More Diapers Delivered!!!

Our beautiful friend Anya was able to buy some more diapers and deliver them today to the two groupas!!  She is the BEST!!!  She plans to do another delivery later this week!!!  Thank GOD FOR HER!!!!!

 YAY!!!  Look at all those diapers for some very deserving beautiful children!!!

 Here is Anya!!!  Our Angel In Ukraine!!!!

 This is the groupa that Lyla was in!

And This is the groupa that Gavin was in!

Thank you - to all of you that donated money for diapers!!! I am just so GRATEFUL to know that because of YOU these sweet children will be dry!!!  WOW!!!

We are HOME!!!

Oh I can't tell you how AWESOME it was to see all of our beautiful children when we got home!!!  We had been gone close to 4 weeks and we missed them all something awful!!!  So Good To Be With Them All Again!!!!  Sadly though we left two daughters behind in Ukraine.  UGH!!!!  Painful????  YES!!!!  Very very PAINFUL!!!!

The good news is I return to Ukraine September 3rd.  Only NINE DAYS and I will be holding my sweet daughter, Lyla again!!!!  I am not sure if I will be able to see Tay this trip but I am PRAYING I do!!

I have so much that I want to share with all of you!!  So much that is on my heart!!!  Just so MUCH!!!  I promise I will soon.  I am working hard at spending quality time with all these guys and getting everything ready for the first day of school since I won't be home for that :(   Owen will start kindergarten this year.  Sara will start Universal Pre-K.  Gavin will return to his class that he started last year.  Bellie will have her first day of school in a brand new program designed beautifully to fit her needs.  OH MY!!!!  All my little loves will be in school this year, I can't believe it!!!!  This will allow so much time to bond with Lyla which will be wonderful!!!

When we got home this Amazing Picture that was waiting for us on the counter:

I am certain that this is the BEST SOCCER PICTURE of all TIME!!!!  I LOVE IT!!!  My face hurts from smiling every time I look at this picture.  Can you believe Gavin is older than Sara???  Maybe next year Belle and Lyla will be ready to play, only time will tell!!!

I know it looks like I am sucking the life right out of Lyla in this picture but the truth is I just couldn't get enough Kissing her!!!  I can NOT wait until she is in this house!!!!!!

I can't thank you all enough for all the Amazing support!!  We are so BLESSED and we are so GRATEFUL!!!!

Diaper Mania!!!

Wow. Never ever did I imagine $1,000 would be raised to buy diapers for the children with special needs in Lyla's orphanage. You guys are so Awesome and I promise you that these little ones deserve it so much!!

I have even received messages requesting I  open the chip in to allow more donations. Here is the problem, I am afraid that I won't be able to find enough diapers to buy when I return to Ukraine. We bought 8 packs before we left and delivered them to the two groups that are in such dire need. I also left $300 with our amazing translator when I left and she will buy diapers while I am in the states. So we still have $600 left - wow!! That's 50 packs of diapers - whoa!!! I am nervous that I won't be able to find that many packs of diapers in my six days in kremenchuk. I hate that I can't figure out a way to spend every dollar that you are willing to donate. Makes me crazy really!! So my plan is with the money left after I have purchased as many packs of diapers as possible would be to buy diaper rash cream for the two groups. I hope you are all okay with this?

Thank you so very much for loving these beautiful children and not only acknowledging the need but doing something about it. Too many times we sit back and think, " it's not my problem" or "let someone else step up" but we sure don't accomplish much going that route. All of you never cease to amaze me - you "step up" over and over again!!! Thank you!!

Here is a picture of a sweet treasure that you have helped keep dry!! Isn't he just beautiful? He just laughed and laughed as I held him and loved on him!!!






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Lyla Elizabeth Spitz

Jumping up and down!!!  Crazy with Excitement!!!!  Beyond GRATEFUL!!!!  So Super Insanely Ecstatic!!!!!  Blessed Beyond Belief to introduce you to our newest and youngest daughter:

Lyla Elizabeth Spitz

Thank you - All of you - for helping us get here today!!!!

OH MY ARE WE GRATEFUL!!!!!

It was those beautiful eyes that I fell in love 2 years ago!!!!

Now I get to look in to them FOREVER!!!!!

GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD!!!!!!

OH MY!!!!!! Over 40 packs of diapers!!!!!!

WOW!!!!  In less than 24 hours of posting a need for diapers for the sweet children with special needs in Lyla's orphanage.  Already, over FORTY packs of diapers have been PAID FOR!!!!!  OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!  Oh these children are so LOVED!!!!  We are so Very Grateful that you truly understand the need and you are willing to help these beautiful little loves!!!!  They so very much deserve this and I am so thrilled that they will be dry and most likely diaper rash FREE for a good amount of time!!!! 

GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!!!!!!

When we woke up to the huge number of donations we realized that we better buy some diapers starting today!!!!!  SO AWESOME!!!!!! 

Thank you so very Much!!!!!!!!

We have court today at 2:00 p.m. so if you would throw up a PRAYER that everything goes well - we would so appreciate that!!!!

What a day!!!!!

Forty packs of diapers and God willing in just a few hours we will be the LEGAL parents of Ms. Lyla!!!! 

YES, THAT IS A VERY GOOD DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

A GOD DAY!!!!!!

Would you be willing??????

Would you be willing to donate $12 for a pack of diapers for the children with special needs here?  A pack of size 4 diapers, quantity 68 is just a little over $12 here.  We have bought a few packs to donate but we really can't afford enough to make a good difference.  When we donated the ones we did buy the nanny's were so so so GRATEFUL!!!  Like we handed them GOLD!!!  You see most of the children with special needs are wet majority of the day.  I mean WET WET!!  From head to toe - soaked.  When we asked why the answer was very simple. 

"We don't have enough supplies"

Even if we can keep the sweet children with special needs in this orphanage dry for a week or even 2 it makes a difference.  Maybe not as big of a difference as we would all like of course but big enough to let some of the diaper rashes heal. 

So here is my idea, if you would be willing to donate to this chip in for diapers, I will purchase the diapers when I return here and deliver them myself. 

So please consider helping keeping a sweet little treasure dry!!!!!!!

Thank you so very much!!!!!!

I whispered our plan to Lyla!!!  She Loved it!!!

One Day..

One day I will be able to tell the story of all the beautiful children we have met in the last two days. 

Three different groups of children.  

One group of 16 typical children. 

One group of 7 special needs children. 

One group of 17 special needs children in a laying down room. 

We were BLESSED to spend time with all of the children in these groups.  Holding, Hugging, Kissing, Singing, Playing and LOVING!!!  This experience was so rewarding and amazing.  But there is a price.  We had to walk away.  Turn our backs on 40 children.  Leave knowing some of these children might not live until next week.  Knowing that the futures of most of these children are dim, dark and awful.  It is possible that we will be forever haunted with the sights we saw.  But the BLESSING of Loving on each child even just once is worth carrying the burden of feeling completely helpless.  Really, the burden these treasures carry is heavier than any burden I will probably carry for the rest of my life.  These children taught me more in 2 days then I will ever learn in a lifetime.   

We found out today that when Lyla is not in the infirmary she is in the laying down room with the 15 other children we met today.  We saw the crib that she spent many endless hours in.  I can not even tell you how grateful we are that she is in the infirmary now.  Of course we don't want her to be sick but I promise you that the difference in rooms is astronomical. 

Here is her crib:

Crib # 5

 16 other cribs in this room were occupied by precious treasures

 ranging in age

from 12 months to 6 years old 

most unable to even roll over. 

The Orphan Crisis is URGENT!!!

It is imperative that HELP arrives as soon as humanly possible!!!

For all Orphans EVERYWHERE!!!!

Please visit the Reece's Rainbow site! 

Please do what you can!!! 

 Pray, Donate or Adopt!!! 

Please Do Something!!!! 

Reece's Rainbow has Blessed us with three Miraculous Beautiful Children. 

Maybe just maybe your child is on that site right now. 

It is very possible that your son or daughter is waiting right NOW for you to bring them HOME!!!

If we didn't go to that site - we wouldn't have our Sweet Daughter Belle:

Our very Handsome son Gavin

Or our soon to be Precious daughter Lyla

Please Do What You Can!!!!!!!

http://reecesrainbow.org/



(The above pictures of Belle & Gavin were taken by the amazing Caleb Lococo & Molly Conley)

Smile

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. ~Author Unknown

Our Little Naughty Girl

Oh yes, it is true, our sweet little princess is NAUGHTY!!!!!
She is so trying to get us in trouble with her caregivers I just know it!!!
Below are the rules broken in just a matter of seconds:
Rule 1:  Child should always be buckled while in the stroller

Well, I guess I have to take some responsibility for this one as I am the one that unbuckled her.  But she doesn't have to make it so obvious by putting herself in her favorite position that clearly indicates she is NOT buckled.
Rule 2:  Child should have a hat that covers their ears even if it is 70 degrees

Lyla pretty much refuses this rule and pulls up her hat just enough to expose her ears.
Rule 3:  Child should have socks on at all times

Lyla rather enjoys taking off her sock and throwing it on the ground.
Rule 4:  Child should Never put their foot near their mouth.

Lyla clearly believes she should use her foot when readjusting her pacifier.
I had a talk with her about acceptable behavior and she really didn't seem to interested in what I was saying.  She pretty much ignored me.  As you can see in the photo below. 

So that's that!  We have a little princess that has realized she has options now.  She does not have to just lay flat in a crib anymore.  She has the God Given Right to do everything and anything she wants!!!  It looks like we are witnessing the beginning stages of

FREEDOM

You Go Sweet Girl!!!!! 

Just 3 weeks ago you didn't seem to be interested in anything.  Now you are aware of everything and anything around you. Your eyes are wide open and you don't want to miss a thing.  You my sweet girl are changing before our eyes.  You surprise us moment to moment.  You are a Fighter!!  A warrior that has refused to give up.  You continue to fight an uphill battle that is yours to WIN!!   I am Beyond Blessed to witness such a Miraculous Gift of God!!! 

I Love You Baby Girl!!!!

Urgent Prayer Request!!!!!!

Oh Friends - I just read the most terrifying story and we need to Pray and Pray HARD for the Clanton Family!!!!!

Please visit Sarah's blog for the details:  http://matthew18vs14.blogspot.com/2012/08/urgent-prayer-request.html

Please Storm Heaven!!!!  Please share the Urgency for Prayer!!!!!


Dear Heavenly Father, please hear my humble prayers before thee. I pray that you wrap your loving and healing light around this child of yours and help her heal. I also ask that you grant The Clanton Family your strength and courage. Please Father help this loving family in all of there needs. Amen.

Mama

Well we have our court date. Next Tuesday !! Not at all what we were expecting but you really shouldn't "expect" anything when adopting. I should really know this by now. This date changes lots. Our sweet little treasures at home have exhausted my sister and mom. It's not easy and I am so grateful that they are able to stick it out a little longer. Thank GOD!!! Dave will be using all his vacation time now. This makes us a little nervous since we are praying that Lyla will be able to have surgery ASAP!! There are many other things that will be affected. But.....
Today when we went for our evening visit. The nanny was changing Lyla's diaper. Lyla looked right up at me and said "mama"! The nanny repeated her and looked at me with some excitement. I think we both thought this was just a coincidence but we were both impressed nonetheless. Lyla decided to prove us wrong. The nanny picked her up and handed her to me and Lyla said "MAMA" with the biggest smile on her sweet face!!!

Everything else is so small!!!!!!




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Still Waiting For Court

Yes, we are still waiting for our court date.  Normally I think this would make me a bit batty.  But when I get to spend time with Lyla it is impossible to be negative about anything.  That is a FACT!! 

One of her nanny's stopped us today and wanted to tell us something.  With tears in her eyes she told us she couldn't believe how much Leeza has changed since we have been here.  She said Leeza waits for us to come each visit and she can feel the love Leeza has for us.  She told us she even rests more peacefully now.  She kept holding her heart as she spoke.  OH MY!!!!

 Lyla sure doesn't mind being held by her biggest brother!!!! 

But then he does this and she is like "WHOA!!!!!!!!" 




 

No court date yet but

No court date yet but it means more time spent with our sweet angel girl!!!

We met with the director today and she said

"You have done magic with Leeza in two weeks"

I of course cried!!!

Such a BLESSING to hear these words but I also was thinking how I wanted to tell the Director all the MAGIC Lyla has done for us!!!!

 Love!!!!!

 We use the ipad for Lyla to try and keep her head up.  WORKS GREAT!!!!!

 Ha Ha!!!  How about those eyes???????

Now that she is getting so confident holding herself up she will only hold on to her Daddy's ear!!!  She cracks us right up!!!

It didn't take long for my sweet girl to understand how much I love her!!!  She has decided I believe to LOVE me right back!!!  Can't explain how absolutely AMAZING that feels!!!!

I am smiling just as big on the other side!!!!

I didn't need her to reciprocate my LOVE - honestly I didn't.  I knew it would take lots and lots of time.  Never in a million years after meeting her and realizing how alone and independent she was did I think she would LOVE me so soon!!!  I mean she didn't even want us to touch her at all. 

Can you believe it???  Can you even believe how BLESSED I am???? 

I want everyone to feel this LOVE!!!!  Every single person needs to feel this LOVE!!!  Please Promise that you wont ignore the call to adopt.  Please PROMISE that even if you don't think it's possible but you see a little one - or you feel that you are the Mom of a child somewhere in this world - that you will figure it out and DO IT!!!  Don't MISS the opportunity to feel the most truest LOVE!!!  Don't miss out on seeing YOUR CHILD experience LOVE for the first time!!!  Don't miss out on the chance of knowing you are the Most Blessed Person in the Whole WORLD!!!!!

Forever Grateful for being the Mom of EIGHT of the Most AMAZING BLESSINGS!!!!

Court Date

We have been told we will get our court date tomorrow morning.  Please Pray that this will be true.  We are so anxious to be the parents of this Angel Girl!!! 

Thank you so much - ALL OF YOU - for the amazing never ending support!!!  We are living this amazing dream and we are just so BLESSED to have you all right here with us!!!

I Love Dancing With This Girl!!!

 Look at these two!!!  A Father will find his daughter if he answers the call to adopt.  Even if his daughter is on the other side of the world. 

 Oh My!!!  I really don't think she could be any more STUNNING!!!!!

It sure has been one heck of a ride to finally be here with Lyla.  I would do it all over again a million times OVER to be right here - right now - with HER!!!!! 

Thank You GOD for this most Amazing Gift!!!!! 

No court date yet but LOVING our time with Lyla

We should know our court date Monday morning.  Please Pray!!!!  We were told we will have court Tuesday or Wednesday.  Praying this is true!!  We want so badly to be her Mom & Dad LEGALLY!!!  We want to scream to the world that Lyla is our daughter FINALLY!!!  Oh I just can't wait!!!!

Each moment we spend with this precious treasure is just the best Gift from God!!  We are constantly in awe of her beauty, strength and even her little attitude.  She will be a Spitz girl after all and GOD Knows we Spitz girls can have an attitude.  Most people that know me, Tay, Sg and Belle will attest to this.  So obviously Lyla needs to have a bit of one too.  Lyla absolutely let's us know when she is not happy about something.  Our first few visits she did NOT like being touched at all.  Like if we rubbed her leg or touched her sweet face she would swat at us.  Now, she is allowing us to touch her and love on her pretty much all we want.  She will let us know if we have crossed the line though with a little Lyla swat!!  LOVE IT!!!!

Today was the first time she tried to sit up by herself while on our lap.  So Amazing!!  Also today, she was able to hold her head up while Dave was walking with her.  OH MY!!!  Normally she just lays her precious head on our chest but not today, today she wanted to do MORE. She sure did!!! 

 Now that is one Proud Papa!!!!

 She is getting more confident here, using her right upper arm to support her.

 Then BOOM - just like that - she is supporting herself for the FIRST TIME!!!!!

 Just looking around as if she has always been able to hold her head up.

 Dave felt her little body start to weaken so he tried to distract her with a fun little game.

 But it was too much - her little neck was so tired!!  Holding her head up for about 3 or 4 minutes was a very long time.  We were so PROUD!!!!  Tay was pretty tired too!!  HA HA!!!

 Then she surprised us and decided to lift her head up again all by herself!!! 

 And then this!!!  Perfection!!!!  Like she has been doing this FOREVER!!!  Oh We Love Her!!!

 One of my favorite pictures of our sweet girl!!!!

Such an ANGEL!!!!!

Oh Yes, We Are Lucky to Love Lyla!!!!!

So very LUCKY!!!!!