The Porter Family

A Special Reunion

2009-07-08T18:10:00.001-07:00

Devil's Lake in Baraboo Wisconsin

Andrew loves to swim so was very disappointed when he had to wait to put on his swimsuit. Once we got started on a little hike down this amazing path cut through a sky high wall of rock he settled down and began to enjoy it.
Andrew and Ben meet again. They spent their first few years together in a Chinese orphanage. Ben was fortunate to spend part of that time in foster care but the orphanage workers claimed that the two were best buddies. They had a good time playing together over the weekend.

Our rustic little cabin. The beautiful park was right across the street.

Andrew, Leah and Ben. As usual the weekend went way to fast and we were soon on our way home. It was a very special time. We enjoyed the company of Ben's Mom & Dad and hope to make this at least a yearly event. As we talked about things on the way home we felt like the Palmer's should have been there. They were our travel companions in Nanjing and also have a special boy from the same part of China. Maybe next year?

Happy Birthday Neal!

2009-06-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Happy 16th Birthday Neal! Sweet 16?

2009-06-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Wow it is hard to believe that Neal is 16 already. Somehow sweet and Neal don't go together in the same sentence. I can still remember his((((((((( loud))))))))) cries coming down the hall from the nursery as the nurse was delivering him to me. He WAS NOT content in the nursery. He came home to 2 big brothers so there was much to continue to be loud about. Boy could he let out a scream if someone came near him while he was lining up his hotwheel cars. This was one of his favorite things to do for awhile. Some other word/s that would describe Neal are strong, determined, witty, opinionated and a little annoying. Loud? Not so much any more.

Neal~ We hope this next year is your best one yet. Thanks for helping out with the little ones and making us laugh. As you continue to grow into a young man, we pray that you will get your strength from the Lord to do his work waking each day with a gratefull heart and eyes to see the many blessings about you. May you live in the light of His grace.
Love Mom & Dad

Sweet 16 by: Unca Matt

2009-06-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, 16. Sweet 16. You're 16, you're beautiful, and you're mine. (Well, not you.) Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen. Sixteen Candles - both a song and a movie starring Molly Ringwold. All of the songs about 16 are probably related to the fact that 16 is the age of consent in many places around the world. Age 16 does not have the same "adulthood" status as 18, but it is the age for getting a driver's license, dropping out of school in many states, getting an 'adult' job in many businesses (although restrictions apply to hours), minimum age to get married in many places (usually with parental consent), and is the legal drinking age in many European countries (where the beer is better anyway). Sleeping Beauty pricked her finger on her 16th birthday; the age 16 was more considered marrying age in older times (and moreso for a girl/woman than a boy/man).Mathematically, 16 is the first number that is a 4th power. You can cut it in half four times and have a whole number each time. This is the most likely reason that pounds have 16 ounces: in the old weighing-money-on-a-scale days, it allowed cutting in half so many times.16 is the only integer that equals mn and nm, for some unequal integral m and n (m=4, n=2, or vice versa).16 is the sum of the first 4 odd numbers: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7.16 is the base of the hexadecimal system of numbering, which is used extensively in computer science, once again, because it is a multiple of 2.Not too much Biblically for 16. Azariah and Uzziah both became king at 16 years old, and three of the kings reigned 16 years. A few more are listed as having 16 sons or daughters.There are 16 pieces on each side in a chess game and 16 pawns total.Most bank card numbers are 16 digits long, e.g. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, etc.16 hours a day is how long you are awake if you get your prescribed eight hours of sleep.Northernmost Minnesota has about 16 hours of sunlight on your birthday. (We have about 15 hours, 35 minutes here).===========Neal is a variant of the name Neil, which comes from the Gaelic Niall, which either means "champion" or "cloud". Vikings adopted the name as Njal; from them it became used in Scandinavia and the British Isles.Spelled Neal, the name has never been in the top 100 male names. It was in the top 250 male names in the 1940's, 50's, and early 60's. In 1993, it was the 520th, being given to 19 out of every 100,000 boys born that year. The spelling variation Neil was about twice as common, being given to 38 out of every 100,000 boys in 1993.There are over 56,000 Neals in the United States and as many as 39 Neal Porters.June 27th is also the birthday of Tobey Maguire (Spiderman), former Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan, and Helen Keller. Also Drake Bell (Kyle from The Amanda Show) and Madylin Sweeten (from Everybody Loves Raymond), who turns 18 today. Most of the celebrities close in age to you are famous for Disney or Nickolodeon shows, like Miranda Cosgrove ("iCarly" and "School of Rock") and Debby Ryan ("Suite Life on board"); they're both about a month older than you. Alyson Stoner ("Suite Life of Zach and Cody" and "Camp Rock") is less than two months younger.Finally, on the day you were born, the #1 song in America was "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson, who will be attending a funeral soon.

Thanks~Matt!

Spring Fever

2009-04-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Look at what I got!

Leah enjoying a warm spring day. "Wanna play?"

Robbie watching Andrew as he tries out his new bike.

Andrew got his first bike. You should have seen the look on his face when he first got on it. It was priceless! It is called a Strider which is sort of a cross between a scooter and a bike. No pedals so he has to push himself along with his feet. It is supposed to help them learn to balance more quickly avoiding the whole training wheel thing. Don't know how that will go but the little bike is very popular with the other kids who are all older. Leah rides it every chance she gets. It's most fun when you have a hill to glide down. It works well in the grass too.

Spring fever is running high here. We are in a hurry to finish up with our studies and enjoy summer. I'm guessing that we are not alone. Leah and Andrew have been outside playing about as much as humanly possible. Bringing all of the energy they have outdoors is refreshing for all of us.

A little update

2009-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

Andrew has come so far in such a short time. Today he had his first professional haircut after this photo was taken. He hopped right up into the chair and enjoyed every minute of it. Just a few short months ago he would have put up a huge fight. He loves to play outside. Sledding was a big hit this past winter. He also likes to rough house with the big brothers. He is doing a lot of imaginary play these days. Leah and Andrew are starting to form quite a bond. Whenever he gets a treat he makes sure that Leah gets one too. They play together very well for the most part. In the beginning they were both quite jealous of each other but now they are more like a little team. Of course they have their moments like we all do :-} Thanks for stopping by.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY LEAH

2009-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

We thank the Lord for bringing this child into our lives. On 3-4-09 she celebrated her 7th birthday. When Leah joined our family she was almost 41/2 years old. She has been a brave bundle of energy. Sometimes she drives her big brothers crazy. They just can't believe that they ever behaved in such a rambunctious manor. "She is soooo loud," they often say. :-) Leah loves life. She is loving, curious, full of energy, and loves to pretend she is a princess. During the summer months she won't have much time for the princess stuff because she will be riding her bike, climbing trees, rollerskating, swimming and more. Leah is a special kid (they all are) and we are honored to share our lives with her.

Enjoy Unca Matt's number analysis

2009-03-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Miss Leah rounds out the 4 birthdays in the Porter household in 31 days. She is now 7 years old.

For my usual number analysis, we've got the granddaddy here. Probably the only number with more significance than 7 is 3. There are literally so many 7's in the Bible, in culture, in nature, etc. that it would take at least a short book to list them all. Here's some highlights:Biblically, seven is the number of spiritual perfection. The 7th is the Sabbath rest, both in days and in years. There are so many 7's in Scripture:- days of creation- generations to Enoch, who walked with God- pairs of clean animals on Noah's ark- years of service to Laban for each of Jacob's wives- years of plenty and famine foretold by cows in Pharaoh's dreams- Feasts of the Lord- days of the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles- branches of the menorah- articles in the tabernacle- days of cleansing or consecration for several things- days marching around Jericho & times they marched the last day- years to build the temple- people groups ["-ites"] driven out of Canaan by the Israelites- washings of Naaman in Jordan River- spirits of the Lord- loaves to feed 4,000 and baskets left over- "words" of Christ on the cross- churches, candlesticks, stars, angels, plagues, seals, bowls, trumpets, thunders, etc. in Revelation- many, many more7 is also the number of:- colors of the rainbow (even though we have to add the odd 'indigo' to get it)- neck bones in the majority of land animals- neutral pH; pure water is pH 7- spots on a common ladybug- orifices in the human head (mouth, nostrils, eyes, ears)- rows of elements in the periodic table- bodies in the solar system visible to the naked eye and known since ancient times (Sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn)- Wonders of the World- Dwarves with Snow White- Virtues- "Deadly Sins"- hills of Rome- "heavens" (7th heaven)- notes in the musical scale [do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti]- books in the Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series- Habits of Highly Effective People- years until the so-called marital "itch"- continents (N. America, S. America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Antarctica)- "seas" - games in the final playoff series for pro baseball, basketball, and hockey- many, many more things
So, happy 7 to Leah!- Unca Matt -
(Thanks Unca Matt!) One of the first things Leah in English was "Unca Matt"

Happy 4th Birthday Andrew!

2009-02-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th birthday to my newest and youngest nephew, Andrew.
Or should I say, Shēngrì Kuàilè, Youxuan Su!
And now, what would a birthday be without facts about the number!
4 is the number of the world and very often refers to all of the people in the world or all of creation. Here is just a sample of the many, many examples of Biblical fours:- The Garden of Eden was bounded by 4 rivers- Israelites were in Egypt four generations (= in the world)- The tabernacle had four coverings- The four winds from the four corners of the earth are referred to by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and John in Revelation- Daniel saw four beasts, four goats, and Nebuchadnezzar's four parts of the statue: all representing kingdoms- Ezekiel and John saw four cherubim with four faces each- Four Gospel accounts record Jesus' earthly life- The parable of the sower and the seed notes four types of soil- Four horsemen of the Apocalypse- All people are often referred to in fours prophetically. E.g.: "families, tongues, lands, nations" in Genesis, "nations, kindred, people, tongues" in Revelation. - Colossians 1:16 refers to everything created and lists "thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers". Similarly, Ephesians 6 refers to the unseen creation as "principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness"- Revelation 5 refers to all creation as "every creature in heaven, and on the earth, and under the sea, and in the sea"- Also, the universe as we know it was created on the 4th day: sun, moon, and stars- And, of course, the Name of God in Hebrew, given to Moses to represent Him to the world, not pronounced by devout Jews, is the four letter yod-he-vav-he or YHVH.The natural world is broken into many fours. Vertebrate animals are most commonly four-footed or four-limbed. Mammalian hearts have four chambers. Our teeth are in groups of fours (4 wisdom teeth, 4 canines, incisors, corresponding molars). DNA has four chemical bases, abbreviated A,G,C,T, making up all living things. Human blood is categorized in four types (A, B, AB, O).We refer to four main compass directions (north, south, east, west). We have four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter). The ancients broke down all matter into four elements: earth, air, fire, water. Four-sided buildings, rooms, fields, sheets of paper, bricks, etc. are common in the human world in many cultures and are very prevalent in European/American culture.The planets may be broken into four inner, 'rocky' planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) and four outer gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). Pluto breaks the pattern, but it has been demoted.Also, although we refer to three dimensions, we also move through time - the 4th dimension. Thus, we have four dimensions which are real to us: forward & back, left & right, up & down, future & past. Other dimensions may exist mathematically, but we have no visible, real-world reference frame for them.In physics, there are four fundamental forces: strong nuclear, weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravity. There are also four basic states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.Mathematically speaking, four is the first square (other than one). Four is the only number that results from a number added to itself (2 + 2), multiplied by itself (2 x 2), or to its own power (2^2). 'Four' is also the only number name in English that has the same number of letters as the number it refers to.The 'first' Platonic solid, the tetrahedron (triangular pyramid), has four faces and four vertices (or points).The four basic math functions are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.Many religions note four cardinal virtues: Hinduism, Buddhism, Platonic philosophy, Catholicism, and the Sioux all list four main virtues or attributes to be followed. Buddhism also lists four Noble Truths and several other lists of fours as guiding principles.We have four suits of playing cards, four bases in baseball, and four food groups.Marvel Comics is hugely successful now; their big success began with their first main superhero group: The Fantastic Four. The Beatles were known as the Fab Four.

In China and other Asian nations, the number four is considered unlucky, because its name sounds like the word for death.
But, Andrew doesn't need luck. He is blessed.- Uncle Matt -
(Thanks again~Uncle Matt~)

2009-02-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

Andrew and very patient "Manley"

Andrew is 4 years old today!

2-13-09

Andrew enjoying a new toy

Happy birthday Andrew! Just like the 4 Porter kids who came before you,

you are a special gift from God.

"Children are a blessing from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward." Psalms 127:3

Happy 50th Birthday Tom!

2009-02-07T18:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.crossdaily.com/cards/viewcard.php?CardID=0902081237217422507705

Happy 50th Birthday to my beloved husband who is the beloved father of our five children. Before you scroll down to look at the pictures stick around for a few laughs. Speaking of pictures, I spent the entire day looking through boxes of pictures. Wow, a lot has gone on in the last 20 something years. We have been on quite a journey. I was hoping to find baby pictures of Tom but it didn't happen. Now a little something to make you smile.

A priest is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very short and the doorbell is too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for some time the priest moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring. Crouching down to the child's level, the priest smiles benevolently and asks, "And now what, my little man?" To which the boy replies, "Now we run!" (A Box of Delights, compiled by J.John & Mark Stibbe)

A preacher made a statement in Hyde Park. "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart." A heckler replied, "That's rubbish. Science has proved that the human heart is just a pump."

The preacher asked, "Are you married?" The man said, "Yes." "Then go home and tell your wife you love her with all your pump!" (J.John & Mark Stibbe)

"The most aggravating thing about the younger generation is that I no longer belong to it.

Albert Einstein

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

Time for the standard birthday factoids............

2009-02-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

Time for the standard birthday factoids for my oldest brother-in-law.Fifty years! Five decades! Half a century! A twentieth of a millennium! Six hundred months! Two thousand six hundred nine weeks! Eighteen thousand two hundred sixty-three days! 438,312 hours! 26,298,720 minutes! 1,577,923,200 seconds (give or take)!Fifty is the number of the year of jubilee; the wonderful time recorded in Leviticus 25, when all debts are forgiven and all possession returns to its original owner. Every 50th year, after seven sabbath years, the Israelites were to celebrate a year of jubilee. There is no recorded time in the Bible where they actually celebrated it, mind you, but God ordained it to point to our final freedom at His return. We await the true 50th year of jubilee!Similarly, Shavuot, or what Christianity calls Pentecost, happens 50 days after the Sabbath which occurs during Passover, or the Sunday seven weeks after the resurrection. It was then, of course, that the Spirit was poured out upon all flesh and our Lord fulfilled His promise to send the Comforter and dwell with us.So, spiritually, 50 is an important number - the "8th", if you will, after seven sevens. When Jesus walked among the seven candlesticks in Revelation 1, there were seven seven-branched menorahs with Him being the Light in the middle - the 50th.Mathematically, 50 is the smallest number that is the sum of two squares two different ways: 1^2 + 7^2 or 5^2 + 5^2. 1 + 49 = 25 + 25 = 50.The classic geometry right triangle has sides length 3, 4, and 5. The sum of the squares of the sides equals the sum of the squares of the hypotenuse: 3^2 + 4^2 = 5^2. Adding all three squares together gets 9 + 16 + 25 = 50.The moon is approximately one-fiftieth the volume of the Earth.The ancient Sanskrit alphabet, one of the very first that could be called an alphabet and surviving in modern Hindu and Buddhist languages, had 50 letters.Other religions have grabbed onto the significance of 50 as seven sevens + 1. The I Ching uses 50 equal-length sticks; Kabbalah recognizes 50 levels of consciousness; "New Age" has seven chakras in humans with a total of 50 petals; and certain Indian prayer bead rosaries have 50 beads.In the movies, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore had 50 First Dates.
Happy half a century, Tom. May the next half be even more blessed.- Matt -

2009-02-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Tom Porter a 1977 graduate of Eden Prairie Highschool
Tom standing in front of his favorite home on
Willowcreek Rd, Eden Prairie Minnesota

2009-02-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

Tom doing something he has always enjoyed. Spending time on the water.

Tom & Heather a few years back

Tom and his parents Bob & Shirley

Tom and his family
Sister Barb & Brother Bill
Mom (Shirley) & Dad (Bob)

The wife and kids

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be."

~~Author Unknown.~~

For Robbie

2009-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

For Robbie,20 = no longer a teenager. In Old Testament law, 20 years old was counted as old enough to be a warrior and be fully responsible for adult things and counted in censuses as adults. Levites began service at 20 years old. Jacob served Laban for twenty years; Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver; Samson judges Israel for 20 years; and the temple was 20 cubits wide; in fact, the Holy of Holies was 20 x 20 x 20. Spiritually, it seems to denote either a doubling of the order of 10 (like the temple examples) or an expectant waiting (like Jacob's work, the 20 years Solomon took to build the temple and his palace, the 20 years Jeremiah prophesied Babylonian captivity, etc.).Mathematically, 20 is a tetrahedral number, meaning that a triangular pyramid of oranges (or any balls) 4 levels tall has 20 objects in it. [Picture a triangle of 10 like a bowling pin configuration on the bottom, the next layer has a triangle of 6, the next has 3, with 1 on the top.]In physics, 20 protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus is considered a "magic" number, with a complete atomic shell and a very stable nucleus.20 = 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 (who do we appreciate?)The ancient Mayans had a numbering system with base-20. (Ours is base-10, of course.)Humans have 20 amino acids in their bodies.Clear sight is called 20/20; 20/20 is also a long-running news show.A classic game is Twenty Questions.Twentieth Century Fox is outdated now, of course. And there's the band, Matchbox Twenty.A period of 20 years has its own word: a score.
So, score! You're a score old.Happy birthday, #1 nephew.
(Thanks Uncle Matt!)

Happy 20th Birthday Rob!

2009-01-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Rob it's your 20th birthday. I'm wondering if you can guess which famous philosopher said this, "Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have."

Hope year 20 brings you much joy in the Lord. We are blessed to be your parents and appreciate your pleasant and helpful attitude. Love from~Mom & Dad

2009-01-31T19:46:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew loves the snow. One of his brothers decided to be silly and put him on the dogs leash. Not for long though. Andrew didn't seem to notice he was so busy playing. It was pretty chilly but he still needed some coaxing to get him inside happily.

Leah got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas from Grandma Janice & Grandpa Norb. She wanted to bake a cake for her Daddy.

Andrew loves the happy birthday song since big brother had a birthday. A few days later he made himself a cake out of playdoh and then asked for some candles. Of course it took me awhile to figure out what he was asking for. When we lit the candles his eyes just lit up with glee. He sang happy birthday in chinglish for the rest of the day.

Update on Andrew: He has come such a long way already. He went from being very shy and fearful of strangers to saying hello to everyone he meets. He just loves to show visitors everything he knows. He is starting to repeat words frequently and knows several vital words in English. Like potty, night night, hello, bye-bye, family names, pet names etc. He also has a bit of a firery side to him and can throw quite a tantrum when he is out of sorts. In the beginning he would have days here and there where he cried off and on all day and couldn't really be consoled. We seem to be having less and less of that but it still happens. He sleeps soundly all night but won't nap. He is picky about food but wants to eat constantly. His favorite things to do right now are play outside, take a bath and watch a video. Yesterday our 2 older boys took Andrew & Leah to a movie and Andrew did great. He sat quietly through the whole thing unlike his big sister :-). He would not have enjoyed something like this just a few weeks ago. It is such a blessing to watch him settle in. He is a typical 3 year old boy so needless to say Mom is more than ready for bed at night.

~Heather

Merry Christmas or Merry Mithra?

2008-12-26T12:18:00.000-08:00

What is the true meaning of Christmas? I believe it has little or nothing to do with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The beautiful lights, presents under the tree, Santa, Rudolph, family gatherings and other celebrations at this time of year bring many lots of joy. They don't do much for the lonely, depressed, and poor though. Santa brings the best toys to the rich and no toys for the poor. Good old St. Nick. I always look forward to spending time with family and friends and I enjoy buying a few gifts but for me, I am more comfortable leaving the name of Jesus out of the true meaning of Christmas.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the famous English preacher of the last century, said, "We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas ... we find no scriptural word whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because (it's) not of divine authority ... probably the fact is that the 'holy days' (were) arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals ... how absurd to think we could do it in the spirit of the
world, with a Jack Frost clown, a deceptive worldly Santa Claus, and a mixed program of sacred truth with fun, deception, and fiction." (Quoted from Metropolitan Pulpit Series, Pilgrim Publications: Pasadena, Texas, 1871, p. 1026).

For more insight into the history of Christmas check out this link.
http://www.toolong.com/pages/christmas.htm
May you experience the love of Jesus in 2009

Happy 17th Birthday Stephen!

2008-12-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but on December 13, 2008 Stephen will be 17 years old. Stephen you are a pleasure to have around. Thank you. We are proud to be your parents. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you!

The following facts about the number 17 were sent to us by Stephen's Uncle Matt:

Here are a few random facts about 17 for the birthday boy:17 is a prime number. There are exactly 17 ways to express 17 as the sum of 1 or more primes [2+2+13, 2+3+5+7, etc.]. This is the only integer that is equal to the number of prime partitions of itself.There are 17 muscles in the human tongue.17 is the smallest number that can be written as A2 + B3 in two different ways: 17 = 32 + 23 = 42 + 13. The ancient Greeks had 17 consonants in their alphabet.An ancient guy named Jâbir Ibn Hayyân really dug the number 17. He wrote "All, in the universe, is governed by the number 17 - the metals for example have 17 'power'" and the form of any thing in the world is 17." No, I don't know what that means either.King Tutankhamen was wrapped in 17 cloths. Japanese haiku have exactly 17 syllables: 3 lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. For example:

My nephew StephenIs seventeen years old now,So is he a man?

In the Bible,- the flood began on the 17th day of the 2nd month and the ark rested on the 17th day of the 7th month- 17 nationalities, or languages, are mentioned in the account of Pentecost in Acts 2- there are 17 things that cannot separate us from the love of Christ mentioned in Romans 8- sheep are mentioned 17 times in John 10- 17 "works of the flesh" are specifically mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21, unless you count "and such like", which is the 18th listed.
17 years old is the final year of minor, or childhood, status in the United States and some other nations.In the movies, Number 17 by Alfred Hitchcock and Stalag 17 are considered classics. A movie 17 Again, about a man given a chance to do his life over, will come out in 2009.In song, Janis Ian had the melancholy hit, At 17.===================

Speaking of music, the day Stephen was born, the number one song on the charts was Black or White by Michael Jackson. In it, he sang "It makes no difference if you're black or white", which is quite ironic coming from him.

Stephen Porters in the world include a metal sculptor (www.stephenporterstudio.com), an Associate Professor of Research and Evaluation Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (nice job title), a pediatric emergency medical specialist, a Senior Counsel appointed to the National Council on the Arts by President Bush, the director of the 1991 Broadway play The Miser, the Director of CIEL's Climate Change Program (see picture at http://www.ciel.org/Staff/porter.html), a concert pianist (www.stephenporterpiano.com), and the coauthor of a book about evolution, entitled The Quaternary Period in the United States. (I figured you'd like that last one).

Happy birthday, Stephen
(Thanks Uncle Matt!)

2008-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

2008-12-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

Tom & Heather have been married for 22 years

2008-12-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Pictures from our 2nd honeymoon in Shanghai China a few days before we met up with Andrew. Where does the time go? Let us see what the Bible says about time.

Jam 4:14
How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone. NLT

2Cr 6:2
For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you."Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation. NLT

Today is the day of your salvation. Please do not wait! Check our links if you have questions about salvation.

What are we thankful for?

2008-11-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. KJV

What are we thankful for?
*Our God remains on the throne no matter what
*His plan of salvation
*The many blessings we receive so casually each day:
(family, health, a roof over our heads, heat and air conditioning, free flowing clean water and food on the table just to name a few)

There are 143 million orphans worldwide and countless others living in deplorable conditions for many different reasons. Many might ask God,"Why??!!" God may just ask us the same question. Won't you join me in prayer for those less fortunate and for those who don't yet know God's plan of salvation so that they too may choose life.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. KJV
(Questions about how one is "born again"/salvation? Check out Livingwaters or Biblehelp under my links)
Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

Big brother Robbie insisted that Andrew should have this cute little jacket. He wasn't too sure at first but after awhile he was sporting a hat as well.

Andrew and our Golden Retriever "Manley"

2008-11-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

Andrew was shrieking in fear when he first encountered Manley. As you can see, things have changed.

Please Welcome Andrew Porter

2008-11-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

We are home!

2008-11-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

After many hours in the air and 10 hours wandering around airports, we finally made it home. Oddly enough it didn't seem that bad. Andrew slept on all of the flights. We spent the airport time running off energy. It took a few hours for Andrew to warm up to his brothers but soon they had him rough housing with hearty laughs. Leah came home the next day. It took him a little longer to warm up to her. But as I type this they are playing cars on the kitchen floor with great enthusiasm. Andrew seems to be adjusting pretty well. Nights are still a little rough but once he gets to sleep he stays asleep with a few exceptions.

Red Couch Photos

2008-10-31T01:30:00.000-07:00

Bethany families at the White Swan. I think we are all going home in the morning.

All of the Bethany "Babas"

Andrew is 2nd from the left top row.

Awwwww. Andrew and AJ. They came from the same orphanage. AJ spent most of his time in foster care but the boys are familiar with each other because our familes spent 7 days together in their province. We did not ask them to do this so this is an extra special picture!

A River Boat

2008-10-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure what this guy was collecting but as these tufts of green stuff floated up he scooped them uinto a net. He also scooped up trash if he found it.

Medical Exam

2008-10-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

They give the kids a medical exam before leaving China. Andrew did a pretty good job of cooperating. Today we received his visa after taking an oath at the United States Consulate promising that all of our information was correct pertaining to his adoption. Only one more full day here and it will be time to come home. We are ready.

Yeah~I'm able to post again

2008-10-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

Entry gates at the orphanage.

Beautiful garden at the orphanage

I honestly can't remember if this was part of the grounds of the orphanage or a garden we toured later. They were similar.

Orphanage playground

2008-10-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

Front Gate Suzhou Social Welfare Institute

Childrens play area at the orphanage

Orphanage Tour

2008-10-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

Andrew and his best friend

Suzhou Social Welfare Institute
Childrens Building

Yesterday we were able to visit the orphanage. Andrews best friend is going home with his family in December. Oh how I wish that could be said for all of the children here. There are over 300 children up to age 16 living here. There is also an old folks home on the premises. We were able to visit Andrews room. It was filled with little beds. The kids were napping at 11:30am which is sort of weird for kids over age 3. Andrew started to remove his shoes. I think he was pleased when everyone laughed and he realized he didn't have to take a nap. It appeared that most of the kids were disabled. A couple severely. I actually took the hand of one of the little ones as he/she reached out to me. I'll never forget the feeling of that cold little hand. There was not a dry eye in the room. There were some smiles but mostly distant stares. After that we peered into the nursey which was wall to wall cribs. Andrew seemed comfortable through most of it. I think he looks a little concerned in the picture because he is unsure what will happen next. We were not allowed to take photos indoors. They brought his little friend outside for the pictures. We were also served a traditional lunch and were allowed to ask questions. I really didn't have any. Soon we were off to do a little touring of the Suzhou City. Andrew happily hopped on the bus waving and saying "bah-bye". One of his first english words. We were gratefull for this because we sense he misses someone at the orphanage.

Technical Difficulties

2008-10-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't updated the blog but seem to be having technical difficulties. I'm having my son give you this message from our computer at home since nothing goes through from here. Things are going as good as can be expected. I will update when possible.

God Bless~Tom & Heather

FP3 player

2008-10-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

We downloaded some Chinese childrens music onto a FP3 player and Andrew really enjoys it. He listens to the songs that are in English too but when the Chinese music comes on he starts to move with the music. Very cute! By the way, FP stands for Fisher Price.

The Pool

2008-10-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

We thought we would check out the pool. The water was too cold for Andrew and he was afraid. Soon he was asleep in my arms. Must have been nap time.

Here Andrew is sporting his very fashionable(required) bathing cap. It never got wet. when I took it off of him he threw it across the room. :-}

bonding time

2008-10-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

While in this carrier Andrew played with my hair, offered to feed me, looked into my eyes and kissed me. The locals really stared because they probably think he is too big for this.??? they probably think we are are crazy foreigners.

Taking a stroll around the hotel area.

The Adoption is final

2008-10-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today we went back to the civil affairs to finalize the adoption. We were given 24 hours to make sure we wanted to continue on. Andrew was happy to see his nannies again but ran back and forth between us. He was very excited to show them his sunglasses, comb and sippy cup. He did cry a little when they left. I'm glad that he loves them. He seems like a loyal little guy. Later he gave me a great big unsolicited kiss which of course made my day.

Our newest family member

2008-10-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

What a day! Andrew was not at all happy about all of this but is quickly warming up to us. We took the train from Shanghai to Nanjing. There were a couple of stops along the way and guess who got on the train? Andrew and his nannies. Tom told me Andrew was on the train and I didn't believe him at first. Sure enough about 10 rows up there he sat. Then we had to watch him get off the train and disappear into the large crowd. A short time later we met up again at the civil affairs office. There were 2 little boys and lots of tears. One of the nannies was very kind and concerned about the boys. We will see them again tomorrow to finish up the paperwork. We just hung around at the hotel for the rest of the day. We are with another family who has a boy from the same orphanage. We let the boys explore the lobby but that is about it for today. Please welcome Andrew Youxuan Porter.

Shanghai Ocean Aguarium

2008-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Jelly Fish
Pretty Fish

We enjoyed Shanghai's ocean aquarium today. A scuba diver fed the sharks while we there. The penquins were very cute. They swam around very close to the glass like fish would if they thought you might feed them. We also went to the Bund, Nanjing Walking Street, and The Super Brand Mall. Those are very big shopping areas that attract tourists and locals alike. The Super Brand Mall is very similar to the Mall of America and the Bund & Nanjing Walking Street sort of reminded us of Nicolette Mall. We are not interested in that kind of shopping so little time was spent there. This was a very long day for us and ended with a wild cab ride back to the hotel.

Pearl Tower-Shanghai Lights

2008-10-20T20:56:00.001-07:00

A view from The Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai

Pearl Tower Daytime
Pearl Tower at Night
Everything lights up at night including the cruise boats
This mini-McDonalds serves icecream only

At 1,535 ft high, the Pearl Tower is the tallest completed tower in Asia, and the 3rd tallest in the world. For those of you who know Tom well, you know he was not able to enjoy the view from the top of this tower.

Huangpu River Cruise

2008-10-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

We have fun looking at signs in China as quite often the translation is a little off. What they meant to say was no swimming according to our guide. We enjoyed a river cruise today. The weather is in the 80's and humid.

Haungpu River Cruise

2008-10-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

Look at all the people! This is just a normal Sunday afternoon. It's absolutely unbelievable how many people live here. China's top 5,000 wealthiest live in this area on the river. There is such a mixture of wealth and poverty here.

A Palace in Shanghai

2008-10-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Today we did a little touring. This palace was built by a son for his parents. The rock was all brought in and is significant because only the wealthy were able to do such things.

We made it to Shanghai China

2008-10-17T20:25:00.001-07:00

We arrived at the Jianguo Hotel at 5:30pm after our looooooooonng flight to China. Everything went as planned. Today is a free day, meaning no guide so we will just explore the area close to the hotel. We will be here for 5 days before we get on the train headed for Jiangsu. We will meet our little guy in Jiangsu's capital city Nanjing on Oct. 22nd. Stay tuned as we will update when possible. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Tom & Heather

We received a little update on Andrew

2008-10-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

Our little guy has grown.
weight = 14.5Kg (32lbs)
height = 91cm (35.8 in)
head circumference = 50cm
feet = 13.5cm
chest = 52cm

Our feathery friends

2008-10-04T10:38:00.001-07:00

We have been enjoying some new visitors on our lakeshore this summer. They were here 2 years ago but we missed them last year. We are glad to have them back!

Travel Invitation

2008-09-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here we come Andrew! On September 10, 2008 we received word from our agency that our travel to China to pick up Andrew has been approved. Since then we have purchased our tickets to and from China. We will be leaving October 16th and returning on November 1st. We will spend the first 6 days in Shanghai and then travel by train to Nanjing where we will meet Andrew on October 22nd. We will be there for 8 days and then travel by air to Guangzhou where we wrap up our stay in China. Our in country travel has yet to be confirmed so those details may change. We would also like to work in a visit to the orphanage if possible.

It's a special day! ~ We received our LOA

2008-08-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today our agency called to tell us that our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) will arrive by UPS on Friday. It is basically official paperwork stating that we have officially been accepted as Andrew's parents and if we want to proceed we need to sign the documents and return them. We will do that with honor. In a few weeks we will receive our travel arrangements and then travel a couple of weeks after that. We hope to travel in September or early October. We are so excited to meet Andrew and finally hold him in our arms. So, on August 7, 2006, we held Leah in our arms for the first time and on August 7, 2008, we got news that our LOA is here. August 7th is a special day for the Porter's. Praising God from whom all blessings flow!

Como Zoo with other Bethany families

2008-07-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of meeting some other Bethany families at the Como Zoo in St. Paul Minnesota.

What a surprise!

2008-07-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

Soon after we were matched with Andrew, I contacted a family who was planning to travel to China and pick up their little girl who was living at Andrew's orphanage. I sent them a picture of Andrew and asked them to look for him if they were able to go to the orphanage. Well just the other day I got an e-mail from her with these pictures of Andrew and a story about how she got them. They traveled in May and at that time the orphanage had decided that there would be no more tours of the living areas of the children. Only outside pictures allowed with no children in them. She asked anyway and low and behold they brought Andrew outside for a picture.

Andrew and his friends/Andrew is in red

2008-07-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

A volunteer took these pictures very recently. Normally pictures are not allowed but she was fostering one of the little girls in the picture and on this day she was bringing her back to the orphanage. The volunteer was going home for the summer and unfortunately she couldn't take the girl with her. So they allowed her to take a few pictures. The girl is being held by the caretaker in pink. The boy in the white shirt with pink writing is going to be adopted by another Bethany family. We are hoping to travel together. Andrew is in the red shirt. We are so thankful for these pictures that were taken in the room Andrew sleeps in and probably spends most of his time in.

Pictures of Andrew

2008-07-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with some pictures of Andrew. These were taken by a volunteer Christmas of 2007 at a party for the kids. This may be the youngest picture we ever have of Andrew.

Thank you

2008-05-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting The Porter Family blog. Be sure to click on (older posts) at the bottom of this page to view all of the pictures.

2008-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

Leah standing by her bed in China just days before she was brought to us

2008-05-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

The youngest picture we have of Leah - far right

2008-05-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Leah in China in front of SWI aprox. 2yrs

2008-05-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Leah's referral picture - Chinese name: Lian, Chunxue

2008-05-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Leah - pre-school

2008-05-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Leah 6 yrs - Kindergarten

2008-05-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Waiting in China - Our little Andrew, Chinese name - Su, Youxuan

2008-05-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Su, Youxuan - English name: Andrew 2yrs 2008

2008-05-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

Our story in a nutshell

2008-05-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Our adoption journey began in 2005. Our dossier (paperwork) was sent to China in October of 2005. When we first started the process we were planning on adopting a girl 1-3yrs of age. By the time we sent in our paperwork we realized that an older child would be more realistic for us so we requested a "healthy" girl between the ages of 3 & 5yrs. 3-4 times a year our agency receives a list of children with special needs. While waiting to matched with a child we decided it couldn't hurt to take a look at the special needs list. This list is known as the COP list. It stands for Child of Promise. Well, in April of 2006 there our daughter was on the COP list. We traveled to China as a family in August of 2006. Her orphanage was in Jiangsu Province in the city of Lianyungang.

Our second adoption journey began in 2007. Our plans were to adopt another 3-5yr old girl but this time knew we were devoted to a COP child. Maybe even with the same special need as Leah. Well, in November of 2007 a new list came out. Our paperwork wasn't even finished so we didn't even think about requesting a child. After a couple of months our agency sent out a general e-mail to remind folks that there were a few boys remaining from the November list. I nervously looked at this list because I didn't want to fall in love with a boy when we all had our hearts set on a little girl. Of course there was a little face on this list that I was drawn to but I kept it to myself for a week or so. Finally I brought it to the attention of my husband who right away said are you sure????? My teenage boys were all for it and even encouraged my to call the agency RIGHT AWAY! When I called my husband with the news that we had been matched with a 3 yr old little boy he said, "My heart just lept. I feel like I did when I was told I was going to be a father for the first time." The attraction we all felt to this little guy surprised us all because we were so sure we were going to adopt another little girl.

God changed our hearts twice. In both adoptions we set out to do one thing and ended up doing something quite different. We are so thankful to have Leah in our lives. She was well cared for in China as far as we can tell and she has adjusted to her new life with us almost seamlessly. Her special need sounded a little scary but figured we would just deal with it. Well, so far it has been almost a non issue. Praise God! Tom, Leah & I plan to travel to China together to get our newest family member. September travel is estimated. We can hardly wait.