Welcome to Gracie's fundraiser and your chance to WIN an iPad2!!!  (scroll down to see details)

**Just wanted to share a little update...We are humbled and Praising the Lord for the works of his people!  To date we have a total of $6000!!!  Oh behalf of our entire family, THANK YOU for loving Gracie too!!  ***As many of you know Gracie will be our fifth child, our third blessing from China. CJ and I were not expecting to adopt again so soon but the Lord had other plans for us. Gracie has a fragile heart that will need lots of special care once we get home. Just looking at her, we know she has a precious little soul and by the Grace of God and through our Faith we are heading back to China to bring our little Chickie home, where she belongs.

Here's what to do...


*For every $10 donation, your name will be entered to win! The more you donate, the more chances you get!


*August 15th, we will draw the name of the lucky winner for the iPad 2!!! (Please see picture below)


*For a safe and secure donation, please use the "chip in" option at the top right hand side of the blog. This will allow you to donate through paypal. You do not need a paypal account to donate. If you prefer to mail in a donation, please email me at corzine03@gmail.com and I will forward our address.


We are humbled and blessed for all the prayers and support.

Gracie & Linzhi

Well, I just mailed off a big packet of paperwork to Amy @ Lifeline. aahhhh.....one step closer. This time around, I am very calm. YES, Calm!! Why?...only by the Grace of God. One thing I am praying for is an update with pictures. I am dying to see what my baby is up to in China....

Linzhi is doing better, she is still recovering and there is still some pain involved here and there. She a large sore under her arm pit. It's stitching but her cast was rubbing it which has caused Linzhi pain. We are now treating the wound and tucking cotton bandages in between her arm and cast. Praying her sore heals!!!

This afternoon, Linzhi and I are headed up to the Univ of Chicago but this time, we're going to visit Miss Lia, her best friend from China. Lia had surgery yesterday and she is now recovering as well. Praise God for the treatment our kids are able to receive here in the US. God is good!

Have a wonderful day!

Happy father's day!

Happy father's day to three special men.



My honey with our kids... All we need is Gracie Faith to complete the picture.

My dad. Today, my dad, Cathy and Sage came over and cooked our family a yummy dinner. It was great having them over for a visit.

And Grandpa Willie.

WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Home sweet home!

We got home yesterday afternoon after an eventful day....again.... They had to sedate Linzhi to take her tubes out, surgical taping and casting. The night before both IVs went bad and so they had to stick her again. The screams that came out of my poor child, I never want to hear again. God was so very good because the sedation fog didn't ware off until we were home for several hours. CJ had to work, the girls were with grandma and grandpa so it was Linzhi and I for the hour long ride home. I was so nervous she would wake to pain as they did not give her the pain meds before sedation. So again, we were blessed with a quiet ride home with my baby girl resting peacefully.

I plan on uploading more photos but CJ and I are walking zombies! It feels like we just came home with a newborn. She is not sleeping through the night and her muscle is still having spasms which cause her sharp pain. Bless her heart, little by little she's coming around. She was so very sad tonight as she woke up from her afternoon nap to find her sisters and daddy had left for VBS. I know they felt bad leaving but we knew it was too soon for her to be out especially if she had a spasm. Tomorrow our goal is to get her bathed, bandages off (per Dr) brush out her LONG hair that has been up in a bun for 7 days and possibly dressed, Linzhi may be heading to VBS with her personal nurse...mama. CJ is working security and the girls are in their activities so Linzhi and I will visit some of the craft tables and get a snack.

I just want to thank you all for praying. Many times CJ and I were so discouraged by the pain she was in and the helplessness that we were faced with. We could feel all the prayers as she would settle down into a peaceful sleep. He is so good to us!!! Much love to all. <><

update and pictures

***Janet from "Four fingerprints of God", I am having issues leaving comments on your blog, I believe this is a Google issue as there are many people having the same dilema. Just want you to know, I'm praying for you all and I love the new pics of Sophia!!!

Linzhi is doing much better! Thank you Jesus!!! We are coming out of the heaviness of chasing her pain, we are now at the point of staying on top of it with Valium and Tylenol 3. Her last dose of morphine was given at 10:30pm last evening and we are now at 5pm the next day so I think we're finished with morphine!!!! It's a great drug to manage pain but we're so happy, she's past that point. We live an hour from the hospital, CJ and I have been here since surgery on Wednesday but now that we're staying a few days longer than we anticipated we have to be a little more creative in childcare for Madelyn and Rachel so tonight I will be heading home and CJ will stay and then Sunday night I will stay and Linzhi and I will come home together on Monday (Lord willing). I thought I would have the energy to post more frequently but that has not been the case at all! I looked in the mirror and had to double take! LOL.... This morning, I drove home to pick up my girls at home. Linzi was missing them so much and I certainly was too! I got fresh clothes, started some laundry, took the girls for a quick bit and then we were headed back up to Chicago. We are now awaiting a pizza from Giordano's and then the girls and I will head home to return tomorrow. Please forgive me is this post makes no sense...enjoy the pics!


Getting Linzhi up in her wheelchair for the second time...Still looking a little beat.

Getting ready to head to the Child Life center. Each kiddie got a barbie doll. :)

A close up of our beauties.

Coming back to the room from Child Life, Linzhi was pooped out.

Sleeping after her outing.

This picture is from Thursday when Miss Amanda and Miss Lia came for a nice long visit. Such a blessing to have wonderful friends! Miss Lia will be having surgery a week from Monday so Linzhi and I will be heading up to repay the visit. (they even see the same Drs.)

Enjoying a BIG sucker from Lia. :)

Miss Lia! A blessing from China.

Tuckered out after a long visit.

First time up in a chair. Look at the agony in her face. Broke my heart. This is the day my mama bear claws came out with the gal from PT. I get it, I know what they need to do for her but that day was NOT a good day for my girl. Mama trumped PT.

Linzhi update

I have my pictures in the wrong order...just an effect of exhaustion I guess. The surgery went great, the recovery...Not so great. More like horrible. I have so much to talk about but honestly, I can hardly keep my eyes open and it's only 10am. Please pray for Linzhi, she is so brave even in pain that makes her thrash her body. In all my 18 years of parenting I have never felt this helpless in comforting my child. Please pray for her, we know there is a light at the end of this tunnel but to a six year old that thinks she will never play again or walk again, she's just not seeing this is temporary and who could blame her. PT is coming in this afternoon to try and get her on her feet. Yesterday, we made it into a wheelchair for 10 mins and that was agony for her. Today, she was ordered a muscle relaxer so we're praying to get her off morphine but if she's in too much pain, she'll get it. Our goal today.... getting her up on her feet, keeping her comfortable with her muscle relaxer and Tylenol 3 without morphine so this peanut can go home. All she wants is her sisters and brother, when she thinks of them she sobs.

Monday, we come back to have her tubes taken out and her cast put on. SHe will be sedated again (ugh) but I would rather her not feel any pain since they will be getting all the surgical tape, etc off her body. I pray this is not for nothing. I pray once her cast is off her muscle does what we're hoping it will do, I pray Linzhi will get her "new life" as she stated the night before surgery. I pray my baby gets through this day with little pain and discomfort.

I wish I had sunshine and rainbows to report because I hate to ever sound negative but I'm keeping it real and this at the moment is our reality. :(

A little smile. See how puffy her hand is? THis was the cause of terrible pain yesterday. See the bravery in her eyes? That's our girl!

Finally a little rest.

exhaustion.

On her way to surgery.

Grandma and grandpa

Big bro.

The girls.

nervous Linzhi but a trooper.

being brave.

Tomorrow- Surgery day!

Please keep our baby in your prayers. I will post an update tomorrow night from Linzhi's hospital room. God bless!

My boy

My one and only son. Sweet young man with a heart for Jesus. Where did the time go with this boy? 18.5 years ago, my life changed by the sweet blessing of Trevor. Today, we went to KCC (our community college) and got him registered for fall. I know he really wants to be at Columbia College but we all decided it's best if he starts at KCC. He will get to Columbia, I know it, CJ knows it and Trevor does too.

As we were walking out of the accounting office at his new school, he put his arm around me, kissed the top of my head and said "thank you mama". Oh my heart...more tears...