Another Plea...

Love Without Boundaries won the challenge...fabulous news! They get all the contributions made over the last few weeks along with the $50,000 first place prize. The total money contributed to LWB will easily exceed $100,000! They will be able to do tons of great work with this money.

There is another plea for the children in China. As you may know, the weather in China over the last couple of weeks has been the worst it has been in over 5 decades. Extreme temperatures, snow, ice, the transportation system has been at a stand still. Migrant workers trying to get home for the Chinese New Year holiday are stranded at airports and train stations throughout China. In Guangzhou along, over 500,000 people have been stranded at the train station...just in Guangzhou! Food supplies, clean water and heating has become a real issue for these people.

Unfortunately, the news hasn't been covering the conditions that the orphanages throughout China are now suffering. Half the Sky is an organization that sponsors orphanages throughout China in many ways like Love Without Boundaries. They offer the necessities to these orphanages that they otherwise would do without. I got an e-mail containing information regarding several orphanages that Half the Sky sponsors. There are some really scary situations right now. Places without food, water, diapers, electricity, etc. It is heart breaking.

Right now, Half the Sky is trying to get space heaters, coal, blankets, coats, food, water, medicine, etc. to these orphanages. They have created a Little Mouse Emergency Fund in order to help deal with this very urgent crisis specifically. Please go take a look at some of the needs and if you can, contribute. There are babies in these orphanages that I know of specifically. Please pray that the weather in China clears soon and the needed supplies can get to these children and all those stranded in China as soon as possible.

I don't like asking people for help, but this is really important to me...

http://www.halfthesky.org/work/littlemouse.php

Praying for these children & all the people in China,
Marcy

An Awesome Cause...

Love Without Boundaries is an incredible charity. It is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that was started by a group of parent to provide care for orphans throughout China. The organization provides medical, nutritional, foster care and educational support to children in orphanages and foster care in China. They have provided thousands of surgeries/procedures to children that otherwise would have died in China. Because of their efforts, these children have not only been given a second chance at life, but they have been given homes. After these children receive the critical help needed, they can be placed with families wanting to adopt a special needs child. As well, they provide food and formula to the country's poorer orphanages. They provide educational materials and means for the older children to be able to go to school and even scholorships for children to further their educational goals in college.

I know several families that have adopted children who received heart and cleft surgeries through Love Without Boundaries. Some of these children would have never lived to be adopted if it were not for this organization. You can find the link to their website on the sidebar to check them out. The reason for my posting this today is that they are in the Facebook Challenge and are so close to winning the first place $50,000.00 challenge. If they win this, 10 children will be able to receive the heart surgeries they so desperately need. They have won many of the daily challenges at $1,000.00 but what a difference the first place prize would make.

The Facebook Challenge is really easy and doesn't require a large donation in order to help. You just have to create a Facebook account and donate a minimum of $10.00. LWB gets credit for each unique donation...regardless of the amount. As of 9:17 am, cst, LWB is in second place for the daily challenge and the 50 day challenge. Second place is awarded $25,000.00, which would be great too, but I would love to see them win First. You can get directly to their Facebook cause at the following link....go check it out. Your $10 could make a HUGE difference in a child's life.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/51591

Also on the above link at the bottom of the page there are multiple links to LWB videos. Below is the link to one of their blogs...there are some really sweet pictures on here of children that they have been able to help. There is one little guy at the bottom that has just gotten his new leg - oh, his face just melts my heart!!

http://lwbinpictures.blogspot.com/

Marcy

Sam Is Finally Home....

All ready to go home

After 18 days, Mr. Samuel Ryan is finally home. Stephanie said that he did great and she was so excited she could have ran all the way home. Stephanie, Rick and Jack are so happy to finally all be together at home.

We wish Jack was more excited about Sam finally coming home :-)

Look how tiny he is compared to Jack!!

Not that I would mention it, but he wore the pjs his Aunt Marcy got him home from the hospital...just thought you might like to know (wink!!)

Even though he is home, we will stay away a bit longer. He is still not even considered a "NEWBORN" yet, so we need to be extra cautious about germs. A simple cold that an adult or child may have could easily turn into something serious like RSV for a preemie. He is up to 5 lbs., but that is still such a little tike. He needs to stay healthy and keep on growing. Even though I would love to snuggle this little bundle, I know that it won't be much longer until this whole cold/flu season will be over and we can just "eat him up!!"

He's happy to be home too!

Sending love & sweet dreams to Sam, Jack, Stephanie & Rick!

Love,

Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

Birthday Boy!

Today Jacob turned 9 years old! I do not feel old enough to have a 9 year old child...I definatley do not feel old enough for my second child to be 9 years old!

Cute Party of 4

Jacob was our second child, our second son. He was born just 20 months after our oldest son, Carter. Jacob is a sweet, considerate and compassionate child. He is very thoughtful and loving. He adores his little sister and will do just about whatever she wants. He is a great kid and we are soooo proud of him. He is smart, witty and quite a dancer :-)

Happy Birthday Jacob - We love you very much!!

Love,
Daddy, Momma, Carter, Parker & Anna

Happy 1 Week Birthday!!

Mr. Samuel Ryan in his "big boy clothes"

Okay, so the picture wasn't taken on his 1 week birthday, but close enough. He is still doing great. He is still in NICU, but still no need for breathing assistance or IVs. He has taken some bottles, but mainly is on tube feedings due to his premature state and his inability to suck, swallow and breathe simultaneously. That doesn't come until about the 35th week and technically he is just 33 weeks. They have told my sister that once he is home, he will need to stay in one area of the house that is heated in the mid-70s and to stay wrapped all snug. He doesn't have the ability to maintain his body temperature yet, that too will just come with time.

Unfortunately for me, I haven't been able to "see" the little guy yet :-( It is a crummy time of year to have a newborn period, due to the "cold/flu" season, but especially a little guy like Samuel, it is critical to keep all potential germs and viruses far, far away. We have had coughing and runny noses in our house for a while now, so I wouldn't dare go near him...nor do I think my sister would allow it :-) When my nephew, Jack (Sam's big brother), was in treatment for Leukemia, we learned all about neutropenic conditions, so if you feel sick at all ---- you have to stay away. It is really hard to not go around, but I wouldn't jeopardize his health, or my sister's/brother in law's health right now...Sam needs them, not his aunt Marcy...that will come later. So we wait at home, hoping and praying for his continued improvements and dream of the first time we get to hold him, well I do anyway....he's sooo cute!!

Thankful for Samuel's continued progress and sending love to Sam!!

Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei

Welcome to the World Samuel Ryan!!!

On January 6 at 10:41 am, my sister Stephanie and her husband Rick welcomed their new son Samuel Ryan into the world and were overjoyed as he took his first breath and let out a loud cry announcing his arrival. Born at 32 weeks, we are just sooo thankful that he is doing better than anyone expected. He is not on oxygen, he is eating from a bottle and is just perfect. He is still in NICU due to his premature birth, but making progress far beyond expectations. God has answered our many prayers for his health. Mom and dad are doing great too.

Jack getting the news on the phone that Mom had the baby

Jack giving a very tired momma big hugs

Mr. Samuel Ryan

4 lbs. 11 oz 18 inches long

Happy to be an aunt again to another beautiful baby :-)

Sending love to Stephanie, Rick and baby Sam,

Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker and Anna Mei Yi

Christmas in a Flash....

I know, I am horrible. Here is is January 7 and I haven't even posted that first picture of Christmas....awful! If you want to read my excuses, here they are, if not, skip to the next paragraph. We passed a viral infection around our house pre-Christmas, had Christmas with no sickness, then started getting sick AGAIN! We had body aches, head aches, sniffles, cough, fever, "red" eyes and just felt bad. I was house bound for about 1 1/2 weeks, no church, no grocery, no nothing! We usually do our "last minute" shopping the week before Christmas, but this time, I was scrambling online trying to get everything and make sure it was going to get here....it was nuts, but it all worked out and we had a wonderful Christmas.

Anna was not that concerned with the whole present thing...she was more fascinated with the ribbons and the center rolls of the wrapping paper. We pretty much had to unwrap all her presents and she played with the gift tags. Parker of course, being 3, he was loving it! Everything he opened, "It's a brand new _______!!!" "Amazing!" Every gift, I kid you not. Even in his stocking at my in-laws', he was announcing his "brand new apple!!" Totally thrilled with everything. Three, four and five (before kindergarten) is really the "prime" age for kids. They are just beside themselves and have no real reservations regarding their excitement outbursts...I loved it.

Carter and Jacob, they were loving Christmas too. Of course the gifts are always great, but they love playing with their cousins (Jack & Harris) as well as the extended cousins that they don't get to see that often.

This Christmas was extra special for us since it was Anna's first real Christmas. For two years prior, I knew I had a daughter somewhere that I needed to bring home as soon as possible. Last year, I knew who she was and where she was at, and this year, she was with us. What a tremendous blessing to have this little girl in our family. The joy she brings to our lives is unimaginable.

Very, very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. May you find true peace and happiness in 2008 and may you and yours be blessed.

Sending love from Rodney, Marcy, Carter, Jacob, Parker & Anna Mei Yi