Post cards from Tori!

I have had such a great time getting to know Tori. For those of you who do not know her she is 14 and she went to Haiti with us for the first time last August and I had a lot of fun getting to know her. You just never know what she is going to do or say next! I really miss having her here for me to tease!!

Well for those of you who read Diane's blog's you will know that Tori is her daughter and that she has been giving Diane one letter to ready a day.

I was so excited to find out that Tori also left me a postcard to read every day! Isn't that cool!!!

I just love them and its so nice to read one in the morning. thought I would share them with you here!!

enjoy!!

Nikolas

Nikolas was our first child adopted from Russia. He was 12 months old. I didn't have a chance to go through and scan some of his first pictures but I will try to get to some those soon.
Nikolas, Celia (neighbor) Heather
Nikolas- 18 months
Nikolas - 11

Hannah

The first 3 pictures are of Hannah in china. We do NOT have any picture of her under 5 years old.

Hannah - 7

Katie

The first 3 pictures are of Katie in Russia. We do not ave photos of her at a younger age than 4.

Katie age 9

Caleb

Here are pictures of Caleb. We do not seem to have as many of them for some reason.

Ryan (Caleb's best friend) Caleb

They are so adorbale here!!!
Caleb age 6 (soon to be 7)

Photo history Part 1 - Heather

My friend Cheri asked us to share old photos of our children!

What a great idea! I am going to start hear with Heather. for some reason I have the most pictures of her! Probably because even though she was our 2nd child she was our first newborn.
Heather and Arianna!!They were so cute together!!

Heather age 9

In the Air

The Haiti team is finally on the final phase of getting to Haiti! They should arrive around 9:25 am!

They had a small delay when American had to get a piece of luggage off the plane that belonged to a passenger that didn't show. Does that sound familiar to anyone that has gone before?!
It is becoming quite common! :)

Their first stop after arriving in Haiti is a trip to Barbencourt where they will be showing the Jesus film to the children there! What an exciting start to their trip!!

We had a great day off with the kids! The kids were so good for me and I am so thankful for them!

After today they should be able to post their own blogs at lighthousetrips. Keep checking back as they could post once or several times a day. You will probably be able to read some of their trip at the Livesays blog . Tara and Troy will usually post some of what the team is doing!

I am so excited for them to finally get there and start working for the Lord!!!

Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his [a] holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."
The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
13 they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples in his truth.

Update

The team is on the ground in Miami and Nate said he cannot believe how warm it is there.

They were heading to their hotel and they were able to check their luggage for tomorrow! Sounds like it all arrived with them too! NOW that is a miracle!!! :)

I am now going to take a much needed rest. Not as much of a rest as Tammy and Diane as they had a very stressful drive! Thank to both of you for driving!! You are both so brave. I think we were up ALL night listening and watching the wind and the snow.

I cannot even tell you the hours that the 3 of us put into computer time and phone time with everything that went on! I am off to a HOT, HOT shower and then dinner with the kids! They have been SUPER good today and I am soooooooo proud of them!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again for all the prayers!!! We are also so thankful too becuase my friend Michelle and her Guatemala team is safe home and sound today too!!! Thank you, God!!!

Haiti team and weather!

Well for those living in Michigan the weather this morning has been something else. Ice, blowing winds, blizzard like conditions, lots of snow.

It is also the same day that my husband was to leave for Haiti. He is leading a team of 13.

They were VERY delayed this morning and they ended up missing their plane in Chicago.

However God is so good and Nate called me a few minutes ago with news that a flight was available in 30 minutes to Miami and he was VERY positive that they would make it and still make their flight to Haiti today!!!

Thanks to all those that have been praying!!! It is so appreciated!!!!

I will update more later!!!

New update:

Nate just called me and now they are NOT able to get on that flight. They are heading out right now to rebook their flights but figure unless a miracle occurs that they will be spending the night in Miami.

Caleb

Most people know Caleb as a very rambunctious little boy!!
that he is! I cannot believe how often I have to get after him to stop running, stop hitting, and stop headbutting people. Ugh! Especially at church. He is all boy.
He also has a very sweet side to him (okay he is a little spoiled and my youngest) Caleb was another child that doctors said we would never have! God is so good to us!!
Last night Caleb wrote me this note!! In case you cannot read it I will translate for you.

Dear, Mom. I love you sista. Caleb! Is that not the sweetest! Okay he wrote me this when he was supposed to be in bed. What can a mom do!!! He also put the special sticker on at the bottom!!

Not a good time for more snow.

Please pray for the Guatemala team that is flying into Detroit tonight and for those that are driving out to pick them up and for their safe trip home.

Also pray for the Haiti team that is supposed to be leaving tomorrow morning early.

I don't mind if we get winter weather but if it could just hold off a day that would be great!!!

This is what came to our email box this morning:


URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGENATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI345 AM EST TUE JAN 29 2008...

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY....VERY STRONG WINDS AND SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CREATE VERYHAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. NEAR BLIZZARDCONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES TONIGHT ESPECIALLY NEAR AND WEST OFUS-131. TEMPERATURES WILL PLUMMET DURING THE MID TO LATE EVENINGHOURS AND OVERNIGHT. THE HIGH WINDS COULD RESULT IN SCATTERED POWEROUTAGES TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. ROADS COULD QUICKLY BECOME ICYTHIS EVENING AS THE MUCH COLDER AIR ADVECTS IN.MIZ037-038-043-291645-MASON-LAKE-OCEANA-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LUDINGTON...BALDWIN...HART345 AM EST TUE JAN 29 2008...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PMEST WEDNESDAY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A WINTERSTORM WARNING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATEDTONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AND WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BYVERY WINDY CONDITIONS. SNOW WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PM WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TOHEAVY SNOW ANTICIPATED LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH WILL RESULT IN BLOWING AND DRIFTINGSNOW. SNOW WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.SNOW AND PLUMMETING TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL MAKE ROADS VERYSLIPPERY. BLOWING SNOW WILL RESULT IN NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY ATTIMES. EXPECT VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS TONIGHT THROUGHWEDNESDAY MORNING. SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ARE ALSO POSSIBLETONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS.A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSOPOSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Refresh my soul is having a great giveaway!!!

Check out refresh my soul's blog she is having a great giveaway!!!

My First Giveaway!

Yes! A Starbucks gift card in a surprise amount and

..............A copy of my first published book, "Standing on God's Promises-A Devotional for Women."Spread the word. You have this whole week until Friday to enter.

Just leave a comment and tell her what you would do with these prizes if you were selected. On Saturday she will post the winner and get these out to you!

Too cool!!!! Hmm I can already taste that Mocha!! Yum!! LOL