God Has Gone Way Past My Way Past!!!

Let me start by telling you what my "way past" would be: paying off our adoption loan early and returning to Russia, let's say, in about a year and a half, and bringing home a sibling for Landon.

Now that you know where my "way past" lies, let me take you back to last Monday, the day after Mother's Day. Wait...no, let's take it back to Mother's Day. I was sitting at my mom's dining room table surrounded by my family. Landon was playing with one of my sisters in the living room, and just having a great time. My grandmother commented on how amazed and happy she is that Landon is just thriving here in our family. He was having a blast, laughing hysterically with everyone! She even said at one point, "You know, Liz, God's not done with you guys yet. You are going to have more children." I laughed and said, "Yeah, yeah, everyone always says that- 'you'll adopt, then you'll get pregnant'. But, I don't want to get pregnant. I want to adopt again. I want to go back to Russia and bring home another one of those little faces that we left behind'"  And, my grandmom immediately replied, "But what about all the kids here, Liz?" And, I just sighed.

Fast forward to Monday morning. One of my friends at school had a rare change in her schedule which made it possible for us to have the same lunch time. So, we decided, impromptu, to enjoy lunch together in her classroom so we could catch up. Mid-way down to her room I realized I forgot my cell phone and really wanted to check in to see how Landon was doing so far that day. When I went back and I grabbed my phone, I realized I had missed a call from our social worker. Thinking it was a quick question about our pending 6 month post placement visit the next day, I quickly called her back. Side note here: we were in her quiet room, just the two of us, and not the crouded, loud teacher's lounge I am always in for lunch!  As the call went on, I just kept getting more and more wide eyed:

Her phone call was to ask us if we would consider thinking about and praying about adopting an infant whose birth mother is due end of this July!!! Without sharing anymore details, just know how crazy this sounded at first to me. It was like the jitters of our referral call all over again, but without the expectation of a call! I called Greg right away, and honestly, I thought he would dismiss the idea right away. So, I said, just think about it, and pray about it, and we'll share our thoughts on it together tonight when we get home. To my surprise, he had not dismissed the idea. We both had the same thoughts.

Our initial reactions went something like this: Are we crazy? We can't handle another child yet. What about Landon's adjustment? I barely have our new routine down now as it is! Could there be any less time for ourselves? But, once we got over the initial shock, and prayed about it more, we realized that all the reasons we could come up with for saying "no" were selfish reasons and temporary challenges. On the positive side, we thought- we have been so amazed at how well Landon has been attaching to us- maybe God was preparing him for this all along? Landon and his new baby brother or sister would be 2 1/2 years apart- what a great age difference! And, afterall, our verse from the start said that He had plans to prosper us! We just never expected SO SOON nor had we ever in our wildest dreams thought that we would be given an opportunity in such a way. If you knew all the other details, you would probably have the same response our family and friends seemed to all have: this must be God! Go for it!

After a week of lots of thinking and praying, we decided that we both felt that this was God's plan, and that, as my grandmother said to do, we were to just say, "Lord, here I am, use me." And just let go and see where this leads.

 I had a women's retreat this past weekend with our church ladies. One of the speakers was the daughter of one of my favorite speakers- Tony Evans. Her name is Priscilla Shirer. She spoke on Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now unto Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY ABOVE all that we could EVER ask or even think, to Him be the glory and honor for ever and ever." Wow- what a perfect verse to sum up our week! God has, as she said, "gone WAY past MY way past!"

We are so excited to begin this journey, and to see how the pages of our lives continue to unfold. Please keep us in your prayers over these next two months as we prepare Landon, our home, and ourselves to welcome home a new baby. Yes, that's right, I said TWO MONTHS!

To end on a funny note, a moral of this story could be: Whenever someone who is "in tune" with God says that God is not done with you yet, and that you are going to have a baby...like the angel did to Sarah and Abraham, or like my grandmom did to me, DO NOT LAUGH!!!  For if you do, you are bound to be looking back, like I am, and like I am sure Sarah was and laughing even more. Thank you, Lord, for not making me wait until I am 99 !

Good News & Blessings Flow

I am so sorry for not blogging this sooner: Landon's bloodwork came back normal! Thank God! So, the week long fever that he had was an ear infection (so we found out), and not the result of some strange low neutrophil count. Whew! :)

Last weekend we dedicated our boy to the Lord. Afterall, He is who brought us together as a family. I couldn't think of a more important thing to do, no matter how old he is or how we came to be. Here are a few pictures of the service, and BBQ afterwards.

We had our friend, and Youth Pastor, George, dedicate Landon. For those of you who don't know, he and his wife Shannon, my BRFF (best running friend forever!) are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. Our adoptions started almost simultaneously after much talking/running and praying about things. What a special thing it has been to share in our journeys together!

Someone just wanted to get down and run around- we couldn't help but smile!

But, then he said, "Mama" and wanted me! Since I hardly ever get "chosen" over Greg, I am still smiling about this!!

Family shot next to the beautiful cake Shannon made

The wagon was a big hit! How many kids do you think can fit in at one time?

Love making my boy laugh!

My adorable boys!

Since everyone's always wanting to take his picture, he wants to start taking pictures too!

Comparing this picture to the one at the top, I can see how much Landon's changed! I am looking forward to spending my first Mother's Day with Landon tomorrow. Greg has to work, but we will be spending the day together, going to church and then to my parents. We are finsihing the day here at home- Greg is cooking us Filet Mignon on the grill! My mouth is watering already! :)



1st Easter

Well, not everything always turns out the way you plan. We started Easter weekend having Aunt Sarah cut our hair on Friday night. After Landon's hair cut, he went to bed, and we were onto my hair. Around 11:30 I heard Landon cry out on the monitor "Mama" with a whiny moan. I knew by the way he started crying something wasn't right. I went in to get him, and he was shivering, and his body was on fire. Yep, a fever. After Tylenol, and lots of TLC in the rocking chair, Landon finally went back to bed at 1 AM. The next morning, he slept until 10:30! ...thank God, because I needed to sleep too! After waking up and seeing he was feeling better, we went to Greg's parents house to dye eggs and have an early Easter dinner. He had a great time! Here are a few pictures of our Saturday (minus the egg hunt at church that got postponed until next weekend due to rain...AGAIN)

Uncle Chris (Greg's brother for those of you who don't know) showed Landon how to do the first one

After one egg, he starts bossing Uncle Chris around like he knows better!

And using his sign language to signal, "MORE!"

And, he gets to do LOTS more as you can see in the bowl!

After dying eggs, Landon got his 1st Easter Basket- from Mommom & Poppop!

Complete with bunny ears!

After a yummy dinner at Mommom and Poppop's, we went home so Landon could get a good night sleep- hoping the fever would NOT return!

When Greg got home at 7:15, both of us hid the eggs we dyed yesterday so Landon could find them. Well, 2 1/2 hours later, when he woke up, Dakota had already been well aware of where all the eggs were. Please excuse Greg in the video- the poor guy slept for 2 hours, then woke up just to watch Landon find the eggs, only to go back to sleep to work 7P-7A again tonight...

Did anyone notice the irony- he had his Christmas jammies on for easter? :)

After the egg hunt, Daddy went back to bed, and Landon and I started to get ready for church. We were all set, and ready to head out the door when I grabbed my lil' man's hand, and it felt HOT! After seeing these two pictures below, you will see why I was shocked to find out just how high his fever was: 101! :(

The smile I got right after he said "Happy Easter!"

So, we had a change of plans, and decided to just hang in at home (without waking Daddy!). After about 2 hours of playing in the sunroom and basement, and finding that the Tylenol had once again done a great job, we ventured out to my parents house.  Here are some pictures and 1 more video of our fun afternoon!

Landon got his 3rd Easter basket from Aunt "Lala" (Laura) and Uncle Dave

Then, after lunch, Landon got to go outside at Nana & Grandpop's for another Egg Hunt! He LOVED it!

Nana and Grandpop revealed a secret- there is chocolate in these eggs!!

 Sidenote here: Landon kept signing for "more" after he found all the eggs, so they were re-hidden and re-found at least 2 more times! Might I also add here the gross detail that a bunny was found dead under their back porch? Luckily Landon didn't see that, and we all chuckled at the irony of a dead bunny on Easter. :(

And, perhaps my favorite moment of the day! Watching Landon and my granddad playing bubbles together, and laughing SO hard! How sweet life is! We are so blessed to have Landon in our lives!

A Phun Day in the Philles Ballpark!!

Last Sunday was a day we were anticipating for about two months- Landon's first Phillies game! Greg and I have always loved going to Phillies games together...now that I am thinking of it, that's where we had our first kiss...wow, 14 years ago! AH! So, anyway, we bought tickets for the Phanatic's birthday a few months ago, excited to share these fun times as a family. We knew he would love seeing all the other mascots running around on the field, and they would be a help to keeping him entertained throughout the game. He has been saying "ballpark" for a while now, and "phanatic" too- well, that sounds more like "natti."

Other than a 2nd-4th inning walk around the ballpark to get the ants out of our 2 year old's pants, he did it- he lasted the entire game! There were a few funny memories- one was after the Phanatic and the other mascots danced on top of the dugout, Landon repeatedly said, "Landon" while pointing down to where they were. No, hunny, we can't let you jump down to the field level. :) I wonder if he will like the Phanatic when he gets closer and sees how big he really is- I am predicting- NO.

Here are a few photos!

Attempted self taken family picture

We brought his glove, even though foul balls never reach the 400 level

Love when he looks back at me like this!

...even though it is usually right before he is doing something he shouldn't!

Yummy....popcorn!

After the game we asked a kind lady to take our picture :)

We are already looking forward to our next trip to the ballpark! But, before that, we have a fun weekend about to start (well, all but Landon's bloodwork which is tomorrow morning)! Dying Easter Eggs, 2 family dinners, church...in an outfit I am dying to see my handsome boy in, and hopefully an Easter Egg hunt if it doesn't get rained out!

Happy Easter everyone!



Just 10 Baby Houses Away

I know, I know, the fact that there are even 10 Baby Houses in one city is sad...but there are more, many more than 10 "homes" to shelter these orphaned children. The one we are most familiar with is Baby House 20 in Moscow, where our precious son lived for most of his little life.  And, just a few miles away from Baby House 20 is Baby House 10. Back in August, I blogged about a book that changed my world. It was set in Baby House 10, where a little boy, Vanya, lived. Little did I know at the time I read this book, sobbing through certain parts, that our son was just "10 Baby Houses Away." The very thought makes me cry even now.

Dateline, NBC just aired a special this past Sunday night. It features Vanya, a boy who lived in Baby House 10, but was later adopted into a home in our nearby Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This boy is the same "Boy From Baby House 10."  Below you will see a link to Part 1 of Dateline's special. This special which is 6 parts long, tells Vanya's story. 

Until I figure out what else we are definitely called to do to continue to fight for the cause of the orphan, I know I am now called to be a voice. As hard as the videos are to watch, sometimes it helps us to come face to face with just what is truly going on in our world around us. A world that I am thankful beyond words to describe, that our son is no longer a part of. Every day of our lives is living proof of how valuable each and every one of God's children are, and how with a little love they can be the root of such indescribable joy and happiness to all of those whom they come in contact with.

So, yes, you may need to grab a tissue, as you watch some videos from a baby house in Moscow, that was "Just 10 Baby Houses Away."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(after watching this video, you will see parts 2-6 appear as icons you can click on to the left of the screen)

Please continue to pray for all the families that are currently out there, trying to bring these children into their homes and families. These families are fighting a culture's driving belief that children with disabilities aren't worth the effort...that these families should move on to "better children." And, also please continue to pray for EVERY SINGLE child in this world that is somewhere longing to be held, loved, fed, and called a son or a daughter.

Here is a picture of "My Lil' Man,." my handsome boy who brings me more happiness than I could have dreamed, my boy from Baby House 20. Thank you, Lord!

Prayer Request

We found out today that Landon's recent blood work which was done had a repeat low level: Low CBC (cumulative blood count) and neutrophil count. He was in the mild/low range in late January at his first draw, and now it is even lower. We don't know why it is low...our pediatrician doesn't seem that concerned- he thinks it could be off due to the sinus infection he had a few weeks ago. That doesn't explain the initial low numbers in January, but it, hopefully, is why these are low. The other option is that there could be an unerlying reason why these levels are low. I googled low neutrophil count, and that did not help me at all. Well, it was very informative- but, I should have just been okay with the "list of possible reasons" that the Dr. had told me there was. Nooo...I chose to go research further- bad move on my part. I saw scary words like blood cancer, and bone marrow issues, and had my stomach in knots until I remembered that this is not how I want to handle this. I am going to continue to just keep praying for Landon like I do everyday, like I have since before we even knew of him. (it worked so far, right? ) :) I know that there is no better hands our son could be in, but God's. 

The plan: cancel the "lil' boy surgery" he was scheduled for this week, until his levels come up.  AND, repeat bloodwork again in 2 weeks, and PRAY.

I thought, what better place to share this prayer request- I know from so many of your encouraging words and comments how many people are/have been following Landon since the start. So, if you wouldn't mind, please pray that these levels will come up, and that we will not have to do any futher testing after this next panel of labs in 2 weeks.

Thank you in advance for your prayers!

I'll leave you with this picture I took today on my phone after coming home from work. What a BEAUTIFUL day it was!!

The Swingset is UP!

After a few months of sitting in a box, waiting for the warmer weather to come so we could set it up, THE SWINGSET IS UP!!!

Yesterday, April 2nd, just a mere 24 hours after a Fools' Day snow shower, Landon's Aunts and Uncles came over to help put together the swingset. Well, Greg, Dave, and Dennis did all the hard work, us girls just sat around, talked, and got dinner ready in the meantime. :) It was a super fun day!

One of my new favorite pictures right here! :)

Arms UP!

And, now, thanks to Aunt Laura, Landon wants me to ride on the glider too!

Laughing hysterically at silly Aunt Laura wearing his hat!

You know Landon loves the swingset when we pick him up from his crib in this morning and he runs straight for the back door!

Stay tuned for new pictures this week- Aunt Sarah gave Landon a new haircut! A shorter buz! It's so cute!