The Boroughs Family

The Boroughs Family

Friday, December 31, 2010

What a great way to end the year!

I was so thrilled to find today that Reece's Rainbow met its Angel Tree goal! $1,000 grants for each and every child! Truly amazing! Now we just need families to step forward in 2011, and these little ones could be home in the arms of a mommy and daddy by Christmas! Check out the wonderful news yourself HERE!

If you look at the beautiful faces, you won't be able to help yourself but to fall in love with at least one. Why not pick a little one to pray for, or advocate for, or even better yet, to adopt yourself? My kids have fallen in love with sweet little "Doug" in China, and so we are praying as a family for his family to find him very soon. Look at this sweet face:


Friday, December 17, 2010

Please Pray!

Dear Friends, please join us in earnest prayer. Next week there is a vote scheduled to occur in Sam's country that could have a huge impact on adoption. The first draft of this bill passed already, and if it is signed into law the way the initial draft was written, all adoptions from the US would immediately stop-even adoptions currently in process. Please pray for God's hand to move in a mighty way on behalf of Sam and our family, and all the other waiting children!

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!

That is how I feel today! I was so excited over the weekend we got our "invitation" from immigration to get our fingerprints done. Yippee...except that it was absolutely the worst day and time possible, actually impossible! ALL of our school-aged kids had 1/2 days, school parties, and Adam was working. There was just no way it was going to happen, and it seriously pained me to contemplate sending that form back with the box checked off to reschedule us. We heard from other families that they went in and successfully got fingerprinted when it wasn't their appointed day/time. We decided to venture off to immigration with our papers, passports, and prayers and WOOHOO they took us no problem and we were in and out in 10 minutes!

To back up just a bit, last night as I was getting little ones ready for bed, there was a knock on the door. I opened the door to find 4 fireman from our local firehouse standing before me with bags of groceries....Christmas dinner times 2 from our Mayor and township council! It was such a wonderful surprise and blessing! 2 turkeys, 2 pumpkin pies, and all the yummy fixings that make a Christmas dinner complete! I have a sneaking suspicion that the WONDERFUL ladies at our township building had something to do with this gift! We are in their office at least once (many times several times) a week asking for notarization, faxing, scanning, and emailing of oodles of adoption paperwork. They are so, so lovely and helpful to us! We are so thankful and appreciative! God is so good to us and blesses us abundantly!

Monday, November 22, 2010

We're moving along...

It never goes as quick as I'd like, but we are plugging along with our paperwork for our precious Samuel! All of our medicals are done, we've submitted our application to immigration, we just got word that our fingerprints/clearances came back, and the final meeting with the Social worker is this week! Slowly, slowly...meanwhile, in real life, we have begun the round of parent/teacher conferences today, gotten Blair fitted with his new loaner hearing aids, completed paperwork for Albertine to get new hearing aids, hosted a dinner(for 40 people!) for the team that traveled to Haiti with Adam on a mission trip in October, and I have even begun to contemplate Christmas shopping! Yikes! How did it get to be Thanksgiving so fast???? At least I have ONE gift done! Adam and I agreed that our "gift" to each other would be the lovely packet that I mailed off to immigration last week for $910! Merry Christmas to us:)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Our big announcement!

Yep, some of you guessed it! Our family is blessed to be growing again! I admit, I am a bit surprised by the "who" and "where", but not too much. We have a beautiful son that we are paper-chasing for in Eastern Europe! We plan to rename him Samuel and we couldn't be more thrilled (about the son, but not the "paper chase"!). We met this precious little boy when we traveled to bring home our Luke and Irina, and we have prayed for a forever family for him for over a year. Finally, we realized that WE were that family! Here he is:




If you feel led to make a tax-deductible donation to our adoption, you can find our sponsorship page here. More than anything, we need your earnest prayers for Samuel's homecoming! We hope and pray it won't be long before we hold him in our arms and tell him "we came back for you, Samuel! Mommy and Daddy came back to get you and bring you home!"

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Stay Tuned!

I have some very exciting news to share! I should be able to to "go public" this week!! Any guesses??????

Monday, October 4, 2010

I wish I could but....

Dear Orphan,
I saw your picture today and heard about your plight. Your face is so beautiful and sad, and it tugs at my heart.



I hear you don't get enough to eat, and that there isn't always medicine if you get sick. You sleep in a room with many children, but you still feel alone.



You have never had anyone wish you a "Happy Birthday", give you a gift, or even sing you a lullaby goodnight. No one has ever told you about Jesus or that He loves you.



I wish we could adopt you, but....

It is such a long way to travel, it would cost so much money, and it involves so much paperwork.
Our home isn't very big, and we have already have children. Adding another child to our family would mean they would have to share toys, have bunk beds, and maybe give up dance class.
What if you have health issues or special needs that are not yet diagnosed?
You might have a hard time adjusting to a family after never knowing one, or have "issues" from years of neglect, malnutrition, mistreatment, or abuse.

I'm sorry, it is just too much of a risk and sacrifice for our comfortable life. Adoption doesn't really feel like our "calling". Maybe there is another family....



(This "letter" is not my original idea, I borrowed the idea from here, but I wanted to use my own "spin")

Friday, August 27, 2010

How to Lose your Mind in a Summer

A how-to guide for any mom aspiring to insanity:

Step 1: Have 9 kids

Step 2: Decide to fill every week of the summer with at least one specialist appointment, preferably two or more.

Step 3: Throw in a weekly session of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy

Step 4: Make sure your older children have the best possible activity schedule (as in non-stop)

Step 5: Live in a school district that opts not to bus for the summer “enrichment program” that the 5 youngest kids attend, so you get to transport 5 kids to 2 different locations at 2 different drop off/pick up times, 4 days a week for a month

Step 6: Do not plan a vacation

Step 7: Expose your children to germs so that several get a virus the same week

Just when you think you see the oasis of school on the horizon, and think you may survive without the complete loss of your mind……

Start a major roofing project the last week and half of summer, make sure they start work on the back of the house making the pool unavailable in the heat, and try watching the letter sounds video a few more times……

Only 10 more days, but who’s counting?

Sunday, August 8, 2010

State of Confusion

I am a person that likes routine, the familiar, structure, the predictable, and yet it seems that God has given life a good shake anytime I get too comfortable. Just as I enter that place of contentment with the way things are, they change. I am certainly not an adventure-seeker, but it seems life with the Lord for us has been full of adventure.

So, I am in a weird place right now. We are in a place of waiting, waiting and seeking direction. Waiting for God to open or close doors, to make our path clear. So why is this place now so unsettling? It’s not just one thing, but many things from our family to ministry, to me personally. God is keeping me in limbo at the moment. It is not a familiar place. Why am I not content in this place now? Life is busy, and it certainly isn’t like I am sitting around bored.

I am used to Him calling us, (and although I may need a few nudges to get on board with His plans) jumping into action and going where He leads. This is different and really challenging for me! He has burdened my heart in several ways, but it seems we are stuck and His response to all of it is: WAIT. It has made me question if I heard Him right, did I misunderstand Him? He hasn’t closed doors, but the message is very clearly WAIT. I am trying to just trust Him, to not ask the why. I know that He sees the big picture and that He has a perfect plan already in place, but I still find myself wondering “why must we wait”? I want to go where He calls, I want to obey what He asks, but I am in a bit of a state of confusion at the moment. I know He will lift the fog when the timing is right, so I am praying I learn the lessons He has for me in this season…the season of waiting.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

AWESOME GIVE AWAY!

Check out my friend Robin's blog Red Thread Stitches for a great give away that ends on MONDAY! I can't wait to go enter. If you don't win one of those awesome t-shirts, then certainly buy one as they support not only Steven Curtis Chapman's Show Hope organization, but they also help to bring Robin's precious Lilana home!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Down to 4!

Kids that is! The oldest 5 are all away this week. One is at camp, three are on a church mission trip, and one is away on a graduation trip with my Mother-in-law (they are in London as I type this, and headed to Paris next-I'm going to admit I am a wee bit jealous:). Whew. It feels so......strange! I admit I was kind of looking forward to the quiet and a bit less laundry and chaos (until they all return, each with a weeks worth of dirty clothes!), but I am missing them! I like my crazy, noisy, and busy crew and it doesn't feel right to only have the four youngest running around. Remind me I felt this way next week when I need a megaphone to be heard over the voices of nine kids!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Prayers are answered....

Monroe has found a family! Thank you, Lord! They are a wonderful, loving family and I am so thrilled the Lord chose them. You can check out Meredith's blog post about how God led them regarding Monroe
here
. Please pray that there are no paperwork glitches and that Monroe can be in the arms of his family without ever spending one moment in that institution!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

She can do this too!





I cannot believe this is the same child who a year ago would shriek and carry on so badly during bathtime that her lips would turn blue! I'm still not sure who was more traumatized by baths - me or her?

So, little Miss Determination decided this week that she was tired of sitting on the side of the pool waiting for mommy, daddy, or a sibling to take her in the water. Instead, she thought she would just try swimming all by herself, and that is what she did! Can you tell how proud she is? I know I am one proud mama! Wait till her physical therapist hears the good news.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

She can do it!






One of the things I love about Irina is her determination to accomplish a task. Now it has to be something she WANTS to do, because during her weekly physical therapy, if she doesn't want to work on something then she cannot be pushed to do it. However, if she wants to conquer something, then look out world! At the playground the other day, she very timidly and cautiously went across the swing bridge. She held tightly to the handrail, and took small, slow steps. She went back and forth, gaining confidence each time, until finally she was running across the bridge laughing and so very proud of herself!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Please won't you help?


BOY, Born February 4, 2005
SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!!
Monroe is a sunshine of a little boy! He is already 5 and blessed to still be at the baby house. He needs a family right away!

From a missionary who visited with him in June 2010: I met with the doctor in his Groupa House who brought me back to meet him. The Head Doctor wanted me to meet the children who needed equipment. While measuring him for a chair, she explained to me what was more important was that he get a family. He will be traferred in six months to the worst institution, restrained in a crib in a dark room. She broke into tears! Monroe has spastic cerebral palsy in all four limbs and is globally delayed. He is able to recognize the voices of his careworkers and understand simple directions. However, due to his spacitiy he is unable to do much of anything. No speech. With therapy he can improve but will always have limitations. I measured his head circumfeence and once home will check with a doctor regtarding whether ir not he is microcephalic as well. I will try to gather more information on him today. His temperament was sweet and his eyes twinkled. He needs a family fast!

From an adoptive family who visited with him in June 2009: Monroe has CP. It appears that he is unable to use his arms and legs and is not sitting up on his own. He has the most beautiful smile and I don't think there is much of a cognitive delay. He loves to be held and his whole face lights up when you come near him."

*** Monroe has an incredible benefactor who has offered a FULL GRANT of $20,000 for his adoption. He is facing imminent institutionalization, and will regress quickly once he is transferred. Families who are qualified (www.reecesrainbow.org/newfamily.html) to adopt internationally and who are approved to adopt a significantly delayed child should contact Andrea for more information. This is a very fast program and it is very possible to have him home before the end of 2010! ***

MORE PHOTOS AVAILABLE
I have $20,000 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!


Anyone interested please email Andrea Roberts at Reeces Rainbow! bamaroberts@comcast.net

Monday, July 19, 2010

Remember Lucy?


My heart is overflowing with joy! Sweet Lucy is now named Teresa, and her wonderful family is in China right now to bring her home! What an amazing answer to prayer. She looks so happy and comfortable, it is so obvious that this was God's plan for her all along. Please pray for her as they travel home. Her heart condition is very serious (you could never tell from the pictures that she is a sick little girl). Please check out their family blog and send them love and prayers here.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Happy Birthday, Awesome Hubby!





This week was my incredible husband's birthday! To mark the occassion, he shaved his head. I wasn't sure about the idea when he mentioned it awhile back, but I think he looks super handsome (or if I want to get my older kids to gag I can just say "hot"!:). We celebrated with homemade crab cakes and my Caroline made a decadent cheesecake for dessert. My husband really enjoys cycling, so we got him a bike trailer so he could tote around a kid or two when he goes for a ride (some might say this is a little selfish on my part, but really how good will he get doing hills with that added resistence in the back? I'm really just thinking of him! Really).

As you can see, Blair was very willing to be the first passenger. He looks pretty comfy with his water bottle in one hand and a snack in the other....

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Nothing worthwhile is ever easy

I tried to find out who said this to credit them, but it seems there are many individuals quoted as saying something to this effect. I know these words are true, and it feels even more so right now. Sometimes it seems the more worthwhile and valuable the goal, the harder the journey is to get there.

I am being intentionally vague on my blog, but as soon as I can, I promise I will go into detail. You may wonder why I am bothering to post when I am leaving you in the dark, but it is partly therapeutic and also to keep asking for your continued prayers for us. Prayer changes things, and we need it!

We are on a journey that truly either God is in it, or it ain't gonna happen. Really. This is one of those scenarios where HE is going to show up in a big way or He is going to shut the door. We were told yesterday that there is a 95% chance that what we are pursuing isn't going to happen. 95%! I wanted to cry when I got this news. As I shared with my amazing husband the "bad news", his response melted my heart. He simply responded "well, then there is a 5% chance it will".

It doesn't make any logical sense to push on when the chances of success are so slim, but faith is all about trusting God with what is impossible. This certainly isn't the first time the "odds" aren't in our favor. It isn't the first time we have asked the Lord to work a miracle on our behalf. No matter the outcome, we know that He loves us and has a plan for us. We just feel we have to trust Him to give us the final "no" or "yes". We have to at least ask Him for that miracle.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Don't press your luck...






When will I learn? Once you get a fairly decent picture or two, you don't keep going!

Monday, July 5, 2010

We have a Priceless WINNER!





Congratulations to RACHEL at Brown Eyed Blessings! I will be in contact to get your mailing information and get the book out to you this week. I hope you enjoy it, and consider putting a review on your blog when you are done reading it. Thank you to everyone who participated! I wish I could have sent all of you a free copy!

Oh, and a special thank you to my assistant Blair for helping to draw a name!:)

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Time is running out!

The give away for the Priceless book will end on Monday, July 5th at noon! See the post below for how to add your name to the drawing! Don't miss out on getting this great book FREE! Happy Birthday, America!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Beautiful Slave

A friend of mine had this video posted on her blog, and it is very timely having recently read the book Priceless. Please watch.


Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Priceless GIVE AWAY!!!



This is totally free, no obligation giveaway! I have a copy of Tom Davis' new novel Priceless to send to the winner. I know I love to read in the summer, and this is a great book. If you aren't familiar with Tom Davis, he has written Fields of the Fatherless (a MUST read for anyone seeking to know God's heart for the fatherless) and Red Letters.

If you have a heart for orphans, you must read this book. Maybe you are familiar with the tragic statistics of what happens to young girls once they age out of the system, or maybe you never really thought about it? This book will break your heart for those women and children caught in bondage. You can read more about this issue and the book at: http://www.sheispriceless.com

Okay, it is super easy to enter for the giveaway! Just post a comment, become a follower of this blog (those who are currently followers will automatically be entered), post about it on your blog with a link back (please let me know you have done this), and/or email me at: boroughs9@gmail.com. The more ways you enter, the more chances you have to win a FREE copy of this great book! Please spread the word! I will randomly have one of my kids draw a name on July 5th!

Monday, June 28, 2010

Happy Birthday Blair!





It was a very busy week in our house last week, and the day after we celebrated Irina's 5th b-day, we celebrated Blair's 7th b-day! Blair loved the fact that it was his day, and he had a "noodle" day all day too. He adores pasta and Chinese food, so that is what he had-for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He really liked his new Toy Story bike helmet, gator golf game, and of course a new Spongebob video. I don't know what the appeal is with sb, but he loves all things having to do with that theme! Happy Birthday, sweet boy! We love you and thank the Lord for you!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Happy Birthday Princess!





Happy, happy birthday to our sweet girl! Irina turned 5 last week! All the older kids were so excited to celebrate her birthday. We knew it was her first American birthday, but I am sure it was the first birthday party ever. We started the day with yummy homemade donuts. Mmmmm. Irina loved all her gifts, and of course she loved when we sang and she got to eat her birthday cupcake. We love this precious princess and thank God for the gift of being her family!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Please help my friend!

Last year in Eastern Europe, we had the wonderful blessing to meet several other families who were also there to adopt. One of those couples was Lyndi and Bill, and they were adopting their adorable son Patrick. Lyndi and Bill are in process to adopt again, this time a 15 year old son with epilepsy (please see his button on the sidebar-Freddie). Once an orphan turns 16, they are no longer adoptable, so time is of the essence. They are set to travel in ONE WEEK and they have hit a glitch! Please pray earnestly, and if you can contribute to help them, please do so! You can go directly to their blog here
They need an unexpected and additional $3,000 NOW! Please consider making a tax deductible donation at www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorshupp.html

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Take me out to the ball game!




Do you have a Miracle League near you? We are huge fans of Miracle League in our area. It is a special needs baseball league, and this year both Ivan and Blair got to play. Ivan is very serious about his game, and Blair spent the games trying to figure out the best way to amuse the crowd. He is such a ham! Last week he put his baseball mit on his head while he was in the outfield, and came around behind the player who was up to bat just to get a laugh from the fans. He is too much. Today was the season ending picnic and trophies, and here are a few pics to enjoy....

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

One Year Later: IRINA!







The same day we met Luke, we also met Irina. She actually came into the room first, and I immediately fell in love with her. When I first saw her referral picture, I did not think “oh how cute”. Instead, I was immediately drawn to look at her eyes, and my heart broke. The sadness and hopelessness just drew me in, and as we prayed for her and our decision to bring her home, she seemed to call out “rescue me, please rescue me”.

After our initial visit with Luke and Irina, the orphanage doctor came in to read their medical charts to us, with our facilitator translating. The doctor misunderstood our intention to adopt both children, and thought we were choosing between them. She told the facilitator to tell us that there was no choice, we should take Luke and that we did not want Irina. I will never forget the expression on her face when the facilitator explained that we wanted BOTH children. I might have been missing some cultural cues, but it was a most unpleasant expression, a look of complete disgust. Perhaps she thought we were foolish, or misunderstood our intentions. She couldn’t have been more wrong though, we DID want Irina! This little girl is loved so very dearly and cherished more than that doctor could ever imagine.

This child is not the same one we brought home from the Ukraine. That little girl had a hard time with prolonged physical affection, and she would become completely over stimulated by our attention. She could not feed herself, and had only been fed (and would only eat) pureed foods. She aspirated liquids anytime she would drink, and she did many self-stimulating behaviors like thwacking her tongue, banging her head, facial ticks, and rocking. Her only means of communicating were raging and grunting, and she didn’t make eye contact. It was impossible to get a good picture of her because she would never smile. If we played outside, she would rub her hands in dirt and sand, and then put them in her mouth and eat it. Only a shadow of that little girl remains…

Irina’s transformation this year is nothing but AMAZING! She is a ray of sunshine in our family. Her belly laughs are the best, and we hear them often! She smiles ALL the time, and is now even doing modeling poses for the camera. Irina has learned many signs, her rages have decreased significantly, and she is even starting to make speech sounds (my favorite is when she signs and says “mom” at the same time!). She has learned to eat with a spoon and fork, eats almost anything and everything, and drinks from a sippy cup and a straw. She loves the sandbox and pool and outdoor play (and doesn’t eat the sand and dirt-usually!). She loves LOVE! She not only tolerates affection but seeks it and gives it! Irina reminds me daily of what redemption means, and how love can utterly transform a person. This little girl bubbles with love, joy, and fun and we thank God daily that we followed His prompting and added her to our family!