We have new photos!!!!!

I have had these photos for a while... but they came to me as .tif files... and I couldn't get them to load to blogger... you know, DIAL UP AND ALL!!!! Finally I figured it out... and I have them ready to post. I know there are lots of Easter Bunnies in the picture - but I haven't had them THAT long! She looks very happy... and knowing that she has just hit her 1-year anniversary in this new home, I am very glad that she is doing so well. She has grown a little bit - but she is still petite for a 7-year old. (But then we have Ali, whom I have nick-named "Skinny Minnie". It's very funny because she calls herself Mini-Minnie...)

We are also gearing up for another Fund Raising Event for Sara's adoption! We are having a huge Yard Sale on June 8th and 9th. We have had several people donate their gently used items for us to sell...and we appreciate it so much!

Please keep us in your prayers as we try and reach our next financial goal! Also, we were contacted to day by the people at Shaohannah's Hope about our grant application - and they requested additional information. I hope this is a good sign... please keep that a matter of prayer as well!

Enjoy the photos of Sara! We are praying that they are helping her prepare for her new family - and her new life... and that she can understand how much we already love her.

(Update on Oakley: Things are going so WELL. She has had only brief moments of sadness... and she seems to have been so well prepared. What a blessing! I know that the Curd's appreciate everyone praying for them as they bring this precious baby home!)

**Praise the Lord... the photos finally loaded. Guess I really DIDN'T have it figured out...**

Bringing Oakley Home...

Please join with us to pray for the Curd Family as they travel to China to bring Oakley home!!! Jana, Mike and Sawyer are traveling - while Hagan and Sullivan remain here in Kentucky. (We might want to say extra prayers for these two little guys that are being very brave and are waiting here for Mom and Dad to bring their new sister home!) Their journey began early today as they flew out of Lexington at 5:50 this morning... and will receive Oakley in their arms on Sunday! It has been a long awaited and much anticipated trip. The Miracle of Adoption never ceases to amaze me! We continue to pray that God is preparing little Oakley's heart for her forever family - and the enormous changes that are about to happen in her life! OK all you other adoptive families... you know the stress and the emotional roller-coaster. I'm counting on YOU to pray with me! ;)

Latitia Hope - All Grown Up

There are few things as surreal as watching the transformation of someone you love... growing from a small, blonde haired, blue-eyed little girl that somewhat resembled Cyndi Lou Whoo...into a mature woman. It's enough to make my head spin... and it makes my heart ache to think that in just a few short years... this same phenomenon will occur right here in my own home!! (THAT IS TERRIFYING!!!) Last week, I got a call from Latitia that she was in town - and could she come out on Friday for a visit with me and the kids??? For those of you that don't know - Latitia is my very dear friend Bridget's daughter. Bridget moved back to Michigan... and Latitia followed shortly after. Bridget has been gone for 6 years now... OH MY! But I've known them since Latitia was about Ali's age... which is 5. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks later that evening after Latitia left. I think back about that sweet little child - with her wide eyes and enormous grin. I think about how little she was... and how completely innocent...and I realize that the time has just FLOWN by. Where did it go? Did I blink and miss it? It's times like these that I am so thankful for the opportunity to be home and be such an integral part of my children's lives. I know that one day - Ali is going to be calling someone up on the phone... saying, "Hey... I just drove in town, I'd love to stop in for a visit..." I'm really glad I'm sitting down while writing this. It makes me weak in the knees. But I look at Latitia... and what a wonderful woman she has become. She has a heart that is pure. She is fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. She is kind and good hearted. But what amazes me most is her tenacity. She is self sufficient, level headed and more than anything - she is strong in her convictions. I am so proud of the woman that she is. I love that she has an opinion and she is not afraid to speak it. Most of all - I love that she takes time to include me in her life... and to share that life with me still...500 miles away. She's grown up... and knowing how well she's done... makes it a little easier to let go and watch as my own babies grow and spread their wings.

Carpal Tunnel

OK - so I'm NOT an advocate for surgery... and I will admit, I used to think that people that complained about Carpal Tunnel were maybe just exaggerating the pain and discomfort a little... BUT OH MY GOODNESS! It is really awful. It started shortly after the girls came home...lots of new lifting...and had gotten so bad that I was only sleeping about 2 hours (TOTAL) a night. This is not always the best thing if you want to be an effective mother, wife or business person. It makes for a short temper, a loss of memory - and an overall lack of good judgment. :) Plus - it's just plain inconvenient. So I had the dreaded EMG and Nerve Conduction test that Crystal and Dr. Ellingsen were wanting me to have... and it wasn't bad at all!!!! Dr. Sellin was so nice - and if you have to get poked with lots of needles and have jolts of electricity pulsed through your arm - I highly recommend Dr. Sellin. That was done on April 27th... and on the 28th I met with Dr. O'Neill. First of all, let me just say - I LOVED HIM. He might not be a kid friendly person - but he just plain knows his stuff. He was WONDERFUL. They scheduled me for a Right Carpal Tunnel Release on May 3rd. I still don't really get why I am a left-handed person with a worse case of Carpal Tunnel in the right arm... but all I care about is that I want the pain to STOP. :)

So at 6am on May 3rd, Carolyn Gallagher and Karen Haven came to watch the Hanks kids (BLESS THEIR HEARTS) and Tim took me in for outpatient surgery. I was home by 10:00am... although the ride home made me woozy, and I slept until after lunch. :) When I woke up the kids were ready and waiting to read to me and shower me with lots of love and attention. Another bonus - Mike and Brenda brought us dinner (PASTA) and homemade chocolate chip cookies. That was worth the surgery, alone! :) I wore a half-cast/splint for two weeks - and when I got it removed on the 16th and had the stitches taken out - I was more convinced than ever that Dr. O'Neill knows what he is doing! (Pictures on the red blanket - with the CLOSE-UP) Today - 5 days after the stitches are out - you can already see that the scar is going to be very minimal. (Photo with the floral couch in the background...) He is awesome. The best part???? I DON'T HURT!!!!

Tennis, anyone???

The girls have started tennis lessons. Last week was their first time... the day before my hand surgery. It was really CUTE! They are taking lessons with a small group of 4 - 5 year old girls... and their teacher (Miss Julie) is absolutely wonderful with them. She is so sweet and patient. They have really enjoyed it. They have done several warm up activities to promote hand-and-eye coordination. They have also done a lot of hopping, skipping and running. :) Oddly enough, Rachel is playing right-handed and Ali is playing left-handed. They both do everything right-handed... so this was a big shock for me. But... in our family there is quite a bit of ambidextrous-ness.... is that a word??? Jamie and I both do most things (other than eating/writing) right-handed... but we are left-handed. Jodi just switches hands when she gets tired. So little Ali may just turn out like one of us. BLESS HER HEART! (This might fall under the "prayer concern" category... poor child.)

Anyhow...

Just to keep everyone posted... we received MORE new photos of Sara (to be posted later) and new height/weight measurements. Bless her heart, we have received more updates and photos of Sara than we ever received of the girls...we have been very blessed. We are going to be having a big yard sale to try to raise more money for our adoption funds!!! Please pray for a good turnout and much success! We have also applied for an adoption grant through Shaohannah's Hope - which is a wonderful organization started by Christian Music Artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth. They are from Kentucky originally...and have 4 biological children and three children they have adopted from China. Please keep this a matter of prayer as well... it would be such a relief and blessing for us!!

Finally...

On a very sad note, our very dear friend Vickey Burberry passed away this past weekend. The kids and I were able to visit with her for a while on Friday, and we are so thankful for that chance to see her once more and to let her know how special she is to our family. Please remember Tommy and the boys in your prayers. Vickey's life was such a wonderful example to all of us. She loved the Lord so much... and she poured her heart out completely in everything that she did. She fought very hard... and maintained a positive attitude and a level of peace that she said was only possibly by the grace of God. What a blessing she has been to so many people! What an example to all of us of a life poured our completely for the service of the Lord! Heaven is rejoicing over the new addition to the heavenly choir...but we will sure miss her at the other end of our pew.