Happy Lili Day ~ December 18th,2009!!!!

Wow...I cannot believe that it has been three years tomorrow since we were handed one of the two most amazing children on the planet. Somehow God chose to give them to us...we still don't know what we did to deserve this little screaming Tiger Lili, but THANK YOU GOD FOR HER!!!! Check out our travel blog to see all the posts from our trip three years ago.

I have never met a child who talks more, who cries more, who gets her feelings hurt more, who pouts more, who talks more, who laughs more, who snuggles more, who talks more (did I say that already???) and who loves more than this little Liliana Grace MinQin Swindler. December 18th, 2006 is most certainly the day that our lives were forever changed by a God who loves us so much and chose to give us the gift of this precious baby.

I added a bunch of pictures from those first few minutes, days and weeks when she first became a part of our family and some at the end taken just in the last few weeks. She has grown so much and we just love her more and more with each passing day!!!

My precious Lili...thank you for joining our family. Thank you for letting us be your parents. Thank you for being who you are...we love you so much baby girl!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip

Mommy & Daddy

Ah...those first few precious moments before the screaming started!!!! LOL

Aly was desperate to get that first Cheerio into her little mouth. We had no idea that she had never had any solid food and would have absolutely NO IDEA what to do with a Cheerio yet!!

Aly had waited so long to be a big sister. She wasn't going to let Lili down now. Aly's poor little arm fell completely asleep while Lili was passed out on it. But she wouldn't move her arm because she didn't want to wake Lili. Okay...let me hear it all together now...AWWWWWW!!!!

My little wombat with her tear stained face. We just got over a total meltdown. I am quite sure the next one started within seconds of this photo!!! LOL

Daddy and his baby girl at her first Dr. apt a few days after coming home.

And here we are three years later!!!!


Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

WOW...

Now THIS is what it means to put feet to your faith!! I was reading in David's Liberty University newsletter the other night and came across this wonderful testimony to what God is pleased to accomplish through a bunch of faithful college students!!!! I was and am so very moved by this story!!!!
Of course it all about adoption...which just makes it that much sweeter for me!!

Anyway...here is the link

All in the Family of God

More pictures and tales from the Wok soon...I PROMISE!!!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

a few days in the life...

Well, it's Saturday night and I am about to head to bed, but first...I wanted to share with you the last few days.


Thursday, Aly and I went to get haircuts. I really didn't want to cut her hair, but it was starting to get rather ratty looking. You know...that length where it ALWAYS looks like it needs to be brushed and it always appears as though animals have taken up residence somewhere up in all those locks? I had finally been able to put her hair into two precious little pony tails on the sides of her head...that looked SO STINKIN CUTE!! But...it needed to be cut!

Okay...aren't those pony tails the cutest??? I personally LOVE the look Lili is giving the most!!


So much better!! It is amazing what just a 1/4 of an inch will do!!


Okay...I know I biased, but isn't she just beautiful?????

Friday morning we got up very early (my girls are late sleepers) and headed out to Cracker Barrel (or Barrel Crackle as Lili calls it) to meet some dear friends from Tennessee. Let me back up...when we lived in Tennessee, we were a part of a wonderful group of families all of whom were either in the process of or had already adopted amazing and beautiful children from China. Aly had some good friends there and calls them all her "China cousins". Anyway, there were two families from there who were on their way through on vacation and we met them for breakfast. It has been about a year and a half since we all saw each other and Aly was so very excited to see her cousins!! The girls had such fun and we got to catch up with our friends as well.

Eliza, Aly, Lili, Ruby, Jaida...I can't believe that we got them all to smile AND look at the camera at the same time...it's a miracle!!

The two youngest members of the group...Ruby and Lili. They are about three months apart in age...almost three.

I had to post this one of Lili in the GATOR rocker!! GO GATORS!!!!!!

Aly is so totally dreaming of the day she has long hair like Jaida!! One day babe...one day!!

Sheila and Richard (Jaida and Ruby's Mommy and Daddy)

Donna and Joel with their precious Eliza



Yours truly and my crew...that would be Lili, David, Aly and moi
God is so good to bring us sweet moments and occasions in our lives like that. We left there with smiles on our faces talking about how good it was to see everyone and catch up. It was a great way to start out the weekend!!

Today I took the girls to the church I grew up in for their VBS kickoff party. VBS starts Monday at this church and Aly will be attending. Sorry Lili...you are too little this year!! Lili did enjoy going to the party today however!! They got to play some games, sweat a little, get their face painted, sweat some more, drink gallons of lemonade to counteract all the fluid loss from sweating so profusely, sweat some more, register for VBS, pray that they won't be outside too long next week at any given time for fear of heat stroke, sweat some more, drink some more lemonade, play a few more games, and head home!! I'm here to tell you that poor Aly sweats more than me...I was really getting worried with how much water was pouring off her sweet little head!! She looked like someone had poured a bucket of water over her...it was NUTS!! That poor kid just cannot take the heat AT ALL!! Lili was sweating too, but it was normal...like the rest of the people there. Not Aly...she was sweating like she was trying to break the Guinness World Book record for most sweat by a 4 year old!!! She absolutely did not want to leave, but since what she was saying with her mouth was most definetly NOT jiving with what her body was saying...we left. Sorry...no pictures :-(
We had to run by Target to get diapers and of course the girls found dresses that they simply could NOT live without...so of course we got them...DUH!! They are beautiful...see?


Okay...am I stylin or what??



TA DA!!!!! Look at my new dress!!!!


Um Mom? I know you are busy showing everyone these stupid pictures but I have my new glasses on and I'm ready to go swimming !
Okay...I stole them! There...I said it! I stole the glasses from Lili...but they look better on me anyway!!! Can we please go swimming now?????

We brought home lunch and then Dad, the girls and I hit the pool!!! WHOOO HOOOO!!! Cool refreshing chlorine...gotta love it!!!
Aly is becoming quite the little swimmer. David has been working so hard with her both swimming on top of the water and underwater as well. She is struggling on top, but is like a crazy 4 year old torpedo under the water!!! It is hilarious!!



Lili has gone from terrified of the water a month ago, to swimming with her face in the water with her floaty suit on. It is a great suit by Speedo that has these zippered pockets on the front and back. In those pockets are these inflatable thingys that you can adjust how much air is in them. So you start with them fully inflated and then as your child gets more confident, you let a little bit of air out. They don't realize it and they get more confident and before you know it, they are swimming all by themselves. She is doing really well so far!!



About 3pm it just started raining out of nowhere. I had just gotten out of the pool for a bit and was under the gazebo. There was no thunder or lightening or anything. As a matter of fact the sun was out for most of it. A couple of times it was really coming down pretty hard...the girls loved it! Right before the bottom fell out, my dad wandered out to check on the little swimmers, and he got caught out there in the gazebo with me for the duration. He really did enjoy himself ...he always enjoys himself when it comes to his grandbabies!! The sun rises and sets with them in his eyes!!!

Swimming in the rain is awesome!!!!

Well, showers, lotion, dinner and a little play time are done, the girls are in bed, I have one load of wash that needs to be done before I go to bed and then I am off to bed!!!

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord show you his kindness and
have mercy on
you. May the Lord watch over you and give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26

In His Mighty Grip

a time for everything...

Well, I guess my 30 year old midget really does get it...most of it...on many different levels. Oh where to begin...

For the last few nights at bedtime, Aly has been asking a lot about marriage, falling in love, her Daddy and I, etc. Last night it all kind of came to a head in her little brain. She has one of our wedding pictures on her bedside table...it is her favorite. (She used to bring it into our bedroom with her when she would sleep over with us.) Anyway, last night she looked at it and asked if that was the only picture I had of when her Daddy and I got married. I told her that there was a big album on the shelf and asked her if she would like to see them. Of course she did. So she and I sat on her bed and looked through our wedding album. She thoroughly enjoyed herself!

Then she started getting all weird acting again...much like at the pool the other day. I asked her what was wrong and she finally said that she didn't know how to say it. I told her to go for it and even if she said it wrong we would figure it out together. So she finally mumbled something about not wanting to ever get married. She said that she would miss us too much and she would always be our daughter and she would never leave us like that. HOLY COW...it all clicked in my pea brain. She was associating getting married with Abandoning US!!! We then had a LONG talk about how that is not what happens when you get married and that when you marry your husband you are SUPPOSED to cling to him and go to live with him and not with your Mommy and Daddy anymore. I told her that was how God designed it. I reminded her of all the times we called her grandparents and visited them...that we didn't "leave them", we just started a new life with each other and that one day, God willing, she would do the same thing. (I also assured her that we would never let her marry anyone who wouldn't agree to our terms...building a house here on this property right next to our home so we could see her daily!! She thought that was hilarious!!) I assured her that marriage was a LONG way off in her future and that she would be an adult when that happened and that she would feel differently by then.
Oi Vei!!!! I can't believe my FOUR YEAR OLD is going to these places in her little FOUR YEAR OLD brain!!!! God help me when she gets to be a teenager!!!
Oh...speaking of God helping me. Any guesses where Aly is at the moment?? Well, she just came in and asked me if there was anything I needed her to do because she wanted to go into her room and close the door for a little while. I asked her if she was alright. She said, "Yes, I'm fine...I just need to regroup!" Then she looked at Lili and said, "It wouldn't hurt you to go regroup a little while too!!"

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under
heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to
uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to
build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to
dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to
refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw
away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to
speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for
peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Well, I guess my little munchkin has a lot to learn about times and seasons...but she is well on the way. Maybe we will start memorizing this verse...perhaps it will help her to get it all straight!!

~Abba...thank you for my amazing children. Please keep my words right and give me divine discernment when it comes to my girls. Help me to know their hearts and minds in amazing ways so that I can help them to be amazingly God-ly equipped for what you have planned for them- Amen~

In HIS Mighty Grip~

An accounting of yesterday...

Well, David is officially 47 now. Or as he would say, "I have successfully completed my 47th year and am now heading into my 48th year of life" I know...I know...he's a "wierdie" I sure do love my 47 year old Wierdie!! We had a great day celebrating his birthday!! The girls got everything ready and we woke him up right on schedule. They had a ball...here are the pictures...

Daddy-Man and his babies

Then they decided to get me in on the action...

We had planned to haul all the food out to the pool, but then said forget it and we just ate inside and then headed out to the pool . We had a blast, forgot to bring the camera out with us and we didn't get out of the pool until something like 6:30 last night!! It was wonderful. A totally relaxed and fun day!

Oh, I forgot about the birthday hat that the girls decorated for David. This is the first year that I let them do it ALL by themselves. Absolutely NO HELP WHATSOEVER from me. You have no idea how hard it was to completely walk away and tell them to "go for it." Everything in me wanted to help and add something and make it a little different. But, I didn't do it. I let them do it all by themselves. Actually it was just Aly...and she did a great job! The hat was hilarious...and absolutely beautiful!!!

I know that this picture cuts off part of Lili's face, but I think it is such a beautiful picture of her!! She looks so grown up!!

You can't see all the decorations very well, but you get the idea!! :-)

Something else happened yesterday that I found very important. While we were out swimming in the pool, I noticed a couple of times that Aly was kind of withdrawn a bit. At first I thought it had to do with the fact that Lili was getting a lot of attention as she is in the early stages of learning to swim now too. Aly was just floating along in the deep end or she would get out of the pool and just sit in her chair. Finally I kept asking her to talk to me and tell me what was wrong and she finally did. In her softest, sweetest little voice she said, "I was thinking about my birth-mother" I thought I was going to sink to the bottom of the pool!!! It totally hit me out of left field...I was in no way expecting her to say that. I guess she was thinking about it as it was David's birthday, but it was so sad. I asked her what she was thinking about and she said that she was thinking that she couldn't remember her and she didn't know why. I explained to her that she was just a tiny baby when she last saw her birth-mother and there was no way she could remember her. She then asked me the question I have debated in my head for nearly three years and how I would answer it. She said, "What do you know about her?" WOW...I actually know NOTHING about her and Aly knows that, but she needed something...she needed to know my heart. So, I told her what I believe in my heart of hearts to be true. Among other things, I told her that she probably looks a lot like her birthmother and that she probably acts like her in many ways. I also told her that she is probably a very smart woman because she is so smart. Then we had a conversation about "traits."

Without going into details of Aly's abandonment here on the blog, I will say that I told her that I believe with every fiber of my being she was loved by her birthparents. I believe that because of several reasons. Regardless, I told her that God had a plan for her life from the very beginning and whatever the circumstances of her abandonment, she is loved loved loved. She got back in the pool and hugged me and told me that she loved me and then she was just fine.

Whew...jumped that hurdle...oh Lord...how many more will there be? I'm glad I don't know when the hurdles will be coming...I don't think I could take it! :-)

~Father...please help David and I as we come up to these hurdles in our babies lives. Give us the words that would honor you and show your love for them above all else!! We know that you ordained...before the foundation of the world...that these girls would be in our care for this time to raise...and you can answer all their questions and heal all of their wounds!!!!~

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was
made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139: 13-16

This verse comforts me for my girls...I pray that it will be a source of comfort for them as they grow and begin to question their lives. David and I will ALWAYS point them to God for those answers...I pray that they will quickly learn to seek HIM themselves for those answers!!

Okay...well, that was our day. I hope that you had a wonderful day too and that you made lots of wonderful memories for your families. I know we did!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

A Mommy...a Daddy ...and a Savior. Reckless Faith!

I saw this on a friends blog...it is long, but please take a few minutes to watch it and let it's powerful message imbed your very soul!!!

It is very simple...there are children all over the world who simply need a Mommy and a Daddy and a Savior!!! Can you help them with any of those three things?? Take a minute and let God speak to your heart and find out the answer for yourself!!

Okay...can be a little personal here and give you too much info? It's important..stay with me.

When we were in the process of our second homestudy...for Lili, our social worker asked me if I had dealt with my infertility issues. (She was assuming I had infertility issues by the fact that we were adopting...but I digress) Anyway, I told her that there was nothing to deal with. She tried...in vain...to argue her point, but there was no winning this one! I told her that there were NO infertility issues to deal with...not because there was or wasn't infertility but because that wasn't the point. We never saw anyone about the fact that we hadn't ever gotten pregnant, because I realized very early that my goal wasn't to get pregnant...my goal was to be a Mommy. I didn't need to see specialists to be a Mommy...I just needed to say yes to God and be a Mommy to a child who was already out there in the world needing someone to love them...with all of their scars, their pain, there issues, their problems and whatever else came along with them. I mean...after all...God took me on with all of my problems...he certainly didn't wait around for the "perfect" child to adopt!!

Okay...that is my soapbox for today. Please watch this video. Please pass it on. Please pray for this woman and the work she is doing. And pray for God to tell you how to get involved in some way...anyway ...to help these children and the many other ones like them all over the world who just...need a Mommy and a Daddy and a Savior!

A look back...

After our multiple computer crashes over the last year I am finally getting around to uploading some of our older pictures onto my current computer. I, of course got sucked into sitting and looking through all 9 million of them and came across some fun memories. So, I thought I would go back and share a few pictures with you from the early days...pre blog.

In the months before we went to China to get Liliana, I began to try my best to prepare Aly for the trip. We were advised by several people not to take her, but that was not even an option. I knew she would be a good traveler and besides not even being able to comprehend being seperated from her for three weeks, neither David nor I wanted her to miss this moment in our family...becoming a family of four.

First official "Big Sister Kiss" by Aly

First moments as a Family of Four!! Priceless

Adoption complete...she is officially ours!! I can't imagine not having these pictures!!

Anyway, back to preparation...Aly does really really well in most any situation as long as you give her information about what is going to happen. So, I thought that we should check out the airport since we would be seeing lots and lots of them on the trip. These few pictures are of the two of us on a rainy day at TriCities Regional Airport in Blountville TN. (This is the airport we flew out of and came home to on trip #2.)

checking out the runway

checking out the planes

Is there where I take my luggage Mom?

uh...has anyone seen a large Pink suitcase with polka dots all over it?? I've been waiting here forever!!

I still can't believe how little Alyson is in these pictures...this was just a month or so before we went to get Lili. How time flies!!!! She had a ball at the airport even though we did run into "Grumpy Gus" at the entrance to the security gate. We just wanted to stand there and watch (DUH...I knew we couldn't go THROUGH security!) But he wouldn't even let us stand there and watch!! Bear in mind that there was NOBODY at the airport that afternoon...and the two people who were there had already boarded their planes!!! I know, I know...those Chinese two year olds pose such security risks!!! Oh well...I would post a picture of our buddy Gus, but he was so hateful that the picture didn't even take!! :-)

Little Miss Sunshine!


I hope you enjoyed my quick trip down memory lane. :-)

More later...

In HIS Mighty Grip

Get out the tissue!!!! This is gonna blow you away!!

Okay...so I was surfing the web this morning before the munchkins woke up and through a series of divine clicks of the mouse I ended up at the blog of one my favorite speakers. The lovely Ms. Lysa TerKeurst of Proverbs 31 ministries. I thought..."Cool...I will see what is going on in her world today and what wonderful stuff I can glean from her" Lysa always has some wonderful little pearls of wisdom that God has shown her, so I excitedly clicked away. I was reading in her biography about her and it mentioned her five kids. FIVE KIDS???? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN??? SHE HAS THREE KIDS...OH MY>>>SHE HAS HAS TWINS?????

I began to dig more and the answer was soon staring me in the face. Nope...Lysa hasn't had twins, but God has indeed blessed her family with two more children. God's miracle of adoption has decended upon the TerKeurst family in a BIG way!!!

Okay...so as I began to watch the video and see the story unfold, I could barely see the computer screen for the steady stream of tears that were rolling down my face. It is an amazing story that I want to share with you all. Some of you may already have heard her story, but as most of you know, we have been living in a large HOLE for the last 18 or so months...so I missed it!!

It just amazes me to no end how God works in his children's lives when we are open to allowing him to do so. How many times I have heard it said that "God is a gentleman and will never force himself upon us". It is so true!! I can't imagine having missed the miracle of adoption in our lives and I imagine that Lysa and her husband feel the same way! God's way is not always the easy path, but the end result is so incredible!!!

To everyone reading this blog entry today. Please just stop and ask God to show you how he wants to use you today!! It may be something small or it may be "life interupted" like Lysa says, but it will ALWAYS bring amazing Glory to God and it will always bring amazing blessings to your life in the end!!

So now...click here and watch the videos for yourself. This link goes directly to the post and it is titled "The Oprah Show" WARNING...have tissues handy!!

In HIS Mighty Grip~

You know you are an adoptive Mother if...

I have gotten this from a number of different people and I finally decided that maybe I am supposed to blog it! I have no idea who actually wrote it, but it is SO TRUE!!

You know you are an adoptive mother...or SHOULD be an adoptive mother if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has ever made you lose sleep.

2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.

3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.

4. The fact that if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child, there would be no orphans in the world is convicting to you.

5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.

6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about your adopted child's "real" parents.

7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth (2 years!)

8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway knowing where God calls you He will provide.

9. You have ever taken a airplane ride half way around the world with a child you just met.

10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.

11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacy's you could ever leave on this earth.

12. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have them in your life.

13. You know what the word Dossier means and you can actually pronounce it!

14. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.

Well, I AM an adoptive mother X2 and somedays I am so blown away that God would not only let me parent a child, but that he would choose me to be an adoptive parent! How honored and blessed am I!!

~Thank you Abba, that you chose to honor me with these two Angels to raise for YOU for this time. Please guide and direct my steps so that I can be the Mother you want for me to be for THEIR sakes and for YOUR Glory! Amen~