four makes light work

hubby works a lot. i mean a lot! he has worked 56 hours in the last four days-not including the additional 6 hours of commute time.

yesterday i called my 97 year old grandmother in Florida. she wanted to know how my husband felt about adopting two more children. i told her that he is so happy with the adoption, he talks about doing it again.

BUT, what he doesn't tell many people is that his biggest struggle with the adoption has been overwhelming guilt. he feels guilty that he isn't at home to bond with the children. he feels guilty that i am left alone all day with four kids. he feels guilty that he resents his job that keeps him away from his family so much. he feels guilty that some of our friends can't understand why he is tired or reluctant to do social things on his rare days off. he feels guilty that today is Saturday and he hasn't seen the children since Monday. literally he is gone before they are up and home well after we are asleep on most days.

don't get us wrong. we thank God that he has a job that supports us and that he truly loves(most of the time). but now that he has more to love about his life, he wants to be able to enjoy it. we think back to before we started the adoption journey. our lives were missing something. now, our lives are full.

full of joy, laughs, learning, growing, bonding, love...

today he woke up happy! no, seriously...the man woke up happy! that is not something i can say happens often. he climbed into bed last night at 3:15 AM after a 16 hour day. the phone woke him up less than 8 hours later. he was not grumpy. he was not begging for more sleep. he woke up smiling. when i asked him what he wanted to do today, he already had the day planned. he NEVER has a Saturday off. it is a very rare thing for a bar manager at a golf club.

he was going to spend the day with his girls. that was all. just with his girls. not having "me" time, not doing "man-stuff."

just simply...enjoy his daughters. revel in the blessings God has given us.

well, he wasn't just going to sit and stare at them all day. that i knew. what does he have planned?

did you figure it out? foraging for wood with a friend + unloading said wood with four little helpers = a giant bonfire tonight and burnt marshmallows. maybe mom should go thaw out some hotdogs! i am sure S and B have never charred their own dinner over a huge fire before. i can't tell you how fun it is to watch older children have firsts!

THANK YOU GOD FOR MY STRONG HUSBAND. THANK YOU FOR CREATING A MAN WHO PUTS YOU FIRST THEN TREASURES HIS FAMILY. I HAVE NEVER FELT SAFER OR MORE LOVED THAN WHEN YOU MADE HIM NEW AS A CHRISTIAN HUSBAND. I REVEL IN YOUR GIFTS! I ASK YOU TO FORGIVE THE WORLD WHO HAS TURNED THEIR BACKS ON YOUR CALL. PLEASE HELP THEM TO OPEN THEIR EYES, ACCEPT YOU INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND HEED YOUR COMMAND TO RISE UP AND BE MEN OF FAITH. AMEN.



no news is good news

nothing new here. i guess that is good news.

no major meltdowns.

no major triumphs.

just small glimpses of...

joy

pain


and more...

settling in

bonding

english words learned

games learned and mastered


we had our one month post-adoption evaluation by our social worker for our agency report. there wasn't that much to say. our greatest fears have not yet come true. we had no expectations...so there wasn't too much upset. we have been pleasantly surprised by how much the children have just sort of "fit" into our existing family. i don't want to court fate, but up to now, this has been easier than i imagined it would be. i know. i know. things can and probably will change. but it has been such a blessing that we are considering doing it again.

what's that? you hear God laughing? well...maybe He isn't done with us yet. but, i bet it is in a way i hadn't considered. yup...i think that IS Him laughing.

He is probably chortling at the way our lives will look in three more years. we will have 13, 14, 15, and 16 year old teenage girls. yup...that is most likely what you are hearing.

one place we don't really fit...INTO OUR CAR! perhaps God will find a way for us to have a different set of wheels-maybe one that seats 8! i know-that is crazy talk. we'll leave that problem in His capable hands.

LORD, YOU ARE GREAT. WONDERFUL MAKER OF ALL THINGS, I THANK YOU FOR OUR CHILDREN. I EXALT YOU FOR YOUR WISDOM AND GOODNESS. I KNOW YOU HAVE PLANS FOR US. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, BUT KNOW THAT WHATEVER YOU HAVE PLANNED...I'M IN. I TRUST THAT YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF US. PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY TRANSGRESSIONS AND SHORTCOMINGS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ASK. THANK YOU FOR MAKING A WAY FOR US TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.  HELP ME TO STAY ON THE PATH YOU HAVE LAID OUT FOR ME AND NOT TO FOLLOW THE PATH I WANT FOR MYSELF. YOUR WILL BE DONE, LORD. AMEN.

so off topic... here was our Panda Playgroup this past weekend

fits and fishing

just keeping it real...

we finally had two meltdowns. it took 21 days of being home. i haven't gotten to the bottom of exactly what happened, but we had two separate sobbing fits. it's normal and i expected it, but it breaks my heart to see my child in pain and not be able to help. once language comes in, perhaps it will be easier...maybe it will be harder.

i am just thankful that when she cries, someone who loves her is standing right there. she is no longer alone in her anguish.

we made it through our first meltdowns. we can make it through many more. that i do know.

the afternoon went better. we had a nice playdate and the children found our fishing poles. i don't fish...but i managed to repair all three broken lines. go momma!

they look peaceful, don't they? fishing is peaceful, right?

NOT!

ever try teaching a child to fish? how about one that doesn't speak the same language as you? this is how it went. i mimed how to do it properly. then frantically yelled, "WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!" as i ran for cover. far out of reach of flying hooks.

then it was their turn...

imagine wildly swinging fishing poles slicing through the air, teeter tottering children standing inches from water, uninhibited joy, crazed laughter, hooks in trees, hooks in clothes, hooks in bushes, hooks stuck on rocks at the bottom of the pond, and hooks stuck in the grass 40 feet from where the child is standing with the pole still in their unskilled hands.

within seconds of my gaining safe ground, they would call out, "mommy!" and i would have to save their hook from whatever had attacked it. again i would scream, "WAIT!WAIT!WAIT!" as i scurried to safety. their fishing looked more like frenzied tennis than graceful casting.

what form...take notes everyone, heehee

i never knew if canada geese were brave or stupid when they have stood up to my children. after basha's casts i have my answer...they are stupid. those geese narrowly missed being caught. although if one had been, i know a boy, named gabe, that would love to keep one as a pet.

notice the new hole near the bottom of basha's shirt. gee...how did that happen? hmmm...more importantly, did she do it to herself or was she too close to another child while they were casting???

she is pointing like a batter does when he intends to hit a home run.  no, don't aim for the log! i'm not breaking out the canoe today too.

i smartened up and decided to attempt retrieval of the practice lure(hookless) from the tree it has been in since daddy got it stuck last year. basha helped me problem solve. it was just out of our reach when i grabbed a branch and pulled the limb it was attached to closer to us. she grabbed my hand and ran towards the house, dragging me behind. she got the kitchen broom and handed it to me. i told her we needed a hook. we found one with a screw on it in our mudroom(we use them to hang lawn chairs and other outdoor things). we screwed it into the end of the wooden broom handle. then we ran pell mell back down to the water. (i'm too old for this!) E helped us hook the tree and pull the practice lure close. A grabbed ahold of the branch while i broke off the twig it was wrapped around. success! the four of us had a successful mission and not one took a swim. impressive.

basha high-fived me exuberantly. she was stoked we had problem solved together. smart. smart. smart. that she is. don't tell her something can't be done.

so at least one child was relatively safe while "fishing"...

until i heard a loud splash. no, she didn't fall in, she threw the rod in. i held my breath while she picked it out of the water. OK that's enough excitement for today...time for dinner girls. shianna asked, "ming tien?" "tomorrow?" 

ugh! we have to do this again? my heart can't take it. fishing peaceful? try heart pounding!

i know what my prayers will include tonight...Lord, please let someone break into our shed and steal all the fishing poles before tomorrow, please?

Glorious Day

it was glorious for more reasons than being my first warm day this year...

our church welcomed two new members in Christ into our fold. i guess i can crow about this one! i am a Godmother. i have always wanted a Godchild. it is not an honorary title to me, it is a serious position in a child's life. we are commanded to baptize and teach. if my Godchild isn't attending church, i will call his/her parents to ask why not? and if i feel the need to, i will bring that child myself, even if it means driving to their college and taking them. EVEN if it is a 1000 miles away. it is a blessing and privilege to be asked. it carries weighty responsibility. i am up for the job! my faith is strong...so is my will!

introducing our first Godchild...

please join us in praying for his soul and blessings throughout his life... and for the other sweet child too!

LORD GOD, MOST HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFTS OF BAPTISM. WE PRAISE YOU FOR YOUR PLANS TO UNITE OUR SOULS IN HEAVEN WITH YOU THROUGH JESUS'S AMAZING SACRIFICE. WE ASK THAT YOU WATCH OVER STEPHEN AND VIOLET THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. KEEP THEM CLOSE TO YOU, PROTECT, GUIDE, AND STRENGTHEN THEM IN THEIR FAITH DAILY. MAKE THEM NEW IN YOU AS OFTEN AS THE NIGHT BECOMES DAY. HELP US TO TEACH THEM THROUGH YOUR WORD. FORTIFY THEIR FAMILIES TO INSTRUCT AND RAISE THEM IN YOUR TEACHINGS. PLEASE GIVE THEM LONG LIVES FULL OF BLESSING AND PROVISION. WE BOLDLY ASK THIS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.

and the day was doubly blessed to welcome violet into our Body of Christ too.

i had forgotten to bring tissues up to the font and fought back tears of joy and thanksgiving the entire time. although i was not the only one...i will behave and not mention who else was having trouble keeping the overwhelming gratitude and love under wraps.

 

 seven children adopted from China in the last three years. one missing. one on the way.

 adopted children and siblings. four families missing from picture.

 our family

please know that our community isn't born of "keeping up with the jones's" but one of catching the fire of the Holy Spirit. The one that magnifies and has us put into practice: James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

our community is a place of race-blindness, of dying to ourselves to serve the Lord and those He loves, of serving Him in every way He has instructed us. these are the fruits of those labors. i am so grateful to be chosen to be one of these.



Body of Christ-rise up! another child needs you!

God works in amazing ways...

just before we journeyed to China to bring our two children home, i came home late from an adoption support group to find my husband on the phone. he spoke for a while-i assumed it was with a member of the golf club he works for. when he passed the phone over to me, there was a wonderful woman on the other end. she said she had been reading our blog and was inspired with our walk and by the way God found us the money to complete a double adoption. she mentioned a friend of hers that was trying to raise the ransom money to bring her child home. she had or was close to having travel approval, but was short several thousand dollars needed to travel.

i got off the phone to find my hubby didn't know this woman we were speaking to. neither did i. it took me a bit to figure out it was a friend i had made through my agency travel group. we wouldn't be travelling with her due to their family commitments, which was a bummer. she is currently in China adopting her sweet girl. you can find her blog at the bottom of my postings, on my blog list, titled Journey to Mei. please join us in praying for their safety. we are with you hubbard family! God bless you.

anyway...she put me in touch with her friend in need. she has walked her current adoption journey in total surrender to God. God moved me to try to donate all my sky miles to her. i worked for hours the week we were leaving to transfer them to her. when all was said and done it wasn't going to make sense to spend more on transfer fees than would give her in credit. i was so frustrated at why God would have us jumping through hoops not to actually have been any help.

duh! haven't i learned that things do not happen in our power? that He makes us rely on Him, trust in Him, and be stripped of all control? then He swoops in and shows us how powerful He is!

well, He showed us all once again. in the last month He has found them over $5000. they still need about $1300 to travel with. this special faithful servant is selling bracelets, cookbooks, and having a give away.

please consider going to her blog and purchasing a bracelet or cookbook. or even better just go donate a few dollars. anything you can give. together this Body of Christ can bring Faith home!

look out mountains...our God is BIG!!!!

http://milesoftheheart.blogspot.com/

HEAVENLY GOD, JEHOVAH JIREH, THIS FAMILY OF YOUR SERVANTS NEEDS YOU TO MOVE YOUR CHILDREN TO HELP BRING ANOTHER CHILD HOME TO A FOREVER FAMILY. YOUR SON PAID THE RANSOM FOR US. WON'T YOU MOVE OUR HEARTS TO RAISE THE RANSOM FOR THIS SWEET GIRL? WE CALL ON YOU. YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS. YOU ARE BIG. YOU CAN LEVEL ALL THESE MOUNTAINS. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT WE CAN COME TO YOU AND PLACE ALL OUR NEEDS AT THE FOOT OF YOUR THRONE. YOU ARE A LOVING GOD. A FAITHFUL GOD. WE KNOW YOUR PLANS ARE TO PROSPER US. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS KNOWLEDGE AND ALLOWING US TO KNOW YOU. ALSO PLEASE PROTECT AND BLESS THE HUBBARDS AS THEY TRAVEL IN CHINA TO BRING HOME MEI. WE REJOICE IN YOUR GOODNESS!!! AMEN.

our first Easter being six

we had a very busy and blessed Easter week. we live a half an hour drive from our church and i have teased in past years, that they should have beds for us at the church so we don't have to drive back and forth every day.


on Palm Sunday, S, played the drums with our worship team. the sending song was I Refuse. check back to my post on march 20 titled God Sightings to see video of Shianna and me caterwauling singing that song. it was an unexpected blessing that the child would pick that song to play on repeat. she lit up when they started playing the song at church. the children were so well behaved. surprised i was!


tuesday we had homeschool co-op at the church. see my last posting for photos of cookie decorating.

thursday was Maundy Thursday. we shared dinner at some of our special friends' house. how appropriate to share in a meal the night we celebrate Christ's Last Supper, with fellow disciples, whom we love so dearly. truly another wonderful blessing.

then we popped over to the church for services. our Pastor offers a unique ceremony. one by one we are called to the alter to be individually blessed and have our sins forgiven. we sit in the front of the church, so we were some of the first to approach. Shianna and Basha each went up in their turn to get blessed. they didn't snicker, mock, or act up. oh Holy Spirit, are you filling them already? won't You move them to accept Baptism soon?

friday again brought us back to church for Good Friday. the children behaved well. they were a bit too jovial for a solemn service, but they didn't really understand what was going on.

it was almost comical to see me trying to explain the story of Easter to them using Google Translate. i first typed in that today was one of our most Holy days. then i typed that God was sent to the earth as a baby, grew up to be a man, was murdered, and then brought back to life. the children's eyes got big. really big. Basha wanted to know why. i told them that God had to die to open the gates of Heaven for those who believe in Him. that God sent a Son out of love to die for our sins. they gave me the OK sign. i am not sure how much they got, how much was lost in translation, and how badly i screwed up the telling for them.

then i tried this wonderful audio Bible website they have that has Madarin Bible stories for children http://hk.bibleinlivingsound.org. problem was that once you click on Chinese, all the titles are in Chinese character. oh no! so i spent several minutes copy and pasting the characters into Google Translate to find the Easter story. to my astonishment-they weren't in order! AND they were all broken down into small pieces. they had the "Death of Judas" next to the "Metaphor of the Good Samaritan" next to the "Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh" next to the "Crucifixion." i thought maybe i would just show them the Crucifixion one. OK bad idea. it is an reenactment  audio story. it begins with men shouting and people screaming. boy, did their eyes get really big. i turned that off might quick. it was best left to the confusing description i gave them.

in any case, they were respectful of going to church and sitting through long services. they have also stopped mocking us when we say grace. just now as i sit here banging away on my keyboard i can hear all four children saying grace. it is a comical mix of English and gibberish, but at least they are on board with the way this family does things.

saturday brought us the 7th annual Easter Eggstravaganza at church. there are many fun activities including crafts, refreshments, balloon animals, and a petting zoo.

the school age children were given a wristband with a number on it that corresponds to eggs with the same number. as we sat in the church getting instruction, i panicked. oh no! who here can explain this concept to our Chinese children? i looked around, wild eyed...anyone here speak Mandarin? a close friend who is also an adoptive mom approached me later commenting on how funny it was with me shouting, "anyone here speak Mandarin??" OK it was funny. 

we got outside to the egg field. i was overwhelmed. how would i explain it to them? why didn't i remember that the Bible says to Fear Not 365 times? one for each day of the year. yes, even the day of my children's first Easter Egg Hunt! the kids had no trouble figuring it out. they immediately set out to find their allotted eggs. how i underestimate them. have i learned a lesson? no! i will continue to be amazed by their smarts. probably to my detriment at some point. they are so smart they will eventually use it to their advantage.

 Shianna

 Basha

 E

 A

Basha

  a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who worked so hard to make this community outreach program a fun and successful day. we appreciate all you did to make it a special time of fellowship.

sunday was of course Easter Sunday. we usually attend the Sonrise service at 6 AM, but i wasn't about to wake the kiddos up at 4:30 AM when we are still experiencing the language barrier. so we woke up and had our family egg hunt. E rolled away the rock from the tomb of her homeschool co-op craft. inside the angel, who spoke to the women, was portrayed by none other than Yoda. cracked me up. very funny E.

because the children had already been exposed to an egg hunt, there was no need to explain what to do. they were off- tackling each other over the first several eggs until mommy started yelling to "settle down" and "don't" in Mandarin. it was more civilized after that. when Mandarin comes out of my mouth, it stuns everyone into stopping whatever they are doing. a great parenting trick...highly useful...

A found over 30% of the eggs. she scored big this year. E helped her new sisters find eggs...so selfless. i love how they love and protect each other.

we made it to 11 am church services early. yes, i said early. Easter miracles abound around here. it was the best Easter service i have ever been to. the music and sermon were inspiring. i wish i could have video taped it and posted it for all to share in. the adopted children were a bit wild though. so sugar before church is not a great idea. note to self...Easter baskets can be broken into after church next year.

later we had a nice dinner with a few loved ones. everyone chipped in to make it an amazing meal. i let the spiral ham cook in the crockpot while we were at church. i didn't have time to mess with glaze, so i poured a half of cup of orange juice over top before turning it on. it was so yummy. try it sometime.

5 out of 8 days this past week we were at our church. again, where are our Easter Week beds? the children never once complained or had to be dragged away for reprimand. woohoo.

THANK YOU MERCIFUL FATHER FOR OUR COUNTLESS BLESSINGS AND PROVISIONS. YOU HAVE CREATED A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY FOR OUR CHILDREN TO BE RAISED IN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS'S SACRIFICE. OH HOW UNWORTHY WE ARE YET SO LOVED. BLESSED BE YOUR NAME. AMEN.  

state of my heart

one of my besties called me today and left a message that said(paraphrased), "you haven't blogged lately, so i guess i have to do things the old fashioned way and call you personally for an update."


sorry i haven't blogged lately. i thought there hadn't been much going on in terms of challenges or new triumphs. we have been busy though.

we have thrown out the cocoon style theory of settling in/bonding and jumped right into life as we now know it. in case you haven't noticed, i use my blog as a journal to get things out of my head and into a place where i can process them. i didn't think there was anything to say, but i was wrong. nothing dramatic but all the small things have added up to once again show God's provision and perfect plan. 


everything is going amazingly. we attended a Panda Playgroup on saturday run by the Asian American Cultural Center at UCONN(they have more chapters around the country...http://asacc.uconn.edu/programs/china.php). there were approximately 20 children there. they made name tags, played a Mandarin speaking game, folded origami squares and played a shuffleboard type of game, made some Chinese inspired artwork, and then served a yummy meal of noodles, sesame chicken, and dumplings. it is a free monthly program. the children spoke Mandarin to the college student volunteers, but did not seem excited or distressed to be able to communicate. they did not ask to translate anything to me. guess they are OK with our system of charades and pictionary type of communication.

during the meal, shianna asked me to get myself some food and eat with her. basha didn't like me sitting halfway on E and A's seats and went across the room to get me my own chair. obviously they respect me as their mother and made sure i was taken care of too. AH...LOVE...

there were two families there that also attend our church, so we felt right at home. the next day we took the children to church for their first time. when we walked into Sunday School, basha immediately pointed out a friend from the Panda Playgroup, smiled, and sat down. i heard from one of the teachers that basha was very polite and well behaved. PROGRESS! the children stayed in their groups the whole time. they also sat mostly quiet through the entire church service. WOOHOO!

our first family photo

on monday we had their MD appointments. the doctor is questioning basha's diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy as it is so slight. she noticed very weak upper body muscles which is causing a curvature of her spine and  ordered back X-rays to see if there is a different issue going on. we will get a full neuro work-up in 6 months when speech has come in and she can understand commands. this MD said basha would most likely never live independently as an adult after reviewing her file last May. on monday, she said that she hasn't any doubt that basha will live independently, get married, have a family, or become a professional. PRAISE GOD! we accepted this child knowing full well that she may not attain the classic American Dream. we still found value in her life...it didn't matter to us what she could do or not do. now we are being told her future will only be limited by the size and scope of her dreams.

baba and daughters playing legos at the doctor's office

we found out shianna has bad ears and needs glasses(otherwise a healthy kid)...probably the reason for her developmental delays. once we address those issues, she should be able to learn and catch up to her peers in no time. again, we were told she had a diagnosis of mental retardation. we accepted her as is. now we are being told that she is of normal intelligence and will not have to live into her label either. amazing how God has wiped clean their prognosis and created them new.

THANK YOU PRECIOUS FATHER

tuesday brought us a busy day. we attended our home school co-op. there are approximately 12 students and a few siblings that attend. we made this really cool Easter craft and decorated Easter cookies. some weeks they learn writing and science, but this week was just fluffy fun stuff.

 cookie decorating

 cross and tomb craft

later we went to sign language class where we were able to share the signs the children were taught in the orphanage. they were remarkably similar to the sign language our teacher knows. i wonder who in the orphanage taught the children?!

on the way home we stopped by our local library and the children again were well behaved. they got out a movie and some Ranger Rick magazines. basha can read many names of animals. i guess she took English classes at school at some point. they constantly surprise me.

today we went out grocery shopping for the first time. the children were like four little ducklings following behind my cart. they never asked for anything at the store. although when i grabbed a frozen pizza, both Chinese children yelled "PIZZA!" and basha did a happy dance. guess they had pizza at the orphanage. i hadn't served it to them or taught them the word for pizza yet. i was so tickled that i threw an extra pizza into the cart.

tonight my parents came over for dinner. we have decided to make it a weekly thing so the girls will learn who they are and that they are important figures in our lives. when they arrived, basha yelled, "GRANDMA GRANDPA!" she only met them once, but skyped a few times from China. smart girl!  they brought the girls some colored bubbles, which they tore into right away.

basha

A

 E

after stuffing ourselves with a spaghetti dinner, we had Chinese tea and looked through pictures and video from China.

meanwhile, the children worked on a welcome home card for a neighbor couple whom the children were house and cat sitting for. shianna, who has not been using her english name without prompting, came downstairs and asked me how to spell her name to add to the card. she was no longer interested in writing her Chinese name in characters like she has been doing. again PROGRESS!

when it was time to go home, hugs were given out. basha freely gave grandma beany a hug. what???? she doesn't do hugs. i said as much to her and she put her arms out and hugged me!

my first hug from her. my heart did a happy dance.

grateful heart.

moved heart.

melted oh-so-gooey heart.

praising God heart.

overfull heart.

that is truly what family is for. our emotions we feel for them opens us up to be able to feel for others. this kid opened up and touched me for the first time after dancing with her pengyou, Tim, while in China. now after a hug from grandma, i get my first hug.

then it wouldn't stop. she jumped up on a chair and dropped into my embrace over and over. she asked me to carry her to bed...not an easy task for a 108 lb momma to carry a 64 lb 10 year old up thirteen stairs. i would have carried her even if she was 200 lbs. i would have carried her across the Rocky Mountains. anything for that sweet touch.

blurry first hug photo, but captured none the less

so as i said goodnight to my four precious girls tonight, three accepted kisses and four accepted hugs.

LORD, DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS? I THANK YOU FOR ALL THINGS GREAT AND SMALL. THANK YOU FOR THE HARD TIMES AND BLESSED TIMES THIS LENTEN SEASON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME WHAT SACRIFICE IS AND HOW TO LOVE YOUR CHILDREN. I AM EVER SO GRATEFUL. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SHOW ME HOW TO PLEASE YOU. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP ME TEACH MY CHILDREN THESE THINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST AND CALL TO BE EARTHLY PARENT TO ALL FOUR OF THESE AMAZING GIRLS. BLESSED BE YOUR NAME FOR ALL ETERNITY. AMEN.