Update..

Levi is happy & smiling and spunkier than we have seen him since he got home!!! We are staying in hospital until tomorrow to continue the 3 strong antibiotics. Tomorrow we should go home by noon as long as his labs continue to look good. Yay! Home health will come by twice a day to give him antibiotics through his picc line for 4 weeks. They are trying to find out if I can give them myself so we don't have to use home health. Then the plan is to quickly have surgery done to remove everything from his mouth & take his tonsils and adenoids out at the same time. Once this is healed they want to do surgery on his heart asap so that the pulmonary hypertension does not get worse. Please pray for protection from infection as the Pedi is concerned about RSV season. We need this little guy to stay infection free!!! One of the most challenging things for us will be avoiding places where he will be at risk for infection. We like to go, go. go & so this will be tough. We are so grateful that the doctors caught the infection early and that it did not have time to spread to his kidneys & brain. Praise God for his timing!!!

God Knew

Only God knew that it was time for Levi to have a family. Only God knew that in a matter of months infection would be living in every part of his little body. And only God knew that it was NOT time for Levi to go home to be with Him. When we started this journey on January 25th, God made it clear that Charlie was to be part of our family. We had fallen in love with him. We had yard sales, fundraisers, sold Charlie bracelets, sent out letters, and asked for people to donate their Change for Charlie. Little did we know that everytime we were approved to bring two children home that God was lining things up for Levi to be rescued. 5 months later that little toothless grin was seriously invading our dreams. And after much prayer we realized that God had led us to him as well. We were to be his forever family. Boy, are we forever grateful for God's urging, for God's peace, and for him removing any doubt that we might be "CRAZY"..LOL

UPDATE on Levi:

Here is where we stand & what the next few months might look like, so that you can all be covering him in prayer...

• Our intitial admit to the hospital was because he was not responding to oral antibiotics after almost 3 weeks. With ear infections and tonsils infected. The Pedi needed to get to the bottom of it to see what the infection was and treat him with IV antibiotics. Also we needed to see what his heart looked like since we knew he had a VSD.
• These are the tests that have been done so far: EKG, ECHO on the heart, an EEG to check for seizures, 4 sticks for an IV, chest xrays, skull xrays. And yesterday we had a picc line put in.
• the Echo showed possible Endocarditis which is rarely seen here in children. They believe that because his teeth are rotten and his mouth is full of abcesses, that the infection from his mouth gradually has spread throughout his body & is now in his heart:(
• He has a VSD, ASD and small mitral valve leak with the beginnings of pulmonary hypertension(that's for all my nurse friends)
• He is on 3 strong Antibiotics and is starting to feel much better!
• The picc line will stay in and he will get daily antibiotics for 4-6 weeks at home.
• Then we will go to Dallas Children's once there is no sign of infection to see a Pediatric Oral surgeon for his teeth(what's left of them), followed by removal of EVERYTHING in his mouth:(
• Once his mouth is healed and no signs of infection. He will have cardiac cath done to see if he is a candidate for heart surgery. If he is (We Pray he is) he will have surgery to close the VSD & ASD.
• We are still waiting to hear from Neurologist to find out if he needs seizure meds.
• And at some point we will have a CT/MRI to check for Craniosynostosis, which will require surgery if he has that as well:(
• These are the 3 major issues that need to be covered with prayer and taken care of First
• Then down the road he will have tonsils & adenoids out, tubes in ears, hernia repair.

OK. I will STOP there!!! Oye! As I read the list of things to be addressed I have such a peace. God has protected this little man. He left us with no expectations of what medical issues Levi might face. Nothing has been a shock, nothing has overwhelmed us. We just have a PEACE that God knew we could rescue him from a place where he would not have survived much longer. And we are SO thankful that God chose our family and all the friends that have loved on him and our family to be apart of this sweet boys LIFE. We are Blessed that God chose us to be his Mommy & Daddy. Let the journey continue...

We LOVE all you guys. We are so thankful for your prayers and support, and thank you for following us on this Mighty Adventure....

Update on Charlie:

• Charlie is excited about starting school on Monday!!! Someone has blessed us by paying tuition for him to attend an amazing school here called Bynum School, for children with Special Needs. We are overwhelmed by the generosity and we are Excited to see him thrive even more.
• He is Sleeping well, Adjusting to our busy life, and of course EATING well!!!
• Today he even washed his hair and his Winnie-the-Pooh in the Toilet.
• And in case your wondering? Charlie has NOT been to Dr. yet. Ha! So Let's start praying that he gets a clean bill of health!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ~John 14:27

Before it's too Late...

Is there a little face you've looked at over & over again? A face that is imprinted in your brain, that you think about often & just wish that SOMEbody would adopt that sweet face. Does your heart ache for that little boy or girl? Have you been seeking God and praying specifically for that child only to see that he/she STILL has no family? Well. maybe just maybe that is because that child is waiting for YOU!!!!! After 2 weeks of two little guys being in our home, I am seeing over and over again how God planned everything out perfectly for these two boys to be part of OUR family. And as I learn more about them and see how much potential they have, my heart aches for those little ones that are left behind:( After learning more about Levi's health & realizing that he would have likely gone to be with Jesus way to early. My heart is broken for those sweet faces that will never have a family, never be held, never be hugged or kissed, and never hear the words, "I LOVE YOU" If your excuse is... we don't have room, come check out our house. If your excuse is... we can barely afford the ones we have, get rid of a car pmt. If your excuse is... ours are almost grown, perfect you'll have something to fill your free time. If your excuse is...what will people think, who cares (God cares). If your excuse is... it is SO expensive to adopt, we raised $32,000 in 8 months (What God orders, God pays for). Here's a few faces of sweet orphans that need a Family. Orphans that are not just a picture, but real little human beings that I have seen with my own eyes, that I have hugged, held, and waved at. Maybe one of these belongs to you. Talk to God, listen to your heart, make a difference for that ONE child before it's too late!

ARE YOU MY FAMILY???

ONE WEEK Down, A Lifetime to Go...

It's already been over a week since the boys arrived at their new home!!! Wow! They have done amazingly well. And we Praise GOd for how well they are adjusting. We have continued to go about our normal life... Here are a few NEW things the boys have seen/done...

• Walmart, Sam's, Toys R Us
• Soccer games (4hr trip)
• Dr. appt.
• Dentist appt.
• Choir concert
• Bible Study, Church
• Mommy & Me class at gymnastics
• LOTS of riding in the car

And things we have learned about the boys...

• They both follow Mama around and get stepped on often
• They love their brothers & sisters
• They both LOVE the trampoline
• They both LOVE to go barefoot
• Charlie copies everything you do & has 8 signs he uses already
• Levi looks at you like you are a weirdo, but will sign More...lol
• Levi LOVES books
• Charlie doesn't play with toys
• Neither boys are anywhere close to being potty trained:(
• Levi sucks his thumb
• Charlie sucks his fingers/thumb & rocks himself to sleep:(
• Charlie loves any song that has movements to it
• Levi loves to push the baby stroller
• They both EAT like they are never gonna get another meal
• They both choke easily
• If anyone goes in the kitchen, they think it's time to eat(even if they just ate)
• Levi likes to be naked:)
• They both LOVE to take a bath & you get one too!
• Levi likes to put lotion on
• Charlie does NOT like lotion or putting diaper and clothes on
• Charlie is Superman Strong!
• Levi likes you to tickle his arms to go to sleep
• Charlie loves water!
• And Charlie likes to take a bath in the toilet water:(
• They are both starting to like men more
• Charlie has sucessfully learned to give a hug & kiss:)

Looking forward to all the things they will learn this week!!! Working on pictures(in my spare time..lol) hope to post them soon....Love to all

FREEDOM DAY!!!!!!!!

The Long Awaited Post! LOL Just a few pictures from our "FREEDOM DAY" Otherwise know as "Gotcha Day" The boys were excited & knew exactly what was going on:) We left the orphanage about 11:30 and raced to get their medical exams done. Thank goodness for Bread & Banana's! They did great and we left there to head to our 2:00 Embassy appt. Which after ridiculous traffic we finally arrived there at 2:45 only to find out that the boys original birth certificates & the court decree were missing. Uuuugh! After a tad bit of stress containing two hungry & tired boys for almost 3 hrs we left the Embassy at 5:30 with Visa's in hand!! Whew!! By the way I loved the people at the Embassy. They Rocked!! Ha! So finally we arrived at the apartment. And as you can see below they don't mess around with eating & they loved their bath! A HUGE Thank You to every person that prayed us home:) The trip was uneventful and we hand angels with us on every leg of our flight. Thanks to our California friends for your muscles, your help, and your encouragement. Thanks to every flight attendent that helped us and thank you to all 3 airlines for being ontime & even EARLY!! Otherwise we would have never made it home!! God truly has blessed us beyond anything we could have ever imagined. It feels good to be HOME!!!!

"TWO LESS"

**VIDEO COMING SOON**

&

COMING HOME Pictures

For My Children, My Husband & My Family...

This journey to bring two little orphans, two little sweet strangers into our home has not been easy. We spent a lot of prayer & time and hard work into raising money to adopt them. And God managed to RAISE it ALL. Mom & Dad spent a lot of time away from you (missing you terribly), and wishing we could be there with you; & Yet knowing that God was leading our path and that He would sustain us. You have sacrificed not having me at your first day of school, your soccer games, your football games, your gymnastics meets, and even the hospital when you were sick. You have sacrificed not having me to help you with your homework, to hold you in my arms, to tuck you in at night, and to pray with you. All of this you have SACRIFICED for your brothers, just as Christ sacrificed for us. Because of your willingness to love these boys, they will NOT be put away in an institution where they would be left in bed for hours on end, with little to no interaction, where they would have lived out their short little lives unloved. Instead they will be welcomed in to a family where they will receive something they have never had before... LOVE! All of you are mighty little women & men of God and I am so proud of each one of you for your sweet spirits, your loving hearts, and your warm souls. Our lives will never be the same, and I am thankful that God chose OUR family to LOVE two of his beloved children. Today there are two less orphans in the world!!!!! I Love Every one of YOU... ~Mom

Passport Paradise!!!

Today's UPDATE: We were able to have our 1st visa appt. this morning to get all the neccessary documents, pictures, etc. into the U.S. Embassy. That was a relief! Then we waited, & waited & waited for a call from our facilitator with the news of whether the boys passports would be ready or not. It was not looking to promising:( But after much PRAYER, from SO MANY faithful prayer warriors, at 5:30pm we walked away with Passports in our hands!!!!! Praise God!!! And thank you Serge:)

Thank You to every person that has prayed us through this journey. We are grateful and humbled. We pray that in some way you have felt you were part of this adventure...because YOU were!!!!! Love & Blessings to ALL of you:)

Continued Prayer For:

• Medical Exam's in the morning
• Visa appt. at 2:00pm
• Our flight home on Saturday
  

We arrive Saturday Night October 9th

In Midland, Tx @ 9:35pm

UPDATE...Prayers Needed BIG Time!!!!!!

So, I realize I have not posted in a few days. It has been interesting here to say the least! Our facilitator's are trying desperately to get the boys passports tomorrow afternoon(Thurs). Which means if that happens we will pick up boys on Friday morning, go straight to medicals & then to get visa's. This will allow us to fly out on Saturday!!!!! The problem with this is that getting the passports tomorrow is not looking to promising:( This is where I insert ALL OF YOU!!!!! We need every person to be praying their hearts out like crazy that the passports will be ready TOMORROW afternoon & that the person that has to sign & stamp them is there and will sign immediately. If that happens then everything else will follow & we will be outta here Saturday!! If we do not get the passports TOMORROW then we have a problem. The U.S. Embassy is closed on Monday for Columbus day, which means we could not pick up visa's until Tuesday, and we would not be able to fly out until Wednesday!!! Total Bummer:( We are believing that God can make this happen and ask that you would join us in praying specifically for the boys passports arrival tomorrow afternoon.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ~Philippians 4:13

Meeting Molly:)

The weekend has been full of activities. We have enjoyed time with other adopting families just starting the process, and other families holding their precious little ones:) Charlie & Levi have met their Aunt Molly (Momo) and I have seriously enjoyed having her here!!! We went to an english speaking church this morning and the congregation prayed over 5 families (including me) that are all here adopting. It was a sweet time of prayer and I was thankful for their love & encouragement. By the way, between those 5 families ~ 12 children will no longer be Orphans!! How cool is that!!!! Charlie really likes Molly. It didn't take him long to figure out that if Mom won't sing and dance and act like a crazy nut, then this lady over here will:) LOL Levi on the other hand, is a little slow to warm up to her. He lets her kiss his hand & finally sat next to her to play for a few minutes. But if she tries to pick him up he starts to cry and wants me. Too sweet!!

Tomorrow we will pick the boys up to take them to get scanned for their passports:) Yay! I am interested to see how they react to riding in a car for the first time! Fun Times!! Please continue to pray that everything goes smoothly tomorrow so that the passports will be ready on Wednesday. Still trusting in God's timing, knowing that He is working everything out just on HIS TIME:)

"This is as Close as this lady's getting to me"

A NEW playmate:)

"I Love my Momo"

Birth Certificates...Yeah Baby!!

A LOT has happened since my last post. I won't bore you with all the details, BUT Praise God we finally have NEW Birth Certificates!!!! What an ordeal...So, now that we have the birth certificates we can move forward. Yay! Monday we will be picking up the boys to take them to get pictures done for passports & then they will go back to the orphanage until Wednesday. That means WEDNESDAY should be "Gotcha Day" Then we will have their medicals done & apply for visa's. Their Visa's should be ready on Thursday & then we are outta here on Friday!!!

The best part of the day yesterday... My sister-in-law Molly arrived!!! Woot! Woot! It has been so nice having someone you love with you after 3 weeks of being away from family & I am so thankful that she could come to help bring her nephews HOME:) Please pray that the paperwork process goes smoothly, and PLEASE start praying for our journey home. Ha!!! It should be an interesting trip home...

And...Yes, It does say Charlie Josiah & Levi Preston:)