Sunday, February 22, 2009

Happy Birthday Zane..........................

Two years ago today our precious son was born in Vietnam. Even though it would be almost a year before we found out about him, God knew on that day 2 years ago that he was our son. I am so grateful to my Lord & Savior for giving us our son.
I am so grateful to his birthmother for giving birth to him. I am so grateful to Jen for calling us that day to tell us she thought she had pictures of our son. I am grateful to a gentle man named Thuoc that loves our babies in that home as though they were his very own and taking such wonderful care of them and us during our 3 week stay in Vietnam. I am grateful for the nurses that took care of our son until we could come and get him. I am thankful for a beautiful sweet girl named Trang that would visit him as often as she could and take him outside and talk to him in English tellilng him all about his mommy & daddy. I am thankful to the Demarco's, Mayhew's, Kull's, Saldana's, and Band's for spending quality time with him and sending us all the pictures that help sustain us through our wait. I am thankful to all our family & friends that turned in recipes, bought cookbooks, sold cookbooks, my friend that made hairbows, sold hairbows, and all of you that bought hairbows to help bring Zane home and for your prayers.
Lastly, I would like to thank my other 4 children that embraced the idea of another sibling with open arms and for loving him the way you do. I am thankful to my sweet husband for having Godly wisdom, for obeying the Lord and knowing we always have room for one more!
Thank you for letting us share today with you.
God Bless,
Teresa

PS: 3 birthday's in the same week, Zane chose banana pudding instead of another cake!!!!!!!


















Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Zane's Big Big Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went to court today for Zane's Domestication of Foreign Adoption to be finalized.
His name has now been legally changed from Le Thanh Duoc to Zane Alexander Duoc Blackwell. Even though he came here as a US Citizen we were able today to apply for his South Carolina birth certificate with his new legal name listing Daniel and I as his parents and Daniel will go tomorrow to obtain his new social security card.
Even though it was pouring down outside, it was a very sweet few moments inside that courtroom. We had Honorable Judge Anderson and she was the same Judge that Chloe had 2 1/2 years ago. It was also 3 months ago today that we boarded a plane in Hanoi, Vietnam and headed home with our new son!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all so much for your encouragement and support during this journey!!!!!!!!
Much Love,








Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Happy 13th Birthday Kaitlyn......................

Has it really been 13 years since I gave birth to Kaitlyn?
Where in the world does the time go. Seems like yesterday that after 34 hours of natural childbirth I held Kaitlyn Hope for the 1st time.
There were snow flurries that morning and I was beginning to think she wasn't ever going to make her appearance into the world.
And now 13 years later, I have a TEENAGER,WOW.
She is going to celebrate her birthday friday night with some friends from school with a sleepover and she will have a bought birthday cake then. But we are having a big dinner tonight and Chloe, Zane and I made her a chocolate cake today to eat with dinner. Below are some pictures of what Chloe looks like when one of the beaters flies off the mixer, cake batter all in those pig tails and there are also some pics of Zane eating cake batter for the 1st time.
HE LOVED IT!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE YOU,
MOM





Sunday, February 15, 2009

VALENTINES DAY 2009

Four years ago today our little girl was born in Guatemala.
Four years ago today two mother's lives were changed forever. Her birthmother made what I think must have been the hardest decision of her life, she chose a different life for the beautiful baby girl that she had just given birth to...........
She chose to give Chloe LOVE; a love from a family thousands of miles away that had been praying and asking the Lord for a baby girl. She chose to give Chloe HOPE; a hope of a better future in the US where she will truly be blessed.
People have different views and opinions on how you should look at birthmothers. I really don't care what those people think. We will be forever grateful for her precious gift to us. How appropriate it is for Chloe to have been born on Valentine's Day, because A gave us our heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today was actually a double celebration because Zane's birthday is next week and with having 3 children's birthdays in the same week, we chose to let Chloe and Zane celebrate together with just a pizza lunch and birthday cake with all of our children.
It was a wonderful day and both Chloe and Zane loved every minute of it.
Thank you for letting me share my youngest 2 gifts from God with you!
Happy Valentine's Day!