While You Were Sleeping

Sometimes I feel helpless. As if the need is so great and I am so small. I know that is not true, but I also know that I need to act.... NOW! I can't put it off any longer; there's no time to waste.

Backup with me for a second.... I was listening to our local Christian radio station and the Casting Crowns song, "While You Were Sleeping," came on. Have you heard that song? If not, I have embedded it at the bottom of this post so you can listen to it. :) As I was listening to the song, I felt that God had played it for me to listen to. There is a part in the song that says,

"And we're sung to sleep by philosophies

That save the trees and kill the children..."

Really? Has our nation come to be that ignorant? There are so many extremists who fight to "Save the Trees" and "Prevent Global Warming," but they are missing the big picture. While these people are rioting about saving trees and paper, HUMAN LIVES are being LOST! What if people cared about their brothers and sisters as much as they care about "Saving the Planet"? What if all the energy of fighting a natural cause that won't change was put into fighting for lives? Do you know how many lives would be saved if that happened? Sometimes I feel like YELLING at the ignorant, self-loving people of our nation, but then I stop and realize that I am one of them, too.

What am I doing right at this moment that is benefitting the cause of the orphans? I keep waiting for that "perfect opportunity" to come where I just "get" what I am supposed to do, but, as I wait, CHILDREN are DYING. As I sit here, trying to figure out what to do, childrens' lives are being spared... Childrens' lives that I could be PREVENTING if I wasn't sitting here trying to map everything out.

I DO serve the orphans. I advocate about them on a daily basis and am working hard to get Room for One More up and running so we can start to fund adoptions, but I KNOW there is more to be done. I am not super woman, and I can't fly in and save all 147 million orphans, but I can do MY PART... and you can do your part.

I am just torn apart by the Casting Crowns song. Their lyrics have hit me hard, and I'm trying to organize my thoughts. All I know now is- something is going to come out of this... and it's going to be BIG. We are going to blow the stakes out of the water and we are going to make a BIG difference... I am just going to think and pray about what that is going to be now. Will you join me?

This next verse of the song makes me want to cry. I am so sad at what our nation is turning into; we are getting less and less Christian by the minute.

"America, what will we miss while we are sleeping?

Will Jesus come again

And leave us slumbering where we lay?

America, will we go down in history

As a nation with no room for its King?

Will we be sleeping?

Will we be sleeping?"

(While You Were Sleeping, Casting Crowns)

I don't want to go down without doing something to better His kingdom. As a nation, we are missing all of the signs saying "Come to me; I will save your people and get you out of your recession," but as Christians, we can see those signs from our Father. The question is- What will WE do about them? Will we be sleeping and miss our chance? OR Will we turn our words into action?

THANKSGIVING MIRACLE!!!

Find the Hollis's blog HERE

I just checked the Hollis's blog. This is what Melanie said:

"Most of you know by now, our family decided three years ago to forgo giving presents to one another during the holidays. Instead, we reach out and raise money for orphan ministries.

We just finished going through the book, "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan with our kids and decided this year, we wanted to be CRAZY for Jesus! He is so crazy about us, we wanted to share His love with everyone throughout the year, but especially during November and December.

Lydia took "CRAZY" to a whole new level, however, when she approached me (while her dad was on a mission trip in Africa) and asked if she raised $20,000.00 before Thanksgiving, could we adopt a little orphan girl, Darya, who has Down Syndrome in Eastern Europe. (A friend of ours adopted a little boy from the same orphanage and reported that Darya gets no attention at all....no one speaks to her or holds her.)

THAT WAS 8 DAYS AGO! Being a sensible 41 year old, I told Lydia she would never be able to raise $20,000.00 in 8 days.....she is only eleven. She didn't hear me. Instead, she asked again, "But if I do raise the money, will you adopt her?" I responded yes, if she raised that much money in 8 days, we would know God is in it and would travel to adopt Darya!

Tonight, I would like to report that Miss Lydia has raised $26,550.00 and the donations are still coming in. It just so happens, we have good friends who have been planning to adopt a little one with Down Syndrome through Reece's Rainbow, but lack of funds has delayed them. Not anymore, everything above $20,000.00 goes to them.

So, friends, you have been a part of a double Thanksgiving Miracle. Not only will Darya have a home ....but through your gifts, another little angel will be given hope for a family tomorrow too! God is so great, isn't He?

Lydia will be on the local Fox Morning Show tomorrow at 6:45am. I will try my very best to post it to the blog, because I know so many want to see it.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!" Phil. 4:4"

The Darya Project

I recently came upon a family, The Hollis Family. They are a great inspiration to all of us who think we have crazy lives. They have two children with Down Syndrome + 3 other kids. One of their children was born with a heart defect, stomach defect, and Down Syndrome. Her name is Hope and she has encouraged many people with her beautiful smile. After birthing Hope, they adopted an adorable red-headed little boy, Charlie.

Their 11 year old daughter, Lydia, has fallen in love with a little girl from the Reece's Rainbow sight. Her name is Darya and she has Down Syndrome. Melanie (the mom) told Lydia if she could raise $20,000 then they could adopt Darya.

The truth is, many, many children in Europe who have Down Syndrome suffer a terrible life. They are often sent to mental institutions where they lie in a bed most of their life. They are pretty much just left there to die. They don't have anyone to love them or tell them "I love you!" These children live terrible lives, with just enough food to get by. Most of them die before they hit 1 year old. Now tell me-- Isn't that just horrifying?!

Well, the Hollis family is willing to change the outcome for one precious little girl. Isn't that what it's all about?- caring for one child at a time??? Darya has spent most of her life in a crib with little interaction... but soon that will change.

Lydia has faithfully accepted the challenge her mom gave her. Lydia set out last Tuesday to raise $20,000. In the past week, she has raised over $13,000 out of the $20,000.

Lydia has not only set out to raise the $20,000, but her goal is to raise it by Thanksgiving... TOMORROW!

We all need to have faith like a child. Lydia never thought, "Oh, this might be too hard. Raising $20,000 in just over a week is almost impossible!" NO! She believes that God is going to provide the money by tomorrow. There is not ONE doubt in her mind.

So, I have a question for you... Will you join Lydia? Will you donate on Darya's behalf?

This is more than bringing a child home. This is proving to all non-believers that OUR GOD IS BIG! He can move mountains, and HE can raise $20,000 in 8 days! Everything is possible with God!

Are you willing to be a part of this Thanksgiving Miracle?

A Part of Who We Are

As we are nearing Ella's 2nd birthday,

I have been reflecting a lot on Ella's {and Joe's} birth country and birth mom.

It is easy to forget about their heritage

and the huge, most unselfish decision their birth mother made to give them up.

Not because we don't appreciate it

and not because we aren't grateful for it,

but because they are a part of us...

and we don't see them any different than Sarah, John, James, or Anna Grace.

Joe and Ella are just as much my kids as my four biological children are...

the only difference is-

the four older ones were born from my belly,

the two younger ones were born from my heart.

They "weren't born under my heart, but in it."

We love Guatemala.

Everything about it.

From the gorgeous hills and scenery to the beautiful people,

Guatemala is fascinating country.

Someday, when Joe and Ella are old enough,

we will travel back to Guatemala as a family

and share their heritage with them.

Someday, they will appreciate the choice their birth mom made.

Someday, they will notice that they look different than me.

Someday, they will start asking questions.

But, today, they see no difference.

They don't see any difference... and I like it that way.

There is a difference, though.

We don't forget it, but we embrace it.

Because of adoption, we are:

closer

stronger

more faithful

and richer in heart.

We are an adoptive family... we are a transracial adoptive family.

Some people may not understand why we chose to add to our family by international adoption.

but it is a part of our family.

It is what sets us apart.

It is who we are.

And, just as we are adopted into God's family, it is our job as Christians to advocate and care for the remaining 147 million orphans who continue to wait for a mommy and daddy to bring them home to their own family. We need to stand together and fight to make orphans history.

Is it a big task? Yes.

Does it seem overwhelming? Yes.

Is it impossible? NO.

Anything is possible with God. God is bigger than our biggest problems; including the orphan crisis... ESPECIALLY the orphan crisis. God is bigger than the orphan crisis.

I am just an individual who is stepping out to do my part to defend the cause of the fatherless.

I get so encouraged when I look around the blog world at all the other individuals who are also taking a stand. I look around and read about all the people who are doing unthinkable things to care for the orphans.

As I look around at everything that is being done to save the orphans, the unattainable number of 147 million, seems a little more attainable. I witness God's mighty power are I watch the selfless work being done by others.

He sees each and every one of the 147 million.

He knows them by name.

He knows their hurt and hears their cries.

He cares about each and every orphan around the world.

I'm Back

I am positive no one reads my blog anymore... and I have deserved it. I am a terrible blogger! I can just not bring myself to sit down at the computer and write out a post. Bad, I know. I was going to participate in the November Blog Posting Month: 30 Posts in 30 Days, but, as you can see, it's not working out for me. It was a far stretch for me, so I have decided to make a more attainable goal-- One post a week. I know that doesn't sound like much, but I am hoping it will bring me to post more.

My computer broke, so that hasn't helped either. With the computer went all my pictures! I am in the process of uploading all my pictures onto my laptop... so hopefully I can update with new pics soon!!!

***Lots has been going on around here! We've been crazy busy but lovin' life!

That's all for now!

-Shari

The Many Faces of Ella Marie

Staying with my promise to myself, I am working hard to post every day. Today's post is all about spunky little Ella. She is 11 1/2 months old, weighs about 20 pounds, and has curly, jet black hair. Not to mention her personality gets bigger everyday!!! As of October 18, she has been home for ONE year! Can you believe it? I sure can't! It seems like she has been here a lot longer than just one year, yet it feels like we just brought her home yesterday! (confusing???)

Ella has grown so much in the past year! She has done a great job trying to catch up with her older brother, Joe. She is now working on talking. She says quite a few words, but with 5 older siblings, she has to keep up!

Well that's all for today! Have a blessed week!!

-Shari

30 Posts in 30 Days

I admit it, I have been a terrible blogger. The truth is, I kind of just gave up on blogging and decided to just move on, but that was hard. I have continued to read blogs and follow the journeys of fellow adoptive families, and, while I was reading a blog, I came across a perfect chance to get back into blogging. So apparently November is National Blog Posting Month (correct me if I'm wrong) and to celebrate it, you are supposed to write a post each day of the month. I am not going to promise, but I will do my best to post each night about our latest happenings in the Stroup household. It also helps that I just got a new, professional camera that makes me want to take pictures of my kids every minute of the day. :)

So without further ado, here are some pictures to catch you up on the Stroup Happenings:

Big Bro's

AG and her friends!

As I have mentioned before, Ella and Joe are partners in crime. They (mostly) enjoy playing together and following each other around. I snapped this picture at Sarah's school during "Halloween in the Halls."

Our junior high cheerleader

Summer vacation to Destin, FL.

Catch Up

While I was uploading photos from our recent trip to FL, I found some adorable pictures that I never posted. They are just too cute not to share!

Joe & Ella: Partners in Crime

Action shot

After we met the Outmans at the airport, we stopped at the mall to do some shopping and ate lunch at our all-time favorite restaurant.... Chick Fil A. They had a little kiddie table in the food court. It was the perfect size for AG and Ella.

This is the crew that met Phelix, Phisher and the rest of the Outman Family at the airport. It was such a blessed day to see those two precious babies come home to their family that has faithfully waited for them for the past year.

Inspiring Video

I have been following the Johnson's journey to Lucy Lane for a while now. If you haven't visited their blog yet, you have to! They are such an inspiring family- bound to make a difference for orphans. They just brought little Lucy home from Ethiopia the middle of June. She is the cutest baby! Seriously- PRECIOUS! 

Anyways, the point of this post is to share this inspiring video of the Johnson family's adoption journey to bring home little Lucy Lane. It brought me to tears. This video is truly inspiring... makes me want a little girl from Ethiopia! ( in my dreams :)

Well here you go:

WARNING:: very touching, be prepared to cry... LOTS

Happy 4th of July!

We are thankful for so much this 4th of July. I remember last year's 4th as we were disappointed to have to celebrate 4th of July without Ella. This year we were so excited to celebrate the 4th as a complete family! This is Ella's first 4th as an American citizen!!!

We had a great day, filled with love, thankfulness, and fun! Here's how we spent our 4th of July 09:

We started off our day taking a little trip to St. Louis to welcome the Outman Family home from Ethiopia with their twin boys! It was great to see Phelix and Phisher for the first time! They are absolutely precious!

While the girls went to St. Louis, the boys stayed home and went to the fireworks store (the highlight of the summer!) to purchase some more fireworks.

After we met the Outmans, we stopped at the mall for some quick shopping and lunch, and then we headed home!

Then we were off to a family friend's house to swim, play, eat dinner, enjoy homemade ice cream, and shoot off fireworks! There were 3 families and 13 kids (ages 1-16). All the kids played together great and had a ball shooting off and watching the fireworks!

We had a great day, FULL of fun! Happy 4th everyone!

Ella Cuteness!

Well now that I have told you how we have spent our summer so far... I believe it's time for some Ella cuteness and updates!

Ella is now 19 months old, and weighs in at 19 lbs. (just realized that her weight and age are the same :) She is cute, silly, and so sweet! She has a spunky personality and loves to be in the middle of whatever is happening. Her hair is getting so long and VERY curly... we all just love it! 

She is talking a TON... she says mom, momma, daddy, Sarah, John, James, Grace, Joe, up, out, baby, please, thank you, uh-oh, kitty (she loves to chase the kittens around), more, love you!, bubble, hey, no no, yeah, yes, ... and she is learning new words hourly. She also likes to growl. Her favorite thing to say is JOOOEEEEEEE... She loves to play with Joe and yells his name all the time.

Some of her tricks/funny things she does include:

she says CHEESE!!! whenever I turn my camera on

she will feed us and then say OW! when we bite it off her hand (just like Daddy always does to her)

she says YEA!!! and claps whenever she or someone else does something she wanted

she gives hugs and kisses on cue and she will come over and hug/kiss you all the time!

she will plug her nose and stick her head under water when she is in the pool... she loves to swim in the pool!

she follows Joe everywhere... They are partners in crime!

enjoy some Ella cuteness!

Bathing Beauty!

She is so silly!

Ella fell asleep in her chair at the kitchen table! She was sound asleep... too cute!

(above & below)

Have a great day!

Shari

Sweet, Sweet Summertime!

I've been a very bad blogger, but I promise, once I get caught up, I will be a much better at updating y'all on our latest happenings!

We are totally lovin life in the Stroup household! Being a family of eight is so much fun- never a dull moment in this house. We are having a great summer! Lots of staying up late, watching movies, swimming in our new pool, baseball games for the older boys, dance practice for the older girls, hanning out, building forts with the little kids, and going to the lake every chance we get!......and of course trips to Andy's Frozen Custard to get a little treat on a hot day!! That's what it's all about, right?

Starting off with the trip to the hospital and ending with the latest happenings, here are a few pics of what we have been up to:

(above) Ella's night at the hospital. Although she had an IV in her hand and an oxygen monitor taped to her toe, she still smiled for a picture! (and YES she even wears a bow at the hospital!!!)

Ella hung out with Bianca and Solie at our annual church picnic! She loves little Solie!

On June 5, James celebrated his 11th birthday at a local Japanese restaurant where they cook your food right in front of you!!!

On the same weekend as James birthday (much to James's dismay) the older girls, Anna Grace and Sarah, had a dance recital! They did amazing!

Anna Grace was a flower girl in our pastor's daughter Stephanie's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and we wish the best for Stephanie and Mike!!!

We went over to a neighbors house for a Father's Day Cookout. Ella enjoyed her ice-cream cone poolside!

Our little(st) bathing beauty! Ella loves the pool! She likes to swim around with the older kids holding her. She will even plug her nose and stick her face under water!!!! She will be swimming in no time!

Just last week we went to the lake! We left the little kids at home and enjoyed a nice (worry free) time of skiing, wake-boarding, and tubing!

Our beautiful little Guatemalan Princesa!

Welcome Home Video

I know, this video is about 8 months late, but better late than never, right? Sarah, my oldest, just made this video of our pick-up trip to get Ella. She did it all by herself and showed it to me this morning. I love it! It made me cry. It reminds me of the day when I held Ella and knew I never had to let her go. Gotcha Day is such a miraculous, surreal day. It was a day that I will never forget.

Well, enough talking... here's the video! I hope you like it!

(it's not the best quality... I had to change the format because it wouldn't upload from iMovie)

I promise that I will post recent pics of Ella! She is growing so fast. She gets cuter and sillier each day!

Home

Ella and Shari are home. The steroids really helped and she is feeling a lot better. Thanks for your prayers!

Please Pray for Little Ella

***UPDATE*** This is Sarah again. I just got back from the hospital (I stayed to help mom with Ella). The results from the CT scan are in. There is no abscess between her spine and jaw area. That is really good news because Ella was really hungry and she couldn't eat until we knew if she had to go into emergency surgery or not. Ella is doing really good. The IV is kicking in and she is a lot more active and is smiling! Her croup is still kinda bad, but the steroids are helping a lot. There was a major difference in how she felt within the three hours that I was there! Ella and Mom will be home tomorrow morning.

Thanks for your prayers! We really appreciate them!

Hey ya'll! This is Sarah here (Ella's oldest sister). I wanted to ask you to pray for Ella. She has had really bad croup the past few days, and my mom took her to the hospital today. They did some x-rays and found something in around her spine. The doctors decided to keep her in the hospital for the night so they could watch her and make sure everything is okay. 

She just had a CT scan (I am not sure how to spell that :) done and they are going to put her on an IV to get some steroids into her. Hopefully everything goes well and the CT scan reports are fine!

Please pray for Ella to get better soon because she just feels terrible. Please pray for my mom because she is going to stay overnight with her. And please pray for our family, especially Grace and Joe (the little ones), because its hard not having mom home.

Thanks for you prayers! I will post pictures tonight hopefully after we go visit her at the hospital!

Long Time, No Post

Hey everyone! It's been so long since we have posted anything. A lot has happened and we can't wait to show ya'll some pictures. Ella has grown so much! We will post pictures in the next few days! 

Have a great week,

The Stroup Family

Winter Wonderland

It has been so long since I have posted. I guess life has changed way more than I was expecting.... but, in a good way. Ella is growing and changing too. I will post some new photos in a couple days so you can see what a beautiful little girl she is and what a wonderful personality she is developing. She fits right into our family of eight! We thank God daily for all of our wonderful blessings and marvel at the way He has brought these two Guatemalan sweethearts into our lives.

We have had such a wonderful winter with SNOW DAYS off school, hot chocolate with marshmallow of course, chocolate chips cookies, a warm fire and lots of friends over to play with. Life is amazing and we are so thankful for each and every day for none is to be taken for granted. God's Blessings on each and everyone reading this post and May God Bless your life abundantly in the coming new year! Which reminds me, I will also try and post our Christmas card, it is pretty cool!!!
Hugs and Kisses, Shari