We are home (already)!!!!!!

We are home!!!! Anya did great and has been such a trooper. Our morning started at 4:30 a.m. as we had to drive 2 1/2 hours to Little Rock. We left dad at home for this trip because he came down with staph infection; we did not want to expose the children at the hospital. After her c-spine they took us back to get her gown on. She loved everyone she saw!

Here she is putting on her hospital gown. She was so happy to do everything she was asked and she had no idea what was about to happen to her.

Pulling her pants up!!

We had to wait awhile in the room, so she decided that pulling tissues out of the box would be a great idea.

I had signed all of the consent papers, talked to the doctors, and it was time to hand her over. This is always the hardest part of surgeries. Handing your babies over to the doctors. She went with them with no trouble, smiling the whole time!

The surgery lasted about 30 minutes...now that is fast. When we were in the recovery room, she cried and fussed a little. They let me hold her and that helped calm her down. But after the initial recovery period, she was trying to get back to her normal self. She waved to everyone she saw and gave all kinds of high fives to the nurses.

Here she is getting ready to go for a ride in the red wagon. I was ready to get out of the room, so we strolled down to the cafeteria and then to the gift shop.

You can tell she is worn out here, but she still maintained her smile!

She was a hit with all of the nurses and sat several times with them at the nurses station.

We got to go to "Camp Wannaplay". This is one of the play areas for the children who are staying in the hospital. Volunteers are available to help the children with crafts, playing games, coloring, or whatever the children want to do. Here Anya is coloring, but she also played with play-doh and painted a picture (which she loved).

The rule to be able to go home was for her to eat or drink 4 oz of pureed food or liquids in a 3 hour time period. Sounds easy enough right??? Well, I knew I better say a prayer for this one. I knew for sure that I did not want to spend another sleepless night in the hospital. I said my prayer and fed her a few bites of applesauce. She refused it at first, but finally I was successful.

WHEW!!!!

She ate it and they said we could go home! So we hugged, waved to, and gave all the nurses high fives and we went along our way.

The doctor said that she will still probably have restless sleep for a couple of days due to swelling, but we should see a difference after the swelling goes down. I am so thankful to have her here in America where she is able to receive the medical care she needs and deserves.

Looking forward to many good nights of sleep for years to come for this little princess!!

What would we do with $100.00?

If I had $100....

Recently, my daughter celebrated 100th day at her school. At school, the students were asked to write down what they would do with one hundred dollars. Her paper is pictured above, and here is what she wrote:

If I had $100.....

I would give it to Rses rinbow, because it can

help the kids ther. and Thay could get parnts

just lika Anya and other kids.

It will mack the world better

The day Mary Claire wrote her paper she came home and told me about it. When I read it, I cried. I guess it stunned me a little. Mary Claire is a very tender hearted little girl, but I would have assumed that when asked what she would do with $100.00 I would have thought she might say she would buy a toy.

BUT I WAS WRONG.

Mary Claire would give her $100.00 to

Reece's Rainbow.

What would you do with $100.00?

What would I do with $100.00?

Would we give to a child's account on Reece's Rainbow. A child who desperately needs a family, just like Anya needed a family. OR would we use our money on something that would bring us much more self satisfaction like a new outfit.

Would we give it to one of these kids who God says is perfect, but the world says are very imperfect. In fact, so imperfect that they don't even deserve a family.

Suzanne - ALREADY TRANSFERRED!

Kennedy - ALREADY TRANSFERRED!

Lilly - close to transfer has a heart condition and needs a family!!!!

This is Anya. Before we committed to Anya she was just like Lily, Kennedy and Suzanne. She had no future. She needed someone to give her a chance. These kids need families. These kids need families who are willing to answer the call, to take the chance, are you willing?

THEY ARE WORTH IT.

Please visit this blog where Adeye Salem has a post that is filled with over a hundred children who are desperate for families. These are children who are in the most dire need. They need medical care, they have been transferred, and some are about to age out of the system.

Please advocate for these children.

Please pray for these children.

Please give to these children.

Please ADOPT these children.

As you go to Adeye's blog, I encourage you to ask God to break your heart for what breaks His.

P.S. Anya will be having surgery on Wednesday. She is having her adenoids and tonsils taken out as well as having tubes put it. We will be at Arkansas Children's Hospital for several days. Please pray for her. We have had our experience with open heart surgeries with Ellis Anne and they were major, and even though this isn't major, you still get nervous. Please remember us!!! Hopefully, I will post pictures from the hospital.