Dear Santa...

All I want for Christmas is a family.....


At Christmas time my heart always turns to Mia and my emotions are so raw as I think of the Christmas season 3 years ago when my heart strings were being pulled towards something unknown.

It was at this time of year that I was soul searching and praying for answers to where our road was supposed to lead.

At the same time, there was a little girl sitting alone in an orphanage in Ukraine.

She had never met Santa.

She had never experienced the joy of his magic

She didnt know that this season of Christmas was about the love of a family.

but she did know that if she had a Christmas wish it would be to have a family to call her own.

At the same time, there were strangers rallying around this little girl, raising money for her and spreading the word that she needed a family, and she needed them soon.

Right before Christmas 3 years ago, I found these blog posts...

reading them again, and seeing the picture that changed our lives, gives me chills.

(taken from Patti's blog Dec. 2010)

"updated to add- Olga's fund has grown so large, that we are sure she is about to find her forever family. Several families have made serious inquires about her- and although nobody has committed to her yet, I feel confident that Olga will be rescued. And I promise to update you as soon as I can:)

In light of this overwhelming success for Olga, we asked Andrea Roberts to allocate all donations coming in after 12/17 to this little sweetie...

KareenBorn January 15, 2007

This pretty muffin is waiting for her family! She is healthy, with no heart condition noted in her records. She has brown hair and hazel eyes, and is already up and learning to walk! Her records indicate “meiotic nondisjunction”, but this is just a fancy word for what happens to create “Down syndrome” genetically. She is considered higher functioning and is really doing well. She is an orphanage favorite, and the director has asked for a family to save her from the institution.

I asked Andrea to give me the name of a child facing the institution...and she gave me the name of Kareen. My heart just melted when I saw her."

This Home for christmas giveaway changed Mia's life and ours. The questions Patti was wondering at the time "And what will that new day bring?A home? Safety? Peace? A loving family to protect her and love her and cherish her, and show her the value that her little life truly is? A mama to kiss her and hold her and teach her all the little things a little girl should know...most of all love? A daddy to watch over her and care for her? Parents to hold her when she's hurting and pray for her and show her tenderness and give her everything a little girl deserves?" 

Mia now has all those things and reflecting on that christmas season 3 years ago when she did not, and we were being pulled to her just makes me so thankful for the many miracles that fell into place in order for her to come home. I remember that Christmas, before we actually committed to Mia, I sat watching my other 3 girls open their christmas gifts and dance on their new dance floor and all I could think about was that Mia (Kareen) was supposed to be there too. 

Since being home with Mia our lives have gone into overdrive with the miracle of the twins and adjusting to the dynamics of our family and I often think about all the other children like Mia who are still waiting for their Christmas wish to come true, to have a family of their own, and my heart gets heavy because I wish I could do more.

I wish I could be the family that each of these precious children are waiting for ... but I can't.

So what can I do?

I can pray for them.

I can continue to share our story in hopes that others will be lead to find their child.

Sometimes I think everyone knows Mia's story and are tired of hearing about it, but then I realize that often times it is for me. when days are hard and we have our struggles, it always puts it into perspective to remember what she started life with and how far she has come.

And I can act on the promptings I have been having lately that I need to let Mia's story and her light continue to spread through this blog. For whatever reason, I have really felt strongly lately that maybe there is someone who needs to hear Mia's story again, or for the first time, or someone who needs to learn about the children who are forgotten, or someone who needs to know that sometimes the answers we think we are looking for are not at all the ones we thought we wanted.

When I found Mia she was not the answer I thought I was going to find.

I had never thought of adoption! I had 3 children biologically, so why would I need to adopt?

Once my heart realized maybe adoption was my answer, I said to myself "ok then, if thats the case, then I will find a new baby." Because after all, I had recently lost a baby through a difficult misscarriage and I needed a baby.

But that was not what I needed at all...

I needed this little girl

and she needed me 

 

A few weeks ago, Kris and I were talking about Mia and about adoption and we said,
"of course we love that we can give Mia these material things like new dolls, and dress ups, and toys, because every child deserves that and she never had that has a toddler or an infant, so its even more fun to spoil her with it now, but you know what? Mia doesn't care what she wears or what she plays with, she just cares that she is loved.

She cares that she now has a sister in the bed next to hers that she can climb in with when she is scared.

She cares that she has a place to call home

and a family to call her own.

There are so many children just waiting for their mom and their dad to find them and to have the faith to follow their heart and bring them home.

These children don't need an abundance of riches...they just need love,

and a chance to shine.

The changes in Mia since she has come home have nothing to do with us being in the least bit special, because I assure you we are not. Its as simple as having a family that loves you and a place to call home. We never thought we could handle even one child with special needs and yet now we have two.


There are SO many children just like Mia who are longing to know what love is at this Christmas time.

I am usually not very bold but I remember when we were stewing over the idea of if we could really say yes, and commit to bringing Mia into our family, and I remember my friend Lisa's blog post that day (who at the time had no idea I was about to commit to Mia) read "Just say yes!" and Mia's sweet picture was under that heading. So I will say, if you are considering or have ever had these feelings, please think about saying yes. It will stretch your heart and change your life in ways you never thought possible! Is it always easy? heavens no, but it is worth it.

Her life is worth it.

As a dear friend said "If you've ever thought about adoption don't wait because you feel like everything has to be perfect because these kids don't need perfect, they need a family and they need love. "

Every single time I hear this song tears flow as I think of Mia wishing for these things once upon a time, and as I think of all the children still waiting now.

Although this video was made 2 years ago, it is worth sharing again.




In church we were talking about what makes the christmas season special? what is the "feeling of christmas?"

 the answer is "peace" . The peace that we feel from our Savior is the feeling of Christmas . At this Christmas time, I am grateful that Mia now feels that peace in her life,

and that we feel peace knowing that we traveled the road we were supposed to that lead us to her.


May we all help one another feel the peace that this Christmas season brings.

Merry Christmas from the Cox family.



If you are not familiar with Mia's journey home you can find it at our adoption blog www.kareensjourneyhome.blogspot.com

Mothers Day guest post

I was honored to be asked to guest post on another blog in a motherhood series.

Here is the link to the piece

http://www.yourhandsfull.blogspot.com/2013/05/motherhood-series-kecia-cox.html#.UYqyreBJX31

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing women in my life!

An answer to prayers

I know, I know, its shocking that I am sitting down to a blog post today...especially since I am moving in 2 days but for one I really want to find time for blogging again, and maybe this will jump start it ha ha....(if I even have followers on here anymore, its been so long lol)

 but the real reason for todays post is a continuation of Mia's miracle!

For those that followed Mia's journey, you may remember me talking about little "N" in this post

HERE

The little girl who we could only refer to as "N" for her privacy protection at the time, had an immediate impact on mine and Kris' hearts from the moment we met her! If we could have taken her home too, we would have.

This is what I wrote about this sweet little girl 2 years ago

"The cutest is to hear little "N", from her groupa say her name. "N" is also 4 but looks like she is about 10 months old so when she talks it is surprising from her little body. She calls her "Ksusha" and she always says "Ksusha papa" or "Ksusha Mama" when we come in. This little angel "N" is melting my heart more and more. (She is the one I talked about the other day a little, and if you watch the video of Mia running to greet me, she is in the left of the picture for a minute sitting at the end of her crib) It doesn't matter what her condition in life is, she is ALWAYS smiling. She can't walk and her legs are deformed but yet she still smiles. The caregivers always carry her to come and see us and yesterday I asked if I could hold her but they said no because of her frail condition (or so I gathered from their gestures towards her legs) but they always let me hold her hand and rub her back. You can literally feel a tangible celestial spirit about this one! She is here to grace this world with her presence and no matter what happens or what condition she finds herself in, she smiles and she just radiates her pure innocence. I believe she is closer to our Father in Heaven than we could imagine. I wish there was something I could do for her! I wish I could give her a family too. For now, I am thankful that I was allowed to know her for the brief few minutes we get to see her each day. She is truely an angel on earth!"

When we left Mia's orphanage for the last time, I still remember this little angels sweet smile and she waved goodbye to her childhood friend "Ksusha" and "Ksusha's mama and papa". Mia would watch over this little friend and hand her toys off the floor when she would drop them from her crib, and as we left for the last time, my heart sank because little "N" was not even listed on Reeces Rainbow and the thought of her being close to institution age, and not having a chance at a family, just broke my heart! All I could do, was pray.

Pray for her that she would be watched over

Pray for her that somehow she would be added to the RR database 

Pray for her that she would have a family see her potential and the light and she had to offer

So I prayed

As we boarded the train back to Kiev a few days later, we were given a folder from our facilitator with some photos and info on some children who they were hoping to get listed on RR. 

And what picture is in that file?

This one

 a baby picture of little "N" 

My heart skipped a beat and I started to cry...

Well a few months after being home with Mia I checked with RR to see what ever became of this file and no one had seen it yet from the Ukraine team so I kept praying and went on with life, always remembering this sweet little angel and wondering how she was. 

Time went on and I became so busy I never saw if she was placed on RR or not, but I still kept her in my prayers, and then on Sept 13, 2012 I get a message on facebook saying this 

"I left my email address on your blog. I was told you adopted Mia from the same orphanage where Alexandra is on Reece's Rainbow. I was just wondering what it was like there. I read a good bit on your blog. Congrats on the sweet little girl!"

The tears just wouldn't stop as I realized my prayers for Nastyia finally finding her family, were possibly coming true. 

My sweet new friend Tammie Frye and I then conversed almost daily 

From Tammie "

"My story... we adopted a ten year old boy, domestically and he is now 15. Last year we adopted a 16 year old girl from Latvia. She will be 17 in October. I've been looking at RR off and on.... not much really... over the last year. I felt sad for them, but there was no real connection until I saw "Alexandra"... I'll have to get used to calling her Nastyia in my head (but I won't use that if I'm posting publicly). I just couldn't get her out of my head (and heart!) She had around $5,000 in her grant and last week (or so) another child was adopted domestically and her grant money was donated to N. It was over $12,000!!! Last weekend, someone added another $500, so you see how much money she has now!!
The really wild thing is that when she stole my heart, I told God... I cant' adopt her. We just adopted and we're broke!  If you want me to adopt her, I'm going to need a WHOLE lot more money! 9 days after writing this in my prayer journal, Boom! $17,000+!!"

I have had the privilege of following Tammi's journey the last few weeks, but could not share anything publicly about little Nastyia yet.

I have been able to see Tammi walk the same streets we walked, enter the same orphanage rooms we entered, meet the same people we met, and even see Mia's old sleeping room in some of the pictures and it has been amazing!.

We even sent a photo album of Mia over the last 2 years with Tammi to show the orphanage what Mia'a new life is like. 



Today, Tammi stood in the same courtroom we stood in, 

and pleaded her case in front of a judge....

Today little Nastia Kate is an orphan no more!!!!

Today this little angel now has a family to call her own!!! 

Another angel in the story is this sweet lady Tatyana. Remember how part of my prayers were for this little girl to be watched over till her family could find her? 

Well that is what this lady did. 

Tatyana met Nastia in the hospital when she was getting treatments. Nastia has brittle bone disease, and from that day on this sweet lady has visited and been a friend to little Nastia.

More tender mercies every step of the way.

Watching little Nastia the last few weeks has been miraculous! 

I didn't think her smile could get bigger or brighter but it has!

She already had an amazing glow about her little spirit, but now that she is loved my a family, her light is unstoppable!

Today I am thankful again for the threads that weave us all together and for God's hand in our lives! 

He really is in the details of our lives and He hears and answers our prayers!

Congratulations Frye family on the new addition of this little angel! 

Thank you for being the answer to my prayers and rescuing Nastia!

 Maybe one day Mia and Nastia will get to meet again....


(BTW I am lots better at keeping up on my day to day activities via instagram these days so if you want you can follow me there I would love it...username keciacox)