Alex.

Five years old. Such a precious, tender, fun, celebrated age. It is a whole hand. It is where the fun of being a Child instead of a Baby begins. A Big Deal.

It is an age close to my heart as I have two little punks that are turning five this year. One has already turned 5 and one will in a few days.

Five is a fabulous age...Unless you live in Eastern Europe as an Orphan. Turning FIVE is a horror. It is the age that you are no longer considered a baby and you are moved from the baby home to a Mental Institute. Those words should never be uttered. They shouldn't be real. I wish they weren't, but they are. It is the terrible, absolute gut-wrenching, sickening truth.

Meet Alex.

Isn't he beautiful?

He has Cerebral Palsy. He is an ORPHAN. He is living in Eastern Europe. and He is turning FIVE.

My sweet friend, Joanna, has fallen in love with this beautiful boy..and ya know what? I have too.

I simply REFUSE to sit and watch as this sweet boy wastes away in an institution in Eastern Europe. I will NOT let it happen. Alex has a family out there. I know he does. We just have to find them. God has the perfect family for Alex. One who will love him, tell him about Jesus, teach him so very much, help him grow and develop and lead a beautiful life. I know it.

In honor of Alex's fifth birthday on September 25.{I am all for September birthdays..ahem..Mine:)} We are going to celebrate. We are going to rejoice that this sweet boy has fought for FIVE hard years to find a forever family and we are going to help him find it! We have set a goal of $2500 on his Reece's Rainbow advocate page to help with his adoption. 

International adoption is very expensive and very worth it. It will mean SO much {speaking from experience} to his future family to see that Alex already has money towards his adoption..AND it will help him get home that much quicker. How great is that? Our goal is to get to $2500. Alex is already at $1965.60. WE CAN DO THIS. Let's try and BEAT it.

Much more will come to explain what we are doing for Alex's birthday in the following weeks. It will include giveaways and much more. Thank you so much for journeying and helping us find Alex's forever family! Who knows what God can do through this one very special little boy!? I know it will be amazing.

{You can join the face*book page for Alex here and If you would like to make a donation to Alex you can go to his Reece's Rainbow website}

God IS a mountain moving God. He is Faithful. He is for the Fatherless. HE made Alex. He made a FOREVER Family for Alex. He makes no mistakes. Trusting His Plan and His timing.

Alex WILL come Home. 

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. -Zephaniah 3:17

never grow up

this post is me rambling, just a warning ahead.

there is such a fragile, beautiful, and wonderful thing about being a child. the running around carefree. the lazy, long days. the toys and innocence. Oh how i love watching anna grace and andrew experience their childhood. how beautiful it is. i never, ever want to grow up.

Mommy and Daddy with Baby Ashton...what a difference 15 1/2 years makes..

as i was going through all of my old scrapbooks the other day i found all of these precious pictures of me as a little girl...I was darling, right? kidding, kidding.
i scanned all of them onto the computer straight from the scrapbooks, ps
i guess i am thinking way too far ahead. i am only in 10th grade. i still have 3 whole years of living at home before i have to grow up...but seriously three years.

my dad looked like such a baby...and of course, I was a baby

the lyrics from Taylor Swift's Never Grow Up keep running through my head.

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have
Is someday gonna be gone

Oh, Oh the famous Mommy and Me shot.
 

Simba{Ashton} and Pooh{Max}

and I will be 16 in like 23 days and 7 hours...but who's counting? me.

Ainsley will too, mustn't forget about baby love.

{Side note: this is Max...we have grown up together and we were literally together 24/7 growing up}

during our adoptions i have made really great friends through my blog. they are jesus-loving christian girls who love their siblings, just like me and they are living a normal life. i have always been the youngest by a few years in the group, but you would never know it...until now. all of my close adoption friends have moved away to college but i am still in high school almost there with them.this is another reason growing up is so heavy on my mind.
i see anna grace and andrew and it takes me back to the time when i was just like them. so young and fragile and just the innocence of being a child.

yea, i was one of those kids that loved barney.

I may be growing up in many ways, but i am so very thankful i have so much left to live and i have so much left of my childhood to enjoy.even if it is only three years. 
and thankfully, i don't think you ever have to really grow up.

the future is so exciting. the past is filled with many beautiful, painful, and yet perfect blessings. and the present is here to be enjoyed and loved. enjoying the little things in each day..because they will make the big things later on in life.
so, whatever the future may bring, i will welcome it with opened arms.

this is my very favorite picture that i have found

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

Don't you ever grow up

Happy Sunday Y'all.

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Hm.

hm, I really don't think words are needed.

what about ya'll? ;)

NINE DAYS INTO THE WAIT FOR LOA!!

Praising the One!
Oh sweet Ainsley, we are getting closer!

SMILE!

Oh my goodness!
Look at what we got!

How GORGEOUS is our baby girl?!
And that smile!!! ahhh. SO.IN.LOVE.
She will be having surgery to repair her palate this week if there are no complications...please keep her in your prayer...Praising the One who has already gone before us and loves Ainsley beyond our comprehension.

Now, We just need her HOME.

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The Baby

We have gotten a baby for Ainsley. yanno the soft, lovey ones that you send to them and you just love to look at and pray that it makes it to your baby and that she loves it as much as you do. With Ainsley's birthday in a month exactly. {well yesterday} we are preparing a package for her...So very sad we will not be with her for her 2nd birthday {I share the same birthday with her and it will be my 16th...bittersweet}

Well we decided that until we sent the doll...everywhere we went and everyone who was close to us that we saw we would take a picture with the baby...then when we sent it to Ainsley she could look at the pictures of her family holding this baby and maybe connect the dots...it also just makes us feel better...yanno..this sister heart and my sweet mama's heart.

We bought two dolls..and plan to take the other doll everywhere else with us so Ainsley is truly with us everywhere we go...even if it is through a baby doll...

We can't wait to send this sweet thing to our girl and hopefully we will see her holding it and loving it...just like we are. We can't wait to hold you sweet love...you will sure be a whole lot better than a stuffed baby :)

Please pray for us this week and that we get more information about Ainsley...that we are LID already and we are able to start waiting for LOA. Thanks for your prayers! 

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Happy Birthday Hayne!

Ok, so I feel totally guilty...I did not do a post for sweet Hayne today...it is his NINTH birthday!

I feel so blessed with this cutie. He is such a great kid.
Football Star
Loves Andrew and Anna Grace
Is so happy about Ainsley.
Loves video games
And his best friend? Our dog...Zoey.

and what did he want to do on his birthday?
Go to a car dealership and look at the "bumble bee" car...oh, and get his picture taken.

He wins some award.

I love you, Hayne and look forward to many more fabulous birthdays with you sweet boy :)

prayers, please

We really, really need your prayers.
Ainsley is currently in Beijing {which is pretty far from her province}
and we are not sure of much else.
i will give more info as I am able but right now we are asking for prayers.
i am ready to just have her HOME.
please pray for our family. for Ainsley. for peace.
we know that God is holding our girl. we know He has a beautiful perfect plan.
but for now..
prayers, please.