HAPPY TENTH BIRTHDAY RACHEL NARENE!

OK, moving away from impassioned poetry and often- confusing math, both of which are definitely parts of life in Smithsoup. We also have LOTS of birthdays! October is home to the celebrations of Isaiah on the 1st, Caleb on the 9th, RACHEL today the 15th and Naomi coming up on the 30th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
DEAR SWEET PRECIOUS RACHEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charlie actually met Rachel first, but this is my first photo with her, taken on the day I met her...October 24, 2002.
In Cambodia to complete our then- 5 year old son Noah Rainsey's adoption, he and I were walking on the orphanage grounds together and we came upon two little girls, one with very curly hair and one with short straight hair. The curly -haired girl was pulling the on the straight hair of the other and Little Miss Short Hair was crying and yelling. I got in between the girls, pulled them apart, and of course speaking NO Khmer whatsoever, told them in English this wasn't nice and they needed to be kind to each other. Little Miss Curly Top stopped and softened up a bit but Miss Straight Hair was beyond immediate calming. I picked her up, was immediately aware that she was not potty trained well, and figured she was probably about 2 going on 3 but no older than 3. I discovered from the orphanage director that yes she was about that age, had a brother and a sister and they had been with him for quite a long time. This photo is Noah the cool guy in his brand new sunglasses, me holding the little girl named Narene, and the Curly haired girl, Sony. I told Charlie in a phone call that OH IF we could adopt again, I "knew" who....................HE KNEW TOO. Many other adoptive families had seen and met Narene and had fallen in love with her chubby cheeks and quick smile, but that "sibling group of 3" issue was just too much for most people to give a thought to, especially in a deep hard suspension with only certain families being allowed to proceed..... God had Isaac for us to adopt first, but when USCIS contacted US to say "Your paperwork authorizes you to adopt again in Cambodia. You have not used up the authorization on your 171 H yet, DO YOU WANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL PHASE OF THE HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE on adoptions in Cambodia?" our hearts lept in our chests (well mine probably leapt a bit higher than Charlie's but that's pretty much how we roll) and the process to adopt our SIB THREE began.
We brought Leah Narong and Rachel Narene home in November of 2005. Isaiah came later the next year.. (At the orphanage in Nov 2005, Esther and me with Rachel Narene, Leah Narong, and Isaiah Guhn Kear.)

Today Rachel gave me a hug and said " I don't FEEL ten!" When I asked her if she wanted to just stay 9 for another year then, she quickly refused my offer! There is too much birthday to celebrate for that! She aksed for "anything but hambugers or hot dogs " for her special dinner, and then narrowed her choice to Spaghetti with meat balls, salad, and cake: a pink cake with pink AND yellow whipped cream. How could one choose to turn down a birthday which will be celebrated like THAT??!!!When she is pretty sure that some new blue jeans, pajamas and some play clothes and boots for her Barbie will be waiting to be opened after Daddy gets home from work, it promises to be a fun day.
Father God how we thank You for blessing us with Rachel! In what looked like a more than impossible situation, You moved hearts , opened closed doors, even procured for us an invitation to start an adoption when that was for all intents and purposes, not a door even to be knocked upon, much less opened before our very eyes! You have blessed us with this precious spunky loving child and blessed her with family who is committed to her and to her bio sibs as well, You have shown her that she needs You as her God, led her to salvation through her prayer of repentence and acceptance of Jesus as her personal Savior. As I watch her grow and learn, I am amazed at how far she has come in these almost 4 years. I praise You God for putting those chidlren on our hearts, for directing us as You did and keeping Rachel, Leah, and Isaiah for our family and then working miracles to get them here. Pleae keep my heart open and tender to my children, especially today I pray this for my relationship with Rachel. Keep me aware of needs, hurts, the desire to "just talk"; keep me alert to situations where I need to MAKE the opportunities and add to and build the relationship. Help me to be, to be more and more, the Mom my daughter, and my other children need for me to be. Most of all, keep me fresh in my walk with You , Father so that every day I am able to live Your love to my family...NOT JUST some Godly talky-talk, but Father, I want to LIVE the life You have called me to and I don't want Your truths to be secreted away. I want to shine for You even in the most mundane parts of life so that my daughter, all my children will see YOU and want for themselves, the faith walk kind of life You have blessed their Dad and me with!


Rachel with Isaiah at the lake this summer


After the Locks of Love hair cut!

Car Wash fund raiser Rachel is a GREAT advertiser!

Noah teaches Rachel how to drive a golf cart

Rachel with a camel at the fair several months after she came home