Mother's Day 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

This was the card that was waiting for me when I came down to the kitchen this morning. How sweet. In case you cannot see the print, MOTHER is the acronym and this is how it reads:

• Miracle-maker, 
• One in a million, 
• Teacher and giver of 
• Hugs by the zillion,
• Eager to help you, 
• Reach for your star

.....She loves you just the way you are!

Jeremy is the first one up on Sunday mornings (4:30 to be exact), so I am certain he put the card on the kitchen table for me to find. I overlooked it for breakfast with the kids but noticed it as I was helping Ben put his shoes on for church. I am a very blessed mommy and wife. I have a wonderful husband and great kids! Don't get me wrong, they are kids but they are terrific kids and I love them to the moon and back! They have come up to me and hugged and kissed me countless times today...even my boys. They wish me a Happy Mother's Day as they offer those sweet hugs and kisses. Today, I welcome those peanut butter kisses from my dear Benjamin! (Usually, I ask him to go wash the layers of who knows what, from his sweet little face because.............he is a boy!)

This Mother's Day is bitter-sweet for me. I have four of my five sweet children here in our home, but one is half-way around the world. The helplessness one feels is sometimes unbearable. I just want her here but I know that the Lord's timing is ALWAYS perfect. It is impossible for me to wrap my mind around the "whys" in this process. I just rest assured in God's promises to me. He is my source of strength. 

I am very blessed as I sit here today. I was raised by wonderful parents. My mom is a woman that always put her children above any of her own desires. She truly sacrificed for her five children. I even see it now as she sacrifices for her grandchildren. Thank you mom for being a godly example to me. Thank you for showing me compassion. That has ignited the flame that began the journey we are on right now. Having you teach me how to hang clothes out to dry is where we heard that radio broadcast for the first time. That radio program is where the seed was planted and has grown for over 20 years. Thank you for dropping everything to help bring our little girl home to her family and for  coming to China with us. I love you mom! Thank you for being such an awesome Grandma to all seventeen of your grandchildren!

My Grandma Smith is no longer here. Four years ago this month, my Grandma went home to be with our Lord. She was met there by my sweet Granddad. Grandma had the most awesome fried chicken recipe! I have tried countless times to replicate that recipe (no specific measurements and the spices used were well.....whatever spices we had on hand). I cannot match that recipe. My mom can do it, but I fail. Grandma lived with osteoarthritis. I took her to the orthopedic doctor once when I was still in high school and that doctor told me that Grandma was living with immense pain. But due to her age, she was not eligible for a knee replacement. You could hear Grandma's joints creak as we helped her stand. The disease meant the grinding of bone on bone, very painful. She now is pain-free!

I also have three other women still living that have influenced my life. My Grandma Bash is one of the strongest women I know. She faced some of the most difficult circumstances a person can endure. Grandma faced persecution for most of her life as a young person. You see, she is Jewish. Her parents immigrated here from Hungary. She went to college but had to drop out as a result of the persecution she faced. She married outside of her faith, which is against the way of Jewish culture. Her strength may be where I get some of my gumption. Grandma gracefully watched as my Grandpap passed away ten years ago. She is an excellent seamstress and I was honored to have her make the dresses for my bridesmaids......16 years ago.

Then I have my dear Mother-In-Law. LaRue has always made me feel like an integral part of the Kaminski family, junior, as my Father-In-Law puts it. She loves me and shows me in many ways. She loves on our kids and they adore her. When they come for visits, she always wants to help. I feel like she is another mom to me. On our visits to Pennsylvania, she tries to make our visits special. She loves to make our favorite meals for us to eat while there. For a child who has difficulties with change and sensory issues, Micah is blessed to have her, as are we all. Thank you for your love and admiration for all of us. I only wish I could have known you my whole life. Although I have known you now for over 21 years! I am blessed.

I also cannot forget Jeremy's Grandma, Claire Leard. As you may have guessed, our Mariah Claire is named after this sweet woman. She is the only grandparent on either side of our families without a namesake. We only thought it was time for that honor. We are all blessed to have her. She is yet another grandmother to our children. She is blessed with 7 great-grandchildren now. Grandma has been the "go to" person for our children when they were babies. Grandma would come down to Jeremy's mom and dad's house when we would visit with our babes. Somehow, Grandma was always able to put those crying babies to sleep, and she was proud to do so. I remember when Kyle was just a few months old, Grandma Leard got down on the floor and changed his diaper. That in itself is huge. But Grandma had just had a knee replacement a few weeks before!  She now lives alone as Pappy passed away in January. Life is challenging for her now, but we cannot wait to visit again.

As you can see, we are family oriented. I am blessed with my family from birth, and my family I gained through marriage. The women have left a legacy and such an impact on my life. They have challenged me to walk a Christian walk. They love the Lord with an intense love. Thank you Mom, Grandma Smith, Grandma Bash, Mom Kaminski, and Grandma Leard. You have made an everlasting impression on generations to come!

For those of you who are not familiar with Chinese adoptions, a ladybug is a symbol of good luck. It is generally thought that they bring good luck. Of course we don't believe in good luck, but we love that ladybugs are a symbol of the adoptions from China. So, can you imagine how extra sweet it was when Rebecca made these for me in Sunday School? This was just the package it was in. There is a round ladybug tag tying the bag closed. I thought that was the extent of ladybugs. 

                                   Then I unwrapped these sweet little treasures!

Evidently, Rebecca started working on these last week. They are river rocks that her Sunday School teachers had the girls begin work on last Sunday. Thank you Miss Denise and Miss Debbie! These are uniquely special to me this Mother's Day. You are really wonderful teachers to these girls too!

This past Tuesday, our Article 5 was dropped off. This is all part of Mariah's visa application process. It will be picked up on May 22nd and that officially begins our wait for TA (Travel Approval). 

I was truly happy that my agency friend finally got her LOA! She waited a very long 222 days. It looks like Jeremy and I will be visiting the orphanage without Karen and Corey. Rest assured, we will love on her little girl. After all, she and Mariah have spent the first 16 months of their lives living as sisters and they are only nine days apart in age. If we are allowed, we will love on her when we are there. Karen and Corey will probably travel in July. We will try for pictures, but we understand that is not always easy.

I hope to post on here a few more times maybe even this week. We have a lot of stuff we are working on. I would love to share pictures with you all.

Lastly, Happy Mother's Day to all the special women I know!

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

                                                                                             Proverbs 31:10