Operation Orphan No More: Angel Tree Child

December is such a hard month for me.

If I had my way I would just stay in bed and wake up in January.

Put I try to put on a brave face and pretend that my heart is not shattered

in pieces and advocate the best I can for the film and the stuck

Russian orphans.

I try to find ways to make the holiday special for my family

even when a part of my heart is stuck in Russia.

This year my daughter asked to sign up to help one of the orphans

on the Angel Tree.

I don't know what I was thinking when I said yes

because I have also been frantically trying to get the film

Children of the State seen.

But my sweet little 8 year old daughter has a heart of

gold and she really wanted to find some way to help another orphan out.

Nevaeh knows what it is like to be adopted as she was adopted after we fostered

her from San Diego Foster Care for over 2 years.

She is crushed when she thinks of a child without a mom or dad.

So we have been working hard making bracelets for Prudence.

We choose Prudence because she was born in December 2005 just

like our sweet little Natasha.

Both girls will be 10 years old this year.

That's 10 years without a family to call their own.

Ten years without a mom or dad to tuck them in at night

and tell them they are loved.

Natasha is stuck in Russia due to the adoption ban so all I can

do is hope and pray she finds a Russian family.

But Prudence can be adopted.

My heart belongs to Natasha and the thought of trying to replace

her if she doesn't have a family is not an option for me.

But someone out there would be so blessed to have this amazing young

girl in their lives.

Here is the link to the bracelets and necklaces were are selling and

a sample photo of our Down syndrome Awareness bracelet.

They sell for $7.00 plus shipping.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.617270988413214.1073741830.219257711547879&type=3

Facebook has this thing it does where it shows you your memories

for years passed. Here is the one that pop up on me today date

December 7, 2013

This was posted on an adoption group tonight. So this Christmas season as you fret over getting the perfect gift for your child/family member or worry there isn't enough money to purchase them what they really want take a moment to think about those who more than anything just want a family to love them. If you have one you really have all you need for Christmas. Take a moment to be so grateful for what you have and read this poem.

Last year at this time our court documents sat submitted in St. Petersburg, Russia and we anxiously awaited our court date. We knew we should be getting the call any day and that could very well mean spending Christmas in Russia. We only had 12 days notice when we went for our referral trip in July. So we decorated the house and hung the stockings. I had all the presents purchased and wrapped. I even had purchased things for Natasha's stocking. I knew it would still be almost 2 months before she was home with us but had planned on keeping the stockings up until she got home.

Then on December 19th, her 7th birthday, I woke up to the most horrible news. A bill banning American adoptions had been submitted to the Russian Parliament and they had signed it. I thought "Surely this law will not apply to us. Surely the courts would not make a child who had waited 7 years for a family and finally met one not be allowed to go home to one now." I will never, ever understand the injustice that was dealt to those children and families that day. I will never understand the apathy and hatred portrayed by American citizens who feel that it was a good thing because Russia needs to deal with their own "problems" and the US with theirs. My heart breaks ever night. Our stockings still hang on the fireplace. The small gifts for Natasha still inside. This year I have made contact with volunteers from her orphanage and they have agreed to let me send hats for her birthday to all the children in her group and a Christmas dress for her. I am up late once again trying to figure out how two governments can act so cruel to children who have already had so much pain dealt to them in their short lives.