My Daughters

Missing my baby boy

I am really missing Dustin. I know part of it is because Thanksgiving is in a few days. This will be the second one he has missed with his family. I know right now he is in some very extensive training, so we probably won't here from him for a month. The other thing is that with each day that goes by, the time is getting closer for his deployment. How am I ever going to find the strength too say
goodbye? I use to think I was a pretty tough cookie, but now I am not so sure.

War stinks. But the fact is, it exist and there are brave men and women who are willing to go and fight, possibly die for freedom. I realize that somewhere there are thousands of moms and dads who know their son or daughter will never come home again. I pray we will never be one of them.

The only peace I have about all this is the fact Dustin is doing what God called him too do. The girls and I have a song for Dustin, Chris Daughtry's "Home." I did a slide show with that song on one of my post last December. When we hear it we stop and pray. One day we heard it three times in a row on different stations. We stopped and prayed. He called that night and I told him about it. He said "momma I needed it I am really sick." A mom knows. For the last two days he has been on my heart constantly. I went to call my husband a few times and realized I was dialing Dustin's number. I am hoping everything is ok with him.

Please pray for all the men and women fighting for our freedom.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month

Two years ago this month we received the news that I was going to travel to Vietnam in January to bring home our daughter. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Bless Jynger and Katies heart's, I really did try not too bug them too much. Then out of the blue in walks Katie with the good news and as hard as I tried to be cool about it I couldn't! I screamed, I am a jumper so I jumped up and down. Too make it official they did send me an email with the announcement of our G&R date.
We were about to start the process for China, when the fax came in that Vietnam was open. Even though we work in the same office I went back to my desk and emailed Jynger for information about adopting from Vietnam. I asked if there were any little girls ages 1-4 years old. She said "Elaine, I know of a little girl she is a waiting child, who is available and she would be perfect for your family." She knew the children in the orphanages well because she had been over there so often. I went back to her office and she was on the phone, Gail who was the case worker at the time asked me what was going on and I told her. She said "I know the perfect little girl for your family." now mind you they had several files of little girls and boys, but they had to wait for Vietnam to open before they could present them for adoption. Gail shows me a picture of the most beautiful little girl. Then Jynger comes around the corner and said "that is the little girl I wanted to show you." That night as my husband and I went out to celebrate our anniversary I showed him the picture of our daughter and said "happy anniversary babe." First reaction was "oh my gosh. and the next question was "what happened too China? Nine very long months later our girl came home. She has changed our lives in ways that I could have never imagined! Besides her nanny in Vietnam she will always have 4 very special "Aunties" in her life. Jynger, Deniese Dillon, Gail and Katie. They also helped me get through the process with patience and love.

People often ask us how we were lead to adopt. We have been blessed with three wonderful sons. Too be honest I was done. I loved being a mom to three boys. It was my husband who began talking about adoption. It wasn't until I became a Christian at 37 that I felt God tugging at my heart. Five years later, after my husband first mentioned adoption, he went to L.A. and brought home our daughter and placed her in my arms. She was a couple of days shy of 4 months old and Iwas 40. I was so in love! You will understand this if you have adopted.

The big question. How can you fall head over heels in love with a picture? Well that picture is everything too you. I mean everything until your baby is placed in your arms.
Who knew that four years later my husband would fly to S. Korea to bring home our beautiful 15 month old daughter! I was 44! I thought too myself and prayed "God let me be a good mom and not act old!" Then one day before my 52nd birthday our third daughter was placed in my arms by her nanny. Now I was really praying for endurance! :) My daughters have kept me young! I realize my husband and I will never be emptynester's and that is fine with us.
Adoption is the ultimate testimony too describe what God did for us. He adopted all that believe in Him into His family. I love Him passionately! My husband and I believed in His plan for us and stepped out in faith and we were blessed beyond anything we could have ever planned for ourselves.
There are so many orphans in the world. It shouldn't be that way but it is. No matter how bad things are in the world, there will always be orphans. They need us and to be honest we need them! If God has ever touched your heart about adoption, take a step of faith and I promise, you will be blessed!

Thank you to those who serve our country!

Today is Veterans Day. If you have served or are serving I personally would like to thank you from the depths of my heart! Because of your commitment to America I am able to live a very good life, worship as I choose and express my opinions (legally) without fear of prosecution. Some have given the ultimate sacrifice and laid down their lives for this country.

My daughters who were born in different countries and became citizens of this great country decided in their own way too honor their brother Lance Corporal Dustin W. Bayer.

Jordan earlier this week decorated a door at her school and put his Marine picture on it. Today she got up and was at school by 7:15 too help the Junior National Honor Society put out flags around the school, Ms. Cameron and Ms. Kennedy are wearing their "Sister of a United States Marine" t-shirts. They are proud to be Americans and proud to be sisters of a United States Marine!

To my son,We love you and are so proud of you!

My Dad

I don't talk about my dad much. He died 24 years ago today. I remember it like it was yesterday. He was in the Tulsa Memorial Day flood in 1984. He got an infection in his lungs from being in the water, suffered a severe stroke and died 6 months later. We buried him on Veterans Day. He served in the Navy, WW 11 and the Korean War, so he received Military Honors at the funeral. They handed my oldest Michael who was 7 at the time and who adored his papa Jack, the flag from his coffin. It broke my heart.

My dad was a complex person. It is sad to say but I really don't know a whole lot about my dads life growing up. I never knew his mom, but I do remember my grandpa Joe. He died when I was 9 or 10. I adored him. I can still remember him coming to visit from Idaho. He would say "come on sissy, lets go to the drug store and get a cherry coke." We would walk hand in hand just talking. He always wore a hat a tweed sports coat and smelled of old spice. Like I said my dad was complex and he had issues, but deep down he was a good guy and he loved us. I am sure if I knew his story growing up it would probably answer many questions I have about him. I know I got my love of quotes from him. He was always quoting something.

I think deep down he was a very sad person just trying to cope and make it in this world. I went to the cemetery today to visit his grave. It had been almost a year since I had been there and it showed. So I cleaned up his tombstone so it would look nice for when they put the flag on it Veteran Day, talked to him, told him I was sorry I had neglected his grave, told him I loved him and promised to do a better job. I caught him up on the grand kids he never knew and his great grand kids. I placed a kiss on his tombstone and left to go visit my moms grave.

Slam them or pray for them.

I've been thinking a lot the last couple of days. I am a christian and I have been one for 16 years. I must say Christians amaze me at times. We are suppose to be about love, hope and lift up those who need prayer. We are taught to love, not necessarily like our enemies. Yet I have heard more Christians slam Obama than non-Christians who voted republican. I am not a fan of Obama, but instead of slamming our new president-elect I am going to lift him up in prayer. All Christians should. We should be praying not only for him, but our whole government and the world.
Please don't forget we have men and women who in the past, present and future have fought or are fighting, died or will die for our freedom to pray.
I have had people say "Canada's looking good." What that tells me is as long as things are going your way you will stay. But when the going gets tough... We truly do live in a "me" world. We live for ourselves. It's all about what makes us happy and what is convenient for us.
The fact is the world as we once knew it is changing fast. If you have never opened the bible you should get one and read it. Jesus tells us these things will happen. It is called prophecy. Don't believe me? All you have to do is go to the bible and read it. Man did not and does not have the power to look into the future and predict things thousands of years ahead of time.
So if people want to waste their time slamming Obama, go right ahead. As for me, I am going to pray for him, our government, for America and for the world.
God Bless America.

A New Day

I am watching the T.V. and see Obama is our new President. Wow. I did not vote for him. Personally I wish Joyce Meyers had ran for President, I would have voted for her! But like it or not, he is our President and I will respect that. History is being made tonight in more ways than we probably realize right now. But I have to say that John McCains concession speech was the best speech he has ever made. It came from his heart and he gave it with compassion, grace and dignity. He can truly hold his head high.

But now here is my big news. I would like to congratulate my son Lance Corporal Bayer! He was promoted yesterday. We are very proud of him! He promised me a picture, so as soon as I get one I will post it. It was a year ago that the picture I posted was taken. He left a boy and became a Marine. I can't believe a year has already gone by.

In that same note, He needs prayer. That is all I will share. God knows what the need is. So when you pray lift Dustin up, please.

Adoption Day

For the past six years we have celebrated Adoption Awareness Month at the church I attend, which happens to be Arrow Heights Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, OK :)
We have an awesome Pastor who from the day I came to him with this idea he was all for it.
Our goal was to educate our congregation about adoption. Since that first Sunday in November 6 years ago, I know of 1o families who were lead to adopt. We now have several who are in the process or praying for guidance. We also started a Family Adoptive Group. We are so blessed to have a church that supports adoption, not only

with a hug and donations, but they pray for the families in the process.
So today was very special. Aaron Hamilton and his wife Stephanie and their son Ayan ( cutie pie pictured above) who they adopted from Kazakhstan came to visit. They are former members but they are one of the families who were lead to adopt during one of these celebrations. Anyway, Aaron wrote this beautiful song about their thoughts, prayers and feelings during the adoption wait. He needs to RECORD this song. It was so beautiful.
Then a wonderful young woman named Sarah who I met 2 years ago came to share her story. She had a decision to make when I met her, abortion or adoption. She chose adoption and now shares her story from a birth mothers perspective.
I can not think of one year since we have began celebrating adoption that at least one or more families will call me later and tell me "we have prayed about this and today God confirmed it in our hearts, we are going to adopt." I can't wait to see who calls this year!

Please remember the orphans. I have said this a hundred times and will continue to say it, we are not all called to adopt, but we are all called to help. Some stats for you.

Orphan Statistics
These are not just numbers and statistics, these are LIVES, CHILDREN with little hope! What part will you play in relieving the plight of orphans??!!

Every 15 SECONDS, another child becomes an AIDS orphan in Africa

Every DAY 5,760 more children become orphans

Every YEAR 2,102,400 more children become orphans (in Africa alone)

143,000,0002 orphans in the world today spend an average of 10 years in an orphanage or foster home

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…Every YEAR 14,050,000 children still grow up as orphans and AGE OUT of the system

Every DAY 38,493 children AGE OUT.

Every 2.2 SECONDS, another orphan child AGES OUT with no family to belong to and no place to call home

In Ukraine and Russia 10% -15% of children who age out of an orphanage commit suicide before age 18.

60% of the girls are lured into prostitution. 70% of the boys become hardened criminals.

Many of these children accept job offers that ultimately result in their being sold as slaves. Millions of girls are sex slaves today, simply because they were unfortunate enough to grow up as orphans.

Reliable statistics are difficult to find, even the sources often list only estimates, and street children are rarely included. But even if these figures are exaggerated by double, it is still an unacceptable tragedy that over a Million children would still become orphans every year, and every year 7 Million children would still grow to adulthood as orphans with no one to belong to and no place to call home. They are totally vulnerable and easily fall prey to predators and slave recruiters.

According to figures from the United Nations. These statistics include children in the American Foster Care system.

Infants may stay as long as 18 years while children who become orphans at an older age stay a shorter time.

To AGE OUT means to grow to the age where a child is forced to leave the orphanage or foster home with no place to call home.

If only 7% of christians in the world would adopt, there would be no orphans.

So what will you do too change the life of an orphan?