The Light

I love listening to Christian music with Molly. She has a beautiful voice and I love that she 'hears' what they are singing about...Our Beautiful Savior, Our One True God!

But, what I love the most is when God places it on her heart to ask what a song means and she wants the entire song broken down for her.  What an awesome Bible lesson for her... for me too.  But...the coolest thing that God does for us?  He always has her ask about songs that truly have meaning for her.  It always amazes me that when we discuss the lyrics, it seems as though they were written just for her! I love how God works!

 Recently, she asked me about Learning To Be The Light by Newworldson.

It started out simple...

"What is atmosphere?"

"How can you be trapped?"

"Why do you learn to be the light?"

We were able to talk about adoption, birth parents, adoptive families, how God can take a yucky situation and give hope to it, how knowing Jesus can be so full of light.  ALL for nothing in return! And our Molly?  She definitely is learning to be the light!
Molly, much you have endured but HOPE is yours!

One Year

One year has passed so quickly, 365 days of knowing and learning about our daughter, Molly!  Oh, how our lives has changed and Oh, how she has triumphed! She has endured much in her 10 years of living on this earth.  Six years with her birth family, three years in an orphanage, the human sorrow of being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and with that diagnosis...surgeries, medical appointments, feeding tube, and bipap.  But, through it all her LOVE of Our Savior stays strong.  Thank you Jesus, for covering our daughter in comfort and love before we became a family and thank you Jesus, for continuing to cover our sweet Molly with your comfort and love as she learns the love of a forever family and fights strong against Muscular Dystrophy!  She is Triumphant and a precious jewel of our KING!
Each day she is a reminder of how our God can take us from an unworthy circumstance to a WORTHY circumstance!  Molly you have changed lives and we love, love, love you!

 

Happy Halloween

I love Halloween in Oakwood...except when it is 35 degrees and sprinkling!
Our Hollywood Popstar and Mermaid braved the elements and frozen toes...

 Our Bunny retired early to help pass out candy to 250 trick or treaters...

AND the beloved prize....

I would say Molly's first Halloween was a sugary success!  Now, we will have to see if she eats any!  I am sure Lucy and Lilian will help her if she will part with the fancy wrappings!

Sweet Sixteen

16 years ago today our quiet Noah was born.  He was born sensitive, smart, compassionate, and strong and...16 years later he is still sensitive, smart, compassionate, strong and oh, so much more.  He is a wonderful friend, a team player, handsome, athletic, a peace maker, adventurous, fun, a quiet, gentle soul BUT with a touch of spitfire!  Happy Sweet Sixteen Birthday Noah! We love you and are proud to call you our son!
 

Homecoming

Homecoming Weekend 2012

Noah and Anna

The girls had to duck

due to this fashion statement...Yikes I may be old but how in the world???

Granted

Food?  Clean water?  Clothing?  Electricity? 
I take them all for granted.  Just a part of my daily life.  Never a second thought as to where my next meal will come from.  Just open the pantry and the choices are overwhelming...but to a mom in Guatemala not the case.  Never a second thought as to where my clean water comes from.  Just turn out the spigot, any 7 in my home, and out it pours and pours...but to a mom in Guatemala not the case. Never a second thought as to what to wear.  Just open my closets and it is crammed full, mostly with clothes never touched...but to a mom in Guatemala not the case.  Never a second thought when the light is dim.  Just turn on a lamp, one of the eighteen I own, flip a switch, one of the twenty four in my home...but to a mom in Guatemala not the case.  I take them all taken for granted!
Meet Sandra from Guatemala. She has no electricity in her home. You can see her joy at a simple gift given to her, a ray of light, built from a simple 2 liter bottle filled with water and a little bleach.  What will night be like for Sandra?  Dark again.  But her days are filled with light! 

 


 To read more about joyful people like Sandra visit Mayan Families, a non profit caring for and loving the beautiful Mayan People of Guatemala.

A Little Competition

Some dinner time fun while daddy is away...who can get the cookie from forehead into mouth?

And, no, we did not only have cookies for dinner...well, ok Jack did get his fill of cookies!

Noah had some pretty stiff competition!

Way to go Lilian, perfecting this life long skill that we are sure will be needed in your future!!!!

Weekday Lunch

 One of my favorite things about our schools is that the kids get one hour for lunch. It is an open campus for all 3 schools so between the hours of 11:40 and 12:40 kids can stay at school and eat, go home and eat, go out to eat, or who knows what (not so much my favorite choice).   So far, we have been lucky..our kids, once in junior high choose to come home everyday.  I LOVE IT!!!!!

Not only do we have 4 of our 5 coming home each day we also have friends!  I LOVE IT!  Here is my life after 12:40...

Here is what we served up this day...PB and J, Shrimp Ramen Noodles, Beef Ramen Noodles, rice, chicken and beef broth, TJ pizza...yep, we all have different tastes and lunch is the one meal when the kids get to make their own choice...I LOVE IT!

Sometimes

Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to let things go and be content. This year, back to school pictures were not done in the orderly fashion as the past 12 years...when I had control, when I took all the pictures, when the kids left with a full stomach of eggs and toast, when we ate breakfast together, when I was at the front door waving them off to school. Nope, this year did not go as planned...yes, they all had new back to school outfits shirts, but the morning? Let's just say I did not plan well on how to get 5 kids out of the house in one hour. The big kids were ready to leave while I was attending to my new nursing duties upstairs. So, I did what I must, I gave in, gave up control and rallied the hubby to shoot the first day photos...

backpacks? front shot? side shot? group shot? same background? Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to let things go and be content. Honey, you did great!

Remember this?

Our sweet Molly sharing her testimony.

Because of this...

One of these Young Lifer's is now a believer.  

 Kris shared with me the other day how after hearing Molly's story this Young Lifer could no longer be mad at God for the things in her life and if Molly could trust God with all she has endured then she could too and has turned it all over to God.   

Our sweet Molly has given another the beautiful gift of God's Grace and eternal life! What a gift to give someone!

When we were talking to Molly about this Young Lifer becoming a believer Molly's response was...

"Awwww, only one?" 

and then...

"Who was that Peter? What was he called?"

"A disciple?"

"Yes! So I am a disciple?" "Yay, I am a disciple, I am a disciple!" 

Yes, beautiful Molly you are a disciple! Changing lives one at a time!

Before and After

Our Gal is growing!  Putting photos side by side is truly amazing. 

Molly in May 2012

Molly in September 2012

4 Weeks

4 weeks post spine surgery and we are back!  

Molly has recovered and has taught us all how to jump back into life head on!  She went to the mall on day four, has been to a birthday party and play dates,  open house at school, wheelchair has been fitted and in process, and she returned to school half days and? that was not enough...she is now back full days sporting her power chair! She continues to be a WII champ and has been to her first Friday night football game to cheer her brother on!
Post surgery she has grown 3 inches and has gained 5 pounds!  Our summer was long but our spark of a gal is back and enjoying life! 

 

8 Days But Who's Counting?

Home tomorrow...Molly is so excited! She had another awesome day.  8 hours in chair, trip to hospital gift shop, 2 meals, played with pulmonary dr. and just went 6 hours between pain meds!  She is a rock star. According to Dr's she was NOT the classic Neuro muscular patient post op...she rose above the odds and is leaving hospital on day 8 and allowed to resume pre op breathing treatments only! Praising our maker and healer tonight!!

Our Happy Clam

Ashley and Autumn...Molly showing what it is really like after 12 screws and 2 rods in back

hair wash with wonderful nurses

 Our happy clam is back..today was a great day.  6 days post op and she is a shining star!  Lungs are clear, pain was manageable, up in her chair 3 times, watched tv, had a bed bath and hair wash, and was Miss Chatty with all nurses.  She definitely puts a smile on their faces and brightens their day.  God has truly been watching over His little gal! 

Day 2 and 3

Sorry...no pics...she is adamant this time that I do NOT post pictures.   I have promised no sharing pics until she is looking like a beauty queen!

Our brave Molly is enduring much but she is strong and courageous.  She has her shining Molly moments when pain is doable and then there are other times...brace time, breathing treatment time, sitting in a chair, back xrays...that there is so much to endure but Molly always pulls through and comes out on the other side!
Dr's are working on managing her heart and respiratory rates....much higher than they would like to see them.  Past 3 lung xrays have shown improvement but with her compromised lung function already they are staying on top of it.  Thankfully we are at an awesome pulmonary children's hospital who are proactive rather than reactive.  Praises for living so close to this gold mine of child care. Nurses have been wonderful and today Molly had her sense of humor back and her chattiness...well let's say until the PT brought the brace out and told her we were going to have her sit up. 
Prayers for improved respiratory and pain management for our shining gal.

PS:  How could it be that in a 15 X 15 room a mom cannot get her teeth brushed until 11:00???  Hmmmm....working on my own goals here!

Straight

Molly with our beloved friend 'like a daughter' Rachel who will be having scoliosis surgery next month!  Molly believes she is braver because she went first!

Wow. Saw xrays today and our Molly is so much straighter!  It is pretty amazing to see the difference!  In 10 hours she went from 56 degrees on top and 86 degrees on bottom to 34 and 45 degrees! 
Pain kicked in last night about 11:15 pm and she finally fell into a good sleep about 5:00 am.  Thank you versed.  This of course was just in time for morning labs, Dr. calls, and rounds. :)  No sleep for this mama.
We were then casted for back brace....thank you valium. She was not a happy person at that point but  blue butterflies to match her blue butterfly leg braces made her smile shine. Hopefully the brace will be temporary until her body heals fully from the surgery. We then moved rooms, a praise, we are out of ICU and stats are great!  Prayer for continued lung function, pain management, and no infection!
Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement and LOVE!  We have definitely felt loved and wrapped in our Father's grace!
Today was a long day but our sweetie is resting now.
Goodnight from our new home A336!

Singing Praises!

Molly breathing on own! Singing out here! Praising! did awesome coming off breathing tube. impressed the nurses. She has been sleeping comfortably and now this mama is off to sleep too. Thank you ALL for the prayers, well wishes, and LOVE! We felt so encouraged ALL day and thanking God tonight for bringing his Gal Molly this far.  She is our brave and courageous girl!

Be strong and Courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

Joshua 1:9

 

Surgery 4:10

Met with Dr. and Molly is doing well.  She tolerated anesthesia well...answered prayer.  She now has 12 screws and 2 rods in her tiny back.  Dr. says "They look good."  Hmmmmmm?
Biggest concern is coming off ventilator at this point.  We do know she will have a brace and that her tiny bones tolerated the hardware.  I will leave the details of operation to your imagination.
Prayers for being weaned off ventilator and pain tolerance.  We will be able to see our gal in about 1/2 an hour.

God is Good!

Surgery 3:00

Rods are in... They will clean her, stitch her up and we will see the Dr. in about one hour and then our fighter gal within 2!  Nurse said she is tolerating the anesthesia well!
Praising Him.

Surgery 12:20

Screws are in place...placing rod in now.  We are about halfway through and she seems to be doing well.  Pray for continued lung function for our Princess Lover!

Surgery Day

Our beautiful gal just went back to OR.   She was so relaxed the anesthesiologist thought she had already been given the sleepy drugs. 
We know God, her almighty creator, will wrap her in love today.
Please continue to PRAY.

Preparing

On Monday morning at 7:30 our precious Molly will have her scoliosis surgery. We will be heading to Cincinnati Children's on Sunday night for pre op observation and most likely be in the hospital 7-10 days.

We are prepared...We believe in our strong girl and we have such faith that God will be with her, with Dr. Jain as he operates and with the follow up care of the nurses but...we are her parents...

Parents who have loved her for 2 years.

Parents who paper chased for one year to bring her home.

Parents who traveled 1/2 way around the world to meet her.

Parents who feel like she has always been a part of our family.

Parents who would do anything for her.

Parents who love her unconditionally.

Parents who know the "path" of being her mom and dad will not be easy BUT she is ours and a gift from our Almighty Creator and we love her.

Which in our human nature we do worry...

Please join us in prayer for:

wisdom and skilled hands for Dr. Jain
compassionate nurses during follow up care
Molly to be easily weaned off ventilator after surgery
pain tolerance for her in the days and weeks following surgery
surgery to be successful
siblings of Molly who will be home with Grandma
that our anxieties will be cast on Him

Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.
              1Peter5:7

Hearts of Love and....

a little preparation...
The heat of summer and upcoming surgery for Molly led Bill to do something a little crazy...something never done before in the Wagner house....BRIBERY for cutting inches off hair.  Well, Lilian and Molly took him up on the offer, which is too embarrassing to post, but let's just say, we will be eating hotdogs the rest of the month while the girls savor being "rich'! 
Today was the big day and the girls did wonderful trimming cutting their locks.  They were proud to be donating to Locks of Love and of course, the BRIBE, is now burning a hole in their pocket!