THE LORD, MIGHTY IN BATTLE!

A new chapter

2012-01-22T16:01:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that I have started writing on a different blog...

www.findinggodaftermidnight.blogspot.com

Love,
Lindsey

My Fishing Buddy

2011-02-28T13:14:00.002-06:00

For our 7th Anniversary last weekend the Wheeler family went to the lake. While we were there I had the chance to take Eliana fishing again. This past Summer was her first time ever. On this trip it was pretty windy and not quite spring fishing time, but we had a blast and it was one more step towards getting her to LOVE fishing with Dadda!
Notice the leash I've got tied to her Dora rod...that's a key piece of equipment.
Just look at that intensity!

Here she's getting more hot dog to feed the fish!
The second day was cooler - so we put her puffy coat OVER her life jacket. Let's just say she was "bundled". She didn't care what she had to wear - she just wanted to keep fishing!

Here she's really getting after it!

We ended up not catching anything - but as I always tell Lindsey:
"Fishing isn't about catching fish, it's about being OUT there." I'm so proud of my girl and I love fishing with her!

I love you my fishing buddy,
-Chris / Dadda

Happy 7th Anniversary - My wife is amazing

2011-02-26T10:19:00.004-06:00

I wanted to write and tell the world how truly amazing my sweet wife is! This past Monday we celebrated our 7th Anniversary. I'm so thankful that 7 years ago God saw fit to put us together. I wouldn't even be a percentage of who I am now without her in my life. God has used her so mightily to shape me and teach me about real love, grace and acceptance. No one encourages me or believes in me like she does.

I'm so proud of how she has persevered in the midst of the pain and darkness caused by lyme disease. If I was the one with the disease I'd be mean as a snake (I'm not a great patient). She has continued to push forward, striving to be a great mom and wife even though her body seems to be warring against her daily.

We haven't written on this blog in quite a while but to those who still read us please keep praying. Pray for my wife's complete healing in this 8th year marriage!

Baby - you rock and I love you with all my heart! Here's to a new year!

Grace and Peace
Chris

Another hard night...

2010-11-08T23:20:00.003-06:00

To say we feel under attack tonight is an understatement! I just ran downstairs to write this blog because we are so desperate for prayers. I have had a rough day, Chris is beyond exhausted in every way, and Eliana is feeling ALL of this. Lord, have mercy! I feel so much guilt right now. I feel like such a failure as a mom and as a wife. She has been screaming bloody murder for over 2 hours. I have rocked her...I have sung every song I know...we have prayed over her...Chris is now trying to calm her little body down. She is beside herself. I know she's exhausted. I know she's tired of being passed around. I know she doesn't understand why I'm in bed and sick. Lord, how much longer?? I hate watching her hurt. She throws herself on the floor in hysterics and really seems like she's trying to hurt herself. I love her so much. Chris loves her so much. She is hurting! Please pray. Please pray for Chris. Please pray for me and my body. I just can't take much more.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Keep praying...

2010-11-02T19:51:00.003-05:00

The last few weeks have been so difficult in so many ways. The pain has grown more intense (especially at night)...my heart has been fluttering pretty much all day long. I'm not going to lie; it has been pretty scary. Most nights I end up in tears begging God for mercy. Two nights ago, I had a pretty terrible episode. Chris was across the street with our neighbors...and I called him to come home. I thought for sure I was headed to the ER. Every part of me was tingling...my skin was crawling and the pain was so crazy! Chris asked our neighbors to come pray over me. It was such a sweet time...and after the time of prayer my body began to settle down. Why do I doubt God? I know that He is my Healer. I think I am just so overwhelmed. I am tired of having to tell Eliana goodbye every morning. I am tired of laying in bed. I am tired of my feet & legs hurting so much that I don't want to walk. But, I am really trying to hang on and trust that He is in control. Please keep praying for me. Pray for Chris...he has SO MUCH on his shoulders right now. Pray for provision for all of our medical bills!! Pray that the Lord would give me perspective in this season.

Love,
Lindsey

Psalm 142

You Are My Refuge

With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see:
there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.

I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my cry,
for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will deal bountifully with me.

Project Lyme-Aid

2010-09-19T21:43:00.003-05:00

Check out my new blog dedicated to blogging about my journey with Lyme disease!! I will be selling some of my things to raise money for some of my medical expenses....thanks so much for praying!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

www.projectlymeaid.blogspot.com

2nd day of school and the NEW backpack!

2010-09-10T01:33:00.007-05:00

....oh, and she went to the principal's office for hitting (the sweet principal said a lot of 3 year olds were in the office today)! Hopefully, I won't be getting a phone call every Tuesday and Thursday. :-)

Love,
Lindsey

1st day of Mustard Seed!!

2010-09-08T09:08:00.008-05:00

We are so proud of Eliana...she made it through her first day of preschool! She only goes for a few hours on Tuesday and Thursday, but it still was a big deal for us! Her teacher said she was amazing....which was surprising because the morning didn't start out too great. She did not like carrying a backpack and had fallen out of bed at 4:00 am and hadn't gone back to sleep. So, 5 hours of sleep on her first day of school and she still did great....way to go sweet girl. We love you and are so proud of you!!

Love,
Lindsey

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day(s)!

2010-09-01T14:56:00.004-05:00

That pretty much sums up every single day over the last few weeks! Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for every day that I am alive....but each day has been one hard thing after the other. One of the awful parts of Lyme disease is that it attacks different parts of your body at any given time. So, one day I feel like my feet have been hit with a baseball bat....and then one day I can't move my neck because of the pain. The last week has been some of the most intense nausea/throwing up that I have ever experienced in my life....not sure if it's the TONS of meds or if it is a Herx reaction. That does NOT make for a fun day! I have been desperately trying to be positive....but it is so hard. I have tried reading....but my mind can't focus on anything other than the pain and nausea. We have been so blessed by people loving us and keeping Eliana....but I miss her SO MUCH! It is so hard staying in bed knowing that she isn't with me. Please keep praying for healing!! I know that I still have a pretty long road ahead.....

Love ya'll,
Lindsey

Back to School 10% off Promo Code!!

2010-08-25T14:25:00.002-05:00

I love coupon codes…and am so excited about this one!! From now until September 7, 2010, you can enter the promo code SCHOOLTEN at the Show Hope store site and get 10% off your order!! So, your kids (and you) can look super cool going back to school while supporting an amazing ministry and cause. Help us spread the word….feel free to post it on your facebook, twitter, and blogs. Don’t forget to send us your pics sporting your Show Hope gear!! I hope y’all have an incredible beginning of the new school year!

Blessings,

Lindsey

Best babysitter in the world!

2010-08-16T17:26:00.006-05:00

I can't even tell y'all how blessed I feel by all of the love and prayers!! Eliana has been SO TAKEN care of....which makes me smile. One of her favorite people in the world is Tori....she plays with her, swims with her, and loves on her. It has been so hard staying in bed and saying goodbye to Eliana every morning....but it has been so good knowing that she is having a BLAST!! Thank you sweet Tori (and Angie)! Thank you Sandra! Thank you Amy! Thank you Dianne! Thank you for the meals Show Hope girls and Ellen! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Happy Birthday GG!!

2010-08-13T21:33:00.002-05:00

We love you so much GG!! You are an amazing momma and grandmomma!! Thanks so much for all of the many ways your encourage each of us. We always know that you have our backs. Thank you for the hours that you spend in prayer for each of us. You are a Godly example....and so much fun!! Eliana loves her GG so much!! We just wish that you lived a lot closer to us. We can't wait for our trip in September....it will be a blast. I hope you feel so loved today. You deserve every bit of it!!

Love,
Chris, Lindsey & Eliana

Choosing to SEE

2010-08-13T00:24:00.003-05:00

Over the next week, two dollars from each Family Christian Stores sale of Mary Beth Chapman’s book, Choosing To SEE, will benefit Show Hope! These funds will go toward operating expenses for Maria’s Big House of Hope. Both online and in-store purchases made by next Tuesday, August 17, 2010 will apply.

I am so thankful for the Chapman family....and I know this book is going to bring hope to so many people that desperately need it (me included). Let me know what you think once you read it....love you all.

Lindsey

P.S. HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD!!

Under Our Skin

2010-08-08T19:06:00.002-05:00

A gripping tale of microbes, medicine & money UNDER OUR SKIN exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most controversial and fastest growing epidemics of our time. Each year, thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told that their symptoms are "all in their head." Following the stories of patients and physicians fighting for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of the health care system and a medical establishment all too willing to put profits ahead of patients.

www.underourskin.com

I have had a few people e-mail me to ask about this disease! Here is a little glimpse into the lives of Lyme sufferers. There is so much controversy...it is really sad and wrong!! Be praying for people's eyes to be opened.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Just to make myself smile!

2010-08-07T19:59:00.001-05:00

This was my sweet girl 2 years ago!! She was teeny tiny!
I LOVE HER SO MUCH!
Lindsey

Rough day....

2010-08-07T15:36:00.002-05:00

Just needed y'all to be praying....I have been in SO MUCH pain this afternoon! The back of my head and neck are hurting worse than ever. Thankfully, my doctor gave me some stronger pain medication yesterday, but for some reason it doesn't feel like it's working. Thanks friends! Hope y'all are having a great weekend. Eliana is LOVING having Chris home from Peru!!

Lindsey

Big Girl Bed and HOPE!

2010-08-05T20:57:00.004-05:00

Eliana has ALWAYS loved her baby bed....she has spent hundreds of hours jumping and playing in it!! She can get in and out of it, but she has always preferred to just stay in. Last night she started walking on the railing like a tight rope walker....so, we knew it was time to change her bed into a day bed. I'm not going to lie; it was kind of emotional. Our little baby isn't a baby anymore....she is 3. CRAZY! She will probably stay up until 3 am playing with all of her toys....and I know the room will be a disaster. ANY TIPS?!! Do y'all lock the toys up at night?? She doesn't like to sleep, so this could be very interesting.

On another note, thank you "Babycircus" for directing me to the blog Lyme Bytes. The Lord knew that I needed this so much right now. The lady that writes on the blog does a national prayer conference call every other week for people suffering with Lyme disease. Chris and I decided to join the call last night. We spent an hour in prayer with hundreds of other people going through the same thing as me. It brought me so much HOPE!! The pain has really been so intense the last two days....I am praying that means the medicine is killing the lyme. I don't feel alone in this anymore. Thank you Jesus!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

My little sunshine during a hard day!

2010-08-04T16:52:00.003-05:00

Today has been a really hard day! I drove back from my mom's house yesterday and could barely make it home. My legs were in so much pain driving home that I had to stop in Memphis for an hour and a half to rest. What should have taken 5 hours to get home took 8 hours. I am in a LOT of pain today. I haven't gotten out of the bed. To distract myself, I have been looking through old pictures and found this one of Eliana. This was taken on her first camping trip with Chris! Is she not the cutest thing?!! Her smile and laugh brightens my day. Keep praying....and thank you for your support. Love you all.

Lindsey

Happy Birthday Kay-Kay!

2010-08-02T23:04:00.003-05:00

My mom turns 59 today!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! She seriously is the most amazing mom in the world. She has walked through some of the hardest things....and has done it with grace and dignity. She has loved me, cried with me, made me laugh non-stop, and comforted me through the last few years of questions and sickness. She is always there to listen and never judge. She wants the best for my sisters and me. She is the best grandmother to Harper and Eliana....they LOVE her!! She is the reason I am who I am....and I love her more each day. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her this year.

Love you,
Lindsey

(I am so thankful for each and every one of your comments!! I can't wait to sit down and comment back to each of you. Your support gives me so much strength!!)

Living with Lyme...my new journey!

2010-07-31T17:36:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone even reads our blog anymore, but I am finally wanting to write again. The last few years have had some incredible highs and some incredible lows! The biggest high is our precious Eliana....she brings Chris and me joy non-stop. She is so full of life and is so loving. She brings so much hope to our lives. Now to the hard part....I am pretty sure I haven't blogged in a long time because I have felt so terrible. The last few years (even dating back before I moved to Guatemala with Eliana) have been SO DIFFICULT for me in a lot of ways. Yes, I have gone through a lot of really hard family issues....but my body has been so sick. I have gained a massive amount of weight with no explanation. My fatigue has been so paralyzing. Chris has been the most incredible husband through all of this.....I will be laying in bed crying and he will clean, cook dinner, play with Eliana and try to make my night fun. He has read scripture over me....and prayed for answers for years. In the last year or two, things have gotten worse. I have really, really struggled with severe joint pain/arthritis and hurt flutters. I have gotten EKG's done....I have had blood work done. The doctors would look at me and say, "you're just depressed" or "you're a new mom of a 3 year old".....and I would walk away feeling crazy. The last few months have been unbearable and have taken me into dark places. Finally, I went to a new doctor and just broke down sobbing. I begged her to test me for EVERYTHING! And, praise the Lord, I got an answer. I have been living with Lyme disease for YEARS!!! It came back positive. My first thought was relief...."I'm not crazy!!" Now, I am facing a major battle and need so much prayer. Through a lot of research and talking to other Lymies, I have quickly realized how controversial this disease is. For those that catch the Lyme disease early, their chance of getting better on antibiotics is great. But, for the rest of us that have gone undiagnosed....it is an uphill battle....and insurance companies are not wanting to pay. I'm not worried about the money, I know God will provide. I just DESPERATELY want to LIVE life again!!! Please be praying.....I go to see a specialist on August 18th!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Happy Father's Day Chris!!

2010-06-20T08:47:00.003-05:00

Chris, there is no way to tell you how much you mean to Eliana and me!! I literally am amazed watching you love, play and teach Eliana every single day. You are the MOST FUN!! She loves loves loves getting chased and tickled by dada. She loves jumping on the trampoline with you. She loves going outside with you...and taking walks. She loves eating a huge bowl of popcorn with you. Even this morning when I got her up from bed, she said "Hey hey hey, where dada go?" She would love it if she could be with you all day long.

Thank you for so many things. I cry thinking about the way you fought for her....she will never have any idea. I will never forget the time you drove 3 hours to the Memphis immigration office to beg them to approve our form in time....you sat there ALL DAY....and FOUGHT for her!! You allowed me to live in Guatemala with her....even though it ripped your heart out to be away from us. You would do anything for both of us....and I am SO GRATEFUL!! Thank you for being so intentional with both of us. You serve endlessly....you pray for us all of the time...and you love us so well. I love you so much.

Love,
Lindsey

Show Hope Tote Bags!!!

2010-06-03T18:03:00.005-05:00

The Show Hope totes are finally here!! I am so excited for all of the new things that have just been added to our store site. Click here to order a bag (or look through the site for other cute merchandise)! SPREAD THE WORD....

Love you all,
Lindsey
http://store.showhope.org

P.S. Eliana was a perfect little Show Hope model!! Check out her picture under the "Youth" section.

Lindsey Wheeler equals One Amazing Momma!

2010-05-09T17:36:00.007-05:00

To the world today I would like to say,
that Lindsey Wheeler is amazing in countless ways.
She invests in our girl with the greatest of ease,
she talks to God right on her knees.
Lindsey is a listener to all she finds,
she sees the whole world with compassionate eyes.
She's special-unique-in a class all her own,
the best parts of my days are the moments I'm home.
If you know her you know she knows how to love,
a gift to us all sent straight from above.
To my dear-my wife-my baby-my girl,
Happy Mother's Day to you I declare to the world!

Lindsey I'm so thankful for you! You truly are an amazing Momma. I want Eliana to grow up and be just like you! Thank you for loving her so well. Thank you for the time you spend just reading to her and teaching her words. You make time for the things that matter most. I love how you're always thinking about how we can help her grow and develop and become all that God intends for her! You also make life so fun at our house! You are the best Guatemama and I'm so proud of you!

love,
Chris

Our sweet daughter....that doesn't like to sleep!

2010-05-07T22:17:00.002-05:00

Hope this makes y'all smile....
Love,
Lindsey

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T22:11:00.004-05:00

Happy Easter!!
Love you all,
Lindsey

Share His Hope 2010 Adoption conference....

2010-03-01T13:01:00.002-06:00

Share His Hope 2010 Orphan Care Conference

is an orphan care conference held in Asheville, NC March 19-20; hosted by Merrimon Avenue Baptist Church. Chris has been asked to speak.....and I will be there with Show Hope!! If you live anywhere near, you NEED to sign up!! It is going to be great!!

http://sharehishope.eventbrite.com/

Love,

Lindsey

Happy 6th Anniversary!

2010-02-21T15:21:00.003-06:00

This post goes out to the greatest wife on the planet!
Today we are celebrating our 6th Anniversary! (notice the typo on my sign...I can't spell)

God knew what he was doing when he put us together! No one gets me like you do! No one tolerates my ridiculousness like you do either! Thank you for another year of sticking by me, encouraging me, listening to me, believing in me and praying for me! I have so much fun with you at my side! I'd truly rather be with you than any other person doing any other thing! (By the way, I love how you love the Olympics!) You are an amazing Momma! My dream is that Eliana grow up and be just like you!

You're the best. You're my best friend.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for 2010 and our 7th year of marriage!

Happy 6th!
I love ye with all my heart!
Love,
Chris

PS: Close em, Night night, I love ye, Ye Sweet, Where's Fang?

I heart my family!!

2010-02-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

She LOVES fingerpaint....

2010-01-26T14:16:00.003-06:00

.....and got very upset when she had to stop!! We love her so much....and her sassy attitude.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Watch out Martha Stewart!!

2010-01-23T23:13:00.002-06:00

Eliana's Gran-D (her great-grandmother) gave her a kitchen for Christmas, and Chris finally had a few hours to put it together!! She is going to be SO EXCITED to see it when she wakes up in the morning. The girl loves to pretend like she's cooking....she will serve us "pretend" food and drink all of the time. This is going to bring HOURS of entertainment. Thanks Gran-D....we love you!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Our Brave Girl!!

2010-01-12T23:13:00.002-06:00

Well, Eliana had her first visit to the ER for an injury. She hit her head on the edge of the coffee table really, really hard and we had to rush her to the hospital. Everyone loved her there (she literally ran a marathon in the waiting room...nothing stops her energy)! She got staples in her head (which was awful to watch)....and then got a Popsicle and a teddy bear. We are so thankful that she is okay. It was pretty scary!! Pray that she won't be in too much pain tonight and tomorrow.

Love,
Lindsey

eDiets.com

2010-01-03T23:01:00.002-06:00

Are any of you on ediets.com?!! I just started and would LOVE accountability. Let me know!! You could send me a quick e-mail.

Lindsey

Videos that will make you laugh....

2009-12-30T00:41:00.002-06:00

If you need a good laugh, head over to my sister's blog (CLICK HERE)!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Merry Christmas from the Wheeler Family!!

2009-12-25T17:43:00.009-06:00

We love you all so much,
Lindsey

She is pretty cute!!

2009-12-20T20:32:00.001-06:00

9 words that changed my life by Jon @ SCL

2009-12-20T13:42:00.002-06:00

Post by Jon at Stuff Christians Like

Sometimes, hope hurts.

It shouldn’t. The phrase, “hope hurts” should be an oxymoron like “Lady Gaga gospel album.” But I promise you, it’s not.

Sometimes when you’re so deep in a season of hurt, you get used to the bad. You start to think you deserve it. You start to expect it and get comfortable with it and get numb to it. And like a creature that lives so far down on the bottom of the sea, you adapt to it. You cobble together little survival mechanisms that help you get through. You get by.

But hope is tenacious …

Even in the darkest of my days, when I’d journal about suicide and despair, a fragment of hope still bounced about softly in the dryer of my head. (When you’re married with kids and have lots of laundry to do, 42% of your metaphors and analogies become housework flavored.)

There was a problem though, there was a painful obstacle between me and hope. You see, I was so far down the path of hopelessness, I was so lost and selfish and bent on destruction that I found myself in a terrible lose-lose situation. For example: If my wife was kind to me, I felt hurt because she didn’t know how hurtful I was secretly being to her with porn and a cadre of lies that would have killed her. If my wife was mean to me, I felt hurt because she had been mean to me. Any way I turned, simply resulted in more grossness.

And that is one of sin’s goals. Not simply to remove the good from your life, but to have it actually serve as a weapon of mass destruction.

Have you ever felt that way?

Have you ever felt completely unworthy when someone offers you love?

Have you ever been ashamed of the lies you’re living when someone offers you truth?

Have you ever felt undeserving of something good, because deep down, you believed that person wouldn’t really love you if they knew who you were?

It’s very possible that I’m the only one, and that’s OK. But I do need to tell you about the 9 words in the Bible that changed the way hope felt for me.

I’ve written about this before, but I’m a big fan of “edge verses.” I’m a big fan of looking on the periphery of a scene in the Bible and seeing all the deep truth that often gets hidden amidst a major scene. And in Luke 22 that certainly happens.

Jesus is on the threshold of getting crucified. He has the last supper with his disciples. He is sharing his thoughts on the father and the concept of serving and ruling. There is a sense of great importance heavy in the air. In the middle of that, he has a short conversation with Simon about how he is going to betray him.

It’s going to happen. Jesus knows this, but he wishes it wasn’t. He says to Simon in Luke 22:31-32:

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.

And then, in 9 words, he explains a big part of the reason I thought a mess-up like me could be a Christian.

Jesus tells Simon:

“And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

That’s it, those are 9 really simple words, but they demand a second look.

Do you see what Jesus is saying in that first half of the sentence, And when you have turned back? He’s saying:

And when you fail.

And when you sin.

And when you blow it and sell me out like a common thief.

And when you literally and physically turn your back on me.

And when you ruin it all.

When you turn back.

That concept is part of why our God is so different than everything we expect. We can turn back. There’s a return. There’s a comeback. There’s a loss and a brokenness and a state of falling, but you can turn back. That door is open. When I read the phrase “And when you have turned back,” I read a loud, wild picture of what grace really looks like.

Then you get to the part that is so easy to miss, the comma. Thank God for the comma, because that’s not how I would have written that sentence.

Mine would have looked more like:

“And when you have turned back, repent for three years before you try to get within a mile of my holiness.”

“And when you have turned back, don’t think for a second you’re qualified to tell other people about me.”

“And when you have turned back, here’s a long list of works you’ll need to do in order to clean yourself of the mistakes you’ve made and the consequences you’ve earned.”

But Christ doesn’t do that! He throws in a comma. He continues the sentence and simply says, “strengthen your brothers.”

Four years ago I ruined my life, but you know what?

God gave me the gift of the comma.

And that’s why I write Stuff Christians Like.

I have turned back. Not once, not twice, but a million times. And now it’s time to strengthen my brothers.

I don’t know what you’ll get this Christmas for a present, but please know this, God wants to give you the comma. He wants to give you grace. He wants you to know that when you have turned back, you can still strengthen your brothers.

It’s time to accept the comma of grace.

___________________________

Love you all,

Lindsey

Thankful....and a few pictures for good measure!

2009-12-16T23:01:00.009-06:00

The last few weeks have been very full....and most of y'all know that it leaves me feeling very fatigued. Even though the fatigue has been really hard the last week or so, I am really trying to be thankful. Just look at these pictures....I have an amazing husband who loves me with all of his heart and a daughter who is JOY and ENERGY wrapped up in a little body. I love them so much. Then, I have a family who loves and supports me through all of the trials going on with my body and mind. It is so easy for me to get overwhelmed with all of the hard stuff and to not remember how much I have. The Lord is good in the hard times and the good times. He knows where I am....and He alone is faithful. Why do I continue to try and do it on my own?! One of my favorite pastors of all time....Matt Chandler....has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his brain. I can't even imagine how difficult it is for his wife Lauren and their three kids. Tonight, I was reading his twitter and it says, "Why not me? Why not you".....okay WOW!! What an eternal perspective! PLEASE PRAY FOR A MIRACLE FOR MATT!!! I want to love people and live life to the fullest. I want to know the Lord in a deeper way. I want to walk along side of people that are passionate about orphans and adoptions....and I want to be a mouth piece for the millions of kids all over the world. I am tired of being tired and living life in isolation. Please pray for me as I continue to battle.

On another note...driving home for Thanksgiving, my car went CRAZY (literally it took us 11.5 hours to get to LR when it should have been 5). We had to get quite a few things fixed....which was not good timing (is it ever?). Then, on our way home from Little Rock, we realized my heater was GONE. We took it to two places that confirmed it would be a lot of money to fix it. So, right now we are braving the cold. I bundle Eliana up and I drive fast (just kidding)! When I went to our mailbox tonight, I found an anonymous card with a "gift" to us. THANK YOU ANONYMOUS FRIEND!! We are beyond thankful. God used you to bring hope to us tonight. We would give you huge hugs if we knew who it was. Just know we both cried....and thanked God!!

Okay, I am done rambling. I love you all.....I am going to try and write more. I need to.

I love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Our friends, the Hook family (from the previous post) have set up an "I Choose You" account at our church. If you want to give to this INCREDIBLE family so that they can bring home their sweet Evangeline from Russia.....here is where you send it:

Fellowship Bible Church
1210 Franklin Rd.
Brentwood, TN 37027
"I Choose You"- the Hook family

....write on the memo line of the check "The Hook Family"!! It is 100% tax-deductible!!! :-)

This has challenged me tonight....WHAT A MIRACLE!!

2009-12-05T00:13:00.005-06:00

A recent blog post from an incredible family....check out the Hollis family!

I logged off my computer at 5:30pm and didn't check it again until 11pm. Here is the latest:

Most of you know by now, our family decided three years ago to forgo giving presents to one another during the holidays. Instead, we reach out and raise money for orphan ministries.

We just finished going through the book, "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan with our kids and decided this year, we wanted to be CRAZY for Jesus! He is so crazy about us, we wanted to share His love with everyone throughout the year, but especially during November and December.

Lydia (SHE IS 11 YEARS OLD!!) took "CRAZY" to a whole new level, however, when she approached me (while her dad was on a mission trip in Africa) and asked if she raised $20,000.00 before Thanksgiving, could we adopt a little orphan girl, Darya, who has Down Syndrome in Eastern Europe. (A friend of ours adopted a little boy from the same orphanage and reported that Darya gets no attention at all....no one speaks to her or holds her.)

THAT WAS 8 DAYS AGO! Being a sensible 41 year old, I told Lydia she would never be able to raise $20,000.00 in 8 days.....she is only eleven. She didn't hear me. Instead, she asked again, "But if I do raise the money, will you adopt her?" I responded yes, if she raised that much money in 8 days, we would know God is in it and would travel to adopt Darya!

Tonight, I would like to report that Miss Lydia has raised $26,550.00 and the donations are still coming in. It just so happens, we have good friends who have been planning to adopt a little one with Down Syndrome through Reece's Rainbow, but lack of funds has delayed them. Not anymore, everything above $20,000.00 goes to them.

So, friends, you have been a part of a double Thanksgiving Miracle. Not only will Darya have a home ....but through your gifts, another little angel will be given hope for a family tomorrow too! God is so great, isn't He?

Lydia will be on the local Fox Morning Show tomorrow at 6:45am. I will try my very best to post it to the blog, because I know so many want to see it.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!" Phil. 4:4

__________________________

P.S. We are celebrating with our friends, the Hook family.....they are being given the remaining money to adopt another precious girl at the same orphanage!!! GIVE!! GIVE!!! GIVE!!!! Let's bring these babies HOME!!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Happy 31st Birthday....

2009-11-21T21:38:00.003-06:00

.....to the greatest man on earth!! Seriously, I find myself staring at Chris and just thanking God that He chose Chris for me. How in the world am I so blessed?!! He is the most selfless, sacrificial, servant-hearted man that I have ever known. He loves so fully!! He chooses every single day to wake up and put God first. He leads our family....and I am not always easy to lead. He has walked with me through many dark days....and somehow always makes me laugh. I love his smile. I love the way he is so passionate about EVERYTHING he does! I love that he watches reality t.v. with me. I love that there is nowhere that we'd rather be than with each other!! He is my best friend. He is my protector. To say that he is an amazing father is an understatement!! He LOVES Eliana and would do anything for her. I love watching him dance with her to country songs. I love how he plays with her and will even have tea parties. He is non-stop fun for our crazy little chica. He is so intentional with her....and always points her to Jesus. He is a good man!! I am so thankful for you Chris. I love you more and more every single day!!

Love,
Lindsey

SUPPORT the Bottomly family!!

2009-11-18T23:36:00.004-06:00

Tracy at JunkPosse makes
amazing necklaces. She is currently donating 30% of the profits from a select group of necklaces to the Bottomly's Ethiopia Adoption Travel Expenses. Here are some of the necklaces.

Hope
for Africa found here

Heart
For Africa found here

Hands
for Africa found here

Hope
For Children found here

Really great necklaces! If for some reason any of the above links are marked sold out, you can click on the JunkPosse store link right
here to find the necklace listed again.

Love,
Lindsey

P.S. I have some fun things to share with y'all soon!

Our little family....

2009-11-09T14:28:00.000-06:00

This sweet girl LOVES leaves!

2009-11-04T21:13:00.004-06:00

She loves to play in them, eat them, and throw them!! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!

Love,
Lindsey

More pics from Halloween....

2009-11-03T17:25:00.009-06:00

She had a BLAST!!!

Love,
Lindsey

Our little Indian!!

2009-10-31T23:30:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun tonight with the Moore family!! Eliana loved running to each house...she was precious saying "trick or treat.".

Love,
Lindsey

Let's just say it.....

2009-10-25T17:36:00.004-05:00

I am a terrible blogger!! The last month has been full in so many ways. Eliana is beyond funny....has even more energy....and is really starting to talk. We love her more and more each day. I have had some health stuff going on...that has left me feeling pretty fatigued!! Please pray for my health and energy. I am really, really going to try and take more pictures and post more this week!! November is going to be filled with so many amazing things....can't wait to share them with you. Love you all so much.

Here are some pictures (thanks sister) from our trip to LR:

This is a wonderful moment of Eliana being sweet to Harper! Whenever Harper would cry, Eliana felt the need to hit her.....we have been working on that! :-)

We told Eliana to go and sit next to Harper....well, she thought that meant sit on Harper.

Here are the cute cousins with their great-grandmother Gran-D....they are obsessed with her!

Love,
Lindsey

P.S. I have tried SO many times to transfer the adoption video to my blogger and it won't work!! Chris is going to work on it. I will post it as soon as we figure it out!!

She has been in bed for 2 hours...

2009-10-05T22:13:00.002-05:00

And is having a ton of fun!! She makes us laugh so much.

Tomorrow Night!!!

2009-10-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

I would LOVE to see some of y'all tomorrow night!!!

Love,
Lindsey

This pose makes me laugh!

2009-09-28T10:28:00.002-05:00

She is getting so big.....and looks so old. I love this picture because she crossed her legs like she is a little model. So cute! I entered her into the Gap Casting Call. Who knows??!! She could be a Gap baby model. I can't wait to tell y'all about this weekend. Chris did an amazing job speaking to the students at Two Rivers Camp!! The students are very excited to start making a difference in the life of orphans.

Love you all,
Lindsey

PLEASE HELP!!!

2009-09-23T13:09:00.001-05:00

Chris is speaking on adoption this weekend at a camp.....and we are creating a video of families that have adopted. PLEASE help us by sending a pic of your adopted kiddos or a family pic!!!! My e-mail is lindseyewheeler@hotmail.com. Thanks and I will post the video next week!!!

Love y'all, Lindsey

Urgent Prayer Needed!!

2009-09-17T12:17:00.002-05:00

Two INCREDIBLE families from Nashville are in a battle to bring home their precious kiddos from Uganda. Please check out their blogs, write notes of encouragement and PRAY!!!

THE MAYERNICK FAMILY

THE KECK FAMILY

Thanks friends,
Lindsey

Just because....

2009-09-15T18:44:00.002-05:00

Elmo and Melmo.....

2009-09-12T22:12:00.003-05:00

Eliana's new obsession is ELMO!!! Tonight, we found these shoes at Target....and had to get them for her. SHE LOVES THEM!!! She runs faster than she has ever run (you should see her calf muscles)....and just repeats over and over "Elmo" & "Melmo". So cute!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Cheesy smile!!

2009-09-11T21:23:00.001-05:00

Oh man, she keeps getting cuter and cuter every single day!!

So serious.....but so cute!!

2009-09-08T22:51:00.001-05:00

Our little karate girl!

2009-09-05T22:33:00.003-05:00

Having fun at the pool....

2009-09-04T22:05:00.003-05:00

We are so excited that Kelsey is here in Nashville to stay....Eliana is so happy to have her back!! Kelsey takes the best pictures....so we will actually have pictures to post now!! Love you all.

Love,
Lindsey

Eliana's 1st Day of "Promiseland"!!

2009-09-01T20:57:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Aunt Ellen (who works with the kids at Fellowship)....we got these pics of Eliana at her first day of Mother's Day Out!! I love them. She had a great time. Her teacher said she was very quiet and pretty serious (I'm sure she won't be saying this at the end of the semester)! We are so proud of our little chica. We love her so much!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Happy 30th Bir-Day Lindsey!!!

2009-08-28T23:08:00.016-05:00

Lindsey,
We're so proud to have YOU as our Wife/Momma!
You are such an amazing woman. Your courage is stunning. Your faith leaves me speechless. You are one of a kind...in a class all your own. Everyone who meets you KNOWS that there's just something special about you...something magical. You are a gift from God to this world. You're an advocate for hope, a voice for the orphan and a champion for justice! I hope with all my heart that Eliana grows up to be just like you - a woman who loves Jesus more than life itself!

We love you madly! Happy 30th Birthday!
Love,
Chris & Eliana
This is Lindsey and I at the Blue Bird Cafe as we began to celebrate her Birthday weekend! We got to hear the song writers who wrote Garth Brooks' biggest hits play their songs first hand! It was a blast!

We ate Birthday Dinner at Cantina Loredo in The Gulch district of downtown Nashville. I would totally recommend it! Some of the best table side Guac and Salsa of our lives! (I'm pretty sure there will be Mexican food in Heaven by the way!)

Some of our dear friends allowed us to use their downtown Nashville high rise apartment as a getaway for the Birthday weekend! (Thanks SO much you guys!) We felt like we were in an entirely different city! Nashville is beautiful but it's breathtaking from the 26th floor!
Note the Sommet Center top right!

This is our view from the corner floor to ceiling windows!
During the afternoon on Lindsey's Birthday we all went up to the roof top pool on the 31st floor! Eliana was all about it!

Most of all Eliana LOVED the shower at the pool! She just danced in it over and over as if "I'm a maniac" was playing the background!

Ummm...can you say roof top Birthday Sunset?

"Nashvegas" at night baby! We just stared and stared. It really is amazing.

Some of our friends came up to celebrate with us! We played Scategories (what else?) and ate Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake! Thanks to Greg, Ellen, Emily, Savannah, Paige, Zack & Daniel! (from left to right)
By the way...Eliana is getting funnier by the moment! Look out world!!!

I'm pretty sure she knows she's being watched!!

2009-08-18T22:12:00.002-05:00

She smiles directly at the camera now.....she is a little ham!!!
We love her more and more every single day.

I heart my daddy!!

2009-08-17T22:17:00.000-05:00

....and I love to wear his clothes!!

It's been a long time....

2009-08-12T11:41:00.002-05:00

So sorry that I haven't posted.....I feel like we have been all over the place for the last month. I will give an update soon. Chris's parents are getting to come spend a few days with us. Eliana is so excited to see them!!

My hubby is now in Peru....I am so proud of him!

2009-07-26T22:17:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to copy the e-mail I got today of Chris' first day in Peru (he is leading a team of 20 students from our church). I really am so amazed by his strength....he spoke powerfully in Guatemala....helped me and Eliana with Swine Flu....and then prepared and is speaking non-stop for the next 10 days in South America. Please be praying for his strength and health. He said it has already been life-changing!

Here is the e-mail written by one of the team members:

Hola Familia!!!

You´ll be happy to know that we are all safe! Stop worrying, we´re okay! We´re more than okay!! Our bodies are tired but our hearts and minds are full of excitement and eagerness for our ten wonderful days!! Our travel day, while tiring, was filled with fun games and friendship building. The only ¨bad¨ thing that happened was that our flight was delayed about three hours. We all held positive attitudes and we had so much fun getting to know each other and dancing in the airport. The team probably looked really silly to innocent civilians but we were having the time of our lives playing awesome games and goofing around. We got into Peru later than expected of course, but we were still met with smiling faces and loving hugs. The Peruvians called us in one by one and they all cheered for us. We were each given a woven bag and a kiss on the cheek.The Peruvians welcomed us with celebrations, silly string, and balloons, and we partied till four A.M.

Today started at six A.M. with Pastor Wheeler preaching the first service at IAYMC. Breakfast for us was at seven thirty and we devoured the eggs, toast, fruit, and of course, COFFEE!!!
Then we split up into our groups of three-four and were sent out to all of the sister churches. This was such a great experience because setting out into the heart of Comas, not knowing what to expect is both frightening and thrilling. Some of us spoke our testimonies, some shared verses, some danced, and some sang. Hopefully we touched the lives of many Peruvians and by the looks on their faces, I think we did. For those of us who's first trip to Peru this is, this was a good chance for them to see the city and meet the people. Even in the first few hours of the trip, God has used us tremendously! We all met back at the main church where we socialized with the loving Peruvians and watched some beast dancers! This was a chance for the people who have gone before to catch up with old friendships. We dined with the pastors of the church and their families for lunch, and after we danced and celebrated our being in Peru.

Tonight, Wheeler is performing baptisms and we're all going to be there to rejoice. There will of course be dinner and a meeting about the upcoming week, but we're being sent to bed early so our bodies can fight against sickness! By the end of this trip we could make one of those mastercard commercials.... 17 students...... 3 Interns....... 4 leaders..... a million bottles of hand sanitizer.... and a whole lotta Peruvians..... A life changing experience.......priceless!

We love you all!!!!
Lily Watson,
The Peru Student Team 2009

A little glimpse of our time in Guat.....

2009-07-23T22:30:00.015-05:00

This picture makes me smile. The minute we drove into Antigua....I just felt like I was at home. We love this place!!

Every single day, the 600 students and staff loaded 12 charter buses and headed to over 70 different sights in the two weeks in Guatemala.....so many lives were changed!! Chris did an incredible job speaking to the teens....he is so gifted! We felt so privileged to be there.

There is a long story about the next few photos.....we jumped on one of the 12 buses and thought we were heading to an orphanage called Fundaninos. Instead, Chris and I ended up at Xiomara's orphanage without knowing it. Basically, we said we were ambushed by God. We needed closure....and we were able to find a lot there. There were a lot of tears, but it was BEYOND INCREDIBLE to see the kiddos again....they immediately said, "Lindsey...Chris!!!" This is Monica.....I have always called her "Monica es Comica." She is pure joy.

I cannot get enough of her smile!! I cried just seeing her precious face.

Adriana holds a really special place in our hearts! She has a heart of gold....and has gotten super funny. The last time we were with her, she had just had her little leg amputated. It was amazing to see her so happy....and she has a prosthetic leg now. Thank you Lord for healing this sweet girl!

I spent a lot of my time with my sweet Hannah and Jose'!! Oh, how I missed them....I can't even explain it. Precious Hannah said, "Lindsey, why did y'all not adopt Xiomara?" I could have burst out crying.....but the Lord gave me grace to make it through the conversation. Hannah and Jose' are just the most brilliant children....I love them so, so much. I am so proud of them.

Blanca is a SAINT!! She is so good with the children. It was so good to give her a huge hug again.

Letty is so beautiful....and has gone through so much!! It was the most priceless moment when we saw her....her smile was HUGE!!

This is a guy that we ended up getting to spend time with named Rolando...he has such a big heart for the kids of Guatemala! He said the most hilarious line to us...."Chris, let's all take a picture of you and your silly poster." Loved it!!

....love going to the markets!

This is the view from Cookies, Etc.....so good.

We always have to get a picture of Chris in front of the volcano.

This is the coolest family.....you have to go to their web-site. They make dolls to help single mothers and work with kids in orphanages. Click here to read more about their ministry!

WE LOVE THIS COUPLE.....it was so good to spend time with Melissa, Scott (and Mary Margaret)!! We already miss them so much.

WE LOVE GUATEMALA!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Update....

2009-07-22T16:36:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to give a quick update. I have felt pretty awful today.....so the doctor believes that I might be going through a relapse of H1N1. Please, please pray for me. I am so ready to feel better and leave this house!! Pray for Chris....he leaves Saturday morning with a team of 20 kids to go to Peru for 10 days. He will be speaking a lot....and we don't want him to get sick. I know that Satan is really trying to attack us. On a personal level, my family is also going to be going through a tough few weeks coming up....so please pray for all of us....for strength and wisdom.

Love you all,
Lindsey

FYI....Swine Flu Test was Positive!!

2009-07-17T22:51:00.003-05:00

Conversation upon arrival in Guatemala City airport:
Lindsey: "Why are so many of the workers wearing face masks?"
Chris: "Swine Flu"
Lindsey: "Should we be worried?"
Chris: "Lindsey, we are NOT going to get the swine flu!!"

Fast Forward to Sunday...leaving Guatemala City (5 days later):
Lindsey: "Chris, I feel terrible!! My head is pounding and my throat hurts so bad."
Chris: "You probably just have a cold."
Lindsey: "Are we there yet (asked 14 thousand times on the flights...because I was so miserable)?!"

Fast Forward 5 More Days....Doctor's Office Calls with Test Results:
Dr. Leichner: "I regret to inform you....the test was positive for H1N1 (aka Swine Flu)."

-------------------------------------------
Although this really isn't funny, sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying! So much has happened in the last week and I have so many stories to tell. But, I feel too sick to tell them yet. Please just pray that Chris, Eliana, and my mom don't get sick. We have been quarantined since Monday because my doctor was concerned I had it. Needless to say, we are going stir crazy!! On a really sad note (it seems petty but I have been looking forward to it for months).....I am not allowed to go to NYC with my sister Lauren on Wednesday. We had planned our 1st ever "Just Sisters" trip to help Leah move back home from NYC. I can't believe I can't go. Thanks for praying!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

I missed the cobblestone streets....

2009-07-08T23:23:00.002-05:00

Chris and I are safe in Antigua....and are loving it. I don't think I really realized how much I actually missed this place. I feel so alive here already. Pray for our time with these teens....and for Chris as he speaks. I will update soon.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Cupcake Party of a Lifetime!!

2009-07-07T20:24:00.017-05:00

We had the best day yesterday.....we still have a hard time believing our baby is 2!!

Best cupcakes ever......and no, I did not make them!

Her first b-day in the USA!!

I got a little carried away with the pink tulle and number 2!!

This is Eliana dancing pre-party.....she dances with the most serious face. Also, please check out her shoes....CONVERSE!! I had a pink pair when I was little.

Eliana loves to share....and LOVES Levi!!

She became a little shy when everyone was singing to her....but at least she wasn't screaming her head off.

Two of her little friends from Guat.....and their momma Amelia!

What a beautiful face!!

She had a blast with the bubbles....who doesn't love bubbles?!

More of her friends....

The big reveal.....her 1st car!! I found this incredible Jeep at a garage sale.....thanks Marnice!! SHE LOVES IT!!!!

Milaya and Eliana had a blast in the jeep! Milaya would hold the pedal down while Eliana would drive.

This is one of her little baby items.....she so loves to be a little momma!! Her grandparents gave her this high chair and a precious baby doll cradle....there will be many hours of fun. She feeds her babies, rocks them, puts them to bed, kisses them and talks to them. It is pretty adorable. The party was so much fun. I realize that she probably won't remember it....but it was so special for us. We love our little girl so much!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

P.S. Not sure if I have mentioned this yet......but Chris and I are heading to Guatemala tomorrow!! Chris has been asked to speak at Brio Magazine's Mission Trip. We are so excited!! The next post will be from Antigua. :-) Pray for our safety.....and for Eliana and my mom to be safe in Tennessee.

Our baby girl is 2!!!

2009-07-06T09:31:00.001-05:00

The last two years have flown by......we really can't believe you are two.
We love you so much and are so proud to be your parents.
Love you more and more every single day,
Momma and Dada

P.S. We will post her b-day pics soon!

Another loss....

2009-06-25T22:27:00.002-05:00

My sweet friend Sarah delivered her little girl at 3 in the morning. I am so proud of her and can't imagine the pain she is going through. I can't imagine delivering a baby that you won't be taking home with you. Please, please be praying for her and her husband Taylor. I know they have such a long road ahead.

Then, today I found out that another family that we love lost their 4-month old little boy. Chris worked with them at Kanakuk and I went to high school and college with Jen. I am just so overwhelmed with grief for all of them today. I just want to hug and kiss Eliana non-stop. There are so many things I don't understand....but I am choosing to trust the Lord that He knows.

Love you all,
Lindsey

Hurting for my friend...

2009-06-24T21:38:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to ask y'all to be praying for my friend Sarah.....she lost her sweet baby girl today just a few weeks before her due date. I can't imagine the pain!! Please pray for comfort for her tonight. It is nights like tonight that just make me long for heaven.

Lindsey

So thankful for our little chica!

2009-06-21T20:58:00.006-05:00

This was the moment she was handed to us.....she was obviously still sick. But, I never had to say "goodbye" again. Look at her sweet face. THANK YOU LORD!!

How could you not love this little diva.....she didn't like to sleep but we didn't care!! It is also funny seeing her with no hair! :-)

......our little girl was brought from the hospital to the hotel and put in our arms for FOREVER!! I didn't have to leave her again. It is so hard to believe that it has been a year. Chris and I were so afraid of being good parents.....of making sure we were giving her the right medicine....basically, we didn't sleep at all. We had no idea what was in store for us over the next few months of me living in Antigua....but we would do it all again!! We love our little girl so much. She is such a delight.....so funny.....so kind. Last night I read through all of the comments from last year....and was blown away. Thank you all for your prayers and support! We are praying for ALL of the 900 children that are still in Guatemala right now waiting to come home. What courageous parents you all are!!! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

One year ago tonight.....

2009-06-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

We were packing to fly to see our Eliana in Guatemala!! Today, we both have been reliving what it felt like to get the call that she was very sick and almost didn't make it. It seems like so long ago.....but Chris and I just have been so overwhelmed today at God's goodness. Thank you Lord for saving our little girl's life....thank you for bringing her home to us safely. Thank you all for getting us there. We are so grateful!

We love y'all,
Chris and Lindsey

I love my blogger friends....and "Vision to Inspire" night!

2009-06-18T22:16:00.006-05:00

I just want to say "THANK YOU" from the bottom of my heart for checking out ATHENTIKOS: GUATEMALA!! Thank you for the e-mails and for your hearts for this country. PLEASE spread the word. Post the web-site on your blog....soon we will have a widget for blogs. I really think God is doing something BIG in this country.....and I am excited to be a small part of it.

I also wanted to share a few pictures from the first screening night called "Vision to Inspire". I could have just bawled the entire time. I just kept seeing Eliana's face in every single face on the screen. I saw these tough gang members pictures....and then thought about them as a hurting children. We've seen too much....and we must do something!!

I love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Join the Facebook page!

I can't get this out of my mind....

2009-06-16T17:08:00.007-05:00

CLICK HERE:

www.athentikos.com

Send me an e-mail and let me know what you think....I will share more later. Check out the videos on their web-site. You will not be disappointed!! This is going to be an unbelievable documentary.....I am beyond excited.

Love you all,
Lindsey

Eliana's first experience at camp!

2009-06-10T10:51:00.002-05:00

We just got back from 5 days at junior high and high school camp for FSM!! We had a blast!! Eliana was a little unsure the first few days....but she slowly warmed up to all of the students. It was so fun watching her dance to the worship music.....she would twirl, clap her hands, and raise her hands in the air. Chris did an amazing job!! He is SO GOOD at his job. We are so proud of you.....and are thankful that we got to watch you do your thing!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Happy Birthday Bulldog!!

2009-06-04T21:12:00.002-05:00

We have the greatest brother in the world!! Eliana has an amazing uncle!! We love you so much....and miss you more than you know. We are so thankful that you were born 41 years ago!! We can't wait to see you soon.....and play a thousand rounds of Electronic Monopoly and Connect Four! You are the BEST!!

We love you,
Chris, Lindsey & Eliana

One of our favorite things.....

2009-06-02T21:14:00.003-05:00

......Eliana cutting her eyes!!!

What we do for fun.....

2009-05-29T22:49:00.008-05:00

This is how the Wheeler family celebrates Memorial Day......a pool on a trampoline with warm rainwater in it!! It may look redneck....but it was perfect!

She did not want to get out of the pool.....and who doesn't love a good play-doh in the pool!

We are on the search for a good swim jacket for Eliana.....does anyone have any suggestions? This jacket is supposed to be fitted. Her little 20 pound body doesn't fit in most things!!

I already commented on my Facebook.....but this is the lead singer of Fundamental Elements (and one of our friends through adoption)! Chris and I went to hear them on Wednesday night....and were BLOWN AWAY!! You can check them out at fundamentalelements.net (Katie, we have cute husbands!)

Thanks Paige for keeping Eliana while we went to hear FE!!! Eliana was so cute cuddling with you on the couch.

Eliana is now trying to feed most of her stuffed animals and babies....she rocks them non-stop too. Please note that she is feeding her stuffed cat Polly's water (our dog).

And she's off......this girl can RUN!!! She is seriously so fast. If I let her down.....she is a mile in front of me in two seconds. We think she is going to be a cross country runner!!

Thanks for praying for me.....please keep it up!! Just know I appreciate it more than you know. God has promised to bring me through this.....and I am clinging to that right now.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

When I need a laugh....

2009-05-20T22:35:00.003-05:00

.....I look at this. This is Eliana holding her sweet cousin Harper!! She looks so fed up with her. I have needed a lot of laughs over the last two weeks. If you think about it, please send up a prayer for me. I have had a really rough time....had to switch medicines and my body is going crazy!! Thanks friends.

Love y'all,
Lindsey

We should have seen this coming....

2009-05-18T00:43:00.002-05:00

I remember getting this picture over e-mail from her foster mom and thinking "those look like mischievous eyes." I was right!! This little diva is going to keep us on our toes the rest of our life. She is the definition of the "Strong-Willed" child. She is sassy. She is funny. She is mischievous. She is entering into a new phase....and one that honestly scares us to death but keeps us laughing non-stop. There is something about the church nursery that brings out her sassy/bully side. One day she bit a little girl. Today they informed me that she was trying to push people down....she is a 20 pound bully at church. Chris said "How could a little girl in a cropped cardigan push people down." I looked at her in the car and said "Eliana, did you push the little kids in your class today"......and she instantly had the guiltiest look on her face. It was quite funny but I had to remain serious. Chris and I are so excited this little sassy diva is ours.

We love being your parents Eliana....you are the greatest joy!! Seriously, every minute with you is fun. We are praying for you every single night.....for so many things!! We are so proud of all that you are learning and accomplishing. We are your #1 fans!! Keep it up little one.

Love you,

Lindsey (Mama)

She can say her middle name now!

2009-05-13T12:13:00.009-05:00

Chris here...
If you say "Eliana...Hope...Wheeler" she will repeat each word after you.
When she says "Hope" it's without the "H" and it's super cute!

Every day with her feels like such a privilege. I keep thinking back to this time last year...desperately waiting and "hoping" for any news...any new picture....anything! It's crazy to think that was just last year! I feel like Eliana's always been with us!

I LOVE HER LAUGH! She is so much fun!
This girl loves animals...all of em! Cats, Dogs, Bunnies...even Alpaca! She hugged this Alpaca at the Franklin Main street Festival's petting zoo. ( She also climbed on it's back and grabbed it's ears!) Yeah, she loves animals...especially soft ones!
What can I say, I'm crazy bout this "Teeny Wheeler!"

Chris

Jillian Michaels is going to become my new best friend!

2009-05-12T23:16:00.003-05:00

I am tired of sitting on the couch (eating ice cream) and watching the Biggest Loser.....crying my eyes out....and doing nothing to change ME! So, Chris and I are starting the 30 Day Shred tomorrow morning. Some of my fav blogs (Boomama and Big Mama) have joined a 30 Day Shred challenge....so I am joining. I probably won't be able to walk for a week....but I am going to do it. Who wants to join in?!!

Love y'all,
Lindsey

Happy Dia Del Madre!

2009-05-10T10:19:00.002-05:00

Lindsey,
You are such a good Momma! Thank you for investing all of who you are into Eliana's little soul! My deepest desire is for her to grow up and be just like her Momma! You are literally modeling the life of Faith, and Biblical Hope in front of her! You are a beautiful expression of the Grace of the Gospel to her!

Thanks for staying home and pouring into our baby girl!
(And for the record...all her sass, spunk and fire come from you!)

I am so proud of you and the Momma that you are!
We both love you with all our hearts!

Love,
Chris & Eliana

Daddy and daughter bonding time....

2009-04-28T21:52:00.003-05:00

Look at this picture of Eliana.....it makes me want to cry!! SHE LOOKS SO OLD (AND BEAUTIFUL)!!! Seriously, I love her so much....not to mention the crazy guy behind her. She can scream louder than me.....but I want to enjoy every minute.

Love you all,
Lindsey

Practicing her Marimba!!

2009-04-27T17:37:00.003-05:00

I walked into Eliana's room today....and this is what she was doing!!! It is probably one of the cutest sights ever.....and she is really good at it!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. The chair and the marimba are from Guatemala....I had to do an excellent packing job on our way home!! I am so glad I bought them.

Because this makes me smile....

2009-04-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

Love you all,
Lindsey

How I want to live.....

2009-04-20T12:50:00.002-05:00

If you haven't read Katie's story.....don't wait another minute.

Click HERE!!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Fun with the McBride family.....

2009-04-17T14:13:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had so much fun with the McBride family (Adventure Science Center & Mexican food).....they were in town working on details for their Ethiopian adoption!! WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THEIR NEW KIDDO SOON!! We love you all so much.....and are so thankful for your friendship.

Love y'all,

Lindsey

......to follow their journey, click HERE!!

Eliana LOVES laundry....

2009-04-15T22:59:00.002-05:00

It makes her day when she gets to help us with the laundry!! Basically, she loves to transfer ANYTHING!! She does it all day. She will move all of her stuffed animals from one spot to another....then she will move her books to a different location. Chris says that she is going to work for UPS when she grows up. I walked into my room the other day and she was standing in the room with my Kanakuk shorts on her head. Needless to say, I couldn't stop laughing. Is she not the cutest thing ever?!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. Thanks for all of the encouragement about Xiomara.....it means so much to me!

We will NEVER stop loving and praying for Xio!!

2009-04-09T11:50:00.004-05:00

This is probably one of the hardest posts that I have written in a long time. Many of you that have followed us from the beginning have prayed for precious Xiomara!! For those that don't know her story, click HERE. The Lord brought her in our lives when we least expected it....without her, we would never have found our precious Eliana. A lot has gone on with her case in the last year and a half.....and most of it we were told not to voice on our blog. The last few days have been pretty tough for Chris and me. We have cried and prayed and cried some more. We found our that precious Xiomara is being adopted by a Guatemalan couple!! PLEASE HEAR ME, we are BEYOND THRILLED that she is being adopted.....that she will have a forever family. The selfish part of me is just grieving that she will not be in our family. We were also told that she was NOT adoptable....so we are having to sort through feelings of hurt there too. The bottom line is that we LOVE this girl....we will NEVER stop praying for her. Please join us in praying for her new family. Pray for our hearts.....I am having to let go of my dream of Eliana and Xiomara being sisters. If you would like to hear how you can pray more specifically or want to hear more of the story, just e-mail me privately. I cannot even begin to tell all of you how much you mean to me. Thank you for loving this little girl.

We love you Xio....
Lindsey (and Chris)

Gibberish from a 21 month old!

2009-04-06T20:53:00.004-05:00

Ok,
I don't write often but I should because there is so much to tell!

This video is a little older but we thought it was still worth showing! When laying in her bed, she will just talk to herself and even make herself laugh. Eliana is truly hilarious to me. She makes me laugh every day. To say she's sassy is an understatement. Her personality is getting bigger and bigger.

She loves to transfer things from one location to another. Today she was way into helping me move clothes from the washer to the dryer. We moved them one at a time...like one single sock at a time! She's learning how to help out !

I keep telling myself that this will all be gone so soon and I'm trying to be as intentional as I can to enjoy each day for what it is...everyone says it goes by so fast.
Happy Twenty-One Months Eliana, we love you so much!

Grace and Peace,
Chris

PS A big shout out and thank you from Linds for all the great ideas on money making possibilities! Keep those coming if you think of more!

I need ideas PLEASE!!!!

2009-04-05T12:43:00.002-05:00

When we brought Eliana home, Chris and I made the decision that I was going to stay home with her......and I love EVERY minute of it!! The only problem is that we really need extra money. I know that thousands of people are in this exact same position. We are trying to pay off doctor's bills and the rest of her adoption. I am trying to sell things on ebay.....and we are going to do a garage sale in a few weeks.

But, I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for making money from home?!! I have internet access and a computer.....so I could do data entry or book keeping. I just don't know how to find those kind of jobs. I am willing to do WHATEVER!! If you know of anything, please let me know. I would appreciate it SO MUCH!!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

Eliana loves Grandaddy and Grandmother Wheeler!!

2009-03-30T22:12:00.009-05:00

This past weekend Eliana's Grandaddy and Grandmother Wheeler came to visit us from Tulsa.....we had a blast!! Eliana got so excited the second she saw both of them. She absolutely loved spending time with them. They read to her, played with her, held her, sang to her.....and loved her well. She is so blessed to have them as her grandparents. We already miss them so much and can't wait for their next visit. Thank you both so much for investing in Eliana like you do. It means the world to us.

Love you all,
Lindsey

We love our Harper Ann!!!

2009-03-25T23:40:00.007-05:00

INTRODUCING: Harper Ann Pardue (born on March 11, 2009)

My sister, Corby and Harper.....aren't they the cutest family?!! Also, how in the world does my sister look that good after just a few days.....she is AMAZING!!!

Sweet little Harper Ann Pardue in her cardigan and jeans.....a lady at Target called her a "he"....does she not know that boys don't wear ruffle cardigans?!

I am a very proud AUNT!!! I love it.....I spent a lot of time whispering in Harper's ears that I will be her favorite aunt!! :-)

She is so precious when she is asleep.....but this little girl can scream!! She has the "Daniels" drama for sure.

Corby is the proud daddy!! It was so fun to watch him with her....he is so in love.

Someone who wasn't so sure about the entire thing was Eliana!! When I was holding Harper, she would say "no" and get really upset. She was a little bit jealous.....and she wasn't sure why her Aunt Laloy was in the hospital bed.

Papa G chased Eliana up and down the hospital halls and read to her. She did a great job!!

......Chris and I are so excited to now be an aunt and an uncle!! We will take this new role very seriously. We will send Harper singing chipmunks and feed her lots of candy!! Seriously, we love you sweet thing. Lauren and Corby, we are so proud of you!! My sis is an amazing mom.....such a natural (I knew you would be). I hate that we don't live closer.....we will have to skype all of the time. We are praying for the three of you.

Love you all,
Lindsey

So tired....but so grateful!!

2009-03-23T22:40:00.004-05:00

I haven't written a lot lately for a lot of different reasons. We have been traveling a lot....and then have had company for the last week. Honestly, y'all are probably sick of hearing me say this.....but I have been really struggling. There are probably many reasons why.....but I am so tired of it. I am suffering with a fatigue problem, which is right now attacking me in full effect!! Please pray for my health. I am sleeping a lot right now (and when I am not sleeping....I am chasing sweet Eliana all over the place). In the loneliness and fatigue, I often forget how many things I have to be grateful for.

Today we got a package from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was all of the original documents from Eliana's adoption file. I have just spent the last hour reading each word on each page....and can't stop crying. I am so grateful for this child God has given to us. There is a new picture I have never seen of her when she was tiny. Oh, I love her face. I am grateful that her biological mother selflessly gave her to us. Honestly, I forget that I am not her biological mom (that might sound weird).....but she feels like she has ALWAYS been a part of Chris and me. After I read through everything.....I started looking at pictures (lots of crying again). Thank you Lord for choosing us for her. I can't imagine my life without her.

Even though the fatigue is great.....the Lord has given me just what I have needed for Eliana and Chris. I wake up begging God for enough energy to be a good wife and mom. And every single day, the Lord gives me the strength. I love laughing with Eliana. I love tickling her. I love running along side of her through the house. I love chasing her. I love kissing her. I love giving her tons of hugs. I love telling her "I love you" a thousand times a day. I love brushing Dora's hair with her. I love watching Handy Manny with her. I love playing outside with her. I love jumping on the trampoline with her. I love putting her hair in pigtails (even though her Tia Leah says it makes her sassy). I love watching her love her daddy. I love watching her hug any kind of animal. I love teaching her words. I love reading to her. I love praying with her. I am so thankful for our sweet girl.

I am so grateful.

Love you all,

Lindsey

Happy Birthday Papa G!!

2009-03-21T17:10:00.004-05:00

Papa G, I hope you are having the greatest birthday!! It was so good to get to hang out with you at the hospital when Cousin Harper was born. Thanks for playing with me and chasing me up and down the halls of the hospital. I already miss you.

Love you,

Eliana

The Big Apple!

2009-03-08T13:36:00.010-05:00

This is right before Leah's interview with Seventeen Magazine!! We are so proud of her!!

We decided to go on a carriage ride in Central Park at night....it was SO COLD!! I think we had more fun laughing at how many ways we could look ridiculous in a scarf.

This would be Chris's dream come true.....Dylan's Candy Bar.....it had every candy you could ever dream of!!

I am pretty sure every single tourist goes to Serendipity to get the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate.....we did it and were not disappointed! It was incredible.

We woke up one morning super early so that mom could see her "best friends" from the Today Show! Look closely at this picture.....mom is right behind Matt!! She made it on t.v.!

Look how close I was to Al Roker.....this picture makes me laugh!

My mom's dream come true......an entire store of M&M's!!

We were able to go and see "Wicked" on Thursday night.....Glenda the good witch was so much fun!! WE LOVE NYC!!

Love you all,
Lindsey

We miss the beach.....

2009-03-06T13:24:00.005-06:00

They have NO fun together.....can't you tell?!!

She likes to walk around with her eyes closed....it makes us laugh! She is a ham!!

Um, she really thought she was driving this car....she was so serious about it!!

Eliana fell on her face in the sand.....it didn't phase her at all! She would just walk around with handfuls of sand.

We had such a blast at the beach!! I can't wait to take her when it is actually warm!! We are now gearing up for Cousin Harper's birth....we are so excited. Pray for my sister Lauren....that her labor would be easy and that Harper would be healthy. I will keep you posted!

Love you all,
Lindsey

P.S. I will post NYC pics soon!

NYC....and other news!

2009-03-03T22:22:00.003-06:00

The last week or two have been crazy....do I always say that?! Last minute, we decided that I was going to join my mom and sister Leah (we missed you Lauren) for a weekend in NYC. We found a super cheap ticket....and I packed my bags. Leah was going to interview for an internship this summer. Chris really wanted me to go....and he kept Eliana (it was the first time I was away from her overnight)!! The weekend was unbelievable....so much fun. I am pretty sure we walked at least 20 miles (no joke). We used a lot of Tylenol during our trip. We got to see SO MUCH....we made the most of our short trip!! I will post some pics soon. We are all SO PROUD of Leah.....she walked into the Seventeen Magazine offices for her interview....and they HIRED HER ON THE SPOT!! My sister is going to be a Seventeen intern this summer. I felt like we were in an episode of "The City" (a show on MTV). Leah is going to have a blast....and we are so proud of who God is creating her to be....she has so many talents!!

I am back.....Eliana is sick (again)....Chris is recovering from a week-long flu!! A lot is happening in the next few weeks. Lauren (my other sis) is due to give birth in less than a week....YEAH!!!! We are so excited to meet little Harper Ann Pardue!!!!! We all can't wait to see Eliana with her new little cousin. Then, our friends Erika and Chris are getting married in two weekends......um, pretty much the most incredible couple EVER!! We love you guys so much.

Love you all so much,
Lindsey

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2009-02-21T10:31:00.004-06:00

To my beautiful bride,
Thank you for 5 incredible years!
YOU are the BEST!

I absolutely LOVE you with all my heart. You amaze me every day. Your heart for the poor and the orphan is breathtaking. Your spiritual wisdom and Godly compassion are so deep. You are a gifted listener...specializing in drawing out my heart! You are without a doubt my best friend. I'd rather be with you doing nothing than with anyone else doing anything . Being your husband is the greatest privilege of my life. I was so proud of you for living in Guatemala with our baby this last year...I'm still wowed that you did that for us! Bottom line, I'm so proud to get to be your husband and that YOU are my wife!

You are such a good Momma it's ridiculous! Just watching you play with her is so much fun! My dream for Eliana is that she grow up to be just like her Momma!

We'll never forget celebrating our anniversary for the first time with Eliana at the beach!
I can't wait to see where God leads us this next year!

Love,
Chris
(Ye Husby)

"Close 'em, Night-Night, I Love Ye, Ye Sweet, Where's Fang?"