Heartbridge/ New Hope

Heartbridge Healing Home is just outside Beijing down a country road lined with farms growing all kinds of veggies.

The final miles are lined with trees with trunks painted white.

After entering a gate, you see the building where all the children live. 

This is truly a place of hope for so many. 

Behind glass upstairs, is Evie's room, with her soft little crib

and her schedule. 

Down the hall is the cleaning room, with her washcloth handing in a row alongside many others. 

Down the hall is a shelf of meds, each marked by name. 

And outside, a little playground. 

 

We couldn't be more grateful for all that we saw of our girl's life here.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Dreams DO Come True

We believe in birthdays and love making the day special. 

On her birthday, Sophs woke up to balloons in her bedroom and a birthday banner on the mantle. 

 

About six months ago, we checked out the Wizard of Oz from the library, and our girl fell hard!  She dared to dream of an Oz birthday party and a Dorothy costume for Halloween. 

We had no idea that it was the big anniversary year, so it was really fun when all the fuss hit. 

 

Every year, Mark makes the girls' birthday cakes.  They throw out requests...like The Wizard of Oz... and he doesn't even flinch.  This year's cake had a yellow brick rode, a rock candy Emerald City, a field of poppies, Munchkin Land, and a house sitting on top of the Wicked Witch of the West's legs.   

Our snack? Oh my, well lions and tigers and bears, of course. 
 

(Life is swirling around us, so we tried to keep the party to just a couple families.  We thought of many other sweet friends that we would have loved to have invited, but had to keep it simple. If we only had a brain, right now!) 

Sophs is a party planner, so we had a fun time following the yellow brick road together.  There's no place like home for a party, ya know?  We perused Pinterest, she picked a few kid-friendly touches, and we signed off before we got overwhelmed!  Her sweetest idea was that she wanted the trampoline covered with our rainbow parachute!
"Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high..." 

The porch got rainbowed up, streamer style. 

Sophs dreamed of rainbow lollipops and goody bags, so I made some fun little tags.  The giving of the goody bag is always the favorite part of the party. 

I

The girls cut fruit and spooned up rainbow fruit cups, and I was reminded to let THEM help and make decisions.  Man, I get busy sometimes and forget how much they love to be in the kitchen with me.  Prepping for this party was a memory in itself.  Release control, momma.  Release control! Girls, you did an awesome job!

Pin the heart on the tin man ended up being the most fun of all.  These little comedians made each other giggle the whole time. 

Such a fun party, my girl! 

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.