Up date on Monroe Grace

I found out that CHI does not need to send Monroe Grace's file back until they get their next waiting list. This is expected in about two weeks. So she has a few weeks more to find a family. She received a private grant today of $4000. So to date there is $6000 towards her adoption. With the $10,000 the US government gives towards adoption her expenses are basically covered. Yes she is almost 10 years old, but she is social, hard working and lovely. If you know anyone who maybe looking for a daughter then please tell them about this beautiful girl. She has a few more weeks to find a family. I'm hoping to see a miracle!

for more information contact CHI at
stefani @ infowest.com (remove the spaces)
or in the US call 435-867-5255.

Last day to find a family

This is Monroe Grace on CHI's list. She has been on the list twice. Her file goes back Monday. I actually think today is her last day to find a family. She was born in 1998 (that makes her 10 years old this year). They put on her record she had autism symptoms...but she was only 2 weeks old at the time! I've read her file. I see nothing that points to autism. my oldest daughter Jessica has autism. Monroe Grace does not!!! I'm sure that wrong bit of information is the main reason she has no family now. They say she is very social now. She is an actress in plays. She helps the nannies with the little kids. She is a lovely and healthy girl. Her only SN is crossed eyes. She loves pretty things, but has none. She does well in every thing but math. They have a $2000 grant available to adopt her(now $6000). It isn't much, but it could help. Please pray for a last minute miracle for this lovely 10 year old. The Bible says God places orphans in families. Every child needs parents. I can tell you honestly that Thomas (adopted at age 7) is my most needy child. He is wonderfully gifted but has very little self worth. He waited so long for parents. It is a big task to teach him he has worth. He is learning...but it is a long road. Imagine never learning this lesson. Imagine facing this world without belonging anywhere. Imagine not having people who fought for you, corrected you, spoiled and celebrated you. No birthday gifts, no allowance, no vacations, no one who cared so much it hurt! Sometimes adoption is all about what we need as a family...or want as a family. Other times it is more. It is seeing the gifts and resources God has placed in our hands. It is seeing their need, and just knowing we have what it takes to meet that need. But don't believe it's all giving. They give you more then you'll ever be able to know. They surprise you. Please pray for a miracle for this beautiful girl. She deserves a family, nothing less.
The one photo is something a CHI mom made to help picture Monroe Grace with hair and not the orphan cut! She is really a cute girl. She has very cute dimples and a sweet nose.

for more information contact CHI at
stefani @ infowest.com (remove the spaces)
or in the US call 435-867-5255.

someone abandoning a child

A new waiting list

Hope for Children has a new list of waiting kids.

My heart or my head?

I do think baby Joy is a piece of gold! I can hardly believe she is still waiting for a family. I can only imagine that it is money standing in the way of her getting a family. I think the economy slow down in the USA will hit adoption hard. With my heart I would adopt Joy in a New York second. With my mind I know she is too young for us. She is 4 years younger then Sarah. Sarah is already 5 years younger then Philip. We need a 4 or 5 year old. That is if (a big if) we were to adopt again. Right now I just don't see it happening. I am praying for Joys family to find her soon. How sweet to dream of being the parent of such a ray of sunshine. I'm pretty sure it was never meant to be, at least not for me.

Oh my! They even have update pictures of joy!

I am in LOVE!!!!

I can not believe she is still on the list!

This little girl they call joy was on hold basically the first day the adoption list came out. I guess for some reason the family just couldn't go forward with her adoption. They say she smiles all the time, even when she sleeps. She just turned one years old. Her SN is a VSD (that is a correctable hole in the heart). That is believe me no big deal!!! I want her Juergen!!! Juergen, are you reading my blog? Honey...she even has a butterfly on her dress. It is a sign!!! Isn't she the cutest thing!!!

Water under the bridge

I just held a crying Sarah as she fought to stay awake. She was acting up and looked at the very least tired. I'm afraid she maybe getting sick. Finally sleep won out. As I sat holding her in her bed I could not help remembering the early days. she would be falling apart tired, but I could not hold her. She would always be most afraid of me when she was tired. Philip or even Mickey our dog would have to hold her hand. She was so afraid of me. I know they used old rags to tie her to her bed in the SWI. I've seen the photos. Bed time was always such a nightmare. Today she did not want to sleep. She is a normal 5 year old. She sure doesn't want to miss any of the action. But she was falling apart. I'll probably be doing allot of reflection over the next month. We only have 5 or 6 weeks until our one year anniversary. As many of you know those early days were pretty awful...but that's all water under the bridge. By Gods grace we are past those very difficult days. My baby is sleeping soundly in her own room. She fell asleep in her Mamas arms. She is finally safe!

Today is the big day!

Today my blog friend Kristy from Oregon and her sweetheart Mark get their new daughter Ellie. They have not posted anything yet but I'm watching their blog for news of the big event. Ellie lives in Shanghai. It will be a very big change for her. I pray it all goes well!

The weather was so beautiful today!

It was a beautiful spring day. Juergen lit a fire for me so I wouldn't get too cold. We drank tee in the garden. I just love being finally outside!!! What a gift to have such a beautiful day!

I read this on a yahoo group

One week left to find family for these 5 different children age 3 to
5 1/2 and a boy 13 1/2

We have been instructed to send these five children's files back in a
week. We do not know what will happen next for these children. We do
not know if they will get another chance to be adopted. We do not
know if they will be advocated for in a different manner.

Families do not need to have a completed homestudy to express
interest. A wonderful donor has paid for their application, adoption,
and post placement fees. There is also a $4500 no-interest loan and
you may be eligible for a more than $10,000 in adoption tax credit.

Please contact WACAP 1-800-732-1887. WACAP is a
non-profit adoption agency.

Please ask for their photos and medical information.

Girl age 3 ½,. X is a happy toddler with good mobility and great
curiosity. Her special needs are a malformation of her left arm and
facial palsy. She enjoys playing with toys and exploring her world.
Call the Family Finders team for pictures and a medical description
of this gentle and sweet little girl today! Adoption fees paid for by
a donor . Reference number XF.0804.2360.01

Boy age 4, with a joyful disposition and a playful demeanor, delights
in a good game of hide-and-seek. This little boy is an active toddler
with a cleft palate, a repaired cleft lip and another sensitive
special need that will be disclosed upon request. Call the Family
Finders team today to learn more about this little boy who needs a
family. Reference XY.0104.2361.01

Boy, age 5 1/2, Merry and engaging, M. is a young boy with a cleft
lip and palate, both surgically repaired. He expresses his ideas well
and smiles when teased. His favorite foods are milk and meat. He is a
good-spirited and animated little charmer, ready for a family of his
own. Reference ML.1002.2421.01

Boy, age 5, Expressive and polite, X is a smart, lively and unique
little boy. His cleft lip and palate have both been repaired, and he
has alternating upper strabismus in both eyes. He is competent with
self-care tasks, has a good memory, and is eager to learn. He loves
being read to, singing, and writing characters. He gets along well
with other children and is a good helper. X. has all the makings of
an ideal son. All he needs is a family! Reference XY.0303.1456.01

Boy age 13 ½, is a delightful and polite boy. He does well in
school, likes all his subjects, but he absolutely loves art. L is
post surgical for his cleft lip and cleft palate. The arch on his
left foot is mildly deformed, but this doesn't affect his mobility.
This delightful little boy needs a family who can show him all the
wonders of the world—most importantly, what it is to be a part of a
loving family. Reference number LQ.1094.2188.01

http://www.wacap.org/FamilyFinders.asp


These adoptions are pretty much free...FREE!!!

Kids can not be adopted after the age of 13 years in China so this is the 13 year olds last chance to find a family. Please pray for him! There must be someone who wants a boy who is good at art and likes school.

Betty Boop-1937-House Cleaning Blues

More clean house videos

I'm sorting my books this weekend. I have so many books! Too many books! I love these crazy "How to clean your house" videos. They inspire me to get the job done!!!

My fish

Sarah's favorite thing to do is swim. She has swim lessons on Friday. It is a very basic course. She can not really swim yet but she just loves it!

More How to clean your house

I just love this stuff!

Kristy is in China

My blog friend Kristy made it to China. I think Monday is her big day to adopt her new daughter Ellie from Shanghai. She probably can not read your comments, but send her a hug anyway! She has waited a long time for this day to come!

How to clean your house - BBC

I don't know if you all read the comments (I don't get many, hint, hint). Kim said she watchs this program called "How to clean your house" on BBC. I saw it once when I visited my parents in the USA. My house is cluttered but nothing (thank God) like this. I am serious about getting rid of the clutter...Oh My Goodness!!!

Spring cleaning

When the weather improves I want to spend my time in the garden. So I have decided it's time to start my spring cleaning. What are your best spring cleaning tips? Here is a site that has some pretty good tips.

US Adoption

I was reading about adoption in the USA (domestic adoption). I of course live in Germany, so it would be international adoption for us. There are many beautiful kids available for adoption. I found this really cute brother and sister in Washington State that need a special family. They had loving parents that are over 60 years old, and just could not meet their needs. The girl is 6 years old and normal and healthy. She has a 3 year old brother who has autism. My oldest daughter Jessica has autism. The bond between these siblings reminds me of Jessica and Nicole. There are many new treatments available for kids with autism. He is young and already receiving intervention. He would really benefit from some strong biomedical help and a good diet. I'm sure there must be a special family out there for these two kids. They were never neglected or abused. Their biological parents just felt they were in over their heads. The biological parents would be honored to be grandparents to the kids. You don't need to go to Africa or Asia to find children who need a good home. Here are two beautiful children who want parents today. They will receive much state assistance to help meet their needs. I bet they would be a real blessing to their family!!!

This is exercise

Juergen worked late last night. To make up for it, he came home and took the kids on a long hike in the forest (sorry he didn't take photos). They took the bergban down the mountain in Heidelberg, and hiked all the way up the hill. Trust me; I would have done it the other way around. Juergen was a little concerned about Sarah, if it was too hard for her. At one point in the hike he said, "Man this is exercise". At this Sarah stretched out her arms and shouted "Yes"!!! She loved it, and kept racing up the hill!

The Most Exciting Thing

My friend Kristy from Oregon (my home state) is going to China in only 2 days. Why don't you send her a word of encouragement? Kristy I am so excited this day has finally come!!!

Fooling around with the blog look

Hi,I liked my old blog look but wanted something brighter for spring. The sun was shinning today. I even bought flowers for my window boxes. I had to put the flowers in the greenhouse because it is going to be freezing for a few days...but you know the feeling. Boy am I ready for spring! I want the flowers and sunshine. I want to get out of the house. I want the kids out of the house even more!!!

Dreams come true

It's Friday afternoon. Sarah has had a busy day. She just got home from swim lessons and she passed out in my arms. Who do you think is dreaming? Sarah or me?

I read this on CNN

Amid a discussion of trade in 1973, Chinese leader Mao Zedong made what U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called a novel proposition: sending tens of thousands, even 10 million, Chinese women to the United States.

"You know, China is a very poor country," Mao said, according to a document released by the State Department's historian office.

"We don't have much. What we have in excess is women. So if you want them we can give a few of those to you, some tens of thousands."

A few minutes later, Mao circled back to the offer. "Do you want our Chinese women?" he asked. "We can give you 10 million."

After Kissinger noted Mao was "improving his offer," the chairman said, "We have too many women. ... They give birth to children and our children are too many."

"It is such a novel proposition," Kissinger replied in his discussion with Mao in Beijing. "We will have to study it."

I love my Papa

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

My Big Girl

Sarah wanted me to put her to bed tonight. Now isn't that a change! She also wants to sleep alone in her own bedroom. This is also something new. Until around December she wanted to sleep on a small bed in my room, then she wanted to sleep in Philip and Thomas' room, now alone in her own room. Tonight she got ready for bed. She brushed her teeth, went to the toilet, got her pj's on. She puts her bracelet and socks in her jewelry box (funny). I guess she considers socks a treasure? I prayed for her and gave her a kiss good night. She wanted her music (she always listens to Steven Curtis Chapman’s Christmas CD). She didn't even want me to stay. What a big girl! The change is black and white. I'm not sure she even remembers China. I am Mama...or as Sarah says all the time now "My Mama"!!! Amazing! Isn’t it amazing!!!

I received this best blogger friend award from my beautiful sister in Christ Kristy. Kristy travels to China next week to get her new daughter. It could not happen to a nicer person! Kristy's award had me crying this morning. To be honest, life is very hard right now. Juergens mom is dying, Thomas is having some trouble, and yesterday we found out Jessica needs another ear surgery (to remove tumors from her ears). Life seems very fragile at times. Small things like receiving an award from a blog friend ...well it's like receiving a cup of cold water when you feel like you are in the desert. I would love to award another blogger with this award too. It's very hard because I've been blessed with many wonderful friends who share a equal passion for orphans. I love friends like Jennifer, Heather,Beverly, Jodi, Kim, Mary Denna and Cindy (just to name a few). But one person does stand out. She was always there praying for me and blessing me through all the difficult times. I give this award to Jill. Somehow she always knew just what to say to encourage me.

"The Best Blogger Friend Award! "
"I thank my God every time I remember you." Phil. 1:3

This award is for all those special blogger friends who have touched your life & are True Blessings from God!! What would you do without them?
"We love, We laugh, We Cry, We pray, We share, We care!!"

waiting girl

This adorable waiting girl has Hep B. She is 9 years old. Her profile reads, "Mimi is an active and outgoing child. She warms up quickly to new people. She loves to run and play outdoors. She also enjoys playing with dolls." I think she is just perfect! It's very hard for the "older" kids to find a family. Hep B is such an easy special need to manage.

Sarah's ice cream cake

Waiting 5 year old

HERE is the information for a waiting 5 year old (she will be 6 in July). She has a repaired heart (VSD/ that is just a small hole in the heart). She is very healthy and developmentally normal. I think she is really cute. It's hard for the "older" kids to find families. Bonding takes longer from our experience with an older child, but it does happen. Every new experience is a real gift. They are so deserving of a family of their own. Could it be that it is you she belongs to?

Happy Birthday Sarah!!!

Today Sarah turned 5 years old. I asked her earlier this week what she wanted to eat and she said eggs. So for breakfast she had hard boiled eggs. After breakfast she got to open a big bag full of gifts. The boys were so excited I could hardly keep them from opening the gifts for Sarah. She hardly knew what to do. This is after all her first birthday party! She had her mind fixed on kindergarten. We were bringing ice cream and best of all balloons for her class. The balloons were a big hit! Nicole and Philip are in the kitchen baking Sarah a cake. I needed something to put her candles on. She wanted chocolate fondue. I bought fresh fruit and ice cream to go with the wonderful melted chocolate. The kid has good taste! The photos are from this morning. I'm adding a video of Juergen tuning Sarah’s new guitar. It was too funny. He wouldn't let her have the guitar until he had the chance to tune it!

A cold New Year

I just read a story on CNN about the cold in China. Many people can not go home for the Chinese New Year. For many of them this is the only vacation in a year. Others are without power or water or heat. 5 years ago tomorrow (the first day of the New Year) a women in China gave birth to a baby girl. 2 days later (Feb 9, 2003) she would leave this baby on a stone bench near a water treatment plant on the outskirts of Nanjing City. Tomorrow this baby girl, Sarah turns 5 years old. I'm sure it will be the first birthday she has ever celebrated. We don't want to overwhelm her. She will have a small party at kindergarten, and another family party at home. She wants to have chocolate fondue instead of cake. I think of her birth mother. The daughter she abandoned turns 5 years old on the biggest day of the year. I feel so sad for her. I wish I could tell her how Sarah is doing. I wish she would know she has given us a gift beyond measure or words. I wish she knew her daughter is blessed.

My new you tube video is done!

That went fast! I asked for photos last night (German time) then went to bed. By morning I had all the photos I needed. If you want your child in the next video, just e-mail a good photo to my yahoo address listed on the side bar. I'll save it for the next slide show. Happy valentines day! You have really beautiful kids! Who wouldn't love them!!!

Sarah's 5th birthday is this week

New video

I want to make another you tube adoption video. I like this song called,"I've got you under my skin" By Mr. Blue eyes him self. I think the copy I have does not use the dam word if you have a problem with that. It's a pretty cool song and I want your best cool photo, or fun photo of your adoptive child. High quality jpgs, and close ups are best. Please send those photos to my yahoo address
amy_heymann @ yahoo. de (remove the spaces)

I will have this done in plenty of time for Valentines Day.

These are the 10 kids that will live

My friend Mary meeting her son Sam

I took this from Mary's blog. I couldn't resist it! How beautiful...how special!!! She just had a baby girl in December so she couldn't travel to China with her man Doug. Finally, after a very blessed trip (I think) Sam and Doug are home. He looks shocked in the video. I guess that is a pretty normal reaction. He just flew in from China, and he is meeting his mom for the first time. He has a great mom. He will warm up to her in no time! A major congratulations!!! I hope you don't mind me stealing your video...it is such a heart warming thing to see your family together at last!!!

is this for you?

A ladybug landed on my desk today. Is this for you?

China's stolden Children

Here is a video called China's stolden Children. It is a gripping look at one of the effects of the one child policy.

Please pray for the orphans in China

As most of you know China is facing what most are calling the worst natural disaster in 50 years. The entire country is gripped in cold. It is Chinese New Years next week (actually on Sarah's birthday). Millions (perhaps 200 million) people are trying to get home for CNY. For many of these people it is the only visit home in the entire year. So many people in China work in distant places, and send money home. The two week holiday is the only time they can visit. This is the recipe for a great disaster. As many as a million people were stuck in Guangzhou because of massive electric outages that prevented trains from moving. My Mom and I stayed at a dive hotel around the corner from this train station. I've driven and walked past this station day after day. It's very difficult to get water and power and food to many of the orphanages in China. It is a challenge to keep the kids feed and warm. Please remember to pray for the children, and the people sacrificing to keep them alive. The photos are from Guangzhou and Nanjing. Nanjing is of course Sarah's home town.

Tagged by Debz

I just got tagged by Debz at Sugar and Spice and a little rice (cute name & very cute blog). I'm supposed to tell you 7 odd things about myself. I'm sure there are more then 7 things...let me see what comes to mind?
1. My name is not Amy, it is Amelia. When I was in first grade the teacher did the roll call. She said "Amelia" and I did not respond. I had never heard my real name before, not even when my mother was mad at me. I actually love the name Amelia. I only had one person in my life ever call me by this name. I think it's too elegant to fit me. Amy fits me just fine.
2. I never left the state of Arizona until I was 8 years old. I was born and raised in Phoenix. Who would have known back then I would grow up to see the whole world?
3. I did pantomime when I was a kid. I'm thinking about putting my son Thomas in a pantomime workshop (it's a little costly). I did a workshop once with MARCEL MARCEAU in high school. Nicole has a funny joke about mimes. "If a tree falls on a mime in the forest and know one is around to hear it...does anyone care"?
4. Thomas and I have allot in common. We also both played the drums. I wanted to be like Karen Carpenter. Thomas is actually pretty gifted...I was OK but not what you would call gifted.
5. I dream day and night. I'm always dreaming. This behavior got me into trouble when I was in school. Juergen gets a little crazy because every big idea comes from me. I dream it, he does it!
6. I buy way too many plants. If I see a plant for sale, I can hardly keep myself from buying it. I got this from my dad. He is a great gardener. I’m not a great gardener...I just love plants.
7. I hate shoes. I've probably written this on my blog before. I always get blisters on my feet when I have to wear a new pair of shoes. I run around in my socks all winter, and bear feet the rest of the year. I wear my shoes until they fall apart. I hate shoes!
I've got very few people to tag because most of the blogs I read already got tagged to do this game. If you want to tell people 7 things about yourself then please consider yourself tagged...OK?

400,000 people were stranded at Guangzhou Railway Station on Friday

This is a note of thanks from LWB

Hi everyone! I finally found a way to get back online! Has everyone come down to earth yet? What an AMAZING final day of the Face book contest. Did anyone else hit the “refresh” button every 2 seconds today?

My family was heading to Texas today, but there was no way we could pull away until the final tally was in. Our hearts were pounding as it came down to the last minutes and when it ended…there were screams of happiness and tears of joy, and such unbelievable gratitude for everyone who helped.

Tonight while we were at a rest stop in Antlers, Oklahoma (isn‘t that a great town name?)….the ending of “It’s a Wonderful Life” just washed over me. You know the scene…when George thinks he is going to jail and the police are there, but then his front door opens and the entire town has come to his home to donate all their dollars in order to help a friend. That is exactly what we saw in the last 24 hours for ten orphaned babies in China….the “whole town” coming out to tell them how important they are to this world. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the kindness of our friends.

Today I heard of a college student whose niece was adopted from China, going door to door in her dorm and convincing over 200 people to help our cause. I learned of an ICU night nurse who recruited hospital staff, of men who called meetings at work and then convinced their co-workers to join Face book. I heard of sororities and fraternities signing up friends, of grandparents emailing everyone they knew, of moms driving to Starbucks to convince the people sipping coffee there that they needed to give. I had message after message from friends who said they had taken the day off of work so that they could man the phones for the kids and find new donors. And in our adoption community, truly the entire town was there helping today. Adoption agencies, bloggers, yahoo groups, and even other charities working with orphans…all sending notes and letters asking their supporters to donate today, because we all share the same belief that orphaned children matter. It was so humbling to watch it unfold. The last 24 hours have shown that we are ONE COMMUNITY, tied together with love for the children.

And so from all of us at LWB, to all of our friends who helped make this possible….THANK YOU so sincerely. We all know who the real winners were today…..the beautiful children who will now have a second chance at life. What a story they will someday be told, of how “the whole town” came out to change their futures. For us, the Face book contest has ended, but for Cong, Ying, Shan, Yun, Yu, Xiang, Ya, Zi, Hua, Ling and more…..their story of HOPE has just begun.

Amy (Amy E. The founder of LWB)

Super bowl ad

Sarah as a clown! Boy was she happy today!!!

LWB won the face book challenge by 42 donors!

42 donations gave LWB the victory, and the extra $50,000. I know I have been nagging and begging you to give for the past month. I was really passionate about this one. I don't apologize for that. 10 children will now live...I couldn't be happier! If you gave I want to give you a big kiss!

video hosting

The mess in China as People try to get home for CNY

This is a video of people trying to get home for CNY. As you can see, it is a mess. Many of these people can only go home one time per year for this two week holiday. The weather has caused such a mess...the timing couldn't be worse! My mom and I stayed only a few blocks from this train station in Guangzhou. I thought the tradeshow was bad. This is a nightmare.

Please folks I am begging you...give now!

For those who do not have a Facebook account, here are the
directions
1. Go to: www.facebook.com
2. Click on the "Sign Up" button in the middle of the screen.
3. Enter the various information.
4. Facebook will then send you an email confirmation.
5. Access your email and click on the email confirmation
6. Once you have an Facebook acount you should go to this site:

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

7. Once at this site you can donate to the LWB Facebook Cause.


You can sign up for face book if you are over the age of 13. I signed Jessica, Nicole, and Juergen up and donated for them. I used the yahoo e-mail accounts they already had (it only takes one minute to create a yahoo e-mail account and it is free). I realize this is crazy and why should you waste 5 or 10 minutes just to donate $10? But there are real babies in China that have already lost their parents. They will lose their lives if they do not get heart surgery. If Love without Boundaries wins the 2nd place prize 5 kids will get surgery...but if they win the first prize 10 kids will get surgery. Your one donation could be the difference, it may end up being that close. You will spend $10 to go to the movies, buy good coffee, and drive through McDonalds. Please give $10 and 10 minutes of your time to give to this cause. It will be the best $10 and best 10 minutes you spend this week.

LWB is losing to the Tibetan freedom movement!

With only 8 hours to go the very happy Tibetan Freedoms Movement probably has a hang over, but they are going to win the face book challenge if we don't find more donors. If they were feeding poor Children in Africa maybe I wouldn't feel so bad. They are probably going to spend the money to pay for airline tickets to the Olympics to protest agents China....and how effective do you think that's going to be? It is not too late to give...


http://apps.facebook.com/causes/giving

And one more idea

It's after midnight but I am having trouble sleeping. I am trying to find ways to get more people to sign up for the LWB face book challenge. Tonight I learned you can sign up for face book if you are 13 years old. I signed Jessica and Nicole up, and then donated $10 each in their names. I had to get Jessica a yahoo e-mail account first. That's easy to do, and free. If you have older kids, you can do the same thing. Remember the Tibetan Freedom Movement is giving away free beer. You know this is going to be very close. If Jessica, a 16 year old autistic girl can give LWB $10 you can too! Sign up your older kids, ask your family and friends if you can sign them up, and make a donation for them. This is a serious battle...we need some serious help!