Gingerbread House Time

Thank you to Monique and John Burns for the gift of the Gingerbread House for Christmas!  Grace and Marta had such a great time working on this cute project together on Dec 22nd, 2011!  We loved the little people and the dog that came with the kit!  Yes, look closely, the dog is located on the point of the A frame!
We'll enjoy eating it on Christmas Day!!  Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!  Blessings to you and your family from the Parkers!  Love, Amy

Christmas in China

    In China, only about 1% of people are Christians, so most people only know a few things about Christmas.  Because of this, Christmas is only often celebrated in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.  In these big cities there are Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations on the streets and in department stores.  
    Santa is known as Old Christmas Man.
    Certainly not every home will have a Christmas Tree (or celebrate Christmas at all!)  If people do have a tree it is normally a plastic one and might be decorated with paper chains, paper flowers, and paper lanterns (they might also call it a tree of light).  The Christmas Trees that most people would see would be in shopping malls.
    Most people from the Chinese countryside don't celebrate Christmas (or they might not have even heard of Christmas).
    The strange things is that most of the world's plastic Christmas Trees and Christmas decorations are made in China, but the people making them might not know what they are for!!
    Some people go carol singing, although not many people understand them or know about the Christmas story.  Jingle Bells is a popular carol in China!
    People who are Christians in China go to special services.  Going to Midnight Mass services has become very popular.
    Thank you to Lisa Bruno and Gu Yuhong for their help in giving information on Christmas in China!
    www.whychristmas.com     

Jake's Update!

We got a picture update this week of our new son, Jake!  The adoption agency sent the picture via email!  I was totally blown away because it was out of the blue.  A friend said that they never get pictures of the children smiling. The parents have to specifically ask that a picture be taken with the child smiling.  We also got measurement updates - weight, height, etc.  His left eye looks a bit puffy under the eye & so I'm wondering if he has some type of eye infection going on?

I think it must be cold there now!

NOW THIS IS GRACE'S NEW CREATION FOR FUNDRAISING!!

Would you or your child like to learn how to make your own DJ Spider?

 Just let me know and we'll schedule a class!

And here's our other son, Shane, helping decorate Grammy's Christmas tree!  

Grace and Marta got the ball rolling on this Thanksgiving tradition.

Print for sale

Shem Creek print for sale - just $25.  A great gift for the holidays!

Stamped Card Fundraiser

Jill Forbes, a local card artist, will create a great gift for you this year!  She has been stamping for awhile and her talent is awesome (and adorable). 

Here is our ordering info:

* Order a pack for $12. 
* A pack is 5 cards (all the same style) with envelopes included.
* Selection includes: birthday, Christmas (Nativity or holly), and monogrammed.
* Please include letter when ordering monogrammed cards.
* Christmas cards can be delivered by the first weekend in Dec.
* Jill has generously decided to donate $8.50 of the $12.00 to our adoption fund!  THANK YOU JILL!
* Place your order through Amy.
* Sets can be packaged to give as gifts.

Flea Market Adoption Fundraiser Update!

The Flea Market Adoption Fundraiser helped us raise a little over $4000!  The stories that we have to tell are ALL God stories!  I wanted to share a few:

- A family donated a beautiful armoire and we sold it during the pre-sale (Nov 3rd) for an incredible price.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that someone would donate something so expensive to our cause.  Then, God provided just the person He had in mind to purchase it (and on the very first day of our sale)!
- A church family member wanted a wooden file cabinet.  This was the only thing he was looking for.  My husband had started collecting things for our house before we even decided to have a flea market.  And yes, one of those things he brought home was a wooden file cabinet.  That file cabinet was stuck in our closet for the longest time because Tom was trying to figure out how to make it become part of a new desk system.  When Mr Ed said, "Do you have a wooden file cabinet in the gym for sale?" my mouth dropped open.
- A sweet little boy, Shane or Jake's age, spent all his money on a toy robot (remote controlled).  When I told him that he just helped bring Jake home, you should have seen the smile on his face!  I wish I had gotten his picture!
- A couple from Indiana attended the SALE (Nov 5th).  They were here for work and vacation.  The couple wanted to ride bikes on the beach, but they didn't want to buy our beach cruisers that we had for sale, so I did a bike rental during the flea market!!  Then later on that day, after the beach cruisers were returned we sold both of them to some folks who live on the island!
- When we were wrapping up the POST SALE (Nov 12th), a classmate of mine from Calhoun Academy found the sale just by chance!  We haven't seen each other in MANY years.  It was so nice to see her & meet her husband.  She even brought her friends along!
- CUPCAKES!!  We sold cupcakes for 50 cents each.  One lady decided she would buy an entire tray of cupcakes.  I was totally blown away.  Always bake those cupcakes!!



Here are just some of the neat items that are left!  MAKE AN OFFER & I'll meet you or send a picture of the item if you are interested in something:
- 6 Ft Monroe Pine EZ Light Tree (350 lights); get it for Christmas now!
- Metal Stocking Hangers (Santa & Angels)
- wooden crib (dark brown)
- wooden computer desk
- portable lap desk
- small artificial Christmas tree with decorations
- old (& in good shape) Christmas tree ornaments
- set of 4 chairs (go to kitchen table or dining room table)
- antique cream colored urinal (REALLY!!!)
- 9 plates/9 coffee cups American Limoges "Flowers" Fine Porcelain
- wooden light colored dresser with 8 drawers with mirror
- big screen tv
- 1 outdoor chair (dark brown)


Many many thanks to EVERYONE who was a part of this fundraiser!!!  My dad even gave up his hunting day to help out!  WOW!!!  God is so good!

Going Forward!

For those of you who know us and for those of you who don't know us, let me first say that our life is anything but slow.  We are blessed with 3 beautiful children and work hard to teach them God's ways.  On Aug 16th, 2011, Tom & I decided that we were again being called to adopt a second time.

Our decision to adopt an older child from China was certainly not an easy one.  We do feel at times that we are swimming against the current, but living under God's wing doesn't mean taking the easy road.  Jake is waiting for his family.  Please pray that Jake will be brave as he makes "The Big Change" away from China and his orphanage.