I have a daughter, Harmony Faith, who is ten years old.  She was born with cerebral palsy that left her brain damaged, Down syndrome, and cannot walk or talk.  She has a tracheostomy and oftentimes breathes with a ventilator.  Harmony requires a lot of care, but I wouldn't trade it for all the gold in the world: that means I can spend more time with her; she is my light, my everything.

We adopted Harmony Faith from China when she was six; we've been her parents for four years.  Besides Harmony, we also have a son, Zachary Daniel, six, whom we adopted from Ethiopia, in Africa, when he was three; he's been our son for three years.  From no children, we gained two and we wouldn't have it any other way.  Krickett (husband) and myself (Whitni) are incredibly blessed.

Because of her problems, Harmony is often in the hospital, with one thing or another.  If it isn't her heart, it's her breathing, or stomach issues.  She also goes into the hospital because she's caught another bug; her resistance to sickness has often been poor, so this is why she is, more or less, homebound.

 About the only time Harmony goes anywhere is to the doctor's for yet another appointment, therapy sessions, or to the hospital.

Harmony is homeschooled (I teach her), and so is Zachary.  We don't need any germs coming into our home, thus throwing our already chaotic world into total disarray.  

It's not to say we don't go anywhere: we do.  We go to church, to picnics with other homeschool families, to the library or museum, or to special events with the other famlies.  We are fortunate to live in a place like Minneapolis/St. Paul,  Minnesota, where there is oftentimes a wide variety of things to do.

Sometime things CAN get overwhelming (especially when Harmony gets sick or ends up in the hospital); whenever that happens, then my precious mother, who lives several blocks from us, can come and entertain Zachary while Krickett or myself spend time with our daughter while she is inpatient.  

I thank God my mother is so close and I thank God that she is healthy for her age, which is fifty-three.  

If Mom can't come spend time with us, then our next door neighbor, Ruby Chilcutt, does; she is a saint and absolutely adores Zachary (and Harmony).  I don't know what I would do without them.  In addition to that, we have our church family, who are always lifting us up in prayer; I personally think that it is because of God's help, mercy, and grace, that we are doing so well most of the time.

Well, I have to give Harmony her medications and also hook her up to her feeding pump; it's about lunch time at the Harmony Ranch.  I will write in here again soon; I hope you liked reading about Harmony and ou family.  I will be writing more soon;  until later, this is Whitni Wyatt saying so long; may God bless you above and beyond what you can imagine!

~Love, your new friend in Minnesota, Whitni.  :)