I found myself in a position this evening I had not planned for.

A place that is becoming my new norm.

As Marcus’ mom & his voice I continue to share his story. His story of redemption.

The Lord continues to offer me opportunities to tell where Marcus came from & just how far he has come.

I can honestly say, the last 3 months have been harder than the first 2.5 years home. Why?

Because of change. Change for the good but none the less change.

I love Marcus. I know Marcus. I am invested in Marcus.

I am in a position, as his voice to share with others for him.

We don’t always receive the response we had hoped for.

Marcus is a handful, requiring constant one-on-one supervision.

Being left to himself for 3 years in a crib has certainly taken a tole on his short life.

There are times it still angers me, the neglect, malnourishment & abuse. It is not fair.

More importantly, it is not Marcus’ fault.

My husband & I were called to rescue him from an orphanage in Southern Ukraine.

We did just that. It was only the beginning.

Today, we continue to meet Marcus where he is & meet his needs as they come.

That has meant offering him great medical care, food for nourishment & most importantly the love of a family. The list continues to grow; the love of a church family, therapists & those who teach him in the classroom & neighbors in the community.

We have been told we are pioneers.

Teaching those to offer Marcus the love of Jesus & grace he deserves.

It’s not a job I came equipped for but one I gladly accept.

My prayer is that I will glorify the Lord in ALL that I say & do.

As I share with others our reality, Marcus’ truth, I pray there is compassion & concern to do right by him.

He deserves the love & kindness of others. In a way only God can provide.

I will continue to be his voice.

Advocate for the things that are right, not easy.

Marcus has come so far.

We see it as his family.

We want others to join us as we help him reach his full potential in a loving, accepting environment.

I thank God I was chosen for this journey. Marcus is SO worth it.

Please continue to pray for our little man.

God knows his needs even more than this mommy can express.

Our God is Bigger!

Tonight was one of those nights a mommy dreams about. A night planned for weeks.

Macey would “take the stage” as a part of the AWANA Worship Christmas program,

The Hanging of the Green.

The kids have worked tirelessly week after week on their songs they would share with us.

I am excited that Macey is included with her typical peers each week as they play instruments, sing songs & offer their worship to the Lord. It is a joyful sound and she LOVES it!

Macey was ready. She sang her little heart out along with signing the motions. No stage fright for her.

She was a star ready to shine!

Well, maybe just having a good time with her friends but I thought she was just beautiful. An angel.

Everyone in the family sat front & center to see Macey, to cheer her on. Everyone except Marcus. He played in childcare during the program. One day he will join us. Miss that little guy.

Anyway, Mia sang right along too & Daddy was grinning from ear to ear. One proud papa.

Things are different. Plans change but traditions stay the same.

Wayne & I knew this weekend would be a challenge. How could we all go to Journey to Bethlehem as a family or how could Wayne & I continue with tradition & take Taylor & Tanner together?

In years past, we’ve taken advantage of the first Friday night in December as date night, offered by our church. We left M&M to attend this event with T&T. This year the DSACO moved their Christmas party to the same night, last night was Bedlam so we made a choice to go tonight.

Wayne was helpful so I could continue to take Taylor & Tanner and bring Macey along as well. Was it the same, no. I missed Wayne being a part of our evening, it’s tradition. He offered to stay home with Marcus & Mia. He is nursing a cold himself. It promised to be a late, cold evening. We made the right choice.

                         We waited outside                   We waited inside             and waited some more

Then it was OUR turn to experience The Journey to Bethlehem. The iron horse awaited our arrival.

We traveled for miles & miles.

We learned of the Messiah, born in Bethlehem.

Jesus is THE Reason for the Season.

We are grateful for the ministry of Forest Hill Christian Church.

What a wonderful tradition to keep for my children.

May we all remember to keep CHRIST in Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Today is a BIG game day for Oklahoma.

This is the one football game Wayne & I make sure we watch together. It’s Bedlam!

The guys are funny wearing Wayne’s FREE Oklahoma Blood Institute t-shirts. I guess you could say we’re a house divided. I think they do it to have a little fun.

Game day is another reason for Wayne to feed us well. He wanted Bar-b-Q. Ribs to be exact. He bought a slab from our friends at Van’s Pig Stand. The ribs fell off the bone. That’s the only way I like them. They went great with our ham we were given last night from the DSACO Christmas party.

Taylor, Tanner, Wayne & I have enjoyed our evening together. Nothing like watching a run away game. The cowboys have the win in their hat. I feel so sad for the Sooners. No touchdowns to be had tonight.

Oklahoma football + Family time = Priceless

Cowboys 44 vs. Sooners 10

Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the year.

The Down syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma’s annual Christmas party.

I just love visiting with other like-minded families, seeing each other’s kids & how they have grown since last year. Santa arrives, gifts are given & dinner is included.

The girls & Marcus had matching outfits. The girls dresses were beautiful and Marcus’ shirt was just adorable. A friend of mine, Angela from Custom Threadz made them. The pattern is Matryoshka doll in a nativity scene. Could not have been more appropriate for our FUO’s (Former Ukrainian Orphans). I’m looking forward to hanging their matching Christmas stockings from our fireplace this year too.

Tanner was having a great time. He was glad to see friends tonight he had met during SibShop this year. At SibShop, brothers & sisters will: meet others whose siblings have special needs, have fun, talk with others who “get it”, learn about disabilities & services available & have more fun!

Taylor enjoys this night as much as I do. She was such a great help. We have a great time visiting with other families & getting to know new ones. Taylor says, “Yay for chromosomes & lots of them.”

Wayne & I could not be more proud to be a part of such an amazing community.

We’ve been blessed 3x by Down syndrome, thankfully so. My heart is full.

We feel blessed to have the support of some amazing families, the Robison’s included. Breanna is a precious young lady we go to church with. We have seen her blossom into a beautiful young lady.

This was Mia’s FIRST DSACO Christmas party. She had a blast. To my surprise she even sat on Santa’s lap. She singed Santa over & over until it was time to actually be up close & personal. She’s a trooper!

Another great part of the evening was receiving the much anticipated annual calendar from DSACO. All 3 of the little’s were able to participate this year. Marcus was recently halo free after a trip to Philly & Mia was HOME for less than a week. My sister, Jennifer found matching plaid pajamas in April for all 3 of them. We knew it was meant to be. Another first for our Mia Grace. What fun we are having!

The 2012 calendars are for sale for $12. Please let me know if you want to place an order & not only support Marcus, Macey & Mia but also the Down syndrome of Central Oklahoma. Thank you in advance.