New Blog Coming

Hi Everyone, I know it has been sometime since I posted here. Things have been tough these past few weeks. Our family is still healing from our loss, but we are still trusting that God is going to do a great work in our family.
I want to keep this blog in memory of our sweet Maya. So,I have decided to start a new blog for a new journey. If you would like to follow us on our new journey, our new blog address is www.preciousworkofgod.blogspot.com We are going to be more careful this time around. Thank you all for your support this past year, your encouragment has meant so much.

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Maya!!!
We hope you have a wonderful day. Many prayers and thoughts are going out for you today.

Our Sweet Maya

My sweet baby girl,

I can't believe two years have passed since we began this journey to you. When we started out we were so naive. We thought that we would complete the paper work, send it to Vietnam, and we would bring you home a few months after that. The minute we saw your face we knew you were ours, and that God had blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. We all sat around the computer laughing, crying, and talking about what it was going to be like to have you in our family. Little did we know how hard this road was going to be, but that's usually the way things go for us. So, we hit those challenges head on. We fought for you, and we fought hard. Not a week went by that I didn't call someone on your behalf. I talked with the Senator's offices, the State Department, and the White House. All the while thinking that somehow what I was doing would get you home. I never gave up thinking that soon I would hold you. It makes my heart break knowing that you will never know how much this family loves you. Your brothers and your sister talk about you every day. They talk about what you must look like, what your favorite color will be, and how cute you will look in the clothes that sit in your dresser. Every time that we pray, your 3 year old brother reminds us to pray for you. He says, “Pray for Maya, that she gets enough food, and she will come home.” Sweet girl, you are loved by so many. The day we found out you weren't going to be able to come home, three of my closest friends stopped by to pray and cry with me. We laid on my bed and prayed for you, that either God would work a miracle in this situation, or that He would place you in a home that loves you as much as we do. I cannot tell you how many people pray for you daily..

I want you to know that we will never stop praying for you. I pray that you will grow into a beautiful woman of God, that loves others more than herself. You have been such a special gift to us. I thank God that He brought us on this journey, otherwise, we never would have known you. We love you so much, and that will NEVER change.

I can't tell you that I understand why this has happened, or why I will never have the chance to hold you. I do know however, that God is good, and that He never makes a mistake. I am surprised, and hurt that things didn't turn out that way we thought they would, but I still trust Him and He has a reason for this.

I believe that someday I will see you in Heaven. I know that the minute I see you I will recognize you because you are so close to my heart. I will never forget you, no matter what road we may travel down next. You are forever a member of our family, and we love you.




Love,

Daddy, Mama,

Morgan, Kristian, and Harrison

My Heart is Broken

We received this news today. I didn't think there were anymore tears to cry, guess I was wrong. I covet your prayers now for our family as we are grieving.

Eric Alexander, Consular Chief, met with officials in Phu Tho this week and reached an agreement that will enable the Service to finish adjudication of the pending Phu Tho cases that have been filed with this office. Officials of Phu Tho and Dr. Long stated that these would be the only cases completed and that the United States is still barred from adopting children in this province. Because of the banned imposed by the government of Vietnam, this office will not accept any new petitions from Phu Tho.

Regards,

Mary Ann Russell

Mother and Daughter



HARRISON's BUSY DAY!!
He loves to wear his football outfit and his cowboy boots!

Here is the article that the Roanoke Times did on us for Mother's Day.

Enjoy!!!!!


*For those of you who are computer challenged (DAD :-) just click on "article", and it will take you directly to the link.

Favorite spring pictures of the family

Things aren't looking good :-(

The news coming out of Vietnam is not good. Things are about to shut down. There is an article that was put out today that says that Vietnam is not going to renew their agreement to the US to allow international adoptions in their country. Some of you have asked what this means for us. Honestly, we dont know yet. Things could suddenly turn around in Phu Tho, and they could release our documents so we could proceed, but that isn't realistic. They have not been cooperative up to this point, and I really doubt they will start now.What about another referral? Could we be offered another one before the cut off point? Not sure. It is a possibility, but I think it is a very slim one. There haven't been any referrals from our agency since ours in Nov. So things really aren't looking good for us, and the whole Vietnam adoption world. Please pray for us that we will have wisdom to know what to do, and what our next steps should be. We know that God is in complete control, and that His plan will be accomplished.

Finally!

Finally, there is some hope on the horizon. I just got a call from a friend in our agency who received some good news today. This news doesn't affect us directly, but I hope it will in the long run. I am so happy to hear some good news instead of all the negative stuff that we have been getting since Nov. Maybe, there is some good news for us coming soon!

My Babies sleeping.

There is nothing more precious than sleeping children.

When you think you have it bad

Today, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I was thinking about how long this adoption is taking, and how it isn't fair that we don't have our baby yet. I came across this blog today, and I realized how incredibly selfish I am. When there are days that you think things couldn't get any worse, remember that there are people suffering way more than you ever will. My heart breaks for this family,and I can't get them off my mind. Please pray for this family!!!

Just as a side note, the man you hear singing on my blog, is the father of the baby you will be reading about.

9 Months Baby!!

I can't believe that you are 9 months old already, and I have never seen you or held you. I pray that I will be able to see your beautiful face, and hold you before your first birthday. We pray for you daily. Sweet baby girl, you are so loved by so many. I hope you have a great day!!!!

Let's Kick 'em while they're down

So, there is more bad news in the world of Vietnam adoption. Hopefully I will be able to share some more details later, but seriously, how much more do they expect us to take. Will this nightmare never end?

Hold Fast

I found this video the other day, and I thought about all my fellow adopting moms. There is so much pain and uncertainty with Vietnam adoptions right now. There seems to be new problems and roadblocks almost daily. I know I am not alone in feeling like I want to give up and throw in the towel, but this song is such an encouragement to me. I know that there will be days that I feel like I just can't go on another day, but I dont have to give up. Jesus will be there to carry me through.

Some pictures of Easter weekend. As you can tell it was cold, that is why Harrison is crying in the first pic. He was cold and wanted to go inside.

My Child

I posted this poem back in September, and I just recently read it again. It is still my heart.

MY CHILD
My child, I carried you in my heart before you were even born And dared to dream that you were real.
My child, I carried your picture with me since the day I received it, And dared to love a child I was yet to meet.
My child,I carried you in my arms at last,and gazed in helpless wonder at your face, And dared to lose my heart to you.
And now, my child, a dream fulfilled, a prayer answered, a family created, I have dared to become a mom.
And so now, my precious child, I shall carry you home.

So, I am at the hotel right now, watching my kids swimming and having a great time together. We are having to redo our fingerprints, since they expired in Nov. Tell me, how do fingerprints expire? When I sent in the request to have them done again, I asked for a close location since we have three children, and it would be easier for us not to have to travel several hours to Abbington. They gave us our request, however, they gave us an 8:00 a.m. appointment. I thought that was going to be a problem. We would have to get up at 4am with three tired and cranky kids, travel three hours, spend thirty minutes being fingerprinted, and then turn around and come home. Then we got the great idea to make it fun:-) We all needed some away time. This adoption has gotten SO stressful, and it has taken a toll on all of us.I get stressed and worried, then the kids get cranky and irritable, and then I get more stressed,and they get more cranky. The cycle just keeps going. It was the perfect time to get away, and spend some alone time together.
We are having a great time swimming, sitting in the hot tub, watching cable t.v., eating snacks, and just hanging out. What we thought was going to be a stressful trip, has turned out to be a blessing.




The kids enjoying the luxury of laying in bed, eating, and watching tv. They loved it.

8 months old

Today, Maya turns 8 months old. I looked up the development of a normal 8 month old, and I pray that Maya is developing normally. This is what I found...

The 8-month-old's motor skills include:
* Crawling and pulling on furniture to stand.
* Needing help to get down from standing.
* Sitting without support for 10 minutes.
* Pinching with the thumb and forefinger.

The 8-month-old's language skills include:
* May say "Ma-Ma" and "Da-Da" but not specifically to parents.
* Understanding simple instructions.
* Shaking head no.

The 8-month-old's mental abilities include:
* Reacting quickly to situations.
* Showing interest in cause-and-effect relationships like making wheels turn or bells sound.
* Anticipating events not related to own behavior like meeting Mom or Dad at the door.
* Solving simple problems.

The 8-month-old's social traits include:
* Shouting for attention.
* Pushing things away that are not wanted.
* Biting and chewing toys.

Please continue to pray for Maya as she is growing. You should hear the prayers that our three small children pray for her on a daily business. They pretty much go like this:
God, please help Maya to get enough food, and please let someone hold her and hug her today, and please, please, let us get her quickly.
They are so precious, and they love their baby sister so much. The other day Harrison(3), went over to our front door, opened it, and said Mama, please go get Maya now. They are so ready for their sister to come home. Please continue to pray for a miracle with us. We are hoping to hear some news, good or bad, sometime in April.

Evil Eyes

Spring Is Coming

I know that spring is a few weeks away, but I am feeling springy (I know that's not a word). I am in the mood to spring clean, wear flip flops, and open my windows and let the fresh breeze blow in. I know that it isn't time for that yet, but lately I have had a feeling of renewed hope. Spring is the sign of new life, and I feel a new life of hope stirring inside me. The days of winter have been very dark for me. With so much uncertainty, lack of information, and so much bad news, it has been a very hard, stressful, and depressing last few months. I am not sure what the future holds, or whether we will get this sweet baby or not, but I do know that God has called us to Vietnam and to this adoption. We may be wondering what is going on, and why this has to be so incredibly painful, but I know He is there. He has not left my side. Even when things got very hard and dark, He was there. I was telling a friend the other day that I thought, before we started this adoption, going through 20 hours of labor, and pushing out a 9 1/2 lb. baby without drugs, was going to be harder than this. It's not. This has definitely been harder. Who could have guessed?
Whatever this spring and summer hold, I know that God is working out His plan, and in the end we will get the baby girl He has planned for us. We may have to go through many more dark days, and hard decisions. We may not ever understand why this has been such a hard, stressful journey, but I don't need to know. It is comforting knowing that I am not alone, and the He is there carrying me through one of the toughest times of my life.
Thank you all for your prayers, you don't know how much they have meant to me and my family. I ask that you continue to pray for strength and wisdom for Harry and I, as we anticipate some very hard decisions in the near future. I could not have gotten through this winter without your prayers holding me up. There were days, that I thought that I couldn't go one more day, but I did. Thanks to you, and the Lord holding me in His strong and loving arms.
I can feel the warmth of spring and new hope, but maybe that's because I live in Virginia:-) For those of you buried under the burden of snow and despair, hope and spring are right around the corner.

Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

PROVERBS 19:21

Something you can do

Hey guys, I wanted to share a website with you that has been shared with me. http://www.bringourchildrenhome.org/601.html A group of prospective adoptive parents have gotten together to draw awareness to the I-600 situation. This process is what started the problems that we are having now. I know I have talked with many of you, and you know the anguish that I/we have been feeling. Here is a chance to do something to help these babies get to their homes, and their families. I would ask that you take the time to look up your Senators and State Representatives, and send them the sample letters that are provided on the website. I found this quote and thought it appropriate:

To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.
Confucius

My kids crack me up

I have been tagged again by another internet friend. So here goes...
THE RULES:

1. List 7 random things about yourself that people may not know.

2. Link the person who sent this to you, and leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.

3. Post the rules on your blog.

4. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.





SEVEN RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I am addicted to coffee!!!
2. I still have a crush on my husband!!
3. In high school, and college I played soccer and I won alot of awards (oh, the good old days to be young and flexible)
4. I love the smell of clean laundry.
5. I am a home body.
6. I hate leaving my kids, even when for a few hours.
7. I dont know much about computers,or how to work them (thanks Anna for your help with this.

I was tagged by my friends Anna, and Lori


I now tag: Jenny, Karen, Elizabeth,Anne, Michelle, and Lori

108 days

I know it has been a couple of weeks since I posted, but I have been very busy. We have been busy with Morgan and Kristian's basketball games. They are having a great time playing, and we are having a great time running around like crazy trying to keep up with it all:-) We have also been pretty positive the past couple of weeks. Since we got the news that we would be hearing something in March. That is when we were supposed to hear more news on Maya. We have been waiting to hear whether or not the I-600's from the 2 other people in our agency, will be approved or not. If they are approved, then Phu Tho has said that they will release our docs that we need to get our I-600 approved. So, this week we found out that they havent even started to process those other I-600's. That means, that we will not be hearing anything until May. Shocked? I'm not. We havent had any good news at all, since Nov. 1. Pho Tho has said that they will release our docs, when the others are approved, I'm not holding my breath. It appears now, that we will not have Maya before her first birthday, if at all. Im sorry that I am being so negative, but to be honest it is really hard right now to be anything but. WE have been on edge now, waiting for something good to happen for 108 days.
I know I always end my post asking you to pray for a specific thing, but I dont know what to ask this time. Nothing seems to be going right. So, I guess that I would ask that you pray that I will not lose faith, and that I will keep looking to Jesus to calm my fears and comfort me and my family.

Sooooo, We're Still Waiting

It has been one week since we got our last update from our agency. We were told that we probably wont know until March whether or not Phu Tho will release our Consent To Adopt. They are waiting to see how the US Embassy responds to the two that they already released, If they respond positively, they will release our doc., if they dont then I think you can guess the outcome. It is so hard to think that we may be waiting until March, only to lose Maya. We are desperately praying that the US Embassy will tread lightly, and will not tick off Phu Tho, and they they will work in a quick manner. Right now it would be a miracle if we got to her before her first birthday. Would you please pray for a miracle with us? We desperatly want Maya to come home to us, and we would love to spend some time with her before her 1st birthday. Thank you for your prayers!!!!

I Will Lift My Eyes (pause video on right first )

68 days and counting

Just thought I would give an update. Maya turns 6 months old today, Woo hoo! I thought we would definitely have her by now, but I guess not. Things are not going as we had hoped, or planned. I would love to tell you that I am optimistic about things, but I can't. I am very discouraged, and I am preparing myself for the loss of our baby. However, I am praying that we will be plesantly surprised with an encouraging phone call soon. Who knows. I will keep you posted.
Please continue to pray for our family as we have recently lost my grandfather, and we are trying to prepare our hearts to lose Maya. Thank you for your continued prayers.