谢谢 Xie xie, Thank you

How many ways are there to say thank you? I have know idea. I have just spent 20 minutes searching the Internet with that question and it keeps coming back with "Thank you"  I suppose until someone comes up with another way then I will just have to leave it at that.

So, I guess you are wondering what I am so thankful for. The question should be where do I begin? The beginning seems to work. 

This is the Nichols family. They bought some hats from our fundraiser for Blossom back in February 2012. This is a picture of their family wearing their Bring Blossom Home Hats.

On May 14, I received an E-mail from this family telling me that the Orphan Care Ministry at their church would like to have a car wash fundraiser and donate all of the proceeds to help Bring Blossom home. I was amazed at this offering to help Blossom. This family had never met me, and not only did they buy some hats, their church wanted to help. I was so amazed at this. I replied and said yes, thank you, I would feel so blessed by this. Time went on and the car wash was set for July 14, in Concord CA. I decided to ask if I could travel to Concord with my kids and meet the people who were doing this for us and Blossom. I was so happy to hear YES! 

Yesterday my children, nephew, niece and I, all piled into a van and headed to the Bay area. We arrived at Mountain Mikes Pizza excited, nervous and ready to go. We were greeted with about 30- 40 people who were so excited to have us come.  This was the most intense car wash I had ever seen. When we arrived there were already 4 cars being washed simultaneously and another being pulled in. People were every where. I began meeting people I have only E-mailed with and also meeting new friends. The energy that was buzzing around this event was so intense. People were talking with me and it seemed as though we were old friends who have not seen each other in years. I am usually one who is not real comfortable just striking up a conversation with people I don't know, but this was different. All of these wonderful people were here working to help bring my Blossom home. WOW!!!! 

I can not describe the feeling of comfort, love, compassion, friendship, and unity I was feeling at this time. Yes, I kept getting choked up each time I spoke to people and told them how happy I was for what they were doing. I couldn't help it. The Holy Spirit was alive and having His way with this car wash. It seemed that as soon as one car pulled out another took it's place. The children here were absolutely amazing. When a car pulled in they would run over to in and begin washing it down with soap, when that was done some one else would hose it off and then people began drying the car and then off the car would go.  I have seen so many car washes in my time and they will have at best two maybe three cars in at a time. Truthfully they a great deal of the time stand empty waiting for someone to come in. Not here, it stayed busy the entire time I was here. Here are random pictures of the car wash event.

Matthew and Lilly Rose (niece)

Nathan

Erica and Jessica

Me

Nathan Nicolas (nephew) Lilly Erica

The gang who brought them coming!

So cute!

We had a blast. After the car wash we headed over to the Nichols families home and rested for a little while. The kids were able to jump in their pool and cool off after all of their hard work.

Then we headed out to a local park with several other families that have adopted children from Harmony House. One family came from Fresno that also has a daughter they adopted from Harmony House.We had the most wonderful food. I still want the recipe for those BBQ baked beans! The children who had worked so hard at the car wash began running around the park climbing everywhere playing with each other. Where does that energy come from? And where can I get a supply? I again began chatting with everyone hearing their stories and telling mine. Time just seemed to fly by.

New friends

These 2 hit it off from the get go!

Everyone gathered to hear the final total that was raised at the car wash. So again the Lord amazes me with His goodness. This whole event would have been worth it to have just met these new friends who care about Blossom. I would have considered it a huge success and amazing blessing if we would have raised 300 or 400 hundred dollars. These two things alone would have made my day for the longest, but you all know the Lord by now, He likes to pour out his blessings upon those who delight in doing His will. So here we go, check this out!!!!  #1. An anonymous donor tells Christine "if you can raise $1,000.00 from the car wash I will match it." WHAT!!!!! $1,000.00? No one brings in $1,000.00 doing a 4 hour car wash.  Then another anonymous donor tells Christine "If you bring in $1,500 dollars I will give you $500.00 on top of that." WAIT, WAIT, WAIT A minute is this for real? Bring in $1,500.00 dollars doing a car wash? Impossible! Welllll.........maybe not. When the car wash was over we had raised $1,168.68! I still get choked up every time I think of it. So the first goal of $1,000.00 had been met. A 4 hour car wash and some really fantastic people came together and raised $2,168.68. Are you sad that we did not meet the $1,500.00 mark? Well, do not shed a tear. Christine had told me that all of the baked goods that they were not able to give away during the car wash would be sold after church today and the money would be added to the total. OK, so we have a car wash that was able to raise $1,168.00 before a matching gift was added but a bake sale that needed to raise $331.32. That's a lot of cookies my friend. Well take a look at the E-mail I received tonight. And know that our Lord is just sitting there giggling at how excited we all are. I can imagine him right now. Without further ado here is the grand total......... E-Mail please!

Dear Pam,

Totals just in...

Car Wash                            $1,168.68
Late Car Wash    Donation    :-)            $125
Bake Sale at Church                $1,205.55
Matching funds                    $1,500

Grand Total        $3,999.23

Praise God for such an out pouring of love for Blossom and your family!

Thank you for coming out to the Car Wash...what a blessed day!

With love to you and your family,
~Christine & family

Getting this E-Mail

 

So if anyone has a new way of saying Thank You please let me know because it just does not seem like enough! Seens how that is what I am limited to at the moment THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!! Our God Reigns! 

P.S. Just a reminder to the Folks that brought this whole thing together, I said it in Concord and I am saying it again we will be back and next time Blossom will be with us!

Ewe!!!!! is it the flu in the summer?

Without taking pictures of my children who have sworn me to privacy in this area today. This is our family timeline of events for the day.

12:10 a.m. I am baking bread for the yard sale that took place today and kids are watching a late night movie. First kiddo  is offered a sample of the last batch bread. " No thank you my stomach is weird"
I should have been like........

But noooooo,  I say "bummer. "

1:00 a.m. movie is over and first kiddo says " I don't feel good." I say "I'm sorry, it's been a long day and it's late go to bed your probably just tired." "goodnight."

1:20 a.m. I hear first kiddo rummaging through the large bowels in the kitchen. I say "honey are you OK? " The light clicks on in my head, Ut Oh we may be having a problem here. First kiddo says " I think I gonna get sick." I stop what I am doing and put the first kiddo back to bed.

2:10 a.m. I hear that familiar sound that all parents hate to hear.  Oh no... it is happening. So I get the first kiddo all cleaned up and tucked in bed. Pray over them and decide to hit the sack.

4:45 a.m. My door opens " mom, I have been getting sick every thirty minutes and other things, I can not stop." " I hurt." I get up and comfort them, cause no matter their age or that they might be taller then you, the minute they are sick they become your little toddler all over again.  They want their mama. They want to be in your bed, they want you to rub their back, they want you to hold them and take care of the things you really don't want to take care of. But as a mama you just do that for them cause they are yours and you love them.

5:30 a.m. I decide they need some medical help to get this turned around. So off to the ER we go.

6:00 a.m. We are in a room telling the Dr. "No, no one else in the house has been sick." Some labs are drawn and an IV is hooked up which they affectionately named Mr. Drippy.

7:00 a.m. I am texting my sister in law who was at this point setting up the yard sale. I fill her in on what is going on. This is what I receive back in the text from her. Her kiddo that spent the night with us last night is now vomiting and other things. And my kiddo number two is not feeling so great.  Uggggg! So I tell the nurse "uuuhhh guess what?" "I just heard that two other kids who have been spending a great deal of time all together the past week just woke up and are showing the same problem."

1045 a.m. We are released from the ER with the diagnose STOMACH FLU. Yeah, I kinda figured that one out by now. But it is all good kiddo number one has it really bad. They continued on throughout the day to be sick. So that IV Mr Drippy was needed.

As far as the other two kids effected by this. My sister in laws kiddo spent the day quiet and taking it easy no further sickness throughout the day. My kiddo number two never did get sick they just felt like they were going to. They did however spike a fever of 101.3 and have a bad headache. So, do you suppose that when someone places these particular items on the conveyor belt at the grocery store the clerk is thinking hummm?................ I know what's going on in her house.

       And then reaches for the hand sanitizer when you walk away from their line? Just saying.

So, I am here to say just because it is July and 100 plus degree outside these little guys still exist.

So please remind your little kiddos to do a lot of this................................

Then they will feel like this.........................................

And this..............................................................

So, there is the latest update on what we have been up to. And I did it without letting the cat out of the bag on who was sick. Both kiddos are tucked in bed and resting peacefully ( kiddo number one is in mine).  Love you guys, and I hope you feel better soon. Praying the rest of us do not get it.