Thank You...

...Los Angeles California! That made my night. Thank you, so much, whomever you are. :)

Sad...

...out of all the people whom visited today, it doesn't look like even one bothered to go look at the link to blog posted in the entry below.

Normally I don't write blog posts like this. But really, that's amazingly sad that no one even gave a few minutes of time to just go look. A few minutes that may change kids lives, and maybe their own life too.

Please ...these kids need you...

..not the next person to visit this page -- they need every person who visits page. They need you. No matter how you found this blog, no matter what you do. You may not be able to adopt but you can do something. Please these kids need you today. Please go to the post and read what Adeye has to say - she can say it much better than I can. Which is why this entry on my blog -while desperately important- is so short. Please go read hers and follow the links she placed in it --- or come back here and look at the faces of these kids in another entry on that same blog. And after, don't just move on to another page. Ask yourself what you can do today. Thank you everyone.

Updated the Blog Background Today..

..and the header and avatar image as well. Both are made by me so please do not remove them without asking first. The blog background is from cutestblogontheblock.com.

Alright everyone. Just a quick blog update. Have a good day today and take care. And oh yes, Happy Groundhog's Day! :D

For Baxter:

Krysten

Just moving Krysten back up to the top. :)

Do it Anyway:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.

--Mother Teresa

Ok people...

...I have, sadly, had to post about this before. I guess its time again. Leaving comments like, "Nice blog entry," then leaving a link to get your cabinet's refurbished or, "I like your blog, Come check out my beauty supplies at --another spammed web url--" is not okay. It's spam. And personally I feel its rather rude.

Please, this is a blog about adoption and such things. Not a place to try and sneak spam in by saying two nice words first; which loose their meaning when it turns out to be merely an advertisement. These comments are immediately deleted or marked as the spam that they are. So, please don't even go there in the first place. Thank you.

Now, please, lets focus our efforts on Krysten in the post below -- and stop trying to sell haircare and beauty products off of these entries. Again, thank you.

Meet Krysten:

Hi everyone. Today, I would like to introduce you to the little girl in the picture to the left - Krysten. I have never met this child, probably I never will. I realised today that it has been a very long time since I posted a child needing adoption on this blog, and friends, little Krysten really, really needs a family to love her and I am beyond honored to include her today.

Let me back up a little here to say that I don't know why I was browsing "AdoptUsKids.Org" hopeful I guess, that some of the kids I posted before might have been adopted by now. But I know I felt led there. And soon, after seeing this sweet little girl's face, I knew why.

Little Krysten is only 7, and she lives with a disease/condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy. Folks, my heart broke into a million pieces, this is a life-shortening disease. Let's get her a family to live it with for every blessed second she has got? Is she your daughter? If you can't adopt her can you please pass word of her along; on your facebook, your blog, the next time you are out with a neighbor? It doesn't matter where. Her family is out there. These kids deserve love and a family too. Like little Julia who had previously been diagnosed with Cockane Syndrome, who came home last year after an outpouring of love brought her to her family's attention?

The following is from Krysten's profile at adoptuskids.org:


Krysten is a sweet little girl who loves being in the midst of family activities. While she can contentedly watch TV, her favorite activities are having regular time with favorite adults, including visits by her birth mom, and being around children who interact and play with her.

A medically fragile child, Krysten's overall development is much like that of a non verbal baby who communicates primarily by facial expressions, such as smiling, or pointing and gesturing. While her care needs are extensive, Krysten seems to be content and accepting of what life has to offer without much complaining.

Krysten has an inherited condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy (or sulfatide lipidosis) caused by the lack of an essential enzyme, which results over time in an accumulation of metachromatic lipids in tissues of the central nervous system, kidney, spleen, and other organs that impact her health and her life expectancy.

In addition, Krysten has global (overall) developmental delays, a neuromuscular disorder, and seizures. Her special needs require that she be fed through a G-tube.

Krysten's routine care and treatment include daily medication and feeding regimens, frequent medical appointments, and attendance at a specialized school program for children who have significant developmental delays. Her adoptive parent(s) will need the interpersonal skills to interact effectively and cooperatively with doctors, therapists, and special education teachers on a regular basis, and will need to be proactive and creative in advocating for Krysten's needs.

Krysten is doing well in her school setting. Her IEP includes physical, occupational, and speech/language therapies, and incorporates goals for increasing her developmental growth and acquiring life skills.

Her physical and occupational therapies are helping her to increase her strength and range of movement in her limbs. Currently, Krysten's right arm appears to be stronger than the left arm and she is using it more than the other, but she moves both of them and is able to point and grasp a hold of toys and other objects. Although she has a wheelchair, she also crawls and walks about. When out of her wheelchair, Krysten really must have a caring adult nearby to provide highly attentive supervision as she has a propensity for getting into whatever is within her reach.

Her adoptive folks will need to have experience caring for medically fragile and/or significantly developmentally delayed children or, at the very least, be able and willing to learn a new specialized skill set.

It will be important for her adoptive family's well being to be able to strike an emotional balance between investing wholly in Krysten's growth and development while knowing that they may lose her prematurely; many children born with metachromatic leukodystrophy do not live into their teens. Given the circumstances of her special needs, Krysten deserves to experience life to her fullest capacity and to belong to a family and know that she is wanted. Patience, kindness, and the capacity to love and nurture will be parental traits that Krysten and Krysten's family recruitment team will value highly.


Ok everyone, let's past this on? Let's find her family. For more information visit her profile. Information for "the next step" is there. Thank you very much and have a wonderful day.

Little Angel Tripp...

One of the world's sweetest angels, Tripp, has gone to Heaven today. I found this on his mothers blog, posted Dec 11, 2011:

The Brave Little Soul

By: John Alessi

Not too long ago in Heaven there was a little soul who took wonder in observing the world. He especially enjoyed the love he saw there and often expressed this joy with God. One day however the little soul was sad, for on this day he saw suffering in the world. He approached God and sadly asked, "Why do bad things happen; why is there suffering in the world?"

God paused for a moment and replied, "Little soul, do not be sad, for the suffering you see, unlocks the love in people's hearts." The little soul was confused. "What do you mean," he asked. God replied, "Have you not noticed the goodness and love that is the offspring of that suffering? Look at how people come together, drop their differences and show their love and compassion for those who suffer. All their other motivations disappear and they become motivated by love alone."

The little soul began to understand and listened attentively as God continued, "The suffering soul unlocks the love in people's hearts much like the sun and the rain unlock the flower within the seed. I created everyone with endless love in their heart, but unfortunately most people keep it locked up and hardly share it with anyone. They are afraid to let their love shine freely, because they are afraid of being hurt. But a suffering soul unlocks that love. I tell you this - it is the greatest miracle of all. Many souls have bravely chosen to go into the world and suffer - to unlock this love - to create this miracle for the good of all humanity."

Just then the little soul got a wonderful idea and could hardly contain himself. With his wings fluttering, bouncing up and down, the little soul excitedly replied. "I am brave; let me go! I would like to go into the world and suffer so that I can unlock the goodness and love in people's hearts! I want to create that miracle!"

God smiled and said, "You are a brave soul I know, and thus I will grant your request. But even though you are very brave you will not be able to do this alone. I have known since the beginning of time that you would ask for this and so I have carefully selected many souls to care for you on your journey. Those souls will help you create your miracle; however they will also share in your suffering. Two of these souls are most special and will care for you, help you and suffer along with you, far beyond the others. They have already chosen a name for you". God and the brave soul shared a smile, and then embraced.

In parting, God said, "Do not forget little soul that I will be with you always. Although you have agreed to bear the pain, you will do so through my strength. And if the time should come when you feel that you have suffered enough, just say the word, think the thought, and you will be healed." Thus at that moment the brave little soul was born into the world, and through his suffering and God's strength, he unlocked the goodness and love in people's hearts. For so many people dropped their differences and came together to show their love.

Priorities became properly aligned.

People gave from their hearts.

Those that were always too busy found time.

Many began new spiritual journeys, some regained lost faith - many came back to God.

Parents hugged their children tighter.

Friends and family grew closer.

Old friends got together and new friendships were made.

Distant family reunited, and every family spent more time together.

Everyone prayed.

Peace and love reigned.

Lives changed forever.

It was good.

The world was a better place.

The miracle had happened.

God was pleased.

Rest in Peace Little Angel, and know all the wonder and beautiful changes you brought to the world, the people you touched the lives you changed. Sweet Dreams.

January 8, 2011:

One Year.

Everything changes. No one forgets. My heart goes out to you, your families and loved ones.

Rest in Peace those lost in the Tucson Shooting.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3674595221543443747

January

...is here. Happy 2012.

Happy New Year:

So, this is the last post of 2011. For a odd-numbered year, I really have to admit -- it wasn't that bad :) Yes, there were ups and downs. But I've had some really good ups -- I got a new niece and nephew, Kayla and David; and they are precious. And, last April, I got to see, a dear, wonderful friend I've known for half my life again. Levi, you are precious to me too.

There were other things of course. Over all, a wonderful year. I am glad for my life, every bit of it, the ups and downs. I just wish it wouldn't go so fast. Cherish, everyone, cherish, every day. I didn't set resolutions this last year. This coming year, I think I will decide just to live.

Take care everyone, out there, have a happy, wonderful, safe New Year.

Joy to the World:

"Fear not, for behold I bring you Good Tidings of Great Joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger."

This is perhaps the greatest declaration ever made, period. The greatest symbol of hope, peace and love, the greatest sacrifice for all mankind. Merry merry Christmas everyone, and happiest of new years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKSknasrE3k

The Faith of a Child

Hi everyone.

Here is part two of what needs catching up on after my absence.

Its odd, things that connect us; things that connected us years back that had always been there but we don't know about until the time is right?

Having run into the plight of orphans a few years back and having found Reece's Rainbow and a little girl there whom inspired this blog. [That little girl has since been adopted by a wonderful family.]

This past summer attention was drawn to a little girl in a EE Orphanage whom is being called Katerina. She is 9 and weighs maybe 11 pounds, I think, something like that. It hit the net like wildfire when her mom went to adopt her. Since, other children in that orphanage have had families commit to them too. Katerina's mom is an amazing woman though I have never met her. She is a strong voice for these kids and I have been following her blog The Blessing of Verity and have featured it on here before.

And its a small world. Oh my gosh, it is.

A few years back I met a wonderful person, a dear friend of mine now whom I've only ever had the privilege to know though the internet. Her name is Kristi. She is a mommy to six wonderful kids and I am so glad to have met and know her. As it turns out, Kristi is also friends with Katerina's soon to be mom. Up to this point I didn't know this. Now, how and why all this is coming up? Katerina's plight caught their attention too. Kristi has a ten year old daughter, K, whom is now advocating for Carter on Reece's Rainbow as a Christmas Warrior this year.

Long story short, the dots connected. The ten year old daughter of a friend of mine is advocating for a special needs orphan for Christmas this year. She's ten, and has noticed the plight of these kids, and hasn't looked the other way. The Faith of a Child, right? And a little child shall lead them? Amazing.

I wrote to Kristi and asked if I could feature her daughter's blog on mine. Please stop by her blog, say hi and if you can help her help Carter with thoughts, funding or prayers. Thank you everyone.

About Bella

Hey everyone...

After a bit of an absence during the month of October, I am back.

It's been an odd time. But things over here are alright. There are a couple important things I need to address from my absence though.

The first is Bella.

She is a little girl I had noticed on another blog last year at this link that goes to another blog where someone posted about her.

In posting this entry to the link to that blog I was hoping to be part of a chain of people to bring notice to this child and had been hoping that someone might contact the author of that blog, I think her name is Desiree, whom appears she might know about Bella. That said, I want to thank you, so very very much, for the continued interest in her, that you saw her. Thank you.... thank you.

Also, I checked the post the original link leads to and at the bottom of it is a contact email, I believe. Thanks again.