Psalm 68:5-6

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

I am Stepanie Nance. My family adopted two little boys with Down Syndrome from Ukraine in 2010. I hope to educate and to inspire you. I hope to make you laugh and to make you cry.

Come along for the ride. It's a wild one!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Happy! Hurting. Hopeful!

Happy! Happy birthday sweet Zhenya!

We must have sung the birthday song a hundred times to him today. I hope that he enjoyed all of us singing to him. We'll have his party in a couple of days when daddy is home to share in our joy.


Hurting. Yes, certainly. Zhenya had a rough day for one thing. Every now and again some orphanage behaviors pop up and surprise us. Just when we think we are smooth sailing. What is it about orphanage life that harms children so? It hurts me that he lived that way for so long. He cannot tell me what is the matter. Not with words anyway.

And I'm wondering about Zhenya's birth parents. Are they hurting today, too? Do they remember the day their 2nd son was born? How could they forget? Do they know that he was adopted? Do they know he is now an American citizen?

As always, I have more questions than answers.

And I'm hurting for Masha who turned four years old today, too. Dear sweet, tiny Masha. No cake for her. No ice cream. No joyful singing. Just a day like any other day, except...

Now that she is four years old, she could be transferred to the mental institution at any time. How is that for a happy birthday?

Hopeful. I'm hanging on the the hope that, although I have no idea if this is how it really works, many children have been adopted from Masha's baby home over the past 9 months. At least nine that I know about. Perhaps there is room for Masha to stay in the baby home a bit longer? Perhaps she will still be there when her family arrives?

Hopeful. I'm hopeful that we will find a family for her very soon. With a $5,000 grant and the money we raise with her giveaway this month and another possible large donation in the works my hopes are high, indeed!

Won't you help me honor Zhenya's 4th birthday by making a $4 (or more!) donation to Masha? Help us seal the deal for her and make 2011 the year she came home to her forever family!! Cash is fine...donations made by check can be made payable and mailed to:

Reece’s Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

Or, you can quickly and easily donate through the chip-in, where the money goes straight to her account with Reece's Rainbow.



Remember I am giving away Crazy Love, a beautiful Lia Sofia necklace, pretty silver earrings, funky cool bracelets, and a taggy sensory blankie. Your name goes in the hat once for each $5 you gift and one more time if you share about this giveaway on your blog. Please...share this and leave me the link in the comments section.

2 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Sweet Zhenya, prayers have been answered for you to have such a great family to celebrate it with.. Thanks for posting his photo, he's already really changed his looks since he's been home. Love the hair :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just posted about Masha...

    http://stclairadoption.blogspot.com/2011/01/crazy-in-love-with-masha.html

    ReplyDelete

 


  © Web Design by Poppies Blooming 2010

Back to TOP