No more teenagers.....for a while

Ben turned 20 today. How come the difference between 19 and 20 seems so big when your child turns 20? I mean, wasn't it just yesterday that he was running around carrying Clifford wherever he went?... And putting worms in his pocket, and hanging off the chandelier above the diningroom table? (Oh, the joys of raising boys!) Time goes by so fast......:(
Happy Birthday Ben, we love you!

A funny thing about the number two candle on his cake. Caleb had got ahold of it yesterday and threw it up onto a shelf. Good thing he told me or I never would have found it. Well, I got it down and didn't realize that it was broken in two pieces (it was still in the plastic) until I got ready to put it on the cake. So I quick, grabbed a glue stick and stuck it together right before I put it on the cake. We all had a good laugh over that.:)Jimmy shops with his debit card at a local grocery store every week with his class. He always buys something special for us when it's our birthday. This week he was so excited to buy Ben these chocolate chip cookies. But he really got a kick out showing us his name on the cookies.:)


Elijah loves cookies!

Ben and what he calls his "Trigger mustache"
And somehow, I didn't get a picture of Jimmy, but he was there too.:)

Here we go.....!

I have been anxiously waiting to write this post....sorry to leave you all hanging.:)
I have always been ready to go, if God said "Go!" And I have been praying that he would open the door and tell me to "GO". Well, He did just that....so YES, we are adding to our family again. We have committed to a beautiful little 6 year old boy with Ds that is now living in Eastern Europe. I am so excited to bring this little guy home!:)He has lived 6 long years without a mother's love. Just in case you didn't know, Caleb is 8 and Elijah is almost 5, so their new brother will fit right in the middle and we couldn't be more happy!

I have a big prayer request for fundraising. This is my third international adoption and I need to raise a large portion of money to complete our little guy's adoption. I have some ideas and also some very pretty pieces of jewelry that I am ready to raffle off. When you see my fundraisers, could you please share them on FB and also your blogs? We also have our FSP on Reece's Rainbow and will be putting our button up soon that links to our FSP. It's so hard for me to ask for money....but our little guy is depending on me so I will do this for him. He needs us, and we need him.

Another prayer request is that his adoption will go quickly and smoothly so we can get him home ASAP. I am not sure if he has been transferred to an institution or not, but if not then he is very close. And if he has, then we know that his days are numbered and we need to get him home asap!

And finally for those of you that have never adopted.....yes, you can love a child before you meet him, before you hold him in your arms, and before you kiss him. And you can miss him too, so very much. Jimmy tells me that he misses our little guy, and I know Jimmy is speaking with his heart when he says this.

Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are (Cover by MattyBRaps ft. Tyler Ward)

So far..........:)

Our family......

"The Funny Show"

Caleb loves watching America's Funniest Videos aka "The Funny Show". He gets so excited to watch it and laughs throughout the whole show. Every time a commercial comes on, he comes over to me and asks, "Mom, Funny Show?" and I have to reassure him that "The Funny Show" is coming back on. He just smiles and says, "Yea!":)

I'm a Prayer Warrior

I am a prayer warrior for these two precious little guys. One is 6 years old and the other is almost 2 years old. They share the same name (Nikita) and live in the same Eastern European country (one that I hold very dear to my heart). Nikita (bottom photo) has already been transferred to a place that no child should have to go. But he can still come home, if a family will take that leap of faith. And in a short couple of years, little Nikita (top photo) will be sent to an institution as well.:( This is not God's plan for any child, and we need to do our part....




"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."


The Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry was created on the principles of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. His command to "defend the cause of the weak and fatherless" is our primary purpose and foundation. He also teaches us that prayer is a key part of our faith, that it is powerful and effective, and that our prayers are HEARD.

John 14:13-14 "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" .
Matthew 17:20 "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"

Through our Waiting Child and Family Sponsorship Grant Programs, Reece's Rainbow provides a very personal and meaningful way to change the course of a child's life. Individuals can watch the progress of that child as their family goes through each stage of the adoption process, and finally, through the family blog after they are home. But many people who love these orphaned children and passionately support this ministry are not in a position to adopt a child at this time. Some are not even in a position to sponsor them financially. But prayer is FREE and can be even more powerful than an adoption grant in finding an adoptive family, helping with fundraising, and seeking God's favor in the health and well-being of each child as they wait "at the end of Reece's Rainbow" for their forever family.




www.reecesrainbow.org