Only at the Oatsvall house do things like this happen ... I got an email yesterday from our agency in dire need of a family to do interim care for a 2 day old baby girl ... Anyone who knows me, knows I was totally on board w/in a minute... I told Scott that I figured out what I wanted for my birthday (Oct. 5th by the way) ... He looked at me w/ those wondering eyes and I told him, "There is a baby girl that needs a family for 2 weeks to love on her, pray for her and just be the hands and feet of Jesus." ... After a few persuasive agruments he said if that is what I felt God calling us to do then we would do it ... This is one reason I love this man, he does love my heart no matter how crazy it gets.

So today around 4:30 they are bringing me a baby girl to cherish for the next 2 weeks ... I will ask you all to pray that during these two weeks this birth mother finds the forever family in the profiles she is viewing and this family's heart will be prepared to welcome this angel into their home forever ...

I am over joyed to say the least ... Emily is on poopy diaper duty, Elijah is doing peepee diapers, and Jeremiah has agreed to wake w/ me in the middle of the night to help feed, Maggie & Daddy are on kisses duty ...

Side Note ... Suzanne and I have been to Target and stacked up on diapers, bottles, and many friends pitching in what they have that I will need over the next two weeks (remember it does take a village) ... So stay tuned for some fun middle of the night post ...

I TOOK THE WRONG CHILD TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY TODAY!!!! ... We have some sweet friends that have boys the same ages as my boys ... I took Elijah to a birthday party of his friend Matthew, when it was really his big brother's Birthday and Jeremiah was suppose to go ... Please laugh w/me ... Elijah made a cool card and everything ...He stayed and had a blast ... I am not telling Jeremiah he missed the party !!!! hee hee

STAY TUNED ... My 20 year high school reunion was Friday Night ... I will download pictures and be sharing with you all about my super cool friends tomorrow ... The fun part is my childhood friends are still in my life ... We may not talk everyday, but we have a connection ... They were in my wedding, some at the birth of my boys, and one even traveled to China w/ me to bring home sweet Maggie ... We have shared some very private journeys together ... It is amazing to see how we have all changed, yet stayed the same ...

SHOUT OUT TO APRIL ... A blogger sister got some fabulous news about her daughter in Guatemala (1 step closer) and The Wheeler family will be traveling home this Thursday with Eliana (Lindsey has been in Guatemala since July fostering her daughter and now it is all official ... SO ANOTHER FUN TRIP TO THE AIRPORT !!!!!

Have a blessed week ... I can't wait to see what God has in store for us !!!

The family on a fabulous day ...


Maggie and I enjoying the moment ...

All the big girls ... Mallory, Me (holding baby Caleb), Anna, Grace, & Suzanne

Lil girls ... Emily, Annabelle, & Milleranne

Two families doing life together ... Oatsvall's and Mayernick's 2gether 4ever !!!
Mike showing us the check and telling us the story ....

Suzanne and I ... Hot Mamas to 10 kids and we are still praying for our other angels !!!

Scott and baby Caleb ...
JO and MO (brothers and buddies)

Joshua and Maggie (future Husband and Wife )

My Anna ... She is the little sister I never had ...


I am not even sure where to start this story ... We get to the Titan's game yesterday and the luxury sky box we were in was amazing ... The view of the game was very picturesque and the food amazing ... We were on the 50 yard line and the sun was shining ... Can you see the dream of the moment we were in ??? Come to find out the Mayernick's (family we went w/) told a little fib ... They did not win the luxury box at work, but the Fisher family had ask them if we could all come to the game on Sunday ...Little did we know an amazing gift awaited us ... ARE YOU READY FOR THIS ... They gave us a check for $5000 for Maggie's surgery!!! Did you hear me?? My heart almost pounded out of my chest and I began to weep, Scott was just standing there going, "I don't believe this, I don't believe this." I began to thank the Father immediately for people like the Fisher family who come along side of us to help lift the financial burdens we are going to face w/ all the surgeries ... It was so surreal ... The day was a perfect FAMILY DAY!!!! I just keep looking at Maggie thankful that she is home and will receive the best treatment there is ... She will be physically whole one day !!!

BACK STORY ... My husband taught a very special girl at CPA named Tara Fisher ... Her heart reminded us so much of Emily Chapman that we wanted to give Maggie her name as a tribute to another young woman, who has a heart for the orphans of the world ...This family was very instrumental in helping us financially bring Maggie home also ... So Miss Maggie Tara Chang Oatsvall has a special heritage to her name (Just like Emily) ... I am not sure words will ever be enough, but our hearts were over joyed and honored to know such a giving and kind family ...


Tara, Scott, and Emily ... amazing young godly women !!!! I am proud my girls are named after them ...
Tara and Maggie ... A priceless picture ...


Mike, Suzanne, and kids ... Thank You, We love you, and Praises to the Father for putting our families together ... You have walked a very whirly journey w/ us and you have not waivered in your kindness or love for our family ... We look forward to many years of friendship, laughter, tears, and kingdom work !!!!

We have had such a life changing last 10 months (yes, Maggie has been home 10 months) ... Job change, income change, sleep change, school change, insurance change, and the summer is a complete blur w/ Scott working most everyday this summer w/ no time off ... We are finally getting our footing here and we are going to the TITANS GAME TODAY AS A FAMILY ... We are so excited our sweet friends the Mayernick's got a luxury box for this game (I think he won it at work) and they are taking us ... WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS FUN TIME AS A FAMILY W/ OUR SWEET FRIENDS ... We have 10 kids between us so it will be a chaotically, loud, super fun time ... (and yes, we are taking Anna ... see old post to see how wonderful this young girl is ... she is part of my family ... she is like my little sister) ...

I will have pictures hopefully tomorrow ... I feel like we are settling into to our ALL our news (job, school, life, and sleep) ... Thanks for always being there w/ a kind word ..

NO NEWS ON MY NOTE FROM THE POLICE ... I am praying about using THE NOTE as part of my book cover ...

This family is in China and their daughter may not make it home ...They meet her for the first time in the hospital ... Please drop by and send them your prayers .... Getting on our knees for strangers is a totally humbling experience ... One I think the Lord wants us to experience daily ...

UPDATE ... I DO KNOW THEY HAVE SOME ADVOCATING FOR THEM NOW ...KEEP PRAYING ...

OK, I am about to give you a slight freak out moment ... I was at Elijah's football game yesterday morning by myself in a not so great part of town and I went into the bathroom and this note was posted on the mirror ... My hands starting shaking and I began looking in every bathroom stall, in trash cans, and searched the building, searched the outside of the building and finally reported it to the police when I just couldn't get peace ... This could very well be a prank by a teenager, but many people had gone in the bathroom before me and the note was not there ... I felt God tugging at me to do something, so I did ... I often think of the person, who found my sweet girls when they were left on door steps in China ... Was that person kind ?? Did that person give them a sweet hug ?? Did that person's heart jump out of their chest ?? Whatever that moment was like I feel like I just experienced it slightly ... I opened those bathroom doors expecting to see an infant swaddled in the corner, I opened the doors throughout the building expecting to hear a faint cry ... I looked in trash cans and rumbled around half expecting to see eyes starring up at me ... So many thoughts went through my head ... I just know that I am thankful for the person, who first picked up my girls when they were placed on those steps ....

I have prayed for whoever wrote this note ....

OK, so what does Hanna Montana, the book THE LORAX by Dr. Seuss , and the movie Dreamer (bout a horse) all have in common ???

THEY ALL MAKE ME THINK OF THE ORPHANS OF THE WORLD ... You ask how ???

1. Sitting w/ kids on couch watching the episode where Miley looses her voice for the 100th time and she goes into a dream where her mother encourages her, tells her how special will be just as Miley, etc ... I start crying thinking of the 145 million orphans, who don't have a mother to tell them how special they are and give them hugs that let them know they are in a safe place ...

2. Reading THE LORAX to the girls today ... I start tearing up at the premise of the book which is about a ONCE-LER, who was taking, taking, taking, and giving nothing back and destroyed his entire area (this can be me at times ) ...

3. Running on treadmill at the YMCA watching the movie about the broken horse, who just wanted a chance to WIN ... A few tears fall because I think of all the children who just want a chance to win at life ... JUST A CHANCE ....

I totally know I am preaching to the choir here, but like so many of you my thoughts each day go to the orphans of the world and how in need they are for us to pray, act, advocate, care and do our part ... I have no doubt that God has each one of these children in His hand ... I know He is there w/ them in the trenches, but I also know it is good to be burdened of the things that are close to God's heart ... So I don't mind carrying this with me each day ...

I love how we all partner together to make a difference ... Kimberly and her many projects w/Starfish, Jamie raising money for water to help out Haiti in their time of need, Emily asking people to donate money for her birthday to a project that will get water to those desperate in Ethiopia, Verna designing blogs to help people raise money for their adoptions, buying clothing from those who sew and sew and sew to raise money to bring their children home, and all the support for my book project to help bring my son and daughter home !!!! There are many others out there and I applaud our efforts and concern ... We must keep these precious children in the forefront of our thoughts, prayers, and life ....

Blessings my sweet, sweet friends !!!

Had to share w/ my cyberfamily ... Maggie said today, "Luffa you mommy" !!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the first time she has said it w/out me saying it first ... We were at Walmart (just her and I) ... I put my face down close to give her a kiss as we strolled and SHE JUST SAID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Lord for the word LOVE ... It says so much in just 4 letters ....

There are so many things that cause me to long to hold another child in my arms ... I see Jeremiah growing up so fast and I remember the day he entered my life and I became a mommy, a changed woman forever ... He taught me a love that was beyond myself ...I see Elijah going off to kindergarten and becoming a little more independent and I remember the long months of sitting in a recliner with him because of his massive breathing issues. He taught me that I was strong and that God is the creator of my blessed children ... It seems in a blink my Emily has grown into a 4 year old (who thinks she is 13) and I am instantly transported back to that room in China where my heart grew to a capacity where it almost exploded ... She taught me of God's love ...I can hear Maggie calling out my name, "Mama" from her pretty pink bedroom and I can catch a memory flash of her hollow expression sitting in the hotel room in Changsha with her black eyes and know that only God could heal her this much in 9 months... She taught me to try and love like God ...I have no idea what my other two children will teach me, but I know my heart aches to learn what God has in store for me ...I am not ready and have never been ready for all that God holds in His hands for me, but I so desperately want all the blessings He will give ...

I seem to cry so much these days ... Tears of joy, Tears of exhaustion, Tears of success, Tears of happiness, Tears of love, Tears of stress, Tears of sorrow, Tears of admiration, Tears of thanksgiving, and most of all tears TO THE FATHER ... I love you Lord and thank you for my amazing family !!! I bow at the thought that you have saved all my tears in a bottle ....