Ellie Makes 7!

If someone had told me just a few years ago, that in 2006 we would be bringing our second daughter home from China to become a family of seven, I’d have laughed! I was myself from a family of seven, and even while in the midst of it, wondered how my mother held it all together. One of my closest friends had three children very close in age to my own three, but for several years after I thought that I was “finished having babies”, she delivered 3 more! I can’t count the times that I declared that God had somehow made her “different” than He had made me- I couldn’t handle such a family! How God must have laughed from heaven at such declarations, …knowing what He had in store for ME in the years ahead! In times like these, I am so grateful that God’s plan includes things so much greater and eternally fulfilling than my own plans ever could… I shutter to think what I’d have missed, if I’d chosen my own way and forsaken His! This journey of adoption has been absolutely wonderful and yet so scary, exhilarating and yet so difficult at times, but without a doubt~ one of the most incredible experiences of my life! Through it all, I’ve caught a glimpse into the heart of God that I am convinced I would have missed otherwise. And in the end, when my life is measured, I want more than anything else, for it to be measured by the number of people I have loved, the sacrifices I have made for His Glory, and the servant’s heart I displayed most evidently within the walls of my own home! I have other hopes and dreams, of course, but none so great as the living out of my dreams through the beautiful family I have been so blessed to be the mother of! Let me proudly introduce them to you!.... Doug and I have known one another since I was only sixteen and he nineteen. He and his best friend were both interested in me, so decided to toss a coin for the “right” to ask me out. Doug won the coin toss and the rest is history!!! We married 22 years ago when Doug graduated from college, just 6 months after I graduated from high school! He was joining the Marine Corps to fly, and I was not about to let him go without me! We have moved around the country for a total of 13 moves in 22 years! God has blessed us with an exciting journey- filled with opportunities to stretch our faith and deepen our dependence on Him. Doug spent 8 years in the Marine Corps as a Harrier pilot, 4 years as a Special Agent in the FBI, and finally, the last 12 as a full time minister. That ministry has taken us literally to “the ends of the earth” and what an adventure it has been! I can not think of anyone I’d have rather shared my life story with than the wonderful man I married. We have been blessed with 3 biological children- all teenagers now- and two beautiful daughters from China- Here they are… RUSS Russ is pictured here with the “love of his life” and the center of all of his attention these days. She makes the second “Sarah” running around our house, which can get extremely confusing at times! He is 18 years old, graduating from high school, and planning to attend college in Dallas next year. His loves, other than the one I already mentioned are the Lord, his Taylor guitar, punting the football, and Kamp Kanakuk! SARAH This is “our” Sarah! She is 15 and a joy to have as a daughter! She is deeply committed to the Lord, loves to sing with the youth praise team, and is an incredible cheerleader for her high school. She has had the opportunity to travel with us to Russia on several mission trips, where she developed a deep love for missions. Her dream is to serve God on the mission field some day. I am secretly praying that her trip to China to meet Ellie will spark a flame for ministry there! I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for her! RYAN Ryan is the baby of our “home grown” bunch! At almost 13, he is the “heart” of our family and I can’t imagine life without him! He likes games of any kind and is involved in almost all of them, whether football, baseball, basketball or the games of the “video” sort! He and his father spend countless hours battling it out in front of our many video screens and never cease to make our home the “fun” place it is! KATE Kate is 2 years old and the absolute joy of our home! I could never have imagined that a child could bring such laughter and delight into a home full of teenagers! That the Lord would choose to send such an “angel” to us still amazes me! She daily keeps me in awe of a God that would give such a gift to someone like me! ELLIE Ellie is just 10 months younger than Kate and will turn 2 on July 25th. The report we received from the orphanages says this about her- “She is outgoing and fits in with the group, although she tends to be attached to her care takers and their family members. She is always happy and likes to cling to people. When she feels lonely, she goes to play with other kids and shares with them what she has. She likes to watch TV and listen to music. She also likes to sit in her walking chair and chase with the other kids. She is a little girl with her own opinions.” (Good thing, as she might otherwise be overlooked when surrounded by 6 other family members that share that trait!) I am praying that Ellie and Kate will have a special bond as sisters and will grow up confident in God’s love~ A love so great that He would graciously bring us all together…as a family!

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