I have learned one very important lesson today

When you tell your children

"You can do ANYTHING you want to do"

They might just DO IT!!!  Taylor sure did!!!  She has wanted to teach English in Ukraine for 15 months and that is exactly what she is flying over the ocean right now to go do!!!  I really can't even believe it!!

So, I think with the second batch of beauties we are raising, I will say

"You can do ANYTHING you want to do as long as it is in this country"

I sure am Grateful for Skype!!!  Phew!!!

Caleb Lococo sent me the most perfect song!!  Thank you so much Caleb!!!

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

I couldn't be any PROUDER of you Tay!!!

I Love You!!!

We Love You Taylor

Tay leaves for Ukraine in the morning :(

She has been offered a job to teach English and she has accepted.  Not to mention Kostya the love of her life is waiting for her.  We know that he will take very good care of her!!!   This will be her fourth trip over the big ocean.  But this time instead of going for 2 weeks she is going for 9 months.  Taylor wants this so much!!  We support her although we are going to miss her something awful.  I really don't even know what to say.  It is obviously hitting me right now.

I would appreciate it so much if you would keep Tay in your prayers.   Thank you!!!!

Our last pictures with Tay at home:

 The last picture of my Seven Blessings!!  Lyla, GOD WILLING will be home the next time Tay is home so this is it until I have been Blessed with EIGHT!!!

 The Big Three!!!  How I love these Three so so so so MUCH!!!!!!

 My oh My - these pictures are KILLING ME RIGHT NOW!!!

 Sarah came home to surprise Tay!!!!

These are the Children God has Blessed me with (until Lyla is Home of course)!!!

I'm sure not ready to see one leave!!!

I Love You So Much Tay!!!!!!!  

Thank You For Helping BRING Our Baby Sister HOME!!!!!

We are so grateful that our adoption fund has over $2,000 ALREADY!!!  So AMAZING!!!!  Thank you so much to each and everyone of you that support us - we appreciate YOU so very much!!!!  These four little ones also want to thank you for helping bring their baby sister HOME FOREVER!!!!  If you haven't had the opportunity to check out the amazing giveaway for Lyla yet, please visit HERE and take a look at all the awesome stuff up for grabs.

The notebook Sara is holding is the notebook we started with almost 2 years ago.  That notebook has been used to hold documents  for Lyla, Belle, Gavin and now Lyla AGAIN!!!  Crazy huh?  That notebook has been to Eastern Europe FOUR times!!!  Notice Lyla's picture has fallen down and her name isn't centered anymore.  It is so scratched up and is looking pretty worn out.  I thought about buying a new one and quickly realized NO WAY!!  This notebook has had the very important documents that have brought  Belle & Gav home, all while having Lyla's picture on the front of it!!  She has been with us this whole time!!  This notebook is proof of the journey that Lyla started for our family.  It is now time for HER notebook to hold the documents that will bring her HOME FOREVER!!!!

Even though I am living this most Amazing story, every time I read or write anything about her coming home my heart just about comes right out of my chest!!!

No words could EVER

No words could EVER describe how GRATEFUL we are to all of you for such amazing support!!!!  Reading the comments left on our blog the last two days has been so INCREDIBLE!!!  Really, this has been so special to not only WITNESS but be a PART OF!!!!  Honestly, we are BLESSED beyond anything we ever knew was possible!!!  I just keep saying to Dave and the big kids "Can you even believe this?????"!!  So So So So SURREAL!!!  We get the GIRL and all of this SUPPORT - INSANE!!!!!

We had our Home study today!!!  WOO HOO!!!  One step closer to LYLA!!!!  WOW!!!!  Every time I write something in reference to us going to get her I get the chills.   I mean how did this happen??  How are we finally going to get our girl???  GOD IS THAT GOOD - THAT'S HOW!!!!!

And guess what????  We don't have to redo our fingerprints for Immigration.  That saves us so much time!!!! Every day closer to her is HUGE!!!  When I held her in January, I had said "I have never held such a sick child".  Her breathing is so scary - UGH - I get so SCARED just thinking about it!!!  I remind my self quickly of how STRONG she is and she is going to MAKE IT!!!  I JUST KNOW IT!!!!  We are bringing that girl HOME Darn it!!!!!

I am not sure when we would be able to travel.  I am PRAYING for JUNE!!!  I know that is so soon but it is very obvious to us these last few days that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!  I thank all of you and of course GOD for revealing that to us very clearly!!!

Here is the link to one FABULOUS giveaway for our girl:
http://thestarsaligned.blogspot.com/2012/03/love-multiplied-giveaway.html 


It is just so crazy that a wonderful group of women whom I have never met would get together and put so much hard work in to helping Lyla get home to us.  Again, we are just in AWE!!!  Thank you so very much ladies - we are forever GRATEFUL!!!!

Did you read that amazing fairy tale about Lyla with the giveaway???  I Love it so much  (Thank you Novit Family)!!!  I can NOT wait to read it to her!!  How wonderful it is that a little girl in a crib far away has such an incredible story written all about her and she has absolutely no idea!!  SHE WILL SOON!!!  YAY!!!    

I can't believe Lyla's fund is already at $966!!!  Yes, Again, We are just in complete AWE!!!  Thank you for believing in us!!!!!  I have no way of telling you just how much it means to us!!!

Oh, do you have any idea how hard it was to keep the secret that we had committed to her???  I did give a hint or two  HERE, I couldn't help my self.  It was the day she was listed on the "my family found me page".  A few of you caught on and that was so FUN!!!!

Since we have committed to Lyla, I picture her doing everything we do.  If we are at the park, she is on the swing.  If we are at the store, she is in the cart.  If we are going for a walk, she is in the double stroller with Belle.  I Love every bit of it, especially when it is night time and I envision her in my arms eating up all the HUGS AND KISSES I HAVE TO OFFER HER!!!!  So very soon my dreams will be a reality!!!!

YES, WE ARE LUCKY TO LOVE LYLA!!!!!!

Dear Lyla

Dear Lyla,

It has been almost 2 years since I first saw your beautiful face on the Reece's Rainbow site.  I was so drawn to your picture, it was if your eye's just screamed for me to come get you!!  I knew the instant I saw you that I wanted to be your Mom!!  I knew that you were meant to be a part of our family.

I remember the day we committed to you like it was 5 minutes ago.  It was one of the most Amazing days of my life. I was so insane with EXCITEMENT that I was running in and out of the house like a complete lunatic.  I wanted to SCREAM to the world that you were going to be my daughter!!!

I made many promises to you that day.  I promised to do what ever it would take to get you home.  I promised that you were about to be BLESSED with the Best Daddy in the whole world.   I also promised that you would never ever live a day with out being loved once I got my hands on you!!!

I am so sorry that almost 2 years later, I have not kept even one promise to you.

As miraculously as it might sound because of YOU we have added two precious treasures to our family.  When you were very sick and we were not permitted to bring you home we decided to continue our adoption journey.   This was not easy!!!  As a matter of fact it was AWFUL knowing that you were not coming home.  It was horrific knowing that you would go to HEAVEN with out ever knowing the LOVE of a family.  Your little heart was failing and we were told that you would only be leaving the ICU to go to HEAVEN.    I remember thinking that GOD must of misunderstood my prayers to help you get home.  I never meant HOME with Him - I meant home with us!!!!

I wasn't sure if I could love another little girl the way I had already LOVED you.  I have to be honest though, I knew the moment I held Belle that she was absolutely meant to be my daughter.  I knew that I loved her with all my heart and soul just as I loved you!!   I had no idea how it all happened.  I couldn't begin to figure out how in the world that you being so ill led us to Belle!!!   How, could the obsession of adopting one little girl and her getting sick lead us to our "meant to be" daughter?????  I realized it was God's plan - HE knew all along that Belle would be the 6th addition to our family.  I sure was GRATEFUL!!!!

We had promised (yes, again) that we would return for you in the spring if you had survived.  We had inquired several times.  You were still in the hospital and still not expected to survive.  We grieved!!!  We finally realized that you were not coming home to us.  Our dream of YOU being a part of our family came to and end.  We were heartbroken.

We still felt that we were being called to adopt.  This time we were going to bring home a very handsome little boy.  Again, it was so obvious that GAVIN was absolutely meant to be part of our family.  It's just that Amazing!!!   You, sweet girl, led us again and we are so very grateful!!!!

When the news was revealed that you had SURVIVED, we were over the moon EXCITED!!!  It was a Miracle!!!  You were a Miracle!!!  So many people had been praying for you to survive and YOU DID!!!  It was so surreal!!!  We all quickly realized how very strong and determined you were to know the LOVE of a forever family.   You were a FIGHTER!!!!

But now what?  We were already in the process to adopt Gavin and we couldn't adopt two children.  We were SICK!!!  We were so torn with what to do.  Should we abandon Gavin and proceed to bring you home???  Or do we continue with our journey to Gavin and abandon you???  Oh it was awful.  Not to mention that Gavin was in the same orphanage you were.  Daddy had no idea when we first committed to Gavin that he chose a little boy in the same orphanage as the little girl he had loved with all his heart!!

We decided that we would continue our journey to bring Gavin home and PRAY like crazy that a family would commit to you as soon as POSSIBLE!!!  I can't even ever explain to you how guilty I felt about this but it did feel right for some reason.

A family committed to bring you home.  A beautiful family that we are very close friends with.  We were so RELIEVED that you would be a part of their fabulous family.  We were so GRATEFUL that you would finally have the life saving surgery that you so desperately deserved!!!

On our first trip to Gavin, we walked by your little room 4 times a day, every day for over 2 weeks.  We didn't know that we were so close to you but we knew you were in the orphanage somewhere.  We did not ask to see you during our first trip.  I am so so sorry.  I just couldn't.  I was WEAK WITH GUILT!!!  I couldn't face you.  You had done so very much for me.  SO MUCH!!!  AND I HAD DONE NOTHING FOR YOU!!!  How could I face you???  I had made so many promises to you and not kept one.  I was ashamed!!!

The second trip I was stronger and ready to meet the beautiful girl that I had dreamed about and tell her that her Mommy & Daddy were coming for her soon!!!  I am not sure if you remember meeting me but I will remember the day I met you for the rest of my life.  I walked in to your  teeny tiny room and there YOU WERE!!!  You were laying in your crib just staring up at the ceiling.  The caregiver picked you up and held you right in front of me.  I couldn't believe it!!!  There you were - the girl I had dreamed about being my daughter.  There you were - the sweetest little girl I had ever seen.  The girl that had given me so much and I hadn't done a thing for in return.   I asked to hold you.  The nanny handed me the most precious gift I have ever received.  The opportunity to hold you, love you and tell you how very sorry I was.  I felt like I was spinning - I really wasn't even sure how in the world I was holding you.  You smiled at me!!  If i thought I was spinning before I was a tornado at this point.  I looked in to your gorgeous eyes and knew instantly that I had been right all along - YOU WERE AN ANGEL!!!

I pulled my self together so I could talk to you.  I told you that you had to stay strong because your Mommy and Daddy were on their way.  I told you how LOVED you were by so many people!  I told you that I couldn't be any prouder of you!!!  I gave you a gift that Christina had made for you and it was embroidered with your name.  I told you that Christina and her family adored you endlessly!!   You just kept smiling!!  I felt like you absolutely understood everything I was telling you.

I was told I couldn't stay any longer because you were too sick to have so much going on.  I did NOT want to let you go.  Everything inside me said RUN, take her and just RUN!!!!!  I knew I couldn't take you and run even though it sure seemed like a much better option then turning my back on you!!!

The thought of leaving you was KILLING ME.  Oh My - It was something!!!

I kissed your very sweet little head and told you how much I Loved you.  I told you how very sorry I was for not being able to bring you home!!   I handed you over and tried to exit the room as fast as possible.  When I came out of your room, Conor & Nick looked so scared.  I don't think they had ever seen me like that.  I was a MESS.  I walked away knowing that I left a very large piece of my heart with you!!!

Shortly after we returned home with Gavin we found out that the family coming for you was unable to continue with your adoption.  Oh my they were just sick as they LOVE you so very much!!!!

I knew that GOD must have one serious plan for you.

Well, my goodness sweet girl, people started to rally for you like CRAZY!!!  I had sent a plea out that we could not afford another adoption but if we could there would be no question that you would be a part of our forever family.  So many of your warriors started messaging me.  They were doing everything they could to raise your ransom.    It was something to witness I tell you!!!  So many people have been praying for you for 2 years, so many people love you so very much!!  So many people are willing to do anything to bring you home to a forever family.

Our very best friends in Switzerland, Christina & Christoph (Your Prayer Warriors since you were first listed with RR) offered to help us financially.  Christina also offered to come and stay with our family while we  traveled to you.  She also offered to be here and take care of everyone while you were hospitalized.   Another beautiful family offered us their tax refund if we needed it!!!  Can you believe it?????  Also,  A group of wonderful ladies are doing an amazing giveaway for your adoption fund.

Well, It was a NO BRAIN ER!!!!!

WE COMMITTED TO BRING HOME OUR DAUGHTER!!!!!

WE COMMITTED TO YOU!!!!!!!!

So, the lady that held you 2 months ago and told you that she LOVED YOU!!!   Well sweet girl, that was your MOM!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU LYLA - I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

 We are working at lightening speed to bring you home beautiful girl!!  Please stay strong!!!!  Please stay safe!!!!  Please know that we love you so very much and we are all so crazy excited that you are finally coming HOME!!!!

It's FINALLY Your Turn Sweet Girl!!!!!!

GLORY TO GOD

I am in complete AWE 
that the picture I took 
 of a precious little girl
with blond wispy hair and big blue eyes
was actually my
DAUGHTER


Oh YES, GOD IS GOOD

Huge Step for Bellie Bug

Oh MY!!!!!!!  I am so excited!!!!

We have been MOOSHING (is that a word?) Bellie's bananas for EVER.  We always try to get her to pick up a slice and eat it.  She would touch a slice and it would upset her GREATLY!!!  Sensory???  I don't know but we kept trying!!!!

Well, guess what???  BELLIE ate a whole banana today by picking up the slices!!!!!  WOW!!!!!

Look how PROUD she is!!!!!

Boy oh boy do I love this GIRL!!!!!

Just Loving This Weather!!!!

 Gav loves this little push bike and he does amazingly well getting around on it

 Nick & Gavin have a very special bond

 We bring the pool out so that Belle can have some freedom outside.  Of course she has her 1 and only favorite toy with her!!!

 Just because Sara wears a dress doesn't mean she doesn't want to play with trucks!!!

 Owen was so hoping to go for a walk while Gav was very busy at his workshop.

 Then we brought out the bounce house and three of our four toddlers played endlessly in it.

 I love when I can capture Sara & Owen actually getting along!!!

 Hello Handsome!!!!  Owen was bringing a ball to Belle since she doesn't like to be in the bounce house!!!

 I can NOT even tell you what that beautiful smile does to me.

 Gav was so proud of himself that he could enter and exit the fun all by himself.

 It is so hard to get a good picture of Sara since she is ALWAYS on the move.  So I have to catch her during a break.

 These three had an Absolute Blast!!!!

 Bellie Bug likes to watch her siblings in the bounce house - she doesn't want any part of being in it that is for sure!!!

I can't help but take pictures of her piggies - they are the cutest darn piggies in the WORLD!!!

STUNNING SHE IS!!!!!!

 Snack Time!!!  Yes, Gavin would be using both hands to shove two animal crackers in his mouth.  He still gets a little nervous that there will not be enough food for him :(

 My Beautiful Ukrainians!!!!

 AWE!!!!  Gavin is helping Belle with a goldfish!!!!  LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it is very safe to say that we are absolutely LOVING THE WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poor Tay!!!

Tay had her wisdom teeth out yesterday and it was just plain YUCK!!!!!

Taylor isn't usually nervous about much.  She is very very strong willed, independent and nothing ever really bothers her.  Well, on our 2 hour trip to the oral surgeon office she was super nervous with a ton of "what ifs".  I was really surprised because this just isn't like her.  She kept saying "I know something is going to go wrong".  I told her she needed to calm down and everything would be just fine!!!

We got to the office and they called her back after only waiting about 15 minutes.  Oh, and now that Tay is 18 she had to fill out and sign all the paperwork - so weird for me!!!  It made me sad really.  Moving on.  She went back with the nurse and about 25 minutes later I hear her yell out a moan of PAIN.  Not a scream.  Just a very loud moan.  My stomach went nuts.  I tried hard to listen to what might be going on but it was SILENT.  So I calmed down a teeny tiny bit and just concentrated on listening.  I only heard what I thought was a drill but I didn't hear anything from Tay.

The nurse came to talk to me probably 15 minutes after I heard the drill.  She told me Tay did very well but she is very upset.  She explained that the medication to sedate her will make some patients very emotional.  She told me to expect Tay to say she remembered some of the procedure but that the next day she would forget it all.  I asked if it was my daughter that I heard in pain, she said "don't worry, she wont remember any of it".  I should mention this nurse was as sweet as can be.  To top it off she was from UKRAINE!!!  I guess Tay had told her about our adoptions and she Thanked me over and over again for saving children from her country.  We both were teary eyed at the end of the conversation.  Then I was instructed to bring the car around to the front door and she would walk her out.

I brought the car to the front and sat for just a moment or two.  Then the door opened and a girl that slightly resembled my daughter came out with the Ukrainian nurse.  Well, it hit me - that was my daughter.  Oh my, her face was so swollen and her color was awful.  I got out of the car as fast as I could and she started bawling.  I took her arm and helped her in the car.  I got in the drivers seat and she said

 "Mom, I wasn't asleep - I remember everything and I WAS SO SCARED".  

OH MY!!!!!!!  Hello Momma BEAR!!!  I wanted to KILL!!!!!!  Realizing her seeing me get upset would not help anything I took some serious deep breaths.  I tried to calm her down.  She was crying, gagging and choking.  She had a mouth full of gauze and with all the crying she couldn't control what was in her mouth.   I was terrified she was going to CHOKE on the gauze.  I told her that we would talk about all of it when we got home but she had to calm down.  She did start to calm down.  I am not going to lie, I was checking every mile marker on the highway in case I had to call 911.  Dramatic???  Maybe a little but I wasn't taking any chances.  I really can't remember being that nervous in a long time.  I think when Belle was unresponsive was the last time.  UGH!!!  These KIDS!!!

She fell asleep for about 10 minutes and I was so GRATEFUL she was resting.  Then she woke up and started to tell me everything she remembered.  Oh it was awful!!!  She had thought they gave her the wrong medicine and she really believed that they were taking out her jaw.  Reaction from the sedation???  I don't know, maybe.  What I do know is that it doesn't matter that she is old enough to fill out her own darn forms and sign them, I will NEVER BE ABLE TO HANDLE HER BEING SCARED OR IN PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!  That is a FACT!!!!

I tried to talk about anything I could think of to get her mind off of what happened.  She did not sleep the rest of the hour ride home.  We got home, she went right to the couch where I waited on her for the rest of the day.  I have to admit, it was so nice!!  I remembered when she was little with the stomach flu and she was on the couch just eating up the princess treatment.  She ate it up again and that was just fine with me!!!!

Today she still remembers everything!!  I would do anything for that not to be the case!!!  She does look a ton better though today.  Her color is better and the swelling has gone way down.  Taylor says she only has a little pain - THANK GOD!!!!!!

The lesson I learned yesterday is :

Eighteen is just another number!!!!!

Oh Beautiful Day!!!

The weather in Jamestown, NY has really been INCREDIBLE!!!!  One beautiful day after another.  WOW!!!!  So when Belle, Gavin and I picked up Sara from school we decided it was a perfect day to walk to Owen's school and pick him up.

Sara was such a big helper to pull her BIG sister in the wagon. 

Gavin LOVES to walk - walk everywhere and anywhere he can!!!  It is so cute!!!!  He is walking so well now - it really is Amazing!!!  We are so proud of our Gavninator!!!

Gavin thought he would try and pull Belle in the wagon.  He needs to get a little stronger first and then he will have no trouble at all!!

Are you even kidding me how absolutely out of control CUTE this boy is?????

Sara decided she was pretty tired after pulling Belle around so she needed to be in the wagon with Gav and Belle!!!

I really didn't think it would work - but of course it did!!!!

Big Brother Owen stepped up to the plate and pulled his 3 younger siblings on the trip home.   

So again, I am left empty handed with nothing to do!!!

What's a Mom to do??????

Well, I guess that's all for now!!!!

GO GOD!!!!!!

God is Moving Mountains Friends!!!  God will NOT let sweet Lilianna (Lyla) go with out a family!!!  NO WAY!!!!!

So many WONDERFUL GENEROUS people are pulling together to make sure that a family is funded to bring her home.  They are working SO VERY HARD to put together a super AWESOME Fundraiser all in Lilianna's name!!!  Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know what else???  I know of FOUR, yes FOUR families that would LOVE for her to be part of their forever FAMILY!!!!!  So we are patiently waiting to see who the super BLESSED family is that GOD has for her!!!!! 

Of course our hearts BREAK for the Mars family that they were not able to continue with their adoption.  They loved this little one so very much!!!  Please, Please Keep this Beautiful Family in your PRAYERS!!!!

I can't even come close to EVER thanking you all enough!!!!  You are all true warriors!!!!  I am grateful to each one of you for doing anything and everything you can to help bring this treasure home to her family!!!  Please Continue the fight!!!  Please don't stop until she is home safe and sound!!!  I promise you with everything I have that this sweet girl is so very deserving of all your hard work!!!!!

If you can, please donate to her fund:  http://reecesrainbow.org/22487/lilianna

Our sweet son, Gavin was in the same orphanage as Lilianna!!!  Take a little look at what a life out of the orphanage will offer her!!!

 Freedom to walk and explore!!!

 The ability to maybe look at her siblings and try and figure out what could possibly be so funny!!

 Knowing that a sibling means having a Best Friend Forever!!!!

And the opportunity to experience the JOY of swinging OUTSIDE!!!

Please Keep Storming Heaven for Lilianna

Thank You!!!!

PLEASE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP LYLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Friends, I promise you if we had $15,000 we wouldn't hesitate to head back over the ocean to get this most precious beautiful little girl!!!  But we don't!!!!  We are still paying off our loan for Gavin.  We did not qualify for the tax refund for Gav because our 10 day wait was over in 2012.  So we just can NOT take out another loan.  UGH!!!!!!!

 I swore I would never ever cross that ocean again but I would for HER.  I swore we were not going to adopt again, but we would for HER.  I swore I would never leave my family again but I would for HER!!!!  Everything I swore I wouldn't do again, I WOULD DO FOR HER!!!!!  ABSOLUTELY!!!!!  But stupid MONEY has to be the reason that holds us BACK this time.  I HATE to even admit that!!!!!  It's true though we can not afford to take care of another child and pay off a $30,000 loan.

Please PRAY FOR HER!!!!!!!!!!!!   PLEASE SHARE HER WITH EVERYONE!!!!!!  She is already living on borrowed time!!!  She is a FIGHTER no doubt but how long can her little body hold on!!!!!!

I can't even think about the day I held her with out having a bit of a breakdown.  That girl has my HEART!!!  It is a FACT!!!!  She holds it in her little hand!!!  She held on to me so strong!!!!  I promised her that her Mommy & Daddy were coming for her!!!!  I have broke so many promises to this girl!!!!  Please help me not break another!!!!!

Thank you to each of you that will advocate and Pray for this sweet girl!!!  I will be FOREVER GRATEFUL!!!!!

PLEASE GOD HELP HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sara introduced Gavin to the PLAYGROUND!!!

Beautiful Day - Beautiful Children - Beautiful Smiles!!!

Beyond Blessed Mom to be a part 

of it all!!!!!