Starfish

I unfortunately have never had the opportunity to post about our trip to Starfish. 

We went on 12-21-11. It was truly amazing. 

We loved babies, fed babies, saw the amazing work being done, and met Amanda de Lange. We also got the very rare opportunity to visit an orphanage. My heart broke. I realized how precious each and every life is and I was overwhelmed by need. 

the little girl below is the child i insisted on bringing out of the orphanage. I absolutely refused to leave her. Amanda agreed. {thankfully} her name is now Liliana {I got to choose} and she is being taken care of, loved and is treasured at Starfish. this is just one of the many babies.

Amanda was truly Ainsley's life saver in China. She brought all kinds of amazing things to help us 'fatten and healthy' her up. Creams, foods, everything. Her generosity was overwhelming like the rest of that trip.

I don't know if I will ever be able to properly word and describe that day. 

 at the orphanage picking up babies. so emotional.

 Anna Grace and her new best friend Mila :)

the famous Jack!
Nana, Anna Grace, and Mila

 Charlie

 David

Bryant. He is such a sweet heart and was saved just in time. Please pray for Bryant and the other babies that we brought that day. They were all very weak.

I don't think I will ever be able to THANK Amanda enough. She is truly unbelievable. Starfish is unbelievable and those babies are SO loved and they are taken such good care of. 

Please lift Amanda and her Starfish babies up in prayer daily.
A few days ago, Amanda was diagnosed with cancer. I received an email and my heart just broke. Please lift Amanda and her sweet starfish family up.
She is in URGENT need of medical services in the USA or Europe to save her life. Please lift her up and if you know of any one who can provide this care please let us know.
Thank you for the prayers.

nine-eleven.

Today, most everyone in America is remembering the tragedy of 9-11-01. It is a day forever etched in our hearts and minds. It is a sad day. filled with so much pain, sorrow and just pure torment. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives on this day in 2001.

and Here we stand 10 years later.

September 11 will always be a day that everyone in America remembers. For most it is NOT a happy day. For us, it is.

On September 11, 2006 most Americans spent the 5 year anniversary of 9-11 watching the local news, crying, praying...

But all the way across the world on September 11, 2006 a precious baby girl was born in Chongqing China. She was beautiful, healthy, had gorgeous little almond shaped eyes and had a thick head of black hair.

On September 11, 2006 many mourned, including the birth mother of our precious girl. I cannot imagine what she went through giving her sweet baby up. How can any mother take that lightly? They don't. She didn't have a choice. She did what she knew was best for her baby, our baby. To her I will always be grateful, because of the decision of Anna Grace's birth mom we are now the ones holding her when she cries, playing dress up with her, watching her write her name, and seeing how amazing God really is through the eyes of this child. I pray that today her Birth Mom will know and feel that her/our baby is safe, loved, adored, cared for, learning all about the LOVE of Jesus, has siblings that will do anything and everything for her and what a miracle this precious child is to our family. I pray that her birth mother knows how amazing this child is...How smart she is, how beautiful on the inside and out, how wonderfully she has accepted her new brother, her smile, her precious personality, her spunk, her strong will, her love of everything pink, purple, or Princess, her daily blessings to us by just being, the way she rules our house with such grace, how she can say anything and it makes you smile, how she teaches me to be more like Jesus everyday, and overall that this child is loved by everyone that crosses her path.

On September 11, 2006 a little girl entered the World. But September 11, 2006 was just the beginning to this precious little girl's life....As I kissed my 4 year old sister for the last time last night and tucked her into her new big girl bed I thought about how blessed I am that out of all of the people in the world HE chose ME, me!  15 year old Ashton to be the big sister to this Precious Girl {and two other beautiful adopted children}. To be the one that gets to watch her grow up, kiss her every night, Greet her with Hugs and Kisses, Teach her songs, Help her learn about the Love of Jesus, Sing to her, Hold her when she cries, Play tea-party with her, Dress her up, take pictures, Make her a Princess, Look at her beautiful face, teach her all kinds of songs {ahem} and enjoy her sweet little life.

I will be forever thankful to the ONE who went before us and chose Anna Grace to be a part of our family. God had a plan for this little girl's life when she was in the womb HE CHOSE her...He CHOSE ME, HE CHOSE OUR family

and for that, I will be forever grateful.

One Year Old.
LOOK at that BABY.

Two Years Old
That smile. oh goodness.

Three Years Old
she's gorgeous. so gorgeous.

Four Years Old.
My BABY...is growing up. Going to cry now.

{finally} FIVE Years Old
Please, Please tell me it isn't so.

Happy 5th Birthday, Anna Grace.

I love you more than words can describe, the stars in the sky, and to the moon in back {150 times}

xoxo forever,

Sissy

But even before I was born, God CHOSE ME and called me by his marvelous GRACE. -Galations 1:15

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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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Update{!!!} and Prayers for Ainsley

First, We got beautiful updates on Ainsley today! She is doing so well...Looks healthy, has hair {!}, and it made all of our hearts smile.

We did find out that she is in Beijing right now {NOT her province} to receive her palate surgery. Please pray for Ainsley as she is having such a major surgery...all alone. It breaks our heart to know she is alone having such a big surgery. Please pray for the surgeons, that they do an amazing job and that her palate is repaired perfectly.

She is still so tiny so we are very worried about her.{Even if she wasn't tiny we would be!} Please pray for our peace. Pray for Ainsley. Pray for the Surgeons hands. Pray that Jesus will hold our girl while we can't.

On a peppy note, isn't she just beautiful?! and how GREAT are those pictures? She has hair! {which is what we live for here because we love our bows..hehe} and She is wearing a "cutesie dress!" {in Anna Grace's words} We are so thankful. Thank you, for praying for our sweet girl and journeying with us...we simply CAN'T wait to snuggle this little one!

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. -2 Corinthians 12:9

guess what we are....

DTC today! So thrilled!
PLEASE be praying for a speedy LID and that we can be LOA by the end of September...our God is a God of miracles!

paperwork mountain and a picture

So, we are still waiting on DTC...praying for today..or tomorrow!

Our i800/dossier being authenticated!

Here are just a few shots of the paperwork mountain we have been climbing.

mailing it off!

We were blessed to get this picture of our girl before her cleft lip surgery...It is old-ish but I just can't get over that smile!

I really can't wait to make those sweet eyes light up with another smile super soon.

I know the quality is terrible...but still that smile!

That is our already decided goal...to get that beautiful face smiling.

Oh, sweet baby love. We just CAN'T wait.

It is still so surreal to me that this little blessing is ours. Is that a bad thing? I really can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that she is coming home to us. We are waiting for her. Life is so good. God is so good. We are so blessed.

happy happy happy

Oh my goodness.
Y'all, we GOT IT.
Your prayers, are working!

We got our i800a* approval.

this was the last document  needed to submit our dossier.


God is amazing.

He is moving mountains.

and to HIM BE THE GLORY.

it basically means we are approved to adopt our girl!

We are praying very very hard to have DTC by this week. We would LOVE to have it on Friday for Andrew's birthday.

Keep praying, y'all. please.
Much love,
a happy happy happy sister.

Almost 5

It is so amazing to me that in 16 days this little man will be FIVE.

A whole hand.

Dude, just being honest. That's crazy.

I feel mixed emotions as this sweet boy's fifth birthday makes its way here.

Sad that he spent 3 birthdays alone. Without a family. A Cake. A Celebration.
He didn't know that it was HIS Special day. The day that he was BORN.

But, I feel a sense of peace and happiness knowing that THIS year {and last year} he has a FAMILY to celebrate with.

To rejoice that he was born. Because he IS important. and he IS loved. He belongs. He is perfect.

So, as we prepare to celebrate this little boy's big day

I can't help but look at his precious face and just smile.

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