An Unbelievable Day

Last Wednesday, December 7th, was Full Tummy Project's 2nd Pack & Pray Day...it was freezing cold, in fact, it snowed a little bit! At the last Pack & Pray, we set our Christmas/December goals and I will be honest, though we set them in faith, a small part of me wondered if we would really be able to raise $2,850 and collect 678 canned dinner items, 678 packs of crackers, 339 drinks, 1,356 snacks and 678 breakfast items, in 3 weeks...seemed a bit daunting. As the day drew near, the food and money rolled in....we had 9 new volunteers to help us pack and we did it in the freezing cold!!! But let me tell you that without a doubt, the Lord was there..you could feel the Holy Spirit in that cold garage and God moved on our wonderful community...they donated enough food and money to meet our goals and we packed in 2 hours......492 bags!!!!!!!!!!! Not just the 339 that we needed for December/Christmas. Not only did it meet the need, it exceeded it! We have enough bags to get us through almost all of January, which is usually a month when things would be tight, being right after Christmas!! The only way it could have happened was the Lord..and we give Him all the glory!! He has been so faithful to provide just what we need every month and we are constantly hearing reports of how families are being blessed...SO, a big thank you to everyone that has donated: food, money, time, and thank you for all of the prayer...

"Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, to Him be the glory...." Ephesians 3:21-22

**Don't forget to go to our facebook page and 'like' it to get updates...or visit our website www.fulltummyproject.org for more information**

God Provides

Isn't this little guy just the cutest thing you have ever seen...

well, for Christmas I had really been burdened about writing out a Christmas list that my husband had asked for. Of course, there are lots of things that I would love to have and a couple of things that I need, though I use that term loosely...but everytime I would sit to write it down, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. God had really spoken to my heart that maybe instead, I should take the money that would be used and put it toward some type of sponsorship. The more I looked into it, the more I was drawn to giving towards a child's medical procedure or surgery. As I looked, I came upon this little boy named Cheng...the money needed for his heart surgery was $695. I knew that I wouldn't be able to come up with that much, but kept coming back to him for whatever reason. So, after pondering for about a day, I nervously posted on facebook, that I would love to give toward this little guys surgery, would anyone want to join me?....I am telling you this because the Lord showed up and within 20 minutes, his surgery was funded!!! Can you believe that??? I am still in awe that it happened....God is good. It was a miracle....a faithbuilder for me. Tuning in to hear His voice and obeying can be a hard thing sometimes....so I am praising the Lord today and giving Him the glory...He is Jehovah-Jirah our provider..."Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" Ephesians 3:20-21

**If you are interested in sponsoring a child for a medical procedure, nutrition, education, their stay at a healing home, in foster care or a general sponsorship, please check out the Love Without Boundaries website for more information**

Giving Back at Christmas:)

This Christmas I have been especially convicted of purchasing gifts that give back..so for those of you who may feel the same, here are a few special links that may help you do that...please take a look!!

another link to a Christmas Shop for Adoption is over at Lovin' Much with Alison..check it out...

another great idea is to sponsor a child for a surgery, education, nutrition or sponsor them in a healing home or in foster care at Love Without Boundaries...I will share an awesome God story about this in another post...maybe I will be able to post that today....

Last, but not least, I have some friends, the Barnes family, that are fundraising to adopt from Ethiopia...check out this as well...lots of great stuff from 147 million orphans!!!! They get a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each item.

Catch Up

Well, today is the day I am playing catch up on the blog...all the entries I started and hadn't finished, I finished!! I am so happy for me...I really do love blogging and it makes me sad when I can't keep up but sometimes that is just the way it is and blogging has to be pushed to the back burner...but today has been a fun day...I spoke with some people about adoption, lined and modge-podged the drawers in Alice's wardrobe, caught up on blogging and worked on cleaning out my closet...sounds productive to me:) My dear husband might disagree....

Anyway, here is a hodge-podge (not modge podge) of what has been going on around here the past few days...

My sweet little pilgrim, Lucy...with Bitty

Fun night of bowling the night before Thanksgiving...





Yes, that is an airbrushed shirt...her favorite, that she picked out herself...the kids FAVORITE thing we did when we went to the mountains last month...true memories, people...can't you still remember your first airbrushed shirt?? anyway, she was beaming...

The only kind of picture I can get of the boys these days...I love it...

...and a little Alice attitude!!!

Then, Thanksgiving Day in Tennessee...the girls with the fish Lucy caught...so proud...

Sweet Charlie...he is growing up....

Max and Allie, fishing

Me and Charles:)

Then, Saturday after Thanksgiving, the tree went up...

and Alice got her new bed...she was SO excited!! She LOVES pink...

I think her smile says it all....

and Lucy is pretty excited too....now they can sleep together some...:)

Well, I think that catches me up for today:) Happy Tuesday,

Alice's Dedication

What a special day in the Morrison household...the day we dedicated our sweet Alice to the Lord. Of course, we dedicated her to Him long before we ever touched her, but this was our public statement of commitment to raise her to know Him to the best of our ability. The 20th was the same Sunday one year ago, that we brought our Alice home and life in the Morrison household had a new dynamic. Since she doesn't have all of the baby pictures that Charlie, Max and Lucy have, I wanted to do something special at her dedication. So, I spent the week before the dedication a crying mess and did my best to make a slideshow for her to be played before at church...it wrecked me to go through the pictures, see her so traumatized and see the beautiful transformation that has occured. Such an honor to witness this firsthand. Here is the video...keep in mind, I am an amateur at video-making: (double click so you can see the full screen)

Here are also some pictures from the morning:

Alice was so sweet during the whole ceremony...you could tell she knew it was a special time for her...she also got to wear the dress that she wore here as we brought her home...

She was super excited to see herself on the screen...

Daddy decided to speak about Alice and our time with her and it was pretty emotional...he talked about how her life might have gone a different way and she might have never heard the name of Jesus, but now she will know it, no doubt...she hears it everyday and sings Jesus Loves Me with her daddy every night. I was a mess, he was choked up....I have never been prouder...

Todd did a great job...he is extra special to us:) And the kids couldn't have been more well behaved...it was a perfect day!

All in all, it was a wonderful day and God gets all of the glory for it...so glad we get to be a part of His plan to defend the orphan...WE LOVE YOU ALICE:)

Alice's First Family Day

It is unbelievable how fast this year has gone by...as I was looking through the pictures of the day we got our Alice, just ONE year ago, my mind is baffled that she is the same child and emotions from that day and our time there all rush back...and it hurts and there is peace and I am flushed and I want to cry-happy tears-sad tears- and I am SO happy and I miss China and she is such a joy.....a thousand thoughts all over the board....SO many different emotions....I love this child. so bad it hurts sometimes. She has grown in my heart and it has EXPLODED. I want to post every detail, picture, video from our trip just so you can see what we have seen, this most beautiful transformation, but I think about it and I just can't...some of the pictures and video bring up so many emotions that I just can't bring myself to do it...it is so raw and private, but I want to shout it to the world: this was the most wonderful experience...SEE...

Here she is that very first day...so tiny and overwhelmed....

and here she is now...we are so blessed to be her parents...

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord granted me what I asked of Him" I Samuel 1:27

Orphan Sunday 2011

Yesterday was Orphan Sunday....seems like every year, Orphan Sunday is just ground-breaking. We launched our orphan care ministry, Hearts of Compassion back in 2009...last Orphan Sunday, we were in China...holding our Alice for the very first time. As our church family was celebrating Orphan Sunday, we were holding our daughter who was an orphan no more!!! This year, was a time to look back at the 2 years since the ministry began and proclaim his faithfulness...to see and tell all of the wonderful things God has done in us and in the lives of those around us. To our knowledge, there had been no new adoptions or any active orphan care since 2003. Since Hearts of Compassion's start in Nov 2009, we have had 4 children come home through international and domestic adoption. We have 2 families in process (one international, one domestic). One family is now fostering, and one family is almost done with their training to do Respite Care through DHR. God has moved and He is continuing to stir hearts...we hear about it from different people all of the time. We also had the pleasure of having Dave Wood, from Lifeline Children's Services in Birmingham, AL, come and bring the Word on Sunday...he did a wonderful job challenging our congregation to pray about how God would have them 'care for the orphan'. Lastly, we recognized the first 2 families to receive funds from our ministry....what a special day!!!! Cannot wait to see what next Orphan Sunday holds!!!

Meia, Me, Dave, Stephanie & Jenny

one year ago today

One year ago today, we woke up after only a couple of hours of sleep, gathered our things and headed to Huntsville to board a plane...a plane ride to a place where our lives would change forever. So many fears and anxieties, and at the same time, peace. I can remember not knowing what to expect...what would China be like, would she like us, what if she didn't sleep, how would I make it for 19 days without Max and Lucy...my heart was hurting and so full all at the same time.

Here we go on the ride of our lives.....

My, how hindsight feels....all the fears seem so silly now, all of the what if's seem like no-brainers...if only we could trust God when He calls us with the same confidence we feel in hindsight...but I guess that wouldn't really be faith.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

If God is calling YOU to adopt (or calling you to anything else for that matter)...trust Him. Trust his character...look back at your life and see how faithful He has been...He will not leave you hanging...Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous, DO NOT be afraid..for the Lord, your God, is with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you"

Big Surgery October 19th

Good morning!! Greetings from Children's Hospital! My sweet Alice had her first surgery (since coming home) this past Wednesday, October 19th...she had a soft palate revision. Her palate and lip were both repaired in China when she was 8 months old, but Dr Grant felt he could make some improvements with the muscle that would give her better articulation. We talked about it with her and did our best to prepare her for what was to come...I think she understood for the most part...her first words when we told her, were (with both of her little hands on my cheeks) "don't weave me". Oh, no worries, sweet girl...no one could pry me away from you if they tried. She knew we would be there and she knew it was going to hurt...she really did great....Here she is in her pink polka dot pajamas that she picked out, the morning of the 19th, as we waited to go back...have I mentioned lately that she is a precious soul????

Sleepy, sleepy daddy...

Alice with her dog, that she conned the lady at the cleft clinic desk out of on our first visit back in the summer....

Sweet cheeks...

Here we are, after they took us back...waiting on Dr. Grant and some "medicine" to help her with leaving us....

Not happy about something...can't remember what...

When she came back to us after the surgery, she broke our hearts...it was so pitiful...finally got her to calm down and rest a little. We spent the next two days in the bed together and had quite a time. It was hard to see her like this...but, at least, this time, her mommy and daddy were there the whole time, just waiting to love on her and take care of her. There are no other pictures from this night...it was rough and she wouldn't eat or drink anything and was totally out of it...couldn't move her too much or she got sick...

But, when she woke up on Thursday morning at 6 am, the first words out of her mouth were..."can I have chocolate icecream"...from this point on, it was unbelievable how well she did...eating and drinking everything....and had no pain meds for 14 hours, even though her mouth looked so painful...this just shows what a tough girl she is!!!!

She had more than a dozen chocolate icecreams by the time we were out of there...oh well;)

Here she is, closing her eyes to get her treat that mommy and daddy bought her for being so brave, so she could have something to do in the hospital...

her very own Leapster...belongs to nobody else!!!!

She begged me to put her hair in pigtails, so I did. She is always saying..."my hair is wong, wight??" At 3, she has already been through so much...she is such a brave and strong girl...she is my hero....

I love you, sweet Alice...we are so proud of you....

Friday, our last day at Children's with our favorite nurse, Patricia...she was an angel and Alice loved her...

Quite an experience...can't believe we survived and she is doing so well! Once home, it has been like nothing ever happened...we are going to keep her home for a bit, because she is not allowed to have any crackers, cookies, etc and I keep finding her trying to sneak that kind of stuff and also, putting her finger back in her mouth...not good, so, although she is feeling fine, I need to keep a close eye on her.

And, yes, she does have a black eye, but that has nothing to do with surgery and everything to do with mischief! Thanks for all of your prayers and support last week and all of the encouraging messages...we love you!!