Xiaoyun speaks for orphans

Someone shared this with me, and I loved it so much, I just had to share. : )

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Sarah has two favorite pastimes. Playing with her doctor stuff, and playing instruments!

Recently we have discovered a new favorite music group called the Piano Guys. The name is confusing because really, it's made up of a pianist and a cellist. I personally think they should change their name, but whatever floats their boats.

Here is one of my favorite videos of theirs. Mmmmm....I could watch and listen all day to their music...





Sarah loves to listen to their music too-- especially this particular video.  She sits in front of the computer and mimics the pianist.  She will replay it several times in a row.  And THEN, she sits down with a guitar and pretends to play the cello.  She fancies she is really an expert cellist.  Sometimes she picks up that guitar and tries to put it under her chin so that it can be a violin too.  Yep...she wants to do it all.  And she is so resourceful!  One instrument can be three different kinds.  (She also wants to learn how to play the guitar, of course.)  Oh, yes, and the xylophone too. 

What do you think?  I'm pretty sure she will be a doctor curing kids in the oncology ward by day, and playing all her instruments in concert halls in her spare time. 

And how do you like that bow she found?  I told you she was resourceful!

Going to visit Dr. Aaberg

Sarah has lots of different doctors...  her oncologist, her pediatrician, her ENT doctor, her opthalmologist (well, she is supposed to be seeing her.  We'll get around to it...), and her eye specialist--our very favorite, beloved Dr. Aaberg!

I know I've said it before, but we really love our doctors and nurses.  They are like family in a way, and we always look forward to Sarah's exams since it's like a reunion!  Well, if the doctors and nurses are like family, Dr. Aaberg has to be the favorite uncle. : )  We just really love him, and I know he loves Sarah too.  If you are newer to reading my blog, he is the one who diagnosed Sarah's cancer in the first place, (and I had nick-named Dr. Doom at the time,) and the one who gave us the wonderful news that she was cancer free!  He is just a wonderful man and very special to us.

So, Sarah has to wait three months between eye exams from Dr. Aaberg, and that is a long time when you are 4 and you are anxious to go back.  So, we decided that it would be fun to help the time hurry along by writing a letter and making pictures for Dr. Aaberg.  Sarah often paints pictures intended for him, but honestly, most of them didn't actually make it.  However, last week, we did sit down and write a letter together, and Sarah cut out some pieces of paper, and drew a picture, and we gave it all to Dr. Aaberg today at her appointment.  I don't think he would mind at all if we shared the letter with you....

Here's the letter and the papers she cut out.  And she told me exactly what she wanted me to write on each one--sleepy mask (she is sedated with a gas for the exam,) froggy hug with no frog on it (you know Sarah loves froggy hugs--getting her blood pressure taken-- but the cuff at Dr. Aaberg's surgical center does not have a froggy on it like the ones at clinic,) and This is a broom for Dr. Aaberg (I think she just realized that the cuts in the paper made it look like a broom!)  ; )

  

 I wrote down word for word what she said. : )  The dentist stuff was in there because we had just gone for a check-up!  (Oh yeah, the dentist.  I guess that's one more doctor...)

 And here's her picture. 

And as I was putting on my shoes this morning before we left, I noticed she had laid her kitty in the cradle and covered her up and put the sleepy mask on her.  :)

Aside from the "nasty drops" as Sarah calls them that she has to get to dilate her eyes, we had a great time at Dr. Aaberg's!  And he loved her little letter....and best of all....STILL NO CANCER!  We are so thankful.  God is good.   : )

Jesus loves the little children...

A recent conversation:

Me:  "Sarah, you always make me smile."
Sarah:  "I make you smile every day!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Mommy, you're wonderful."

And another time in the car:

"Mommy, you are so precious.  I would open up a treasure chest, and there you are!  I love you so much.  I like you."  And then I hear kisses being blown in my direction from the back seat. (As precious as that sounds, she was parroting me with her treasure chest speech. She's heard me call her my treasure and how I would find her in a treasure chest many times.  But I believe she fully means it when she says it back to me!)  : )


Oh, my Sarah.  Our little girl whose favorite things are talking, (and she never tires of it.  Ever,) smiling, laughing, hugging, dancing, singing, playing instruments, (I wish I could type that the way she says it..."Mom, I'm playing in-stru-ments!")  being silly, playing doctor--every day,   jumping, spinning,  doing "gymnastics" (okay, it's mostly somersaults on the carpet,) sitting on your lap, being with people, talking to you, (oh, did I say that one already?)  bugging her brother, Ben, encouraging you,  and knowing she is making you proud.  She is brave, honest about her feelings, loving, and full of joy.  She is so very happy. 


Sarah is honestly, truly, in every sense of the word.....a treasure. She was created by God, in His image.  A masterpiece made to be loved and cherished.  She is our daughter, and we love her with all of our hearts.  With every bit of our souls.  Just, exactly like we love the rest of our children. 


I just now finished spending some time over at Wonderful, Waiting Kids.  I rarely spend much time on waiting children websites anymore because we just can't adopt right now, and my heart hurts so much to see their pictures, I can barely stand to look.  I feel like I can't even catch my breath sometimes when I read the profiles.  When I hear in my mind their sweet voices asking when their mommies and daddies will come, I simply can't bear it. 

All I can do is imagine our Sarah there in the orphanage.  A face in the crowd. Yes, maybe these children have a special nanny who loves them.  Maybe they have a best friend.  I am sure they have fun sometimes.  At least most of them must. 

But none of this is a substitute for a real family.  A family who will see them as they truly are.  Every one of them--a priceless treasure.  Just like Sarah.

Please, won't you consider adopting one of these children?  Children from everywhere--China, Russia, Ethiopia, or right in your own state.  They are not just statistics.  They are real children longing for love from a family.  And they deserve it. 

Why not take a minute and check out one of the sites on the right side of my page.  And really pray about adopting!  And if you are thinking about it, would you let me know in the comments?  It would make me so happy to know you are considering it! 

And I'm sure it would make Sarah smile too.  

Can anything be more FUN?!

Our family enjoys the show Wipe-Out from time to time.  The other night, our family watched and guffawed along with an episode, and then played the Wii version that Daddy rented for the night.  It was a hoot, I tell ya.  But the best part of the night was when someone handed Sarah an extra remote that wasn't even working.  But she sure did think it was!  She believed with all her little heart that those  people up there jumping around and falling in the water on the screen were being controlled by her, (and for some reason, Sarah doesn't normally play the Wii.  Not sure why, because she clearly wants to!)  And that was enough to make that little girl one of the happiest people on the face of the planet that day. : ) 

 Getting started--Josh picked out a granny character.  : )

 Sarah realizing she has been handed a remote!

 It was a riot!

 "I fell in the water!"

 Best day ever.  Or at least the best day in the last few days. : )

 Can you believe it?  I am playing the Wii!

 This is almost as good as going to the clinic! (She didn't actually say that, but I'm sure she must have been thinking it.) ;)

"Mommy, take a picture of the remote!"



Sweet conversation...

There are many things that are so precious about Sarah.  One of them is that she is the most grateful out of all of my kids.  Genuinely thankful for just about everything, and she lets us know it!

Here's a little conversation we had today...

Sarah: "Mom, when I was a baby, you went to get me in China."

Me: "Yes, we did!"

"Why?"

"Because we loved you so much! We went all the way to China to get you!"

"You came to China to pick up me. Thank you! Thank you for picking up me!"

It just doesn't get much better than that. : )

The rest of our Make-a-Wish trip!

I suppose I should post some pictures of the rest of our trip, even though Give Kids the World was my favorite part.  The original wish in the first place was for us to visit DisneyWorld, after all!  Our family had never been there, and it costs a whole lot for all those tickets...so we were more than thrilled when we were able to visit not just the Disney parks, but almost ALL the parks in the area down there.  We went to a park almost every day of our Make-a-Wish week.  And a couple of them the second week!

We visited Legoland  It just opened in November.  It was the boys' favorite park! 

 Sarah did not like this ride!  She still talks about it.  : ( 

 But she loved this one!

 There is a huge portion of the park--I think it's called Mini-land?  All national landmarks created from Legos.  The buildings are huge!  Pictures can't do it justice!

 We stopped at the lego store on the way out, and Sarah got a hospital!!



Josh helping put it together that night...

And we went to Hollywood Studios...

 Watching the Indiana Jones show, and we got to meet Indy afterwards!

Outside "Star Tours," one of the boys' favorite rides...

 In the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground : )

 Cassandra part of one of the shows : )

Meeting Green Army Man :)

And here is Sarah, trying to look under Minnie's dress.  Oh, yes, she did.

And Epcot...  but we didn't do too much there, so I barely got any pictures...

A nice little sword fight with a vendor to pass the time while we waited for everyone else to go on a ride...

And Universal Studios...

 Special moment with Dora : )

 One of the hi-lites of the week....getting to watch Barney live!

 And having our own private meeting time with him!

Other characters were there too...I like Curious George. : )

And Magic Kingdom...

 She loved her Minnie Mouse ticket!

 Her favorite rides were always carousels and trains.   Especially this monorail!

And...Downtown Disney (not a park, but a fun shopping area)

 Boat ride...

Another Lego store for my Lego fan boys...

And Animal Kingdom...

 We loved the safari!

Pretty girl, on the way back to our car in the tram...

And Seaworld!

 One of the roller coasters of the week...Josh was my brave boy who loved them!

 He says, thumbs up!

 Sarah loving another carousel. :)

 Watching the sea lion show

 Petting sting rays

 And waiting for the Shamu show to start!

We loved it!

Just going back and looking at all these pictures is overwhelming to me... how blessed we were to be able to go on this trip!  We would love to be able to thank each and every person who gave to make it possible for us to go.  And all of these parks donate the tickets for Make-a-Wish families.  Such a wonderful organization.  Such a wonderful time!