Reece's Rainbow: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Angel of the Week

Meet Mark!

Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

Isn't Mark just the sweetest little boy?

Mark currently has $0 in his adoption grant fund. So, even if you aren't able to adopt a child presently, you can still help him find his forever family by donating towards his grant fund.

If you would like more information on Mark or any of the other children, please contact us!

Please help Mark find his forever family by sharing on facebook, twitter, your blogs and any social media you use! Thank you so much!

He can be found here: http://reecesrainbow.org/mark-31c

Mark 31C

8mq2-31
Boy, born October 2009

Little Mark was born with some heart issues (Atrial Septal Defects, no impairment of circulation), but surgery hasn't been found necessary yet.
Full medical history available.

Mark is usually in good mood. He plays with toys variously, jabbers. He is active.

$0.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Please grab our Child of the Week Button for your blog. Each week this button will change to show the current week's child (you only need to add the button once to your blog). The children that will be featured will be ones with $0 or very low adoption grant funds. By hosting our Child of the Week button we are hoping to not only raise awareness for that particular child but also to hopefully raise the amount in their fund. These funds have proven to help families who would otherwise be qualified and able to adopt them, except for the cost of an international adoption, feel able to commit to bringing home and giving the precious gift of a family to these angels.

Thank you for all you do to support and help Reece's Rainbow!

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Reece's Rainbow iPhone/iPad app

As promised in this post, the official Reece's Rainbow iphone, ipod and ipad app is here!

Here are some screen shots:

The iphone/ipad app is $0.99 and all but apple's portion goes to the Voice of Hope fund!

You can download it from itunes HERE.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later

As I mentioned in our previous post regarding the Android app, we have been so blessed to have a wonderful app developer come alongside us and offer to make these. We are more than impressed with how quickly he set them up, as well!

Don't forget our Android app, as well! CLICK HERE to install or search 'Reece's' from the Android Market.

Our developer also has another iphone/android app for parents with children with Down syndrome that we featured HERE. Graci's story includes stories and resources for parents who have a child with Down syndrome.

If you have a business or product and are interested in developing and iphone/ipad or android app, please contact TeamCaz. We can definitely recommend him with confidence.

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We Need YOUR Vote!

The Classy Awards are the country's most prominent recognition of philanthropic/charitable organizations each year. Reece's Rainbow has made the Top 25 Finalist list for Most Innovative Use of Social Media, and we need your vote to WIN!

We are very excited to be nominated for this award in particular, because it is our use of social media formats that has totally transformed this ministry in the last 2 years. The power of our newly designed website, family blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and now our iPhone and Android phone apps have truly catapulted RR into a position of even greater life-saving influence. We harness social media in a focused effort to save money on overhead so we are able to maximize all donations for the benefit of the children and our committed families.

The official description of this category is: "Awarded to the charity whose submission demonstrates the most forward-thinking, creative, and effective use of social media to spread the organization’s message or to build financial or personal support. The nonprofit that wins this Classy Award will be one that embraces new social media technology and seeks to build upon that technology in order to further its organizational goals." 500 children in 5 years is nothing to sneeze at, folks! MAKE THIS COUNT!

YOUR VOTES will give RR the opportunity not only to WIN and raise media visibility, but to give a more detailed speech/presentation at the Awards Ceremony in San Diego in September. People Magazine was BIG, but the Classy Awards are even more valuable to the future of this ministry!

This will be HUGE media exposure for RR, right ahead of the Buddy Walks and our Christmas Angel Tree, so we really need your help please! And if we WIN, it will mean a $15,000 prize for our Voice of Hope fund!

*** It only takes one minute of your time to click on this link, scroll down to "Innovative Use of Social Media", vote for Reece's Rainbow, scroll back up and hit submit my ballot. That's it! Unlike other contests, YOU ONLY GET ONE VOTE so MAKE YOURS COUNT for our waiting children! ***

http://classyawards.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/voting

Please share this with all of your friends, family, Facebook, blog, everywhere! Post it at the TOP of your blogs with our new Classy blog button! (AVAILABLE LATER TODAY) Trend Reece's Rainbow on Twitter with #CLASSYAwards This is some of our steepest competition yet, and we are honored to be included among all of these amazing "servants hearts"!

Again, the link to vote is http://classyawards.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/voting

THANK YOU and HAPPY VOTING! Don't put it off, just do it now and pass it along! The children thank you!

Andrea Roberts, Executive Director

Reece’s Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

So much fun with beads...

One of our all time favorite toys is our bucket of wooden beads. You will be amazed at the hours of learning fun your child will have with this simple toy.

What does it do: Stringing beads is an excellent way to tune your child's fine motor skills. This activity promotes hand-eye cordination, while building sorting, matching, and color recognition skills. We even use these to practice counting.

For my younger children, we use a wooden dowel rod instead of the shoelaces. This allows for easier control for children who are trying to master the skill.

Where can I get one: We got ours from Different Roads to Learning, but you can find them at most retailers. A container of 100 beads costs around $25.00.

Please grab our Focus on Toys button for your blog!

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Wilson's and their Peyton

Erik and Chrissy Wilson's dossier has been submitted and in a short time they'll be heading across the world to meet the son of their hearts...little 5 1/2 year old Peyton! They've worked so hard and are so excited to be so close now! To be able to go when they're given their travel date they still need about $5,000. They have a chip-in on their blog to donate to, or you can help by giving a gift of love via their FSP on RR. http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorwilson

The Wilson's have been blessed to have been able to see many pictures of Peyton and have even received a recent one only a few days ago... You can follow them on their journey via their blog here:
http://redeemingourson.blogspot.com/

They can't wait to have Peyton home, to love him and let him know what it means to belong.

Right now funds are still needed. Please help us spread the word for them so that Peyton can come home.

Please also grab our As One We Can button to place on your blogs! Thank you!

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Angel of the Week

Meet Teri Lynn!

Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.

Please Help Teri Lynn! She's already been transferred!

Teri Lynn's new photo (the photo on the left on her profile) shows her after only 3 weeks in the institution. Friends, this is why we try so hard to find families for these precious children BEFORE they are transferred. Teri Lynn obviously needs a family NOW. Please help us find her a family!
We normally feature our children who have little or no money in their grant funds but for the next weeks througout the 5/5/5 Warrior Project, we will be featuring our 5 year olds.

We still have some of our 5/5/5 children who need a warrior so please sign up if you haven't already!

Will you be a 5/5/5 Warrior and help one of our 5 year olds find a family?
Are YOU Teri Lynn's family?

If you would like more information on Teri Lynn or any of the other children, please contact us!

Please help Teri Lynn find her forever family by sharing her on facebook, twitter, your blogs and any social media you use! Thank you so much!

She can be found here: http://reecesrainbow.org/teri-lynn-30c

Teri Lynn 30C
LEFT: After 3 weeks in institution
RIGHT: Teri Lynn whilst still in the orphanage

HELP!! I HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED!!

111xg-30C
Teri Lynn
Date of Birth: December 2005
Gender: Female
Eyes: Gray
Hair: brown
Character: Cheerful, kind
More photos available

$316.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Thank you for all you do to support and help Reece's Rainbow!

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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Gotcha Day! :: Vera's Home!

This is a beautiful video of the Evan's family's Vera's Gotcha Day and Homecoming! Have a tissue ready and then go welcome her home in her facebook group, 'Vera's Journey Home'

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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Learning can be a little Wacky...

If your child loves banging, squeaking, colorful toys... than this is the toy that is sure to give hours of entertainment.

What is it: The Wacky Ball Activity Center from B. Toys.

What does it do: This toy tackles every developmental area out there...cognitive, physical, sensory, and communicative. With the Wacky Ball Activity Center you will hit the jackpot of special needs toys. Just to show you...here are just a few skills this toy addresses:

Developmental processes promoted

Wrist Rotation
Precision
Finger and Hand Control and Dexterity
Problem Solving
Coordinated Movement
Reaching/Arm Extension
Spatial Relationships e.g. Under, Over, On, Off
Eye-Hand Coordination
Hand and Finger Grasp
Fine Motor
Action Concepts e.g. In/Out, Push/Pull, On/Off, Go/Stop
Cause and Effect
Visual Tracking
Visual Attention
Proprioceptive Input
Motor Planning
Cooperative Hand Movements
Counting/Beginning Math
Visual Acuity
Bilateral Coordination

Cognitive Skills

Children learn action concepts such as, “in,” “out,” and “on” during play with this tracker.
Children become familiar with the concept of cause and effect when playing with this toy.
Problem solving skills are used as children figure out how to make the balls come out of the bottom of the maze.
Visual tracking, a pre-literacy skill, is enhanced as children watch each ball’s descent to the bottom of this tracker.
Children practice number concepts as they count the number of balls being put into the tracker.
Color identification and matching can take place using the balls and the coordinating color rings on the tracker.
Sequential thought process is used as children perform the steps necessary to place the balls on top, hold the hammer, pound the balls, watch the balls track down and retrieve the balls at the bottom.

Sensory Skills

Hitting the balls with the hammer provides proprioceptive input
Visual tracking, a pre-literacy skill, is enhanced as children watch each ball’s descent to the bottom of this tracker.
Eye-hand coordination is practiced as children place the balls on the tracker.
Arm extension, reaching and wrist rotation is strengthened as children use the hammer to hit the balls.
Placing the balls on the top of the tracker helps children work on grasp, eye-hand coordination, and appropriate timed release.

Physical Skills

Eye-hand coordination is practiced as children place the balls on the tracker.
Arm extension, reaching and wrist rotation is strengthened as children use the hammer to hit the balls.
Placing the balls on the top of the tracker helps children work on grasp, eye-hand coordination, and appropriate timed release.
Children become familiar with the concept of cause and effect when playing with this toy.
Problem solving skills are used as children figure out how to make the balls come out of the bottom of the maze.
Visual tracking, a pre-literacy skill, is enhanced as children watch each ball’s descent to the bottom of this tracker.
Transferring objects from one hand to the other can be practiced using one of the balls.
Hitting the balls with the hammer provides proprioceptive input.

Communicative Skills

Children practice number concepts as they count the number of balls being put into the maze.
Turn taking can be practiced as children take turns using the hammer to hit the balls.
Children learn action concepts such as, “in,” “out,” and “on” during play with this tracker.
Children become familiar with the concept of cause and effect when playing with this toy.
Problem solving skills are used as children figure out how to make the balls come out of the bottom of the maze.
Visual tracking, a pre-literacy skill, is enhanced as children watch each ball’s descent to the bottom of this tracker.
Color identification and matching can take place using the balls and the coordinating color rings on the tracker.
Sequential thought process is used as children perform the steps necessary to place the balls on top, hold the hammer, pound the balls, watch the balls track down and retrieve the balls at the bottom.

Where do I get it: You can find the Wacky Ball Activity Center at Amazon.com for around $21.95

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Monday, July 11, 2011

a helping hand :: Signing For Babies-The F.R.E.E Approach

a helping hand is a new feature on the RR Blog. These will be supporting tools from the experts... or articles written by experts for parents!

This is the second post by from BabySignLanguage.com in our 'a helping hand' series, giving you a tool that can help you improve communication with our children with Down syndrome and special needs. To read the first post introducing baby sign language click here.

In this post we introduce the four principles of teaching sign language to children: Fun, Repetition, Encouragement, and Expansion (F.R.E.E).

Fun with Signs

Making sign language enjoyable is the most important part of teaching sign language to children with special needs. The first few signs we introduce will be signs that children will be highly motivated to learn, like Mommy and Daddy, Eat and Drink. We will also introduce signs related to games and songs.

We all know how frustrating learning something new can be for children with Down syndrome, so keep it light hearted. Pushing any child, particularly in the early stages of learning is often counter-productive because it creates a negative association with that topic. Even if progress is slow at first keep your energy and excitement up to ensure the learning exercise is enjoyable. This will nurture your child’s desire to sign.

Repeating Signs

Repetition is the secret behind all language acquisition. The more exposure we can give our children to signing, and indeed all language, the more they will assemble associations and begin to internalize the signing. You can make the sign before, during, and after the object of your signing. However, the most powerful time to make the sign is just before the object or action is introduced.

Attempt to integrate signs into your everyday life and routines. Even when you are talking to someone else, you would be surprised at how much your baby is observing and learning. Invite family members to join in the signing so your child receives signs from different people.

Encourage Signs

Encouragement is the little push that helps your child over the difficult part where they are just learning and may be struggling a little. When your child does any kind of signing you want to give them lots of calm encouragement. The best type of encouragement for a child is the confirmation that you understand, so repeat back the word and the sign they are attempting and if appropriate give them what they want.

At first you will notice that signs aren’t anywhere close to perfect. This is expected and is quite typical. Just give plenty of encouragement and keep doing the signs with good form. Over time your child will improve their signs as they replicate your form and motion.

Expanding Your Sign Vocabulary

As your child starts to master her first few signs, you can add more signs to expand her vocabulary. At first, introduce signs that follow your child’s interests. So if she loves animals, dog, horse, cat, fish should be on the list for vocabulary expansion. If she is a little food connoisseur, then add her favorite food signs.

In our last post we gave you your first two signs, eat and water. Now let’s add two more high priority signs: Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy is made by taking your dominant hand, with all five fingers outstretched and tapping your thumb on your chin.

In sign language, female signs are generally made on the bottom half of the head, and the male signs on the top half of the head. So, the sign for daddy is the same as mommy, except you tap you thumb on the top half of your head.

Next month in our third post we will look more closely at making sign language fun. In the meantime if you want to learn more signs, check out the baby sign language dictionary.

If you would like more information on how you can be a contributor to our 'a helping hand' series here on the Reece's Rainbow blog, please contact lucille@reecesrainbow.org.

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Gotcha! Lily St. Clair

The 30th of June was Lily's 'Gotcha Day'!

Read more about her new adventures on Rob and Jess's family blog! A Life Redeemed.

You are welcome to follow any of our families' journeys to their children's Gotcha Days. CLICK HERE or below:

The family blogs are listed at the bottom of their Family Sponsorship Program profile page.

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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Announcement Regarding Ukraine Adoptions

As of today the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established Regulation about prolonging the authority of State Department for Adoption

Dear friends,

As of today the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established Regulation about prolonging the authority of State Department for Adoption until another state adoptive agency is created. Publishing of this regulation in official media is supposed in the nearest days. After that the SDA continues its working in its regular schedule in the frame of the new Law About Amendment to Family Code of Ukraine About Specifics of Adoption of a Separate Category of Children which becomes effective on July 11, 2011. This Law requires orphans to be registered on the central adoption registry for one year and to be at least 5 years old before they are eligible for intercountry adoption. The amendment exempts children with certain special needs, relative adoptions, and sibling adoptions.

It means that the families may submit their dossiers if the children they are willing to adopt are older 5 y.o. and they had been registered in the central adoption registry over a year or their diagnosis are included into the List of diseases which allow adoption of children under 5 and without waiting for a year to be registered for domestic adoption only.

This List is rather limited now and includes only the following diagnosis:
C 00 – C 97 – malignant neoplasms
Q 64.1 – Exstrophy of urinary bladder
Q 71.0 – Congenital complete absence of upper limb(s)
Q71.1 – Congenital absence of upper arm and forearm with hand present
Q71.2 – Congenital absence of both forearm and hand
Q71.3 – Congenital absence of hand and finger(s)
Q 72.0 – Congenital complete absence of lower limb(s)
Q72.1 – Congenital absence of thigh and lower leg with foot present
Q72.2 – Congenital absence of both lower leg and foot
Q72.3 – Congenital absence of foot and toe(s)
Q 73.0 – Congenital absence of unspecified limb(s)
Q 11 - Anophthalmos, microphthalmos and macrophthalmos
Q 16.0 – Congenital absence of (ear) auricle
Q 16.1 – Congenital absence, atresia and stricture of auditory canal (external). Atresia or
stricture of osseous meatus
Q 74.3 – Arthrogryposis multiplex congenital
Q 77 – Osteochondrodysplasia with defects of growth of tubular bones and spine
Q 90 – Down's syndrome
Q 91 – Edwards' syndrome and Patau's syndrome
B 21.3 – HIV disease resulting in other malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, haematopoietic and
related tissue
B 21.7 – HIV disease resulting in multiple malignant neoplasms
E 10 – Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Currently we are working on this List of diagnosis to be expanded but it may take time for bureaucracy.

Our abilities to model and control situation are rather limited, that is why we advise all the families whose documents are prepared or almost prepared to be in a hurry and mail their dossiers to us as soon as possible. If the dossier is not completed yet, please, mail CSPs and POAs in advance. No any changes the forms of the documents had been made yet.

We will keep informing you about any changes related to adoption.

Be sure to read our Meet the Families family, the Bakers.

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Meet the Families :: The Baker's

I want to introduce you to the Baker family. They are adopting from Eastern Europe! You can follow their adoption journey on their blog!

I've asked some questions to help you get to know Michael and Jamie Baker.

Tell me about yourself and your family. We are a Christian family. We love our Church as extended family. We also serve as a foster family and we take the children who are medically fragile. Four of our older children are grown up and on their own. We have a son and a son in law who are active Military. We have three sweet grand children. Right now we have a 9 year old daughter and a 5 year old son and two very special children placed with us. If it comes to it we will happily adopt these two children as well. We really enjoy parenting and we enjoy watching our children grow and learn. We are also very patriotic and we love our country.

What can you tell me about the children you are adopting?
We are adopting Naomi/Talia who is 9 and Dominick/Tobias who is 8 from Eastern Europe. Talia is very quiet and usually reserved. She has many orphanage delays and will require more medical intervention. She has a gentle spirit and kind eyes. We are so looking forward to loving her and watching her blossom as she learns she can trust us. Tobias is very active and charismatic. He is very full of life and the staff who work with him used the word "mischievous" more than once! He has a wonderful personality and is such a blessing!

Tell me why you decided to adopt a child with special needs? We love children. We are experienced in caring for children with medical and developmental challenges and we know that children with special needs are still children and need love. We feel that God has given us that extra little something that caring for special needs children require. We are honored to be called and prepared to parent all the children God guides our way. Each child a unique treasure.

What would be your advice to anyone wanting to adopt? Pray about it and ask God to direct you to the children he has for you and learn absolutely everything you can about the adoption process, about raising children and about creating bonds and attaching to the children. Parenting is a process and you never can really learn enough. Each child is so different and each child has different needs and strengths and abilities to be built up.

What is the hardest part of adopting? To us the hardest part has been the waiting. We do everything we can to make the process go as quickly as possible and then we wait. Our adoptions seem to have taken a very long time and that is not for a lack of effort on our part. I personally (Jamie) have to pray daily for strength and joy in the waiting. Early on in the process I had heard people talk about how hard the waiting is and so I knew that it would be hard but it has proven to be the most difficult aspect of the process. Funding has been an interesting journey as well but the waiting has been emotionally hard.

The Baker's second trip will be in September 2011. Please keep their family in your prayers. If you can help in any way, thank you!

For other ways to help the children from Reece's Rainbow, please read the Ways You Can Help page on the Reece's Rainbow site! Are you adopting? If you'd like to be featured on the 'Meet the Families' segment, please CLICK HERE. We'd love to feature your family!

If you have a blog, we'd love for you to put our Meet the Families Button on it!

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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Barnett's and their 3 children...

Matthew 18:14 "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish."

This verse is one of the motivating factors that has taken the Barnett's on their journey to their 3 waiting angel's.

David and Stephanie have 2 other adopted son's. In 2002 their first son, Copeland came home to them. Then God moved in their hearts to step out in faith to bring home another child. He laid it on them to bring home a child with DS and in 2008 they brought home Silas. It's been 2 1/2 years and since then God's been paving the way in their hearts as He knew He'd be adding to their family yet again. This time they are adopting three children.

This is Trenton

this is Igor...

And this is Leeza..

Leeza has Fetal Alcohol syndrome & Down Syndrome..She's known as a 'lying down baby'..or 'crib bound' :(

The Barnett's set out in faith to bring home their two boys, Trenton and Igor...but God put Leeza literally in their path. This is taken from their FSP ... "In order to get to the pictures of her two boys (on RR to pray for them), Stephanie had to scroll past sweet little Leeza’s face and each time, her heart would fall to pieces. Every time, without fail, God literally brought Stephanie to her knees to pray for this beautifully perfect little girl. Stephanie found herself sobbing as she begged and pleaded with Christ to QUICKLY bring the perfect family to Leeza so that she could be loved, hugged, kissed, held, and gently rocked for every hour that she spent alone in her crib for 2 ½ years. God had seared this little girl’s face into Stephanie’s heart for eternity." & with that Leeza has a family!

You can follow the Bernett family on their family blog here:
http://www.obedient2hiscommand.blogspot.com/
And you can show your support for them by giving a love gift here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorbarnett

Stepping out to bring home one child is a HUGE leap of faith...Stepping out in obedience to bring home 3...is AMAZING FAITH. Lord, We come before you and lay these three loves in Your hands. Guard them, love them and keep them safe until their family can bring them home. Grow all the love and help given for Your glory, Lord. Thank You for these children that come home to us and BLESS us beyond words.

Please also grab our As One We Can button to place on your blogs! Thank you!

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Send Love Notes this Valentine's Day!

Send Love Notes for Valentine's Day!

2012 Calendar

Places to Visit on the RR Blog

Special Features

Sponsor one of our Waiting Children or one of our Adopting Families

You don't have to adopt to make a difference!

Pages go here...

Orphan No More

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Teri Lynn 30CLEFT: After 3 weeks in institutionRIGHT: Teri Lynn whilst still in the orphanage

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Fun with Signs

Repeating Signs

Encourage Signs

Expanding Your Sign Vocabulary

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

As of today the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established Regulation about prolonging the authority of State Department for Adoption

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Previous Articles

Welcome

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Send Love Notes This Valentine's!

Our Android, iPhone and Windows Apps!

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Special Features

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Our 2011 Ministry Video

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Angel of the Week

Contact

Orphan No More 2012 Reece's Rainbow Calendar

Teri Lynn 30C
LEFT: After 3 weeks in institution
RIGHT: Teri Lynn whilst still in the orphanage

Today is