She's Proud to be an American

The Chunster is a Patriot. She tells me all the time, "Mom, we live in the United States of America!" She loves the song "God Bless America." Most of all, she loves the United States flag. She gleefully points out each one she sees as we drive around town (do you know how many banks, car dealerships, etc., fly the flag? A LOT!!!). She will happily tell you the number of stars and stripes and then wants to know which star is for Texas. I looked for a book about Betsy Ross, but I could not find one appropriate for a 3 yr old. Yep, Chunie the most patriotic preschooler I know. Now that the 4th of July is nearing, she has been saying "MOM! It's the United States of America's BIRTHDAY!!!" I have not told her yet that the birthday party ends with fireworks. A mom has to have some surprises!

Prayer for Children

I saw this on another blog, and LOVED it...I hope you will, too.

My Prayer for All Children

I pray that all children will be loved for who they are, for no reason other than that they are.

I pray that all children will be loved as first best, not second best; that they will be loved with an intensity that can move mountains, because life will present plenty of mountains that will need to be moved.

I pray that all children will have someone who will…

* seek them, and only them, out of the crowd on the stage;
* push them to reach for their goals and discover their unique gifts;
* hold them accountable for their actions with love and dignity;
* advocate for them through this maze called life;
* explain the unexplainable; and
* smile when they walk into the room, just because they did.

Mostly I pray that all children will have someone who knows them well enough and loves them deeply enough to see the divine spark that is unique in them.

I pray that this be the birthright of all children throughout the world. And since this birthright can only be fulfilled by parents, I pray that each child, regardless the circumstances of their birth, finds their parent and each parent finds their child.

Thanks God. Amen.

-By Dawn Davenport, www.creatingafamily.com

YAY! Heather is doing better!

Thank you SO much for your prayers. Heather is doing much better and may even get to come out of the ICU today. Please continue to remember Heather's family (Dad Steve, Mom Cyn "Cece", twin Hannah, younger sis Mariah) as they are weary but relieved and rejoicing. Heather still has a long road ahead of her, but we have seen the miraculous and are thanking the One who has held Heather in His Hands. Here are some photos of Heather's family (plus The Chunster) for you to see as you remember continue to remember them.

Praying for Heather

This is our dear friend, Heather, a 20-year-old college student who loves the Lord, loves her family, and loves The Chunster. This photo is of Heather and me with the beautiful panda afghan that Heather made for Amelia before she came home from China. For the past few days, Heather has been fighting for her life following complications from a severe flare-up of ulcerative colitis. Heather and her family and friends are definitely walking through the valley of the shadow of death in these hours and days, but we fear nothing, for we know Our Lord is walking with all of us and will not leave or forsake us. I invite you to join us in our prayers for Heather and her family.

More Balls Than Dolls....

Any visions I had about rearing a child and enjoying tea parties, dolls, and tiaras have been soundly laid to rest since The Chunster arrived on the scene. The child enjoys a ball. Baseball? Loves it. Soccer? Wants to sign up for the fall season when she turns 4. Basketball? Limited exposure, but likes the bouncy action. See the last photo? This is when I walked through the living room and found her sitting with her baseball gear in her lap watching golf. I am not kidding. Chunie's referral documents said she liked "boy toys," and I self-assuredly thought, "well, she's probably never had a girl toy." Friends, I am here to tell you that the child has been exposed to so-called "girl" toys, and she prefers her sports gear, tools, and train table. There's no 'splainin it, so I just go with it. Case in point: I took The Chun-bug shopping for new jammies. She was quietly mulling over the Dora, Princess, and butterfly offerings when she exclaimed, "I see the ones I want!!!" and darted across the aisle (yep...to the boys' section) to pick out the sports jammies. She was thrilled to see a set with a soccer ball, baseball, and basketball on them. And here's the news flash: I bought them!!! Yes, navy and red. Yes, from the boys' section. Nope, not a tiara in sight. She is The Chunster, and she is her own person, and I just love her...balls and all!

Here is Grandmama's new kitten, Mao Mao, with The Chunster. He kept coming into The Princess Room (where all Grandchildren get to spend the night) and trying to sleep with The Chunster. Amelia took her bedfellow far better than I anticipated she might. She thought it was funny that he wanted to sleep with her.

The Park is COMPLETE!

Thanks to the kindness of our good friends Steve, Brian, Michael, and Lindsay, who gave their time to build the thing, Amelia's park is complete. She loves it!