His Name is Laughter...

Isaac's update was ... tough.

We received two pictures, a line of a spreadsheet with measurements, and a few generic answers about his health.

I felt very heavy as I looked into his forlorn face.

His measurements have to be off... if not, he's only grown one inch and one pound in nine months.

He cannot drink liquids. No water. No milk. No juice.  It is not for lack of desire because when the other kids get sippy cups he wants one too, but only drinks about 1/3 of it, according to the update.  I'm convinced that a speech/occupational therapist will work wonders for him.

He just looks like he's in deep, deep need of a FAMILY!!!

Good thing we have one for him. 

Please pray for our Isaac. Please pray for his transition that there would be no fear.  Pray for his health that we could find out about his needs and be able to meet them quickly.

I think there's a reason God had us name him LAUGHTER after the Isaac in the bible who was born to parents of, ahem... advanced age... And he brought them JOY!

Hang on baby! Mama and Daddy are coming!!!

The FIVE Magical Questions

 

At this point in our adoption process our agency informed us that they will request updates from the orphanages in which our children reside and we can ask five specific questions.  No pressure, just pick the right questions.

Five.

Five questions of a million I have.  

Did anyone gaze into their newborn eyes with wonder or delight?

Did their Mama hold them close?  

Did she cry when it was apparent she would not be keeping her child?

Did she make this decision or was it made for her?

How can I step in this gaping hole?  Can I give them what they need?  Am I what they need?

How long was it before they stopped crying for their Mama?  

What is their favorite comfort? Does anyone comfort them?

What makes them happy or sad or afraid?

What makes their eyes light up?  

How big are they?

How much have they grown since our last update?

What do they eat?

What medicines do they take?

Who takes care of them daily?

Do they sleep hot?

Do they play with other children?  

How many words do they have?

Besides words, how do they communicate?

I could write questions all night long....

And then I found out  no one answers the questions you ask anyway.  They just tell you what they’re going to tell you and that’s it.  

So here’s what I know. I know GOD loves these kids. I know we will love these kids. I know He’s been with them all along.  I know He is a Father to the fatherless, I experienced that firsthand for the first nineteen years of my life. (I did have an awesome Mom though!)

We will pour love and prayer and delight into them.  We will partner with Christ as He does His work of redemption in their lives.

We will trust Him each step of the way, even with unanswered questions and impossible circumstances.  He’s teaching us that He kind of likes the impossible.

Oh Lord, prepare their little hearts as only You can do.  Amen.

We should be traveling sometime in the next 9-12 weeks.  There is an end in sight.  We may never have answers for them now, but we will discover the answer to all these questions and more as we journey together with these precious souls God has knit into our family.  He's so very good.

Rejoice with Us! GOOD NEWS!

I received this email at 5:15pm on Friday:

CONGRATULATIONS, Douglas & Stacy,

 

Here’s the news you’ve long been waiting for—your dossier was sent to China today (12/12/2014)!  J

 

After months and months of mailing documents hither and yon, waiting on signatures, paying fee upon fee, we finally completed our paper chase.  Our agency translated it and as we speak it's being hand-carried to the CCCWA in China.  Within three to five days we should receive notification that our dossier was delivered, then three to five weeks after that we will have our official Log-In Date.  We are still hoping to travel in the spring.  

 

There are two babies who will not grow up in institutions, who will know the love of a family, who will have a Daddy and Mommy, brothers and sisters.  And that makes my heart exceedingly glad.

 

 

 

For all of you who helped us with our expenses and work thus far, we extend a huge

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

If you wanted to help, but have not done so you can give to a 501c3 AdoptTogether, Paypal me at my email, or simply mail a check.

 

 

 

 

Buster's Brew Christmas Coffee Fundraiser Update

We are blessed! 

Our friends at Buster's Brew are passionate about adoption. Last night they opened their shop as a venue for a Christmas Coffee Tasting and Silent Auction. 

 

We had several friends and local businesses generously donate sixteen items for our auction; all except one sold and $692 was collected from auction items.

• Dannenfelser Chiropractic
• Tracy Jean Hair Styling at Moriri Town Center
• Young Living Essential Oils, Christin Pivero
• Good Life Goodies
• Take & Bake Meals
• Magnolia Acres Farm
• PylesofPics, Etsy Shop

The immediate need we are fundraising for is our 2^nd Agency Fee- $2,350 and  CCCWA (China Log-in) Fee- $1,290 = $3640.  This amount is due before December 31.

In all last night we received nearly $900.00

in ticket sales, auction items sold, and tshirt sales.

To date we have $2670 toward our goal. REJOICE WITH US!!!

P.S. If you missed the opportunity to give last night, there is still time!

You can paypal me at snaudirsch at gmail dot com

Or give here to the 501(c)3 AdoptTogether

If you would like to order one of my AWESOME adoption tshirts they are $20.  You can paypal me and tell me your size.

Finally, If you like coffee or tea or sandwiches or a cool local place to have lunch you should make Buster's Brew in New Caney your new favorite!

The Great (Around the USA) Adventure Has Come to an End

and now The Great SUBURBAN Adventure starts!

Oh ya'll... my dogs are barkin' and my heart is full!  Today was FILLED to the brim with fellowship, friends, fun, and WORK! 

We moved in to our new house, sort of...

When you're doing something with the Audirsches you KNOW it's going to be an adventure.  Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up without power in our new house until Monday.  So although the house was air-conditioned in the morning, the power was turned off about 10am.  We worked for the remainder of the hot, humid, Houston day without A/C or fans.

I have the most amazing friends in the world... seriously.  First off, none of them left when they found out there was no A/C!

Secondly, My kitchen is UNPACKED and ready to be used.  Amazingly, my friend Jen Johnson and her daughter Joy washed every dish that was wrapped in newspaper (and that was almost everything) and found a LOGICAL home for it in my cupboard or pantry. She was the brains in the kitchen and kept us going.

My friends Kristen Coovrey, Michelle, Mandy, and Meg Bosquez, unloaded box after box.

We had an ARMY of help!  Travis called his airsoft buddies last week and I'm proud to say
Greg and Adam Carman, David Salisbury and Jake Fontz, showed up to do the heavy lifting and lift they did!  Thanks Guys!

And Hannah asked her friend Olivia Salisbury who also came and was a BIG help!

Michael Rivera  and Jason Bosquez were the Tetris Packers Extraordinaire helping put everything on the trailer from the storage unit to go to the house. 

Ken, Claudia and Natalie Hope loaded their car up multiple times and even drove one of our vehicles for us loaded up with more stuff. 

My friend Kelly Sakal, loaned us her sixteen year old son, Bryce for the day. 

Tonight, we have a full on turkey dinner with all the trimmings prepared by my dear friend Anne Trapani,  And I have a bottle of yummy wine from my friend (whose identity I'll protect, see sistah, I gotcher back!)

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! to all of you who helped!

Earlier this week we moved our beloved RV from it's spot at the Rock'n E RV park in Cold Spring where we have stayed for the last five months to a storage facility less than one mile from our new house in Kingwood.

If you talked to us when we first arrived back in Houston we would have told you we were looking for a house very different from the one we ended up buying.  I keep telling people this house is like BATMAN! "It's not the hero we want, but it's the hero we need."  And it really is a beautiful house!

Trusting that God knows our needs better than we do, we know God has been with us each step of the way and although His direction for us may not be clear our hearts are turned toward Him desiring His glory in our lives, in our journey as individuals and as a family.

So as we bring to a close our epic 10,000 mile, sixteen month, 22 state, 'round the USA adventure which has included amazing sights of God's creation, fantastic experiences of natural and man-made wonders, and pain and joy and despair and hope we look to the author and finisher of our faith for the next chapter.

He is writing our story and we are so blessed to have you be part of it. 

In the next year, if the Lord wills, our family will expand by one Chinese daughter which really is the focus of the next few months.  Well, that and moving into a new house and getting nine kids back to homeschool and routine.

We are so blessed that you have come along for the ride and we hope that you will stay with us as we journey together into the coming year.

When Mother's Day Just is.... FABULOUS! (Or What a Difference a Year Makes)

To truly appreciate this post you'll need to start HERE reading about my Mother's Day last year.

If you have had a sucky Mother's Day STOP...
Go read my post from last year.
DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.
Seriously, you have been warned. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honestly, I feared Mother's Day this year.  After my mom graduated to Heaven on December 19, 2013, I felt that Mother's Day could not be anything other than a big blubbering mess this year and just wanted to hide from it.

But God....

God allowed us to get our preliminary approval from China for adopting our sweet China Baby on Friday, just before Mother's Day weekend.

God allowed us to put an offer on a house on Saturday of Mother's Day weekend.

God spoke to me in worship in a very profound and intimate way I have not experienced since Washington, showing me His Glory and His plan for the new earth after He returns in a beautiful and touching picture in my heart and mind.

And my Dad... sent flowers and chocolates for me.

 

And my husband... my adventurous, fun, crazy, thoughtful, man bought me this...

And this... A NEW LAPTOP!  I have so missed having a REAL computer to use. I compose so much better on a keyboard (first world problem, seriously) and can ahem, see so much better when the font is at least 12 point!

(I know, my photography skills are astounding.)

So, I post this not to brag, but to share the blessing of what I thought this year was going to be compared to what it was.  Life has so many ups and downs.  I feel like Mother's Day 2013 and Mother's Day 2014 are a living picture for me of Philippians 4:12-13.

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

 I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

 

 

Thankfulness Today

On this Thanksgiving Day my heart overflows with gratefulness to the God who loves me with an everlasting, enduring, conquering love. I'm thankful for so much, but here is a sampling of what is in my heart. 

Family - The ones God places closest to us to sharpen and soothe us, to challenge us and comfort. They bring us our greatest joys and deepest sorrows in life. Birth and death, success and failure, growing and changing are all interwoven in this vapor of family life. There's a reason God calls us His children, we are all in this family together.

Laughter and levity - Makes life both FUN and bearable. My husband makes me laugh more than anyone else. I love that man!

My treasured husband Doug - Adventuring, brave, confident, visionary and persistent man. His strength and leadership give me security and confidence. 

My kids - they are AMAZING. So many times they are the ones who pitch in taking up the slack for the sleepless nights. I treasure this time with them all under one roof because I truly believe the days are long, but the years are short. 

Emily - my organizing confidante and Starbucks and girl food buddy

Travis - my artistic, creative, playful young man, who is so good with younger sibs

Hannah - my burning star, full of life and passion

Natalie - my quiet helper

Abigail - my full of life and laughter baker-girl

Benjamin - my growing bundle of energy

Sarah - my snuggly, energetic, helper girl

Lily Anne - my growing talkative toddler

Caleb - my laughing, playful, nonsleeping, sweet snuggly boy

Friends - Relationships that enrich us bringing balance to our strengths and weaknesses. Having friends who are good listeners and who pray is a treasure, truly. They see me at my best and my worst and love me anyway. 

Anne - unconditional love, understanding, and acceptance and loyalty

Fiona - dependable, faithful, resourceful friend

GRACE - If there is one provision of The Lord I appreciate with all of my heart this would be it. Unmerited favor with The King, The Creator, My Dad God. I pray for more grace every single day. I pray that his GRACE would abound to me more and more and that I would, in turn show this grace to those around me. 

Renewal - a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life - If you've ever seen a picture of the brown, cracked, arid desert ground, you've seen what was me when we left Houston. When we arrived in Washington it started raining on my soul and has not stopped. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Prayer - Our way of communicating with God, talking with our Dad, thanksgiving, requests, and worship.

Change - Yes this is on my thankful list ;-) See, leopards do change their spots! I don't know that I'm the agent of change, but I'm learning to appreciate it more and more. I can get stuck, this trip has unstuck me in so many wayside I'm truly thankful for it.

Experience - Having lived long enough to see God work in the good times and bad gives me confidence in His character and trust in His timing even when it's different from mine. 

Finally, I'm thankful for time to write this morning, I don't always get it but when I do it's precious. I don't take it for granted!

Happy Thanksgiving Day my friends, maybe truly be thankful as we continue through this Christmas season to the One who gave all so we could abundantly live.

What I've Learned on the Road - Guest Post by my Daughter Emily

Today's post is my first Guest Post.  My 17-year-old daughter Emily journaled some of her thoughts about our four months on the road and it's just too good not to share with the world! 

From My Emily:

I haven’t written much about our trip.

Mostly because I’ve been living, in a richer and scarier way than ever before.

Not knowing where I’m going to be living next week is scary. Not knowing what might happen in the next three days is scary. Not knowing my surroundings is scary. Not knowing if my cell phone and wifi will work at my next temporary home is scary. Knowing I won’t hug my best friends for at least six months is scary. Knowing I won’t have a house when I enter the Lone Star State is scary.

I’ve traded those securities for a life full of things I will probably never get a chance to do or see again.

I have jumped in the current of a lake carved by lava thousands of years ago in Firehole Canyon, Wyoming.  I have climbed a mountain (albeit it was a small one, but still!!). I have stood by with huge eyes as a buffalo walked five feet in front of me in Montana.

I have seen purple lightning strike right next to a vivid rainbow in Wyoming's blood-red sky. I have laughed until I cried under the stars of Tennessee with my brother. I have seen an arm of the Milky Way in Wisconsin. I have seen the sun rise over Lake Michigan and swam in its freezing embrace. I have seen mud bubbling out of the earth’s belly and Old Faithful bursting out in astonishing glory in Yellowstone Park. Zip-lined through the Indiana woods, six feet off the ground as branches whipped my legs. 

I have walked through the Creation Museum’s startlingly lifelike version of Eden, a place I have longed for and wondered about my entire life. Hiked through the wooded hills of Indiana. Watched the Nolichucky river rapids sweep over boulders like a crashing, mad stampede. Seen glaciers for the very first time in Montana. Slept under shooting stars in Washington. Bogged for crawdads in Montana. Ate at the original KFC. Stepped into Texan dinosaur footprints that dwarfed my size-10 foot. Seen moonlight shining through Arkansas’ fog. Eaten sweet wild mulberries right off a tree in both Indiana and Tennesee. 
Walked over ground that Laura Ingalls Wilder, one of my heroes, regularly treaded on in De Smet, South Dakota. Screamed on roller coasters I was dragged on at the Mall of America. Ridden a horse (without assistance!) through a Tennessee wood. Driven just feet from the edge of a cliff in Glacier Park. Sat stone-still in the van as huge bighorn sheep rushed past us in the parking lot.

I’ve learned:

·         that you never drink out of still water. Pick clear, quickly-moving water.

·         that purification and lavender oil smell really good combined

·         I don’t *need* Starbucks every week (now it’s much more of a treat than it ever was!)

·         what reasonable propane costs are

·         how to assemble a campground in less than a half hour

that apples and avocados ripen each other very quickly

·         fig bars go amazingly well with coffee

·         hot showers are a luxury and not a necessity

     how to elevate a camper

·         how to set up five beds in ten minutes

·         you don’t have to have a silent environment to write or work

          you don’t NEED to download the new Skillet album the DAY it comes out

·         baking soda and lavender draw out infection

·         how to wash a full dishload by hand in 20 minutes (paper plates are my best friend!)

·          and many, many other little tips and tricks I never would have had to learn outside of my current lifestyle.

·      

      

 Not to mention the household things I’ve learned. I’ve been using a lot of essential oils, which are now my go-to medicines: mint really helps headaches and girl cramps and PanAway helps with stressed or strained muscles and knots! I’ve learned how to cook large meals on a foot-wide stove or over a fire. When Mom was gone in China for a week, I got a taste of what she goes through every day of her life. 

I think the most difficult things for me to master have all been internal. I never thought of myself as selfish, materialistic, or vain, but when we moved into my moving home, my supposed good virtues got a prompt smack in the face. Learning to get along with ten other people in limited space has required a lot of dying to self, patience, and biting my tongue till it hurts, even if I’m 99% sure I’m right. Letting go of most of my earthly possessions was harder than I thought, but four months later, I’m starting to forget I actually have more stuff in storage (most of which will probably be given away!) Having just a few feet to primp and preen has been embarrassingly rough, actually. I used to spend an excessive amount of time on how I looked, curling or straightening my hair or painting eyeliner wings. Getting over having noisy bunk mates is still being mastered, but I’ve found wearing a smile and staying quiet is in the best interest for everyone.
  

Being cautious and careful with money is a new thing for me. Sure, I might have watched my account back home, but I also had three jobs that ensured I would always be comfortably topped off. Now, most of my money is either for things I actually NEED or an occasional treat. Imagine that!!

I feel as if I was in a comfortable, safe dream, and then was whisked away to a foreign and frightening world that was all the same beautiful and breathtaking, a world that very suddenly ripped off dross and revealed gorgeous gold beneath, however painful it was.

I’m still in the refiner’s fire and am still learning every day, like my brother learning how to walk. My legs are shaky and nervous, but I want to see what else is out there, and walk into the rest of God’s world I haven’t yet laid eyes on. 

Emily, I'm so proud of you.  I'm proud of the way you think of others. I'm proud of the way you have embraced change.  I'm proud of the way you have chosen to see things through new eyes when you could have just chosen to bide your time until we got home.  I'm proud of the growth and maturity I see in you.  Phil 1:6 makes me think of you, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to carry it on to completion in Christ Jesus."

Moving On to Wisconsin

"Many hands make light work," is a phrase we use often at our house.  And we saw it in action last night. Everyone pitched in to pack up and in about one hour the entire campsite and trailer were packed and ready to go!  Today we are moving back into Central time, to south eastern Wisconsin, about 60 miles north of Chicago. Some of the us like moving frequently and some like staying put longer.  

I saw this beautiful pillow in a shop in Nashville, IN (which was very much like Old Town Spring). This store had artwork that was simply inspiring! I loved it.  I took lots of pics, but the butterfly "Embrace Change" pillow was my favorite.  I almost bought it.  Seriously.  



In New Carlisle we did end up enjoying the second half of our week at this campsite a little more than we first expected.  The first few days we had a creepy neighbor that really made us uncomfortable after he left, we seemed to relax and enjoy "Mini Mountain" for what it is. This was our first experience of feeling that red flag and caution about someone we met on the road.  For the most part we have had such a great time meeting sweet families and making new friends. 

The parks up north here have limited hook ups with electricity being the only thing available on most campsites.  So we use our on board water for necessities, buy drinking water, and use the campground showers and sinks.  It's not most convenient, but it works for a week at a time.  We will be at our next site until Friday when a high school friend who lives near Chicago will take me to the airport where I will fly a world away for nine days. 

God is going to do a good work in us all  while I am gone, I am certain.  I am praying for spiritual renewal, new vision, perspective, and his will to be accomplished.  Please pray for my family as they endure and grow, and for goodness sake, even have some fun while I am gone!  And pray for me that I may spread the good news, hug some tiny souls, and hear clearly what God has in store. 

Have a blessed Sunday, enjoy fellowshipping with the saints, and LOVE those people God outs in your path today!

Guess what?! GOD USES THE GRIT!

How does a Rock Tumbler work?

You start with rough stones, add grit, and a bit of moisture.  Then you tumble... over... and over... and over... and over, for a month or more.  

We've been on the road a month!  We've seen so many amazing things in just that time!  We took awhile to unwind, to get sick, to get better, and we've hit our stride somewhat, but now, it seems we are in a bit of a 33 foot Rock Tumbler right now.  The "grit" for me is sleeplessness, mostly and laundry, (clothing IS a result of the Fall, you know!) and the lack of an established schedule.  (I can fix that!)

There is other "grit" for various ones of us, but I'll just share my own grit. 

Guess what?! GOD USES THE GRIT! 

I've been living in Romans 15 for the past few weeks. The words "Encouragement and Endurance" appear over and over. 

Romans 15:1-2, 5 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.  Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (5)May the God who gives ENCOURAGEMENT AND ENDURANCE give you a spirit of UNITY among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mind you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our goal and desire in our family is to glorify the Lord and LOVE each other.  While the rough edges are being slowly worn away and the grit of life rubs us "wrong" over and over and over again.  It can all be for His glory as we surrender to him asking Him to show us our own sin and bring us to repentance and holiness.  

*credit to my husband for the rock tumbler analogy!

**Updated with Pics! Rocky Top Tennessee? More Like RAINY Top!

Today we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and climbed to the top of Clingmans Dome... 

In the rain.  

It was so lush and so beautiful.  The only downside to the rain was the lack of visibility.  


Well that and the fact that we were wet... 

We were not nearly as wet as we could have been though.  You see, we wore these lovely blue Great Smoky Mountain garbage bags, I mean rain ponchos, which we purchased at the National Park store,  to keep the rain off of us.

Poor Lily Anne, She was "told"

Doug, my husband, kept telling people we were celebrating National Blueberry Awareness Day or alternatively, National Trash Bag Appreciation Day.  Besides the obvious fashion statement, the other side benefit was that they trapped in the heat keeping us warm AND dry.  It was pretty chilly up there.

We are TOO COOL for Blueberry Bags!

For those of us with, ahem... issues with heights, lets just say the wind blowing our poncho like a parachute while we climbed up the corkscrew ramp to the top of a spindly tower, was a bit unnerving.

My determined little Sarah Bear

Everyone made it though, even the little ones.  One of my favorite times was walking with Sarah who is five, hearing her say over and over,  "I can do it!  I can do it!"  Walking uphill, up a mountain, for a half mile feels a whole lot farther than walking half a mile. 



Caleb was in his element. We had to wake him up from a nap when we arrived at the park and I was concerned that he'd be grumpy.  Nope! Not a bit! He LOVED the stroller ride up the mountain so much that people coming down, towards us kept commenting on his smile and giggling!  He was literally giddy, more so than we've ever seen him unless someone is actively ticking or playing with him.  So put mountain climbing on his list of activities he loves, along with swimming.

While we were driving down the mountain, we were sobered as we were stuck in traffic due to an accident which was being cleared.  Folks had seen a Mama Bear and her cubs crossing the road, they tried to swerve, so they wouldn't hit her and they lost control flipping their SUV, according to the man in the car behind us.  We saw the SUV and it looked rumpled, but not destroyed.  We prayed for that family and for our safety as well.  
Whew!  We will always remember our hike in the rain in the blueberry ponchos to the top of Clingmans Dome.

It seems that the only sure thing about this trip is that nothing works out exactly according to schedule or plan.  Learning that its not a bad thing, it's just a thing, is the challenge.