our Guest Room.

Soon it will magically change into a pink, shabby chic nursery for Maggie. Hopefully, I can get it painted soon, get the crib out of storage and start the transformation. It has been so fun to look for bedding and paint for her room.

I knew I wanted to do something calm and feminine for her. Shabby Chic seemed to be a perfect fit and I love that it is very girly, with cabbage roses and mismatched florals. I wanted to be able to use my grandmother's dresser that is already in the guest room and some old glass lamps I have. The big, functional ceiling fan is going out and a white cottage style chandelier with shades is going up. I was so fortunate to be able to buy her crib bedding second hand from a friend. It is exactly what I was wanting, and much cheaper.

Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is GOOD;
His Love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

PA !!!!

We received our PA ( pre- approval) today !!!

This means that our application to adopt Gao En Xiao ( Maggie) has been submitted and received by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).

What next ?

We wait on our Referral Acceptance (RA) which confirms that the CCAA has approved our family's request to adopt Maggie. This is also known as the Letter of Acceptance
( LOA).

When will we travel ?

Since our Dossier was already in China when we sent our Letter of Intent( LOI), and our Dossier went directly to the Special Needs Department, we will wait an average of 2-6 months for our RA. From then, we will wait some more for our Travel Acceptance (TA). The average wait time seems to be about 4 months for an RA.
So, we really don't know when we will travel.
I can't wait to hold our little Maggie ! (which by the way, is what part of her name means - "little").

Maggie's Finding Ad

This information was taken from Research-China.

"Since 1999, the orphanages in China are required to run a provincial newspaper advertisement for children that are found and brought to their orphanage. We call them "Finding Ads." These ads contain information about where and when the children were found and which orphanage is caring for them. Originally these were text-only ads, but most provinces now include photographs in their ads. These photographs are usually the earliest available pictures of the children, some from as young as a few weeks old ".

Maggie is less than a month old in her finding ad picture. We feel so blessed to have the original paper that her finding ad is in. The orphanage will post a childs picture one time in a provincial newspaper. (They usually post about six times a year). We used Research-China and they were wonderful.