A Torch for Teagan and Kelten

One Week

2012-02-23T23:31:00.000-06:00

Oh my how time flies by ever so quickly when your to do list still has 14 things left to do on it. We have been praying for the day we would travel, we have been collecting things for the day we would travel, and we have been planning for the day we would travel, but somehow I forgot to pencil in the million other day-to-day things that go one. This is our third international adoption in less than 2 years. I don't even know if our bags were ever totally unpacked before we started packing them with things for the next trip.

In just one week Madelaine and I will leave the other children and Brian (daddy) behind to travel half way around the world to meet the two newest members of our family. I am as nervous and giddy as a school girl on my first day of school. What will I wear to meet them? What will they be wearing (don't worry I am prepared for my boys to be wearing tights and lovely shades of pink when we meet)? Will they know I am their mommy? Will they want to come to me? Then of course there is the question I am sure that is looming largely in my heart and mind: what will their health be like? Will they be as sick as Carrington was?

So many of the children living where the boys live are in such fragile conditions. These children living in this orphanage have the most minimal of minimums: diaper changes, feedings, interaction. What will we do once we get there? Well, I can certainly tell you that we will love on our boys and try to share some of that love with the other children if we are given that chance. We will show the love of Jesus to those whom I readily admit I personally struggle with giving that love. Jesus wants us to be the light to the dark so that means I need to set aside my deep irritation towards those whom have inflicted pain and suffering upon these precious children. I will because Jesus did.

Wonderful things are happening. Donations of much needed items such as formula and diapers are soon going to be arriving at the orphanage once Madelaine and I heave those heavy luggage bags off the plane. Lots of warm sleepers are just waiting to be put on the children to keep them warm. And two very excited mommies (Jenny and myself) are awaiting the moment we can scoop those precious gift of God into our arms to whisper in their ear, "Mommy is here!" Soon, Teagan and Kelten. Soon your mommy and big sister will be there.

Please continue to pray for our facilitators for their health and safety as they are also in the midst of trying to rally against the enemy to find families for these precious children. Please pray for warmth for the children and proper care and nutrition to finally find their way to the children. God is good and His will be done!

Courage

2012-02-19T21:51:00.000-06:00

My dream is for my boys to have the courage of this young man. Grab your tissues!!

New Colors for Live Simply Tshirts

2012-02-19T16:06:00.000-06:00

We are so excited to share with you all, thanks to popular demand, that we are able to offer the Live Simply Tshirts in these 5 new colors. The tshirts we are selling to not only raise funds for our boys but to also bring a simply yet profound message to the world are $10 each plus $2 shipping. The tshirts will spread the message of:

LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE

You can pay for the tshirts via the chip in button to the right. Be sure to leave your color choice and size in the message or you can email me that info at burmanshelly@yahoo.com. We are going to extend the sale of these awesome shirts up until the day I leave which in March 2nd.

Sangria

Navy Blue

Candy Pink

Charcoal

Dill green

In the original colors of red, blue, and white we have the following sizes available:
WHITE; RED: BLUE:
Medium-3 Small-5 Small-1
Large-7 Large-3
XL-3
2XL-3

SeeThese Handsome Boys?

2012-02-10T16:02:00.001-06:00

Do you see these very handsome boys? The chocolate brown eyes just looking right into your very heart. These are our boys. This is Kelten Drake and Teagan Chance. Soon to be BURMANS!!!!! How soon you ask? Well very soon because we just received our written referral today!!!!!!! I am leaving on March 2nd to go meet our boys for the first time. I will get to spend about 5 days visiting, playing, and loving on them. I guess it will be a bit strange for me because our previous adoptions had us spending weeks visiting and playing with them and this time it is only for 5 days.

The funny thing is that all and I mean ALL of our adoptions seem to occur during the months of Jan-March in terms of us meeting our children or bringing them home. One good thing about going then is the weather should be warmer than what is has been for the families who were just visiting and loving on their little ones in the very same orphanage as our boys. What is also going to be fun is that I get to travel with another family who is adopting 3 little ones from the same place as well as another little guy from a different location.

Thank you to every single one of you who has supported us with your prayers, comments, participation in our fundraisers and with your love. It is not easy to go through an international adoption much less 3 in less than 2 years with the addition of 7 children; BUT....we never said that not easy would be not rewarding. Through our journeys we have been blessed with the addition of 5 magnificently different and wonderful children, learned about the plight of the orphans, started a ministry with other moms to help those orphans left behind, met amazing and kind hearted people, created a voice for children in places where they have no voice, and most amazing has been the growth for me in my walk with God. I would never have guessed nor pictured the day Mason passed away in my arms that glory and fulfillment would come out of the extreme pain I felt. My Mason, short was his time on this earth, mighty is the lasting imprint he has left on our family. The Burmans are a big family. TRUE! But we feel as if we have an even bigger family located on all corners of this earth and in Heaven. You all are a piece of our family's history and a thread forever woven into our lives.

Look Boys

2012-02-08T22:20:00.000-06:00

Today I woke up to yet another day with no signature from the lady (whom shall remain nameless) which would give us permission to go over to meet Kelten and Teagan. I was bummed:( Well, I decided that I was going to use this time to go on a hunt for a crib toy to attach to their cribs in the orphanage
that does not take batteries. Do you know how hard that is? I was talking to my friend today and we both agree that the toy company and battery company are in cahoots with each other.

I thought I would go to resale/thrift stores in hopes of finding just an item. That was easier said than done. I went to 3 stores and 1 Goodwill and did not find the item I was looking for. But..... I did find a couple of items that I think will be perfect for the boys and at very reasonable prices. The reason I do not want battery operated toys is that we cannot say for sure that the batteries will not be removed from the toy by individuals of adult proportion. So take a look at some of the things I found for our boys.

Ok so how many of you remember this?! Well if you said "oh I played with one of those when I was little" you are now considered ANTIQUE. Yes, this toy was in the antique section of a resale store. Oh well it is sturdy and does not require batteries. Carrington has tested it out for her big brothers and she gives it a tongue up.

This is the item I was searching for but could not find anywhere. My friend Dana found it on eBay and I shouted "that's it!!!" so it should be coming to us just in time to go see our boys. Ahhh the memories! This also was listed as vintage.

This is not antique nor vintage but it is super cool. It is a toy that you can put your iPhone into and your child can play with your iPhone without breaking it. We saw this at a store and it was about $15 but I found it in brand new-like condition for only $1.

Check This Out

2012-02-07T15:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone this is Teagan and Kelten. We are getting excited for our Mommy and big sister Madelaine to come over and play with us. Mommy still hasn't been given the piece of paper she needs to travel yet:( I wonder if this cold weather will ever ease up so maybe we can go outside for a walk when she comes. We wanted to remind you all to go check out the auction at Hidden Treasures for our friends the Archer family. You see we have 3 friends here whose Mommy and Daddy are going to bring home and this auction is for them. Tonight is the last night so go check it out, PLEASE!!

LIVE SIMPLY Tshirts

2012-02-06T21:22:00.000-06:00

I am so excited that many of you like the tshirts with a simple yet most profound statement:

LIVE SIMPLY SO THAT OTHERS MAY SIMPLY LIVE

We will continue to take orders for the shirts through February 21st. All orders may be paid for through the chip-in button on the right side of our blog. I was so excited about the shirts I forgot to mention about the shipping of each shirt. Please add $2 for each shirt. If you have questions about the shipping please feel free to email me.

We are waiting and spending a lot of time in prayer right now because we need a paper signed by the boys' government in order to travel on the first trip. My prayers lately seem to be weak. I seem to be saying more "gee if you could God umm could you please sort of do...". When in fact I need to be calling out to the Lord "Lord God I know you will move this mountain. I know you will see my safely to our boys." I must not only trust in God with my heart but also my words and emotions. Today was a rough day as we still did not receive the referral and a friend who is supposed to be traveling soon to meet her little ones received what may be some very terrible news. I was shaken to the core. This affected me deeply because I know what would have happened to Carrington had we not gotten her home that very day we did. Raw emotions. The enemy knew exactly where to strike and he did. I had the chance to talk to a friend today and she reminded me that I have done everything God has asked me to so now I need to let Him do what He will do. How very true! This one is all Yours God! The bill is Yours. The glory is Your. With that I will attempt to rest tonight and only allow the word of God to penetrate my thoughts. Thank you to each and every one of you who is willing to listen and for our prayers. Please pray right now for that one individual to sign the papers sitting on her desk so that we can go see our boys and that other families may bring their little ones home! Right now this person needs prayers more than anyone as she is so far from God and from following His command to help the orphans and to love them.

Spaghetti Dinner Pictures

2012-02-04T21:59:00.000-06:00

No words needed other than to say how very thankful our family is to everyone who donated to our dinner and auction as well as to those who worked so tirelessly to help make this night a huge success! We were completely blown away with what and whom God provided to bring this night to the heart of so many. Brian and I said we would trust God to provide and would do as God so led us to and this is what God did!! Isn't He amazing?!!

Thank you to Ashlee Beck for capturing these memories for us!

Hidden Treasures Auction #3

2012-02-04T21:35:00.000-06:00

My friends I must apologize about posting this announcement for the 3rd Hidden Treasures auction. I thought I had posted it but instead just drafted it and must not have posted it to the blog. This auction is supporting another family who is bringing home 3 beautiful boys who have all been blessed with the extra 21st chromosome. All 3 boys are in the same orphanage that our Teagan and Kelten live in. Their family is so excited to bring them home and could really use your prayers and support so go take a moment to see all of the amazing items that are up for bid and be sure to share the link with everyone you know.

Back Again

2012-02-03T13:35:00.000-06:00

Wow, how time flies when you organize a spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser, home school your kiddos, have 6 of your 7 children decide that a stomach bug that affects what comes out into their diapers hits your house, and Carrington getting a double ear infection plus strep throat. Children are now on the mend and my poor washing machine is ever thankful that maybe now it can take a break.

Right now we are still in the waiting game for our boys. The only thing we need at this point is a signature from their country saying we can travel to see them. So I am feeling the nesting instinct begin to kick in and have decided to reorganize my whole house. Let's just say, it went quicker and easier in my mind than in reality but none the less it is getting done. I remember this feeling when it was close to time for Ethan to be born and really I think I should go through this once a year as I feel like I get a lot done:)

The spaghetti dinner was beyond amazing and I am going to post some pictures my friend Ashlee took as soon as I get back from another errand. We sat down and figured out that thanks to the generous support of so so many people we are only shy about $3000 of being full funded to bring our boys home. Praise God for all this has been His work. We were also blessed to be given these tshirts to sell in order to help raise funds for the boys. They are $10 each and not only carry a great message but are also a perfect conversation piece especially when you get to share the story of orphans with special needs. If you are interested in buying one please email me your size to burmanshelly@yahoo.com. The message is really quite profound:

Live Simply So That Others May Simply Live

I hope to have those pictures up for you to see soon as well as some great news for many little ones over in the orphanage where our boys are.

Boys Here Are Your Siblings

2012-01-22T22:17:00.000-06:00

Teagan Chance and Kelten Drake take a look at all 7 of your siblings just waiting for you both to join them for our yearly Christmas photos!

Carrington Ann

Ethan Cole

Evelyn Rose

Hudson Quinn

Madelaine Grace

Owen Reece

Reagan Faith

For My Boys

2012-01-22T19:09:00.000-06:00

For our spaghetti dinner we had a video showing our journey to the boys. Now as much as I would like to say "look what I made!" that would not be truthful as you all know me (and my lack of techno knowledge). Instead we were blessed to have Hudson's private tutor create this amazing video. I cannot wait for my boys to one day see the history of their arriving into our famiy.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!!

2012-01-21T23:18:00.000-06:00

I know I should be in bed, waiting for my ibuprofren to work so I can get a couple hours sleep before the morning comes but I just had to share the mightiness of our God!! As you all know we held our spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser this evening. To say it was a success is to say I only sort of like Diet Coke (ok so I totally cannot make it a day without diet Coke so that should give you an idea)! While working on this fundraiser we were asked "how many people are you expecting?" and I would share that I didn't want to expect any certain number because I wanted to be blessed whether it was 10 or 100 people who came. Honestly, Brian and I debated on whether to even hold an event like this because we wondered if people would even come since this was our 3rd international adoption in less than 2 years. Imagine how my heart melted all night long when I would see so many friends we already knew who were not only there to support us but to help set up, serve, and clean up. Then I also met some new friends I had only knew of via blogs or emails but the link that brought us together was adoption. My heart and JOY overflowed this evening! I feel sort of like a young girl whose heart is giddy because a boy likes her. I cannot go to sleep because I am just trying to recall some of the conversations, happenings, and people of the night. I was so blessed to have many loving arms and hands to spend time with my children so I could talk with people and continually float around during the dinner.

One wonderfully sweet "new" friend I met in person this evening took some pictures of the event and will send them to me so I can post them. Brian and I know so many people contributed to this night's success and we want each and everyone of you to know you played a key role in bringing our boys home and you will forever be a part of our lives. I am talking about EVERYONE from the little girls who made bracelets for us to sell, to all of the wonderful teenagers who worked so hard in the kitchen serving up the food to those who came, to those who donated items to the auction, to my friends who helped set up for tonight, and to my children, we thank you! Most importantly I would like to give praise to God who has believed in us and had this magnificent journey planned out for us from the beginning. Next post will bring more details as well as pictures.

Tomorrow's Spaghetti Dinner for Our Boys

2012-01-20T12:13:00.000-06:00

The day is coming fast for our spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser for our boys! There have been so many amazing examples of God's mighty hand at work as we have prepared for this day! I have met some of the most kind hearted people who really want to help as well as some of the most inspirational people. Throughout this adventure God has shown me just how mighty He is to make things happen and bring people into our lives we may never have known. People right here in our own community.

Truthfully I could not have prepared for this day without the help of my wonderful friends! I want to shout out a most grateful thank you to Dana and Jill for working tirelessly to obtain donations for the silent auction as well as for their efforts to make this night a total success! I honestly could not have done this without their help.

Tomorrow night will be our big night and I am quite excited! I will get the chance to meet new people, visit with good friends, and share the story of our boys as well as the other children who are going to be going home with their forever families soon. God knows all and will help us handle the waves of today.

Please continue to pray for signatures by the MOJ as now there are 5 families waiting solely for their written referral so we may go meet our children. Pray that God will soften this person's heart and move her to immediate action.

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

2012-01-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow at 3:00p.m. Bulgarian time, which is 7:00a.m. Texas time, a VERY important meeting is taking place in our boys' country which will affect their very lives! So many families are down on their knees this very hour praying that God's majesty shines through to those involved in this meeting and action will be taken. I wish I could say more but things are in a most precarious position. Let it be enough to know that so many children's lives are dependent upon a positive outcome to this meeting.

Prayer

2012-01-14T22:20:00.000-06:00

My struggle here on Earth is my need to know and plan. I like to have a road map detailing everything I may see, encounter, etc.. It has been my prayer for so long to relinquish this "need" I have come to rely on for so long. You see, predictability has given me security, or so I thought. The truth is the only security I have is in God.

I believe in God.

I love God.

I trust God.

As hard as this is I must say that has not always been true. I say this because if I truly believed, loved, and trusted than I would not have to have this predictability in order to have security. Now I have never disclaimed God but I have never truly given all of my trust, belief, and love to Him like He deserves and for that I am sorry. God has never left me alone or given up on me. He knows what each day will contain. I am the one who would feel more secure, prepared if I knew or could see what as going to happen.

That all began to change just a few short years ago. I began to ease up on my need for control sort of afraid of what will happen but still I began. Do you know what? God equipped me for each turn and twist of the road I was journeying on. No road map could ever be so detailed as God's road map. He knows why we are on this journey to our boys, who we will encounter on this journey, where we will struggle and where we will sail on through. We are not the only ones on this journey. There are so many people who are with us and so many we are yet to meet.

Today I have found myself several times stopping in prayer. I have not always known who or what I am praying for other than just a need for prayer. Friends, there are many in this adoption journey who need prayer: Teagan and Kelten need prayer for health, our family needs prayer for accuracy and swiftness in getting paperwork completed, and there are so many who need prayer. Please spend time in prayer for all wise decisions to be made, health to be kept, and hearts to be covered in love. God hears our prayers which is just what the enemy does not like. The enemy wants us to hold on tight to our need for a detailed Rand McNally of life but I know that I would much rather follow the path God has for me. So tonight I leave you with a request for prayer without ceasing. Which map will you follow?

Call For Prayer

2012-01-12T23:27:00.003-06:00

My friend has posted a request for prayer and I would like to ask all of you to join us in prayer. While details cannot be passed out it is enough just to know we are crying out to God for so many precious children. You can read the prayer requests on Susanna's blog. Susanna's words are eloquently written. Please friends pass along the need for prayer to all you see and know.

Closer and Closer

2012-01-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

We are getting closer to our spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser for our boys. The days are getting closer and that means so are we to meeting our sons for the first time. I feel like I am in the last trimester of my paper pregnancy. Anticipation is building all the while trying to calm myself and remind myself it is not yet time and to be patient.

So many people have been so amazingly helpful in our efforts to put this dinner together as well as going to businesses and individuals asking if they would donate an item, service or gift card to the auction. Even Brian and I are having fun on our date night as we share our reason for asking. Last night Brian was asked by his D.A.D.S. ( Dads Advocating Down Syndrome) to speak a bit about our family and our adoptions. This was a huge thing for Brian as he is not a public speaker yet he still went and shared. For me this would have been right up my alley and not a hard thing to do but Brian is more of a man of few words except when it comes to our children and then he is all too happy to share. That is why I just love my husband-his unwavering love for his family!

Just a reminder that the dinner will be on January 21, 2012 and all are welcome to attend. I am so excited to not only see the people who come but to also share with everyone the story of our boys and all the Princesses and Princes of Pleven.

In Awe!

2012-01-04T22:07:00.000-06:00

For the past several days there have been ~~many~~ infinite number of people who have ~~stepped~~ jumped up to help our family with our upcoming spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser. People I know. People I don't know. People close. People far. (ok this is beginning to sound like a portion out of a Dr. Seuss book). People old. People young. People black. People white. People yellow. People bright.

My whole point here is that our two boys, along with the stories of so many other children in this one particular orphanage, are uniting people of walks of life. There are no barriers or distinguishable differences. Plain and simple. People care. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about doing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and silent auction but Dana and Stephanie C. constantly encouraged me to give it a try. Now I am constantly picking myself up off of the floor of utter joy from the kindness I have seen and experienced by so many. Today was one such example when I was sitting in the dentist chair for my 4 root canals to finally be finished by my most amazing dentist Dana felt led to call a local bakery that makes these individual pies and see if they would be able to donate maybe 10 pies to our dinner. God took that number and multiplied it. Not by 5 nor by 10. Instead we are receiving 200 individual and most delicious pies from Mindy Lu's Pies. Dana and I had the opportunity to go speak with the owners of Mindy Lu's Pies today and share the story of my boys and what we are trying to do. Guess what? This couple's daughter adopted their daughter (granddaughter to the owners) from Uganda when she was about 6 years old. Another common thread. So if you are planning on coming to our spaghetti dinner on January 21st you will have the opportunity to taste one of these yummy pies.

As I go to talk with businesses and individuals around our community it can be a bit intimidating if one chooses to let it be but my whole outlook is that the worst that person could say is "no" but at least we would have the chance to share our story as well as just how God is working in the lives of the children. I guess if you look at it this is like sharing the message of God just as so many others do. Never would I though I would be able to do this since I do not feel very educated with the Bible but God said He will equip the called and He sure is! Just today alone I was able to share just how God is working with a postal worker, dental office staff, business owners, and therapists. IF that was all I was able to accomplish today then I would say this was a most productive day!! But in addition to sharing with so many others we have also been on the receiving end of some absolutely incredible donations for the silent auction. It is going to be so much fun!

This started out as a fundraiser for our boys but is turning into something much bigger and greater than that. I cannot wait to see just how many people come to share in good food and to hear about how they can be a part of God's Master Plan.

Boy oh Boy oh Boy!

2012-01-03T20:15:00.000-06:00

Our family had been quite busy with the preparations for our spaghetti dinner and silent auction fundraiser. If anyone here in Texas would like me to email them a flyer so they can share it with any and everyone you know please just let me know and I will send it to you right away. I have received lots of tips and advice from my good friend who is also heading to the boys' orphanage to meet her sweet daughter. Thanks a ton Stephanie! Today my friend Dana and I went around to local businesses in hopes of receiving donations for the silent auction and came home quite blessed. Most of the businesses of course had to talk to corporate which we knew but so many wanted to listen to our story and that of the princes and princesses of P&^%$n (where our children are but cannot be named yet). That is what I am celebrating tonight: the hearts and ears that wanted to know how, why could this happen to children and how can they help. We were able to share just how masterful God's plan is for the children and for our family. One man working at Home Depot wanted another flyer so he could share with his church group while another gentleman quickly and lovingly gave a sizable gift card to his bookstore. Yes, the donations are exciting but the chance to share the love God has for these children is, in the words of my vivacious 5 year old son, GINORMOUS!!!!!! So here I am on cloud nine having my little chat with God when an idea enters my mind: I am going to go up to our Walgreens and invite the girl who works in the photo lab and her family to come to our dinner. This girl has a brother with Down syndrome and I thought it would be a neat way to introduce our families. Also, on a trip to the nail salon to ask for a donation for a manicure or pedicure I found out that the lady I was talking to has a cousin in Vietnam who has a son with Down syndrome. God just kept putting people after people in our path today that we could share the story of God's children with.

And as if today could not get any better, tonight I received an email from a friend about a chance to bless some of the other children in our sons' orphanage. Both Teagan and Kelten have a baba, I wrote about babas before in an earlier post. These are older ladies who are sponsored to come in and give some extra love and care to 2 children. This means those 2 children get time out of the cribs they have been sentenced to, receive more than one diaper change in a day, get some extra nutrition, and plain out receive some human contact in a loving way. God knows what the destiny of this place is and although I admit I really, really want to know I am so happy to watch the events unfold just like the true beauty of my Carrington has unfolded right before my very eyes. I hope to share with you very soon just how you can be blessed to be a part in this amazing unfolding of events.

My Oh My!!

2011-12-27T23:00:00.000-06:00

I finally had a moment to sit down today and think about how much our lives are about to change. Two more children. Two more BOYS! Two more with Down syndrome. Ahhh Two more BLESSINGS. Yes I do believe there will be more chaos in our house along with moments of frustration and disbelief. I already have those days but that is okay. The reason it is okay is because that is life, my life. My life is not for everyone, and everyone's life is certainly not for me. Yes I have photographs of my boys but honestly I do not look at them and picture my child. I do not do that because I learned a bit the hard way with the triplets' adoption just how that can backfire sometimes. I believe I fantasized about Evelyn and how she would just be my girly girl and we would snuggle together and have fun playing together but that was not to be. You see I looked at her picture and made a story in my mind about how life was going to be with her. With the boys I can say I have "matured" in the adoption process in that I have not really imagined life with the boys and what they will do but instead I have prayed for them with my heart and asked God to open my heart even more to my boys as I know they have endured much in their lives. I honestly do not care if they can hurry up and learn this or that so that they can grow up and be independent. If they only learn that they are loved then my role as a mother has been successful. You know how we say that we learned things with our first born child and how not to do something or how to do something with each addition to our family? That is how things have been for me. I was set on doing this and that to make sure the triplets could and would do this and that. It has driven me to a point of contention with the children and that is so far from what I wanted. Why do they have to drink out of a cup that does not have a straw? I guess you could argue so that they won't appear unusual as they get older? So what, they are unusual and so is their mommy so I guess they come by it honestly. I do want my children to get along in this world. I know that children with Ds must be ~~pushed~~ guided to do things more than a typical child or else they just won't want to. But it has created issues and I am learning that is not what I want. So have I learned another lesson in my advanced maternal age? Yes! I need to wake my little Hudson up and sign to him "mommy is sorry I have been making you learn to drink out of a cup with no straw. You go ahead and drink the way you like because how you do it is not important as the fact that you are doing it. Please forgive mommy for our frustrating day today and let's start fresh tomorrow." See the boys will have an advantage over their siblings in that I am learning each day just what is important and what can just take a back seat. Hmmm maybe, just maybe I may have this figured out by the time my boys are here and the days of summer are upon us!

Merry Christmas Boys!

2011-12-24T14:27:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TEAGAN AND KELTEN'S FAMILY!

(this is your last Christmas without us my boys)

Spaghetti Dinner Plans

2011-12-23T23:14:00.000-06:00

Ok so if you notice at the top of the boys' blog (thanks to the help of a talented young lady who put the info up for me-Sarah) we have unveiled the winner of the slogan contest for the boys' spaghetti dinner and silent auction. The winner posted as anonymous so if you could please send us your name, picture, and a bit about yourself we would love to include you in our boys' photo album. For anyone who lives anywhere near us and would like to come eat with us we would absolutely love it! If you would please post this on your blog as well as any other way we would also love that! My very good friend who is more like a sister than a friend, has so lovingly offered to host a silent auction at the dinner. She has been hard at work finding donations and contacting people. We have only a short time to pull this all together so to say we are hitting the ground hard is a small understatement. I feel as if I am in the middle of the Amazing Race Adoption version.

All I can say is this: we have a most AWESOME and UNBELIEVABLE MIRACLE for a reason that we must hurry to raise the remaining funds for our boys. If only I could share but please know that if you are in the midst of a struggle keep praying and just believe. Sometimes the prayers you pray may not be the one answered but believe me when I say that all prayers are answered. They just may not always be the one you had been praying for at that moment.

And as soon as I have to go ahead I will share our miracle as well as news about our boys that we have received. Stay tuned!

He will Equip You

2011-12-23T23:13:00.000-06:00

How will you handle 9 children?

When do you have time for yourself?

How can you spend time with each child?

What will you do when they don't move out?

How will you afford to take care of their needs?

When will you say no?

How many will be enough?

Where do you put them all?

How can you get everything done?

GOD EQUIPS THE CALLED!

This whole journey has been quite different than our other ones but a couple things have been the same. One thing that is the same for all 3 adoptions is the new friendships that I have been blessed with. For our first adoption I met incredible people via our adoption chat group on Monday nights and although I have not met all of those ladies in person I was able to meet my good friends Cathy (Marina's mommy) and Sarah (Mila and Zoya's mommy) when I traveled to their houses. When we were first home and I honestly struggled with Evelyn and her needs it was Cathy whose house and friendship offered me respite and a chance to just really be me and share my heart without judgement. Sarah and I probably spent more time on the phone and chat than most friends who have known each other for years. Our adoptions, while in different cities, took place at the same time and have since bonded our lives together almost 2 years ago. When we brought Carrington home and spent those stressful weeks at the hospital it was Sarah who, despite having a full time job and young daughter at home, created and updated Carrington's blog in addition to arranging for people to come love on our Carrinton while she was healing. God knew what I would need when He called me to become mom to these precious 5 children with special needs. He EQUIPPED!

For our second adoption I also met even more ladies who played an important role in the adoption of our children and I also made some lifelong Ukranian friends who will forever be family to my girls. Our journey in that area was full of events that should never have happened yet we had support and love by our new family-Alim, Mama, Babushka, and Dadushka. Not only did they offer a shoulder to lean on, good food to eat, they loved and accepted our daughters. GOD EQUIPPED!

Here we are on our 3rd adoption and God has kept true to His word about equipping those He calls. Equipping does not (at least in my mind) always mean giving you the money or literal equipment to use in His calling but I believe that "equipping" me means that God will place individuals in our paths that will be the most valuable of all He can equip us with. I never knew just a few short months ago when I received a phone call from someone who means the world to me, that I would be on this journey and that it would bring into my life two very special friends-Stephanie C. and Susanna M. These ladies have been such a source of inspiration, encouragement, support, and love. I can truly say that I would not be in this stage of our adoption had these two ladies not been placed in my life. Yes, we all have something in common other than our adoptions from the same orphanage in Eastern Europe but we also have a love for God and for the orphans. This common thread is weaving something so amazing that when the time is right and all has come together there will be a tremendous unveiling of the work God has called us 3 mommies to. Susanna and Stephanie I thank you for your patience to all of my questions, for your love of my boys, and for the encouragement you have given me when I have encountered things and people that seem to have driven a wrench into our adoption. Your love for God is an inspiration to me and an answer to prayer. God bless you both! GOD EQUIPPED!

The answer to the questions stated at the beginning of this post as to the HOWS, WHATS, WHERES, and WHENS is really quite simple...

GOD HAS CALLED US AND HE WILL EQUIP US

Slogan Contest

2011-12-12T17:09:00.003-06:00

As we draw nearer to our first trip to meet our boys we were trying to come up with a fun and interactive way to raise the next part of our adoption fees. We were blessed by the first auction of Hidden Treasures and again by the giveaway of the iPad2 yet we felt like we were so far away from those who are supporting us with prayer, finances, and well wishes so we decided instead of having another giveaway we would like to host a family spaghetti dinner. This way we could not only visit with you all in person but we could thank you as well. So we came up with the idea to create business cards (you know the ones that are free through vista print) and use those as the tickets for the dinner. Here is where we have decided to bring you all in to this: we need a slogan to go with the title of our dinner. The title is:

Oodles of Noodles for Teagan and Kelten

We can't wait to see all the ideas you come up with. Thank you for helping us bring some fun and creativity to our adoption. The winner of the slogan will get to have their picture and a message in the boys' adoption book.

Worth $240

2011-12-11T21:15:00.006-06:00

This evening shortly after our sign language class ended I opened my email to a wonderful message from my good friend Jill S.. She had found a video about the baba program from Kelten and Teagan's country and in it she saw Kelten. This video was made by the same lady who did the previous video I had posted about a week or so ago. The baba program was designed for grandmother figures to come in and give the children in the orphanage a little bit of love, attention, and dignity that they would never otherwise know. The babas are paid with funds raised from the purchase of items like handbags and bracelets. What I find interesting is that we, me included, first look at the price of these items and immediately put a value on whether that item is worth it or not. How could I spend that much money on a purse when I am working on our 3rd international adoption?! But those purses never left my mind and do you want to know why? It is because I would not be buying just a purse. I would be paying a woman to come in and love on my boys, change their diaper more than once a day, take them outside to feel the warmth of the sun, perhaps bring them a little extra nutrition, and treat them as little children rather than unwanted items.

It's like this-if someone came up to Brian and I and told us about this amazing program where older ladies come in and can love on my boys for a few hours a day up to 5 days a week and would we be interested we would jump right in especially having seen the benefits on other children. Our next question would be how much do we need to send over for this to happen. Ok so we need $240 for 6 weeks. Some how we would find that money. I do not know where but God does so we would turn it over to Him. So purchasing this handbag is not about having a brand name purse so everyone can see I bought a such and such handbag it would be about helping a child receive what should be the most basic and essential of all of life's necessities:LOVE. I personally cannot justify spending that amount of money on something when I have seen what I have seen through my adoptions. What other people do is not for me to worry about as that is not my money. What I need to focus on is what are Brian and I doing with our money. We have chosen to make a difference in the lives of orphans with special needs. Honestly, after the things I have personally seen, $240 is nothing to ease the hell these children are living in day after day. Yes, I do believe I would buy a handbag. During our last adoption we found out that the money we were told we "had" to donate back to Carrington's orphanage (which was a few thousand dollars) went to pay for things the orphanage bought on credit several years prior and had absolutely nothing to do for the children. That was thousands and the children never benefitted or were blessed. Yet, I can spend $240, a woman has a job, and my sons are loved on for a little bit each day=WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!

I have found out that each of my boys has a baba. What I do not know is how long they have had one or who bought the purse which funds my boys' babas. Is that important in the whole scheme of things? Not really but what I have come to the conclusion is that if I purchased a handbag then that may end up funding a baba who comes in and rescues another precious angel from the darkness they face until their mommy and daddy come for them. Some where, some how, some one purchased a handbag and my sons gained a baba. Interesting!! Take a look and see these handbags

Well once again I have no pictures as I have not traveled over to my boys' country yet but I will let you all know that Kelten is on our horizon and if you email me privately at burmanshelly@yahoo.com I would love to share how.

Love The Day

2011-12-08T21:22:00.002-06:00

I so cannot wait until I have pictures of the boys to update you all with! Today is one of those days in which I can say we are just one more BIG step towards our boys and that has me smiling. I loved the day! But meanwhile I would like to share a precious little girl who is so looking for her family to show her how to love her day.

This is Kolina and she is 9 years old.

Kolina is ready right now for her mommy and daddy. Fact is, she has been waiting 9 long years just languishing at the very same orphanage Teagan and Kelten are at and where little Katie just came home from. Fact #2 is she is in the same medical condition as our Carrington was. Fact #3 is she can blossom if she is fed the most important nutrition of all:LOVE!! Love helped our Carrington and love will help Teagan and Kelten.

Please go visit this link: http://reecesrainbow.org/29199/kolina-11-17 to read about Kolina and help to raise funds so her family can bring her home quickly. Does she have a family right now? No but we hope to change that by spreading the word about this sweet little angel.

It's Here!!

2011-12-07T21:11:00.002-06:00

Our home study finally arrived via Federal Express! I am so relieved it is unexplainable!! Now that means we are one step closer to our boys and we also can apply for a couple of grants that require finished home studies to be included. Hopefully we will hear positive news from those. Meanwhile I am going to reread about myself and my husband in our novel length home study:) We had an amazing two social workers working on our behalf to get all of the requested information included and correctly so. Thank you so much Jenna H. and Deborah H. You two are awesome and we really should have lunch sometime! Hold on Teagan Chance and Kelten Drake!

Attn: Jules Smith and others(this is not pretty)

2011-12-04T19:46:00.004-06:00

For those of you readers out there who have lifted us up in prayer, helped us raise money, given our family encouragement, checked in to see how things are going or how you can help:THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART!! and now the same group of you may want to stop reading this post because I have had it with some people and will no longer sit and read the stupidity of this world when it comes to my children. For those of you who are loving, kind, and supportive would you leave a comment and I will post each and every one so that we all can be reminded of just how many warriors God has called upon to fight in His army?

Now to all the cowards who read my blog and to you JULES SMITH (if that is even your real name) where in the name of God's creation did you think you had the right to tell me my children are ugly and not worth saving? You have down right gone down the wrong road and will one day face the consequences of your words. Don't you EVER attack one of my children!! My children are wonderfully and fearfully made in the eyes of my Lord. Jules, you think that just because we hit obstacles that I am going to quit on my children? I sure hope to God you are not a parent because I would feel very sorry for your child. Life is not easy, it is not fair, and it certainly does not go the way we want all of the time. NO, instead it is as God has planned it. Only I am certain that God did not plan for idiots such as yourselves. I am glad we have been chosen to follow this path of God's because He obviously sees something in our family He does not see in YOU! God does not call just anyone to do His work. He has called many a wonderful families to go forth and follow His command. That is why in the Bible (if you don't have one I would be happy to send all of you anonymous cowards one but wait you are hiding like a coward behind your ugly words and lack of understanding) it says to take care of the widows and orphans. And for those of you who feel you need to constantly tell my husband and I about all of the thousands of children in foster care right here in the United States you can just save your breath as we have been foster parents for some time now. You should feel ashamed that you pick on innocent children but again I guess you have no conscience upon which shame can fall. Yes, I am done with your stupidity, your ugliness, and your misspelled words. If you are going to leave me a comment then at least make it an intelligent one where the words are spelled correctly and correct grammar is used. And you had better reserve your uneducated, incorrectly spelled, slang related, stupid comments away from my children and those children who are continuing to bless those of us who have been chosen into God's kingdom. One thing I can rest in is that I won't have to see your face on God's side of Heaven as I am sure you couldn't find your way there if you tried because you only have blinders of hatred leading your way whereas I, and so many others, have the beautiful love of Jesus Christ leading us to His Father. For as much time as you spend spewing non intellectual words there are multitudes of songs going out for all of the precious lives that are being saved each and every day.

Kelten Sighting-WOOO HOOOO!!!!!

2011-12-03T21:04:00.004-06:00

Oh my friends! I was just blessed with the most wonderful of all emails from my friend Stephanie C. She saw my Kelten on a video that was made just this summer in the city where Kelten and Teagan live. The past week here has been super stressful as far as getting things done for the adoption! I have not encountered things so frustrating in either of the previous two adoptions and it is HARD!! We have done all we can do to get things done quickly yet things are not done so my mood has been down in the dumps:( I have called upon dear friends to seek some counsel because I am not the most patient of all people. I am the type that when something needs to be done I want it done then and won't stop until it IS done. Our adoption of the girls was so quick because I was on hyperdrive to get things done. Dossier was done in only 3 weeks. Let's just say that in all honesty nothing seems to be going the way I had hoped. When I asked God about it I felt as if He was trying to tell me what I am always telling Ethan: you need to be patient. I am just so worried about the boys and wanting to get them home before anything else happens to them. I feel satan trying to wiggle his awful self in every little crack of doubt I have. AS soon as that happens a blessing comes along to close that crack up. You know just like that fill a crack stuff you get at HOme Depot. Just this week I was not having a very patient moment and in the mail I received the most beautiful and thoughtful gift from a sweet little Rebekah: a pretty picture addressed to Burman Mom! I did not expect it nor did this sweet little girl have any idea that I needed it but I sure did! Now it sits right here to make my heart smile because a child opened her heart to mine. And then this evening as I stress about the finances of an adoption and whether or not USCIS will approve us for two boys I receive an email from Stephanie C. about our son. So, please sit and watch this video but at just shy of the 8:00min mark watch for a young boy in the background to be lifted up by his arms from his caregiver: that is Kelten Drake. He looks good, right?! For a 2 year old but the reality is Kelten is 12 years old! To see our son did my heart good and gave me more energy to fight to bring him home. We can do this right?! Thank you to Stephanie C. and Rebekah B. and to you and you and you who continue to lift us up in prayers and listen to me cry when there is yet another delay. I truly do appreciate you all so much!

Frustrated!!

2011-11-27T17:03:00.003-06:00

Ok so we have been waiting for my background check to come back from Colorado for over a month now. You know, the piece of paper that says I am not a criminal. As if I have time, not to mention desire, to commit an act that would land me in jail. Well, finally I called Colorado (and reached a very nice lady) to find out what is going on. Do you know what she told me? That I was not a criminal (insert phew here) and that the letter was mailed 3 weeks ago. UGHHHH!!!!! I am so terrible at being patient. I am wondering if since I live in Texas the letter may be being delivered by Pony Express?! OK so I made tons of phone calls and this was all before the holiday weekend so nothing could be done. My social worker (who is a total blessing) said she had not received it, the gal in Colorado said it had not been returned so where of where is this letter that is keeping me from my boys? I am praying that tomorrow will bring good news so we can send off our I800A.

Last Thanksgiving...

2011-11-25T21:30:00.004-06:00

This will be the very last Thanksgiving my boys will ...

be lying alone in a crib

be without their brothers and sisters

not eat a yummy turkey and all the fixings as they sit with their whole family

go to bed without an "I love you and Jesus loves you" said to them

experience no stimulation

miss out on picking out the perfect Christmas tree

spend the day unaware of the many people who have so generously donated to help bring them home

not be scooped up in their daddy's arms as it is time to head to bed

spend as ORPHANS!

WE LOVE YOU BOYS AND ARE COMING FOR YOU VERY SOON!

Next year we will share our thanksgivings with each other as a family of 11. Now I just need to start planning on where we will all sit:)

The Winner Is...

2011-11-21T20:49:00.002-06:00

Bill S. of Fort Worth, Texas

Wow!! What an amazing giveaway this truly was! Brian and I are in awe of the generosity of each and every one of you. Thanks to you all we have raised almost another $2,000 towards bringing our boys home. We also want to thank the reader who so generously donated this amazing piece of technology. Without this donation we would not be this much closer. I am learning more and more each day that this iPad thing is quite a tool (but then again I am STILL waiting for card catalog to come back) LOL!!!

Our Giveaway

2011-11-16T16:55:00.003-06:00

Hello Everyone

This is Teagan Chance and Kelten Drake and we are going to be the two newest members of the Burman Bunch. Right now we are living in an orphanage over in Eastern Europe and we really want to come home. Life here is just existing. We don't have our daddy here to play ball with us, watch football with us, or teach us how to be good men when we grow up. Our Mommy cannot whisper in our ears how we are so special or sing "Skinny Mirink Idink" to us as we go to sleep, and she is not able to teach us our school work so we can be so smart. We know we are going to have lots of brothers and sister so play with in our back yard but right now we only lay around waiting. Even though we both are very small we have lots of love to share with everyone if only Mommy and Daddy can come over to take us home. HOME. That is something we have never had and cannot wait to experience the love of a family in a safe and loving home.

Will you please consider donating to enter the giveaway of a 32GB iPad 2 that a reader so lovingly donated to our adoption? Our adoption means so much more than just joining a family and having a last name. It involves finding and experiencing something God intended for us all along: unconditional LOVE. The drawing concludes this Sunday at midnight. Tell all of your friends about it and then let them know we can't wait to come home and shower them with our love and appreciation. Thank you!

Pondering

2011-11-07T21:58:00.003-06:00

Before I became a mom to my first son, Ethan, I had no idea that my life would be filled with so many boys. I was going to have all girls so I could dress them ever so cute with matching hair bows etc.. Then on that day in June of 2006 the doctor showed us our baby's plumbing (of which my husband was so proud) and declared we were having a boy. After Ethan came the adoption of our Mason and although Mason spent just a mere 5 weeks here on Earth he touched my life in an incredible way. Fast forward to 2010 and our first adoption in which we became parents to 2 more sons in addition to our daughter. Ok, I began to realize the girls were getting outnumbered and was worrying which son would not mind having his hair in matching hair bows (just kidding). Now it is 2011 and soon we will be growing our family with the addition of two more boys, Teagan and Kelten. What is neat about both of our international adoptions of the boys is that they have grown up together. Owen and Hudson are just a few months apart and not only grew up in the same orphanage but the same groupa as well so they were used to each other already. That is the same or almost the same for Teagan and Kelten. It was shared with me by a special mom who was already over in the boys' orphanage that she saw them playing together. Apparently Kelten was exercising his status as older brother when he put his feet on his brother's tummy. A family must receive approval for adoption from our country before we know for sure if we get to become parents to the children we hold in our hearts so our family is in the holding pattern for right now. We are praying that our government sees just how much we already love these boys and are ready to bring them home officially as brothers. Please not only pray for our boys but for the officer who will give the approval to become parents to Teagan and Kelten.

Submitted to MOJ

2011-11-04T15:02:00.003-05:00

I just received an email from our agency stating that our facillitator in country has submitted our commitment documents to the MOJ (Ministry Of Justice). This is a great way to go into our weekend!

I also want to thank each and every one of you who has contributed to our adoption fund via the iPad 2 giveaway. It is still going until the 20th of November but I wanted to share how touched we are at some of the comments left! Thank you. Truly Thank You!!

Encouraging Report

2011-11-03T22:31:00.003-05:00

Just read this about my boys:

He is in the same group as Teagan!!! When I looked into the play room window I saw him laying with his feet on Teagan's tummy! He is able to crawl around. When I peeked in again later he had crawled into a large foam donut thing. Also Teagan had sat up (presumably by himself since there is never a staff member in there with them.) They will make such good brothers. And Teagan looks so much like Carrington! Anton has the most yummy cheeks. :)

Any guesses who is doing the happy dance at this piece of news? I will give you a hint...the happiest mommy in the world. ME!!!!! This is just such a blessing for this mom to be giving me such happy news to read when I wake up in the morning.

I also wanted to update you all on our progress for the boys. We are awaiting our final homestudy so we can send our I800A application to our government for approval. Please pray for not only a compassionate adjudicator who will determine whether or not they want more info from us to prove we are able to bring both boys home but also for their speediness in approving us. I had asked for prayer for the director at Reagan's insitution for her heart to be softened towards adoption as she has reportedly said she would never allow an adoption. People prayed and God listened. We know are blessed with a very happy and beautiful girl who once had lived within walls that confined who she was. So we know that prayer is God's greatest tool. The fundraiser for the iPad 2 is going well and has 2 weeks left. Please pass on this giveaway as it all goes to bring home the Burman boys!!

Exciting Update

2011-11-01T14:06:00.004-05:00

Today I was working on filling out our I800A application which is a long form we must fill out to petition our government to find us suitable parents to adopt our boys. Well, I had to look up some information when all of a sudden across my computer flashes an email alert that says:

I MET TEAGAN!!!!

There is a mom who is over in Teagan and Kelten's country that is meeting her son and she sent me this very exciting news:

He was with his baba and we "just happened" to meet. Niko's baba lily knew him and his baba and told us where they were. I was not allowed to take pics. He is such a sweetie. He was crying when I first saw him but his baba said it was unusual. Mostly he is very content and likes to sit and play with toys. She will have been working with him for 2 years in march. I did not have a chance to hold him but told him you loved him and were coming soon. His baba took him out to walk him in a stroller to calm him down. I saw him later and he was happy again. The baba seems very caring. Teagan turns to look at her when she talks to him. The orphanage is not a good one but the babas are golden.

What wonderful news to open your email to!! Thank you so very much Carol and please know we are praying for your visit with your son. For those of you who do not know, a baba is like a special care giver who spends time with a certain child, plays with them, talks to them etc. Sort of like a Nanny if you will. We knew that Kelten had one but did not know that Teagan did so this is good news for us to hear. I hope that with this baba Teagan will not have such extreme attachment issues and will be accustom to being held etc.. Carrington literally did not like being held when she came home and we had to work little by little on that. Now she snuggles (even just for few minutes) with her Mommy! I cannot wait to share this with Brian when he gets home!

Apple 32GB iPad2 Giveaway

2011-10-25T22:52:00.004-05:00

32 GB iPad2 Giveaway for Teagan and Kelten

Just look at what a very kind hearted reader has donated to help bring Teagan and Kelten home! A brand new 32GB iPad2! With Christmas right around the corner this would make a wonderful Christmas gift and for two wonderful reasons:

Teagan Chance Kelten Drake

4 years old 12 years old

It's very easy to enter this drawing for your chance to win this incredible piece of modern technology. Your $10 donation will give you one chance at winning...the more you donate the better your chances at winning!

Donate NOW! Giveaway ends November 20th! Drawing will take place the evening of the 20th. Please pass this on to your friends and family. Feel free to share on Facebook, your blogs, in person, and Twitter! For every place you share, in addition to your donation, you will receive another entry to the drawing so be sure to tell me where you posted.

Donations should be made using Chip In widget to the right entitled A Torch for Teagan... This will direct you to Paypal. Please make sure you let me know you donated, by posting here. Each multiple of $10 equals one chance. Thank you and God Bless each and every one of you for helping us bring the boys home!

Impossible?!

2011-10-24T22:56:00.005-05:00

No Way!! Teagan Chance you are not impossible! Instead of impossible you should know " I'm Possible!" Look closely at the word I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E. Now if you break that word up you will see not the word impossible but rather "Im Possible" then you throw in the correct punctuation and get "I'm Possible."

Our lives are busy and filled with many activities that may tire some people out. In fact, some days I too am tired. It is not because I have 7 children. It is just because some days I am tired! Some days I have less patience just BECAUSE. Let's not forget that some days my house is not totally in order and quite often you will see one of my children greeting you wearing only his underwear (that would be Ethan). Would I trade this for the anything? A diet Coke maybe? Absolutely NOT!! I love my life!! I love the joy I have found in Jesus. Each day is new and each day takes effort but look, just look at the effort I make for:

MY FAMILY

Soon we will be Teagan's family. He will be another reason I thank Jesus for allowing me to be a mommy. He will be another set of hands to keep from adding items to the grocery cart. His needs will be another reason I get up each and every morning. His very being is another life that God has placed in our family so that he can teach us lessons in life. He will be joined (hopefully) by his newest big brother:

Kelten Drake

Thank you Jesus for all of the possibles you have given me as a mommy! I thank you for each blessing you have bestowed upon me. It is through You alone I have found my true joy!

From Our Hearts

2011-10-20T21:19:00.004-05:00

Brian and I would like to take just a moment to let you all know just how much we appreciate teh kindness of every single person involved in the auction that raised so much money for our son! This is almost to the penny exactly how much we need for our next payment in our adoption process. Isn't that just amazing?!

For the past few days I have been working at clearing out 7 children's wardrobes from summer wear to fall/winter. That involves going through the totes of clothes in the attic, which I was blessed to have the help of Madelaine and two of the Spicer girls (thank you girls), trying to get the kids to stand still so I can see if something is even close to fitting them, then clearing out the closets and dressers, and finally putting stuff away. PHEW!! I am exhausted and still not done. But the neat part is that as I was going through the boy clothes I realized that they will get yet another couple uses out of them. I love the idea of knowing that soon Teagan will be wearing clothes that fit and match:) He will be dressed so handsome just like his brothers were. Now I am sure at some point he will not want his mommy picking out his clothes but until then I have a blast making sure my boys are dressed handsome!

Then as I was rearranging car seats in Big Bertha (our 12 passenger van) I was thinking about how we will be adding another car seat to the mix so I called Brian out and we had to fix the broken seat belt situation right then and there. I am sure my wonderful husband was thinking that we had plenty of time but not this mommy. I had to know all things are going to be ready to bring our 4th son home. We are waiting to get his car seat until we see just how big he is and whether or not he will be in the infant seat like Carrington was or if he will be able to go into the bigger car seat.

I will say that this process sure is different from the first 2 adoptions! IF it weren't for friends who have been through this specific process already I do believe things would be even longer off for our son. God really knows who to place in your life and at just the exact moment you need them. I felt this way with our first adoption and the friends I met during that time who have come to mean a lot to me, my friend Stephanie and Susan for our second adoption, and now my dear friends who have not only helped raise money but have prayed and listened to me when things just seem to be going off in left field. While only 2 of us have met in person I still consider each one of these ladies so very special to me and my children.

Teagan cannot wait to share with you all something so special! He will share his joy and love with everyone very soon :)

And Here He Is......

2011-10-14T20:57:00.005-05:00

I am so excited and blessed to share with you tonight the picture of the handsome little fella we will soon be calling our son. Oh wait, we already do call him our son :) SO then I guess here is the picture of our son we will be bringing home soon.

TEAGAN CHANCE BURMAN

Brian and I would like to thank each and every one of you who donated and or bid on an item in Teagan's auction. We are without doubt sitting here completely in awe of the wonder of God's mighty hand in bringing you all into our lives. We are especially blessed to have the hard work and wonderful thoughtfulness of Susanna and Meredith for organizing the auction. Thank you so very much! I do want to mention that as Susanna has said, this is only the first of auctions to be held at Hidden Treasures because the purpose and goal of Hidden Treasures is to raise money for families who are adopting from Teagan's country. So, keep Hidden Treasures bookmarked as one of your favorites and I will be letting you all know when the next auction will be and which family it will be blessing.

Auction Goodies

2011-10-08T20:58:00.002-05:00

Have you all taken a chance to look at all of the wonderful items donated for the auction to help bring Teagan home? I keep looking at everything ooohing and aaaahhhing over them. Please go take a peek. I promise you will love it and just think of Christmas being only 2 months away. Okay, now I am going to pull a card that one of my friends did and that is to hold ransom a really cool piece of news until I see 10 more people tell me they posted the exciting news about the auction on their blog or Facebook or Twitter. You all are going to want to know what this is so hurry up:)

Tomorrow is the Day

2011-10-06T21:35:00.005-05:00

Teagan's big auction starts tomorrow!! Please stop by www.treasuresinhiddenplaces.blogspot.com to see all of the amazing items that have been so generously donated to help bring Teagan home. Spread the word to all of your friends, post on your blogs, FB etc and then leave me a comment telling my where you posted it and how many places and your name will be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card from Target. Thank you and have fun looking!

Just the Beginning

2011-10-05T19:44:00.003-05:00

This is just the beginning of many a thank yous to all who have so enthusiastically supported our adoption of little Teagan. Support has been pouring in through uplifting and encouraging words, prayers, and even monetary donations. We have had people contact us wanting to purchase one of our weighted lap blankets, we had a donation by an amazing family who told us that it was God's money and they were putting it where He desired, and with our auction created by my friends Susanna and Merideth. This journey started out with so many fears about what others would say regarding our 3rd adoption and that my friends was the enemy talking. Now this journey not only has me meeting those fears head on but it also has me relying so much on God to really map things out. I can also say that this journey has also brought even more amazing people into my life which I just love. So, to all of you who have been so amazing from the donations to the creation of this very adorable blog, we thank you!

Surprises For Teagan

2011-10-02T23:10:00.003-05:00

God is so good. He comes in with miracles I cannot fathom no matter how late I stay up at night trying to. Tonight I looked at Brian and told him "wow, I am truly tired!" and was about to turn in for the night when I felt the nudge to go to my computer and check emails one last time. There sitting in my inbox were a couple of emails from two very loving and sweet friends telling me they are ready to launch Teagan's big auction. Tears filled my eyes not only because of Susanna and Meredith's kindness but also because God has once again used adoption to bring more amazing friends into my life and the lives of my children. Please go take a peek at:

http://treasuresinhiddenplaces.blogspot.com/

Please feel free to contact Susanna or Meredith if you or someone you know would like to be a part of this incredible outpouring of love. Thank you for giving Teagan a Chance.

Teagan's Weighted Blankets

2011-09-29T14:52:00.009-05:00

Weighted Lap Blankets

Weight of 3 lbs.

Finished dimensions of approx. 17"x17"

Filled with poly plastic beads

Washable, hang dry

Made in a smoke free home

Unique designs for boy or girl

Great tool for individuals with sensory needs

Used by many physical and occupational therapists

$25 + s/h

Payments may be made via the chip-in button located on the right side of the blog.

My wonderful daughter, Madelaine, and I are creating these special weighted lap blankets with all proceeds going towards bringing our son Teagan home. Teagan is a 4 year old boy with Down syndrome who is very malnourished and in need of a family to love on him. Children with special needs and those who spent their lives in orphanages often have a great need for sensory input to help them with their daily tasks. Our weighted lap blankets were created out of a desire to have something that can go pretty much anywhere my children go and can be utilized with very little effort. Some of the places we take our weighted lap blankets are in the car if we will be on a long car ride, to the doctor office, anywhere there may be large crowds, to church, and school. It is small enough to fit in their bags and with the colorful designs is not seen as something different. So many of the items for children who have sensory needs are not colorful or fun to look at so we decided that needed to change. Our reason for creating these blankets for sale is not only to help raise the money needed to bring Teagan home but we also plan to continue using the proceeds from the sale of these blankets to help raise money for families who desire to grow their family through the blessing of adoption of special needs children.

We will continue to add different blankets so keep checking back. Once a blanket is sold we will mark it as sold but if you really are interested in one that has already been sold please email me at burmanshelly@yahoo.com and I will let you know if we can make another one like it. Thank you for helping to give a chance to our little Teagan and many other orphans with special needs.

Lion

Denim Leaf

Squiggle bugs

Yellow Tank

Cupcake

Kid Polka

Pirate Monkey

Pink Horse

Sesame Friend

Shark

Bookworm

Sports Equip

Colorful Bookworm

Teagan's Binkie Buddies

2011-09-29T14:21:00.015-05:00

Binkie Buddies

Stuffed fun to hold your child's pacifier.

Washable/hang dry

Pacifier for ages 0-3

Fun and colorful animals

$8 +s/h

Payments may be made via the chip-in button located on the right side of the blog.

We are so excited to also bring to you all these wonderful, Mother's friend, and cute Binkie Buddies. These are little stuffed animals in which a pacifier was sewn to the mouth of the animal so as to help hold the pacifier up to an infant's mouth. So many times we are searching for a lost pacifier but that is no more thanks to the great thinking of our friend Rachel. In addition to now being easy to spot these Binkie Buddies also give baby something to hold on to while they are drifting off to sleep or just chilling as the day floats by. Each Binkie Buddy is able to be tossed in your washing machine just as it is and then ready to be hung dry. Be sure to order more than one so as not to upset your little one while the other is in the wash.

All proceeds will go towards bringing our Teagan home and then will continue to help bring other precious orphans with special needs to their forever families. Thank you for your support.

Please specify if this is for a boy or girl and which animal you would like. If a certain animal is no longer available we will notify you right away. We will send as a gift if you want a little message to accompany it.

Wonderful Surprises Coming Soon

2011-09-28T22:35:00.002-05:00

We are very busy creating some special items to sell so as to raise the money for Teagan's adoption. During the next several days we will be posting items such as weighted lap blankets, g-button covers, tag blankets, binkie buddies, and decorated burp cloths. I can't wait to share these items with you so keep checking back to see just how cute these items are. Please pass on the word to everyone you know to come take a look. Thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Ready...Set...Go...

2011-09-28T21:32:00.002-05:00

Wow! God sure is amazing! He has blessed me with the friendships of two women whom I have not met face to face only through emails. These wonderful women are working very hard to set up an auction of some great things to raise funds to bring Teagan home. Susanna is in the midst of bringing her sweet Katie home and Meredith is a woman who has a heart for orphans, and both are helping us. I did not ask. They did not hesitate. With finances looming overhead for this adoption God sent Susanna and Meredith in to lift that burden off of our shoulders so we could focus on completing the paperwork needed. At this time both women are putting together an auction of items to be set up on a blog whose purpose is to help raise money for the adoption of children from a particular orphanage in a particular European country. Teagan is blessed to be the first orphan to receive this amazing gift and soon many of his friends will know this blessing as well. Susanna is asking anyone who has something they would like to donate to Teagan's Auction For a Chance to contact her at susanna@theblessingofverity.com Please do not feel that what you may have or can make is too small or no one would want it because you just never know. Maybe you are not able to donate at this time but you can pass on the request to others you know. Already we have seen electronics, homemade items, gift certificates and other fun goodies being promised for this auction. Do you know of anyone who may have a time share or service they can donate? Any and all consideration is so greatly appreciated!

My friend Adeye, whom I first met while we were both in Ukraine for the adoption of our sweet children, wrote a truly heartfelt post about a little girl named Liliana who needed our help. You can read her post here. What these children are going through is our problem because we are all God's children. We learned first hand just how much it hurts a parent's heart to watch their child have to go through so many hurdles because their little bodies did not receive the love and nutrition they so desperately need in order to grow and thrive. I wish I could say that our little blog set up here would totally eradicate the orphan crisis but I cannot tell you that. All I can say is if we all did one small part to help than our whole world would eventually be wonderfully affected by the love of God.

Without all of your love and support I cannot say that our Princess would be doing as well as she is today. So many of you were able to come and stay with her at the hospital and then there were all of the cards and beautiful gifts sent to her while she was in the hospital and even a precious necklace made in her honor that raised funds for our family right alongside the chip-in that was set up. We know this love and felt this love. God is calling us to love on another of his children and while it is somewhat exhausting going through the process all over again it is nothing compared to what Teagan is going through. We know that God will equip us because He called us so we pull up our boot straps and very humbly ask for your help to make this auction a huge success. Thank you so much from all of us in the Burman Bunch!

Getting Ready For Little Man

2011-09-26T21:27:00.003-05:00

To say my life is so very blessed by God does not even begin to do Him the justice He so richly deserves. God has given me the best of this world with the promise of an even more glorious reward when He calls me home. Have I always understood this and truly believed it? Wish I could say 'why of course I have! Doesn't everyone who believes in God feel this?' Truth is I have just recently began to truly fathom what all God has for me. I am in a ladies Bible study where we are going through a book entitled DUTY OR DELIGHT. From the moment I first opened this book I knew things were going to be different and for sure they have. During my childhood I thought I had to "earn" love. That it was my job to do things so I could be loved by others. I then carried that into my adulthood. All this time God was telling me how very much He loved me and that I did NOT need to earn His love. His love was not meant to be a job for me but rather a blessing. Just in the short time I have been in this study I have felt a strong stirring for the love God has promised me and the acceptance for who I am. You see I am broken. I am full of issues that need to be addressed. I do not fit "society's" image of the model Christian and mother. This does not mean I am a bad person it just means I need God to bring me into His kingdom and not the earthly one I have dwelt in for so long. I have special needs. I need help... for God to show me how to speak more kindly, to see the natural beauty in ALL things, to love without barriers up. I need Him to spoon feed me the very words He has spoken because I am not able to do it all on my own. How very far I am from being normal! My heart has been in God's repair shop for some time only now I am allowing myself to unlock the door and step out so He can step in.

Right now 5 of my 7 children have special needs. They need me to nourish them, teach them, guide them, accept them, but most importantly they need me to love them. Why does this sound so familiar? Oh yes, because those needs also describe me and I am not a child here on earth but I am God's child and He is my Father.

Teagan has special needs. He has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. He in no way fits the ideal image of who society would refer to as the perfect son. He will need to have help with basic life skills, but not forever. Teagan needs to be shown that he is loved for who he is and that we as his family will help him to become all he is meant to be. More than likely Teagan will need medical care once we come home. He will require more than a small fraction of my time. He will probably sleep in our room until he is no longer medically fragile. Does this mean that we don't choose to go through all of the steps involved to bring our son home? ABSOLUTELY NOT!! I shudder to think of my life if God had felt like I was too needy. I do not know the circumstances surrounding his birth or the events that led to his being raised in an orphanage but I can surmise that it had to do with his special needs. Has anyone ever stopped to realize just how special their child really is? I mean not just children who have Down syndrome or any other medical diagnosis. I am talking about each and every child here on Earth. Teagan is not different than my typical bio children because they need me to feed them, teach them, and love them. Teagan just needs it a bit differently but nevertheless it is not a duty for me to be a parent but rather something I delight in. Now I see. I see how my Father must feel when all He wants is to take care of me and help me to be the woman He intended for me to be. Yes, my heart is truly getting ready for our little man. God has been getting me ready for many years so that I would be open to the road He would take me to become a mom. Each birth, each adoption has prepared me in so many different ways yet each leads me back to God.

In addition to my heart preparing for Teagan's arrival our family and many amazing and wonderful friends have been working to get ready some very special items that will help us to bring Teagan home. Soon there will be a blog opening up where people can go and find some wonderful items to purchase with all proceeds going towards bringing Teagan home so he will know love and security. The really neat part of this blog is it will not be only for Teagan. Once Teagan is home this blog will be ready to help bring more sweet angels home. That means more children will find their forever families. I will post here about the blog once it is up and running which I am told could be by Wednesday. There are some amazing ladies who are undertaking this very technical (oh so not me) part of setting up the blog and I am merely standing in awe of their love and support for these precious children. Their examples have helped me to see that loving our God and sharing His word is not a duty but a pure and absolute delight.

We Are Growing

2011-09-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

Good Morning to Everyone

Today is such a wonderful day as we are officially launching the news of our newest addition:

TEAGAN CHANCE

I do not know quite where to start which you would think would not be a problem for me since I love to talk and we have been down the adoption road a total of times and this will make it our 3rd time but I am all jumbled inside. Ok well let me tell you how Teagan came to be and at least then I will have a focus.

Why don't I start with how we chose his name. Well all of my children end with the "n" sound so that was my "criteria" for a first name and then their middle names are all one syllable. The reason we chose Chance for his middle name is that I just kept feeling like this little boy only needed a chance to be loved, a chance to be held, a chance to love someone, a chance to live, a chance to have a family, and most importantly a chance to become whom God intends for him to be. We want to be the ones who are blessed to have the chance to be his family and love on him and give him every chance in life.Teagan ( I still an unable to post his picture or even a link) was first brought to our attention through the story of my friend Susanna who is adopting her daughter Katie from the very orphanage our little man is in. For our previous two adoptions which saw us bring home our 5 precious children was from the country of Ukraine but this time we are heading to Bul*aria (we are not using the full name of the country so as to not upset certain people from certain country so if you all could do the same should you post anything about Teagan we would appreciate it). It is located in South Central Eur*pe. One night my very good friend, Sarah (mommy to the cutest of cuties Zoya) was chatting with me and told me I needed to read Susanna's blog about her daughter and so many other children located at that same orphanage. We did. That was all she wrote. Brian and I knew God was calling us once again. After our 2 adoptions, but most impressing after going through what we did with Carrington, Brian and I said we would not actively pursue another adoption but our hearts and home would remain open should God call us once again. Doors are opening but truthfully we are a bit nervous as this is a different adoption than our previous ones. Are we scared about the condition of Teagan? Yes and No. First of all we have been told he is very bad off and in the same condition as Carrington just as are all the children that were seen on that visit by my friend. So on one hand that puts us and Teagan in a better position knowing what we will need to do for him. Teagan is 4 years old and weighs close to what Carrington did just 6 short months ago. (By the way, Carrington now weighs 23lbs and 9oz). Then on the other hand knowing how bad he is makes us feel such pain and concern for his life until we can bring him home. God has him covered in love just as He covered our little Princess.

We are using one of the best adoption agencies out there, Lifeline Children Services, and have met some of the nicest and most helpful ladies as we go through this adoption. And from what Susanna has shared with me we will be working with a great team when we arrive in country.

Right now besides getting paperwork together we are working on the financial aspect of the adoption. With this adoption we do not need to raise all the money and take it over with us but rather we will be making payments in steps as we go along. This helps keep things feeling a bit more reachable :) I hope to have more news of our fundraising efforts real soon. It has been interesting to look back and see that we committed to Teagan before we knew of any grant or before we had the money. A friend pointed out that we didn't just say ok God give us the money and we will go but rather we said we will go and let You equip us with whatever we need. Oh my! That sure is a new me because I am a worrier, a planner, a controller. How did this change come about? Oh wait I know. I started letting God lead me rather than tell Him to follow me. Now that is a testimony I cannot wait to share with my children. In my ladies Bible study we are working on study called DUTY OR DELIGHT. The deeper I go into this study the more I realize that I had been on the duty end and not the delight end until that point. And what was that point? I believe the point was when our Mason passed away. While I did not, at that time, understand the reason for his passing I can see God's plan in all that happened and is happening.

I am so excited to share out journey with you and to be able to look back one day as I read this blog and see all the amazing and wonderful things God laid out for us while on our way to bring home our son who will join his 7 siblings for fun, love, and life.

Meet Teagan's New Sister!

2011-09-13T19:59:00.000-05:00

Isn't she just the CUTEST???

This is Teagan's new sister - Carrington!!! Carrington was adopted in early 2011, and came home in March weighing 11 pounds at 3 years old. She fought for her life for quite awhile and is now recovering and blossoming into the beautiful little girl God created her to be! Please visit her blog here - Carrington's Courage.