Nine Years...

...I keep track.  My brain and my heart still cannot help it.  Nine years since my world changed forever.  Nine years since caught in a collapse that I had seen coming at the time, but denied, and with all my heart and body tried to hold back.

It was a moment that would change my life forever -- and these are not just words I type.  If what happened today nine years ago did not happen: my life would be drastically different now.

I did it wrong.  I know that now.

What you say -- does matter.

And I wonder even if I did it different if it would have made a difference somehow.  Or if, by the time this day came to pass nine years ago, it was far too late to stop it.

I was younger.  I was naive. But I still believe in the things I believed in back then.  The things I believed in were not the problem.  And I have difficulty feeling those things now.  But I am stronger now too. And will not give up on me.  I will not.  I will not give up on being happy. 

It is vague for you all and I am sorry. But this is a marker for me.  Getting it in physical lasting form that says I am still here.  I survived.  Its been nine years.

I read somewhere recently, actually on the blog of Angie Smith, something she wrote in a blog post:

The roots go deeper than you think
You only see part of the page
You are still a young tree

Effectively, that is what the words she wrote said.

They stunned me in that moment.  I needed to hear them.  To see them and read them.  They go up there to me with the 'No Truer Words' Catagory.  And this year... this year I needed to hear them.  And already I've been reflecting on them alot.

Would I change what happened then if I could?

I don't know.

I have learned so much through it.  Became a different person through it.  Met many other people because of it.  But I just don't know if I would change it.  Because I sometimes miss parts of the person I was then.

I survived.  I look back on it now and read the notebooks I kept back then, now.. and my heart just breaks for the girl whom I was when I wrote that at the time.  I remember her so vividly.  And all her pain.  It is raw and real there in those pages.

But she survived.  She didn't think she would.  Never doubt the power of prayer, family, and friends.

I don't really think everyone leaves an age behind them as the next birthday hits them.

Somewhere inside me, there is still a 15 year old that hurts and feels with 15 year old feelings.  There is still a 22 year old.  There is still a 27 year old... and so on.

And each of them make us who and what we are now.  That's what I think anyway. Who would have imagined then that I would come this far?

God bless, everyone.  Goodnight.

--Debrah
04.17.2018

All Good Things

Hi everyone...

For a while now, many months in fact, I have been thinking of ending this blog and moving over to another I've had going for a while. Alot of that depended on what happened to a little girl I love, and just like this blog was started for and dedicated to a little girl whom captured my heart - so will the new blog be - for a little girl that I must never forget.

Who knows. I don't know for sure yet. I realize that my blog is finally starting to catch on. I have ten followers and a few hits here every day. I am hoping if I do persue this move that you all will come with me. I am hoping that anyone who is directed here might also come that way.

Take care everyone, out there, and goodnight.

One Year Ago Today:

I started this blog, inspired by a sweet little girl whom has since been found by her family and come home! Other children featured on this blog over the course of the year have also been found by their families are are going or have gone home, Aurell, Becky, Alexsey, Alan and Ruslana all have families along with Hope. Some others still wait, Diana - please consider adopting her if you are looking for a little girl and are able to or willing to learn how to provide the care and love she needs to blossom, smile and grow. Also Little Esperanza is still waiting as well.

Two of the kids featured here I am not sure where they went or what happened to them, please think of Mara and little Valessa today and pray for them if you pray.

Along with this I encourage you to visit Over the Moon with Joy and Bring the Rain if you wish to.

So here it is, the one year mark for this blog. This has been a wonderful year, looking back. Thank you all for sharing it with me. Who knows what the next year may bring. Thanks everyone for visiting.

This Says it All...

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart for making this video. This is beautiful. He is a beautiful little boy. They are all beautiful kids and this entirely needed to be shared and seen. Also, if you would rather it not be posted here I will remove it at your asking. :)

Great News Everyone:

Sweet little Alexsey's family has found him. I saw the notice about it just today on www.reecesrainbow.com. So much as we pray more and more of these little ones home. I am certian dozens and dozens of prayers were going up for this little boy. Thank you, God. Thank you.

Two more little girls need your prayers now, I will be calling them Angel and Olivia. They are both around four years old and again, special needs and facing the institution. Or maybe you are their family? As it is I cannot do pictures of them yet as someone thought it appropriate to hack my computer. But they are forth-coming. Thank you for Alexsey, Becky and sweet little Miss Mary! Talk to you soon.

Happy 2009 and DeLurker Week

At this moment, a pause to wish you all a good New Year. I haven't forgotten to update the blog about Little Mary, formerly known as Hope on this blog, who is home at last with her beautiful family.

There is just so much to say about it. So much, and I have to change the side bar as well.

Along those lines, it is Delurker Week - any takers. I know there is not alot of you that come here, but there are a few. And honestly I am glad to have you just the way you are but please feel free to leave a comment and say hello if you wish to.

A recap for 2009 and my purpose for this blog.

Orphaned kids need homes. Foster kids need homes. Homes need kids. Everyone needs love. This blog was inspired by and started for a little girl whom once lived in a Ukrainian Orphanage but who is now at home and loved - Mary. Clicking on the label 'thekids' will bring you to the few faces here, and to a website that leads to a few hundred faces more. Please, please, consider one of these kids if you are adopting and haven't yet found your angel. Please consider Aleksey or Becky, or any kid like them. They have so little time and much to give. If not please pray for them that thier families will find them very soon.

Also, prayers for Kimmie of 'Over the Moon with Joy' and her family as she goes to pick up their precious baby, "Little Beauty" this week.

Thanks all, for the visits and the continued visits. Take care and once again, happy '09.

A Christmas Miracle for Alexsey:

There is no time to make up names or cut corners in this post. Meet Alexsey, who is waiting in a Ukrainian Orphanage for his forever home. Other bloggers have posted about him as well, some whom have met him in person and some whom have not. They say he is very sweet, active and happy, talkative, cognitively able and loves having his picture taken, I mean - look the eyes we have going on in this shot. Isn't he adorable.

However, Alexsey does have spina bifida, which qualifies him as having a special need. In just two months Alexsey will turn four. And while most children will be having parties and cake and opening presents, little Alexsey will be facing institutionalization. Stories are heard and videos can be seen of people languishing in some of these places, hungry and cold, with little to eat, some with rags for clothing and people are often tied to beds - children, adults and elderly alike.

Some of these people, now senior citizens, have probably been there since around age four.

For Alexsey's Christmas Miracle lets find him a home. What he needs is a mom and dad. Singles cannot adopt. Please, visit www.reecesrainbow.com and ask Andrea -the woman in charge there- about little Alexsey today.

If you cannot adopt him yourself, as I can't, per their rules and restrictions. Please save his picture and post about him on your blog.

Together we can all make a difference and find this little boy's family this year.

You will have to scroll down, down, down but for stories of special needs kids visit the buttons in the right side of my bar: "Emma's Hope" is a good place to start to see how much promise these children have. Also in My Bloglist: "Ukrainian Adoption Journey" and of Course - "Bring Mary Home;" Mary Darina McConnell -previously known as 'Hope' on this blog. I have had the honor of following her adoption story. Thank you to her beautiful family for that privilege.

Do not believe the horror stories.

Lets bring all these kids home.

Take care everyone.

Guess Who this is??

This, everyone, is Mary, and her Mom and Dad. She is the little girl formerly known as 'Hope' on this blog, whom it is dedicated to and whom it is inspired by. Follow the label 'hope' to learn a bit about her story. Mary is now home with her family here in the United States! Isn't God Amazing? I was privileged to watch her adoption journey and plan on adding a post about it later.

Please Help with our Fundraisers for Mary

...there are a few options for them located in the right sidebar. More are to come soon. Thank you all.

Hope Found a Home...

...thank you, thank you, God...

A Little Girl Called Hope

In some countries children with disabilities are considered unadoptable and sent to institutions at a very young age, around four or five years, there to spend the rest of their lives.

I fell in love with one such child. Absolutely adorable, she had tawny colored hair and beautiful amber colored eyes, and she is almost five years old and from what I was able to read about her I would think she is very much aware about how bad she wants to have a mother. I call her Hope here, but that is not her name.

However, chances of that happening for her are very slim. For everyone to help will make them grow.

You see, Hope has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and though by the description given she can walk, talk, play and seems to be aware and independent enough - she will soon be sent to an institution to live. Once there she will most likely become unadoptable.

I wanted to adopt her. I checked her page each night, still do, to see if she was still there. She is.

But I did not meet the requirement for her country - as I am single. I took a shot in the dark
and asked about her the same. And as it is - I am not allowed by thier law to do so. And so Hope remains in an Ukrainian orphanage just shy of being sent to an institution. And Hope is just one child of many faced with this bleak future. Inspired by her and seeking a family for her - this blog was started - in hope of helping the faces of the Red Thread Children like her, disabled or able-bodied, domestic or international, wherever they are to find their forever homes.

Hope will be the first child listed as needing a home here.

So here is to Hope. And are you her family? Do you know of a family hoping to adopt a precious four or five year old little girl? Can you pass the word of her and this blog along?

For more information on where to find out about her please contact me through email or by adding comments - soon. She really has very limited time left.

[This picture is not an actual picture. Features are not exact. Thank you.]

Thank you for visiting this blog.
-Debrah.

PS: If you have an adoption blog please consider adding us to your links. Thank you.