I am moving to Catching Butterflies 2. This blog just got too full so I have moved to a new address. I hope you will move with me! It has been so great to get to know you!

http://catchingbutterfliestwo.blogspot.com/

I got a new camera for Christmas and I took these pictures today. The kids are busy playing. Dinner is in the oven, so I put this short slide show together. Jessica isn't in the show because she has a bad cold, and was sleeping. I can safely say the bike was a very big hit with Sarah. Philip got a camera too. Nicole got some pretty cool books and craft stuff. Thomas got Lego. Jessica got a cat encyclopedia. Juergen got an iron and a great new book. For me the greatest gift is just watching the kids play. I'm going to drink a hot tea, put my tired feet up and just listen to the joy!

HERE is the blog of one family getting their new daughter today. Sarah is getting her bike tonight. In Germany we open the gifts after Church (the traditional manger play). The kids will go to church with Papa, and I stay home to set things up at home. We never leave gifts under the tree early. I spent yesterday afternoon packing gifts. Nicole helped me. I plan to put up our artificial tree in the boys bedroom. I'll cover it with chocolate ornaments. I will put all the gifts under this tree. When they get home from church they may experience a few seconds of panic because there won't be any gifts under the living room tree. Then they will follow the red thread to the new tree. That's the plan. I'll post the photos later. I've got to shop for food. The stores close for two days. We are having Sauerbraten for dinner. Merry Christmas everyone. God bless you and keep you safe.

PS. They got her. Isn't she beautiful!!!

I read this on another blog & I thought it was pretty good. Some of the best things in life are things you could not touch or explain like love. The photo is of Jessica our 16 year old Autistic daughter just after heart surgery (she was 3 months old). Jessica taught me to love.

DEAR PASTOR KENT ---
I AM EIGHT YEARS OLD --- MY TEACHER IN SCHOOL TOLD ME THAT THE UNIVERSE IS ALL THERE IS --- AND YET MY PARENTS TAUGHT ME THAT ON CHRISTMAS --- JESUS CAME FROM BEYOND THIS UNIVERSE --- TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR US --- THAT THE BABY JESUS WANTS TO BE OUR SAVIOR --- PAPA SAYS THAT IF THEY TEACH IT AT OAK HILLS --- YOU CAN BELIEVE IT --- SO PLEASE TELL ME THE TRUTH --- IS THERE A SAVIOR? ---
SIGNED --- VIRGINIA O’HANLON…
HERE’S MY RESPONSE --- (By Kent Carlson)
“DEAR VIRGINIA ---
YOUR TEACHER IS WRONG --- THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE IS NOT ALL THERE IS ---- YOUR TEACHER --- AND MANY LIKE HER --- HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE SKEPTICISM OF OUR SKEPTICAL AGE --- THEY ONLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY CAN SEE --- THEY THINK THAT NOTHING CAN BE --- WHICH IS NOT COMPREHENSIBLE BY THEIR LITTLE MINDS…
“BUT ALL MINDS --- VIRGINIA --- WHETHER THEY BE ADULTS’ OR CHILDREN’S --- ARE LITTLE”…
“IN THIS GREAT UNIVERSE OF OURS --- WE HUMANS --- IN SPITE OF MATTERING VERY MUCH TO GOD --- ARE LIKE LITTLE INSECTS TRYING TO PLUMB THE DEPTHS OF QUANTUM PHYSICS --- WHEN WE HAMMER ON THINGS ABOVE OUR HEADS --- WE ARE BOUND TO HIT OUR THUMBS”…
“YES VIRGINIA --- THERE IS A SAVIOR --- HE EXISTS AS SURELY AS LOVE --- AND GENEROSITY --- AND DEVOTION EXIST --- AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY ABOUND ---- AND GIVE YOUR LIFE ITS HIGHEST BEAUTY AND JOY --- IN FACT --- ALL THAT IS BEAUTIFUL IN THIS WORLD --- HAS ITS ORIGIN --- IN THE ONE WHOSE BEAUTY IS BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION”…
“ALAS --- HOW DREARY --- HOW HOPELESS THIS WORLD WOULD BE --- IF THERE WAS NO SAVIOR --- IF THAT WERE THE CASE --- THERE MAY AS WELL BE NO VIRGINIA --- THERE WOULD BE NO CHILDLIKE FAITH --- NO POETRY --- NO PAINTING --- NO MUSIC --- NO ROMANCE TO MAKE THIS EXISTENCE TOLERABLE”…
“NOT BELIEVE IN THE SAVIOR? --- YOU MAY AS WELL NOT BELIEVE IN LOVE”…
“YOU COULD GET YOUR PAPA TO HIRE SCIENTISTS TO EXPLAIN ALL THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE --- BUT THE MOST REAL THINGS IN LIFE --- ARE THOSE THINGS THAT NEITHER CHILDREN --- NOR ADULTS CAN SEE”…

"Ten-year-old Kailee Wells presented to her bone marrow donor, a tearful Wang Lin, a picture frame inscribed with the words: "You are my hero. I will love you forever."

What do you do when you are sad about the death of a child? CHI has decided to help another child in his memory. There is a very sweet child on CHI's waiting list named Travis (not his real name/just his list name). He has a blood disease called Alpha Thalassemia. He needs to have regular blood transfusions or he becomes anemic. The SWI can not afford the transfusions. You need to understand these orphanages are all operating on tight budgets with just so much for medical expenses. CHI is going to raise the money necessary for his medical treatments. I think this is a great idea. If you want to help then please contact CHI at stefani @ infowest.com (remove the spaces). You can also contact them if you want to adopt this very sweet and other wise healthy and normal boy. Isn't he the sweetest thing? He just turned two years old. He is a real great boy! He really needs a family!

If you are a US citizen adopting from China you will need to go to Guangzhou, China. They have a site that has information about the process you will be going through there. I guess there are new forms beginning in 2008. If you are traveling soon you may want to take a look.

Here is the blog of the wonderfully blessed family who will be adopting one of my favorite waiting kids! She is getting a great family!!!

Here is a family getting their new daughter in China on Christmas. Some happy news :)

Juergen isn't the best photographer, and the light was pretty poor but here are some photos from Sarah's kindergarten party. Her dress was almost too small. She has out grown everything. It's time to go shopping!

They don't all find families. This is Yan Fu Ming. He was blind and spent his short life in a Chinese orphanage with out a family. He would have been 2 years old on Sunday, but today he took another journey. He died. How or why I do not know. What I do know is there were people searching for his family. He had a grant for his adoption. I'm sure many people were looking and praying for his family. In a way these people were his family. They were the ones who cared about his future. Today he has not died unnoticed.

This is the second verse from the Christmas song Away in the Manger...

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

I'm sitting here on this cold December day, just a few short days before Christmas. I delivered my sweet Sarah to her kindergarten. She is very excited because the kindergarten Christmas party is tonight. Juergen will attend with her. I'm going to be on taxi duty (Thomas has drum lessons). I am living this Psycho life. I see my adopted children happy, growing, and thriving. They are not "perfect". Sarah has a mean temper, Thomas has an anger problem, Philip has learning problems. But they are all really growing...moving so far forward. Even Philip read to Juergen and I the other night. We were so worried about him, but he is finally starting to read. My heart hurts for all the others. All those children everywhere who have no parents to fight for them. They don't have Christmas trees, visits to Santa Clause, and too much candy. Most of them don't even know what it's like to own their own pair of shoes. If any one questions why I would want to adopt again...it's because I am so filled with grief when I think about all the "others". There is no shortage of waiting children, only too few families willing to step outside of their comfort zone and adopt them. Like I said, Juergen will attend Sarah's Christmas party. She will be dancing and singing. I hope he gets good photos. I'll post something for you. Thomas is a real natural on the drums. I use to play the drums too. He is good! My life would be missing so much without these kids. Maybe you need to consider what you're missing too!

I found another waiting girl that looks allot like Sarah...only goofy! She is 5 years old and has had a corrected cleft lip and palate. She seems to be smart, healthy and very very cute! Boy, look at that hair! I think she is so beautiful...Juergen please...for Christmas?

PS. I e-mailed the agency about this girl. They will not work with us because we live in Germany. She needs to find a family in the USA. How sad for me because I really love that goofy smile. Please someone adopt this beautiful girl!!!

Have you read about this story? Can an adopted child be returned? I'm shocked that these people were allowed to treat this child in this way! I hope a real loving family will truly adopt her...forever!

I just walked Sarah to her kindergarten. There is a very heavy frost on everything. I know some of my readers just love the cold weather. You should come to Germany, it's freezing here! I personally hate the cold weather. Hate is a strong word, REALLY HATE is closer to the truth! Sarah wanted to take her time walking to school. She wanted to walk backwards and climb on every rock. I felt like the Grinch...hurry up Mama is cold! What am I doing living in this freezer! I should live in Thailand, at least in the winter time. I want to be walking next to the Indian ocean. Sarah is right, people should go slowly and walk on every rock!

I'm posting the photo of this sweet waiting girl (Brighton on CHI's waiting list). Her file is being returned in January. She has had surgery for spina meningocele. She is living in foster care. They have a $5000 grant to help with her adoption. I hope her family finds her quickly! Her file reads,
"Active, moves, like to imitate, sing and dance. Outgoing. She can understand the meaning of foster grandma. She can put one her clothes with help of grandma. She can read others minds and win the favor of the adult". It is not clear if she is walking well, or if she has any of the other problems that could affect a child with this SN. They are trying to get more information. This is her second time on the waiting list. Contact CHI for more information.

Waiting Chinese kids seem to be waiting even longer these days. I realize it's partly due to new rules China has set up like "you must be married at least 5 years", and "no singles can adopt". Juergen and I adopted our sons Philip and Thomas from Thailand. We went through the agency Adoption Advocates International in Washington State. AAI is a really wonderful, very personal agency. They have 6 kids on their China list that need families now(the files need to be returned to China very soon). A boy born in 2005 who has had surgery for both cleft lip and palate. He is now healthy. They have two older healthy girls (one who is 12, the other 10). China only allows a child to be adopted until age 13. The one 12 year old may never find a family if it's not now! They have a little girl born in June 2006 who has malformed hands and feet. She is really lovely. They have another little girl born in 2005 who has poor eye sight. They also have a very adorable little boy who is 3 years old and has clubbed feet (a correctable disorder). AAI does not photo list their kids, but they are a wonderful agency to work with. You can contact Ky for more information. Please especially advocate for the two older girls. Imagine never having a family...everyone deserves a family!

Juergen will be so relieved, I mean happy to know this sweet heart just got her family! I have been begging him to consider adopting her ourselves. I guess that just proves God listens to Juergens prayers too! Isn't she beautiful...oh I wish it were us!

I want to send a big congratulations to my blogger friend Mary on the birth of her daughter Phoebe Joy and the LOA of her new son Chang Yi Shan. They will be getting a TA in January and will go from a family of 4 to a family of 6 in 2 months! God's grace, strength and joy to all of you! Merry Christmas! I know your joy is full!!!

Now that's a change! This morning Sarah was having such a good time cuddling with mama (me) that I had to beg her to get ready for school. We have to be in kindergarten by 9:30 or they close the door and you can not get in anymore. I promised her we could cuddle this afternoon. Now isn't that sweet! She loves me more then school!Just imagine...me!!!!