Josie was sure proud of her new look.  I think she explains it better than I can. 

James 1:27

James 1:27  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This year in lieu of Christmas gifts for our customers our business donated funds in their names to a charity called Reece's Rainbow.  This charity advocates for children that need families.  Many times families have the funds to raise a child but they don't have the funds to pay the ransom to bring that child home.  Reece's Rainbow helps to fund those adoptions.  This is one of the little girls that we chose to donate to at Christmas time.  Her name is Marcia and she is cute girl with dark hair and eyes.  Marcia just had a birthday. While most children are excited to celebrate their birthday, that isn't the case for Marcia. You see, this was her fifth birthday, which means she was removed from her orphanage and placed in an institution. Marcia belongs in a family, not an institution!  It is my hope and prayer that someone will find this little angel and bring her into their family.  She is the same age as our Wesley and I just can't even imagine what would go thru his little mind if he was one day picked up out of the only home he has ever known and taken to a mental institution where he would never see those he loved again.  It makes me cry to even think about it. 

From her Reece's Rainbow profile:
5q45-23HA
Girl, born in February 2007
Gray eyes
Hair dark brown
Nature calm; very quiet and kind personality

Marcia has a mild form of paraparesis, pelvic organs dysfunction, instability of hip joints; stemming from her main diagnoses — compensated hydrocephalus (treated with a shunt) and operated spina bifida.

The girl has had several successful surgeries as a baby. At this point, she has limited mobility (she walks, but needs assistance), but the doctors are sure that she will be walking without a help in the future. She has urinary incontinence and never been potty trained and has never been seen by an urologist. Neurosurgeons, however, are very happy with her progress and give a very good prognosis. They mention good muscular activity in her legs and good intellectual functioning.

She understands commands and follows directions very well, although her speech is delayed. She was seen by a speech therapist during one of her hospitalizations, and the speech therapist was very happy with her progress.

She has a good disposition and loves to cuddle. She is able to form secure attachments with adults who take care of her, loves her nanny at the hospital and always cries when it's time to go back to the orphanage. She is not thriving at the orphanage and really needs a loving family.

Isn't she beautiful? Could she be your daughter? If you would like to donate to her fund so that it would be easier for her future family to adopt her go to this link.  Reece's Rainbow profile:

Tyler's Balloon Release at School

Central School had a balloon release today.  All the kids wrote their hopes and dreams on a little peice of paper and they put them inside a balloon and the kids all got to release them on the last day of school.  It was pretty cool.  Now school is out and Tyler is now offically a 4th grader.  How did that even happen??? 

Tyler and his best buddie Kyle

Dad and Tyler

Tyler and 2 of his buddies Kennady and Kyle

4 awesome friends.  Tyler, Kyle, Kennady and Chase.

Tyler's class planted trees at the park recently and after school he wanted to show us which one he helped plant.  Well of course they were very dry since we haven't had rain in sooo long.  Tyler took it upon himself to water them and even watered one in which the hose wouldn't reach.  He took a cup and I bet he filled it up 20 times running back and forth watering that one tree.  He really is an awesome kid and cares so much about the world and all living things. 

Out of the mouths of babes

This is our Kindergartener's homework from school. It sure makes a Mama proud when I see how well he just "gets it".  We have a wonderful preacher and I love the fact that he not only preaches to adults but Children understand his messages also.  Eric has also been known to take his bible to school and read to other kids during recess. 

A Day at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

The kids had Friday off from School so I took them to Tanganyika Wildlife Park.  This has to be my favorite zoo ever!  Yes, it costs tokens for about everything but where else can you have Lemurs crawl all over you, ride a camel and pet a giraffe?  The kids just love it and the staff is so good about answering all their questions.  I was amazed on how much they picked up when they were telling Chad about it last night. 

Josie wanting NOTHING to do with that camel!! Now that it is gone, she of course tells people she rode it.  Ya right. 

Just your average day petting a porcipine. 

                                        And having up to 7 Lorikeets land on you at once. 

 She was so brave with everything except that camel.  She loved the Lori's, Bunnies and Lemurs

                                                              Land on me please!!!

                                                   Ummm I didn't mean there!!!!!

Please don't eat me Mr Rino!!!

   That baby Lemur was so stinking cute.  Josie tried many times to pick it right off his mommy.  I had to hold her the remainder of the time we were in that pen as I was afraid they Lemurs would get upset if she touched the baby. 

Josie is big!

 

Apparently our little sweetie just skipped over all those toddler years and went straight from a baby to a little lady.  She thinks she is just as big as her brothers and loves to let everyone know she is "older".

Tyler skiing.

Tyler got to ski thru the trees this year.  He loved that trail. 

Actually he loves everything there is to love about skiing.