Thelma and Louise

A few Fridays ago, Pat, Jadyn, Leslie, Addie and I loaded up and headed to Franklin for Asian Invasion playgroup.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all.  When we walked in the door, Jadyn hit the ground running, and didn't stop the whole time we were there.  These are the funniest pictures from the day and what I think was probably being said.

"Are you sure we should be driving like this Thelma? I mean in broad daylight and everything." said Louise



"Oh great Louise! Now something is wrong with the jeep, I'm calling my Daddy!" shouted Thelma



"No, you're not calling your Daddy or AAA, I can fix it!" Louise said sarcastically,
" Hmmmm, now let me see here, oh yeah, there is the problem..." she said.

"Thelma, if you are going to talk on that cell phone, I'm putting my seat belt on, a girl can never be too careful these days" said Louise,

"Yeah" replied Thelma, "I'm really not sure where I learned to talk on the cell phone while I drive, my Mom NEVER talks on the cell phone while she is driving, I guess I'm just into living dangerously!"

"Buckle up, Louise" said Thelma.

"Let's roll!" shouted Louise, "and watch out for that cliff!"

Don't Mean To Be a Wet Blanket...

The other morning, Jadyn was in the bathroom doing her "soak".  We do alot of soaking with her eczema.  She wanted her juice, which was in the kitchen on the counter.  Pat was in the closet, just off the bathroom, ironing a shirt.  So, I told him I was going to the kitchen to get her juice and quickly returned to find the following...


Yes, that's right, Jadyn is very attached to her blanket tag and she apparently thought she needed a little "tag" while she was in the bathtub.

The "tag"!

So, I asked her, "Jadyn, will you give Mommy some tag?"

"Yes", she replied, and then attempted to lift the tag up to my nose, just like she does when she gets herself some tag.

I could see the wheels turning in her mind. "What in the world happened to this blanket?"

"It weighs like 872 pounds!" she thought.

"If you want tag, you're going to have to get it yourself, I can't lift it!"



Moral of the story: Blankets are much to heavy to play with in the bathtub, my Elmo from Aunt Patsy will have to do!

Love,
Jadyn

FPF - Fun Girl

Pat stole my pictures and put them on his blog, but it's still my favorite pic for the week! Oh what fun we have!

Happy Easter

So, yes, I realize that it is Tuesday already and I have not yet posted any pictures of Jadyn on Easter. She was a little under the weather, but over the top with cuteness!! She was by far, the prettiest Chinese princess that we have ever seen.

She started her morning at 6:00 a.m. with a fever, so we knew that it was not going to be a good thing. She felt pretty good off and on, but most of the day she was just sort of blah. But, thankfully, we think we have isolated the culprit and it seems that there is a terrible molar peeking through that gum. Looks like tooth #17 is on it's way through!

Meanwhile, enjoy the pics.

Yes, she is STANDING on her changing table. Why? Because she wanted to, of course!

Chilly Easter afternoon!

Sweet girl!

And yes, in case you are wondering, I did make her dress!

Thanks for reading!

Amy and the Princess

10 Months and Changing

My dearest Jadyn,

Today, we celebrate your 10 month Gotcha Day anniversary.  Where has the time gone?  

I start this post every time thinking how I cannot believe that it's been as long as it has since you were placed in our arms and this one is certainly no different.  It just seems as time is passing so quickly.  Someone once said that time flies when you are having fun and we are certainly having a blast.  I wish someone would have told me just how much fun it would be the "second time around" but I am not sure that they could have adequately described it.  

Bringing you into our lives 10 months ago today, has by far, been one of God's greatest works ever.  In my book, I would put it up there with creating the sun, moon and stars!  What a fabulous work He has done.  He took a little girl from China and created her perfectly for our hearts and for our home.  What a fit you are!  You are so much like us, which is really funny to us all.  Oh my goodness Jadyn,  you are just like your Daddy.  You have that strong will, the will of a survivor I would say, and that drive and determination that sets your apart from most.  I know we will stand amazed at what God is going to do in your life.

You have brought us immeasurable joy and our my days are spent with washing sippy cups, changing diapers, and stepping over plastic food from your kitchen set all over the house.  Man, who knew plastic cauliflower could hurt like that on bare feet!  You know what's sweet? We wouldn't have it any other way.  When you have a child later in your life, it's just an amazing gift from God.  

It's been 10 months today, sweet girl, and you have come so far.  You are the light of our lives and a true joy to our home.  Your laughter and your sparkling eyes bring such joy to us.  We are so grateful to our heavenly Father for the work He has done.  It's something so supernatural, we would have never been able to accomplish something so great on our own.  We look can't wait to see what the future hold, but could you just slow down and not grow and change so fast? Our baby girl is quickly going away, being replaced by our little girl.  Everything is happening so fast.  Thank you, sweet Jadyn, for bringing us such joy, and thank you God, for bringing us such a joy!

You make my heart smile...

I love you,

Momma

Sewing Business Name!

Congratulations, Kelly Stewart, your name won!!  Kelly's name idea was Red Thread Creations.  I have some good news and bad news.

First, the good news!   I mentioned that I might give a prize and I had planned on giving the winner a "free monogram or embroidered name" on anything that I make or that they might already have.  Oddly enough, Kelly emailed me and asked me to do a shirt for Bradley's birthday.  So, Kelly didn't know it, but she gets to collect on her prize right away.  I made the cutest shirt for Bradley for his second birthday and Kelly's monograming was FREE!  

Now, the bad news. :(  I can't use Red Thread Creations, it's already taken, along with most everything else under the sun.  I am trying to find a domain name, business name, etc. all at one time and that's tough.  The name Red Thread Creations.com is available, but the business name is not.  Redthreadsdesigns is not available as a domain name.  I'm having trouble getting the two to match.

My original idea was "Love Threads".  Of course, the .com version of that is taken, so I'm thinking "Love Threads" Designs/Creations or whatever else you can come up with.  What do you think?  I really did take all your suggestions to heart and really do care about what you think, I promise :)

So, what about it?

Love Threads

"Unique Clothing for Groovy Kids"

So now your task is to build upon that.  

Love Threads ... what?

Give me your slogan suggestions too!

Amy

It's Official! I'm in Business!!!!

Well, I have some exciting news.  I have purchased a new sewing machine and a new embroidery machine!  WOO HOO!  I am so excited, SO, I am officially in the sewing business.  I am working on Jadyn's easter dress and lots of fun creations for babies, jumpers for girls, and fun fun stuff!  Stay tuned for more information.  I am working on a website to pedal my wares and I am really anxious to get some orders and get going.  I've got a goal in mind with my sewing, but more information on that later!!!

I'm working on a name for my business.  Any suggestions?  I'm looking for a creative name.

Cheese! - FPF

Valentines Day 2008

This is what you get when you teach them to say cheese when you take their picture.  Every picture from now on will have that "cheesy" grin.

Friday Photo

My friend Alison took this sweet picture of Jadyn at Miss Norah's adoption party.  Jadyn looks so big in her pigtails!  She is getting to be such a big girl.  Thanks Alison and we love you Norah! (And Brad and Alison too!)

Sacred Gathering

As most of you probably know, our church has just come out of a church wide fast.  We began the fast after lunch on Sunday and concluded it on Tuesday night after our prayer service.  I cannot even begin to explain what has taken place in my life during these 3 days.  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

As we gathered together at night, the praises of His people caused me to just to quiet myself and just listen.  The sounds of the voices in the rafters of the sanctuary were overwhelming, oh what a sweet, sweet sound.  How God must have smiled at the sweet sound of His people, gathering together, lifting their voice and praising His name.  It is a feeling that I will not soon forget.  As I stood in the balcony on Tuesday night, on the very top row (Jadyn was over church) and just observed and listened.  The unity astounded me.  Everywhere I looked, people were on their feet, in honest and sincere worship.  They were uninhibited by their surroundings, the people around them or the busyness of their day.  It was a beautiful thing.

God revealed so much to me during that time and confirmed a calling in me that I knew in my heart was there, but perhaps did not want to admit it.  He worked in such a way that I felt a peace and my heart overflowed, all at the same time.  I had a hunger for God, in the purest form.  For this, I will ever be grateful.  How blessed we are to have a church that seeks the face of God.  I am VERY thankful that God allows us to serve Him by serving His people at FBC.  It is truly a privilege.  I am also thankful that He has called me to be a part of such a sweet, sweet fellowship.  Oh, we are not perfect, but we serve a perfect God.  And the unity in that place is something that you don't see in most churches today.  

Amy

FPF - My Big Girl

Yes,  you can call me a slacker, I can take it.  It has been a crazy couple of weeks.  I got a lot of catching up to do, so to begin, here is my favorite picture for the week.

It was a beautiful day here and Jadyn and I spent a little time outside.  We almost had a throw down on the patio when it was time to come in.  Needless to say, I won, but barely.  But, we were out long enough to snap some fun pictures.  Here is my favorite.

Have a good Friday!

Our Story...Part I

How refreshing it is when you look back and see the how a few of the pieces of the puzzle fit together. It always causes me to stand in awe of the Father. Some of you may know our story and some may not. So, for those of you that don't, the following paragraphs will allow you to look into the window of our lives. While it's tough stuff to deal with, I feel compelled to share our story. It's always important for something to be learned from your situations and circumstances. Equally, sometimes it's for someone to learn from your situation and circumstance. After all, if you don't have purpose for your pain, you just have the pain, and nothing to show for it. Let's begin, shall we?

January 7, 2007 2:08 a.m.

In May of 2005, we began a journey of a life time. We started the adoption process and looked forward to the addition of a new family member in the upcoming months. The wait time was a short 5-7 months for referral. We were logged in Oct. 21, 2005 and I don't have to tell you what happened with the wait time. It was at that moment that time began to nearly stand still. We received the referral of our precious Jadyn on March 5, 2007, traveled as a family in May 2007 and brought Jadyn home May 19, 2007. It was during that wait time of 2 years that my family experienced many ups and downs such as the death of my Mother, only 2 months after beginning our paperwork. It was a tough time, but it was only going to get tougher. It was also during this time of great pain that we began to watch our oldest son, Seth, pull away from his relationship with God and begin to live in rebellion. After some very difficult times, he moved out of our home out on his own, where we had much less control. With Pat being a pastor, we have lived in a fish bowl most of Seth's life. And, of course, the rumor mills began to crank out those rumors. Many of which were just blatant lies. Imagine that, the enemy using lies and the people that spread them, to bring you down. What a novel idea!

We had always planned to take both Seth and Zachary with us on our trip to China, but with Seth's growing rebellion, we had made the difficult decision to leave him at home. We explained this too him. He didn't like it, but understood. Again, in spite of the anticipation and excitement of seeing our daughters face for the first time, it was dampened by the situation going on around us. Even with the joy of our impending referral, it was a dark time.

Fast forward almost 2 years. We began to see God working in Seth's life, little things here and there. Comments he made, things that he did etc., were demonstrating that God was turning his heart toward Him. Pat and I really had to mind our own business, and allow God to mind Seth's business. We made the decision to give Seth a list of guidelines that he had to follow to allow him to go to China. He did these, all of them. So, after much prayer, we decided to let him go with us. We left May 8, 2007 China bound. On May 13, 2007, we witnessed the beginning of a transformation before our very eyes. We traveled to Jadyn's orphanage on that day, a day that I must say for obvious reasons, it changed all of our lives. But, a miracle happened that day. I watched as my 21 year old adult son knelt down beside a little girl in dirty clothes and in a dirty walker with snot dripping off her chin, and and ever so gently wipe her nose and face with a tissue he borrowed from one of our travel group ladies. Seth has always been very caring and gentle, so I was moved, but not surprised by his action. Little did I know, I was watching as God was transform the heart of my child, before my very eyes. Seth was very moved, and left in tears after visiting with "the least of these" that the Bible so plainly talks about. It was a life changing day for us all.

Again, fast forward. Tonight, as a family, we drove to the airport in Nashville and watched our 21 year old son, go through the security gate alone, to board a plane bound for Malaysia - to serve as a missionary there for the next 6 months with YWAM (Youth With Mission). We were met there by friends and family, who were there to see Seth off and be support for us. After returning from China, Seth begin to sense a calling had been placed on his life to return to Asia to demonstrate the love of God to "the least of these". We watched him move back home, begin college again and complete the semester with 3 A's and 1 B (and he was MAD about the B), spend time EVERY day with God, work full time, and live a God honoring life.

During the 2 year wait for Jadyn, I questioned MANY times God's plan in this all. Why so long? Why were we going through these things? Why was God not answering my prayers? and so on. Looking back now, I see so many pieces of the puzzle and how they fit together. And what I see, is on a small part of the puzzle. And, as I sit here tonight at 2:08 a.m., unable to sleep, because my first born son is somewhere on a plane bound for Taiwan and then on to Malaysia, I felt an overwhelming prompting from God to share our story. As I was replaying the events of the past 2 1/2 years in my mind, God reminded me of something. "This adoption that I lead you to was not about you, and it wasn't about a little girl living in an orphanage in Fuling, China, and it wasn't about the transformation of Seth, it was about Me and My glory - all the time." This journey is not about us, it about a much bigger plan - one that is life changing and transforming.

So, whatever the reason, God had me share this with you. Maybe you are in the middle of a storm with a child that is rebelling, God has a plan. Maybe the crushing feeling of increasing wait times has you feeling defeated, God has a plan. Maybe you are wondering how this adoption will change your life, God has a plan. I don't know, but God does. We think we have it all figured out, but what we know barely scratches the surface. God used a little girl with a runny nose to bring a 21 year old to say "I just want to share Jesus with people". You never know what the impact of this journey that we are all on, whatever your journey. I am so very grateful that the Master Artist is making all things work together for good.

Pray for Seth, as he spends the next 6 months sharing God's love with others. He will be in Malaysia for 3 months and then spend the next 3 months in another location. He will seek God's face on where he is to go, but it will be somewhere in South Asia. I have a link to his blog from my blog, should you want to follow his journey. But mostly, I just ask for your prayers - for his safety and that he can effectively communicate the transforming power of the gospel to the people of South Asia.


(I wrote this in wee hours of the morning after taking Seth to the airport. It was one of the toughest times of my life. But, seeing God work through this, made it easier to bear. Thank you for praying for our family)

Amy

Friday Photo Fun

This is a picture that Seth took on one of his outreach visits. They visited a camp of illegal immigrants that is made up of men from all over Southeast Asia.

I don't know anything about this man, except that his name is Johan and he is muslim. But, there is just something about his "look". These men live in the unfinished houses that they are building. Most of them have left their countries because of political strife or family problems. Looking at his face reminds me of how important it is to pray for the nations.

Father, reveal Yourself to Johan and draw him to you.

Gotcha Day - 8 months

My dearest Jadyn,

It's so hard for me to believe that 8 months ago we first got to see your sweet face and actually touch you. It was something that we had waited for, as you know by now, for so very long. We were so excited and filled with anticipation. You were handed to us and you didn't cry or get upset, you just sort of looked at us. You studied us, our faces and I'm sure you thought "who in the world are these people"?

What joy you have brought to our lives. We wonder what we actually did before we traveled to China to bring you home. You are changing every day, little by little, and you are so different from that scared little baby that was handed to us on May 13, 2007. 8 months seems like a life time ago. You have come so far from where you were that day. You couldn't walk, talk, roll over and you could barely sit up. Now, you run EVERYWHERE you go. You are always in a hurry. We are thinking about putting up speed bumps down the hall to slow you down when you push your babies in your stroller. What laughter you bring to our home. We constantly watch and laugh at your antics. Your quite the little entertainer.

Your brother has been gone to Malaysia for a week now and he misses you the most! More than any of the rest of us. I believe that you have captured everyone's heart in this household. The fun we had at Christmas just watching cannot be explained. By the time Christmas was over, you had the hang of opening the presents, whether they were for you or not. You have spent so much time playing in your kitchen, cooking lots of things, using your teapot as a purse and talking on your cell phone - not sure where you learned that one!

Jadyn, we love you so very much. You smile is infectious, your joy is compounding, your sweet personality is the light in our home. You are learning so fast and just watching you learn and grow is the highlight of our days. We just can't wait to see what God is going to do in your life. We love you sweet girl, happy 8 month gotcha day!

Mommy

Friday Photo Fun

Here is my favorite photo for the week. I took this picture just before Christmas. The boys were on their way to the Titans game after church one Sunday and I got them to stop for just a second for a quick pic.

The Men in My Life

Bless God for Technology!

It is wonderful to hear from Seth over the phone, but it does my heart good to actually get to "see" him. We talked night before last on Skype (thank you Lord for Skype) and actually got to see his face. Believe it or not, I slept all night that night, which is you know me well, that is a feat in and of itself. Here are some pictures that I took that night, so you can see his face too!

We Have Luggage!

Talked with Seth last night about 6 times on the computer with Skype. It was so good to see his face. He looked great and sounded great. He said that he felt much better after resting.

He then called twice using someone's cell phone - somehow it didn't cost the guy anything so he used it, we got cut off, and he called us back.

He called this morning using a phone card that he purchased for $3 USD. He has an hour and a few minutes on the phone card. He talked to all of us and sounded really good. The best news of the day is he got his luggage! Praise God. He feels so much better about that, he said that they even had his book that he left on the plane - go figure! It is about 10:30pm there and he was going to finish unpacking and go to bed. He has moved rooms and now has 2 Malaysian and 1 Indian room mate - all super nice he said. He is doing great and for this we are so thankful.

The Time is Here

We are loaded up and ready to go. This was in the driveway - we were planning to leave at 4:30pm and it was 4:32pm - Go Hoods! that is an accomplishment in and of itself. Of course, we were not quite out of the neighborhood and had to go back for my camera - Boo Amy! now, that's more like it. Seth was talking to my brother and sister-in-law.

Good, we made it. We are riding the people mover, on our way in the airport. Another proud moment for the Hoods!

This is quite typical of the looks that Seth gives Zachary, of course, Zac don't pay much attention to Seth's looks - after all, he's taller than Seth.

This is where things took a turn for the worse. American Airlines was not going to let him get on the plane because he did not have a Malaysian visa (which he is NOT required to have) and said that he would be deported when he got to Malaysia. We told her that we would take our chances, but apparently this AA ticket girl is in charge of the WHOLE Malaysian immigration department. I wanted to say "call them and tell him to be on the look out for him, he wearig a green shirt", but I thought it best to keep my big mouth shut. Pat was mad enough for all of us! :) She sent us to another lady who processed it right on thru, then 5 minutes later, called Seth over the intercom because the Malaysian Immigration Representative for AA (NOT) had talked with her. We went through the same dance with her and finally, she called China Air - they said "no problem" and we were on our way - again. It was, however, quite the scene.

The Zehrs, the Mills, the Overbys and our family gathered around and prayed over Seth. It was a tearful and powerful moment. Thank you guys for making the trek to the airport, you will absolutely NEVER know what it meant to us (me especially) to have that support.

One last quick family picture, not sure why Jadyn looks like she had been in a wind tunnel. I was trying to keep my composure and not fall onto the floor in a fetal position, okay, maybe it wasn't that bad - but I REALLY wanted to burst into tears.

And from here, he was on his own. Wow, he got through that security gate, turned around and waved too us, then came the tears. Seth, we are so very proud of you! We then went to Toots and stuffed our faces - food always helps you know!

Hard Days Night

Well, it's the middle of the night and I can't sleep. Big surprise, right?

Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. I can't tell you about how thrilled and excited I am for Seth, but as I sit here, knowing that he is somewhere over the ocean in a plane bound for Taiwan, then Malaysia, my Mother's heart aches. I'm not nervous about him traveling at all. I just want him to love what he is doing. It's the fear of the unknown for me. For those of you who don't know our story, Pat's sermon yesterday was wonderful. He shared a portion of Seth's story and it would be well worth your time to listen to it on line.

Here's the link.

Sermon - Sunday 1/6/07

What a proud and tough day it was. I will post pictures later on in the day, I really need to go to bed. Pray for Seth and for our family. God is good.

Amy

But God, He's My Firstborn...

This is what I have told God many times over the past months.

As you may or may not know, Seth, my firstborn, will be boarding a plane to Penang, Malaysia tomorrow for a short-term mission trip with YWAM (Youth With a Mission). He will be there until he returns to the states on June 16, yes, I said June! That's 5.5 months. If you know the whole story of where Seth came from, where he went, and where he is today - God is truly amazing and He is working mightily in Seth's life. How proud I am as his Mother to see what he is allowing God to do. He is truly seeking God in everything he does and he just wants to tell people about Jesus - it's that plain and simple. Seth has a story to tell - I am grateful that God is allowing him to tell it. Some time ago, he told us that he feel like God is calling him to the mission field. He is currently corresponding with a group in Africa that he is considering becoming a part of AFTER he returns from Malaysia. Wow, is all I can say sometimes.

But, then there is the reality of it all. It's a tough thing for a Mom to let her child go and experience the world, but really experiencing the world, on the other side of the world, scares the heck out of me. I am about to send him to live in a foreign country, by himself for 6 months. At times, I feel almost a choking feeling in my throat when I think about taking him to the airport tomorrow and watching him go through that security gate. He will be living with a group of people that he don't know, in a culture that he's never experienced, in a place that he's never been. Have I prepared him for life? Have I done my part as his Mother? Have I done enough? It was a decision that he made on his own. He prayed over and chose this location - it was all between him and God. But, nonetheless, he is my firstborn. Oh, I know that the God I serve is Sovereign and that He is in complete control, but I am his Mom.

I am so very proud of him and am VERY excited for him. Pray for Seth and pray for us. He is thrilled and excited, but anxious about leaving Jadyn, go figure! They have become quite close since we brought her home.

If you want to follow his blog, here is the link to it.

Seth's Blog

I would appreciate any encouragement that you can give him and comments that you leave on his blog. Pray for us as we take this monumental step in cutting the apron string.

I love you Seth and I am so very proud of you, my firstborn.

How great is our God,
Mom