We Have a New Blog

Please follow along on our new blog, http://gandtbell.blogspot.com/.  We are starting a new adoption. I will keep this blog up if anyone wants to read about our adoption in 2012 but I will only be posting on our new blog from now on.

Super Super Super Excited

We are going to be hosting a sweet girl from Ukraine for the month of August.  I am so thrilled as to WHO it is!  We surprised Peyton with the news on her birthday because this girl is from her orphanage.  Peyton is sooo excited. 

We got to know A while we were visiting Peyton at the orphanage and we became a little attached. She was so shy and sweet and standoffish at first.  By the time we were ready to leave with the kids she had pretty much attached to us as well and the river of tears were flowing the day we left.

It has been almost 3 years now and I thought I would never see her again.  But God lead me to follow a Facebook post about a hosting program needing families for kids from Ukraine.  So I looked out of curiosity and there she was.  I have never seen kids from this orphanage on a hosting sight before and I took a double take just to make sure. My heart took a leap just considering the what ifs! 

I have been in touch with one of the coordinators and we are working on the paperwork now.  The agency that did our home study last time is not Hague accredited and so we are looking for an agency that is.  If anyone has any suggestions of agencies that are accredited please let us know.  We live in Missouri. 

We would appreciate prayers for the financial part of this as I just left my job on June 1 to be home with my kids.  It has been one of the best decisions of my life!  My kids are now getting the best of me and not what was left of me at the end of the day. We also need prayers for the stirring that God has put in my heart to go and adopt A.  I am willing but again finances are a factor.  Anyone have any suggestions on fundraisers?   I have seen t-shirts and jewelry but who are the best businesses to use?  I want it to be a fundraiser where people can get something for their money as we don't feel right asking for donations. : )

So that is our exciting news.  I hope to post an update soon on the kids.

~Tina





  

  

Really, They Are Gone Again!

Sooo, there are so many things I could say but I better not.  I never know who is reading this.

I just wonder, who cares about the kids.  What they want, what they have to say about what happened, how they feel about their lack of education, how they feel with no routine, how they feel about loving and losing.  Then it dawns on me, God, He knows all of this.  He is in control.  He will take care of these sweet children.

So, I have to let go and let Him.

Praying for J and K.

~Tina

They Came Back

Our two sweet foster children came back a few days ago.  They were so glad to see us.  We just picked up right where we left off and every thing has been pretty smooth.  The poor children don't know whether they are coming or going.  It is just so sad, hard, ridiculous really, that a child has to be put through this.  We are glad we can be there for them and at least provide some sort of stability for a while.  It is amazing what they think and what is reality.  It is our hope that by the time they leave that we can put good in to their little hearts and minds and take away some of the stuff.

I saw the following picture today.  People question why we take more children; why we take on the extra stuff; why we put our family through this.  But I think, what would God do?  What does He ask us to do?  Are you just giving lip service or doing what He put you here to do?  I want to get to the end of my life and know that I have lived a life worthy of standing before Him.

~Tina



 

And, just like that, they are gone!

We had no idea that when we said yes to 2 more that we would only have them for 2 weeks.  It was hard to see them go, for us and for them.  He sat on Gary's lap and cried and cried.  He was happy here and we felt so bad.  But, when you are a foster parent, you have no choice.  You love them while you can and pray that the choices that are being made for them, by the system, are for their good.  We pray daily for them and just remind ourselves that God is in control.  He sees and knows what we do not.  But it still is just so! d a r n! hard! to love and let go. 

~Tina