My Wonderful Son waiting for his new brother most out of anyone!

Doing hair in the Ukraine..exhausted but fulfilled!

Thankful that the Lord allowed me to participate in the missions group with Pastor Sasha & his team.

Love this picture in his blue United Colors of Benneton Shirt!

Need another Home Study...

I am waiting for another Home Study to come in the mail...The other one is good just that the notary signed in black ink...so both Social Worker & Notary must sign in blue ink...so I have sent one of the other copies to USCIS..they don't care about ink..LOL and one other copy will go to apply for a grant. So none will go to waste..the third one is a copy for me to carry to Europe when I go..I have a copy of my whole dossier in case we need something while in country.

Missions Trip to Vorzel Ukraine

Check out this link..http://almazgo.com/news/14/

New Client Today!

I met a new woman today that was referred to me! I like new clients being that after 30 years doing hair and being a busy Mom it gets me out once in a while to keep my identity! I highly recommend this to mothers of many! LOL

What was so great is she was a retired teacher of 35 years! She had very good insiteful information. I wasn't sure what I should do with an older child coming from Eastern Europe as far as schooling and the language barrier..she reassured me that putting him right into the intermediate school he will learn the language fast and love it! She has had kids come to her classes from other countries and they did very well..and also learned how to pretend a little longer that they didn't know English to skip some homework!! Funny Funny kids are...Anyway she made me feel more confident to just put him right in the school & keep him busy..I agree with that..My older sister told me once I had kids I wouldn't have time for my own worries & fears and problems! She was sure right about that and I am thankful God gave me so many children so I don't have time to whine...Lord knows I would be.

What about Now?

Have you ever considered adoption? There are many children in the US that are in need of a family through Foster care with little or no costs involved...Kids are kids no matter their age and still need love and hope in their lives. Yes some will come with issues, but a little inconvenience builds character! Come on out of your comfort zones and consider adopting or Fostering this summer.

We were told our family is too large to adopt from the US, so we adopt Internationally..Unfortunately there are major cost factors with over seas adoption.. So we must do some fundraising to conquer it. It isn't easy asking for money or donated items for our tricky tray, but it is humbling.

God talks about pure religion because people were trying to be religious only hearing THE WORD OF GOD BUT NOT DOING IT...just like today ..in James 1:27 it points out pure religion is taking care of widows & orphans...we create useless rules and standards for the religious "wanna bes" and then we measure ourselves by those same standards to see if we are keeping up...meanwhile there are millions of orphans with no homes while we contimue to build & spend millions on the next church project..yet the same people won't lift a finger to help an orphan or other families who are willing to..This is completely contrary to what religion is...
trade in the tie for a towel...and get dirty for Christ's sake.

If you cannot adopt yourslef..please help another family who can...go to reecesrainbow.org to the committed families page and pick one you can donate to...
You will be glad you did..and the family will be so appreciative.

Reece's Rainbow was started in 2004 as an outreach program serving new families with babies with
Down syndrome at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. The nurse who attended me post-partum with
Reece, Mrs. Kim Wood, RN, called me one day out of the blue and asked if she could use Reece's name
for her hospital service project. She asked if I would come talk to new families and share everything I have learned with them before they were discharged from the hospital. I was moved, honored, and terrified. Would I be able to face a new grieving mother? Would I be able to HELP and not break down again? YES.


Since that time, we have met countless numbers of new "colors" of Reece's Rainbow. We have made so many wonderful friends, and our life has been blessed in a million ways. Our network of friends and families continues to grow. But the one constant is REECE...the beauty and innocence that a child with Down syndrome brings to the world is truly one of Divine nature. God has led me through some very difficult times, but waiting on the other side of that "rainbow" for me was enlightenment, empowerment, compassion, mercy, and a tremendous "calling" to reach out to other children like Reece who were not as fortunate as he to have a loving, supportive family to grow up in.



In 2006, the program expanded to include promoting the international adoption of children with Down syndrome. By raising money to offer adoption grants on waiting children, we are able to give adoptive families the extra financial help they need to bring a child with Down syndrome home from a miserable existence in overseas orphanages. Our Sponsorship Program provides a unique opportunity for anonymous donors to contribute to the adoption journey of our families. These children are viewed as outcasts with no ability to learn or be functional members of society. They languish in mental institutions, hidden away from the world in shame. Even if you are not able to adopt a child at this time, you truly can change the course of a child's life by helping adoptive families afford the costs of international adoption. $20, $50, $1000....whatever you have goes into an interest-bearing fund for ANY family adopting a child with Down syndrome. Click here to learn the many ways you can help!




Families interested in adopting should visit our New Family page for more information on our country programs, our waiting children, the costs, and the process in general.







The primary goals of


To raise awareness regarding the plight of children with Down syndrome in foreign orphanages and their availability to be adopted

To raise adoption grant donations for each of our waiting children

To seek new adoptive families for orphans with Down syndrome internationally

To provide adoptive families with additional fundraising opportunities.

To fund humanitarian aid opportunities and improve the quality of life of our children waiting to be adopted

To fund educational and therapeutic opportunities for orphaned children with Down syndrome living in foreign orphanages

To fund and facilitate the development of new Down syndrome birth parent support groups in foreign countries, thereby decreasing the number of children placed in orphanages

To enact social change abroad about children with Down syndrome and other special needs through the testimony of adoption

Adoption Fundraiser coming soon! What's up with my hair? I look like a man here..LOL Thank Goodness for ....

Please join us on Sunday July 18 th at the American Legion Pavillion for our Adoption Fundraiser! We will be having a Tricky Tray ~ Yard Sale Rain or Shine

Yard Sale starts at 10 am Tricky Tray 11 am
Drawings start at 12 :45

Picnic Food & Beverages Available ~ Music
Tricky Tray ~ to play is $6 includes a free sheet of 25 numbers~ additional sheets $5

American Legion Pavillion is located at 201 East 5 th Street
East Stroudsburg, PA Near Wendy's

for more info visit trickytray.com
We will have kids games & water balloon games 25 cents and up! Prizes & Fun!
Bring the whole family and spend the Day with us as we raise money to bring home our future son Marco!

TURN OFF MUSIC AT BOTTOM RIGHT TO VIEW VIDEOS

Mark Wills - Don't Laugh At Me

Just Wondering...

...What is Marco doing now? I hope having a lot of fun and also thinking about America & his future family. We are certainly preparing for his coming.. The room where he & his brother will share are freshly painted. We moved the 3 little ones cribs out and made it back to a boys room. They have a new lilac room with larger windows to see out. It is a good view from this new room considering they don't take their naps like they should & can look outside & watch their older siblings swimming & jumping on the trampouline..

I have our Home Study all sealed up for Immigration and will mail it tomorrow since the post office was closed today...Also received a document back that needed apostilling in Florida..So I am waiting only for Immigration approval and we're done..Hoping there are no new changes in Adoption Law and all is perfect. Lord knows I need an easier process and so far it has been one.

Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid! The Team Meeting

From a friends blog...too funny Gillian

This video on YouTube is hilarious and will resonate with any parent who has to sit through IEP meetings for their kids with special needs. I had the pleasure of talking to Gina Gallagher, the co-author of Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid, A Survival Guide for Ordinary Parents of Special Children, along with her sister Patricia Konjoian. The book comes out in August with Random House. Pre-order it NOW! You can also join their facebook fan page here.

Gina was delightful and she made me laugh out loud.

Home Study is here!

I can now send this off to Immigration and hope for a quick approval..This is the part that can take a long time..but I was told by their office they like to get them done in 3 weeks..well...we shall see. I have heard of many delays lately...Hoping by the 1 st week in August...This will put us right where we were hoping to pick up Marco...September sometime. It would have been better I think for August but he is in Italy until September when he starts back to school....Also it's up to Immigration. So could be later than September. I just want to get in & out of Eastern Europe before the snow falls!

This little boy helped carry the fruits & veggies we bought from the market..He needs a family too..He is 11

Kenny needs a Family

This is Kenny..He is in the orphanage with Marco...He is a sweet boy 9 years old. He was always smiling and happy. Reminds me of Dennis the Menace..He would be a great addition to a family looking for an son/brother. For more info visit
www.worldswaitingchildren.org

From a another Adopting Family....they need help!

A few days ago, I got an email, one I had to sit on and wait for more details, but one that I thought was devastating at first. Well, now that I have details, we are a bit more optimistic, but still in a "panic".

What did we learn?
We learned that our Freddie was not born in the country we are travelling to, but instead, he was born in Russia.

What does that mean?
That means that in addition to attending court in the country he lives in, we will have to have a country lawyer go to Russia after court to obtain his original birth certificate.

How does this affect the adoption?
Other than adding a few steps, it does NOT affect his ability to be adopted! Praise Jesus for this, we were very worried until we got our details!!!

What does this mean financially and to your timeline?
It DOES affect these 2 areas!! The cost of this person to go get his birth certificate is an additional $3,000. It also prolongs our stay by about a week.
We are still lacking a couple thousand dollars to meet the demands of our little "hiccup". I know a lot of you have donated directly through RR, using the FSP page....I do not have those totals yet, but wanted you to know that I am aware of the fact that you have been doing that, and I really appreciate it!

If you want to donate through the FSP fund, just click on Freddie's picture in the right hand column and it will direct you to that page. You can also use the chip-ins in the right column or even make payments directly into my pay pal account. lyndishupp@yahoo.com is my pay pal email address! visit our blog at www.lyndishupp.blogspot.com

I thank you all for your continues support and all the prayers that are going up for Freddie and our family!

I'm having another boy!

"Don't allow the fear of "what if" ruin the joy of "what is". -- Melody
Beattie

This is Ann Marie

You can find more about Ann Marie on reecesrainbow.com...she is a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome who will be aging out of the orphanage soon. Her photo was touched up to look so angelic by Heather on our adoption group. She is a professional photographer and is doing a special fundraiser of her own to help find a family to commit. You can also make a tax deductaable donation through her profile page on reecesrainbow.org.

Littlest one!

Our littlest one is growing up! She is losing her toddler look... trying to say words & doing a couple signs...She is very aware of what is going on..She loves to dance when the right beat comes on and just loves to get hugs. She is such a lover with this little growl thing she does when you hug her and she pats your back..so cute! We have decided to keep her home another year before starting school..we are not ready to part with her just yet..we will be doing some neat stuff this school year with the kiddos since we may have Marco home too..

Our 3 Ukrainian beauties were only 7 kilometers from their future brother!..Who knew? God knew..

Child Abuse Clearances are back already!

That was a pretty quick turn around...so off to the Social worker they go & Home study coming soon!

Update

Our child abuse clearances have been mailed! So I got the date they were issued and have given it to the Social worker to add it in the Home study...as soon as she notarizes it we can ship it off to USCIS..Then we wait & pray for a quick turn around.

Thank You Ana & Yuri...

Hello Ana & Yuri..I see Kiev on the map! I wanted to thank You both again and also your Mom for the delicious meal you made for us while in Kiev. Also thank you again for picking us up and allowing us to be a part of your lives. Hope to see you again in September.

Marco & friends at the flea market

Glad to be home...

We had a great day yesterday together again as a family...I really missed the kids & Ruben while away. Had a lot of laughs and projections about our new son/brother. He will fit right in with us. I am praying there are no glitches & his arrival will be uneventful. We are cleaning & heaving excess things & furniture..I have been trying to become less cluttered for awhile now and it is happening slowly..The only excess items are clothing now..so I will tackle that next week..and of course the pile I have thrown out front! So on the weekend we can cart it away to salvation army...Junk is such a distraction from everything.

Also getting more documents in order for our dossier. Most of the paperwork is in Ukraine and waiting on an answer to a letter from us that was submitted last week to confirm Marco is free & clear for adoption. He is a beautiful child and we had an instant connection at our first visit. I thought that I may not be able to see him, but the director then allowed us and many visits after. On our second visit the translator, Marco & friends & I, walked to the flea market to purchase some fruits & veggies for the orphanage...We also purchased shampoo/dish soap/laundry soap/bar soap,cleaning products and sponges. The orphanage has less support for food & items during the summer so they were very grateful and I was happy to do it..

While we wereat the flea market, I asked if Marco wanted anything and he said Potato chips! So he ran back with his friends and 100 grivnahs (about $8) to get them. He is a giving child and shared with the others. He shared his soccer ball with the older boys and is not greedy for anything. I am very pleased with his behavior & personality. This orphanage is a boarding school, so the children wear uniforms and attend church and also take turns helping the Priest in services.. The main religion in Ukraine is Orthodox.

All of the children when passing look you in the eyes and most will say Good Morning or Good afternoon. Some wait for you to say it first. I thought this was very respectful.

Today I catch up on clients at the shop...should be a full day. I start at 7:30 am. I am missing Marco today and thinking he is reminiscing as well & day dreaming of his new future.

SHUT OFF MUSIC BELOW TO WATCH MONTAGE

My Montage 6/23/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Making a difference..

I am so thrilled to be making a difference in an older orphan's life. He was so happy when he finally got what the translator was saying to him about being adopted..I will never forget his expression and the joy & relief in his face knowing his answer to prayer would be coming true! It is such a different experience because the girls may not have felt all of this, not understanding..but an older child knows what is happening and will be forever grateful. I am grateful God is allowing me to be a part of adoption and saving an older child.

Considering an older child...

I never thought we would adopt an older child....but a woman who we adopted Yulia from once said..they are still children, do not be afraid of them. Well, now meeting Marco I understand, He is a child still climbing trees and playing ball and respectful. Despite the loss of his mother and having nothing..he is still a happy boy with a great disposition just wanting and needing a family.. There are 60 0ther orphans available in his orphanage. The other hundreds of children have families but they live there because they can not afford to keep them at home.


We are all anxious to get Marco home to join our family. He is going to make a great brother and son.

Marco

We Met Marco!

Marco who is a beautiful sweet child! He is still boy like and not too old for a
great brother for my son. He is a good diciplined boy. His Mother died a few years ago..but he still remembers...I held it together until that info was given...he is so willing to be loved and have a Mama and a large family. He is eager to meet Benjamin and be a part of our family. He couldn't stop looking at the photos and smiling..I will try to upload pictures and video. The boarding school is very close to Vorzel orphanage and we never knew it. We passed it so many times on our way visiting our little ones.

Yesterday we went to Vozel and saw Ivanna, Liza and Igor/Ivan looking out the window..We saw Timothy..and some other little children we will find out later about..we are now headed to lunch be back later!

Headed to Kiev!

Well..I am headed to Kiev this afternoon! Everything is packed to the max for the orphanage and we will drive to JFK this morning to park just outside the airport and be dropped at the Delta counter! Sandie is filled with more than me..aside from the crafts/bonnets/toys/Sandie is bringing some child size walkers and crutches,,I have a few pairs here as well that were donated from Youngs Medical. Now just need to figure out where to put them! I know I met my 50 pound mark with my suitcase!

Looking forward to landing at 9:10 tomorrow morning Kiev time..but it will be 7 hours earlier here in the USA. Hoping to sleep on the plane so we don't miss a beat!
Sunday we will just relax and get reaquainted with Kiev and meet with other Americans at TGI Fridays at 5 pm for dinner. There are about 4-5 families in Kiev adopting little ones through Reeces Rainbow Down Syndrome Ministry. We will be spending some time with then through out the week.



We will be picked up in Kiev by Ivanna's parents.. Ivanna has been waiting so long to get out of that orphanage! Her new Mommy, Darlena will be close behind us hopefully with her travel plans to rescue her..and what a great day that will be..
The orphanage director has held Ivanna so long for her family..He has a big heart.

My real exciement for this trip is to meet a boy named Marco...well that's not his real name, but I have grown accustomed to it! He looks like a Marco now! I will be meeting him on Tuesday at his orphanage/boarding school...This is the hilight of my trip. He lives in the Bucha Orphanage just on the out skirts of Kiev. His mother died a couple of years ago and Marco was placed there due to no family to take him.
Praying Marco will be a great fit to our family..My son really wants a brother!


I am also looking forward to eating...my favorite pass time! The food is wonderful & cheap in Ukraine..Be back later from the iphone!

Our Local Ambassador for Easter Seals

By Andrew Scott
Pocono Record Writer
June 10, 2010 Like most 2-year-olds, Giovanna Apel is learning how to climb up onto things.

Like the living room table or the couch.

"She's fearless," her father, Laurence Apel, said while he and her mother, Leonilda Apel, watched her play with her toys in their Middle Smithfield Township home as "Elmo's World" came on TV.

Giovanna is fearless now, but there was a time when her parents felt fear. It was when Leonilda Apel, 38, was pregnant with Giovanna in 2007, a year after the couple moved from their native Long Island, N.Y., into the Knoll Acres II development in Middle Smithfield Township.

"Mine was a high-risk pregnancy because of my age," Leonilda said, fondly encouraging Giovanna as she toddled over to her musical giraffe and pressed a button that produced a tune.

The ultrasound showed Giovanna had two holes in her heart. Doctors told the Apels there was a good chance she would be born with Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that affects physical and mental abilities and strikes one out of every 800 babies born.

When Giovanna was born via an emergency C-section on Dec. 3, 2007, a pediatrician immediately noticed she showed the facial features of a Down syndrome baby. Giovanna's blood work later verified the presence of an extra chromosome that causes the disease.

"At first, I was scared and depressed and asking myself why it had to be my baby," Leonilda said. "Then, the doctors told us we lucked out in the fact that Giovanna didn't have the physical problems that some Down syndrome children have."

As Giovanna grew older, her parents noticed she wasn't using her hands and seemed to have trouble grasping and holding things. She wasn't aware of her hands, a sign that the disease has affected her mentally.

The Apels contacted the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Mental Health/Mental Retardation Program, which referred them to an agency that provided a speech therapist and special instructor for Giovanna.

When the Apels realized they needed more, MH/MR referred them to Easter Seals. The program provides medical, therapeutic and preschool services and relies on state funding and community donations so that client families pay nothing out of their own pockets.

Easter Seals is an early-intervention program for children up to age 3, but support and references go beyond that as needed.

The program provided three key people, whom the Apels now fondly call their "dream team."

Occupational therapist Amy Kromer started working with Giovanna at 5 months old. Then speech therapist Adrienne Westheim and special instructor Danielle Weiss came on board.

Kromer, Westheim and Weiss each come on a different days to work with Giovanna for an hour. They follow Giovanna's lead.

"We let Giovanna decide what she wants to do, what toys or games she wants to play with or what kind of activity she wants to do," said Weiss of Saylorsburg. "Then, as she's doing it, we make it educational as well as fun for her. That's how she learns, grows and develops.

"But, the important thing is to let her choose what she's interested in, not force her to do something she doesn't want to do or have her sit somewhere for an hour."

A mother herself, Weiss has started a weekly play date support group for Giovanna and other disabled children, providing fun-based learning activities for children while allowing the parents to network with each other.

The specialists also suggest activities the family can do with Giovanna to keep her engaged and learning.

"They help us to help her," Leonilda said. "It's a great partnership."

Giovanna has progressed into a confident, curious, energetic toddler. "If she's determined to do something or learn something new, she doesn't give up until she achieves it," Laurence Apel said. "She wouldn't be where she is today if it wasn't for Easter Seals. They're very personable and genuinely concerned with her progress and how she's doing."

Giovanna gets to help raise public awareness about Easter Seals, having been selected as one of three child ambassadors to the annual Easter Seals Walk With Me benefit, supported by area businesses, on Wednesday on the Lehigh Parkway in Allentown. Festivities start at 4 p.m. and the walk starts at 6 p.m.

Families have the options of taking a one-mile walk or three-mile walk along the parkway. Participants are organizing walking teams to solicit sponsor donations.

The event's other two child ambassadors are Ricardo Rivera, 9, of Reading, and David Wint, 2, of Hellertown.

Leonilda Apel said, "If you have a child under 3 with a disability and don't know where to turn or if you want to see children get the proper help they need, please come out and support the walk. Giovanna and other kids are counting on you."

For information, call 610-289-0114, ext. 222, or visit www.easterseals.com

"We are not all called to adopt these children into our families. But we are all called to look at them, even though it makes our eyes burn, and be willing to let their needs disrupt our lives."
~Kristin Swick Wong



"Realize that life, not stuff, is what matters. Objects are just objects — if you lose them, if they get stolen or destroyed … it’s not a big deal. They’re just objects — not your life. Your life is the series of moments that is steaming through your consciousness right now, and how you use those moments and what you fill them with is what truly matters, not what you fill your home with. At the end of this short journey, you’ll look back and remember your experiences, the people you loved and who loved you back, the things you did and didn’t do. Not the stuff you had."

Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.
Irving Berlin

Monday, June 7, 2010

Monday, June 7, 2010
Leaving soon!

I will be heading to Ukraine this Saturday! Praying for a good flight..Should be nicer traveling this trip flying straight to Kiev without a lay over..and hoping to sleep on the plane so I won't miss a beat... leaving in the afternoon from New York and arriving in Kiev in the morning! Don't want to have to waste our first day there..but somehow we will miss time I just know it and I'll want to crash in the bed in the afternoon! Planning to meet at TGI Fridays at 5 pm with the Reeces Rainbow families.. This will be great!

Hoping Monday to get to meet Marco on my blog..Not sure if they still have school this time of year...we will be taking soccer balls to the orphanage for the kids. This will be an excuse to go there because normally people cannot just show up at an orphaange without a missions team or doing an adoption. So praying I will have a long visit to get to know hime with the translator..I have lots of questions. Praying he will like me and want to go to America one day soon. We will try to get pictures and profile info on other children at this orphanage as well.

Then Tuesday we will head to Vorzel if not Monday morning too..all depends when we can go to see Marco.

Please pray for a safe trip and productive finding new children to put on the Reeces Rainbow website. We want to get updated pictures for all those who will be going to Ukraine soon for their children..

Leaving soon!

I will be heading to Ukraine this Saturday! Praying for a good flight..Should be nicer traveling this trip flying straight to Kiev without a lay over..and hoping to sleep on the plane so I won't miss a beat... leaving in the afternoon from New York and arriving in Kiev in the morning! Don't want to have to waste our first day there..but somehow we will miss time I just know it and I'll want to crash in the bed in the afternoon! Planning to meet at TGI Fridays at 5 pm with the Reeces Rainbow families.. This will be great!

Hoping Monday to get to meet Marco on my blog..Not sure if they still have school this time of year...we will be taking soccer balls to the orphanage for the kids. This will be an excuse to go there because normally people cannot just show up at an orphaange without a missions team or doing an adoption. So praying I will have a long visit to get to know hime with the translator..I have lots of questions. Praying he will like me and want to go to America one day soon. We will try to get pictures and profile info on other children at this orphanage as well.

Then Tuesday we will head to Vorzel if not Monday morning too..all depends when we can go to see Marco.

Please pray for a safe trip and productive finding new children to put on the Reeces Rainbow website. We want to get updated pictures for all those who will be going to Ukraine soon for their children..

TURN OFF MUSIC BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO

"Orphan Lullaby" by Lindsey Teefey (Adoption Song)

http://www.lotsofkids.com/index.php

A website for Large families

Good Article

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The contempt shown to parents of large families

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Posted: March 02, 2006
1:00 am Eastern


By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
© 2010 WorldNetDaily.com





A funny thing happened to me the other day when my wife and I had, thank God, another baby (a boy). Many of my friends didn't seem all that happy for me. Sure, they went through the motions of smiles and congratulations. But it was evident that many thought me insane. Why would a young man and his wife ruin their lives with eight children? Who could afford the Jewish day-school bills? Didn't we want to live life a little, and not just be burdened with kids?

It got downright surreal when a European film company, pressed me, while my wife was in labor, to finish shooting a segment that had an urgent deadline (I obviously told them they were insane). And the next day, I was mildly criticized by a Jewish organization which was supposed to be hosting me for a lecture for having to cancel on them because the lecture clashed with the baby's bris.

I don't mind that the world doesn't really love babies, just that it pretends to. It's time we got honest about our priorities. Most people get a new car every two or three years, but one or two babies through the life of their marriage is plenty. You can get drunk on an airplane, laugh hysterically with your mates, and still not really anger people. But if you dare bring a crying baby on board you will be given malicious looks as if the little thing is a package that ticks. If you walk your dog along the street, people will stop you to tell you how cute he is. If you walk down the street with a baby, you might find a woman or two who coos, but for the most part, you'll be utterly ignored.


Indeed, the contempt shown to parents of many children is the last acceptable prejudice in our society. As a father of a large family, I find myself apologizing wherever I go, as if I committed a crime. The frequent and loaded stares from scornful onlookers imply that the famine in Africa was caused by my selfish insistence on overpopulating the earth. Long ago my wife and I discovered that few hotels were prepared to accommodate so many children, even if we took three of four rooms, which is why we bought an RV for travel.

How strange to live in a world where loving children casts one in infamy. Having a family with many children implies a backwardness and primitivism that is deemed unbecoming in the developed countries of the West. Large families, it is thought, exist only among religious weirdoes or the teeming hovels of the Third World.

Rich countries, by contrast, prefer to increase their standard of living rather than the number of the living. Looking at Western birth rates for the year 2001, the United States averaged only 14.2 births for every thousand Americans, and the birthrate among white Americans is so low that the United States will soon lose its white majority. Indeed, one can go for days in a wealthy city like Manhattan without encountering a single pregnant woman. Riches and children have become inversely proportional such that the more of the former, the less of the latter.

Hence, the high birth rates of extremely poor African nations like Uganda – at 47.52 births per 1,000 – or Niger with 50.68 births per 1,000, are deemed to be prime causes and indicators of their penury. The abundant fertility and unconstrained sexuality of these countries confirms the unspoken Western mindset of these country's inhabitants as being just one step above savages. Contraception has become a synonym for civilization.

A Christian mother of six once wrote to me, "I find it troubling to worry about getting pregnant again ... because I don't want to face the criticism of friends and family. Why do people not see children as a blessing?" A fair question which deserves a fair response.

Why is it that even many snagogues today are not children friendly? Why are people impressed that Jay Leno owns 20 motorcycles, but disgusted that some religious families choose to have 10 children?

Let's not finesse the response. We all know why. A world that has lost its innocence has trouble appreciating beings who are innocent. A world that has become selfish has soured to the idea of leading a life of selflessness. A world that has become grossly materialistic is turned off to the idea of more dependents who consume resources. And a world that mistakenly believes that freedom means a lack of responsibility is opposed to the idea of needy creatures who "tie you down."

They can go fly a kite.

By just looking at my children, I become more innocent. By loving them, I become more noble. By spending my money on them rather than myself, I find transcendence. And by being a father and liberating all of the love in my heart, my spirit soars free. I work hard to support a large family and I give up no pleasures in doing so because my children are my foremost pleasure.

I am often asked by women dating men how to tell whether they are marriage material. I tell them, "See if he enjoys children." A man who loves children is playful. He will spend his life joking with his wife because he loves to see her laugh, and will flirt with her because he loves to see her smile.

There was a time when husbands and wives worked hard to ensure they could afford the blessings of a large family. Today, the higher your earning bracket the fewer children you have, but then we always knew that many turn money from a blessing into a curse.

Before he died, the Lubavitcher Rebbe launched a campaign asking parents to have one more child than they originally planned. It is a campaign that a dwindling Jewish community should revive as it continues to disappear.

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Pictures of The Bucha Orphanage Boarding School

Vorzel Orphanage (Kitchen)

Ukraine Orphanage

To Watch videos turn off music below...Click parallel lines

Reeces Rainbow Waiting Children

Mission to Ukraine, Vorzel Orphanage

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
Psalm 127:2-5

Learned more about Marco!

Marco is not his real name..that is one thing I learned! LOL Also learned that he loves soccer..and he is not tall! This is all good info..but I also learned he has not been in the orpahanage all his life..just since 2008..because his mother died.
So finally I have some crumbs of info...I will be getting more very soon.

Peachy has a family!

Peachy has a pretty bad heart problem and needs surgery in America asap! It is to save her life! She was just listed a week or so ago and already has a MommY!

GOING TO UKRAINE!

First I was not going..Then I was going...Then not going..NOW GOING!! LOL
We will start off in Kiev..Then headeing to Vorzel for the missions group to help with the tasks they have set out to do. Women mostly work with the children. We hope to meet new children and get profiles on them for Reeces Rainbow! We will email them asap form Ukraine to add to the RR website. We will try to get updated pictures as well..Praying for this little "Peach" listed on RR with the heart malformation. Have heard there is a Mamma already for her! She needs to get to the USA right away for this surgery to save her life.. She is only 7 months old..I have posted her picture to the right!

Our First FundRaiser!

Tricky Tray/Yard Sale
Sunday July 18 th
Yard Sale Starts 10am...Details posted on trickytray.com

Pavillion at American Legion Rain or Shine
210 East 5 th Street
East Stroudsburg, PA

Hope to see you there!

Please check Back for updates!
Music & Fun...Food will be available to purchase!

I got the fever again!

Well...It's spring and it feels like I should be in Kiev....Praying about adoption again. We would love a brother for Ben and he would love it too!
I have been trying to avoid it by fixing around the house..gardening & landscaping & dealing with the pool..but it's still creeping in...
Time to start fundraising!

"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away"

Sweetie

Modeling!

Little Baby girl

Well it's been awhile!

Here are the 3 amigas as Daddy calls them in this photo! They are truly God's little gifts...Life has been extra busy lately...keeping up with laundry, cleaning & Meals & pets! The weather is getting great & we will be working around the house more & more...More pictures coming soon!

Ok...I have deleted the CHIP IN so I can make another one..I have paypaled the $ to Reeces Rainbow..

and I don't know how to change the email address so the donations go directly to Reeces Rainbow..so I am making a new one! I might as well change the color too!
So now when a donation comes through it will go straight to Reeces Rainbow to Ivanna's family sponsorship page! YAY!

I will do that with all the other fund raisers from this point because the account is ready for Ivanna!

Thank You Jeanette for the donation!

We are moving along...thanks to all who have donated so far!

I borrowed this one from June ! I love it!

Thank You Jill for the donation!

Thanks Paula for the Donation!

Yay we're up to $50 do I hear $60??

Please Pray for Polly!

Polly will have another brain surgery for MoyaMoya tomorrow January 21 st...Please pray for wisdom of the Doctors and complete results so she won't need another surgery! You can click on the button below about Polly to learn more...

Please donate for Ivanna's new family to save her!

You can donate right on this blog by clicking chip in...our email for paypal is rubenandjoann@msn.com Or Through Reeces Rainbow...make sure you put Ivanna's Family in the memo. We are asking everyone to donate $5 each ..it will add up! Ivanna must be rescued by May and are praying for this family to have a smooth adoption process!

IVANNA HAS A FAMILY!!!

God is good! Thank you who ever you are...we will know soon!

My next vehicle..

This would save me time..drying the clothes while going places.

Please connect me with America!

Donations for Ivanna

Checks for Ivanna & the older girls grant fund can be sent directly to Reeces Rainbow P.O. Box 4024 Gaithersburg, MD 20885
Reeces Rainbow is a 501 3c and will send you a receipt for your 2010 tax return.

As some of you may know...my husband & I had been wanting to go back for Ivanna Orphanage 12 in Vorzel...but due to the size of our home..USCIS would want us to add on..this wouldn't be possible until Spring/Summer and therefore too late to save Ivanna from being transferred to the Institution...We will still post pics of her & raise $ for the older grant fund in hopes that her family will find her... I will also send the updated pics to Andreaat Reeces Rainbow so she will have them for anyone interested. Please pray a family can go get her asap...Ivanna's mother visits her weekly when possible, she brings her healthy food to eat. Ivanna's mother is praying for someone to take her to America where she can have a better life. She will be happy with occasional pictures of her growing up.

Thank You all who have supported us & prayed for us through our last adoption of Masha, Milena & Lillia who are doing wonderful.....I am asking you all to try to donate something even if it's a couple of dollars to raise a grant for the older girls page and then maybe someone will commit to her soon...I will be transferring my chip in over to Reeces Rainbow when it builds up a little...We would have also tried to get Liza but God has answered many prayers for her future and will do the same for Ivanna especially if there is a grant to help a family start the process. We are aiming for minimum of $1800 for a Homestudy & USCIS fees, more would be great and increase her chances of being adopted.. Thanks for those who have already donated.

I was able to spend time with Ivanna if anyone wants more info...she is very teachable & lovable & quite a character. Please check out her new photo on the "Older Girls" page at Reecesrainbow.com.... I will forward this to friends & family as well if you could do the same to help accumulate a grant.

One act of charity will teach us more of the love of God than a thousand sermons-one act of unselfishness, of real self-denial, the putting forth of one loving feeling to the outcast and "those who are of the way," will tell us more than whole volumes of the wisest writers on theology.
Frederick William Robertson (1816-1853)

Not sure how to respond to comments so I'll just post LOL

Thank You Amy...Not announced yet but people can see my blog. Hoping & praying it all happens for this kid... Please pray our Immigration process goes smoothly. These poor kids that are older and ready to transfer break my heart. The world needs to know about these kids just waiting to die......I guess with all the voices of Reeces Rainbow adoptive families and Website it is happening..I hope Andrea can get on Oprah show or the news.

Merry Christmas Ivanna!

Thank You Terri!

Thank You for our 1 st donation!
We have been able to change our day for finger printing...They now have Wednesday as a Walk in day I was told...so praying this is all correct and we will get them done asap!

Headed to the Doc today w/ Amelia..she has a cold or allergies..not sure at this point..had a fever 2 days ago now none..so confused! She is whining to go to school because I kept her home today..I guess she could have gone she looks pretty good just nose running at times.

Trying to get organized as usual..Having a small house and a lot of clothes is a problem...Not a lot of storage space or closets..Most of the laundry stays by the laundry room...so it's a pile. I am always trying out new ways to do things here like changing the furniture around.

Tonight is a party for the families with kids with Downs Syndrome. We all will bring something and I will be bringing cookies we made yesterday & milk! My favorite!

We got our finger print appointment, but have to change it because it's a Tuesday. We were hoping for a Saturday...so waiting for the new date.

Masha is home!

Masha is doing well...she is still taking antibiotics and steroids for her breathing and a few treatments with xopenex (like albuterol)to keep her airways flowing! Thankful to be home.

Please pray for Masha..she is in the hospital. She was having trouble breathing due to a cold and I took her in Friday night. She has no pneumonia or H1N1 or RSV...so thankful for that. They said her lungs are just very wet from mucus... it's not too serious. Her SATS were down to 85-89 when we got there. She is still getting a little oxygen so we are hoping to come home this afternoon..But might be tomorrow yet. Thanks for all the support!

Chip In is set up!

We are now accepting donations through Chip In...It goes through paypal so it is a very safe transaction. Any amount is appreciated...every dollar adds up. We thank you in advance for helping us to save Ivanna from the Institution.

We will also be having another Tricky Tray in January, so any gift cards are welcomed for that too. As long as it is a place that is nationwide and we would have in this area. You can email me if you are not sure & I can let you know if we have that store or restaurant in the area. Thank You.

Beautiful Story

Cherokee Legend


Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him an leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.


Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him .



Maybe even some human might do him
harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.



It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.
cid:2.2107744057@web62405.mail.re1.yahoo.com
It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.
He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.


We, too, are never alone.
Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, Sitting on the stump beside us.
When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.


If you liked this story, pass it on.
If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn.

Moral of the story:
Just because you can't see God,
doesn't mean He is not there.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Dolls

I just found these dolls surfing the web for dolls to make as a fund raiser...They are very cute..Hope you can figure them out. I thought one thing I read was about sand in the bottom of one of them to help them stand. So I would think you could put the sand in a little plastic bag. Hope this helps..I think you can glue gun parts of it too..The kerchiefs, hems etc. to save time.

Another cute Doll!

Double click to enlarge!

My Son the King!

Sometimes I think a brother would be good...but I'm not sure he'd want to share his crown LOL...He has his nitch with Dad amongst all the females and wouldn't want to risk spoiling that!

Double click to enlarge!

HELLO VLADIMIR RUSSIA!

Someone visited the website from Vladimir Russia! I am hoping it is it Yulia's family.
Yulia is doing great..she is very healthy and speaking good english now. She goes to school and takes a bus and loves her teachers there. She is a very smart girl who loves affection and attention. Please email me if you are from Vladimir!!! You can contact me to say hello! EMAIL: rubenandjoann@msn.com

I love these little Russian dolls would love to make them sometime!

Immigration cashed the check the file is open and they have started the process..Praying for the quick approval so we can save Ivanna on time before she is transferred!