Journey To Luke

Babies!

2009-07-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Babies, Babies Everywhere!
What a joy today was, doing nothing but hanging out with 30 beautiful babies! I'll mainly let the photos speak for themselves, as you can see how we all spent our time. It was such a blessing to be able to hold and play with these little ones. The majority of them can't be older than 8-10 months, as only a couple walk. There was even a five day old baby. One of the men on our team is a cabinet maker, so he and a couple others made a table and chair for the kids, with plans to make more over the next few days (if they can figure out how to replace the two chargers that burned out....).

Tonight we headed back to the sqare where we were once again the center of attention. People were pushing their babies at me to get Mike to take polaroid pictures of us, and we sang songs to one of our teams guitar playing. It was a special time, being that we were in the government square.

Philip Hayden Day

2009-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out our Visiting Orphans Blog to check on Mark and the team. All is going great so far!

Tehachapi Team needs your prayers!

2009-07-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

The entire team gathers in the hotel lobby for their first group photo.

Here are some of my favorite people going to love on some of my favorite people. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel to Heng Feng, China.

Linsey Turns 6!

2009-07-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Linsey celebrated like an All-American, requesting an "Americana" birthday theme. We all donned our red, white and blue, and had a great time with family and friends. I can't believe our girl is 6. Wowza.....where does the time go?

June Graduates!

2009-06-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had a whirlwind celebration with Nick and Amy performing for baccalaureate, Linsey soaring through kindergarten, Amy graduating and even Luke starred in his preschool graduation by leading scripture verses.

Luke Turns 6!

2009-05-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Nick sang in Handle's Messiah in Pasadena and Luke celebrated his 6th birthday all within 24 hours. May is off to a fun and crazy start.

April Has Come and Gone!

2009-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I should get some pictures up of our April Happenings

. We celebrated Nana's birthday, Easter, and a trip to Disney's California Adventure!

Master Bird Caller.

2009-03-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is why we didn't see many birds. :)

Field Trip

2009-03-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Linsey planned a field trip on Saturday. She wanted to whold family to go bird watching. Too bad Nick missed out!

March Madness

2009-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

There's more to March than basketball.......it's my birthday month! We celebrated at Disneyland! March also included a trip to Ventura to meet up with the Boeslers and birdwatching with Nana and Papa. Very fun!

February Fun!

2009-03-06T22:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas in January

2009-01-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

We had so much snow they had to close school the entire week before vacation! Linsey performed her Christmas program and made gingerbread houses on Friday. Everyday is a great day to sing about the birth of our Savior!

December Pictures

2008-12-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

December 27, 2008

2008-12-27T22:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Gotcha Day #4 Sweet Baby Girl!

We Have Our Girl! 12/27/04

2008-12-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

We have our girl!

She is absolutely the most beautiful gift we have ever laid eyes on. I'm going to attach some photos of our Gotcha Day as well as some moments in Beijing.

Where should I start................It seems as though we've been gone forever and it's only Tuesday. Our flight over was incredibly long and cramped but the excitement kind of made all that seem not so bad.

We arrived in Beijing Christmas Eve night. We're 16 hours ahead of Pacific time so you do the math. It was below zero when we stepped off the plain. I think the high was 20 degrees the entire weekend. We were greeted by the America World Staff and taken to our hotel. On Christmas Day we endured freezing temps as we toured the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square and the Summer Palace. There was a sadness that is hard to explain. Maybe it was the sense of imprisonment of the people, the amount poverty around, or the filth of the air. Or..............maybe it was because we were being forced to walk for 2 hours in 20 degree weather to look at a castle that looked just like the last castle!!

We also toured a pearl factory and silk factory. That too was sad as we watched young girls doing factory work for pennies a day. We had Chinese food for lunch and dinner (imagine) and it appears we'll be having it for breakfast for two weeks also.

On Sunday we went to Beijing Christian International Fellowship Church. The catch is "international". It's only open to foreigners. We felt the Holy Spirit fill that place. Emotions ran high as we anticipated getting our girls and singing praises to the Father as we worshiped in Communist China.

We have met many friends that I have no doubt will be in our lives forever. We have a bond like no other. We brought our families half way around the world for one reason....to get our babies that the Lord has chosen for us. It's quite special being surrounded by people that know exactly how bad you want it to be GOTCHA DAY!!

After church we visited a jade factory and went to lunch. Mmmmmmmmmm more Chinese food!! Next stop........The Great Wall!! It was GREAT but oh so bitter cold. The sun had started to set and the wind picked up. It was like no other chill I had ever experienced. Amy and I climbed enough to say we had done it. Nick and Mark headed up to experience the thrill (and chill). After the Great Wall they took us to a Peking Duck Dinner. By this time the thought of putting another fried noodle to our lips was nauseating. We mostly sat in awe as they brought plate after plate of unidentifiable dishes to our extra large lazy Susan.

At 6:15am Monday morning we boarded a plane to head south to Changsha in the Hunan Province. After a frightening time getting through security, eight Hunan families were on their way to meet their babies. Other AWAA families were flying to other provinces. We will all meet up again in Guangzhou on Friday. It was snowing in Changsha when we got off the plane...........how come I thought it was going to be in the 60's???

Monday morning is a day that my family will treasure for the rest of our lives. We were taken by bus the the Civil Affairs Office and brought into a room with many many babies. I spotted Linsey right away. When they called our name the nanny handed her to me. She arched her back and screamed as loud as she could. She was no different than all the other babies so the room quickly turned into chaos. She quieted down as soon as we brought out the Cheerios. She is so beautiful. A true gift from God. I can't wait for you to meet her. We had a blast at dinner with all the other babies. Linsey ate and ate and enjoyed sitting by Kathryn, her little friend from the orphanage. We had a bath and a bottle and that girl slept for 10 hours straight!! YEEEEEEEEE HAAWWWWW!!

Today we were back at the Civil Affairs office to pay our fees and take an oath. We also had our picture taken. It was very emotional when the nannies hugged her good bye and she reached her arms out for me. My heart melted.

We have not seen a smile yet. Maybe a grin but we know that smile is in there. She loves Nick and Amy and has taken to her daddy amazingly well. She likes to be held and loves to eat Cheerios. She hates to have her diaper changed or to be transfered from one of us to the other. She fits perfectly into 18 month size clothes. She's got beautiful chubby cheeks and gorgeous skin. Her legs are even pudgy and boy is she strong!!!

I don't know when I'll be able to write again. Please know your prayers are felt very deeply. It is a different world here. We have never felt so blessed to live in America as we have these last few days. As I type this, my fingers are frozen. They have shut off the heat for 24 hours due to a severe energy crises. We've probably smoked many packs of cigarettes since our arrival. They do not believe in "non smoking". Yet, the four of us are healthy and feel blessed beyond measure to be here. We long for home and to see your faces.........and oh yeah......some pizza would be great too!!

All my love,
Elizabeth

Happy 4th Gotcha Day Linsey!!

2008-12-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

I read this email from my mom that was written 4 years ago today. Wow......where does the time go?

Thank you Lord, for the HUGE blessing of having Linsey in our family.

At a few minutes after midnight on Sunday, the phone rang, it was Elizabeth and she happily announced " We have her Mom, she's right here in Mark's arms!"
Allowing for the 16hrs. difference in time, it was actually 4 p.m. Dec. 27, Monday.

The brief story is, that they were in Changsha in a big room filled with American families waiting for their babies. The babies and their nannies had traveled for 6 hrs. on a bus from the orphanage, they were brought into the room, the adopting families name was called out and then the baby handed to them. Elizabeth said that Linsey arched her back and started to cry as they handed her to Elizabeth, but they pulled out the cheerios and she became their new best friend, fell asleep in Mark's arms in the middle of all this noise.. The room was chaos as crying babies and crying parents came together. Nick and Amy both had cameras and got many pictures of the event. Lib is going to try to e-mail some to us. They were back in their hotel room when Elizabeth called. Linsey only cried briefly each time they handed her to another family member, which I heard as Mark handed the baby to Amy. It will be interesting to see how the night went.

They will be in Changsha for another couple of days filling out more paperwork ,sight-seeing, shopping. They fly to Guangzhou on Friday where the American Consulate is. Linsey will have a medical exam and they will get her Visa.

It has been very cold and snowy in both Beijing and Changsha. Sight-seeing has not been enjoyable. Guangzhou is supposed to be tropical so maybe they will get warmed up. They fly back to Beijing on Wed. the 5th and then home on Thur. the 6th.

Keep praying for all of them, especially that they will stay healthy

Mom

The Sweetest Sound

2008-12-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

Does it get any better than this?

Mary Beth's Christmas Letter

2008-12-19T20:58:00.001-08:00

There probably isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Mary Beth and say a prayer for her hurting heart. I watch my kids play, hear their laughter, and stare into those almond eyes, and cant help but think of the Chapman family. They have been in the spotlight for years with Steven's music and advocacy for adoption. After the accident, all eyes watched as they grieved the loss of their youngest daughter. The Chapamans pulled together through the pain, relying on God for strength. They continue to walk through a journey of grief but have shared the hope they have in seeing Maria again.

Please take a moment to read Mary Beth's Christmas Letter.

December is Here!

2008-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

With our second snow day here......I was able to get some December happenings on the blog. We celebrated my dad's 77th birthday, Nick had an incredible choir concert at APU, we said goodbye to nana and papa as they left for AZ, Linsey had her Music Connection performance, and we had our first SNOW of the season. Enjoy!

Where did November go?

2008-12-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

I just realized that December is half way over and I never posted in November! Here are some highlights. We went and saw Nick at APU on Veteran's Day. Luke and Lins both performed in their Thanksgiving celebrations at school. Amy got accepted into The Master's College and APU (but is holding out to hear from Moody in mid January).
I've been hooked on facebook, so sorry I've been a slacker here. Come join facebook and we'll be in touch!

Our Reader!

2008-12-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

Linsey found this phonics reader and what do you know...........she started to read! Nana and Papa were her first audience.

Jingle Bells and Old McDonald

2008-12-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

Listen close and you'll hear Luke slip in a line about "Old McDonald" in a one horse open sleigh. :)

October Happenings

2008-11-03T08:59:00.001-08:00

Here are some highlights of our busy October. We had my sister's wedding, Amy's birthday, Halloween and Nick's concert. Enjoy!

2008-09-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

Fall Planting

2008-09-27T22:29:00.001-07:00

Our first batch of pumpkins this year! We decided to pick a few today because the deer have been having a late night snack in our pumpkin patch!! We used these to decorate the front porch.

Spread His Love Around the World

2008-09-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

The kids pulled out their CD from Bible School and put on a show!

As Seen On TV

2008-09-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

The kids have been asking for these "Bendaroos" for months. Well, I finally caved and ordered them. Linsey was right......."no mess....no glue...they're Bendaroos!"

If They Could Just Stay Little...........

2008-09-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

Sky Fort Fun 1995 Nick, Katie Amy
Sky Fort Fun 2008 Nick, Katie, Amy

College and Kindergarten

2008-09-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Fall is off to a busy start. Nick is settling in at Azusa Pacific and Linsey is enjoying Kindergarten! Amy and Luke will be graduating in 2009!

Home

2008-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

We came home just in time to celebrate Nick's 19th birthday and Luke, Linsey, and Amy's first day back at school.

Luke is in Pre-K class at preschool and off to a GREAT start. He feels like the big kid on campus. Amy is starting her senior year and busy with college applications. Linsey attends Kindergarten at my school and loves it.

Chicago!

2008-08-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

The six of us left MI after the wedding and headed to Chicago. Amy wants to attend Moody Bible Institute, so this was a great opportunity for a visit. We love Chicago! (In the summer anyway).

The Wedding!

2008-08-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

Kris and Ehren were married August 8, 2008. It was a perfect day and beautiful ceremony. They managed to involve the entire Gividen family....I was a bridesmaid, Nick played his guitar, Amy did the guestbook, Luke and Linsey passed out bubbles, and Mark prayed at the reception. Wow! Did we feel honored and so happy to be there!

The County Fair

2008-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Grandpa took 5 of his grandkids to the fair that he grew up going to. It was all about the animals and tractors that day!

The Farm

2008-08-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

My sister Denise and her husband Steve, have a beautiful dairy farm that the kids love to visit.

Michigan Highlights

2008-08-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Cousins, Campfires, S'mores, and a Banjo = SOME FUN!

Uncle Jim, Aunt Colleen Mom and Dad

Where Did the Summer Go?

2008-08-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

All 4 kids are ready for take off!

Nick was able to meet and play with my cousin Rick in his studio in Chelsea, MI
Lots of fun was had on the lake!

The Gividens are back home and 5 of us just completed the first week of school! Nick leaves next Friday for APU!

We had a great time in Michigan and Chicago visiting family and attending my niece's wedding. Here are some highlights.

Love In Any Language

2008-07-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite clips from the week.

More Pictures

2008-07-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

Safely Home

2008-07-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share some highlights from the trip. It was another amazing journey where we saw the Hand of God many times. I was so blessed to be able to share this trip with "my girls", Angela, Amy, Danielle, and Meagan. They are amazing teenagers, and have such a special heart for orphans.

We attended church twice in China. That was a definite highlight. The staff at the orphanage seemed very open to our return visit and pretty much gave us the run of the place. One of our girls, Flower, who is blind, accepted the Lord as her personal Savior. It doesn't get much better than that!

Visiting the foster homes gave us a vision to the many possibilites of caring for our orphans in Chaoyang. We had lots of "what if" and "how could we" moments.

The team remained healthy, united, and showed a servant's heart. It was a true blessing to be a part of such an amazing group of people.

Please be in prayer for the children of Chaoyang. They have to be missing us right now. Hopefully, they are laying their heads on their pillow at night feeling loved. They most definitely are.

Just got word the cribs arrived! YAY!

Back to China!

2008-07-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Amy and I
are on their way back to the Chaoyang swi this Thursday. We will be
keeping our click blog up while we are gone
Through generous donations we were able to purchase 20 much needed cribs and
mattresses, so putting them together will be one of our jobs while
there. Lots of play time is in store too. Can't wait to see their
smiling faces! Actually I don't know who will be smiling more, us, or
them:)

Please keep us all in your prayers.

God bless,
Amy and Elizabeth Gividen

Look Who's 5!

2008-06-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

We had a great day celebrating Linsey's 5th birthday! Enjoy the show!

Beach Bound!

2008-06-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

In the words of the "Go-Gos" "Vacation IS all we ever wanted! Nick and Amy were off to Hume lake for the week so the 4 of us spent 4 days in Santa Barbara with the Boeslers. What FUN we had!

Beijing 2008?

2008-06-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned to see the assembly of the Gividen Skyfort II! (Nick and Amy had one at our old house).

Do they have a climbing a flagpole event at this year's Olympics? If so, I'd like to enter this little guy!

Congratulations Nick! Class of 2008!

2008-06-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

OH HAPPY DAY!

The wind was at least 50 mph and I believe we counted 7 trains! It was the traditional Tehachapi High School graduation. This one was EXTRA special though.....as Nick is now an official 2008 graduate of THS!!!

Cinderella

2008-05-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mark and I stood next to Amy and bawled like babies when SCC performed this song live last Spring at a "Change for Orphans" concert in Westlake Village. Hug your Cinderellas tonight.

As I read about the beautiful memorial service, I was not surprised to hear that the good news of the Gospel was presented and God received all the Glory. This family will face years of heartache with Maria gone, but they know that Heaven is real, and Maria is there. Please continue to lift them up in prayer daily.

Chapman Family Tragedy

2008-05-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Maria Sue Chapman 2003 - 2008
Photo by Mary Beth Chapman
I keep thinking that this blog needs to be a little more uplifting, but everyday we seem to hurt a little more. Again, today's loss seemed personal. We are devastated at the loss of Maria Sue Chapman.

If you listen to Christian music, or have been blessed by adoption, then you know Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman. They have been instrumental in our family and the reason we chose America World Adoption Agency. Although we've only met SCC a couple of times as well as his daughter Emily, they feel like family to us and millions of others.

Just pray for them. Just pray.....

From Jim Houser (SCC's Manager)

If you'd like to express your condolences and get a glimpse of this beautiful little girl through a short video clip, click here.

Mail to PO Box 150156 Nashville, TN 37215.
In lieu of flowers, the Chapmans request any gifts be directed to Shaohannah's Hope, click here.

In closing, as many of you know, the song "Cinderella" was written by Steven to help him (and us all) grab a hold of the special moments with those we love we might otherwise rush by. It was inspired by a bath time that Steven tried to "hurry," Maria and her sister Stevey Joy were not exactly cooperating. : ) Let us all be reminded again today what Steven compels us to with the lyric of this special song.

A Parent's Grief

2008-05-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Due to China's one child policy, many parents have lost their one and only child in the quake. Please continue to lift our friends up in prayer. Their pain is unfathomable.

From MSNBC.COMBi Kaiwei holds a photo of his daughter Bi Yuexing, who was killed when her schoolroom collapsed in Monday's earthquake, in the rubble of the school in Wufu, in China's southwest Sichuan province Friday May 16, 2008. Most of the students killed when Wufu's school collapsed were only children, deepening the pain of parents who had stuck to China's one-child policy. Parents complained that the school was shoddily built, a common allegation with almost 7,000 schoolrooms destroyed in the earthquake.

China's Pain

2008-05-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the grief and loss in the hundreds of pictures coming out of Sichuan such as "China's Pain" and this article, you're likely wondering what you can do to help. It appears that forces have mobilized, and we feel confident in recommending all of the following organizations. As always, Love Without Boundaries receives the highest praise possible for their efficiency as it relates to the donor's money and overhead costs (3% overhead, almost unheard of in charities, but it's because of their dedicated volunteers):  

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Love Without Boundaries
Chinese Children Adoption International
Visiting Orphans

Most of the above organizations are working with orphanages, especially due to the fact that there will be many new orphans from this tragedy. Several SWIs are near the epicenter, and you can see a map of them here at Red Thread Maps.
Mercy Corps is already working in Wenchuan, and you can read more info here: Mercy Corps

Here is a blog by Melanie Zhang who is the Associate Director of Children's Hope International-China. She has set up a team of volunteers and is in Chengdu. Children's Hope Team

Happy Mother's Day and Disney

2008-05-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

I told my family I wanted to spend Mother's Day at the "Happiest Place on Earth!" It was a great weekend. I loved experiencing Disney with Luke and Linsey. It was Luke's first visit and he soaked it up like a sponge. Linsey loved the roller coasters and Luke was hooked on the Buzz Lightyear ride. The big kids had a blast too. We did 2 parks 2 days compliments of Aunt Agar!!

Happy 5th Birthday Luke!

2008-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Super Luke!

Does it get any better than this?

A Proud Sister Moment

2008-05-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

Many of you know my brother Mark and his wife Lisa are ministering to the people of Loja, Ecuador. Well, they have broadened that ministry to reach babies in a nearby orphanage. These babies are sleeping in boxes and dresser drawers. Mark made this crib by hand! He has told the orphanage that he will make enough for every baby there to have a bed. Is that just so amazing?? I told him that if he ran a "free shipping" special.....we could use about 20 of them in Chaoyang, China! :)

Change for Chaoyang..A HUGE Success!

2008-04-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wonderful support from family and friends, and a very generous community.....we raised nearly $4,000 to go toward our trip, cribs, medical supplies, bedding, and toys.

It was truly a wonderful evening and I am so grateful that so many of you came out to support us in our mission to care for the needs of the orphans in Chaoyang!

Change for Chaoyang

2008-04-09T21:45:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that my Amy and I are headed back to China this summer for a mission trip to the Chaoyang orphanage. The orphanage has requested the donation of 20 cribs. As you can see by the photo, they are dire need of new cribs. Many of the kids did not even have mattresses in their cribs, or if they did, they had no sheets. Mind you the humidity there is quite high, so they would sweat like crazy on the mattresses. We were able to purchase air conditioners last year, so hopefully that has helped. Our mission team is looking for 20 sponsors for the cribs, or 40 1/2 sponsors. The cost of a single crib is $150 (or $75 for 1/2), and is tax deductible. Our plan is to have them delivered while we are there, so that we can set the cribs up, then take photos of the kids in their new cribs. We would bring back a picture for each sponsor so that he/she could see his/her donation in use, as well as have a photo of a child to pray for daily. Would you please consider this worthy cause? Please email if you have questions, or if this is something you are interested in, and I will tell you what steps to take next. Thank you for your consideration!

Easter 2008

2008-03-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

I can't remember the last time we had such a beautiful day in Tehachapi on Easter. Usually, we're a bit chilly in our Easter bonnets.

Of course I had to take the opportunity to make everybody suffer through a photo shoot.

Enjoy!

Blessings to you!

Nick and Amy's Easter Ho Down

2008-03-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

So this was not your typical Easter sing-a-long, but hey...it sounded GREAT! Nick has really taken to the banjo that he got for Christmas and Amy.....well she's putting those years of dance lessons to good use!

We had a great day with family and friends.

Happy Resurrection Day!!

Our Grand Family!

2008-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

We feel so blessed that our kids get a day with both sets of grandparents!

The Tehachapi Loop

2008-02-16T22:37:00.000-08:00

THE TEHACHAPI LOOP IS A RAILROAD ENGINEERING MARVEL FROM THE 19TH CENTURY. IT ENABLED TRAINS TO PASS FROM THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY (CALIFORNIA) TO MOJAVE.
The construction was undertaken by American engineers and Chinese workmen. The Chinese were "Cantonese", mostly recruited from Canton (now Guongjhou) area. Construction tools were mostly dynamite, picks and shovels. Many of the workmen were killed during this dangerous work.

The Chinese workmen referred to the Tehachapi Loop as "Walong".There is no such word in Cantonese. Since the workmen spoke no English and the Americans spoke no Chinese, the English interpretation of Walong could come from either of two Chinese expressions.

James W.H. Wong suggests that "Wa" could have really been "Wan" = coil or coiled, and that "Loon" in Cantonese could sound similar to Long to the American ear. "Loon" = Dragon. In this case, Walong would be "Coiled Dragon", which also seems an appropriate name for the Tehachapi Loop.

More Fun at the Beach!

2008-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

Family Fun at the Beach!

2008-02-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa came from Iowa. We've been having lots of fun!!

More Snow=NO SCHOOL=More Fun!

2008-02-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

We may be falling behind in our studies but we've sure been having some fun in the snow!!! Last night brought another storm and we have about 8 inches in our yard. No traffic was allowed in our community without 4x4.

The "BIG" Kids

2008-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

I know this blog tends to revolve around two little ones that have blessed our family. BUT....there are a couple of amazing teenagers that you need to hear about.

Yesterday, Mark and I were in awe of how the Lord has blessed us with Nick and Amy. In a time where many parents are dealing with major stress regarding their teens, we watched as Nick and Amy were both up at 6 am on a Sunday to serve the Lord with their talents. Nick was leading worship at Mountain Bible Church in both services. They even had a special song planned for their leader Mike, who was getting baptized that day. Amy was off to church to sing in the youth praise band at Bear Valley Church. They were leading worship in all three services Sunday.

Both kids did an incredible job. How blessed we are!!

Work? What's That??

2008-01-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today was our 5th day in a row with no school! We felt a tad guilty but that faded quickly as we headed outside to play in the snow!

Check out these smiles......

Remain Calm............

2008-01-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

We are home today and doing great. The doctor's last words were , "Keep him calm for about 2 weeks." Funny, funny man.......

He slept great and so far is willing to keep his cup on his ear. The incision is behind the ear and they'd really like to keep it protected for a few days.

Thanks for your prayers!

2008-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

UCLA

2008-01-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Luke is a pro at this waiting stuff............

Superman entertains Luke

Mark's turn at entertaining

Linsey was a great help in passing the wait time.

Sweet Lucas

Here's to an Enchanted New Year!

2008-01-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Karri and I took our girls to Hollywood today! We went to the El Capitan Theater to see the movie "Enchanted" and meet the Disney Princesses. It was a great day and the girls had a ball.

Enjoy the show!

Ringing in the New Year

2008-01-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

Linsey, Luke and Aminah partied the night away at Nana and Papa's house.

Happy New Year!!

Happy Gotcha Day!!!

2007-12-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

It doesn't seem possible that our Linsey has been with us three years today!! We love you sweet girl!!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Linsey and Aminah Hunan Beauties

Aminah, Linsey and Luke

We had a great day together celebrating Christmas as a family of 6! Luke and Linsey were so excited. It was sweet to watch them as excited to give a present as they were to open one of their own.

Double Happiness

2007-10-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights of our Fall festivities! Luke and Linsey have grown so much. They are the best of friends and keep each other (and their family) laughing......A LOT!

Shake Your Groove Thing!

2007-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Luke and Linsey Highlights

2007-10-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

Off to China!

2007-07-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Family Photo Day!

Thanks to my darling niece Kristine, for capturing the Gividen family!

Luke 4 yrs. old

Linsey 4yrs old
Amy "Sweet 16"

Nick almost 18!!!

Amy and I leave for China on Thursday! We will be traveling with Visiting Orphans. You can follow our journey at http://www.visitingorphanschaoyang.blogspot.com/

We appreciate your prayers!!

Happy Birthday Linsey YaMei!

2007-06-24T23:07:00.000-07:00

Cousin Ry came all the way from L.A. to help Linsey celebrate!

Grandma Marlys gave Linsey a Barbie Computer. It was a BIG hit!

Linsey turned 4 on June 21st. Today the family was together to help her celebrate. Barbie also made an appearance by jumping out of the cake! (Thanks Nana!)

We're a Little Bit Country....

2007-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today Papa came over and helped us plant our very first garden! It's something we've always wanted to do. We started small .....but who knows...maybe we'll be heading to our local "Farmer's Market" with all our extra produce!

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY TO LUKE!

2007-05-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

One year ago today this little guy came bouncing into our family. He hasn't stopped bouncing! Lucas David Gividen puts a smile on every face he meets. Thank you Lord for leading us to AWAA's Waiting Child List and to a very special waiting child!

A Very Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

We spent Mother's Day weekend visiting my niece Bethany at Biola University and attending an adoption seminar hosted by AWAA. Emily Chapman, daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman, was our guest speaker. She did a fabulous job sharing from her heart her love for the world's orphans. She challenged all of us to answer God's call to visit and care for orphans and widows.

One Happy 4 Year Old!

2007-05-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Luke!!!

2007-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Luke celebrated his 4th birthday on Sunday with the family. He totally knew what was going on. He came home right after his 3rd birthday last year, so he's seen everybody in the family have a birthday party but him!

It was a great day. What a difference a year makes.

We are blessed!

Love Without Boundaries

2007-04-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

In June 2004, nearly three years ago, a team of loving people arrived in Hainan, China and changed a little boy's life forever. Wow.......how can we say thank you?

What About Amy??

2007-04-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention in my previous post that our daughter Amy (16) spent her spring break on a mission's trip to Mexico. She, along with 3 other kids, put together 32 tresses for the roofs of 3 houses!! The host missionary told them they set a record. Way to go Amy!!! Below you will find the link to the article in our local newspaper. If you click on the arrows, you can view pictures from the week. Amy said the highlight was handing the keys of 3 houses to families in need.

Tehachapi News

AZ Mini Reunion

2007-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed to be able to spend a week with our dear friends that we met in China in 2004. The Jackson's are from NYC and adopted their daughter Katie from the same orphanage as Linsey. They were both "Ping" girls. Louise traveled with her dad Mike in 04 and adopted precious Kate. She has been married to Kurt just over a year now.
There were 16 of us schlepping around the Grand Canyon and Sedona. It was a great time! We were able to spend time together the following week in the Phoenix area.

Enjoy our highlights!

Name That Tune!

2007-03-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

So Luke is quite the performer if you meet him on his terms. Outside, playing a little ball in the sun....."Sure mom........I'll sing you a tune".

Feeling Blessed

2007-03-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

As we approach our one year "Gotcha Anniversary" for Luke, I find myself in awe at the way our Lord has blessed this family. If you could have watched Luke and Linsey on the beach this weekend, you would have been overcome with emotion as Mark and I were. It's just so apparent that they were destined to be together as brother and sister, joining our family of 4 and making us 6. Why we ever doubt God's plan is beyond me......but we all do it. Thank you Father for the blessings you have given us!!

Enjoy!!

Beach Fun!

2007-03-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

It was a "Happy Birthday!"

2007-03-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

One last CNY party........It was a great excuse to put on our best party duds. These girls are all from China and will grow up together in Tehachapi, CA.

Aminah, Linsey, Grace and Ruby Lynn

Me and my Lucas

It's tradtion....
we have to do
the family
photo in front
of the cake!

Two of our BEST friends!!

More CNY

2007-02-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

Okay......so there might be a difference in the excitement level??

Happy Chinese New Year!

2007-02-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

Aminah with Mom Karri and Aunt Jill

Is this thing ever gonna start?

He's here.............he's here!!! The Golden Dragon!!

Snow Day!

2007-02-23T23:03:00.000-08:00

It doesn't get much better than this! Not only did we not have school..........but Luke and Linsey talked mom and dad into having a little fun in the snow!

Life is just grand........

Dad turns 50!

2007-01-29T22:54:00.000-08:00

It was quite the exciting day. The kids couldn't wait to frost the cake they'd "helped" make for dad.
I didn't have the heart to tell Lukey he couldn't have any because it would make him "itchy".

Dad made a wish..............hmmm, wonder what he wished for???

Happy 50th Dad!

2007-01-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

Don't worry that China says you're too old to be a dad......here's proof your family disagrees.......BIG TIME

First Snow

2007-01-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

Our little island boy got to experience his first snow of the season. He thought the idea of dad pulling him around on a sled was pretty great!

Happy Gotcha Day Linsey YaMei!

2006-12-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today, this precious child was placed in our arms. The Lord has truly blessed us with Linsey. She has shown us a love that we could never have imagined possible.

We Love You Linsey!!! Happy Gotcha Day!!

A Blessed Christmas

2006-12-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

It was a great day in the Gividen household. It didn't take Luke long to figure out what to do with the presents that had his name on them.

Nick, Amy, Linsey and Luke

Christmas 2006

A Blessed Christmas

2006-12-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

The Gividen Family Christmas 2006

Luke's

First

Christmas!

There really IS a Santa Claus!

My Princess Pose

Fun With Grandma and Grandpa

2006-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving In Iowa!

2006-11-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not saying we're important or anything. ;)

Santa Monica

2006-10-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

UCLA AND DR. KAWAMOTO

2006-10-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Wow.......having your doctor in Santa Monica has some advantages!!

Mark and I both took the day off work and took Luke to his follow-up appointment with the plastic surgeon, Dr. Kawamoto. He gave Luke a great report and we were all pleased that it appears the tiny hole has closed on it's own. Thank the Lord!!

We had Linsey with us too, so after the appointment we took the kids down to the pier. It was such a great day! There were lots of artists and musicians performing and Luke got to ride his first Merry-Go-Round!

Linsey has the parade wave down!

Look at that beautiful face!!

A Day in Pictures (actually....just a minute)

2006-09-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

AMY.......DON'T LEAVE US!!!
(She just wanted to walk across the room for a drink of water)

I KNEW IT WAS TOO QUIET IN THE BATHROOM!!

This too shall pass.............right? ;)