To Lose a Friend

Seldom in life do you meet someone who leaves an imprint on your soul of the way people are supposed to be in this world.  Someone who touches your life unlike anyone you have ever known or met.  Someone who you know you can trust, who is an example for you to follow and who causes you to evaluate yourself more closely than ever before.

Jacquie Franklin did that for me.

On Saturday night, while still in China, Pat and I learned of the passing of a sweet friend.  At 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning in Smyrna, Jac met face to face, the One whom she loved.  I know that she walked hand in hand with her Savior into eternity, because I believe He receives each one of His children home like that.  I don't believe He allows us to walk that journey alone.  I believe that He is with us every step of the way.  In learning of our loss, Pat and I held each other and cried.  I am so very grateful to a God that orchestrates every move that He allowed our paths to cross and fully believe that not a single event was by accident.  Looking back over the past few years, it's so very easy to see the hand of God in so many things.

Friend.

Simply put, Jacquie was my friend.  She made me want to be a better person just by being around her, isn't that what friends are for?  She always left you feeling loved and valued.  I love people that give value to your very existence.  And she did.  She made you feel like you were on the top of her list of favorite people, from the homeless men at Room at the Inn that she didn't know personally, to Mike and Ryan.   And, those of us that were priviledged to fall somewhere in between.  She gave value and worth to your life, just by being her.  She was never without a compliment, always saw the good in people, and thought my cobbler was the best ever!  Sweet memories that bring a smile to my tear stained face.  It's taken me a few days to collect my thoughts, but it took only a matter or seconds to begin the self-examination of my life.  In feeling the sting of death of a loved one once again, I looked at my feeble attempt to make a difference in this world.  Perhaps, moreso than ever before.  I don't know for sure, but I suspect several of us that knew and loved Jac are doing the same.  That is the legacy of Jacquie Franklin.  That is what she left behind, a trail of people in her wake that are now looking at their own lives and wondering what impression they are leaving on this world.  At least I know that I am.  Thank you for being my friend, for I am blessed by having known you.

Servant.

On Tuesday, before Jac's homegoing on Saturday, she asked to paint the toenails of a friend.  After a bit of persuading, Susan allowed Jac to paint her toenails.  It was a struggle, and weakness and fatigue were the enemy at this point of her life.  After finishing her final masterpiece, she was tired and went to lie down.  She never got up again, at least not in her earthly body.  Her last earthly task was "washing the feet" of a friend.  A true servant's heart if ever there was one.  Her final act of servanthood on this earth was complete, that of making a difference in each and every life that she touched.  What an example!

Daughter of the King.

Without a doubt, watching the spiritual growth take place in the life of Jacquie has been a great joy in my life.  Even when facing the dark days that she knew would soon come, she pressed on.  Oh, it was not without tears, for we shed many, many tears over her illness, lousy test results and fear of the unknown.  But, she completely trusted her Creator.  The One who knit her together in her Mothers womb, the one that ordained each one of her days to be, even before the very foundations of the world were laid.  You see, Jacquie knew Him personally and loved Him with all her heart.  She walked with Him, talked with Him, and relied on Him for her strength and perseverance in the face of her failing health. "It's all good" came across Jac's lips many, many times.  Even then,  she trusted Him.  She looked to Him in the good times and in the bad times.   Oh, how grateful I am for that summer evening when Jac walked across my yard and struck up a conversation, part of which included "what time does your church start"?  It was just the beginning of a bunch of puzzle pieces that were about to fit together.

Whole.

I never stopped praying for Jacquie and I never stopped asking God to heal her.  More than ever before, I boldly stood before the Throne and asked my God to heal Jacquie, EVERY time I prayed for her.  I repeatedly claimed scripture and I fully believe that if He has chosen to do so, He could have healed her body of that terrible disease.  Did God fail no answer my prayer?  No.  For, you see, Jacquie IS healed.  She is more whole that she has ever been in her life.  God answered my prayer, just not the way that I would have chosen for it to be answered.  I am thankful that there is no more cancer, no more tears, and no medications.  It just stinks for the rest of us.  But, I am thankful that we were blessed with many, many good times with Jacquie even after that terrible day in February when she was diagnosed.  I am thankful, most of all, that she is whole.  Not broken anymore, but whole.  God, you are good.  

Jacquie, my friend, thank you for making a difference in both life and death.  I will miss your sweet face, your kind words and your servants heart.  I will miss you, sweet friend.

"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord

is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned..."

Proverbs 31:29-31a

 

Until we praise Him together again,

We Are Home!

Thank you, Jesus, we are home!  I so enjoyed our time in China, but it is ALWAYS good to be home.  It is wonderful to be able to freely say what I want to say and freely type what I choose.  We had to be so very careful with what we wrote while we were in China.  The internet is monitored VERY closely in China and anything you write or say could endanger the families that live there and attempt to demonstrate the love of God to the people of China.

Man, what an amazing work that these M families have going on.  Let me just tell you, God is alive and well in China.  Christianity is growing at a rapid rate and this makes the government very nervous.  I have so very many stories to tell, including more detail on the visits that we made and attending a service at an underground church.  What an experience.  I always knew they existed, but never thought that I would actually attend one myself.  The people of China are hungry for the truth, they desire to know the one true and living God.  As a team, we laughed, we cried and all emotions in between.  There is just so much to tell.  Where do I begin?

It's 3:00 a.m. and I am beat.  It's been a tough couple of days since returning home.  Pat and I lost a very special person in our lives, Jacquie Franklin.  Today, the world is less one great woman.  A woman that we were honored to know and love the past several years.  What a blessing she was to our lives.  Check back soon.  

Thanks for reading,

Lasting Impressions

What are the things that keep you up at night? If you have ever read any of my blog, you know what those things are for me. You know that I normally do most of my blogging in the middle of the night. Well, China is no exception.

It's the images of the things that I have seen that has me up at 3:53 a.m. trying to process everything. I am sorry, I told you that I would post about the Tianjin SWI the other night, but I have had complications getting logged it. It wasn't that I couldn't log in, in fact, we have really had no problems with internet connections which is very unusual. The last time the team was here, they had access to NOTHING, except skype. Seems weird to have someone "tell" you what you can view on the internet, huh?

I have always been one to have trouble shutting my mind down. What's weird is that I go to sleep very quickly, but soon wake up and the race is on.. Often times, the face of that little boy that sat in my lap the whole time we were at the Langfang SWI was what I see. I could hear him, in a very sweet, mild voice, turn to me and say "Ni hao" about ever minute or so. Tonight/this morning is no exception. We traveled to Tianjin, which is a coastal municipality on the Yellow Sea. It's a very large, beautiful city and took us about 2 hours from Langfang. We arrived at the Tianjin SWI and were met with 2 beautiful, professional looking ladies and escorted to a conference room up stairs. I was AMAZED at this facility from the walk in the front door, up to the conference room.

We were served tea and were told that the children were napping and we could hang out for just a bit until nap time is over. So, we sipped our jasmine tea and waited. One of the ladies returned and began to give us a short presentation about the SWI through an interpreter. She told us all about the SWI, the school, the care that the children received etc. What a facility. We then began our tour. I ask the M that was with is if this SWI did adoptions out of it and he said yes. As we walked about the freshly painted halls, peered into the windows of the class rooms, play rooms filled with toys and books and saw a few of the children that were living there, it became evident to me that this place was certainly not the norm. After all, I have visited SWI's before, wow, no comparison. It was clean, smelled nice, the children were clean (most all were SN), the rooms were filled with toys, colorful mats on the floors, the nannies were dressed in nice uniforms and many, many other things. They have multiple buildings on the campus and they even took us into the building for the children with the most severe SN. The M said out of all the times he had been there, he had never got to go into this building.

In this building, there were rooms that had about 10 cots on the floor and the children were nestled all snug in their cots and were down for their naps. Most all of the children had CP which was moderate to severe, most being severe. Each room had 3-4 ayi and a smile was on everyone's face. All of the children in this building were not considered adoptable. As we left the building, I ended up at the back of the group walking beside the M. He quietly made the statement that this SWI was not like this 6 months ago. Everything was completely different, from the fresh paint to the multiple playgrounds filled with colorful playground equipment. That statement spoke volumes to me and if you know much about this culture, it should to you too.

The lady that is the house parent of the foster home that is run by the M family that we stayed with had to come to Tianjin to meet the couple that is adopting Caleb, one of the children that lived at their foster home in Langfang. He was a naughty, 6 year old that was all boy that was being adopted by a Chinese family. He did not have a left hand. He left to go be with his forever family while we were here. It was interesting to see how things work in China as far as adoptions go. The paperwork looked much the same.

One of the rooms that we went into was a baby room that had about 20 or so babies and probably 15 ayi with them. All of the ayi had a baby on their lap and they were laughing and playing. They had boppy cushions and play gyms and lots of toys. The babies that were not on the lap of an aye was asleep in a bouncy seat right beside of one. Pat and I were bent over playing with the most beautiful little girl with a cleft lip/cleft palate. The ayi handed her to Pat and I held off as long as I could and took her away from him. She was beautiful and was so sweet. She smelled so good and was dressed in clean clothes - no rag with a bungee cord - and felt like she had on a diaper. (I didn't look to see for sure) Imagine that. The M said that in all the years that he had been coming here that he had never seen anyone get to hold one of the children. I cried those silent tears and prd over this child and the others in the room.

We found out that that particular facility has, at present, 749 children. This facility had been completely redone in the last 6 months and I knew the reason for it. The world has been watching. I am sure that many, many tours have been done in this SWI to show the world how wonderful the SWI system is in China. To let other people see how well the children are cared for in China, especially those little ones with disabilities. To let the visitors from all over the world that want to see a Chinese orphanage get a glimpse. Millions of people have watched this part of the world in the last few weeks. They were relieved to see how well children are cared for. What I had just seen was a showcase orphanage - one that officials want the world to see. But, I kept thinking to myself, why Tianjin? The reason for that can be found if you google Tianjin. Make sense? I hope so. Because of my current location, I can't elaborate much more. But, if you have been around Chinese adoptions at all, you probably get the picture.

That was probably more information than you wanted and I am sorry that the post is so long. It's hard for me to condense everything I'm thinking into manuscripts smaller than War & Peace. I have so much more to tell you, but if I tell you now, you will be reading for days. Good night from China and I will see you soon.

Amy

I'd Do It All Over Again

Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, we have been quite busy and it takes me a bit to process the things that I have seen. I go over and over these things in my mind. This is such a humbling place to be. It is different for Pat, Leslie, Sarah and myself because we have such a strong connection to this place. I love the culture and the people, I could totally see us living here. It's so hard to explain with just words, especially when you are typing those words.

On Tuesday we went to a small local orphanage, the Langfang SWI. We visited this orphanage when we were here in 2007 getting Jadyn, so Pat and I somewhat knew what to expect. The men had gone to the SWI the night before to take one of the children that was visiting the foster home back there because that's where she lives and they went in and visited it briefly that night. The next morning, the director would not allow all 9 of us to visit, so only the ladies and Ting (a MK) went. The men let us out and went to Walmart (which, in China is an adventure all by itself).

We spent about an hour at the SWI just playing with and loving on children. Not all of the children are SN, but most of them are. They had 4 infants and the rest were toddlers and preschool/school age children. The children were in the courtyard when we arrived and were so excited to see us. We sat in the courtyard, those of you who have been before know exactly what I am talking about, and loved on those children. There was a little boy, about 7 who took up with me and became my best friend while I was there. He held my had the whole time, either on or both of them. He was such a precious, precious little boy. We were told later by the M that he was one time kept in a cage, literally. We actually saw a couple of others in this condition while we were there. This little boy that stole my heart was taken to foster by an american family and discovered he had a gluten allergy. After they figured this out and removed it from his diet, he begin to transform. Now, by human standards, he's far from "normal", but are any of us?

About every 30 seconds he would turn and so sweetly say "ni hao" . It was almost as if he was looking to make sure that I was still there. I would just ask that you speak to my Dad on his behalf. While he sat on my lap, I just rubbed his back, the human touch was like a soothing balm to his spirit. He was so calm and sweet and loving. I told Pat, that I would pay for this trip again, just to come and spend 45 minutes with that child. When we returned to the van, we spent about an hour in silence, crying those silent tears. Sometimes, it's more than you can handle or at lease it is for me. I have so much more to tell you, but you are winding down your evening and I am just beginning my day. I will post tonight about our visit to the SWI in Tianjin. Currently, they have 749 children. So, look for that post in the morning! Continue to think about us. We love you all!

Good Morning from China

You are probably heading to bed and we are up and ready to begin our day. We had an incredible day yesterday. We visited a special school that is a boarding school for special needs children. I was so impressed for the director and his heart for the children. The school is funded by the government and it is an amazing place. The children that attend are deaf, blind, several forms of MR and around 50 or so orphans. They are so well cared for and I can't wait to post a few pictures. The children LOVE having someone visit them. We handed out stickers and won their hearts.

China is an amazing place. The hearts of the people that are with our group are truly touched. We are headed to two orphanages today and then into Beijing tonight. One of the orphanages that we are visiting is the Langfang SWI, which we visited last time. It is a small, local orphanage with mostly special needs children. The other orphanage is about an hour and a half out of Langfang and is a very large orphanage or about 600 children. You cannot come to this place and not be changed. We are so blessed by being with the M family and the children of Agape house.

Continue to think about us, the team, and for our families who are at home. Love to you all and I'll check back soon!

Ni Hao from China

Hello all,

Believe it or not, we have internet access. We are well. Everyone weathered the LONG flight very well and we have hit the ground running. We had a wonderful dinner of chicken feet and fried crickets last night with a high ranking government official. I kid you not about the official or the grasshoppers and chicken feet. Some of us at more than others. Me, not so much. You all that know me well know that I don't eat chicken wings, much less feet. But it was a really cool experience.

We slept well, got to talk to Jadyn via skype last night and everyone looked to be holding up pretty well. Jadyn was pretty much just wanting Mommy and Zac said that she didn't want anything to do with anyone, only Mommy. We talked via skype for several minutes and by the time we hung up, she seemed to be coming out of it a little. She was laughing and talking. So, pray for her and for her Mommy. :)

Hopefully, I'll be able to check in periodically. Love to you all!

China Bound!

Wait a second, I thought you were adopting from Ethiopia.

Well, you're right, we are, but bright and early in the morning we are boarding a plane headed for China.  Pat and I will be going on a M trip this time, back to the area that we visited a couple of days before we met the rest of the travel group in Beijing.  We will be traveling to Langfang.

Jadyn and the boys will be staying with Nana and Papoo (as Jadyn so fondly calls Papaw) here at the house.  Pray for Jadyn especially, this will be the first time she has ever been away from Mommy.  Pray for Mommy, that I will actually get on that plane in the morning.  Right now, it's not looking too promising! :)

It's much harder than I ever thought it would be, but it's important that we do this trip.  World msns is such a part of who we are and we are excited.  It's just tough to leave my babies behind, especially the two year old.  We probably won't be able to blog while we're gone, but I promise to check in when I return.  I know that my posts have been few and far between, but I've been terribly busy!

Love to you all and we'll be home the night of October 12.  Oh, and BTW, pray for Seth as he will be boarding a plane bound for India on October 10.  He will be doing the same type trip as we are going on.  He is very excited also!  He will be in India before we actually leave China.  Wow, we are a traveling family.

Oh, and pray for our dear friends Brad and Alison and their sweet baby Norah.  Go here and see why and make a donation to their paypal account!  Go ahead, be a part of something great!

Love you all!

Prayers Needed

I have learned of a family that is in China now who's little one is very, very sick.  They are from the Nashville area.  The blog had been password protected, but they have decided to keep it public.  You can read about it here.  Her name is Susanna, please pray for her and the family.  They are in Kunming.

I love you dear friends and your praying hearts.

More Exciting News

Just to tease you, MORE exciting news on my Ethiopian blog!

Some Exciting News

Hop on over to our Ethiopia blog for some exciting news.

The Journey Continues

Happy Birthday Seth

You don't look like you have a twenty two year old...

At least that's what I tell myself when I look in the mirror. :)

Yes, it's hard to believe, but today, my firstborn is 22 years old. Can't believe that he's that old, can't believe that I am as old as I am either.

22 years ago today, Seth made his way into the world. I went in the hospital on Friday morning and he was born Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Can you say 56 hours of labor? FINALLY, Dr. Jones shuffled in on Sunday morning and said "why don't we get that thing out of there?" I was the first to agree. So, in just a matter of minutes, I was wheeled into the OR and had an 8 lb. 2 oz. baby before I knew it. We had decided on the name Seth, but had not decided on a middle name. The first time Pat held him, he said that I could name him what ever I wanted. So, Seth Patrick Hood it was.

Seth, you have been a joy and a blessing to our lives. We've grown up together, so to speak. We were so young when we had you and we've made our share of mistakes, but one thing has never changed, and that's our love for you. We are so very proud of you and what you are becoming. We can't wait to see what God has in store for your life. We love you and hope you had a very happy birthday!

Happy Birthday,
from the fam!

Thanks for reading everyone.

Thanks a Bunch!

Well, the poll has closed, the voting has ended and we are not one bit closer to deciding on a name. I am lobbying for a couple of names that were not even on the poll.

Thanks to all that voted and gave me their opinion. Sorry for those of you that told me what you DIDN'T like, because when we name her that name, I will tell her that you don't like it. :) Okay, maybe I won't, maybe I will have forgotten by then.

Maybe.

I'm still taking suggestions, looking into a few names, and getting generally frustrated by the whole thing.

No, our I171H is STILL not here, believe me, you would have read it by now if it had came. It has been almost 5 months since I filed our original request. What is up with that? Don't get me started on that one.

BTW, I have our Ethiopia blog up and running and will now, formally switch any updates etc. to that blog. You can find it at the link on the side or you can click here and go there. It's still a work in progress, but I am working on getting all the information in my notebook transferred to her blog. Enjoy reading yet another blog. I'll be posting on that blog a name, IF, we ever decide on one. So, hop on over and check it out. I think it looks great.

Oh, and our friends and fellow FBC staff member and wife, Chris and Dawn, were added to the Ethiopia waiting list TODAY! Hooray! They are in the process of adopting our baby girl's husband. :) I think arranged marriages are a great idea! We are both using the same agency and we are so excited about walking this journey along side of them. Who knows, maybe we can travel together. I worried about our daughter not having a connection to her country because there was no one else in the church that had adopted from Ethiopia. Jadyn has such a strong connection as there are so many families with girls adopted from China and I prayed and prayed for this baby to have a connection also. The day we announced to the church that we are adopting from Ethiopia, Chris and Dawn pulled me aside and said that they were ready to start the process of adoption and that felt God was leading them to adopt from Ethiopia. Mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm, ain't God good? There is our baby girls connection to her country and her culture. This is only the beginning of great things to come. I just know it. Congratulations Chris and Dawn, we are very excited for you.

Help!

Okay, so we can't seem to decide on a name, so, I'm taking a poll.

You can cast your vote above on your favorite name for our African princess, or make a suggestion in the comments. We will not publicly criticize you name ideas - we'll save that for the privacy of our own home! :)

Here is the thoughts behind the names - because you know we can't do anything randomly or just because.

Eliana (Hebrew-God has answered) Kate (just like the name)
Remember that Jadyn is Hebrew for "God has heard" Smart, huh?

Emmye (again, just like the name-no meaning) Elizabeth (Consecrated to God - did not want this baby to have a name that meant absolutely nothing, so we agreed on Elizabeth - which is a great feat these days)

If we name her Eliana Kate - we will call her Ellie Kate

If we name her Emmye Elizabeth - we have several options on what we will call her. Emmye Beth being one of them.

If we name her Elizabeth Kate - we will call her either Lizzie Kate or Eliza Kate (and Alison, that's kind of like Aliza )

So, what do you think. Go ahead, cast your vote, but don't be offended if we don't use your favorite, we're like that you know! And, for the record, we are certainly open to suggestions. If you can come up with a name that we LOVE and AGREE on, then I'll do something very special - like monogram your underwear or something.

Sorry if you have already voted, I added the other name to the poll and had to remove the other one. So, you can revote if you want.

It's That Time of The Year!

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's time to get back into the swing of things and start back to school. We had a great summer, but as summer is quickly coming to a close, I have tried to spend time preparing Jadyn for her return to school. Well, as much as you can prepare a 2 year old. We have talked about it, or at least I have talked about it, Jadyn, not so much.

This past Monday was the big day. Actually, it was not quite as bad as what I had anticipated. She cried a little Monday morning but the other 3 days, no tears. She wasn't exactly thrilled about being there, but no tears nonetheless. She has been going through this very clingy stage, this I blame on Ted Koppel. Another post for another time. So, I was concerned that she would melt down when it came to leaving her at school. It seems as though I was wrong and I am VERY grateful for this. Here are a few pics from her big day. Doesn't she look like such a big girl? She is growing up too fast. Where does the time go?

Jadyn LOVES popsicles.  It's on of her very favorite summer time treats.  She has such fun eating them and the "Slow Melt" Popsicles are the greatest invention since sliced bread.

And, by the way, she wears her pearls with everything.  She's just not fully dressed without her pearls.

Enjoy the video of the cutest little Chinese girl ever!

Oh, and by the way, the outburst of "NO!" is Jadyn correcting the dog who, for whatever reason, attempted to sniff her popcicle paper. Samson walks a fine like around here and hardly a second goes by without some form of correction by Jadyn that is directed his way. Poor dog. Good thing he loves us.

A Joyful Reunion!

In May 2007, 16 families met up in various locations, some in the airports and some in Beijing.  In gathering together, we had one common goal.  To receive the children that we had been praying for and thinking about for 2 years.  But with that, something funny happened, we became very close friends.  The families gathered in that little conference room at the Fuling SWI in Chongqing, China and shared a very intimate moment with the other families that were there, the "birth" of our children.  We watched as those before us were handed their children and didn't see another thing once they called our name, except that beautiful child that was just placed in our arms.  What a joyous time it was.

It was time for us to gather together again.  This time, a little over one year later, 12 of those families met in Sevierville and picked up just where we left off.  It was the strangest thing and felt as if we had never been apart, like old friends that had know each other all their life. Not much change, except there were smiles on those little Chinese faces this time and not tears. And yes, their hair was a little longer. Over the last year, as parents, we watched these children blossom into little people with their own personalities and charm.  What a joyous reunion it was to share in that change with almost everyone. The families that were unable to be there were deeply missed.

We left here on Sunday morning and met up with the families at Hidden Mtn. Resort.  Our cabins were joined together by a breezeway and the two cabins shared our own pool.  It was a blast.  The girls and Jordan(our only little boy that every Mom wants to arrange a marriage to their daughter) played and swam and "reconnected".  I don't know if they have a clue, but their parents sure did.  We realized how important it is to keep this bond strong with this group of children.  They will forever be connected as children from Fuling SWI who were placed in the arms of their parents on May 13, 2007.   Their parents are extremely proud of their own and of everyone elses.

Mostly, we just hung out.  We did attend the Cirque de Chine at the Music Mansion on Tuesday.  It was great, what memories it brought back.  The children were so well behaved for the 2 hour show.  Some watched intently, some napped.  Jadyn was mesmerized and kept waving at the acts when they would come to the front of the stage.  After the show, we gathered at a Chinese restaurant and had dinner together.  It was a great day.  

We feel so blessed to be friends with these people. Thank you, Fuling Families, for what you mean to the Hoods.  We share a common bond and we genuinely enjoy being with you.  

We are already talking about making plans for next year!  We are so grateful to God for bringing us together as a group and as Him to continue to strengthen the bond between these children of Fuling.  Here are a few pictures from our time together.   Enjoy!

Gotta Love Me Some Peanut Butter and Jelly Toast!

Mmmmmm, guess who loves PB&J toast.

Press On

Adoption is not for sissies.

That has been my catch phrase for a long time. Unless you have been there, no one really knows just how hard it really is. Take a look at some of the time of my posts and emails. It's hard. It tends to cause a lot of sleepless nights.

When families go into the adoption process, no matter how many times you are told this, you never know until you actually get into the thick of things just how hard it really is. I've labored for hours (many hours), only to end up with a c-section and I've experienced the labor pains of my heart, and I will openly and honestly tell you that the pains of adoption are far greater than the pains of labor.

There is so much uncertainty in the world of adoption, both domestic and international. I know so many families who have struggled in both areas. They have had failed placements where birth mothers have changed their minds, families who's children have died in an orphanage before they could get to them, families who wait and wait and wait for a miracle with a foreign government to happen. And still we press on.

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil 3:14

That's exactly what we do, we press on toward the goal. Sometimes that goal seems just within our reach and then it seems as though the goal is moved. Sometimes, we only have a faint glimmer of the goal ahead, we know in our hearts it's there and therefore we just trust. If you are reading this and you are in the midst of pressing on toward the goal of adoption, then you already know that it takes more faith that you ever dreamed you had. You are more dependent on God than ever before. And, you, for the first time in some cases, realize that you really aren't in control of anything. I am so grateful to serve a God that is in control, complete control. Knowing this gives me a great peace as I press on.

As we are waiting for that coveted I171H to send our dossier to Ethiopia, all of those "why" questions roll around in our minds. We do this because this is what we are called to do. Having been through this once before, I know first hand that it's not an easy process. But, oh how sweet the end results are. We have a precious little soul waiting on us in Ethiopia. We will press on and bring her home. We will love her as our own. We will give thanks for her life and pray every day that God will use her in a mighty way and call her to serve Him. For all of this, we will press on.

Six Word Memoir - I've Been Tagged

Wow, try summing your life up in 6 words. It's not very easy. My friend Laura, who also has her very own Jadyn from China tagged me. So, here goes...

Adoption Changed My Heart, My Life

Without a doubt, a statement about adoption sums up my whole life. We eat, sleep and breathe adoption. It is by far the sweetest thing we have ever done, but don't be fooled, it's also the hardest thing that we have ever done.

To keep the fun going, I tag the following...

Ashley
Becca
Alison
Gwen
Terri

Happy Anniversary Chief

June 29, 1985, was the day that we promised before God and our family and friends to love each other for the rest of our lives.

23 years ago today, wow, it seems like a lifetime ago and then again, it seems like only yesterday. There have been many ups and downs in our marriage, but one thing remains true, we have continued to love each other with reckless abandon and live life to the fullest. What changes 23 years has brought us, spiritually, personally and physically. We have grown in our faith and our relationship with the Father by leaps and bounds. We have grown as individuals and as a couple, I love Pat more today that I ever did the day we married. It's amazing how love grows like that. 23 years ago, I didn't know that I could love someone like that, I can't wait to see what the next 23 years bring. :) Oh yeah, and we're in our 40's now, so if you are there, you know all about the changes physically. A wrinkle or two here, a pound or so there! But I must say, it all gets better with age.

Pat, you are the love of my life. Thank you for being my husband and my best friend. You're the one that I share my hopes and my dreams, my struggles and my frustrations, and my victories and my excitement with. We just get each other. Who would have ever though that we would be beginning again with a second family, traveling the world (COME HOME!), and still enjoying every minute that we're together (okay, most every minute).

Sometimes we argue, disagree and we always think that the other one is at fault, but one thing's for sure, we always love. I can't wait until you are back home with us, I've missed you terribly. Happy Anniversary Baby, I love you with all my heart.

Fun Creations

I am ramping up my sewing business and have several things in the works. My dear friend Terri sent me this precious design that she found on a websites list of free designs. It's a new technique that I had never tried and oh, it turned out so cute. I LOVE it.

Let me know what you think, especially all you lurkers that never comment!

Thanks Angie!

My old friend Angie, well, she's not old because she is my age and that is certainly not old, just reminded me in her comment that I failed to post the link to Alison's site for the rest of the pics. So, if you check the post below, it now has the link.

Thanks Angie, my really YOUNG friend who has been my friend for A LOT of years.

Annual Red Thread Picture

I had the bright idea of taking or having Jadyn's picture taken for Pat's Father's day gift with the "red thread" in her hand. The picture at the top of this blog is the one that I took from last year.

This year, I took her to have Alison take the picture for me, but as you have already read, she acted like a total barbarian. It was quite the fiasco. Oh well, it's really a beautiful picture of our very beautiful girl. The picture looked beautiful framed in a black frame with a large white mat. Here is the picture so you can see it. So, what do you think???


And yes, I made the dress.

He's Baaack!!!

Finally, after 6 months Seth has returned to the good ole U S of A. It is wonderful to have 3 of my children back on the same continent. We've still got one or two missing, but they will come in time. By that time, Seth will probably be somewhere in Southeast Asia again.

It was a great homecoming and I think he is really enjoying being home. After picking him up at the airport, next stop was Cracker Barrel. He decided on the Sunrise Sampler, by the way. We enjoyed burgers on the grill followed by cherry cobbler and ice cream. It was a very good day. I am very relieved to have him back safe and sound and am so thankful for God's protection over his trip and travels. Here are a few pictures from the day. Thank you all for your continued support to be me and Seth. He was so encouraged by your comments on his blog and I am so grateful for all the prayers on our behalf. God has done such a work in Seth's life. I am continually amazed by him. He came home so mature! I guess it was all the weird foods, it'll make a man out of you!

Thanks again for loving on my boy. Continue to pray for him and his journey as he begins school, work and has a full plate.

Happy Father's Day

I couldn't let the day go by without saying Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's. My Dad is celebrating today with his earthly Father and his heavenly Father and I miss him very much. He was a great Dad and he and I had a very special relationship, I was the baby you know! Dad's are very special, especially to daughters. I am thankful that Pat now has a daughter to share that special father/daughter relationship. Thank you God for blessing me with such a wonderful Dad and thank you Pat for being the Father of my children. I love you.

Happy Friday the 13th

I just don't put much stock in the whole Friday the 13th thing, but the title seems to fit.

Today has been quite the interesting day. I took Jadyn this morning to have some pictures done with my friend Alison. Well, let me just tell you, it was a disaster. I just hope and pray that we have a good one or two. Jadyn behaved like a barbarian, she is truly a descendant of Ghengis Khan. I have found out that I have very little tolerance for that nonsense too. Leslie and Addie met us over there and maybe, just maybe, Alison got a couple of pics that were worth her time. Addie was great, a real ham for the camera. She is a natural. So, we'll wait anxiously to see what sort of pictures we have. According to Alison, every one's photo shoot was a little on the sour side. Maybe there is a full moon? Or, maybe it's just Friday the 13th!

Any ways, happy day!

Picture of the Week

Feeling a little sentimental today, so I thought that I would show you a picture of our sweet girl, before she came home with us. We were blessed to have MANY pictures of Jadyn while she was still in the orphanage. We were very fortunate to get these, alot of families don't get anything except 2-3 referral pictures. So, here is baby J.



What a difference! I've got many others that I will share as time goes by.

Have a great Friday!

Our Little Nudist

We CANNOT keep Jadyn's clothes on her. Every time I turn around, she
is butt naked! It is absolutely driving me nuts. I dressed her 4
(FOUR!) times yesterday morning. She strips down and goes on about
what ever she was doing. Yesterday, she was sitting in a chair at her
kitchen "cooking", naked. I explained the dangers of cooking naked,
it will always get you more than you bargained for! ;)

Now, she has learned to take her shorts and diaper off and put her
shorts back on. Imagine our surprise when we "discover" that she has
on no diaper. Nice.

Since she has learned the art of removing her clothes and putting them
back on, she also changes clothes quite often. The combinations of
clothing is quite the sight sometimes, but I don't know what I am
going to do with her. I hope that this is not a glimpse of things to
come! Oooh, that's scary!

Summer Fun in May!

Jadyn absolutely LOVES to be outside. She is perfectly happy digging in the mulch, mud, grass or whatever she can find to dig in. She writes on EVERYTHING with sidewalk chalk, including the dog, grill and patio furniture. And, she constantly wants the water on. She loves the water. I can't wait until she's old enough to ask her Dad to put her in a pool. Maybe when we get her sister here they can tag team him. I grabbed my camera yesterday and took a few pics of the water fun.

Here's my fav!



Thanks for reading,
A

How I Got My Grooves Back

Great news!
Today, Fed Ex delivered a wonderful surprise.  My completed FBI clearance, and it WENT THROUGH!  Woo Hoo!  No arrest record (no big shocker there) and everything is clear.  Now, just pray that I pass through the USCIS fingerprinting system without a hitch.  I go for my re-fingerprinting appointment on 5/27/08.  Stay tuned as the saga continues.

Working My Fingers To The Bone

Apparently, I am working way too hard.

So here's the deal.  I went on 5/9/08 to get fingerprinted for the USCIS.  While I was there, the lady doing the fingerprinting said "don't be surprised if you have to be re-fingerprinted, you have worn off your fingerprints."  WHAT??? I didn't know that you could do that.

So, I kind of blew it off.  There VERY next day, in the mail I received my fingerprint packet from the FBI (different set of fingerprints).  Pat's sailed through, mine, REJECTED!!!  Talk about an insult.  So, I went back to the Smyrna PD and had my fingerprints done AGAIN, overnighted them back to the FBI and I am waiting to hear back on the 2nd set.

On Saturday, I received an office letter from the Department of Homeland Security, looking suspiciously like a fingerprint notice.  When I opened it, it was a fingerprint appointment scheduled for 10/27/08 at 10:00 a.m. because my first set of USICIS fingerprints were REJECTED also.  So, what do I do?  I can't believe that I have worn my fingerprints off.  I've been using lots of lotion but my hands are very soft, if I do say so myself.  This is making me nuts.  Why is it always one thing right after another?  Some one encourage me, please!  Tell me to quit working so hard or some other wonderful words of wisdom.  Maybe I should hire a housekeeper, yeah, that's probably the answer.  Now, I just have to convince Pat.  

Anyway, pray that my fingerprints return, from where ever they have gone.  Pray that I have no big issues on Tuesday and that they are able to get this done this time.  

Thanks for reading,

Amy

(BTW, I am risking wearing off more of my fingerprints just by typing this post, now that's a committed blogger)

One Year Ago - Part 4

May 19, 2007 - We returned from a long, but wonderful trip to China.  We arrived at the Nashville airport and were greeted by wonderful friends and family.  What a very special time for all of us.  It was such a joyous and happy time for everyone.  I only have a couple pictures from that day, because I was not the one with the camera!  But, here is one of them.

More later,

Amy

Photo of the Week

Sorry, I'm a little late on getting my pic of the week up and running. Here is one of my favorites.


How handsome is he? He is finishing his freshman year, just got his learner's permit (AAHH!), and is a blessing to us all. He's a fun-loving, always good for a laugh, and REALLY, REALLY cute 15 year old. If I do say so myself.

My brother took this picture while we were having our big birthday bash in Knoxville. Thanks Vern!

Amy

One Year Ago - Part 3

Today was the day that Fu Bao Jun became Jadyn Grace BaoJun Hood. We gathered in the Civil Affairs office and had our first family picture made, signed the papers, stamped our thumbprints in red ink and ta da, she was ours, FOREVER!

Gotcha Day Letter

My dearest Jadyn,

When I was a little girl, my Daddy took me to a local bicycle shop and bought me a brand new Schwinn bicycle.  I'll always remember that bicycle.  It had training wheels and my goal was to learn to ride that bicycle.  Day after day, Daddy would spend time teaching me how to ride that bicycle, time after time, I would try to ride it and he would come along behind me and hold the back of the seat.  There were two words that I can still hear him say to me that helped me to know that I was safe.  "I've gotcha" was all I needed to hear to give me a sense of safety and comfort.  I knew that as long as Daddy had the back of the seat, I was not going to fall.  I was completely safe.  The day that you came into our lives is commonly know in the adoption world as "Gotcha Day".  There's lots of people that don't use this term for various reasons, but it speaks volumes about the greatness of that day.  We will always come along behind you and hold you up.  We will try our very best to not let you fall.  I want you to have the feeling of security and safety as I had when my Daddy spoke those words to me many years ago, I've gotcha.   Many years have gone by and a lot has changed.  Unfortunately, your will never meet your Grandaddy as he is in heaven, he would have loved you so.  But, one thing will always remain, Jadyn, I've gotcha, your safe now, and loved more than you can ever imagine, and you will never be alone.   I will protect you, be there for you, and help you not to fall.  

I cannot believe that it's been a whole year since that day in Fuling, China when your Dad, your  brothers and I gathered, along with our travel buddies, in that crowded conference room to get our first glimpse of you in the flesh.  We had stared at, prayed over, and shed many tears longing for the day when we would hold you in our arms.  Finally, that day came and it did not disappoint.  We were so taken by you.  Your sweet, round face and beautiful black eyes and hair just captured our heart.  You were such a scared little girl and our hearts broke knowing the fear you must have been experiencing.

Being able to visit the place where you had lived for the past 13 months and seeing first hand the other children and caregivers gave us a great deal of comfort.  It was evident that you were loved and cared for and that made us very happy.  Spending that time there had a profound impact on all of us.  We left there better people than when we arrived.  

Jadyn, I simply cannot put into words the joy that you have brought into our lives.  Your sweet smile, your silly laugh, and the sound of your voice still makes my  heart skip a beat.  You were placed in my arms on this day, one year ago, and that feeling of happiness and gratitude are just as strong today as they were a year ago.  You are truly a gift from God.  The name Jadyn is Hebrew for "God has heard" and He truly has.  He heard my prayers of 5 years and He was faithful.  He allowed you to be born to another family, but to be delivered into our family on May 13, 2007.  We are so very thankful that He did.

My prayer for you, sweet girl, is that you always love the Lord.  You are truly a blessing and we are so thankful for your life and for the country where you were born.  Someday, Jadyn, you will do great things.  God has a plan for your life and I am so very thankful that He allowed us to be a part of it.  Thank you for being our daughter.  Thank you for being such a joy and light in our lives.  You have brought excitement, love, laughter and life to our home that cannot be described by mere words.  Never in a million years did I think that I would look around my house again and wonder how it could get so messy, so fast.  It's filled with babies, blankets, plastic fruit, and dishes.  Thank you for the constant source of joy that you are to us.  I love you, sweet one, with all my heart.  I pray that you will always know how much you are loved.

You make my heart smile.

I love you,

Mommy

May 13, 2007 and May 13, 2008

Happy Gotcha Day

To put into words my feelings and emotions today would fill up the blogging world.  Right now, my heart is so full.  What a year.  It was one year ago today, May 13, 2007, that a scared, quiet little girl was placed in my arms in a crowded room in Fuling, China.  I remember every detail of that day, my thoughts, my emotions and the anticipation of waiting in that room to see just a glimpse of the daughter that God had for us since the beginning of time.  We gathered there and watched each family receive their child until we go to our turn and our focus turned completely toward our precious gift.  What a joy to share that very special day with Seth and Zachary, it has forever changed their lives too.  Below are pictures from that day, forever known as "Gotcha Day" in our home.  It is a day of great celebration, maybe even more so than a birthday.  It's the day we celebrate Fu Bao Jun and her entrance into our world.  As I reflect on these pictures, my heart is filled with great gratitude to China, oh what a day it was.

One Year Ago -Part 2

One year ago today, we were preparing to leave Beijing, China and be on our way to Chongqing.  We had spent the last 3 days touring, sightseeing and getting adjusted to the time change.  We had a wonderful time in Beijing, getting to know our travel mates, loving the country of China and seeing it's beautiful sights.

What a time of great anticipation.  I remember not getting any sleep the night before, imagine that, me not sleeping.  The excitement of the long awaited "Gotcha Day" was looming on the horizon.  We were ready to leave Beijing and get on with the reason that we were there.  It was a wonderful time for our family of four as we were preparing to be a family of 5.   Tomorrow, May 13, is a very special day for my family.  We had no idea what was in store for us and our minds raced with questions like "what would she be like?" and "will she like us?" and on and on.  Tomorrow, May 13, 2008 will be a very special day for us as we celebrate the day that we were united with our baby girl.  Be sure and look for tomorrows post, it will include a recount of the day complete with pictures.

Swinging is Very Hard Work!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I'm behind on blogging.  I guess you were thinking that I had fallen off the earth.  I am up to my eyeballs in paperwork, fingerprinting, refingerprinting (AAAHHH!) and all the fun that goes along with that.

But, on to the issue at hand.  

The picture of the week, no explanation necessary!

One Year Ago - Part 1

It was 1 year ago today that Pat, Seth, Zachary boarded a plane and the Nashville Airport and headed to China.  We left a family of four with anticipation and excitement.  What would the trip hold for us, what would Jadyn be like, would she like us, were just a few of the questions that were rolling around in our heads.

What an exciting time it was for us.  So, over the next few days, I will give you a "One Year Ago" update of where we were and what we were doing.  

They Say It's Your Birthday...

On Saturday, we loaded up and headed east to Knoxville for a Big Birthday Bash for our family members that have/will celebrate birthdays in April.

We left a little early and stopped by the Brockelman's house and visited with their family for a while.  Their daughter, Tia, is from the same orphanage as Jadyn and we  traveled together to pick up our daughters at the same time.  Jeff is actually Manda and Jeremy's worship pastor, small world huh?

Here is Jadyn and Tia with their "cheese" grins.

After a wonderful visit, we headed over to the Norris' house for our celebration. What fun we had. It is so rare that our family gets together, so I think everyone had a great time. I know I did. Here are some pictures from the day. We really should do this more often, I kind of like these people, why not spend more time together? It was great to see Stacy and Ben (my niece that lives in Asheville), they made the trek over on Saturday morning also. Also in attendance was my Aunt Nola and her husband, Walt. She is my Mom's only sister and looks so much like her. She is our only remaining Aunt. It was great to see her too. I've got some really great family.

They are all excited about our upcoming adoption and celebrating the homecoming of our little African Angel. Thanks Jeremy, Manda and Will for opening your home and making it such a special day. We love you guys very much and appreciate all that you did to make it such a fun, special day!

I've thought a lot about the day, my family, the closeness, missing Seth and wishing he was there, our daughter in Ethiopia and many other things. It was just a really good day. Thanks everyone for making it special.

The Hood's

K K K K Kathmandu

Well, the time has come for Seth, what he has been waiting for for 12 weeks.  He has now arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal.  

Yes, as Pat said, it makes me a little nervous, but I know God is in control.  Seth was so excited on Sunday when we talked with him on several occasions.  He could not wait to get there.  I asked him if he was nervous, he said no.  He repeatedly said that he was very excited.

The unrest in Nepal has settled to some degree, for that I am grateful.  I know God is holding this child in the palm of His hand and that Seth is exactly where he is supposed to be.  The next 6 weeks will not be easy for him.  It's definitely not a vacation.  He has been told that at times, they were not sure where they would be sleeping or where they will be eating.  I'd just like to get some sleep. :)  But, Seth is in his element, and Lord knows, he will eat anything.

Seth, I am so very proud of you and for what you are becoming.  You are an example to us all.  I love you son and I pray for you every day.  He will not have computer access very often (if any), so I will post on my blog and on his information as it is available.  Thank you all for praying for him while he has been gone and I asked that you continue to do so.

Happy Birthday Zac!

On the night of 4/17/1993 we found ourselves on our way to the hospital in Dallas, TX.  We were living in Greenville at the time.  After taking a couple Tylenol for a "backache", things suddenly began to progress very quickly.  That was just not possible, as I was not scheduled for my C-section for another 9 days.  But, nonetheless, it was possible and after getting everything ready, getting into a car that was sitting on empty, stopping to get gas, going back home for Pat to change clothes because he got gas on his jeans, and then finally headed out for our 30 minute drive to Dallas, the fun was about to begin.

We arrived at the hospital about 10:30 p.m. just in time for an epidural.  My Dr. was waiting at the desk wondering what was taking us so long.  Soon after midnight, Zachary Christian Hood made his way into this world, doing things his own way.  Nothing much has changed. :)  He is his Father's son, a clone of Pat Hood.  They are so much alike it's scary.  What a joy he is to our lives and to the people he is around.  Zac is a special young man and we can't wait to see what God has planned for his life.

Zac, we love you very much and we are so very proud of you.  We are so very thankful that God has blessed us with the gift of you.  Happy 15th birthday!  We love you very much!

Dad, Mom, Seth and Jadyn

Yes, It's True!

My friend Terri is not cutting me any slack! It seems as though she has left a comment on Pat's blog that I am the only one that has not made the announcement of our exciting news on my blog! Boy, I've got some tough friends! :)

Yes, it's true.

Pat made the big announcement to the church on Sunday - the Hood's are yet again adding to their chaos. We have begun the paperwork to bring home our little girl that God has chosen for us in Ethiopia. But for now, she is residing in our hearts. Adoption is a tough journey. It is a journey of ups and downs. It, at times, can be gut wrenching. But, I will have to say that I would not change one thing about my life. Adoption is one of the sweetest things that I have ever experienced. One of the things you hear when couples are talking about beginning the adoption process is they don't know if they can love an adopted child like they love their own. It's a common question that you ask yourself. In trying to put it into words, I can only say it this way. We love our boys (Seth and Zac) with all our hearts. We've loved them since we found out that we were expecting. But loving Jadyn is just different. When you experience this kind of love, loving a child that is not yours biologically, it is a sweet love. The only way that I know to describe it is a supernatural love. It's a God placed love and one that I pray many, many more people can experience.

Why Ethiopia? I can simply say - because that is where our daughter is. The need is so great. It breaks my heart to think of all the children that are in need of loving homes and we are here in our contentment, living the good life. Is it easy? No. Is it cheap? No. Do I have the energy that I once had? No. But the last time I checked, God doesn't call us to do things that are easy. And of course, in full Hood fashion, there is a story behind this adoption - just like Jadyn's. God has again shown Himself and we simply put our trust in Him.

Pat asked me if I was ready for all the questions. Are you crazy? What are you thinking? But let me just be honest, I'm over what people think. People thought we were crazy when we began the adoption process 3 years ago. Now, we just confirmed it with them. :) But, I'd much rather be crazy and in the center of God's will, than outside of it. To say that we are THRILLED is an understatement. We have chosen our agency, filed our immigration paperwork, filled out multiple forms, etc. The fun is just now beginning. Pray for us (me) as I wade through the mounds of paperwork.

So, if you are up for the challenge and you want to begin yet another journey with the Hood's, buckle your seat belt, it could very well be a wild ride. You know how we are. We are honored that you check in on us and thanks Terri for getting my behind in gear. It' 2:45 a.m. anyway, what else do I have to do?

There is much more to come and I plan to get a new blog going that will be dedicated to this adoption. But, of course, it has to be just right. We love you all and would appreciate your prayers for this process, our family, and especially a little girl that God has predestined to be a Hood.

Stay tuned...

Amy

Coming soon: A little doll named Lydia and the place she holds in my heart!