We are so Thankful. What a beautiful Award.

Hello Everyone,

As I sit here writing to you about accepting this truly wonderful award, my 3 youngest are beside me asking me what I am doing. I explain I am saying "thank you to a wonderful lady who gave mommy a hug". To me this award is a hug. The kids smile and say "I want a hug" and I give them all a hug and they say thank you. They then quickly jumped off the couch and went about playing doing what kids are suppose to do. They are playing and singing with no worries. This is what I hope and pray for with Danylo, Annie and Jack. These children in the orphanage do not know that, they are facing the mental institution. They do not know that it is already set up for them to be transferred if no family comes to pick them up. Even the best mental institutions are just that. These children do not know what lies before them but we do. We know and cannot pretend that we don't. As I look through my blog and many of my friend's blog's I see pictures of families doing simple things together, cooking, playing, laughing and growing together. This is what every child deserves ......a family. These children in these instiitutions will not have the experiences of doing even the basics of a family....the unlimited hugs and kisses, the mom and dad who are with a camera in hand ready to take pictures of their every achievements big and small, the unconditional love, the teaching of who God is and how special they are to Him. Yes, these children will have food and clothes and they will have the smiles from staff who have become close to them but at the end of the day the staff will go home to their own families and the children stay. We are now less than 3 weeks away from meeting our children for the first time. They do not know we even exist. They will probably be distant but that is okay because they will come home. They will have that mom and dad taking pictures of their every achievement. They will be having the unlimited hugs and smiles, the car rides to the store, the visits to the beach, the laughs of their brothers and sisters who just adore them. They will have a family to come to. I accept this award as a hug. It is a hug to remind me that this is not just MY dream but the dream and hopes of our Lord for every one of His children. Our Father adopted us, He sent Jesus to come and get us and save us from our own institutions. God expects and tells us to do the same "unto the least." God Bless You and thank you Ms Lu for the wonderful Hug.