Friday, April 25, 2008

CONTEST

Some of you know that the Christophers are doing the Disney Cruise tomorrow. We are in Fl and ready to go.
BTW, don't forget to check out the contest over at Random Thoughts. Prizes will be from the cruise and its easy and simple.. For those of you already playing, THANKS!!!!
Sorry, we will be missing the chat tomorrow!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Wanted: Someone has been reading our blog who has the same LID as us and lives in Orlando. If that is you, please email me at amyschristopher@comcast.net or even if you just live in Orlando. We are going to have lunch with a group of China adopting families Sunday May 4th near UCF!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

LIDiversary book #13

We live in the South and we love Jeff Foxworthy, who is a great family man in a Christian home, so since he has written a kid's book.....

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Monday Meditations

I am grateful that the spirit of adoption is reaching around the world. I am grateful for all of you I am praying for each of you today and that we will all stay encouraged. I am praying for friends that have had some clouds pass their way and I hope they see the sun soon!


What are YOU talking to God about today?

Saturday, April 19, 2008

stuff

Thanks to those who chatted this morning. Wish I could have stayed longer, but my bed was calling out pretty loudly to me!

Any other April 2007 LIDers out there? Can you believe it has been a year?

OH, there are some Orlando/Central Fl families out there. Saturday, May 3rd Michael and I have a few hours of just chilling. Anyone want to meet? I know there are some of you who are looking to see if you have time off, but we were thinking lunch somewhere near UCF? Let us know if you are interested!!!


I hope all of you are having a rocking weekend! Did ya do anything fun?

Friday, April 18, 2008

Saturday morning chat

Dont forget about the Saturday morning chat tomorrow! Check out the sidebar and click on the button, it will take you right over the 7th Diamond! 8am-? Always fun!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

and the red thread continues

Last night at work, a coworker came up to me and said, "Come with me, my patient knows you". I was like who? Anyway, this lovely family knows me from our blog, and is also friends with the Ladmans. She said she had been reading our blog for a while now. I was li,e Cool! They just got their beautiful son home from China and was having his cleft surgery. Apparently she emailed me months and months ago and I gave her the info to the plastic surgeons in Atlanta. She was very thanksful. We talked about China, adoption, special needs and stuff.

She had found Shelby's link from our Monday prayer time and had used her site as a reference for her sons surgery. Because of Donna's wonderful blogging, she decided not to send her husband home as she needed an extra set of hands.

So, we are chatting and who comes in? Another little China boy who also had cleft repair the night before. We all are using the same agency and these families were logged in as NSN and eventally switched over to SN! They gave me some great advice and info and these were definitely not moments I was expecting.

Its funny. On my way to work, I always say the same prayer asking me God to help me give the best physical, mental and emotion care, but I usually add a " God, give me a cool moment" and that He did!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends! What's on your heart today? I'm praying for all of us. Those who are waiting for our babies, those who are home, those thinking about adoption and our friends and family who have been encouraging and supporting us!!!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

New link

You will notice a sweet face on the side bar. This is a little boy with spina bifida at the Starfish Orphanage. The Seventh Diamond is organizing a project to help raise money for his and other children's surgery. IF you are able to donate any money towards his surgery, please click his picture and type in little boy with spina bifida when it allows you. The people who run this facility are so grateful for any all help. Several of us have chosen children to "sponsor" on our blog. I chose this sweet boy because a huge population of my patients at work have this condition. I know that in order to have the best quality of life, surgery is needed as soon as possible.

I hope you will pray for him, I hope you will pray for all of the babies at Starfish. I will have links to them soon. Kim and other bloggers have been really educating me on this. In fact, last month, blogging friends sent large amounts of clothing for the kids that are currently there. If y

This just demonstrates how much of a need there is. Love Without Boundaries (if anyone has a button code, I would love it) is the other organization I have been learning about. They do sooo many things including cleft lip/palate surgery which is another huge part of the patient population on my floor.

So, I ask if you can to pray about this little boy in the picture. Pray for his caretakers and doctors and that the money will come in for his surgery.

The post below is taken from Chinese Starfish.
Donations for Surgeries
There have been some interesting developments of late. The orphanages I work with have been calling me about some of the babies that need medical care, hoping that I can help. It has taken almost three years to get to this point and I feel that they are beginning to trust me to find the best care for their children. I have decided to try raise the funds and this is the reason I am writing today: To ask for your help. I am unable to bring them to Starfish right now, which makes me sad but I know that if I help with the surgeries while they are in the orphanage, then they will have a better chance at getting adopted.
I hope that in the faces of the children, you will see a need that you can do something about because the children who could use a helping hand. Maybe it is foregoing a dinner at a restaurant, a DVD or a new pair of shoes and contributing that money to our tax free foundation. By doing that you will make a permanent difference in the lives of these children. People often tell me that they cannot contribute much. I will accept whatever you can donate because I know this: The power is in combining all of those "small" donations and making something 'big" out of it. As in the story from which I took our name, you too can become a starfish thrower, by helping a child to get the necessary surgeries to become healed.
1) Breanna: She is at Starfish right now and we have raised about 2/3 of the money needed for her heart surgery. April has been so eager to help her and to honor all of her efforts, I have decided to have the surgery done in April. We are going to go ahead and do the surgery next week because it is a convenient time for Dr Li in Hangzhou. We need a additional US$1600 to cover the cost.

2) Emily: Emily is our latest addition at Starfish and it would seem that she has a parasitic twin, I still have to confirm that. Regardless, the surgery will be done at the SCMC in the middle of April to remove the growth and this surgery is also partially paid for. The funds were donated to us by the Interkom auction that I went to in Shanghai last week. This even was presented by the high school students, who through their efforts raised 20 000RMB (US$2800) to help a baby get surgery. We are short about US$1 400 for that.

There is a selection of children with Spina Bifida still in the orphanage:

1) A little boy whose picture they sent to me. He is about 8 months old. I just love that little face.
2) Two girls with SB they spent pictures of.

3) I also know of three older children who are in need of some surgery. Two are is seven and they both have to have surgery on three botched attempts to heal their SB. Another girl is four and she was just just left by her family about two weeks ago. We are planning on getting these three on a schedule with Dr Lazareff and his team who will be back in China in October of this year. I was so happy to hear about this.
Please donate through Groundspring on our website
http://www.chinesestarfish.org/ You will see the "Donate now" button on the right hand bottom of the page. If you donate, you are welcome to choose a baby and we will make sure we send you some information about the surgeries and the baby's progress over the next few months. The average amount needed for the spina bifida surgeries if there are no complications is about US$3500 to $4000. The heart surgeries can vary depending on the heart condition and this can be between US$3000 to $5000. I will also let you know when the surgeries have been fully funded. I want to keep Dr Bao busy at the SCMC!!! I am just kidding. He is busy enough without all my babies. You have to fight for his OR time and a bed in the hospital. SCMC is a really busy and very famous all over China.
Thank you so much for your support and for allowing me to do this kind of work. I could not do this without the generous donations of the people who follow the adventures of Starfish. It has been an awesome experience for me, one that has defined my life and I am so grateful for the chance to help heal a child and to be there to make sure they have everything they need to find a family.
Life, Love and Laughter,
AmandaStarfish Foster Home
http://www.chinesestarfish.org/
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com/

Saturday morning Chat

RMJ is having family time and is in need of prayer!!! I dont think she will be doing the chat today, but its 8am, anyone want to chat?

Amy

Thursday, April 10, 2008

family,princesses,and memories

In 2 weeks we start our family vacation, in 2 1/2 weeks we will be back on the Disney Magic (Disney Cruise). If you know our story, this was the time when God did not whispered pretty loudly that adoption was for us. Its been almost 2 years since I had my long talk with 5 year old Marissa, adopted from China. That girl not only captured my heart but my mind as well.

What will happen on this cruise, I wonder? I have a feeling we will see a lot of little princesses, along with my 7 year old niece Janie.

I start thinking of what our family is like now and what it will be like when LynnMarie comes home. As you can probably tell, I like to remember the past and dream about the future. I see lots of princess outfits in the future.I really can not wait for to put my focus on someone other than Michael and I.

No real news in the adoption world (thats for family and friends not in the adoption world). God is doing some cool things. Sometimes I wonder what she will be like. What things she will like, what will make her happy, ya know?
and those are my thoughts for the day...haha
Im

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Keep praying for Shelby

Im not working tonight but called to check on her..So, I am waiting to talk to a nurse their or maybe even her Mom! Praying she has a much better night!, with much less discomfort!
They are hoping she will start eating and drinking!
**********UPDATE SHELBY IS HOME**********

WOOHOOO


Sunday, April 06, 2008

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends! This morning, will you pray for Shelby, her family ,and all involved in her care? At 9:30. she is having her cleft palate repair. We met Shelby and her family at First Friday and they are just really special.

A lot of people are discouraged, frustrated, and losing hope. I pray that we will continue to encourage each other and use the wait to accomplish so many things.
Pray for our spouses. Most of my blogging adoptive friends are female and most of us are involved in yahoo groups and stuff like that. I pray our spouses will stay encouraged and that our marriages will only get better during this time!

I am thankful that as our first year of waiting come to end , that its gone by so fast. Those of you who read this and/or have a blog have really helped our wait.
I am thankful for First Fridays and what a support system it is.
I am thankful I got to see Sheridan yesterday!
I am thankful for the children who have come home this year that I have gotten to know.
I am thankful that families saw their babies faces for the first time last week.

Friday, April 04, 2008

lurkers come out

Well, last night was First Fridays and we missed it again. Michael is sick with the flu and I had to work. That's the second month in a row we have missed and next month we will be on our Disney Cruise with my family so that's 3 in a row we will miss plus it looks like I am working the first Friday in June! Ugh!

I know you have read about First Fridays before but it is an incredible ministry. Its a monthly gathering of people who have adopted, waiting on their adoption, or are thinking of adoption. Its grown and includes families who have adopted from other countries as well.

This has been such a support from us and we have made some lifelong friends.

So, I hope if you are in the Atlanta area that you will attend a First Friday one day.

So, I noticed our blog has been getting some new hits. Some are from my weight watchers board.
If you rarely comment, would you do so now? I would love to see who reads this.
In case I do not make it back to the blog before Monday, please say a prayer for Miss Shelby. She was adopted last year from China and is having her palate surgery on Monday. Pray for the doctors, nurses and techs to just love on this sweet little girl and her precious family!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

updates

Not much to report..Still waiting. Looks like referrals are on their way..Always a good time. Cant wait to see those sweet babies!

How are all of you doing?

The only update we have is that we are still waiting. Hopefully bettering ourselves in the process.
We are soon going to hit the 1 year of waiting. That wasn't so bad.

Has anyone seen the news this week with our Governor in China? Very good reports about Georgia and China.

Sorry for the random post! I am so glad that there are soo many bloggers out there. You have really helped pass the time with your stories, updates and encouragement!

I still can not believe that one day we are going to China and starting a family. That still blows my mind.

Better post next time, I promise!!!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Pray pray pray

tricias getting new lungs..How awesome! how awesome. I am just so thrilled..Time to pray..Please spread this around and head over to www.cfhusband.blogspot.com and send them some love

oh my gosh!!!!

post about another family

So please keep Nate and Tricia in your prayers. They got another call that they be matched for another pair of lungs. Pray for Nate, Tricia and their sweet baby girl who is getting prettier every day.