Take 16 minutes and listen to this amazing testimony from Gianna Jessen who survived an abortion attempt on her life when she was 7-1/2 months in the womb.

I mentioned back on October 23rd that a family from California was in China adopting a 12-year-old boy who went to the same boarding school as our son.

When the family returned home, Carmi emailed the mother and asked the mother to check with her son, Gage, to see if he knew “Mike”.

Carmi received a reply this afternoon that simply thrilled us to the core.

The mother showed our son’s most current photograph to Gage and Gage said Mike’s Chinese name right away.

On a humorous note, the mother typed into their translator that Mike was being adopted and coming to the US. Gage typed back asking if their family was adopting him! The mother explained the situation and Gage was happy to hear it.

This family only lives 40 miles from Los Angeles so we might have to see if we can fly into LA on our return home and get the two boys together.

My friend Tara tagged me so I am supposed to post some random things about myself and then tag three other people. I’ll try to do some things that are different from what I have on my 100 things list.  Anyone who reads our blog knows that I am not the usual writer here.  I leave that mostly to Doug because he is better at it than me.  I actually think he should write a book because he has a real natural talent for it.  Me, I just like to read what other people write.  Speaking of reading, I guess that should be one of my first facts:

1.  I absolutely love to read.  Eliana thinks I am nuts because I would rather read than play with her Nintendo DS. I saw a newspaper article posted in a book store stating that the average American reads only 4 books a year.  After reading that, I started keeping a list of all the books I was reading. I started this list in May. The average number of books I have read over the past six months is 4.  This surprised me, I thought it would be about 3. The reason I am able to read so much is that I ride the bus to work so I can read coming and going and I read at lunch. Almost no reading takes place at my house anymore unless it is reading children’s books. For the record, I am also teaching Eliana my reading habits. She likes to read almost as much as she likes to play her Nintendo DS. Makes her mommy proud!

2.  This will be no surprise to friends who have heard our adoption story, however, for the rest of you here goes.  When I was in high school I used to tell all my friends that I was going to adopt all of my children. This was back in the late 70s and early 80s before international adoption was as common. I do not remember having any thoughts about where the children I would adopt would come from I just knew I wanted to adopt.  I think that was God’s way of preparing me to be an adoptive mom and I could not be happier about it!  We have two absolutely precious girls and will hopefully soon add a big brother to the mix. 

3.  Doug and I met at Christian Skate Night at a roller skating rink in Hickory, NC on April 1st.  My friend’s little brother was the “match maker”.  He heard me say that Doug was cute and decided to go and tell Doug that I wanted to “date him”, not skate with him mind you! Later her brother wanted to know about the girl he found a boy friend for.  He took full credit for bringing us together. I wonder how many other couples he got together?  Sadly I have lost touch with my friend and her brother so I may never know.

4.  I got to go to the top of the World Trade Center several years before it was destroyed. My uncle actually worked for the company that built the World Trade Center. Doug and I were with some friends in NYC and had gone there to help with a mission project. We had one day that was sort of a free day and we went all over NYC riding the subway.  We got out at the WTC and went shopping in the mall that used to be there.  No, Doug was not thrilled that I managed to find a shopping mall in the middle of NYC! We were there again several years after 9/11 and visited ground zero. It is unbelievable to look at and realize what happened there.

OK, now I am tagging Amy Moore, Amy Crawford and Nathan Babcock.

Oh yeah...I’m getting me some free java tomorrow!

Carmi’s next book review is online: Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza.

Look at the top of the page and you’ll see a link to ‘book reviews’. That’s where you can find her.

We had another yard sale - our 3rd and final one of the year - at Mom’s house today. The weather was picture-perfect.

Eliana worked very hard and slowed down just long enough to enjoy an apple in the shade of a nearby maple tree.

Our church has had a Fall Festival as an alternative to Halloween for years. This year, for the first time, we moved the event outside and tried Trunk or Treat.

Carmi decorated the back of our van in a Chinese New Year theme. Eliana wore a Ninja costume and Karys dressed up as an authentic China girl wearing a traditional silk outfit in Daddy’s favorite color.

This journal offers a peek inside the Henderson home where you'll find two Little Empresses. Eliana stole our hearts on October 29, 2002 and Karys forever became a part of our family on September 17, 2007. Is a Little Emperor in the future?