Running for One More

A Race against Time for 13 Year Old Boy from China

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., April 5, 2010 – Thirty-two runners are teaming up with local charity Room for One More to run in the Nashville Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon April 24, 2010. Room for One More is a non-profit organization dedicated to help orphaned children find forever families, encourage foster-parenting, and support orphan care worldwide. The sponsored runners will be Running for One More to raise funds specifically for adoption grants to help offset the financial cost of adoption for approved families already in the adoption process.

One such family, the Yagers, is in a race of their own to bring home a 13 year old boy from China. They were in the process of adopting 3 year old Drew when they heard about a 13 year old boy who only had a couple months before he would age out of the adoption system. In China this means he would no longer be eligible for adoption anywhere, would be returned to the streets, and never know the love of family. Now they are running against time to raise the additional adoption fees for Jaxon before he turns 14 on May 1. Since that decision, they've done extensive fundraising to cover all of Jaxon's expenses, yet they still need $6800.

This is one example of what motivates these 32 runners. Running a half-marathon is no short distance, but it doesn't seem too far when the result is changing the lives of children like Drew and Jaxon – helping to give them a loving family, security and a chance for a better life.

All donations and sponsorships to Room for One More for the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon will go directly to help children come home. Your support is greatly needed. Please help us bring Jaxon and the many other children like him into their forever families! Together we can make a difference one step, one mile, one child at a time.

Anyone who wants to get involved, sponsor an athlete, "Run for One More" themselves or get more information about orphan care and adoption please go to our website: www.roomforonemorechild.org. We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans, or supporting families who are taking orphans into their own homes.

Room for One More is a local non-profit organization providing adoption information, crisis assistance, adoption grants, orphan seminars, and awareness and information for foster care and special needs adoption.

Ways to Get Involved:

• Run with us

• Donate online (http://www.roomforonemorechild.org/)

• Purchase a Running for One More t-shirt (http://www.roomforonemorechild.org/Store.aspx)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter

Matthew 28

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
 

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.'If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Spring Fever

We are impatiently awaiting beautiful spring days in our household.  You know, days where Joe and Ella can freely roam outside without shoes or a jacket... THAT would be nice!  But instead, we rotate between beautiful, sunny, 65 degree weather to rainy, stormy, 35 degree weather.  Come on spring!

It was rainy all day long today.  Freezing cold outside, pouring down rain, and muddy.  BUT, yesterday was BEAUTIFUL!  I'm talkin' sunshine and about 65 degree weather!  Sarah, Anna Grace, Joe, Ella and I ventured downtown and Greg took John and James to baseball try-outs.  We definitely took advantage of the beautiful weather.  We walked up and down the railroad tracks and walked around by the river, and Greg and the other boys met us for lunch and a fun photo-op.

We walked by the river.

(Gorgeous, isn't it?)

and I took advantage of every photo opportunity :)

Joe and Grace jumped off the ledge...

And Ella watched them.

It was a little chilly by the water, so Ella huddled up.

More photo-ops... complete with their hair blowing in the wind

He will now oblige to getting his picture taken.

He's pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself :)

We also wrote our names in the dirt.

SIDE NOTE: Joe is learning letters and how to spell... He is fascinated when he learns to spell a new word!  (He can spell all his siblings names, too)

The boys met us after try-outs.

Just in time for family pictures!

We found this saying on the river wall and couldn't just pass it by...

everybody jump!

I took a few more pictures by the wall, and then we headed to lunch.

This little nook was found on our way to eat... it was the perfect size for AG.

Lil Miss waiting for her BBQ sandwich

After lunch we got ice cream

and I snapped a few more pictures before we headed home.

Needless to say, we enjoyed our sunny Saturday afternoon!

Some random tidbits:

• The concrete wall inspired me, our new theme for this blog is: All you need is love.
• In the process of the new blog "design" everything vanished... poof... gone.  And with it went the hit list, music, follower gadget, and everything else on the sidebar.  So, if you were a follower of this blog, you will need to add yourself again.  We are starting fresh. Tonight.

Update on the Country Music Half Marathon:

Marathon training is going great!  I am now up to 8 miles!!!  I will have an update on the Running for One More progress and fundraising later this week... that is a post in and of itself!

One last picture:

Blessings and Happy Spring!

Shari

Guatemalan Rockstars!

Music Music Music!
Joe and Ella share a special bond... and that is that they both LOVE music!
Joe plays the piano with his daddy ALL of the time.  He really enjoys it... and he is REALLY good!  He is good at listening to the different sounds of each key.  Joe also likes playing guitar.  He will use anything that is remotely close to a guitar- a stick, a violin, a hanger- as his guitar.
Ella is also VERY musical!  We got used to finding Joe in the piano room, but Ella has started to catch on, too.  She loves to sit on the piano bench and press the keys.  She has a great ear, too, because it really sounds good when she "plays" the piano!  She's also into singing right now.  Her favorites are "Old McDonald" and "Jesus Loves Me".  She walks around the house (or store or restaurant :) singing "Jesus loves me this I know.  For the Bible tells me SO!" So precious!

{PSALM 150}
1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

*Joe is in a "no pictures" stage and refuses to have his picture taken, so Ms. Photographic gladly stepped up to take his spot. :)

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

 days ago I took some time and looked through all of my posts.  I found out that my first post was 2/21/08... WOW! Time has FLOWN by!  I can't believe that it has been over 2 years since we started Ella's adoption.  I remember the day we got the call to adopt her just like it was yesterday.
As I looked through post after post, I was reminded of all the feelings that disappeared the second Ella was placed in my arms for forever.  The aching, the longing, and the dreaming as I waited for my baby to come home.  I am reminded daily how faithful God is and that His timing truly is PERFECT!
The road of adoption is full of bumps and detours.  It is by NO MEANS easy, BUT the outcome is incredible!  The moment your baby (toddler, child, teen) is placed in your arms is indescribable.  At that moment, all the pain you have gone through disappears.  All the nights I stayed up praying, longing for my baby girl are worth it; the million trips to the post office to next-day all of our paperwork are worth it; the many phone calls, emails, and meetings with congressmen, the DNA lab, and lawyers- ALL worth it!  Nothing goes as planned, but God shows up and is with us EVERY STEP of the way.
I can see God's hand in Ella's adoption.  It is simply a miracle that she is with us today.  When we committed to adopt Ella on December 6, 2008, we knew that it would take a miracle to get registered by December 30.  All the papers and appointments that normally take months to complete had to be done in less than 30 days.  And on January 16, 2008, when many families were told news that no adoptive parent wants to hear (they were not registered, and their adoption would not be completed until adoptions opened up again), we were blown away and praising our Father for the approval to adopt Ella.  This was just the start of the troubles that we faced as Guatemalan adoptions were closing.  They put many new steps in place and made the process harder and harder, but God stayed faithful and brought His daughter, Gloria Esmeralda, to our family.  We met so many wonderful people during our adoption journeys, both from the U.S. and Guatemala.  Because of every little thing, we are where we are today- a wonderfully blessed, crazy family of eight-, and for it we are forever thankful.

I will never forget those 10 and a half months of waiting for Gabriela Marie.  I had to surrender every single day to God. During those 10 and a half months (and the 7 and a half months with Joe), I saw God in a way that I had never seen Him before.

So, as I looked back through my archives, I was reminded of God's greatness... and of the feelings that I went through.  I found a poem that I wrote almost two years ago in March.

Dear Ella,

Today's a day we wait for you,

Not knowing actually what to do.

We cannot stand the time without you here,

We want to hold you close and near.

But we must wait and trust our God above,

He's covered you with so much love.

So wait we will, and dream about the day,

You'll be home with us, home to stay.

You have so much family loving you,

Mama, Daddy, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, Great Papa, too.

We love you though we have not met,

The love for you grows deeper yet.

Love, Mommy

As a family, we have changed a lot.  And, sweet Ella has changed too.  She is a social butterfly, waving and saying "Hi!" to everyone she sees.  She talks up a storm and loves to sing!  She's always walking around singing "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!".  Isn't that what it's all about?  She knows that we love her, but, most importantly, she knows that Jesus loves her!!!

Some people may praise US for changing ELLA'S life, but really it was ELLA who changed OUR lives.

Room for One More is on a roll!

We have made lots of progress with Room for One More!

1.  The "Help ONE in Haiti" bracelets are IN!  They are available at the website under "Urgent Needs" (http://www.roomforonemorechild.org/Urgent%20Needs.aspx)  They are $2 for one or $18 for a dozen!

2. The Running for One More Nashville Marathon run is in high gear!  20+ people have signed up already to run the race with us and many more have pledged to come out and support us or buy a t-shirt even if they aren't running!  We are training, planning, and fundraising!  People from all over have agreed to run with us!  If you want to join us as we raise money for adoptions and have a great time in the process, go sign up (http://roomforonemorechild.org/Side%20Story.aspx)!

We are having a contest for the Running for One More t-shirt design!  You can be a part of our fun by voting for the t-shirt!  Go here to vote for the design (http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=298570651851)!!!

And, last but not least, ROOM FOR ONE MORE HAS OFFICIALLY JOINED THE REST OF THE WORLD!  As of tonight, Room for One More is on Facebook!  Become a fan of RFOM so you can know about our latest news!  You can look at pictures of families and add your family picture to our Forever Families album!  CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND BECOME A FAN OF ROOM FOR ONE MORE!  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Room-for-One-More/293254198951?ref=nf