Holy cow, I am a GRANDMA!!!!!!

Yep, it is true. I do not FEEL old enough to be a grandma, but I am! My oldest baby just had a baby! Brogan and Zachary are parents! LANDON NELSON NEW made his appearance into this world, on Brogan,s birthday, Monday, MArch 19, and I was privileged to be there! IT was such an amazing experience, one I will cherish forever! Let me back up to say, that YES, Dale and I really did load up 9 kids, and drive them all the NC, in hopes of being there for Landons' birth. God was good enough to make it happen!
We had a great time in NC. We stayed in an amazing house, got to visit with Niu Niu, Meng's BFF from China, played on the beach, road go-karts, and all got to know each other better!
The new "normal" for us is getting easier every day. Brian is such a love. He is thriving in his new school, and outside of still having issues with lying, he is doing amazing. He even began to call Dale "Dad". Brought a tear to my eye! The girls are doing better as well. We have had some pretty HUGE fights, and lots of angry hormones raging, but that too, seems to be getting a little better. It is just incredibly HARD to bring three kids into your family and make it all work. Especially when these kids have been raised COMPLETELY different than the kids you are already parenting! But, God's Hand is at work, and He is making it happen!
Other news!?!?! Patrick went to Michigan last weekend, to meet Daynene's parents. Sounds serious?!?!? I am getting nervous! She seems like an awesome young lady, I am just not ready to let my Patrick go quite yet! LOL We had 15 lambs born on the farm while we were gone! Poor niece Mandi got to birth them all! Wonder if she will ever housesit for me again?!?! LOL Kegan is getting braces this week! He wants purple ones....this should be interesting! LOL 8 more weeks of school. Cannot come quick enough! This momma needs a break!
Well, more updates soon!
This granny needs some rest!
Much love!

So far, so good!

Well, we begin week 4, of adding 3 children to our family. It is really going very well. Better than I expected. Brian has been a little difficult, but seems to get easier each day. I think he is learning our routines, and I am learning how to handle his unique-ness better. He is a sweet, sweet boy. He wants to please. I think he has had a lot of years of being picked on, and being treated unfairly. He starts his new school on Tuesday. I met his classmates and his teachers, and I am impressed! I think this will be a good move for him.
The girls are doing well also. They decided I was old and frumpy looking, so they decided to give me a make-over tonight! They did a good job! I just hope they do not Expect me to look this way Every day, because I do not have a spare hour in my day to do my hair and make-up! LOL
Truly, the only issue we are having, at this point, is the three girls getting along. Bronwyn is struggling with sharing so much....her house, her room, her clothes, her parents, her life. I totally understand. God put these kids on OUR hearts, but not necessarily on hers. Her reign as oldest daughter (at home) has been challenged, and she is not liking it. Please pray for her, and for the others. It is easy for Dale and I to say that God did not call us to be comfortable, but to serve......it is harder for us to ask this of our children, who just want life as they know it.
Will update more soon! At this point, we are all hoping to finalize adoptions by December!
Blessings!!!!

This Amazing, Radical Life!

Wow....you simply would not believe what has happened over these past two weeks! I am not sure I even know where to start!!!

1) We took temporary guardianship of Brandon, Brittany, Brianna, Brian, and Bria on February 5. We were terrified, excited, worried, and hesitant, but took this huge step, totally trusting our Lord. He Has always been faithful.

2) The very next day, a family we had been praying for asked if they could be considered as a family for Bria, the 2 year old. We packed Bria up, and she went to stay with them on a home visit, to see how it would go. She is still there! She calls Heather momma already, and cries when she leaves her sight!

3) Another day passes, and a family from our Sunday morning small group drops a bomb on us! They would like to meet Brandon, the 15 year old, and are considering offering him a permanent home with them! I cannot tell you how surprised, but excited we were with this news! This is the perfect family for Brandon! He spent several evenings with them, and then moved in!

4) That left us with Brittany-13, Brianna-12, and Brian 10. A manageable number, considering we still have 6 at home already! Things have gone fairly well. The girls have been fabulous. Brian is harder, as he has significant delays and some anger issues. But, he has an amazing affectionate side to him, that has touched my heart.

5) This past week, I talked with their birthmother, as to her future plans for the children. She told me she was ready to sign them over to our agency, and move forward. Our conversation left me with such mixed feelings. The very next day, she went to the agency, and terminated her parental rights. Just like that. Wow.

6) So.......the plan! Bria is in the process of being adopted by the Townsends. A perfect match for her! Brandon has found his forever family with the Prices. An unexpected, but also a perfect match! And we are in the process of becoming permanent parents to Brittany, Brianna, and Brian! Again I say.....WOW.

7) And one more amazing thing happened this week. I have a peanut little Chinese peanut I have been advocating for. Her name is Liu Run Tong AKA Kara, and she is 2 years old. She has Beta Thalassemia, just like my MengYan. This week, our dear friends, the Abla's received their pre-apporval from China, and they will be making her a permanent part of their family! I am doing the HAPPY DANCE! I am not sure who I am more excited for.....ME, Her, and Them!!! LOL

God, this is one heck of a ride. I was the woman who did not want children. You have taken my selfish heart, and changed it so radically, that I am preparing myself to become the momma to ELEVEN children. AND I AM HAPPY ABOUT IT! Really HAPPY!!!

More updates to come. But probably not quite as often, as I am just a wee but busier than usual! LOL
May God bless you all, and may you choose to always obey Him! His plan is perfect!

All my kids are home!

Hello! I am having a great week! Brogan is home from Germany! And Patrick was able to be home for the weekend as well! I decided to take advantage of the fact that we were all back together again, and have the kids photos taken. So, I drug them all to WalMart, and that is where the awesome photo came from!
Brogan is so cute pregnant! She is not nearly as big as I was expecting! She only has 6 weeks to go! Landon Nelson New will be born in North Carolina, so guess where I will be spending a lot of time in the next few months! LOL I am Excited. Still taking votes on what to be called, however. Mamo is Irish for grandma, but my friends all like Granny Annie. I think it makes me sounds too old! We'll see!
Good news on MengYan! A recent trip to Memphis, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital revealed that her iron overload levels have dropped from 25.9 down to 15!!! This is awesome! All of her labs came back very good, and her health is better than it has ever been, since we brought her home 2 1/2 years ago. Our God is good, and His healing hand is upon her!
Update on the Fab 5, as we call them. After dropping out of sight for sometime, their birthmother called us crying and pleading last week, and wants us to come get them. At this point, our agency feels the state will not approve us for all 5, but we have another home that MAY be interested in splitting them with us, and having regular, weekly visits, to keep them as together as possible. We are picking them up on Sunday, for a 2 week temp guardianship. Still not sure this is right, but these kids are part of our hearts now, and we want to do all We can for them.
Farm life is still keeping me too busy, but at least the weather has been good! We have downsized our farm considerably, selling off the ponies, the mini donk and many of the chickens. Trying to make things more manageable, so as to have more time to spend with my treasures, and all that entails!
Well, more updates to come! Gotta get some Zzzzzzzs
May God richly bless you and your household!
A

Christmas is COMING!

Good morning peeps!
Well, we are TOTALLY excited to celebrate Christmas in just a few days! My shopping is done, most the gifts are already wrapped, and yesterday the kids and I baked 9 cookie trays, which we are delivering today! :) Mostly I am excited to celebrate Jesus Christ's birth, and to start a new year of serving Him! Praying for lots of guidance and clarity in the new upcoming year!
An update on the FIVE kids......well, it is weird. After LOTS of prayer about them, Dale and I both felt we needed to know them more. So, we called our caseworker, and asked her to set up anther weekend home visit. We would go into this visit a little wiser, and knowing more of what to watch for. Our caseworker made MANY calls to the kid's birthmother, and she has never returned her call. Dale finally emailed Brandon (the oldest) last week, and Brandon told him, that a family member had shamed their birthmom into keeping the children, instead of placing them, as she was planning. But, the older girls continued to visit the caseworker's office telling her mom wanted them to go!!! So, we have NO IDEA what is going on. For the kids to stay with their birthmom, would be the best thing, as they love her dearly. But, she has to step up, grow up, and decide to be a mom, which means giving up a lot of her needs in exchange for theirs. These kids have not been in school since October.....because mom hasn't had the time to get them in for their shots and physicals!!!! So, we continue to pray that God's will be done, and we continue to try to figure out our role with these kids. We will see them on the 23rd, as we are taking them Christmas gifts!!! We had a of of fun shopping for them, and a lot of wonderful people from our church helped financially, so these kids could have a GREAT Christmas!
In the meantime, we are still trying to find God's will. Still have our house & farm on the market, in fact we are showing it twice this weekend. We are still looking at various waiting child lists, trying to see if our next child might be waiting for us. And also wondering if this is a season in our lives where God is just calling us to be content, and be still?!?!
Praying you all have a great weekend, and a great Christmas! God Bless!

An update and prayer request

Ok....so the kids. This Thanksgiving weekend was good, but also hard. It is emotionally draining to have that many kids in the house, trying to make sure they all get along, trying to keep some sort of balance. The girls all did great. The 2 oldest are wonderful, sweet ladies. They need some help in the hygiene dept., but that is something they can learn. The youngest, Bria, was terrified of Dale and I the first day or so. I truly do not think she has been around many white people! She wanted me to pat her back, and sing to her, but only if she could not see my face! Really! It was funny! But, by Sunday, she was following me everywhere, calling me momma. She is a chunky little gal, and needs a better diet, but again, things we can work on.
The boys were more of a challenge. We were told that Brian, the 10 year old has some mild cerebral palsy. Well, that wasn't quite right. Brian has some pretty significant cognitive delays. He is truly about at a 5 year old level. He talks to himself (and answers), in an eery voice, makes funny noises constantly, and has trouble understand things, and coordinating his motor skills. But worst of all, he was quite violent. Many times he punched Rory, and tried choking the younger kids. He made me very nervous. I truly do not think he has any idea he is doing anything other than playing. I do not know if this is something that he just needs disciplined for, and would then understand, or it this has been an on-going issue, that will continue.
Brandon. He was fantastic all weekend. Very polite, very helpful. Almost a too good to be real kind of thing. Our only issue with Brandon is the language he uses, and the things he has been exposed to. He has also had a lot of freedom, to basically go where he pleases and do what he wants. Not sure how easy it would be to bring some fairly strict structure into his life! LOL
So what do we do from here!?!?
UGH! I sure wish God would just whisper in my ear what is good, and which path we should follow! It would sure be easier!
I am just SO confused! I want to do everything I can for these kids, even if that means becoming their momma! But, do I do that at the cost of my own children's safety and security?!?!
Please Lord, show me your plan! Give me your peace!

Now that's a LOT of kids!

Hello! Well, do you remember the sibling group of FIVE I mentioned in my last post?!?! Well, they are here for a home visit, for the Thanksgiving weekend. It has been: Fun, Crazy, Hectic, Busy, but all in all a good time. We have been getting the know the kids, and they have had the chance to see how our family functions, to see if they would be happy in our home. They are: Brandon- the oldest, a very polite, helpful young man. Brittany- a Very pretty, but shy one. She seems most troubled by her family situation. Brianna- The spirited one! Always has a smile, always ready for a new adventure. Brian - The mystery. He has some issues, but I just cannot figure out what they are! He seems delayed cognitively, and seems to have some slight CP issues with his hands and sometimes his speech. He was TERRIFIED when we met him, literally scared to death. Now he is happy and content. He has food, which he loves, and friends. And Bria- The 2 year old, who outweighs my 6 year old, and wears the same size clothes! She has gone from being terrified of me, to calling me momma, in just a few short days.
Where do we go from here?!?!? I have no idea. I question whether I can stretch this far. But, I know God can stretch me beyond what I can imagine. We have applied for a family size exemption from the State of Illinois. Our caseworker says this is NO problem, she is sure we will get the exemption. Out atty is not as convinced. We should know sometime next week. God is in CONTROL. I keep telling myself that! LOL
IF we get a YES, from Illinois, then we have to decided whether to move forward with additional home visits, with the ultimate goal of adoption, or whether to advocate for them in a smaller family, or whether to help momma and grandma, to the point where these kids can stay home. I am not sure if the last is even an option.
Would you pray for us?! We need some wisdom and guidance!
Much love!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!