A Week of Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving week is very special in our family. Both Libby and Billy have birthdays during this week. Please note Libby's "I'm cool and laid back like my daddy" smile! Every year I thank God for these two. It is perfect that their birthdays are during such a special week of giving thanks to God because these 2 people are the biggest blessing of my life. And this year - I am also thankful for the family that God is expanding in our hearts. Next Thanksgiving will be even more full of blessings! To know how we celebrated this special week - read on:

Every year we flip flop between relatives and spend either Thanksgiving or Christmas with one or the other side of the family. This year we spent Thanksgiving in East TX with Billy's family and at Christmas we will be with my family in SC. 

We started our trip on Sunday Nov. 23 which was Libby's birthday. Here's a picture of her before we got on the road that morning:

 "I'm 3!"

About 6 hours later we arrived at Billy's parents house - They are known to Libby as Grammy and Papa Boots.  This year we were not going to give Libby a traditional birthday party and instead people donated to the Orphans Ticket Home Gala on Libby's behalf.  We were teaching her about giving to others who can not give in return and how this is a way to store up treasure in heaven. We presented her with a jar in which we will add buttons each time she gives to someone who can not give back or does something to obey that costs her something. She loves playing with the buttons and, for her age, is understanding the concept very well. We added 3 buttons for the number of orphans that she helped get "a ticket home" and 2 buttons for the soup cans she gave to her schools food drive. Here is a picture of the jar and buttons we gave her:

Billy's family greatly participated in donating to the Gala, but they also wanted Libby to have some cake and a few presents on her birthday. So when we arrived we had a mini-party to celebrate Libby's life. She was showered with some precious gifts and she had a blast blowing out candles and eating cake. Billy's family was so generous and thoughtful. Here are some pics of the celebration:

For several weeks before Libby's birthday she'd been asking to have a birthday crown. So we found one for her celebration.

Blowing out the candles on the cupcake birthday cake.

Libby's only young party guest - her cousin Brooke. They had so much fun together this week!

Grammy and Papa Boots bought Libby Candy Land and another board games, stickers, a jogging outfit and more. 

Wendy, Robbie and Brooke bought Libby some great books and a gift certificate to the Mud Hut and more! We -all the girls - went to the Mud Hut the next day and we each painted something special. We had a blast doing that together. Brooke and Libby both LOVE to paint. Grammy is going to have to ship us our final products because the Mud Hut needed more time to fire them up and give our items that final touch. So when we get them in the mail we will take photos and show you. We used the gift certificate at the Mud Hut and then Grammy surprised us and paid for the rest. So sweet!

The next day Grammy took Libby and I to IHOP for lunch and then the mall. She paid for Libby to have her picture taken with good old St. Nicholas. Libby did GREAT and took the most precious picture. When asked what she wanted for Christmas she softly told St. Nick that she wants a dollhouse! (good thing Costco has a cute one!) Grammy let Libby ride all the coin machine rides in the mall - a dream come true for any toddler. And she pushed Libby around in one of those car-shaped strollers that the mall rents out - making Libby laugh her head off as Grammy pretended she was going to crash into a wall and then would - at the last second - veer off to the right. 

Grammy, Papa Boots and Wendy and Robbie purchased a seriously awesome play system as part of Brooke's Christmas and had the help of Shane to put it all together. They worked extra hard to finish it before our arrival so Libby could enjoy it with her. They spent a good part of their time together playing out there and all the girls had a picnic together too. The weather was fantastic! Libby became quite the rock wall climber!

The 26th of Nov. was Billy's 42nd. birthday! We made a special present for him at the Mud Hut, but since it wasn't finished we also bought him a couple of his favorite movies and presented him with some special cards. Libby insisted on helping her daddy unwrap his gift.

BC and Winky bought a big Cookie Company birthday cookie for us to enjoy that night and they also gave Billy a beautiful frame to put a family photo in. On Thanksgiving Day we got a really great photo that we will put in that frame. Here it is:

On Thanksgiving Day we gathered with all of the family - cousins, uncles, grandparents, etc - at Nini and Papa's assisted living home. We had a terrific dinner provided by Hawkins (the assisted living place) for FREE! Hello! They fed about 17 of us for free and had us all set up in a room to ourselves. That was so generous!

We took lots of pictures and tried our best to get some cute ones of Libby and Brooke together. We didn't have to try too hard because they are both so precious.

Grammy gave both girls matching PJs for Christmas. The evening of Thanksgiving turned into a Christmas celebration between Brooke and Libby. They started dancing and posing for us in all the excitement. So cute!

Papa Boots gets some slobbery kisses from his granddaughters.

Libby tries to take Grammy down with some well rehearsed UFC moves.

and then it was time for more presents! Brooke and her family gave Libby 2 board games and some really cute Fancy Nancy items. I personally love Frenchy - the Fancy Nancy dog!

One of the nights in Longview we drove out to Santa Land to see some beautiful Christmas lights. We visited the gift shop at the end. I have been looking for a good Nativity scene to display in my home and use to teach Libby, but they are all so pricey. Well - wouldn't you know - the gift shop had the PERFECT Nativity and we were getting ready to purchase it when BC and Winky announced that they were buying it for us! We love our Nativity and can't wait to bring it out each year and think about their kindness. When we arrived back home we set it up immediately. Here's a couple of pictures:

Honestly - the pictures don't do it justice. It is much prettier in person. 

I think I have posted way more pictures than should be allowed in one post. But hopefully you've enjoyed them all. This was a special week and I am truly grateful to my Lord who has fulfilled every desire of my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

God Bless

Libby's 3rd. Birthday!

Today is Libby's third birthday. I woke up to her asking me something about her birthday and I said, "oh yeah - it's your birthday! Do you want me to sing you the Happy Birthday Song?" "Yes", she said. So I sang it as we made up her bed and a few minutes later she said so sweetly, "Thanks for singing the Happy Birthday Song to me mommy."
Have I mentioned that I love that girl!

I have thought about Libby's birthmother all day. I read Libby her lifebook this morning. For the first time Libby was a little confused about who we were praying for when I said, "let's pray for your birthmommy." She pointed to me and said, "mommy?". I tried to explain but she's not able to fully comprehend just yet.

I am so thankful for her birthmother. She chose - whatever her circumstance - she chose to give Libby life! What would my life be like without Libby? I can't even go there....

Sometime in the night of Nov 23rd, 2005 Libby was clothed and gently laid down in a box and placed on a busy roadside near a baby hospital. It is likely that in the dark that very someone hid somewhere out of sight and watched to make sure she was found. And indeed, the morning of the 24th Libby was found - a little baby whose hair was still damp and whose eyes still had secretion on them from the birth. After much crying - which I am able to presume now that I know how much Libby does not like being alone - someone picked her up and rescued her to a safe place. But Libby was never really lost. Whether someone stayed to watch after her or not on that dark, cold night -Jesus was there with angels, watching over her - an orphan - a helpless, innocent baby with nothing but the clothes on her back and a box. Oh how I know the love of Jesus was there in that moment gently whispering to her - "Wait, baby girl, wait. I have a beautiful plan for you. Hang in there. You're not alone. I'm here. Go ahead and cry. It's okay. I'm hear. I have not forsaken you. Wait, baby girl, the sun is about to rise - the light will come. Shhhh, don't worry. I'm here and I have a plan. Here, let me keep you warm until you see the sun. The light is coming." Tomorrow morning I will celebrate in my heart even more than I did on this day of her birth - because the light did come. Because He was faithful. Because He did have such a plan - of hope, beauty, love. A plan that included me - for which I am forever grateful beyond words.

I've been working on a song that's more like a letter to Libby's birthmother. I have only shared it with a few friends and even since then I have changed some parts - but today seems like the right day to post it. It's the best way I can sum up my gratitude, ponderings and prayers for the Chinese woman who chose to give her daughter - my daughter - life - a life that God used to set me free in so many ways - fulfilling the name He placed on my heart for her - Liberty.

"If You Could See What I See"
words and music: Cindy Foote
(c) Billy Foote Songs 2008

verse 1:
I know you must wonder
Is she warm and well fed
Is she loved, is she happy
And where does she live
You must have cried a thousand times
Lonely tears from deep inside but
In your desperateness

chorus 1:
If you could see what I see
Dancing here in front of me with
Your eyes, your smile, all aglow
Would you know the grace of God
Who saw your tears and broken heart
And heard your cries, yes He heard your cries.

verse 2:
I know you must wonder,
Is she thinking of you
Does she wonder where you are
Is she sad or confused
You must have cried a thousand times
Wondering what she feels inside but
In your desperateness

chorus 2:
If you could see what I see
Praying right next to me for
Your heart, your soul, oh oh
Would you know the grace of God
Who sees her tears and loving heart
And hears her cries, yes He hears her cries too

verse 3:
I know you must wonder
Who her mom and dad are
How I wish we could show you
How she's captured our hearts
You must have cried a thousand times
Wondering who holds your child but
In your desperateness

chorus 3:
If you could see what I see
Sleeping with her daddy
In his arms, of love, so secure
Would you know the grace of God
Who put the longing in our hearts
To love a child and He heard our cries too

Bridge:
Oh the grace of God
To see our hearts and hear us
Oh the grace of God
To mend our hearts and heal us

Oh the grace of God
To see our hearts and hear us
Oh the grace of God
To mend our hearts and heal us....

Go to www.adoptingaria.blogspot.com to read about the GALA!

Go to Lulu's adoption blog:

http://www.adoptingaria.blogspot.com 

to read about the Orphans Ticket Home Gala and see pictures from the evening. It was a HUGE success!!!

Adoption

Just a quick post to say:

1. We have been waiting for Lulu for 5 months now and are eager for the next 4 to fly by!

2. Just a reminder that if you haven't been following our current adoption journey you can go to: www.adoptingaria.blogspot.com to catch up.

3. We love that all of November is Adoption Awareness Month!

4. The Orphans Ticket Home Gala is coming soon - on Nov. 21! Please be praying that God would do a great work that evening in both educating San Antonio about adoption and raising funds to support bringing 5100 orphans home!

5. Today and tomorrow we are excited to have our adoption stories featured on the following site: http://www.straightfromtheheart.typepad.com/  This site belongs to a ministry whose sole mission is to bring an end to the world's orphan crisis. Now that's quite a task. So when you check out our story on that site, don't forget to read about this ministry and lift them up in prayer. Julie is an amazing woman of God! You will love her!

6. Libby turns 3 years old in just over a week. I can't believe I am already celebrating her 3rd. birthday. I have been writing a special song to Libby's birthmother and as Libby's 3rd birthday rolls around her birthmother will continue to be heavy on my heart. I am so incredibly grateful that Libby's biological mom chose to give her life. She could have easily chosen abortion. But instead, she was willing to give Libby life and then share Libby's life with me and the rest of the world that is or will be blessed by her. May God be glorified through Libby's life and may Libby's biological mother be blessed by the gift of the Holy Spirit - the very spirit of adoption so that she may know Jesus, may make Him known and may have eternal life. I pray with much fervor for her salvation both for her - and selfishly - for me, because I can't think of a more incredible moment than when I'm standing in heaven watching Libby and her biological mother embrace for the first time since the day of Libby's birth. Can you imagine??!!!!