I stand all amazed......

This is one of my favorite hymns -

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

[Chorus]

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I am so grateful, each and every day, for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and all that He has done, and continues to do for me.  I am grateful for his love and his mercy for me, I am humbled by it daily, as I see his hand in my life.

And - his hand has been in our journey to Fiona from the beginning - from BEFORE the beginning - for at least a year before I ever saw our sweet girl's beautiful face.  From before I ever even mentioned the promptings of the spirit to The Dad.  He has been there for it all.

And - when I think of this song, I also think of all of you.  I stand all amazed at the love you have offered Fiona and our family, that you care for her and us so much, that you have given so very much to help bring our sweet girl home to our family - to her forever family.  I am soooo grateful to you, and so in wonder of all of you and your incredible generosity to help us bring her home.

I am grateful for the sweet friend and family who blessed us with the matching grant that made our Heart Attack Fundraiser possible.  For her faith and belief that we were the family the Lord meant for her to give to.  For her love, generosity, wisdom, and example that she continues to bless our lives with!

I am grateful for each and every donor for all 3,316 hearts that will soon hang on the wall of my house (I am a few behind as I needed to get the update of donors from RR :)   Did you see that number - THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED SIXTEEN - how blessed are we?  How loved is our sweet girl?  I am overwhelmed with gratitude - because I know that each of those hearts represents love, and sacrifice, and each has it's own story!  I wish I could tell them all - I wish I KNEW them all~ but I don't...

But I do know some - the gifts from some families that are in the process of adopting, or have adopted internationally themselves, and felt prompted to give to our sweet girl.  Gifts from families who WANT to adopt children with special needs, but haven't been able to yet - for varied reasons.  Gifts in remembrance of family members or friends who have passed on.  Gifts from college students who have very little of their own, but love Fiona's big sisters and who gave so generously of what they did have. Gifts from friends, friends of friends, AND strangers, who know how amazing people with DS are, and what a blessing it is to have someone with DS in your life, and how much a family, love, and opportunities for education, therapies, and acceptance mean for a child and adults with DS.  Gifts from families and people who gave simply because they believe in our sweet girl, and, like us, love her already.

I am amazed, inspired, and grateful for each of you, all at the same time.  Thank you for helping us to reach and then exceed our matching grant goal.  Thank you for turning $1,500 into $4,816.  Thank you for filling our hearts and home with your love and generosity.  Thank you for changing our lives, for touching our hearts, for inspiring us, for helping us to bring our beautiful, loved, cherished, and valued girl home.

With God, all things are possible.  Thank you for being God's hands, and means for blessing Fiona and us.  Thank you all for being an answer to prayer.  We are humbled, we are amazed, we are blessed, by Him and by you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.