Birthdays, Braids and MORE!

Everything has been plunking away as peaceful as can be over the past few weeks.  So enjoying this!

Here are some big updates;

First; April 1 was Sadie's 3rd BIRTHDAY!!!  We had a great time of celebrating up north with presents and shared cake and icecream with friends up there.  Sadly, I purchased a candle...but didn't bring it with us and no...not one single picture was taken.  Nothing to document this big occasion.  I feel horrible. I aspire to be better at taking pictures.  Really.

Second; Sadie got her first set of yarn braids!  I am in LOVE!  Seriously, I never thought she could possibly be any cuter.  I was wrong.  SO ADORABLE!

A great friend took her for a day during spring break so we could have a day of "big kid fun".  When I dropped off, short hair...when I picked up LONG!  Crazy!  It makes her look SO OLD but I totally love it!  Kobe thinks she looks like Prince Fielder.  I will let you decide!

 

 

Third; Sadie started school this week!  EEEEEEEEK!  Seriously!  We are so blessed to live where we do.  Just a few miles from our house we have an amazing school, the Ottawa Area Center, that is only for children with development (and physical) special needs.  We have been receiving services from them for Sadie since she came home.  They have an infant program where they come up to twice a week and provide Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy.  That goes until they are 30 months old.  At 30 months they move on to "group" therapy, where Sadie has been going twice a week for the past 6 months.  But when they turn 3 they start going to school!  Sadie is going every day! The bus comes and picks her up at about 8:45.  We are thankfully the last pick up and the first to be brought home after school since we live so close.  We are in process of finishing up our Physical Therapy at Mary Free Bed and still in Oral Therapy  as well, so three days a week I pick her up from school and bring her to those appointments in the afternoons.  So Mondays and Fridays are her only two full days at this point.  Yesterday just felt weird all day.  Nick stayed home in the morning to see her get picked up.  I will be honest and admit that I wept. Alot. There is just alot of emotions that go into having a special needs child and the fears you have when they aren't with you.  I know that this will be another "new normal" for us.  I kept very busy during the day yesterday with breakfast with friends, appointments, errands, a surprise of flowers at my door (THANK YOU!!!) Sadie's teacher was great and called me twice yesterday just to tell me how well everything was going.  I know we will see so many changes in Sadie with this.  She was very wound up last night, I believe overstimulated and it caused her to have some issues in the evening with keeping her night time feeding down.  It's just an adjustment for all . But, I was a big girl today and no tears when I put her on the bus! ;)  Here is a picture of my sweet Sadie waiting for the bus on her first day...(see I said I aspired to take more pictures...)

 

 

 

Fourth; Another big update;  I said goodbye to this :(

 

 

And this weekend we will be saying HELLO to this! :)

 

 

We have learned SO MUCH about Wheelchair Accessible Vans.   Something I never thought we would ever need knowledge of! But, we felt strongly that obviously we needed to find something that fit Sadie's needs...but one that also fit our families needs!  Seldom do we go away without having 1+ friends along with us.  So, after lots of searching we found a van that fit all our needs (and may just barely fit in the garage too!)  If any of my old youth group students are reading this right now, driving a van like this feels like deja vu to me!  Oh MEMORIES!  So, no more driving around town incognito!  I now have a church bus....with a ramp! :)  LOUD AND PROUD!

 

But seriously, with all these changes, we continue to feel just so humbled and thankful.  We are so thankful for all those who surround us with their love and support!

 

Sadie's Chariot Fund has been a unique experience for us.  We are actually looking into making Sadie's Chariot Fund an official grant program to assist other families, like us, make their wheel chair accessible van purchase a little easier.  Purchasing a van like this is not easy and it is hard to articulate.  But each step in the world of special needs almost takes time of acceptance and at times mourning.  The purchase of a vehicle like this is huge (financially, emotionally and mentally).  We are praying we can put something in place where we can make a part of that easier for families...the way our friends, families, strangers...all those who participated in this for us, did.

 











Get Involved in the BIG 10!!

So, if you are from "around here", I am sure you know of Aspen Computers!  They are an awesome local business in Allendale that has been "hosting" a donation box for Sadie's Chariot Fund. 

When we went to pick up the boxes March 1st, Ross, the owner, refused to return our box.  He felt that more money could be raised.  Bless his heart.

Unbeknownst to us, he started a March Madness Bracket Pool where a portion of the proceeds will go into Sadie's Chariot Fund. 

Here is the link to the website to get involved in this;

http://aspenmadness.hoops.sportsfan.com/

Aspen Computers provides awesome service for computer repair and also has a variety of new/refurbished computers and other electronics available for sale.  The service is quick and very fairly priced!  Great honest business man!!

Ross- We are SO thankful for what you are doing for Sadie and for us! 

Good Luck Pool Players!!

NO LIMITS and HIGH EXPECTATIONS!

We are careful most times how we talk about Sadie. It quite often depends on who we are talking with or to.  I want to always be careful that we don't sound too wishy-washy or too dreamy about what we hope she will do or become.  I want make sure that people know that we live in today and have realistic expectations.  However, I also don't want to sound as if I am cutting Sadie short on what her abilities may be.

Where is this going?  I'll start with last week.

Sadie goes to Physical Therapy twice a week at Mary Free Bed.  Last week Wednesday she also had an Oral Therapy Evaluation to see if she could start Oral Therapy. 

Just a "refresher"; Sadie was taken off all foods and can have NOTHING orally since December 2011.  She has what is called a "partial swallow" and that is when she swallows half of  her food goes to her stomach and will be metabolized "normally", where the other half was going into her lungs.  At that time, this would happen and Sadie would never even cough to try to get it out.  This was "normal" for her.  Sadly, it should have also killed her before she even made it to the states.  One of her "miracles", as the doctors say, that she didn't get bacterial pneumonia in Africa and passed from it.

Sadie's Oral Eval consisted me holding my breath while watching a therapist put some vanilla pudding on Sadie's tongue and watch how she responded to it.  You can see that Sadie was very curious about it....and enjoyed getting more!  The one thing I missed when we took her ability to eat orally away, we noticed a loss of her tracking items.  She would eye the spoon and follow with her eyes and by turning her head.  Her losing the ability to eat, took more than just that away from us.  But, she had her eye on the vanilla pudding and was not letting it out of her sight.  We were both very pleased that we watched her taste and swallow the pudding! This does not mean she will be eating steak or pizza soon...or ever...but it IS a step in the right direction! 

Fast forward to today...first Oral Therapy session and Sadie was reaching/grabbing the therapists hands when she was letting her taste the yogurt...she wanted more!  She also got her first taste of a sucker.  REAL USA candy. She may be hooked. This has opened a new world of rediscovering taste. We can't wait to watch and experience this with her!

On that same day of Sadie's Oral Eval I was playing with her that afternoon.  One thing we (Sadie, the therapists and us) have been working on hard is Sit to Stand. This is not Sadie pulling herself up to a standing position, but rather us helping her stand from a seated position. As she gets older this will be a valuable tool for us transferring her from on seat to another.  She is quickly learning to master this as well!  Sadie's head continues to be very heavy for her and a source of weakness.  So, to master the weight baring on legs, with the muscles of the torso as well as head/neck control takes a lot!!  I wanted to share what we accomplished last Wednesday.

 

 

There is a family that we know that we get alot of encouragement from.  Their amazing daughter was born with Cerebral Palsy.  They have told us stories of how people treated her and the appalling advice people would give to them. I can ask real questions to them. I don't want to sound like I am living in a land where Sadie will grow to be "normal" and healthy.  However, I never want to short change her by giving her limits either or lacking in expectations.  I was told by this mom "Don't you EVER set limits!".  This amazing family had others in their family tell them that their daughter would do nothing.  That there was no hope for her.  Their daughter, this AMAZING woman, has inspired Nick and I in SO MANY WAYS!  Not only can she communicate, she does so in more than one language!  She has more college education than majority of the people we know! She has traveled to other countries telling others about God's love.  She is a walking witness.  She writes...she is one of the most amazing writers.  We were very surprised when we got our monthly edition of "Rusk Crumbs", a newsletter put out in our church with updates of all the going ons...and this amazing woman wrote about our Sadie.  I hope you can read it here.

 

I e-mailed her this morning to thank her for writing such a wonderful article.  In an e-mail she sent back she stated the following,

 

"Sometimes, I too, feel so lonely and misunderstood in my life, and I have to keep reminding myself "It's not about you, girl; it's about God and His glory. "Not to us, O Lord, Not to us...but to Your name..."

Christ in us, the hope of glory...

 

All that....from a girl that long ago, people said would not do anything.

 

So, the sad news for Sadie is that she will just have to be working THAT much harder....for not only do we have NO LIMITS set for her, we also have HIGH EXPECTATIONS!!

 

Sadie's Chariot Fundraiser has come to an amazing end!  I am going to keep you in anticipation just  a bit longer.  My great friend, Marissa, will be announcing the total with some of her insights, and I think that all needs to be shared together.  She will update the facebook event page I am certain, and I will probably cut and paste what she wrote here.

 

 

Lots of Processing!

So, life is about to change.  And where you may think these changes are really no big thing...the closer we get to them, the more we realize that these are HUGE and SIGNIFICANT changes!

I'll start with van shopping;

Nick and I went out and looked at our first Wheel Chair Accessible van.  This is unavoidable.  It is something we have to do.  It is not necessarily a choice, but something that our current family situation "mandates" for us.  And maybe that is why I so badly want to reject it.  In the past I use to LOVE car shopping.  Seriously LOVED it.  I remember at times Nick and I would just drive thru car lots for fun.  People who know me, know I have gone thru my fair share of cars too. 

This definitely had a different "feel" about it.  It wasn't like buying our current SUV, where we were excited because our family was growing and we needed something bigger to accommodate it.  Or the SUV before that...the one I was SO excited to get because I felt like we "graduated" out of our Minivan!  Or the Minivan that I was really excited to get because our family was growing again and that is what I needed.  A step up from my car.  Nope, was more a feeling of this is what we HAVE to do, because this is what our life is about.  And not that this is bad, but it's just different. 

We hate the fact that finding a van (any size...mini van or full size) that can seat MORE than 6 is hard to come by.  We are making NO ANNOUNCEMENT that we are expanding our family.  But, it does make you feel locked down to a number or "finality" with only having room for 6...our current family size.  Or even going away with our kids' friends...can't do it. It sounds ridiculous that we have to contemplate taking two cars if we ever grow our family or have a friend come with us anywhere.

I was over the moon excited yesterday when we found a full size van that use to be a 15 passenger that had been modified with a lift.  This thing still had seating for 11 + a wheelchair and lift!!  It looked PERFECT online!  The price was spot on in a range we could manage.  So, despite the "cloud" over us of having to make such a purchase or go shop for this item, we were very excited about this find.

What a let down when we got there to only find that it was trashed.  Just junk on the inside.  It was clear within minutes that this was not a vehicle for us.  We drove home with little words.  We talked a bit about expectations for a van.  But, overall the car ride home was pretty silent.  I think both Nick and I coming to and understanding that this will be a very expensive purchase...that we don't really want to have to do.


Today was our tour of Sadie's school.  In April, after spring break, Sadie will be going to Ottawa Area Center for school.  WOW.  This is an entire different thing to adjust to.  Never did I send any of our other kids to school at 3 years old.  Let alone but them on the bus.  Our older kids today hate riding the bus.  Why would I want to put my 3 year old on a bus.  However, everyone I talk to has told me that this is best for her.  I have to remember that she isn't "normal" and therefore requires us to be out of the box (dare I say "abnormal") in our thinking.  So, I will be sending my sweet baby girl at 3 years old, in her wheelchair, on a bus to school everyday.  Seriously, tearing up as I type this now.

Ottawa Area Center...is AMAZING.  Truly.  All the staff that they have is awesome!  Nearly every one we came across already knew Sadie. They have a pool! She will go swimming every Friday! They have gym every Tuesday.  They have Licorice...a mechanical horse that she will ride.  All the tools that they have for her and the programs that they have that she will do...I can't wait to watch her grow and develop even more!  But, you know what else is AMAZING?  DeVos Children's Hospital.  But nobody WANTS to bring their kids there.  So even though we have this AMAZING resource available to us, we don't get excited about going there or bringing our child there.  Nobody wants to say "Someday my child gets to go to OAISD!".  I guess I was not expecting to feel the emotions I did when I was walking thru there.  Parts of me were looking at all the other kids and thinking, "That's not Sadie"...but reality is, yes, that is Sadie (yup, more tears).

That is when I have to remind myself that God made Sadie by His perfect design and plan and therefore, she IS perfect.

I think some of this is also scary because for the past 18 months my identity has changed from being the working mom of three awesome kids to stay at home, special needs mom of  4 kids (all still awesome!).  As I was walking around the school today I found myself asking if mom's ever volunteer here.  My mind is already wondering what I am going to do when Sadie is in school.  I have never been "alone".  I don't desire it.  I don't like it.  I don't want it.  When I was expressing to the teacher (with Nick there) I said I just can't quite figure out what I will do when she's at school and I hear Nick behind me "how bout take a break".  But when I spend 13 hours a day (mostly holding or in physical contact with her in someway) I feel like I am almost loosing an extension of myself...an appendage.  How do you let go? I know it will be good for me.  It's good for her.  It will allow me to be more involved at ACS and volunteering there and being available for the other kids.  I will still have the twins for the rest of this year a few days a week....and it is only 1/2 days for Sadie to start.  My time will be filled quickly.  Just hard to wrap my mind around.

So, lots of changes coming up.  Lots of changes coming all at one time.  Lots of "processing" going on.  Lots of things to accept. 

Prayers would be great!!

Fundraiser update!

As we are winding down on the month of February the fundraiser winds down as well.  This has been an amazing experience and we are so blessed by all of the support we have received (not just financially, but all of the cards and encouragement as well).  I have not looked recently and am going to refrain from looking until March 1st. So, I will update you all with final totals on March 1! :)  We would love that if you haven't "shared" the event on facebook or the link to this blog, to please consider doing so!  Otherwise, Sadie's Chariot Fundraiser Event Page will be updated with the Grand Total on March 1 as well as the blog here!!

Getting past the "WAH!! the BLAH!!! and the @#**$&!!"

Last night, when I first sat down and started this post, it went a little something like this;

WAH!!!!

 

AND

BLAH!!!

 

 

Then I sat down this morning and felt refreshed; renewed.

 

All the kids were up and getting ready for school.  I fed Sadie and gave her her morning meds (all 9 of them).  All the kids very orderly got their stuff on while I ran upstairs.  They got themselves in the car (when I say "all kids" and "themselves", I am referring to Ryleigh, Kobe, Nathan and the 3 year old twins I watch a few days a week).  While I am upstairs I hear it again...that awful sound of Sadie coughing...turning to wreching...turning to puking. 

 

My new post wanted to start something like this;

 

&*%#@!!!

 

AND

 

^%$)#(@*#$$()%*$!!!

 

 

Instead, I am choosing to start with this;

 

"Give yourself fully to the adventure of today.  Walk boldly along the path of Life, relying on your ever-present Companion.  You have every reason to be confident because My Presence accompanies you all the days of your life-and onward to eternity.....Fix your eyes on Me, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, and many difficulties on the road ahead will vanish before you reach them.....remember that I am holding you by your right hand.  Nothing can separate you from My Presence!" - Jesus Calling, Sarah Young.

 

I could sit here and write to you all the frustrations I have felt and experienced this week.  I could tell you how badly my feelings have been hurt by total strangers and list all the frustrations I have with people who I thought "got it" when it came to Sadie.  (well, I guess I did just tell you a bit about it, but I will spare you intimate details). 

 

What I will share with you is that I feel like I dipped my toe into the water of discontent and it took all but a half a second for the devil to grab me by my ankle and before I knew it, I was waist deep.  Isn't that just how the devil works?  He has plagued many of my thoughts this week and fought hard to take away my joys.  He is sneaky like that and how quickly it snowballed.  It was ugly.  I was snappy at the kids and Nick.  I felt physically tired.  I was frustrated at just about everybody and just-plain-tired...of everything.

 

I know I have to allow myself "moments".  The grieving process of special needs is life long.  There are constant reminders of mile stones that have not been, and probably will not be met.  There are looks and comments from friends and strangers that sting. There is almost constant worry...about EVERYTHING.  I have been told by many that those "moments" are ok to have and have been told that they are "healthy", but instead of giving the devil my toe, I need to remember to put those to prayer.  I have reached out to a few friends as well to pray for me during these moments.  Because I am such a stubborn independent person, I like to think that I am big enough to handle these "moments", but really, in those moments I think is when I need to be big enough to ask for help.

 

I also need to keep in the forefront the positives and those are the things I DO want to share with you, in detail!

 

Yesterday we reviewed Sadie's goals in therapy and the therapist agrees that she has met and exceeded each goal!!  Just reminds me that our work with her pays off.  I think sometimes people wonder what I do all day with her (even Nick) and what you may not realize is...we work.  We stretch muscles and joints (especially ankles, knees and hips). We work on head control, neck strength and trunk control like there is no tomorrow. 

 

Sadie continues to play peek-a-boo with us, which just makes my heart soar!  Such an infant game to play, I know, but such a HUGE testimony to some cognitive understanding!

 

She is forward facing in the car now and LOVES it!  I will admit it is very distracting to me driving when she and I are "jamming" to the music way loud.  I love to watch her smile to the music.  I get teary eyed each time.  It will never get old.

 

Ryleigh, Kobe and Nate all came home with amazing report cards a few weeks ago.  I nearly cried over Parent/Teacher Conferences last night. Our kids have the most amazing teachers, backed by the most wonderful school. Truly blessed and thankful they are there.  Not only am I thankful for the academic process by all, but reading the report Kobe's teacher gave us about Kobe's "hero".  Kobe wrote all about the reasons why Jesus was his hero.  And Ryleigh's teacher talking about the growth in confidence Ryleigh has had so far this year (and we see it too) and Nathan's teacher talking about his bright personality and how he is loved by his class.  

 

How could I have ALL of this, and dare allow myself feel angry about anything else?? 

 

You will probably never hear me say that today was an "easy" day....as truthfully, there is not one day for us that is "easy".  But, I will say that each day is full of blessings...if you choose to look and listen for them.  It is easy to point out all the crap.  That is what the devil wants us to do....But I urge you to look past the crap you will find an abundance of overflowing blessings and THAT is where our focus needs to stay!!

Fundraiser Update!!

 

Today is the official 1/2 way mark!

 

Here are some fun/interesting facts:

 

As far as we can tell, donations have come from 23 different cities within Michigan!  24 different states within the US! 4 Different countries in the WORLD!!

 

Sadie's story has been viewed/read over 10,300 times and in 10 different countries!

 

Over 9,000 people have been "invited" via Facebook to participate in this "event"!

 

We are blown away by the fact that today you all have helped raise; $5,474.62!!!

 

You are AMAZING!! 

 

Please, feel free to share Sadie's story with any you feel may benefit from hearing it!!

 

http://www.beutebunch.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-donation-for-sadies-chariot.html

 



Happy Feeding Tube Awareness Week!!

Let's CELEBRATE!!

We are nearing the one year "anniversary" of Sadie having her feeding tube.  Crazy, right...that I remember this as an "anniversary".  Not really something to celebrate, but hardly something I can forget.

I do think it funny how out of all the things going "on" with Sadie, her feeding tube always seems to be the top of discussion with other people (family, friends and complete strangers).  I have more people ask me if she always be tube fed, or if she will ever eat "normal".  Sometimes I am taken aback by that question.  The sarcastic part of me wants to point out that there is little "normal" about Sadie in the first place, so to us, the feeding tube seems natural.  Maybe because we are a society that focuses so much on food and eating that that is why it seems to be so important to others that she eats orally.

Ironically, this morning we were suppose to go in for her Oral Eval to see if she could start Oral Therapy, but can thank the weather AGAIN for postponing this.  We have rescheduled/cancelled/rescheduled this appointment 5 times due to hospitalization, illness or snow days.  I am only do the Eval because I feel I owe it to Sadie to give her every opportunity to be "normal", however, if she cannot start the program, I am good with that. Again, this is how God made her and intended her to be, so even though to many she is not "normal"...to us, she is PERFECT!

Oral Therapy is not a joke.  It is EXTREMELY intense and takes a VERY long time.  It is a very slow process.  In the past, Sadie has not been able to participate in this due to her muscle weakness in her neck.  Although there has been lots of improvement in this area, there is still a long way to go.  Her prognosis at being successful is therapy is also unknown.  Babies who HAVE eaten orally before statistically are more successful at oral therapy.  However, although Sadie was eating orally at one point, she was doing it wrong...so, that throws statistics out the window.

Where at one point I literally mourned the loss of her eating orally, today I have embraced it.  Before I thought it was such a huge loss of developmental progress, today I know it is what keeps her ALIVE! 

When Sadie came home to us at 18 months old, she weighed 18 pounds. We learned that she was aspirating on everything we tried to feed to her.  Half of what she ate was metabolized and processed correctly, and the other half went straight to her lungs and risked giving her bacterial pneumonia.  Any medication that we gave her was almost always thrown up minutes later, so very much not effective and she was always near dehydration (even after coming home).  This feeding tube not only gives us peace of mind that she is hydrated, medicated and accounted for HUGE weight gain and healthy growth...it gave her LIFE! So, not only have we embraced her feeding tube, we LOVE IT!  Yup...I did this to her...

For Feeding Tube Awareness Week, I would like to challenge all of you to learn how to tube feed!  No joke.  It may seem scary, because it's different.  But it's not...at all!

Do a loved a favor and learn how to care for their special child so that you can offer respite as a gift to them!!  Do not be held back due to a feeding tube!!  At 10 1/2 years old Ryleigh mastered it and now at 10 1/2 Kobe is begging to learn! 

The Princess Sadie's Chariot Fundraiser continues....Thanks to MANY of you, $4,856.57 has been raised so far!! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!


If you are still looking to donate; click here for more information on that!

http://www.beutebunch.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-donation-for-sadies-chariot.html

Oh!  You like Sadie's Tubie Whoobie?  That is the ADORABLE heart around her feeding tube....go on facebook and search Tubie Whoobie.  They are AWESOME!! They make GREAT gifts (hint....hint) for kids with feeding tubes.  Not only do they help make something that to some appears scary....cute, but they also keep the stoma dry and clean...which is very important.

So, in recap....

HAPPY FEEDING TUBE AWARENESS WEEK!

Him...seeking ME!!

So, yesterday, I put my facebook status as this;

"When I got up this morning I started thinking that this was "it" the start of probably the busiest month...ever. Starting today every Monday and Wednesday Sadie has at least 2 appointments, some days going from Holland to Grand Rapids, most going into Grand Rapids not once, but twice. Not at ALL fun as toting a child with low/no muscle tone + winter coat + carseat is just a combination that does... not work and would make you just cancel all appointments and stay home. Jesus Calling this morning: "Come to me and rest. I am all about you, to bless and restore. Breathe Me in with each breath. The way just ahead of you is very steep. Slow down and cling tightly to My hand. I am teaching you a difficult lesson, learned only by hardship". AMEN!"

Sometimes I say that there was too much "special needs" in one day for me.  Some days are easy and I love it...other days are more challenging.  As of late, I am feeling the PHYSICAL tole on my body as Sadie is getting bigger. 

My day yesterday was one of the "tougher" ones as a special needs mom.  Got the big kids all off to school, came home and tried my best to clean up the house before the Children's Special Health Nurse stopped in for her annual visit.  Before she came, I had to feed Sadie and of course, spilled formula all over her.  Clean her up and got her dressed just as the nurse was coming in.  The visit with the nurse was for an hour.  An entire hour where all we focus all on what is "wrong" with my daughter.  The highlight was when the nurse (who was the same who visited us last year) pointed out that I seemed in a much better "place" than last year.  All I can think was; "So, it was THAT obvious how much I was struggling last year...shoot, thought I did a better job covering that up".

Sadie has therapy at Mary Free Bed on Wednesday afternoons. So, I bundle her up, drive to Grand Rapids, unload/pop up stroller, load baby, unload for therapy, do therapy for an hour, rebundle, decide against reloading the stroller, carry baby, push stroller, load all back up, and then race back home so that the boys are home for only a few minutes alone. 

Get home now 45 minutes past "feeding" time for Sadie and needing her 4:00 meds.  Ryleigh has to be picked up in 15 minutes from volleyball, have homework for the boys and need to leave very soon to go talk to an adoption group at a church a fair distance away. Breathe!

I have been struggling with migraines almost daily for the past week.  These start as tension from my back/shoulders from how I have to lift/carry Sadie.  As I am driving home from therapy,  I am feeling physicall ill from my headache and all I can think is how badly I really WANT to cancel speaking at the church (can you say Devil working....)

PRAISE for a friend calling back to grab Ryleigh for me!  PRAISE for an awesome dinner provided by someone from church!

Eat, change, leave.

Go to a great church that has an Adoption/Orphan Ministry (LOVE IT!!!!) and talk to that group! SUCCESS!!! LOVE sharing Sadie's story!

Get home, EXHAUSTED. I voice to Nick that I need a "mom break".  Like a REAL one.  Like a leave home for a weekend, don't look back, know everyone is good and I can relax weekend. 

Go to bed.

Sadie is up at 2:30, so I got about 4 1/2 - 5 ish hours of sleep before I get back up and ready to do it all over again today.  By 4:30 this morning, I have the laundry done, dishes done, showered and just sat down to read Jesus Calling for today, February 7.

"Come to Me for Rest and refreshment.  The journey has been too much for you, and your are bone-weary.  Do not be ashamed of your exhaustion.  Instead, see it as an opportunity for Me to take charge of your life.  Remember that I can fit into a pattern for good, including the things you wish were different.  Start with where you are at this point in time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be.  You will get through today one step, one moment at a time.  Your main responsibility is to remain attentive to Me, letting Me guide you through the many choices along your pathway.  This sounds like an easy assignment, but it is not.  Your desire to live in My presence goes again the grain of the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Much of your weariness results from your constant battle against these opponents. However, you are on the path of My choosing, so do not give up!  Hope in Me, for you will again praise Me for the help of My presence".

I love how direct God is with us.  How individual and specific He is! If you think about ALL of His children, all who He loves and cares for, and how somehow He is still able to take time to talk directly to Me?  Oh how He loves me!

My prayer is that all of you, hear our Heavenly Father speaking so clearly and directly to you TODAY...EVERYDAY!

Update on the Movement (formerly known as the fundraiser);

Total amount of people "attending" (according to Facebook): 460
Total amount of people "invited" (according to Facebook): 9,082
Total amount of people who have visited this blog in ONE WEEK: 3,845
Total raised in one week (as of this morning): $4,432.45

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

If you are looking to donate to Sadie's Chariot Fund, click on this link for directions on that;
http://www.beutebunch.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-donation-for-sadies-chariot.html