Square #98 from Canada

This square came from a family that I met online on the OHGWQ yahoo group. They live in Waterloo, ON, Canada.

The wish says:

Our wish for your child,

To always feel love,

To grow with wisdom,

To kow the Beauty

Of her soul.

Square #97 from NY

This square came from a family in the OHGWQ swap, they live in Brant Lake, New York.

The wish says:

Love in your heart

Wasn't put there to stay-

Love isn't love

'Til you give it away.

Oscar Hammerstein II, The Sound of Music.

Square #96 from Charlotte, NC

This square came from a family in Charlotte, NC that is waiting for their child from China. I love the ladybugs, they're very cute.

The wish says:

Patchwork Quilt

Our family's like a patchwork quilt,

With kindness gently sewn.

Each piece is an original,

With beauty of it's own.

With threads of warmth and happiness,

It's tightly stitched together.

To last in love throughout the years,

Our family is forever.

Author unknown

May you be safe and warm,

forever wrapped in your family's embrace

Square #95 from Spain!

This square came to us all the way from Spain! This family is waiting for their child from China and she is very sweet, I met her on the OHGWQ yahoo group. Fortunately one of my best friends (I'm blessed enough to have 2!) is from Colombia and translated the wish for me.

The wish says: (in english)

We are happy, very happy, because we know

that very soon, our Little Love from the Orient

will arrive, bringing with hope into our lives.

Our vision is for all of our dreams because

you will fill your whole family with

happiness and emotion, who loves you and awaits

you with an immense love.

Squares #93 & 94-South Jordan, UT

These squares are from my friend, Tawni & her family. They are waiting for the referral of their daughter, A. in China. The first time we connected was in Oct. 2005 when we were leaving for China. I had emailed her some home study info. and she wrote us back while we were in China. That was way back at the beginning of her adoption process...back then, her hubby wasn't even "on board" yet. Now they can't wait for their little one to come home! Thanks, Tawni!

The wish says:

Our Wish for Sarah

"The supreme happiness of life

is the connection that we are loved."

-Victor Hugo

May your life be filled with love.

Love of family, love of self, love of life.

Square #92 from BC Canada

This wish came from another family in the OHGWQ swap online. They are from Canada and are waiting for the referral from China.

This wish says:

The purpose of LIfe...is a life of Purpose

-Robert Byrne

Square #91 from St. Louis, MO

This square came from the OHGWQ swap and came from a family in Missouri. They are waiting for a referral from China.

This wish says:

All our dreams can come true,

If we have the courage to pursue them.

-Walt Disney

Square # 90 from Grandma & Grandpa in CA

This one is from Sarah's paternal Grandma and Grandpa. They're awesome, I am blessed with wonderful in-laws!

The wish says:

Dear Sarah,

My wish for you, is that you will prosper, and be in health, even as your soul prospers. I pray that you will soar high above all the problems you face in life. I pray that your strength will be renewed like the eagles.

Square #89 from Aunt Leanna

I was very excited at the mailbox today! We received 89 and 90 from Troy's family in California! This one is from Troy's sister, Sarah's Aunt Leanna. It's awesome.

The wish says:

Sarah,

My wish for you is that you pursue boldly all that God has for you. That you may sine bright for Him and fly unhindered like a graceful butterfly.

Love, Your Aunt Leanna

Happy are those who fear the Lord...When darkness overtakes them, light will come bursting in. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. All goes well for those who are generous, who lend freely and conduct their business fairly...They do not fear bad news; They confidently trust the Lord to care for them. Praise The Lord!

Psalms 112: 1, 4-5, 7-8

Square #88 from WA

This square is SOOO special to us. It's kind of a long story, but in Dec. I stumbled across a blog by another China adoptive family that was getting ready to go and meet their daughter in China. I noticed that their daughter was also from Ruijin, Jiangxi Province (the same city as our Sarah) and that she, too was in foster care with an "elderly woman". I had written them that Sarah was in the same situation and when they returned from China, the adoptive Mom emailed me and we found out that Sarah and her Grace had been in the same foster home!!! Sarah came to meet us on 10/31/05 and that was the day their daughter, Grace, was born. The next day, 11/1/05, she went into foster care to the woman who had taken care of Sarah for the first year of her life. What a blessing to connect another part of Sarah's red thread! They sent us this square from WA.

The wish says:

Take pride in how far you've come,

Have faith in how far you can go.

Square #87 from Bend, OR

This square came from a family in Bend, OR that is adopting a girl from China and they will name her, Selah. (I like that name)

The wish says:

The Lord will guide you continually,

Giving you water when you are dry

And restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

Like an ever-flowing spring.

Isaiah 58:11 (NLT)

As you allow Jesus to love you and be your guide,

I know that your life will be like a refreshing spring

To those around you. May you continually be fed by

The Lord so that your spring will never run dry.

Squares #83, 84, 85, 86 from Great Grandma F.

These are so special! They came from my Grandma F. (Dad's side) today. My Grandpa died a few years ago and the first one is a quilt square that he made before he died! He was a very crafty guy and sewed, loomed rugs, polished rocks to make jewelry and other stuff, the list goes on. This is so special to us because he made it!

I forgot to take a photo of the wish my Grandma wrote, but it says:

Dear Sarah,

I wish you have love, happiness, and joy in your life and you get married and have a nice husband and a nice family.

Great Grandma F.

This is super special, too. It was my Grandpa's handkerchief. He always had

one in his pocket and he used it for everything. I have many memories as a child when he had his red hanky in his pocket. It means a lot that my Grandma sent one to use for the quilt.

This one is from a shirt that my Aunt Denise made for my Grandma, it's also super special.

The next 2 are handkerchieves of my Grandma, she said to use one for the quilt and keep the other one for Sarah for when she's grown. They're both so pretty, I'm not sure how to pick one for the quilt.

Square #82 from Belle Chasse, LA

This square is from a family in the OHGWQ swap that live in Belle Chasse, LA. They are waiting for their daughter from China.

The wish says:

To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak.

-Hopi Indian Saying

Square #81 from Ft. Myers, FL

This wish came from another family in the OHGWQ swap that lives in Ft. Myers, FL. They are waiting for their daughter from China.

The wish says:

Our wish for you is that you know how

very much you loved and wanted,

even before you were created.

"Pure religion and undefiled before our God

and Father is this, to care for the fatherless

and widows in their affliction, and to keep

oneself unspotted from the world.

-James 1:27

Square #80 from our dear friends in Utah

This square came from my dear friend and mentor, Betty and her husband. (That's my Danny Boy poking his nose in the photo) They are dear friends and are wonderful friends from church. Their wish says:

Dear Sarah,

I hope this little patch, as well as your entire

quilt will cause you to reflect on the wonderful

diversity of the Body Of Christ. When you feel

different, remember that God has given you

something gloriously different to contribute to

His Body. "So in Christ we who are many for one

body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace

given us." Romans 12:5-6a

John and Betty

Square # 79 from Lorain, Ohio

This wish came from Lao Lao's best friend in Ohio. She has been friends with Lao Lao for MANY years. Her mother and Lao Lao's mother even knew each other.

This wish says:

I journeyed to the rainbows end and

found not gold but you my friend.

Sarah, may you be blessed and find many friends as

you journey to the end of the rainbow.

Square #78 from Lao Lao

This square is another of the many that came from Sarah's Lao Lao.

This wish says:

Being deeply loved by someone

Gives you strength;

Loveing someone deeply

Gives you courage.

Lao-Tzu

Squares # 76 & 77 from Gigi

These 2 are from Sarah's Gigi, her great-grandma in Ohio.

The wish says:

A girl is innocence playing in the mud...

Beauty standing on it's head...And

Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.

Square # 74 & 75 from Pebbles

Lao Lao & Lao Ye sent these 2 squares from her dog, Pebbles.

It's cute. The wish says:

Woof...Woof

Pebbles loves Sarah...cause Sarah

gives Pebbles her food and her kisses.

And likes to take Pebbles for walks.

And treats Pebbles with kindness and love

Always stay kind.

Cause if you treat a dog with kindness...

You will treat all of God's creatures,

Even the smallest

with kindness.

Woof...Woof

Did Pebbles tell Sarah, Arf Arf.

That Pebbles LOVES Sarah?

Squares 72 & 73 from Lao Lao

These 2 are from Sarah's Lao Lao in OH.

This wish says:

Dear Sarah

My wish for you is that you be surrounded by the love of your family

and friends til the end of your days. And I pray that one

day-far inthe future-you may have a tiny perfect little girl of you own.

Then you will understand how fiercely your family loves you.

Lao Lao

Square #70 & 71 from Lao Lao

These 2 are from Sarah's Lao Lao (she gave us a bunch of squares!).

This wish says:

Lao Lao's wish for Sarah

May God grant you always...

A sunbeam to warm you...

A moonbeam to charm you...

A sheltering Angel...

So nothing can harm you.

Square #68 & 69 from Toledo, OH

These squares are from my Uncle Greg and Aunt Cathy in Ohio.

Their wish says:

In shallow water, dragons become the

laughing stock of shrimp.

Squares 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 from OH

These 4 came from our family in Ohio. Sarah's Lao Lao worked very hard on these. She even used her dyes and craftiness to dye the papers she put the wishes onto.

The first one explains the 4 red squares that are the same:

Darling Sarah-

In your wonderful quilt-our family has contributed 4 red quilt squares. I call them your "foundation squares". They are red to pay respect to your Chinese cultural heritage, and they are your foundation because the 4 squares are to pay respect to the family. Your family will always be your foundation from which you will build your life and your nest from which you will one day take flight. Family is created, not born, and your family was born into it's new form the day you joined it.

We love you,

Lao Lao

This one is from Sarah's Lao Yee. It says:

Family isn't about whose blood you have...

It's about who you care about.

This one is from Sarah's great-grandma, Gigi (Sarah calls her).

It says:

A house is made of bricks and beams

A home is made of hopes and dreams.

This one is from Poppy.

It says:

What lies behind us and what lies before us

are small matters compared to what lies within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Square #62 from Aurora, CO

This square came from a family in Colorado that is also adopting from China. I love this fabric, it's so bright and colorful and I love the colors!

The wish says:

Little One,

Be proud of who you are,

be proud of where you came from.

And delight in knowing the joy

you have brought to your

Forever Family.

Square #61 from Chula Vista, CA

This square came from an online family from California. They are waiting to go to China to pick up their daughter, Kaylee.

The wish says:

Dear Little One,

In your life, we hope you always have faith!

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see."

-Hebrews 11:1

Square #60-from Sarah's God-parents

This wish is really special because it's from our DEAR friends, Chris & Stacey. They are also the family that we chose as Sarah's God-parents. We all love them dearly!

Their wish is really special and it says:

Sarah,

We want to tell you we love you and hope to always be there for you. This is our prayer for you;

Heavenly Father, We thank you now that laborers will be sent into Sarah's path, preparing the way for her salvation, as it is written in Your Word, through Your Son, Jesus. We are thankful that Sarah will recognize the traps of the devil and will be delivered to salvation through the purity of Your Son. You have given Sarah the grace and the strength to walk the narrow pathway to Your Kingdom. We also pray that just as Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, you would bless Sarah with the same wisdom and pour out Your favor and wisdom openly to her.

With Love,

Chris & Stacey

Square #59 from Elk Grove, CA

Today's trip to the mailbox wasn't nearly as profitable as yesterday's 7 squares! I received this one from a family in California who are waiting for the referral of their daughter from China. They're also part of the OHGWQ swap.

The wish says:

There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

Our wish for you is to see all the miracles

around you everyday and recognize

what a miracle you truly are!

Square #58 from Grand Rapids, MI

This one came from another family online that is adoptiong a daughter from China.

They live in Michigan (next to my home state of Ohio!). I love the colors and brightness of this square. It makes me feel cheerful, just looking at it! And did she not find the MOST perfect paper to mount the wish onto??

The wish says:

Sarah,

We send love and a

wish for a life filled with

the joy of being surrounded

by true friendship.

Square #57 from Sycamore, IL

This square came from the OHGWQ swap and is from Julie in Illinois. She's waiting for her daughter in China, as well. I love the way she did the wish, it's really unique and the fabric is really pretty.

The wish says:

May you grow to be a strong,

independent person, full

of humor, wisdom and grace.

Square #56 from Albuquerque, NM

This square came from the OHGWQ swap, as well. This one came from a couple in Albuquerque, New Mexico, they are waiting for a referral from China for their daughter and have a LID of 11/23/05, so their wait should be coming close to an end, hopefully in the next few months! I love how dainty and precious this one is.

The wish says:

Have You Ever Been in Love--Album: One Love, Kimberley Locke

I never knew I could fly, but something is taking me higher than ever. Like something inside is lifting me up, until I'm touching heaven. No matter what the world may bring, it all comes down to one thing.

Have you ever noticed how, the sky never seemed so blue, the whole world's in time with you. Have you ever known that someone is going to be the one, and no matter what you do, the sun still shines on you.

Have you ever been in love, like an angel from above.

An angel from up above is what your family has been waiting for...you!

Square #55 from Quebec, Canada

This square came from a family in Quebec, Canada who is waiting for their child from China, their LID is 5/18/06. I love the shiny gold on this fabric.

The wish says:

"Who travels for love finds a thousand

miles not longer than one."

-Japanese Proverb

Square #54 from Maryland

This square also came from the OHGWQ swap and is from Sarah in Maryland, she's waiting for her child from China and has a LID of my Mom's birthday-9/8/06. (well, not the year, anyway) I love how nice a bright and cheerful the square is.

The wish says:

Wishing you the courage to

follow your passion!

"Twenty years from not you

will be more disappointed by

the things that you didn't do than

by the ones that you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover."

-Mark Twain

Square #52 & 53 from Portland, OR

These 2 squares came from the OHGWQ swap and are from a family in Portland, Oregon. They're both very pretty, it reminds me of the tulips I saw a LONG time ago when I was in Europe my senior year of college. We were there for a HUGE flower ordeal in the Netherlands called "The Floriade," there were what seemed like miles of tulips over there, it was beautiful.

This wish says:

May you be surrounded by love

and laughter throughout

your life...

This one is kind of patriotic. I love the stars! Sarah is a still a little confused and called them starfish. (she's TOO cute!)

This wish says:

May your first steps be the

beginning of a long and

wonderful journey...

Square #51 from friends in Utah

This square is special to us because it's from a dear friend from church. Troy hangs out with their son, Alex, from time to time and kind of mentors him.

Their wish says:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

-Psalm 19:1

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful.

I know full well."

-Psalm 139:13-14

We pray that every time you look around and see God's

handiwork in nature that you will remember how precious

and wonderful you are. You are a gift from God, purposely

created for a purpose.

We love you!

Wendy, Alex, Hatley, and Kallie

Square #50! WOO HOO, we're half way there!

This square is very special...not only because it's our 50th and we're half way to getting the 100 squares we need, but because it's from one of the family's that we traveled to China with to adopt our daughters. Their daughter, Margaret-Jane, is from the same SWI in China as Sarah and they were with us our entire trip in China. We LOVE them! They really are precious to us!

Their wish says:

Sarah,

We celebrate your life with you,

your family and God. We are

thankful God crossed our paths with

yours & your parents in the October

of 2005. Just as you have brought

blessings to your family so has Margaret-Jane

to ours. God is good.

Love,

Jonathan, Emily & Margaret-Jane

Square #49 from Kasper, MN

This square came from another family in the OHGWQ swap. I love the bright colors, and they had no idea how much Sarah LOVES strawberries! They live in Kasper, Minnesota. The wish says:

As you journey through life, choose your destination well, but do not hurry there. You will arrive soon enough. Wander the back roads and forgotten paths, keeping your destination in your heart like a fixed point of a compass. Seek out new voices, strange sights, and ideas foreign to your own. Such things are riches for the soul. And if upon your arrival, you find the destination is not exactly as you had dreamed, do not be disappointed. Think of all you would have missed but for the journey there, and know that the true worth of your travel lies not in where you come to be at journey's end, but who you came to be along the way.

-Author Unknown

Squares #47 & 48 from Sunbury, Australia

These 2 squares came from a family down under--all the way from Sunbury Australia! It's from the OHGWQ swap. It has a great poem with the wish.

The wish says:

A is for angel, sent from above

B is for baby, smothered with love

C is for cute as cute can be

D is for diapers and changing them for me

E is for everything baby and more

F is for Father walking the floor

G is for glad you are finally here

H is for hiccups that are funny and dear

I is for icky sticky messing

J is for Jesus and His blessing

K is for kisses and kindness and keep

L is for love, so wide and deep

M is for Momma and her loving arms

N is for never coming to harm

O is for oat cereal and later Cheerios

P is for precious little fingers and toes

Q is for quiet, baby is sleeping

R is for relatives, always come peeping

S is for sleep, but not for your folks

T is for tub and all the long soaks

U if for unconditional as in love from your parents

V is for very active as you will soon merit

W is for wakeful, watchful and wise

X is for the xtra special light you brought to their eyes

Y is for you-who is as bright as the sun

Z is for the zest of living that you gave them, little one.

-Anonymous

May your smile always be bright as the love that shines upon you.

Square #46 from Milwaukie, OR

This wish is also from the same family as #45, they are making 2 quilts, so they sent 2 squares from the quilt swap.

The wish says:

May you know when to listen.

May you know when to speak.

May you know when to watch.

May you know when to act.

May you know when to follow.

May you know when to lead.

Square #45 from Milwaukie, OR

This one was also from OHGWQ swap. It came to us from Oregon. I love that she included a Chinese Paper Cut. They are the ONE thing I wish we would have bought in China and we didn't. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. I love it, though.

The wish says:

Chinese Fu Paper Cuts

(window flowers)

A traditional country folk art, paper cuts

are normally created by women and grils.

Made by hand, paper cuts are used as

decorations for doors, windows, walls,

mirrors and are given as presents.

Fu is one of the most popular Chinese

characters used in Chinese New Year.

It is often posted upside down on the

front door. The upside down fu means

"good luck came" since the character for

upside down in Chinese sounds the

same as the character for came.

We wish you Good Luck!