Bret's surgery went great!

I have lost track how many surgeries Bret and Cokie have had since we brought them home from China. By now it must be over 10 all together, and Cokie has her next one coming up soon. While Cokie was in China, she also had a group of European women pay for several surgeries she had there. They are in Nanjing and called Hopeful Hearts. In fact, if it weren't for a very special person with Hopeful Hearts, we would never have been able to adopt Cokie.

Before we got Bret, it never entered my mind to adopt a burned child. But then I saw Bret's picture on a special needs list, and it was love at first sight. I know it was a God thing that led us down this path, because he gets us through the surgeries and it hasn't been near as hard on me as I thought it would. Not that it doesn't tear us up to watch Bret and Cokie go through them. They are both so strong, and I sometimes think their strength makes it easier on us. It is hard to explain how blessed we feel God allows us to be their parents. Of course, to know Bret and Cokie is to love them. They are two sweet and special little girls!




taking it in stride.








Still in recovery and feeling pretty awful. I made the mistake of telling her she couldn't go home that night and it brought this on.




I think it goes without saying Bret has a GREAT Dad! He goes without a lot to give his kids all he can and that includes time and money.




At this point she was eating, but not keeping much down. She is stitched up from ear to ear. They took off a lot of her burned skin and gave her new skin!! We live in a great country with a lot of smart doctors.




Her super nice brother-in-law, Brian, stopped by.




Bret back home with her cousins Erin and Lain.