July 28th, 2005

It's hard to believe it was five years ago today that I received THE email. Ben and I had been waiting patiently on the news of a "referral." It was getting close to 5pm on a Thursday. I was in the office by myself when the phone rang. It was Bonnie Loza our adoption coordinator. My heart skipped a beat. To be honest, I can't remember what she said, it's sort of a blur. I just know she said "I'm about to email you a picture." We hung up the phone and I stared at my computer. All of a sudden, there it was. I quickly opened the email and.....


Fu Bing Xue
Birth date:December 28th, 2004



My emotions took over. Tears started flowing. After 13, almost 14, months of being "pregnant" finally, I got to see her face. I quickly called Ben to tell him the news. He said he would be there in a minute to meet him out in front of the hospital. He would not wait for me to come home.
The housekeeper at the hospital came in to clean our office and saw how emotional I was. She asked if I was alright and I told her what had just happened. I started printing off this picture as if I was employed at the New York press! At the time, we didn't know if she was a boy or girl. We couldn't tell by the picture. We really didn't care, we just knew she was our gift. The Lord had given us our gift.


Now when I look at this same photo I can see so clearly the feminine features in my sweet girl's face.

On his way home, Ben stopped by two Chinese restaurants to ask the owners if Fu Bing Xue was a girl name or boy name. He got different answers at each. We would have to wait until Monday to be sure.

That day will go down in my history as a spectacular day!


"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him."
1 Samuel 1:27

China Girl

We have been getting excited about our upcoming trip to North Carolina. It's a five year reunion celebration that will include the ten families we were in China with. All nine other families received little miracle girls that day just like us. We have been talking a lot about the trip and telling Chloe about the other little girls she will get to see. Telling her their names, showing her their pictures. It's an exciting time.

We tell her often of how we went to China to bring her home. How God had her all picked out for us. How He wanted her to live with us and be our little girl. I think she thinks this is the only way it is. She will talk often of getting her a little girl from China when she gets "big." She doesn't really know the concept of conception yet. She just thinks mamas and daddys go "get" babies.

Today we went to Wal-Mart. After being inside the store for a few minutes she tells me she thinks she just saw a little girl from China. I said, "really?" I didn't see a little girl from China. After a few more minutes we run into a Hispanic family. She tells me, "there is another girl from China!" I explained to her that some girls look like they are from China but actually they are from Mexico.

She was so cute. She then told me, "Well, when I get big and I'm a mama, I'm going to get me two gurrls from China and one boy from Chakanooga!"

I know the questions are coming, questions that I have been already praying God will help me provide the answers to.
I love her so much. Her innocence is so precious.

Independence Day

It was another wonderful Independence Day! We drove out to Memar and Gramps' and enjoyed the pool, watermelon, and just time together. All three girls drove the Kubota which is always a hit at the grandparent's house.

We ended the evening with the annual trip to the fireworks. Notice Hannah in the trunk of the car. We had another chair but she liked the trunk for some reason....

Ben and I were entertained not only with fireworks, but with three funny, sweet, cute girls doing cheerleading stunts!

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1

10th Anniversary

Wow! I can't believe I've been married to my best friend for 10 years. Time has flown! We actually celebrated in May on our trip to Tybee Island. But Ben didn't forget to make the actual anniversary date special. He surprised me with 10 red and white roses at work. Chloe spent the night with Memar. Ben and I had dinner at Las Palmas then a quick trip to Wal-mart for dog food! But you know...it was perfect!

The card read....

"Happy Anniversary~ Precious memories, the years equal 10, if given the chance, I would marry you again, I love you far more now, than even back then, all of me..Ben"

Then at the bottom of the card was Proverbs 18:22

I honestly don't know what I did to deserve him!

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Genesis 2:18

Father's Day

Today was Father's day. You would think I'd have some great photos of Ben and the girls. Would you believe I didn't even get my camera out? Instead, I'm going to tell you about something entirely different.

The day started at church. Josh Pilgrim was our guest teacher in Sunday School. He is such an anointed young man. God is using him as a great tool to preach His word. The lesson was so good. It was centered in Romans 3. The verses are familiar. I'm sure you've read it many times.

"There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God..." Romans 3:10-11

There is none righteous, no, not one. Several times during the lesson my eyes welled up with tears, not from sadness but from ultimate gratefulness to what God has done for me through Jesus. Josh used an illustration of an 18 month of child wanting something it couldn't have, but the verse rang true today in a five year old. When it happened I immediately thought of the lesson in Sunday School.

Hannah and Lauren were over visiting for Father's day. Lauren had accidentally left her wallet at our house on Friday so she was anxious to get it. She comes to me and says, "Kim, do you know what happened to $20 in my wallet? I had $78 now there is only $58." I said, "I have no clue." But then I remembered on Saturday Chloe wanted to look in Lauren's wallet. I told her she could bring it in from the car but to leave it alone. It was Lauren's wallet and didn't belong to her. Right after I said I had no clue I start to think maybe Chloe had something to do with it. I call Chloe to our bedroom to ask her about it.

Me~ "Chloe, did you take money out of Lauren's wallet?"

Chloe~ No words, just head shaking NO

A slight pause....

Me~"Now Chloe, if you took money out of Lauren's wallet, you need to come clean now and apologize to Lauren. Taking something that doesn't belong to you is stealing."

Chloe~ (In true Chloe fashion, meaning lips tightly clinched just barely opening enough to mutter) "Welllllll, I guesssssssss, but Mama, I wanted that money."

Me~"You need to tell me where the money is and lets go give it back to Lauren and apologize."

She lead the way. I followed her closely into her room and there on her nightstand was the folded $20 bill. She took it, hesitated, looked at me as if she were thinking, do I really have to... then took it to Lauren and gave it back to her. Again in true Chloe fashion, lips tightly clinched, said "sawwwrrry."

I started thinking about our lesson this morning. Ben and I didn't teach her to steal. We didn't teach her to lie. She was born that way. We are all born that way. We are born selfish sinners. It is only by the gift of God's divine grace we are saved.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.." Ephesians 2:8

*Honey, Happy Father's day! We love you so much and I'm blessed to call you the father of our daughter. I remember when we first started dating and I saw your bible for the first time. It was beaten, torn and tattered. I knew then you were a good man! I'm so thankful the girls are able to see Christ in you even if they don't always agree. You are a perfect example of what a Godly father is. I praise my Father in heaven for the father he has given my girl! All my love...

Happy Birthday Honey!

That Godly,sweet, strong, wonderful providing man I call my husband turned 42 years old today. What a wonderful husband~father he is. I'm so thankful for him. Chloe and I bought him a book for his birthday and she lovingly signed it for both of us....


"i love you more then you love me Daddy Love Chloe And Mama"




I started to make her change it, but after thinking about it for a few minutes, while giggling myself, I decided to leave it. It's her trademark saying these days...


"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:17-19

The Vinedresser

I spent the morning covering grape vines in my grandmother's yard. It reminded me of when I was a little girl. I remember my daddy and mama going every year to her yard to help her cover the vines so the birds would not get to the grapes. Then in July/August I remember the sweet smell of grape juice boiling on the stove soon to become grape jelly. It's been a while since I've seen grapevines. I had forgotten that it appears there is just plant after plant but in reality there is only one main branch. The grapes grow horizontally but they are all attached to one main vine.

The verses in John 15 kept coming to my mind. I started telling Chloe what the bible says about Jesus describing himself as "The True Vine" and the Father as "The Vine dresser." We then noticed one small dead branch, the grapes had withered and the leaves were brown. It made me think of how the Father prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it may bear more fruit and takes away the branches that don't bear fruit. My daddy said he must have clipped that one branch with the weedeater causing it to be separated from the main branch. The vines MUST remain on the branch to bear fruit. Funny how Jesus used the imagery of agricultural life to describe the basis of Christian living.

We MUST remain in Him to bear fruit....there's no other way....

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2

"I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." John 15:5-8