MERRY CHRISTMAS + AN UPDATE

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a peaceful and wonderful day.  Ours was pretty fantastic!  Started off with peace and quiet while I drank my coffee.  (I told the girls they could not come out until I called them).  Then I made a big breakfast while B got Eden up and ready (chore!).  Then we got the girls up and ate breakfast.  Next we read Luke 2.  After that, the girls were more than ready to tear into their gifts!  Oh...When they saw their stockings, one of them said, "Look!  We have gifts in our SOCKS!  I get a kick out of their lack of English sometimes!  After the girls opened their gifts from us, we sent them on a scavenger hunt to find gifts sent from B's family.  Oh my....that was funny watching them trying to figure that out. It was hilarious.  Then it was time for mom and dad to open our gifts from the girls.....

THE GREATEST GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS.....
My girls' hearts!  I cannot understand for the life of me how children raised for 14 years in the conditions my kiddos were raised in have the hearts they have.  I know it is Jesus, but my heart was nowhere near as big as theirs when I was their age.  This Christmas season, my girls worked in the yard and made pendants to sale for missions and for a dear family that has a dad that has been diagnosed with cancer who has had a really hard time.  They have been pretty secretive lately but told us not to ask them about it, so we honored their wishes.  When it came time for us to open our gifts from the girls, they were giddy.  Waaaayy more excited for us to open our gifts than they were to open theirs.  They presented us with a letter and envelope of money they had raised to go towards our family van!  They have been selling beautiful crosses donated  by a friend to help with the van.  People at church have been buying them to help us.  My heart about exploded by the pure joy on their faces in giving.  What a blessing they are.  Oh....Lyric had been working hard on a poem to read to us and she did beautifully.  Tilly made ceramic Christmas trees for us.  Phoebe wrote a beautiful letter.  Then they all sang several Christmas songs (made up most the words, but we knew the tune!)

GREAT ENDING TO OUR CHRISTMAS DAY....
We did not get to go to visit our families for Christmas this year (we will see them in a few days).  So we met up with an amazing family that God has blessed us with and had Christmas dinner at Ding How II!  Go figure....Chinese food for Christmas!  It was a lovely dinner.  Complete with a picture of all 9 kiddos!  When we got home, Eden, (who had a great day til this afternoon, then she started yelling again....but we have had 2 1/2 days of no yelling!!!!!!!) pointed to the kitchen.  I told her I needed her to show me what she wanted.  She stood up...I held her glove...and we walked hand in glove to the pantry...I opened the door...she pointed to what she wanted and walked back to her bed!!!!!!  I was about in tears!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE.....
As we end our day, I am grateful.  This has been a tough season, but it has been a blessed season.  In a time I have felt alone, God has sent His people to be His hands, feet, and heart.  These people have come in all shapes and sizes....all different walks of life.  One little boy heard our story.  He does not know our family.  He was having a birthday party and told his mom he did not want gifts this year.  He wanted people to bring money to give to our family for our van.  WOW. What a heart that young man has.  
I stand in awe.  We have a God that chooses to use us, no matter how young or old.  He uses our gifts, no matter how small or big.  Since we started asking for your help in November, you all have given $26,000!  We are almost halfway there!  I never dreamed in a million years we would have been blessed in such a way.  It is most humbling, but it is also overwhelming.  I have spent so many moments over the last few years feeling utterly alone.  Invisible.  Lost.  Bitter. Angry.  Helpless. (hopefully I hid that all well)  I have never been hopeless.  I know my God can heal. My hope is in Him and Him alone.  God in His absolute sovereignty sees me, my family. He knows our needs.   Every tear that has fallen over my family was caught in His tender hand.  Every prayer yelled in fear and anger was heard.  I know He may never choose to heal my Eden this side of eternity, but He gave her to us to love and take care of and be blessed by.  He could have left her in an orphanage, but He saw a little baby that would have a great need and put her in a family that would love her.  He surrounded her family with amazing people that would be touched by her and help her.  I know He will continue to provide.  He will continue to love.  He will continue to listen and provide strength and comfort and peace in the chaos.  It won't always come when I want it, but when I need it and can see it as His blessing, it will come.

Driving Little Eden Update # 2

New Wheels Came In
Eden has some new snazzy wheels!!!

We got the call on Thursday that her wheelchair, new carseat (for Dad's truck), and her bath chair came in.  We went Friday morning to pick them up.  The staff at CRS here in Huntsville as well as Mr. S from NuMotion were amazing at getting Eden in her chair and figuring out how to keep Houdini in her chair!!!  She is the master at getting out of anything we have ever tried to restrain her in.  They even started calling her Little Houdini too!  We started working with her, trying to get her in her chair at 8:45 and finally got everything attached and added at about 11:00.  She gave them a run for their money, but they were amazing and kept working to make her safe and comfortable.  She even smiled at them a couple of times!  She knows when she has been defeated!!

Eden was sooooo not on her best behavior that day.  I was kind of glad.  They got to see what we deal with on a daily basis and they were so gracious and patient with her.   Dr. B came to see her and wrote a prescription for some kind of sensory body suit.  We have to go get measured for it next week.  It is supposed to help in calming her down.  We shall see!

Ms. Barbara G. met us yesterday morning for our appointment and I was so grateful that she did.   She was keeping up with appointments that we were being given and also observing how to get Eden in and out of all the buckles and straps and velcro we are having to use to keep Eden safe.   We also had to load the wheelchair in her car because it doesn't quite fit in our van.

When we got home, Ms. Barbara brought Eden's chair over and helped us put her in.  It was a challenge, but once she got in and situated, Eden was quite happy.  We even did the Electric Slide in her new chair.  (sorry.....no video....I look like a crazy person when I dance.)

Fundraising Update

As of today, we have received $9,742 to go towards a new wheelchair van.  Please continue to pray that God will provide every dime we need to purchase it.  I am so hoping to have one before we leave for Christmas with our families.  We have a ways to go, but I have seen God's faithfulness in the past with our adoptions.  I know how He works and I am so grateful He uses our family, friends, and even strangers to accomplish His plan.  It is humbling to be on the receiving end of His love isn't it?  We so don't deserve it.

How you can donate

      1.  You can donate at Go Fund Me and then search Driving Little Eden (GFM just waved their
            5% fee.  There is a credit card fee though)

2.  You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

3.  You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

4.  You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

5.  You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com, 

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

Thank you in advance for your help and your prayers!

The Yarbrough Family

Driving Little Eden: Update # 1

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Ours was ok.  We did not get to go visit family due to Eden having a procedure the day before and not knowing if she would have her usual reaction to anesthesia. Which she did not!!!  Thanksgiving was a hard day, but ended with dinner with our Chinese Church friends!  The big girls LOVED that!!!

This past week Eden broke her carseat.  So she is using a different one to sit in.  It fits her better, but....it is much bigger.  That means, I can't pick her up in it to put her in the van like the video shows in the previous post, so we are homebound until we get her wheelchair and  van!  God has graciously sent people to help me out.  Different people from church are coming to take my big girls to their classes and therapies.  So thankful for that.  I was planning on canceling everything, but two different families came up to me this morning offering their time to take the girls and even wait with them at their therapies and bring them home.

I want to keep you all updated on the progress of our fundraiser.  As of today, God has blessed us with a little over $1,000!  Our goal is still $60,000.  We have a ways to go, but our God is faithful.  I know he will provide for our need.

It is still hard to believe we need to purchase a wheelchair van.  It breaks my heart that we need one.  I wish she was walking.  I wish she was talking and singing again.  I wish she was not hitting herself or slamming herself.  I wish she was smiling again.  I know one day she will be healed.  I tell her that one day we are going to run and play and she will be pain free.  Her little body will perform perfectly. I long for that day, but until then, her reality is not something anyone would choose.  

Please continue to pray for our family.  Please continue to share our story.  We know God will provide.  

You can make a donation in the following ways:

1.    You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

2.    You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

3.     You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

4.    You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com, 

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

God Bless,
Amanda

Driving Little Eden

We are the Yarbrough family. 

Lyric, Amanda, Tilly, Brandon, Eden, and Phoebe

We need your help to purchase a wheelchair accessible van in order to safely “Drive Little Eden.”

About Little Eden

This is Eden on a good day.

 

This is Eden on a not-so-good day. 

Our not so good days outnumber our good days probably 10:1.

Eden is 9 years old and AMAZING.  That’s the word we use for her.  The medical professionals call her a conundrum.  Even though Eden has been diagnosed with Autism, a growth and developmental delay, and a minor brain abnormality, her behaviors and medical issues still baffle the medical professionals.

When Eden was 3, she started slamming and punching her head and would find ways to hurt herself.  That behavior has continued to this day.  It has left her unable to walk the majority of the last few years.  If she is not contained with her safety equipment, she will immediately start slamming her head on the floor, ground, wall, or any hard surface she can find.

A Little Bit About our Big Girls

We have 3 beautiful teenage girls: Phoebe, Tilly, and Lyric.

They were all adopted from China at the age of 13.  As you can imagine, 13 years in an orphanage takes a toll on a child.  All three girls have medical and developmental challenges, from brain injuries of unknown origin to blindness to trauma.  The list could continue but out of respect for their privacy I will stop here. 

My big girls did not get an education in China nor all the fun activities that many kiddos here in the US experience.  So…we try to make up for lost time.  We homeschool and were able to start each girl at a preschool level when they came home.  They work hard and love to learn. 

All my girls are involved in multiple activities as well as various doctor and therapy appointments.   On a weekly basis we have multiple appointments that require loading and unloading Eden in the van.  This has become physically challenging for me.

How We Currently Roll

We have been taking Eden places by literally picking her up while strapped in her car seat, loading her and her car seat in the van, unloading her in her car seat and putting it in her wagon to go anywhere.  This has worked fine until the last couple of years, when two things happened that made this system unsafe and physically strenuous:

1.   She hit a growth spurt!!  Currently the weight of Eden, her weighted blankets, and her car seat are about 60lbs. And I’m not 21 anymore!!!! One back injury and my whole family’s daily schedule is adversely affected.

2.   She became very combative.  The last few years Eden began hitting and kicking, head butting and biting us.  In August, I was loading her in the van and she kicked the doorframe so hard that it sent us falling backward into another parked car.  Had that car not been there, we would have been on the asphalt.

Here are a couple of videos loading Eden into and out of the van.

Eden’s New Wheels

Eden was recently fitted for a special needs wheelchair and should receive it the end of November.  This special wheelchair will be equipped with the necessary safety equipment to allow us to contain her and safely transport her.  It will be fitted with mechanical clamps to lock it in place and has been crash tested for safety.  So….we need this van to “Drive Little Eden!”

Brandon and I have been researching vans for a few weeks now.  We originally thought we would just convert ours, but it is too old and has too many miles.  In order to convert a van to be wheelchair accessible, it must be less than 2 years old and have less than 50,000 miles.  Our Honda Odyssey is almost 12 years old and has over 155,000 miles.  The reason a van has the age and mileage cap is because it costs $25,000- $28,000 to convert a van.

How We Need to Roll in the Very Near Future

We have looked at several vans and have chosen the Toyota Sienna, with a manual side entry ramp.  It is rated high in safety, reliability, and durability.  Manual side entry vans are not as common as power ramp vans, but they are less expensive and have a lower upkeep cost.

We will need to add a removable captain middle seat because someone has to sit beside Eden when traveling.   

We are looking at new and used (as long as they meet the age and mileage requirements) Siennas to convert or newer ones that are already converted.  If we do purchase and then convert, it will take about 6 weeks, so that is not the way we want to go.  If we find a deal, that is what we will do! This will be our family van and will be used long term.

Breakdown of Cost

Toyota Sienna:  approximately $27,000 plus tax, title, and tag

Conversion: $25,000-$28,000 plus tax

Tie Down System:  $450 plus tax

Total:  approximately $56,000 plus tax

Based on these numbers, we set our goal at $60,000 for the van and to cover all the associated taxes and fees.

If there is any extra money when we purchase the van, it will go to safety and therapy equipment for Eden and/or copays which are about $640 a month for our kiddos.

How You Can Help

We were going to start a fundraising page through an online provider, but realized that they charged the donor 5% plus PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 to pay out the money.  We want your donation to go where it is needed, so we decided an online fundraising site would not make us good stewards of the blessing God is using you for. 

You can make a donation in the following ways:

1.    You can mail a check, payable to Brandon or Amanda Yarbrough, to Shaw Gookin, PO Box 4124  Huntsville AL, 35815.  This is a dear friend of ours that is allowing us to use his PO box for this purpose.

2.    You can contact me directly for our address and I will privately give it to you.

3.     You can send money through our PayPal account by using the following link: paypal.me/YARBROUGHS

PayPal will charge 2.9% plus $0.30 of your donation.

4.    You can donate with an online check via our email.

You can reach us by email: twoyarbs@yahoo.com

                          or phone: 256-457-1833,

                        or message on Facebook

Thank you in advance for your help and your prayers!

The Yarbrough Family