What's Shelby up to?

This girl is on the run! She started band camp in early August and a summer job at a farm market in July. She has been fitting some babysitting jobs and started playing in the church bell choir. She is on a mission to buy her own car, but in the mean time she borrows the family plow truck to drive to school. She looks cute in her monster truck and ponytail.

Ro

 

Robbie and his birthday cupcakes.  This isn't typical though.  Robbie doesn't really care for cake, so I usually make this cream cheese coffee cake that he really loves.  We got to branch out to cupcakes though this year.

 

 

 

The First Day of school picture you didn't get to see

 

 

 

Robbie And Grandma S

 

 

Robbie and with Papa and Grandma K

 

 

 

Our boy is playing tackle football.  I try not to wince when I say that, because sometimes I do worry.  He really loves it though and I am still amazed how he can spout off anything football - he already knows a ton.  He is playing wide receiver and cornerback this year. 

 

 

 

Video Re Post

I haven't been able to view our video on our apple devices, so if you can't this should work

http://vimeo.com/49160826

Get to Know Matt(hew)

 

Well I introduced our little man, but I haven't told you much about him yet.  Matt (still trying that one on) was born in March 2011 in the Henan province of China.  As you can tell from his picture, he has one cheek larger than the other.  It is called a subcutaneous facial hemangioma , it is like a collection of cells/veins under the skin. ( Shelby actually had one of these, too.  Hers however was very red and small; located on the back of her head.  Shelby's eventually went away on its own.)  We have spoke with a surgeon here in the states and he thinks Matt's is very treatable and really doesn't pose any serious health problems. 

 

Since Matthew is at or has been at Maria's Big House of Hope (MBHOH) we are thinking he has been receiving some sort of treatment??  It's funny, but I don't  notice his cheek anymore.  I am constantly amazed how God works all things to his good though.   Since Matthew's condition isn't every day typical, people remember our little guy.  I have been blessed by so many people contacting me who remember his picture and even a couple of people who have met him.  I have been guilty of stalking blogs, face book pages, and web pages looking for our little guy now.  I got excited when I saw this picture of a book.  The little boy is wearing the same outfit as Matt did in his referral pictures and both pictures were taken at MBHOH I believe.  I found out this book was released in 2011 so it looks like Matt is just wearing the same clothes. 

 

Matt's Referral Picture

 

I am getting off target again...  our Matt loves to be read to and sit in his nanny's lap.  He likes to watch cartoons  (he will fit right in with his siblings).   He walked at 13 months and had 10 teeth.  He has some words and gives hugs to his nannies.  He can build a 5 block tower and scribble with a pen.  He is described as lively, loves to smile, obstinate at times and a light sleeper (again he will fit right in). 

 

I am just feeling so blessed that God would give us the opportunity and honor of being his family. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care Package

After a little shopping, I was able to get a care package together for our Matt (experimenting with the name a little bit). The lady at the checkout asked me several times if I wanted gift receipts- I wanted to pull her leg and say "are there Targets in China?". Very fun to buy such little clothes and hoping my guesstimates of size are in the ballpark.

Jungle Book Room

When I first saw Mogli in the back of one of Matthew's picture - I scoured all over the Internet looking for an orphanage with Disney characters. I could even remember someone telling me there was one.

Duh - I actually heard the Chapmans speak about two years ago when they were in Cleveland. They spoke about how they lost their sweet daughter Maria (who was adopted from China) and they had opened this Maria's Big House of Hope in her memory. They also went on to say how they decorated the inside with Disney characters...

Please check this place out, it's amazing

http://www.hopefosterhome.com/special_care/marias/index.htm.

 

 

New Pictures!

We received some new info on our boy this week! Turns out he has been or is at Maria's Big House of Healing in Luoyang. This is a healing facility started by the singer Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth in honor of their daughter Maria. They provide top notch care and spiritual nurturing at MBHOH. It is a beautiful place and it's awesome that Matthew is getting exposed to Americans there (we won't be nearly as scary then when we meet him). Since Matthew isn't home in our arms, we really couldn't even pick a better place for him to be till then.

It's Official!!! Introducing ....

I just had a feeling as I was unloading groceries from the car I quickly checked my email and there it was - our Prior Approval to adopt our son He Hui.  It had me in tears on the floor of the basement.   We were given his file a couple of weeks ago but we weren't allowed to share this information publicly till he was officially ours.  It's been killing us not to share it, so I worked on this video in the mean time.    God is awesome and never fails to completely knock me off my feet.