Category: Thankful Thursday

I want to say I am thankful for our country – America. Don’t roll your eyes and think it’s some kind of cheeseball patriotism thing. Today I met a woman who used to live in a communist country. As soon as communism fell about 11 years ago, her and her husband escaped the country and were able to come to America. In their home county she was a high school teacher of language and philosophy for 25 years and her husband was a Chief Plastic surgeon in a hospital helping burn victims and the like.

Now she works part time as a babysitter and part time as a cashier at a local grocery store. She would love to teach again, but English is her second language and I thought she was incredibly fluent, but it’s still a hurdle in the testing. Her husband is trying to get in the medical field here, but he has to start over and work his way up. And he is way behind in age of all the other people (you know – fresh out of medical school?). But they are happy and grateful to be here in America and call it home!! Happy to be in our country and living in FREEDOM!!!

So all those complaining people who want to talk about how bad America is need to meet some people like this lady! They haven’t had the “luxury” of always living here and the “luxury” of being able to complain about America without having their hand chopped off (or something worse). Good for them that they can complain without fear, but dang….step outside yourself a bit and look around at all the opportunities around you. Okay, I got on a soapbox here, but I am Thankful that I live in America and VERY thankful that God allows me to do things to help people in my community through KIDS HOPE and around the world through World Vision. I need these reminders of how good I have it.

Okay, I realize this is the same photo from yesterday, but man it’s so darn CUTE!!!!! I am going to use this Thankful Thursday to respond to my “tag” from Terri for 10 people who make me smile. And I went with any people instead of blogger people. These are in no particular order by the way.

Jen – I love you girl and you have made me smile since we were kids for a 100 different reasons.

My sisters – Michelle, Tahni and Bayli . You all make me smile for different reasons. The #1 for all of you is that at some point in the last 15 years each of you has made a comment about me being “old”. No worries….you’ll turn 30 one day too. HAHA!

Chrissie – you make me smile because you always have a smile for the world around you. You are the most upbeat person I know and you spread that love all around.

Grammie – you make me smile because you got me hooked on cookies and organization at a young age.

Laura – you make me smile when we order 2 desserts and it’s half the calories.

Jess P – you make me smile because of your tender heart and your loyalty to your friends.

Kaye – you make me smile because you are such a fine example of a Godly woman. And for quoting Raising Arizona on Referral Day. I will remember that forever.

Mike – you make me smile because you are the best husband and dad EVER!

Love,

Louanne

o For Nadia and her cute little self turning into a crawling speed racer.
o For Jeanette keeping Nadia so that I could mentor. (It was Nadia’s first time to be babysat and she did great)
o For the people of my church who continue to volunteer for the KIDS HOPE USA program this year. It’s AWESOME!
o For the staff at the school being so excited that we are coming back to continue the KIDS HOPE program.
o For the little guy that I mentor. We got to catch up yesterday and I am so grateful to be a part of his life.
o For the new Child Ambassadors in Texas that I was able to chat with this weekend. I am so glad that you have become part of the team and for your willingness to care for children around the world.
o For my sister Michelle who turns 23 this Saturday. I LOVE YOU!!!!!
o For copy machines and white out.
o For having enough time to get the KIDS HOPE program up and still play constantly with Nadia.
o For Terri and Pamela ordering from Lil Sugarplum and mentioning me.
o For baby monitors. Great invention for 2 story houses 🙂

These are the last of the shots from Mike’s camera from Labor Day. She is just so cute I had to keep uploading!!!

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 13:12

I came across this verse on another woman’s blog and I know I have read it before, but it really touched me yesterday when thinking about Nadia. The wait extended so much longer than we ever would have thought. And there were many times during that wait that my heart hurt so much that I thought I couldn’t stand it…hurt for a child I had never even seen. Hurt for a child as I wondered where she was and when she was born. Hurt that she was going to be in an orphanage until we arrived in China on Gotcha Day.

Now we have the perfect child for our family and every day is a blessing and I could just watch her all day. She is so inquisitive and curious about the world around her. Being parents is such a change of life, but it’s so wonderful….we just can’t get enough of her. In many ways the wait has melted away, but the fact of the matter is that we would have waited even longer for Nadia….she is the child that God meant for us.

o For the KIDS HOPE USA training last night and the people in my church willing to reach out to hurting children.
o For the 22 mentors going to the school EVERY WEEK this year!
o For my Super Subs who will be available to meet with the children if their regular mentor can’t make it.
o For Marla laying down the Texas gauntlet to all the Child Ambassadors nationwide to each get 2 more children sponsored by the end of September.
o For the child I already got sponsored in that challenge.
o For the photos we got of our sponsored child from Peru with his Texas t-shirts that another Child Ambassador took for us.
o For my friend Terri and all the other waiting families who got to see the faces of their sweet babies for the first time on Tuesday.
o For the other families that we have gotten to know who are in China now or are leaving this week – enjoy the adventure.

P.S. The photos in the album above were all taken by Mike 🙂