Kick-a-thon

Peter and Devin participated in a kick-a-thon on June 7th to raise money for St. Jude's Childrens hospital. It was brutally hot that day and all the kids ( and parents) were happy to be done and to get inside to the AC.
This is Peter:

Devin is in the back:

Peter in mid-air...he is the one on your right:

The gang:

It shoudn't take so long to come home

One of the men on our team for our Haiti trip is in the process of adopting a little girl from Haiti. Jacob and his wife started this process a year and half ago and it could take up to another year before they get to bring Nancy home. We were so lucky to be able to witness there first time meeting each other and then to have Nancy spend a few days with us. She is such a sweet little girland will be 7 in a few months. We also got to visit her orphanage and spend half a day there playing and cuddling the kids there. There were 47 of them and they all have adoptive homes to go home too. Jacob and his wife have also adopted a daughter from Taiwan, Mei. She is 2. They have a biological son named Ethan who is 3 and half.
Here are some photos from this day:

Visions of Haiti

Haiti

Peter and I are back safely from our trip to Haiti.....There is nothing I can say that will make anyone understand what it was like...unless you have been there. Its a totally different world and I am so thankful for all I have and for what my children have. I will be posting pictures here and there to share with you...will probably put together a slide show at some point. My heart has been broken for these children.....

This is Peterson...he was sent to the orphange 2 yrs ago because he was taking to long to die in the hospital after a failed shunt due to hydrocephalus. I spent 4 days caring for him. He smiles and laughs. He is fed through a tube in his nose. His eyes have cataracts...but I know he can see out of one of them..if only light and dark. He is on his back 24/7 and consequently has open wounds on the back of his head. I explained that he needs to be turned on his side ...they know...but its not done. I just wanted to pick him up and put him on my shoulder...but his head is just too heavy. I held him in my arms and after 10 minutes I had to put him down due to the weight of his head....He loved having his arms and legs and belly rubbed. The socks areon his hands because he pulls out his NG tube in his nose. When I fist saw him he had old mittens on his hands...one of them was taped. It had been a long time since they had been taken off...they smelled. I took them off and his nails were so long and the skin just rubbed off his hands. I cleaned him up...cut his nails. He was so happy to feel his hand in his mouth. I wish I had a picture of his tongue. He loved to stick it out so I could grab it. I left him with clean socks in his hands...who knows when they will be changed again. He loved any touch that I could give him. God has a plan for Peterson.....