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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Savoring the Moments

Our traveling days are DONE. 
 
The little boys and I drove to Georgia last weekend for the SEHE Homeschool convention in Atlanta.  It was a LONG trip but they had a blast. My sister went along to keep them entertained and my aunt lives nearby so we were blessed with good company and good food.
 



They loved going around the convention hall finding free treasures.  One of mine had trouble with the concept that you are only allowed to take the free stuff! 

 
Long Convention hours can make one a bit wacky!
 
 
And silly!



We were so so glad to be home on Sunday night. John was either car sick or had something else because the trip home included him using quite a number of vomit bags!  He looked a bit ragged by the time we pulled into the driveway.
 
They were two very tired puppies when we put them to bed Sunday night.  But they bounced back rather quickly on Monday when Papa got out his materials to pour a sidewalk.
 



Seeing these two lining up their wheelchairs so they could watch him work was too cute to pass up.

 
 
 
 
 
Sweet boys!!
 
 
I'm savoring these moments.

 
They pass way too quickly!

 
School starts in two weeks. 
 
NOOOOOOOOO....................



Thursday, July 23, 2015

Walking Free

He has waited so long.  So very long.


He has sat day after lonely day in a shed filled with boys who constantly moan, groan and hit themselves, who rock back and forth to comfort themselves. He has groaned and rocked himself, wondering in the deepest parts of his being if ever, ever he would be set free.

Day after day.  Year after lonely year.  Spring, summer, fall and winter.

Until one day, not too long ago, when a man and a woman walked into his life.  A man and a woman who took his hand and led him out of the shed.  A man and a woman who called him by a new name. A different name.

A man and a woman who crossed the ocean to bring him home.



A man and a woman who looked past the rocking and the moaning and the awful smell of the shed, to find a treasure worth more than much fine gold.


On July 20, 2015 a judge across the ocean granted Bey the right to be their son.
Their son.  Behlan Job Hartman

Bey.

A son.  A grandson.  A brother.  A nephew. 

Wanted.  Loved. No longer a Lost Boy.

Grady/Bey is free.

Not only did the judge grant them as his parents, he also did the unthinkable: he waived the 10 day waiting period.  This very morning, Bey walked free for the first time.

FREE!

Cry people.  Cry.  Cry for a boy who has spent his entire life locked away. Cry for a boy who just this morning stepped out of those gates into a whole new world.  Cry for joy. Cry for joy.

I am.

I know the world he leaves.  I grieve all his lost years. I grieve the thousands and thousands of hours he spent in senseless nothingness.  I rejoice because all of that ended for him this morning.


Run free, Bey.  Run free!

You are a Lost Boy no more! Thanks be to God!

------------------------------------------------

Please - the Hartmans are NOT fully funded.  They are several thousand short.  They are humble saints, and asking for help is not their style. So I am asking for them. If you could give, then I know they would be grateful.

These last few weeks have been extremely difficult for them.  Rob and I know full well what an adoption from that institute is like.  It is emotionally and physically draining.  Melanie has been alone in the village for weeks awaiting court.  There aren't hotels, or restaurants, or English-speaking people to talk to. Imagine how lonely and sad she must have been! Not to mention the gut-wrenching experience of seeing what she saw every day.

The next few weeks are going to be equally as hard as they bring their son out into a new world.  He's been locked away for a very long time.

Please give to ease some of their burden. 

Bey is so worth it. He is absolutely worth it.

THANK YOU!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

In Brief..


 
We drove to Luray, VA last Friday for the 2015 Reece's Rainbow Reunion.
 


 
 We spent 4 wonderful days hanging out with ALL of these people... 
 
 
This is NOT everyone who attended the reunion. 
 

 
This is ONLY those who were able to show up for the group pictures! 
 
 
Oh My Gracious!! 
 
 
There were so many people that I got lost trying to match babe with family!
 
 
I finally just gave up!
 
 
It was too much for my brain to process.
 
If you can't tell... It was a LOT of people!
 
YES.  I CRIED.  Seeing all the families with all those former orphans.  Yes. I cried!.
 
This is another LOT OF PEOPLE group...  See my boys smack in the middle?  These were SOME of the Ukr*ini*n families and kiddos...
 
 
These four fight HARD for the orphans in their country.  We have our sons because of them. This was their first reunion.
 
 
8 months ago, John and Andre were sitting together at an orphanage wondering if they would ever have a family.
 
 
 
The sweet lady in the middle of them... Our hero facilitator on her first trip to the United States!  We were so so excited she was able to come to the reunion. 
 
We cannot thank her enough for all that she did for us this past spring.
 
 
We rested.
 
 
Played.
 
 
Bounced.
 

Boated.

 
Swam.
 


Caved.
 

 
Mined.
 

 
 
Hugged Yogi.
 
 
 
 
Met old friends.

 
Took the annual picture with Andrea Roberts - Director of Reece's Rainbow.

 
2010 - 2015
 
And had a smashing great time!!
 

 
Tomorrow I am off for the LAST convention of the year in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
Goodness the past 6 months have been a whirlwind.....
 

Friday, July 17, 2015

Playground Fun

Taking two to the playground is much more fun than just taking one!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






Of course when one wanders down the steep hill to check out the ducks at the nearby pond....


The other one wants to go down too... 


 
Getting down was the easy part..
 
 
Going back up... not so much!
 
WE ARE OFF TODAY TO THE ANNUAL REECE'S RAINBOW REUNION! Well over 130 RR babes and something like 80 families and a whole lot of fun!
 
I think I had better start packing! 
 
YIPEEEEEEE