Everyday is a GREAT day!

Ming Ming Lydia!

First Carousel Ride

Choo-Choo watching with Mamaw

Papaw's little helper...

Lazy days of summer...

Lot's of catching up.....

Ready to hit the pool!!!

Watching "Bruber" at State!

Jeff Davis Boys Tennis Team 2010

Focused.....

Playing against TOUGH competition!

The perfect prom date....

Wooo Hoooo!!!! $1,000. Thank you REA!

Some pics may say a thousand words, this one says two... Daddy's Girl!!!!

Rainy days don't stop me!!!!

I love my Daddy!!!

After months of silence on the blog.... I'm making a feeble attempt to catch up a little. We moved in February to Hazlehurst, Ga to pastor the Big Oaks Church of God. Andrew transfered to Jeff Davis High and Jason remained at Bacon County to complete his Senior year. We are eternally thankful to the Lord for His perfect plan. Big Oaks has wrapped their arms around us and in many ways it feels as though we have always been there.

Jason graduates on May 21, and has plans to attend Georgia Southern. We are very proud of him for his hard work and accomplishments. He was recognized by REA (electric co-op) with a $1,000 scholarship. Way to go Jay Jay!!!!

Andrew made it to JD in time to play tennis on a much stronger team and with his contribution to the team, they were able to make it to the GHSA Final Four!!!! They didn't make it past the first round, but enjoyed the experience of a lifetime. As his Junior year comes to a close he is preparing to go to Guatemala on a missions trip. Please remember him in this ministry endeavor.

Lydia has been very busy cheering her "Brubers" on and getting used to her new surroundings. She has settled into Big Oaks and now LOVES to make rounds after church shaking hands and passing out kisses!
I Corinthians 12:9-10

God Is Faithful

Making cane syryp.

Hard work.... and messy!

Forever friends!

A new fasion statement!

Bacon County Student of the Month

Thinking back to last year this time.... no referral, no hope of a referral! Dec. 11, 2008, I posted on our blogsspot the story of how the matching room works, and even posted a photo! I was depressed. I never dreamed that our file was actually in that very room! Mark, being the good husband he is saw the desperation of my situation and made a command decision to take the family to Aunt Cheryl's for Christmas. After that we flew to Ohio for a week to be with family. I tried to enjoy it, it was a great visit... but something, (someone) was missing. Referrals came on December 27th and I once again tortured myself with all the photos posted of adorable babies who had just been matched to a forever family. I happened to notice that they were all from the same Province... Jaingxi.
We returned home and quickly found our groove. School was started back as well as Basketball season. January 6, 2009 we were at an out of county game. The moment I will NEVER forget! It was 8:09 p.m. when I heard my cell ring. Noticing it was the Adoption Agency I made my way down the bleachers to take the call. Still, in NO WAY thinking it was a referral, I assumed it was some information that needed updating. The voice on the other end of the phone said, "Congratulations Cindy! I'm holding a photo of your beautiful new daughter!" I literally felt my heart in my throat! I quickly went back to get Mark and we were in the parking lot on speaker phone to gather every detail available about our new daughter. I will never forget Mark jokingly asking the social worker if she (Lydia) looked like him! (and now we all know that she actually does!)
Truly it was a "match made in heaven." The following day when we received our official paperwork from China Mark noticed the date our paperwork was signed and official in China... CHRISTMAS DAY! It was a wink form God letting us know that after 3 long years of waiting, our faith was coming to sight. A gift from Him!
You may be reading this and you've been waiting on answers from God for a long time. I encourage you today to keep your self focused on Him and the promises He has given you. He is a faithful God who loves His children and He is still on the throne!

Cindy

I'll Fly Away

Lydia and I flew to Ohio for a vist in November. She was born to travel! We stayed at Mamaw and Papaw's so Lydia could spend as much time as possible with them. She did a pretty good job letting them get close. A highlight of the trip was seeing Granny.

Joy Unspeakable!!

So comfortable... She has fit into our family like a hand in a glove!

She loves wearing my glasses. She puts them on the dog.

At a hotel in Cleveland, TN. She had no problem making herself at home.

The Tennessee Aquarium... Lydia loved it! What a smile!

The days are quickly passing... Jason's Senior year and Andrew's Junior year is flying by. Jason just turned 18... we are feeling a mixture of happy, sad, proud... and yes, relief! Now to get him focused on college choices and future plans while he is focused on basketball and experiencing Senioritis! Say a prayer for us...

~Much love,

Cindy (for Mark, Jason, Andrew, and Lydia Joy)

Yu Xin Fang is Lydia Joy Grimes!

The best babysitter ever!

Sporting my "wild woman" look.

Lots of hugs for the babysitter!

"I don't do mornings."

It just looks like I'm not having fun.... I LOVE to help mama clean.

How does one merit such favor with God to have such a sweet little soul to look after??? This is a question Mark and I have been asking ourselves lately. If China had only known what a smart, sweet daughter they were giving away, they would have never let her leave the country! But she is all our now! And... on Oct. 5, 2009 she will officially go before a judge here in Bacon County for her "U.S. Adoption," and will then be able to have a U.S. Certificate of Foreign Birth. This allows her to use her American name on official documents such a Birth Certificate and Passport as well as insure her rights as our daughter. We will share her Chinese name/meaning with her when she is older.

Lydia's adoption has given us much to reflect on as we consider our own adoption in Christ Jesus. The moment they placed her in our arms she was given a new lease on life. One with lots of opportunities and freedoms she would never have had in China. Now, simply because she is the daughter of Mark and Cindy Grimes, she gets to go to Church and raise her little voice to the Lord in song. She lifts her hands in worship to a God who loved her so much He gave His life for her. (OK, she imitates mama and daddy), but that it how learning begins.) ;-)

Last month we were visiting grandparents who happen to have a set of perilous brick steps in the den. Lydia had just learned to climb stairs and would NOT stay off of them. It worried me to death. Then Mark decided to let her "play" on the steps... helping her go up and down them over and over. Later Mark reflected on the event and he insightfully shared with our church this truth... That Just as he was watching over Lydia, how much more does our Heavenly Father watch over us. We may be having the time of our life, completely unaware of the dangers surrounding us, and God is faithfully keeping watch over us all. He sends Angels to take "charge" over us! Such love is amazing to me!

Our heats fill as we watch this beautiful creation blossom with each new day and opportunity. May it remind us all to continue to thirst and hunger for the things of God, ever growing in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Much Love,

Cindy (for Mark, Jason, Andrew and Lydia Joy)

We took the video below in Valdosta as we were waiting for Jason to get in from Peru. She loves to splash in mud puddles... some things are universal!

Jason in Lima, Peru 2009

Literally moving a mountain! The rocks they were moving were to fill in the terrain. The next step will be to pour concrete and smooth the field for a soccer field and playground.

Women from the community preparing a special meal for the team. It was cooked underground. It cost the families a months wages to feed the team this precious meal.

The kids will forever hold a special place in Jason's heart. He ended up leaving his visor with the one on the left. Saying goodbye to these kids was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the trip. Jason told us that a piece of his heart will always be in Peru!

Typical "mountain" housing in Los Limas, Peru.

Jason with Jeff and Carol Morgan, the missionaries who helped make this experience life changing!