Our Little "Lady":)

I've never done a post on our blog about our Compassion sponsored children. We sponsor two children a boy named David, and a little girl named Lady. David lives in Rwanda, and Lady lives in Ecuador. Lady was our first child to sponsor. She is a precious little girl who lives with her mother, and grandmother. She is very smart! Lady always sends the sweetest letters, and pictures:) Ellie is usually the one who writes the letters back to Lady from our family. Ellie and Lady have become friends through this letter writing process. Lady is a year younger than Ellie. It has always been Ellie's dream to go visit Lady one day. Well, a few months ago Lady told us in a letter that it was her dream to meet us one day. That ignitated a fire within us to make this dream come true for these girls! Although our entire family would love the chance to meet Lady, it's simply too expensive for all of us to travel. Ellie and I(mom) started brainstorming ideas about how we could raise money for the two of us to go meet her through one of Compassion's annual trips to visit sponsored children. Ellie begin making bracelets, wallets, coin purses, and bookmarkers using colorful, printed duct tape. She sold them to her friends, and made $21! She was so excited about the money she made. We continued talking about things we could do. I went to a conference back in the spring and got an idea! There were bracelets with bible verses that the praise band was selling. I bought one, used the basic idea, and made them our own. We have sold several, but I thought this blog might be a way to get the word out to more people. I am not on facebook, so this was the best way for us to let others know what we're doing. If you would like to purchase one you can email me. Let me know what verse you would like, and what color pattern. You can have any verse added to the bracelet of your choice! My address is meia.evans@yahoo.com. The bracelets are $20+S&H.  It's never too early to buy for Christmas:)!!

Adoption Fundraisers!

I am posting this today on behalf of some friends...Russ and Brandi O'Rear. The O'Rears live in my hometown, and are bringing two children home from China:) Please help them bring Jackson and Addie Kate home soon by going to their blog http://www.2bringthemhome.blogspot.com/ They have some neat ways to raise funds for their adoption!

Picture Post:)

Ok, I said I would have a new post soon...oh well, not so soon! We are deep into the heart of summer now, and enjoying lots of swimming, popsicles, and time spent with friends and family! Here are some pictures I've been wanting to post. I have finally gotten my technical difficulties with the camera fixed:) Happy Summer!!

Easter in July??? Oh...please bear with me!

We always go to Nana & Papa's house after church on Easter...even though it's an hour away!

Betsy and Hugh

Everyone enjoys dying the eggs!

And, they're off!!

Betsy's first beach trip. We went Spring Break...the end of April.

Betsy was so excited to see the beach for the first time! It was raining when we got there, so we couldn't go out till the next day.

First day on the beach. She ran out to the sand and jumped up and down! She's so much fun:)

Betsy loved playing in the sand!

Sam and Betsy

Daddy and Momma...we love the beach:)

The gang;)

Looking for shells

Henry and Betsy...look at the beautiful water behind them! I've never seen it so pretty!!

Ellie, Sam, Henry, Hugh, and Betsy

They couldn't wait to take a silly picture:) except for Sam...haha!

Update coming soon!!

I have so much to post about, but I am having some camera issues at the moment! I will hit the highlights, and come back with pictures soon! We did a parent/child dedication with Betsy in April (the date has slipped my mind for now!!), went to the beach for spring break (which was her first time to see the ocean & sand), and enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day weekend:) Hope all is well where the Lord has you today! Blessings!!

One Year Ago...

Nana, Papa, Hugh, and Henry...waiting.

I started this post yesterday, so we "officially" came home from China one year ago April 9, 2011. It's really hard to believe! I never did a post last year about the day we came home because I wasn't taking any of the pictures, so I didn't have any on my camera! My sweet friend Jennifer;) made a disc for me with 191 pictures on it...yes you read it right!! So, this is a "brief" picture post:) There were so many good pics...thanks Jen! I have been in a very nostalgic mood for the last couple of weeks. Thinking about being in China, getting Betsy, then coming home and seeing Hugh and Henry after being away from them for so long. I just want to say to those of you who are in the "waiting phase"...please enjoy every moment of this God ordained journey. He loves you very much, and is putting together an incredible story for you, and your family! I am so thankful for God's almighty hand in our lives:) Blessings, and grace to you!!

Lucy and Jing Jing...waiting!

Meredith, Henry, Hugh, Cole, and Abbie...waiting!!

Nana and Papa...wonder what they are talking about? ("Christmas sure is going to be crazy":)

They see us coming!

FINALLY:)





Momma sure did miss her boys!!

Todd loving on Henry:)

A very warm and happy welcome home from friends, and family.

Group shot! There were more than this, but some of the daddys/husbands went to get our luggage for us...so nice!

Alice, Jennifer, me, and Betsy...thanks again for the great pics:)

So good to be back together!

Gotcha Day!!

Betsy (Miao Miao) with her nanny. This was the first picture I took of her. She was crying when they first came in the room, and didn't get near us.

Wow!! Can't believe it's been one year now since we've gotten Betsy. Her Gotcha Day was Wednesday, March 28, 2012. We celebrated her being with us one year on that day. Well, we actually celebrated for two days because Wednesday night we had church! On Wednesday we let the kids have cake after dinner then went to church. On Thursday night we had Chinese food, and I let the kids decorate sugar cookies for dessert. After dinner, and baths we watched Betsy's Gotcha Day video. It was fun to look back and see how she's changed so much. After the video we gave her a set of handpainted nesting dolls we bought when we were in Harbin City, her birthplace. We are so thankful for Betsy, and the journey the Lord led us on to get to her. She is a precious, funny, vibrant, beautiful, full of life girl!! I can't wait to see the plans the Lord has for her life unfold in the coming years:) We are so blessed to be her family!


Momma, Ellie, Ms. Chen(director of adoption center), Betsy, & Sam

Betsy finally got out of Ms. Chen's lap to play bubbles with Ellie.

Her personality came out!! This girl laughs the hardest of anyone I know:)

All smiles with daddy:) She warmed up to Todd faster than me.

Betsy finally let me hold her after not even wanting to look my way at first. Thankfully this happened after only about 2-3 hours!

Betsy at home!

This was taken in January...about 10 months after we got her. What a difference a family makes!!

Betsy on Gotcha Day...March 28, 2012.

Betsy's Surgery

Betsy's last eye patching day!

There will be no more patches for Miss Betsy:) On Tuesday, February 21 she had eye surgery to straighten both of her eyes. When we got Betsy's referral her special need was listed as Nystagmus of the left eye. After we got her, and took her to two different eye doctors, she was diagnosed with alternating esotropia which means both of her eyes turn in at alternating times. The first thing the eye specialist in Birmingham told us to do was to patch her left eye(which was actually the stonger eye, not the weaker as we first were told), so the vision in the right eye would be as strong as the left eye. We began patching her eye 2-3 hrs. a day. She did great with the patching. After a few months we went back to the doctor, and he said he could see improvement. He then wanted us to start patching her eye 4hrs. a day for another 30 days. When the 30 days were over we saw the doctor, and he said it was time to schedule surgery. We scheduled the procedure, and on February 21st went to UAB Children's Hospital South for an outpatient surgery. We didn't know what time we had to be there till the day before, and were hoping for early morning. I was worried Betsy would not make it very well without eating for a while...the girl loves to eat!;) We were told to be at the surgery center at 9:00am. We had about a 2 hour drive the morning of the surgery, so we left at about 6:40am. Betsy was great! She really didn't ask for food till much later in the morning, and when we told her she couldn't have anything because the doctor said she didn't need to eat she was fine. Betsy ended up being the last patient for Dr. Elsas, so they didn't come get her till about 11:45am! She was so good while we waited. We played cards, read a book, rode on lots of different toys around the hallway, and she played with her baby. About 30 minutes before they came to get her the nurse brought her some"don't care" medicine...that's what she called it! Just to help relax her, so she wouldn't be scared/nervous. She was hilarious after about 10-15 minutes:) When the nurse came to get her Todd carried her, and I walked with them to some double doors with monkeys swinging on trees eating bananas painted on them. She went right to the nurse just talking and bobbing her head around...so silly! After about an hour the doctor came in, told us all went well, and said she would be out of recovery in about 30 minutes. When the nurse rolled her in on her bed from the recovery room she was asleep sucking her thumb! She looked so sweet, but pitiful. Her eyes were swollen, and there were little drops of blood around her eyes, and on the bridge of her nose. I looked at her and tears filled my eyes. I was so thankful in that moment to know that everything went well, but most of all that she had a mommy and daddy to love and comfort her after this surgery. Although this was minor she felt really bad the rest of that day, and the next. I couldn't help but think of all the sweet children who will have major surgeries, but who don't have a mommy and daddy to hold them, love them, and tell them it will be ok. I am so thankful to God for allowing us to be Betsy's mommy and daddy:) Praise Him from whom all blessings flow!!

Daddy and Betsy after we arrived at the surgery center. Oh, and baby Lucy:)

Daddy giving Betsy help with "Go Fish".

Mommy and Betsy waiting for the nurse to come with her "don't care" medicine.

Betsy and baby Lucy.

This is Betsy about 10 min. after she got her medicine.

She's got the giggles now!!

One very "loopy" little girl;)

Sweet baby:) This is after Todd put her in the car to go home...she slept all the way.