China Part 1

I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and write about the wonderful experience I had ministering to orphans in China. I have been trying to lay out how I want document my trip. I have so much to tell that I don't think I can do it all in one post. So, I'm going to break it into 3 separate posts.

I will start off with the process God took me through as I prayed about going. Last September a group of ladies from Springhill went to the minister to children who stay in the Phillip Hayden Foundation Foster Homes. I had not heard of PHF until then and it really tugged at my heart as I learned the trip would be loving on orphans. The commitment for going on this trip had to be made several months in advance and I was very pregnant with Jude and knew going on the trip would not be an option, he would be 7 months old at the time of the trip.

Since I couldn't go on the trip I prayed for the ladies and kept up with them through a blog they had set up specifically for the trip. I loved waking up every morning to check and see what they had done with the kids that day.

Shortly after the team arrived back it was announced that Springhill would send out another team in the summer. I started praying about that team and the trip and as I prayed the thought of me going kept coming to the forefront. In December I went to Todd to ask him his opinion. When I mentioned it he was so excited for me and really encouraged me to go. I kept asking the "what about this" questions and he kept encouraging me. After that I spoke with my mom and Donna and they were both very supportive. I then sat down with Jadon and Haven to talk to them about it. Haven didn't fully understand what it all meant, but Jadon loved it. It really blessed my heart to hear him talk and ask questions about what I was going to do. He often would say, "Mom, you're going to help kids who don't have a mommy or daddy." I would sit down with him and we would talk about it and every time he would end with the words, "that is so sad." He often told me he was glad I was going to help other kids who don't have mommies or daddies. I really got to see his compassion for others through the preparation of this trip.

This started a 6 month process of God teaching me about faith and seeing more of who He is. God showed me that when you are walking the path He has planned things will work out. I don't know how many times I said to myself or Todd, "maybe I shouldn't go". Each time I would commit to follow God and go, He then would show me I was doing the right thing.

I prepared through team meetings to go over and love on sweet orphans with disabilities. No matter how many times we talked about being there, I couldn't have prepared for the actual emotion of being there and hearing the children's voices and seeing their smiles and laughter.

We went over there with crafts in hand and not knowing what to expect. While there we did crafts, played and loved on some very precious children. I learned their stories, prayed for them and cried for them. I can still hear their little voices singing "Jesus Loves Me" in English. I am so glad I got to have the opportunity to go over to China.

Some of the sweet faces.The kids wearing their animals masks they made and singing "Jesus Loves Me".Oh man did they love playing ring around the rosy with Brian and Ruth.
Enjoying the pool party.

This is Henry and he greeted me every morning with his arms wide and with either the song, "Jesus Loves Me" or "Happy Birthday." The funny thing is I did celebrate my birthday while in China and that morning he sang "Happy Birthday" to me, he didn't know it was my birthday.

My Little Fashionista

Over the weekend Haven and I enjoyed some girly time. We went shopping and painted our toe nails together. I have been waiting for the day we sat down together to paint our toes. I had decided early on to wait and paint her toes until the day we could enjoy it together. And it was a wonderful, memorable time. We started with the both of us going shopping for the nail polish and she picked out two colors, pink and purple. Her favorite colors. Then we went home, fixed dinner for the boys and after dinner painted our toe nails.

She was so proud of her toes that we went ahead and painted her finger nails too. Every person she has encountered since Saturday has been shown her finger nails and toe nails.

Haven is also into dressing herself and I have to say she has a very unique style. Here is her outfit she picked out for today. From the top, she has on a Terra green dress worn over maroon sweat pants and turquoise shorts adorned with lace around the bottom. What is not seen is the red shorts with butterflies bordering the waistband underneath the maroon sweat pants. To complete the outfit is a beautiful beaded flower necklace, a pair of mod inspired sunglasses and black patent leather shoes, which definitely pull the whole outfit together.

I love this little girl and I honestly can say that I wake up in the mornings wondering what she's going to do that day. She is a riot.

A Foot In The Mouth Moment

This morning Haven and I had one of those moments that as a mom make you think and smile at the wonderful way a child's mind works. Haven was getting dressed to go to Mema's house and decided she wanted to wear her "rainbow" shoes instead of her crocs. She was having a bit of trouble and politely asked for help, she is getting so much better at asking for help instead of demanding it.

I sat down on the floor with her and showed her how to grab the tongue of the shoe so it wouldn't end up at her toes and she slid her foot right in. Here's how our interaction went:

Haven, "Will you please help me?"

Me, "Yes, grab the tongue and hold it, then slip your foot in."

Haven, "He he, the tongue." (she usually laughs when I refer to the tongue of the shoe)

Haven, "Is this the mouth?" (pointing to the part of the shoe her foot goes in)

Me, laughing "Well, that would make sense."

I love getting insight into the thoughts of children. And Haven's little mind is full of interesting and fun ideas and thoughts.

On to a story about Jadon, that is far less amusing. I, the unsuspecting mom went to hang clothes in Haven's closet only to be met with the stench of pee when I opened the door. At first I dismissed the idea of there actually being pee in the closet and went about hanging clothes. But the longer I stood there the more I continued to smell it. Finally, I gave into what I didn't want to believe and started looking around for the culprit of the smell. I bent over to sniff around and got a big disgusting whiff of pee, looked down and there was Haven's trash can sitting in the closet. Why would Haven's trash can be in the closet? Ewww! To hide the inch of pee sitting in it.

In my mind there was only one offender, Jadon Creed Wallace. I quickly called him into the bedroom and asked him if was the one relieving himself in his sister's trash can. Oh no mom, it was Haven. Hmmm, how could Haven have peed in the trash can. His honest response, she stood over it and just peed.

Okay, now I'm taken aback. Because I'm almost positive that Haven is not tall enough to stand over her trash can, so this only means that Jadon did do it AND has come up with a pretty good lie to blame someone else.

Enters Haven into the conversation and she, of course, says she didn't do it, that Bud did. I do a little experiment to see if Haven is tall enough, which she isn't, and then I start laying out the punishment for first peeing in a trash can instead of the toilet and then for lying.

Jadon did finally confess, which did not spare him from his punishment. But I was a least thankful he was willing to confess and ask for forgiveness.

So, the moral of the story. When you smell pee there is usually a reason, and usually isn't a good reason.

New First

So, tonight I made chicken spaghetti for dinner. I made a plate for Jadon, Haven and Todd and myself, then I made one more. For the Judemister. Yes, this was Jude's first attempt to eat spaghetti by himself. I handed him the plate then a fork and let him go at it.

We all had a great time watching him eat his dinner. He enjoyed himself too! You can see the progression from trying to use his fork to forget the fork it's much easier with the hands. I love this boy, he makes me smile every day.The fork has rendered useless and now just sits on the plate. The hand is much more efficient.Time for that bath.

Happy Birthday Haven

Wednesday was Haven's 3rd birthday, the birthday celebration was yesterday. We do our best to make each child's birthday special for them. Haven woke up to "Happy Birthday" being sung to her and getting to eat whatever she wanted for breakfast. Then she had Jadon sing to her and Nana and Papa called and sang to her. Each time someone called to sing "Happy Birthday" to her she would tilt her head, clasp her hands in front of her while swinging her body back and forth and smiling the entire time.

It was so sweet watching how Jadon doted on her all day. She went to Mema's for the day and when Daddy came to get her he had a rose for her. Oh how she loved that rose. She carried it around with her the whole rest of the day. I was finally able to put it in a vase when she went to bed (she was talked out of sleeping with it).

Mema let her choose what she had for lunch and we let her choose what we had for dinner. Of course for dinner she chose McDonald's. She ate it with her rose laying right beside her on the table. At the end of the day when I was putting her to bed she looked at me and said in her sweet little voice, "Mommy I had a great birthday party." My heart melted as I thought how incredibly awesome that was. We were able to make this day so special for her that she didn't need presents.

Pictures of her enjoying her dinner and with her rose Daddy got her.

Saturday was the big party day. Haven is so into puppy's and for about a month now all she has wanted is a puppy with a bone. So, we had a puppy party complete with bone cookies. She loved it. And Uncle John and Emma won with the best present ever, a remote control puppy that walks and barks (and the remote is in the shape of a bone).

The party hat parade.The fun begins, the opening of the presents.So serious.Look at that cute pucker for blowing out the candles. I didn't make the cookie with the puppy dog, but I did make the bone cookies. Thanks Erin for letting me borrow your cookie cutters. My sweet Haven you are such a sweet, beautiful girl. You bring such joy to your family. You are constantly making us laugh, whether it's trying to figure out how to shut Nana and Papa's door, singing the many songs you make up or just the quirky little sayings you have.

Your brothers adore you. Jadon is your "Bud" as you lovingly call him. Eaves dropping on your conversations has become a joy to me. You two are the best of friends. Jude's favorite game is to knock you down and plant kisses all over your face. You are one blessed little girl to be in between two brothers who love you so much. And your brothers are blessed to have a sister who loves them as much as you do.

You are such a beautiful girl and I pray that you continue to grow as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. I pray you continue to have a desire to learn the truths of the Lord. Your relationship with Jesus is the most important decision you can make in your life and I am excited for the day you have the realization of your need for Him.

Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Haven, Love Mommy

Water Fun

We have this really cool park in Springfield that I have grown quite fond of this summer. I did not visit it last year nor did I have the desire, with an infant and 2 little kids. I did not trust myself in being able to keep an appropriate eye on my kids while taking care of a little guy with many other kids running around. But this year it has already become a weekly routine in our schedule.

What makes this park so much fun? It has awesome fountains and a wading area for the kids to play in, it's free and the water is about calf high on the kids. This is perfect water for my kids who non of which like water in the face. I have no idea how this started or why, but both Haven and Jadon do not like water in their faces. So we have a place to go during the hot summer days that is wet, fun and free.