Sophia Turns 11!

It doesn't seem that long ago, that Derek and I were in the hospital and I was giving birth to our little Sophia, and yet, we just celebrated her 11th birthday! Her birth was like a kiss from God. After our heartache in the loss of our precious Josiah, the Lord brought us so much healing through the gift of our Sophia. I was only in labor for 3 hours before her grand arrival! I had the same doctor during my pregnancy with Sophia, as I did in my pregnancy with Josiah. When he held her up in front of me, after helping to deliver her, he looked at me with tears running down his cheeks and said, "Look at her, she's beautiful!" He had walked through much with us, and even though no child replaces the beauty and uniqueness of another, we all were celebrating the life of our new little princess, who was healthy and whole. Sophia has always had a real love for her brother, Josiah, even though they never knew each other. Because of his life, which she only knows through videos and our stories, Sophia has fallen in love with special need's children and has great compassion for children who suffer or are physically/mentally challenged in anyway. Sophia is a gem and we are so proud of the amazing young lady she is blossoming into.

We love you precious Doodles! You bless our lives in more ways than we could ever begin to tell you. Thanks for all you mean to us and so many others. You are beautiful, inside and out!

Rich In Love

Derek and Teyolla are on a ministry trip, along with a bunch of FMA students that we absolutely love! Wow do we
love them! They are truly the best of the best! Sophia and Michaela (KK) are still at their Nanny and Poppy's and Telma is
still in D.C.

After listening to Mike's awesome message this morning, my mom, Keyolla and I went home, sat down for lunch and noticed all the empty chairs around the dining room table. We sure miss our family! It's just not the same without them here.

I miss Telma's high pitched laugh that seems to go on forever, Tey's little one liner jokes, Sophia's dancing and swinging from anything that's in her path and KK singing at the top of her lungs!
Of course I miss my husband's great hugs, talking over a cup of Starbucks (is there any other coffee?), beating him at Scrabble (now the world knows Baby), beating him at Scrabble (oops I already said that didn't I ... hee hee) and just talking about how awesome Jesus is to us! Are we rich in love or what?!!!

So, in honor of my precious ones that are all gone from home right now, I've posted a few pics below, with a little somethin about each of my loves under their pic. Unfortunately I don't have a new pic of Derek with all his spikes (hair) in place
so you'll have to look to the right to see his handsome face. Isn't he gorgeous?!!!! I love you baby! You are simply the best!


This is Pal, our faithful doggie. He loves to just hang out and is happiest when the whole family is home at the same time! Aren't we all? Needless to say, he's missing everyone, so, the wag in his tail isn't to happy right now!

KK is our hambone. Can you tell? She's provided Derek with many a story for his messages! We miss your beautiful songs sweet darlin! What a voice! Wow!

Sophia, is such a delight! She has a tender heart and a sweet spirit. She is also a master tree climber, the greatest of all monkeys! She'll be up in a tree so high, looking over the city and I'll shout out, "Ok, darlin that's high enough." Derek will shout up to her and say, "You can go a little bit higher love." That my friends, is the difference between a mom and a dad! We love you Doodles!

Our twins, Teyolla and Keyolla, keep us laughing all the time. They are so awesome! Keyolla has decided she wants to grow her hair long again because she misses being able to fool people. Everyone can tell them apart now. Aren't they just awesome?!!! Our girls are beautiful inside and out!

Our Telma loves books! She devours them! What a love! Her laugh is infectious and her heels are really high... ha! I miss you darlin and we are still believing for the big miracle! We are so proud of you!

Last but not least is our little Rudy. He is Derek's biggest thorn in the flesh right now. Rudy thinks he's my son. At first, he didn't like anyone but me. In fact he looked at everyone else like they were monsters. He was terrified! He has warmed up to Soph, KK and Telma and so they are now on his "love list." My Mom however, literally crawls around on the floor under the table trying to get him to warm up to her. She deserves a medal for trying the hardest to win his love. We actually thought one could find a sermon in there somewhere.... God faithfully pursues us until he wins our hearts! Here's the biggest miracle of all... Rudy actually licked Derek's face the other night, he licked and licked and kept on lickin. Derek's left cheek looked like a raisin by the time Rudy was finished with him! Could revival be on the horizon for this little guy? We all hope so!

I didn't include a picture of my mom in this post because she is who I will be featuring in my next blog in the next couple of days. I'll include pictures of our trip out to the Marshall Islands and a story and pictures of a special little blind girl named Joanna that we are trying to get help for.

All photos above are courtesy of Shelley Paulson! Isn't she amazing? Take time to look at her site (shelleypaulson.com) and call her up for a photo shoot. You won't regret it!

Thank You!

Yesterday I took Ethan to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor at Children's Mercy Hospital. They examined his ears and said that his ear canal is unusually small (narrow). After further examinations, it was determined that Ethan needs tubes surgically put in his ears. This surgery will take place in April. It's a same day surgery so he will go in to the hospital in the morning and come home that night! We're all happy about that!

Silas will have surgery to close the hole in his heart sometime in May or June. He will be in the hospital between 5-7 days.

I was having my time in the Word today and became overwhelmed by God's goodness to us and to our kids. By now, if Ethan was still in Ukraine, it's very possible he would not be alive today. He weighed 11 pounds at 5 years old, when we left the orphanage with him and he is now 20 pounds. He had pneumonia when we arrived in the U.S. from Ukraine and was breathing in a very labored way. Now he receives breathing treatments and was treated with good antibiotics and is doing 100% better. Sasha who once had horrible issues with fear and anger is sleeping through the night with only a small night light on. He doesn't scratch, bite, hit us or pull our hair anymore :). He is a child in a place of rest and peace. Silas will be having his much needed heart surgery in a couple months and will soon be on the road to much better health. Our boys are laughing and thriving! The Lord's hand of protection has been over these precious ones and even though they have some health issues to deal with, they are so happy and loved and living in a place where there is excellent medical care. They are learning to know Jesus' love for them and we are continually praying for their healing!

I'm just amazed and so grateful by all the love and support we've been given. Many of you supported us by providing us with dinners every night for over a month! Not just any ole meal, amazing meals that took much time to prepare. We are humbled, very humbled, by your love and support. We also have the most awesome family support staff, made up of people who are a part of our ministry here as well as very good friends. They show up everyday from 8:15AM-1:15PM and volunteer their time. They have a scheduled curriculum that they use to teach our three boys. They also play instruments and sing with them. They help clean up and help cook the boys their lunches. It just blows my mind. We are so blessed!

I also want to take time to thank our girls again, for all the love they daily show their brothers. There was an especially precious moment two nights ago that occurred as all of us were gathered in the boy's room playing with them. We put music on and the girls began dancing with the boys in their arms. Our oldest adopted son Sasha is 6 years old, and as most of you know, has spina bifida, and is paralyzed from the waist down. He army crawls everywhere. Our girls turned up the music and Sophia, our 11 year old daughter said, "May I have this dance Prince Sasha?" Sasha reached his arms up to her and she picked him up. She was dancing a ball room type of dance with him and as she would twirl him around, his little lifeless legs were hanging down like a rag dolls, flopping everywhere. My eyes filled up with tears as I watched our sweet Sophia twirling around with her brother. She treated him like a true prince and that night I know he felt like a prince being held by his beautiful princess sister! I am blessed beyond belief to watch our girls growing, maturing and giving out so much love to see their brothers healed and restored!

I am so blessed by so many of you who have pledged your lives to helping children without families of their own, by bringing them into your home and giving them a forever family of their own. They are being restored through God's love and yours! Thank you! Those of you who have faithfully prayed and/or financially supported those of us who have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, you are our heros! We couldn't walk through the journey of adoption without your support! Many of you have given sacraficialy to help financially, giving money you didn't really have to give, to see a child rescued. Those of you who have prayed, helped move mountains on our behalf. You were part of saving these precious children and I want to remind you of that, and to tell you that your love and passion for the orphan has been seen by God and will be rewarded by God. You will truly have more of Christ in you. Thank you for living out James 1:27! We love you and are so thankful!

Silas Has The Chicken Pox!

Sophia snuggling her precious little brother, Silas (who is now covered with red dots.... a picture of that to come)



Michaela, doing her part to fatten up her 5 year old brother Ethan!



Well folks, now Silas has the Chicken Pox and is covered in red dots, bless his little heart! He's not the happy little Silas we know. He threw up on me several times on Sunday in the middle of church (peaches and bananas everywhere). We didn't know that our pastor would be calling us up on stage. I was just getting Silas ready to go home when we were called up on stage. I had vomit on the sleeve of my jacket and running down my pants. I quickly brushed off the chunks of bananas and peaches and walked up front calmly as our new little fellas were introduced. It was humbling but hey, it's all about the boys, not me :). All three of our little guys have doctor's appointments on Friday. Other than the pox, things are going well for our three little ones. Ethan is still eating like a horse! Can't wait to see if he's putting on more weight when he gets weighed on Friday. We will know soon when Ethan and Silas' heart surgeries will be scheduled.

Please keep Sasha in your prayers. He has anger and fear issues, which is understandable with all he's been through. He scratches his face (just clipped his nails again today) and yells out. He loves to be held and loves to play with the CD player.
He turns the volume up and down and sways back and forth to the music. Sasha has been terrified of our doggies but is just now starting to be ok with petting them. He usually just says, "Go bye bye doggies, go bye bye!" He is such a precious little guy and we are praying that the Lord will massage his little heart and bring him to a place of joy and peace.

We are so excited because our sister-in-law, Tracie and Derek's brother John, are in Ukraine right now, getting ready to meet their two new angels tomorrow. They will be adopting one boy and one girl. We are so excited about all the Lord has in store for these precious ones. Walking with Jesus is such a grand adventure!

Thanks for your patience on the pictures we promised to post. We really will be posting some soon. We've just been overwhelmed with getting everything on a new schedule. It's going great but WOW! Need I say more?

Love and blessings to you all!

The Lord Is Faithful!

Michaela and Sophia


Keyolla and Teyolla having fun with Silas




Amy Lingamfelter (family support staff and Derek's assistant) with Silas






Leeann swimming with Silas


Part of our tribe hanging out in the hot tub!


Sasha loved being able to float in the water!


Tiffany Larson (family support staff) and Silas

Gabrielle Spears (family support staff) with Ethan




Keyolla and Silas having a blast!



This past weekend we were blessed to be able to take our entire tribe of 11, and 3 family support staff helpers (who are quickly becoming like family now) to the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park. We had a great time together and it was so much fun seeing our three new boys come alive as they experienced a water park for the very first time! Our girls loved playing with them and we all had a great time creating new memories!

It's been amazing to see the transformation of our 3 new little guys. They are all thriving and coming to such a place of life. Ethan, who was the very quiet, unresponsive one when we first met him, is now the wild one! He loves to get rowdy and he plays hard! Silas is still the ham and we found out on our weekend adventure that he loves corn on the cob! Wow, he dug into that cob like nothing I've ever seen before! We all laughed so hard! Sasha, loved floating in the water. He had a life vest on, so he was able to really enjoy himself!

Every time we have said, "yes" to adopting, the Lord has always provided everything we've needed... from finances, to strength, wisdom and guidance. We are so blown away by His faithfulness! It's a true testament of God's hand working on behalf of those who step forward and begin taking James 1:27 seriously. I am saying this to encourage any of you who are thinking about adoption to just go for it! Begin to believe that He will make a way where sometimes, there seems to be no way! He will move on behalf of the orphan and He will provide all you need as you begin to take these precious ones in to your family and make them your own.

In Isaiah 58 it talks about true fasting. In verses 6-11 it says this:

vs.6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

vs.7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

vs.8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

vs.9-10 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday.

vs.11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

God bless you today and may He encourage your heart with his love!

We miss you Doodles and Ruby Lips!

Today, our two little darlins, Sophia (Doodles) and Michaela ( KK, also known as Ruby Lips) left with their cousin, Isabelle (Belly Boo) for a two week visit with their Nanny and Poppy (Derek's parents). Mom and Dad Loux (Nanny and Poppy) drove all the way from Indianapolis Indiana to pick them up. Dad Loux actually sold his truck to buy a van so he could fit in all his grandchildren. Not many grandpas would do that! Of course at the rate that his grandchildren keep multiplying, he might need to buy a bus pretty soon... ha!

I know our kiddos will have a ton of fun at Nanny and Poppy's! Mom and Dad Loux are amazing and have always been so loving and supportive of our family! We are thankful for you and we love you Mom and Dad! You are such a blessing to us all!

We love you Doodles, KK and Belly Boo!!! Have a great time in Indy you three little beauties! Smooches, smooches and tons of love!

We are blessed!

Today is mine and Derek's 16th wedding anniversary!! I started thinking about all the years we've been together and how much I love my husband and 5 daughters! We have walked through so much and have so many memories! The Lord has been the foundation of our
home and our marriage and I truly believe I have the best husband on planet earth! He is kind and gentle, but strong. He's an amazing father and a man who runs hard after the things of God. I love his passion for Jesus. He leads us well as the spiritual leader of our home and keeps us laughing all the time! Life is never dull at the Loux home! Oh the stories..........


So much has happened in the last year! The Lord has proven himself to be faithful in more ways than we could even begin to express. We are beginning a new adoption adventure and are so excited about this!!! As many of you know, we have two biological daughters, Sophia and Michaela who are 10 and 8 years old. We also have three adopted daughters from the Marshall Islands. Their names are Teyolla, Keyolla and Telma. Teyolla and Keyolla are twins and will be 17 years old in September. Telma will be 18 in February. All our girls are awesome and we thank Jesus for each of them!

We are also in the process of adopting two special needs boys from Eastern Europe. We will be traveling in September to meet them for the first time. Their names are Misha and Sasha. Misha is 4 and has down syndrome. Sasha is 5 and is crippled. We can't wait to learn more about their little lives. I know they will be pretty curious when they meet this new fella they're going to be calling Daddy, spikey hair and all! I will just be holding back tears the entire time I see these little angels. It will be so wonderful to finally get to hold them in my arms! Our 5 girls will spoil them rotten! What an honor it will be to nurture and love these precious ones. So much has led up to our love and passion for special needs children and it all started with the birth of our first child.

Our firstborn son, Josiah Samuel, passed away when he was 2 and 1/2 years old, of complications that came with having a serious birth defect known as spina bifida.
He was a beautiful child who taught us so much about what true love is. In many ways, the Lord used our little "Siah" to help root us and ground us in the knowledge of God's goodness and in his sovereignty. Some of you may wonder how God's goodness can even be seen in the death of a child? Those who have lost a child and hung on to Jesus will be able to relate to what I'm saying. God reveals a part of himself that is so precious...so tender...and even when you're walking through a dark time in your life that seems unbearable, and you feel that your spirit will be crushed, Jesus comes through in the way only he can. He is the only hope for those who have experienced this pain. Derek and I wouldn't be celebrating another anniversary today had it not been for God's faithfulness to both of us. He carried us through so much and we are eternally grateful. My heart is so full of love and thankfulness tonight.

Well, it's time for me to round up our "tribe" now and get everyone tucked in bed. Nighty night, sleep tight and as our little KK says, "and don't let the crockodiles chew on your buns!"
Another KKism we will never understand.... she's just so cute!

Beauty For Ashes

After church on Sunday, our family went over to our brother and sister-in-law, John and Tracie's house for Easter dinner. Tracie and my Mom and I cooked up a storm to feed the masses :)! It was the first time all our children had been together for a meal, since John and Tracie came home with their two newest angels. There were 15 children under one roof! Wow! By the time the younger ones were all done eating, they looked like they had bathed in raspberry jello and gravy. Elia, my adopted niece, was parked at the plate of chocolate covered strawberries, taste testing them. By the time we caught her, she had a sheepish little grin on her face, proudly smiling next to several strawberries with chew marks in them, enjoying a little feast of her own. Tracie and I decided to put all the little ones in the tub and get them cleaned up! They had a great time and we got some great pics out of it.

As I was looking at all our children together, I started thinking about God's goodness to them and to us. I became overwhelmed with emotion, thinking about what it was like before our adopted children had been rescued. Now I was watching them running around together, happily playing and feeling loved and secure. The Lord has truly given them beauty for ashes and he's blessed us with the most precious little angels, revealing more of His beauty through the precious lives of these priceless ones!

Here are some pictures of our day together. God bless you today and may you feel his presence near you!



The Loux cousins


Our Ukrainian beauties! (From left to right) our little Ethan, John and Tracie's precious Aiden, our amazing Sasha, John and Tracie's beautiful Emma and our teddy bear, Silas


Ride em cowboys!


Our beautiful girls!


Sophia


Leeann


Keyolla


Telma


Michaela


Teyolla


The bathing beauties!