Haiti Adoption Update

Will post more when we know a bit more but for now we are just asking for prayer for "OPPeration Shelton Family" (O for Olivia and PP = Patricia and Philippe :) -- I just made that up! haha!). We have hit a few bumps in the road on the journey to our big kids, but we WILL NOT GIVE UP. We love our kids sooooo much.

Here are some verses my sister Janie emailed me today:

'I will direct your steps.' Prov. 3:5-6

'I have not given you a spirit of fear' 2 Tim 1:7

'I will supply all your needs' Phil.4:19

'I will never leave you or forsake you' Heb 13:5

'Cast all your cares on Me' I Pet. 5:7

For children to be languishing in orphanages when they are matched with families while other children are literally dying while waiting to get IN to orphanages, is just plain RIDICULOUS. The Haitian adoption process is more difficult than any other country that we know of (we are on the Board of Directors for the LYDIA Fund, so we talk to MANY adopting families, on top of the blogs and articles that we read, etc, etc). Please pray for the evil of that country to be bound. Pray that the hearts of officials processing our paperwork will soften. That laws will change for the better. Please pray that paperwork moves across desks and that children can come home to their families! We know people who are going on three years of waiting. Three years of a child's life is so very significant! Three MONTHS is significant. These kids all NEED TO COME HOME.

Well, It's Official!

We're parents! Because we bought a MINIVAN today! With more repairs looming around the corner for our little Ford Focus and with Philippe and Patricia coming home...someday...we decided it was time for a trade and upgrade. It is a 2009 Volkswagen Routan, with only 9,000 miles. Isn't it just BEAU-TEE-FUL?We love it!

Every Child Deserves a Home

Terrific Tuesday!

We just learned that my dear Miracle Mama is STILL CANCER FREE!! What amazing news!

Here is my mom in April of 2008, after she nearly passed away

(keep in mind that I took this picture because of how good she looked at the time!!)Here is my Mom (with my Dad) last week:
Amen! Praise the Lord! Love my MAMA!!!!!!!!

And it is my Dad's 83rd birthday today! We had them over for dinner, and he and Olivia had some sweet time together. He is one of the only people she goes to without a fuss - and she stays on his lap longer than anyone else's! We signed him up for his own Facebook account so that is pretty fun! :)

Dad making a goofy face!

Blowing out his candle

Olivia was wiped out!What a TERRIFIC TUESDAY!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

This is of Olivia with her cousin, Isaac. They are total buddies! In this picture she is giving him a kiss...she has since learned to kiss with her mouth shut :) This is from the end of July and I kept meaning to post it but never got to it! I would rather spend time with little Miss O than blog. Also, I have to apologize to all the bloggers whose blogs I haven't read in so long! I will try to catch up here and there.

9/11 - We Will Never Forget!

For more from us on 9/11 click HERE, HERE, or HERE.

We will never forget!

Thankful Thursday

Well, it is almost Friday, but I am still eeking by here...and I am oh-so thankful, so I am trying to rush to make Thankul Thursday! We have so many pictures of this little peanut, it is crazy. We have some really fun activities that we need to blog about too, and will try to get to those soon!Last night Olivia kept saying "HI!" and so I said, "can you say, 'Hi Mama?' " and she said it! That warmed my heart as I'm sure you can understand! We are still pinching ourselves and pretty much daily just look at her and say, "Is she really here?" She is a feisty chick, lemme tell you, but she is loads of fun and has us laughing all the time. We are thoroughly enjoying her and enjoying parenthood. More pics to come soon!

And the winner is...

Jennifer Flynn from Boulder City, NV. I used a third party to do the drawing. My great-nephew Isaac loaned his train conductor hat for the mission and here is my great-niece Corene proudly displaying the winner's name, which she drew.

Congratulations, Jennifer! And sorry to those whose names weren't picked out of the hat!
Thank you so much to all who bought raffle entries. We ended up with $250, which is great! We just paid the VISA bill for all of our hotels and food in China, so this is very helpful. Blessings!