Detroit Woodward Dream Cruise

A nice day has turned into a gusty WET one - but still fun.  Luckily some nice people are around to help hold our tent down -  - lost our donation container to the wind - but caught it!  Ha - pretty little storm rolled in.

For those outside of Detroit Woodward was one of the first paved roads in America - 102 years old.  Well parts of it - anyhow they have a huge event every year where people bring old classics, current new muscle cars - you name it and just drive miles up and down the road.  Our business is located here so we team up with the auto hobby store next to us - giving free things away.

Been a good day - maybe post pictures and video's later on - Craig has a video of me handing out bumper cards to the cars as they drive by -t hey are "collector items" - not stickers car people put to show they were here.  Pretty cool.

however I opted to get out of the storm and landed myself inside.

My other new friend of the day just strolled in - this young kid selling Domino's pizza - kids been walking MILES selling pizza's all day - they make $1 for every pizza they sell - doesn't seem worth it to me - but great exercise - ha.

Yes - rambling on at the moment - sorta bored.  Anyhow - looks like the classics have left for a bit - but that's alright.  We have some custom one of a kind cars by us - one is the Helderodo - NO idea if that was spelled correctly - ha.

Ok - hope everyone is enjoying the Saturday afternoon - where ever you are.
Gail

Happy 1st Birthday K

I want to wish a Happy 1st Birthday to little "K" - granted they didn't know your birthday - so we chose today with much consideration.  You aren't even referred to us anymore - but we want to let you know we still love you very much!  Its YOUR 1st birthday - we are thinking and loving you just as much as anytime since we saw your pictures in June.

We know you will be loved and safe. We pray you are adjusting to the new orphanages and maybe even reunited with your mother!  I hope she wants you back.  We love you very much!

With love your "not so much" family.
Love the Backus' Family, Gail, Craig and Nate

Fight Leukemia - join MY personal cause

Seriously - if you want to read more about my mom's story - THIS blog is the place to do it - you can read my tears if you start back in 2004! I remember those last moments writing or begging for prayers to save my mom - that's not fun - but I have accepted it now and know she's in heaven - but those first few months - especially after having her first grandchild 17 days later -I was in a cloud - it hurts to remember those moments. But please - consider joining our team!  WE want walkers!

elcome to our Team's Homepage

Welcome to our Team's Homepage

Aug 15, 2011

Welcome to the homepage for Loretta's Love, my team for Light The Night Walk.

Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

In 2004, my mom, Loretta, was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia on Mother's Day that year - one day before her 58th birthday. She had been in the hospital about a week while doctors tried to determine exactly "what she had". Unfortunately, she never left the hospital as she died there on June 22, 2004. She was and always will be the Light and Love of the Wilcox Family! Losing her has been the hardest thing I've ever had to face, but I know she's with us all the time. Only 17 days after her death, her first grandchild, our son Nate was born. I talk about her often with him, trying to explain how much she loved him before and still. She hand picked him up in heaven and held him in her arms before he was born. He thinks it's "neat" to know he is that special - and no matter what he always will be.

In 2008 we walked our first Light the Night and its a great organization. They were there for me as I did research trying to help mom fight this battle. Unfortunately the genetics on her side were too strong and the treatments just couldn't win. But we know we can help others prevent going through a similar loss. Please support the cause and help us raise money to fight cancer and WIN!.

For more than 60 years, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been solely focused on people with blood cancers. Presently, we have more than $250 million committed to research across the United States and in ten other countries. Every dollar is provided by concerned donors. We invest in the best, outcome based science:

• Anywhere, with no geographic or institutional boundaries
• Without profit incentive
• To meet unmet Medicare needs of people with blood cancers

And LLS funded advances are helping patients beyond those for whom they were originally developed, including people with solid tumors and auto-immune diseases. In the past decade, nearly 50% (19 put of 39) of the cancer drugs approved by the FDA were approved as treatments for blood cancer patients. Twelve are already approved for people beyond those for whom they were first developed. With your help, we are saving lives.

• A donation of $25 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
• A donation of $50 makes possible a Family Support group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
• A donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
• A donation of $1,000 makes possible one- on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

Please join our team's effort today by registering to walk or by making a donation. Your participation in the Light The Night Walk will help save lives. Be sure to check our team Web site frequently to see our progress, and thanks for your support!

thankful for other adoptive families

I was just posting on FB tonight that I'm falling for S - well then i get to the yahoo email - this is where I check the yahoo groups - and another mom - who I didn't realizes child is in the same orphanage -s he had sent me 3 pics of S!  He is so beautiful - its just so funny how different they look when other parents take the pictures.  I decided today that the first pics we see are the "adoption mug shots" - they are adorable but just not as cute.
So seeing him smile - its melting my heart!

I pray it works.  I saw tonight court dates in late October and early November are being assigned - it is possible we travel later this week - so we'll see.  Not sure if trip #1 will be this year or not - but definitely won't be bringing him home till 2012.

Its hard to not get attached - Craig is very nervous this will fall away just like K's referral did - I pray it doesn't - I have to hold on to something.

so we'll see.
continue to pray for all the kids in limbo, suffering in this horrible drought and famine - they need prayers more than we do!

thanks
Gail

Will this time work? -yes a new referral

Ok - we accepted another referral last night - for a beautiful little boy "S" that is about 4 months old.  Was so hoping to help pick his birthday as my  mom's in May - but it wouldn't work out - so we ended up going with a day in April - not totally random, but no real significance.

So we are excited - but VERY cautious as well - cautious as to what will happen?  Will this beautiful guy be taken away?  Who will care for K?  But that wasn't moving.  This little buy seems very healthy and is adorable.  Only 1 pic of him - but regardless until he's legally ours those can't be shared anyhow.  He's at Endigma - Oh can't spell it - or was from there?  I've heard good things.

Its just funny as I really told God Wednesday night that I BELIEVE our son will come to us soon!  And as I was traveling for work - I was actually driving back to the airport as my phone rang and I couldn't answer it.  I had read something that unless you have hands free - do not use your phone.  I was afraid.  I KNEW it was Sally - but then as I got to the rental car return I saw she called my work cell too!  But no messages.  I was going CRAZY - I decided to wait till I got to the airport, checked my bag and through security to just relax and not worry about time.  And I had enough - so it was a good call!

We don't really know the time line yet - our paperwork is still in court for K - so we are hoping they  can just "switch" things out and we keep in the court system - but not sure.   And don't know when we'll know.  The courts are closed for rainy season - so not sure if we will find out till October anyhow.  But hopefully we can keep our paper work there and just change out the boys.  Just very exciting.  We will see how it works out -

Please continue to pray for God's Will and that we bring home the son he's already picked out for us.  And pray for my patience to and beliefe and faith to continue!

Thanks everyone -
Gail

Keeping the Faith

Today I was reading another blog - and its posts from other agencies stated that what happened to us has possibly happened to other families.  It is so sad - but their agency was told the kids already referred and paper work submitted to courts will be evaluated - but still probably go through!  That is very positive news.  I'm hoping it is true - I keep picturing little K's face in my mind and just pray that God's wisdom guides us through this journey.  Its not easy for me - waiting and not knowing - I'm one for surprises- never have been  but not much I can do about this one.  I know we will have another son and really like the name Curtis for our boy.  So we'll see.  I just want to see his face - and last night I dreamed that was K! So then reading this other blog today - it sounded promising.

I know when I've talked to our agency - they've been positive - they don't know what's going to happen - and I really appreciate their honesty.  I swear I can hear the sadness in their voices - maybe not sadness but they feel the pain for every family and child.

so I just keep the faith!  It seems like lots of devotionals I've read this week seemed to teach me to just keep the faith and trust in God's plans.  He knows what's going to happen - we do not.  In one devotional it said that sometimes we force things to work out the way we want and its not going to work or it will be hard - that is because that's not the way God wanted it to be!  And if we just sit back, enjoy the ride (emotional or not) and follow God's path - trust him - things work out.  so I'm doing that.  I keep thinking of the saying and I may not get it totally accurate -

"If you love something set it free.  If its meant to be, it will come back to you" - that's my motto at the moment.  at least for the last few days. I love little K with all my heart, I can SEE him in our family!  I can see him being called Curt - I want to go hold him, make him smile, listen to him laugh - all of that!  so I'm trusting God knows what is best for our family.

I pray for all the families being touched by these orphanage shut downs right now - its very difficult for us all.  IF you are one of them -feel free to reach out - its helped talking to another family that's going through this with us.

For everyone else - please pray for the children stuck in this mess.  I just keep thinking  - we have shelter, clothes, FOOD and WATER!  they may not have all that.  with the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa - many people are suffering every second of every day.  Many are dying - kids, babies and adults.  But the number of kids lost in this UNDER the age of 5 breaks my heart.  Anyone that ever questions WHY did we pick Africa - Ethiopia to adopt from - well that's ONE reason of many!  God led us here - He knows these kids suffer and their parents love them so much, they will do what ever it takes to make sure their kids are fed and have water and survive.  I want to do those parents honor by protecting their blessed child as our own!  Its just one reason - no one can replace the love of the parents in Ethiopia - but we can give just as much love and caring for a child - they will be my son for ever and ever.  I will love him to heaven and back - 999,999,999,999,999... times - Nate and I make up the biggest number we can think of - THAT many times to heaven and back!  Basically infinity - but he couldn't grasp that number.

so all this said- keep the faith!  that's one constant we do have. God loves us and these kids - he will take care of us.  Do not let the little negatives get us down - I believe that's the devil trying to crack me sometimes.  I'm NOT going to let him win!  I have my down days - trust me - some of you follow this and we email personally - YOU KNOW I have had my low moments the last few weeks!  VERY LOW - but I'm determined to KEEP THE FAITH.

thanks for listening and reading my babble for the day!
God bless you all
Gail

#1 - Again

Yep - we are officially #1 on the wait list - AGAIN - but this time I believe IS the time for our child's referral to truly be ours.  I can't wait to see his beautiful face and learn all about him.

Its still possible - HE may end up being our little K - but its possible its not.  we have chosen to let this be in God's hands!  If K is meant to be ours - he will come to us - if not he's meant for another family  - and possibly his birth family - we just don't know.

Its SO hard as we fall in love with these kids - but we just don't know what God's plan is - we have to trust, take the leap of faith and just go with it all.  The agency is working on a few referrals for some infant boys - so one of them may be our son.  They don't have it all ready - so it may be a while.AND it may be long enough for K to come back?

so keep us in your prayers.

and today - today is a special day - its the 13th "meet"-aversary the day Craig and I met for the 1st time 13 years ago - a "blind date" for lunch after church. we had lunch and then saw the movie - The Negotiator!  Funny how "the Riverplace" radio stations - the River Meeting place - phone hook up system - matched us up - thankful for that system - was worth the few extra phone charges!  Ha.

And now we are awaiting our 2nd child -

Everyone also n- please continue to pray for all the kids and and people in the Horn of Africa that are starving, looking for water and food - its just scary times right now

God Bless
Gail

Fresh Air Children - they need your assistance

The Fresh Air Fund has been able to find 650 of the 850 host families we need. Right now there is just one week left for us to place the remaining 200 children with a loving host family for a Fresh Air experience that can change lives. Please consider it and pass it along on your own Facebook pages, or Twitter to help spread the word and connect with someone who can open their home to a child this summer.