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July 20, 2016 Michelle Cuthrell

We had imagined this moment for a long time.

At first, we thought this moment was going to take place in June, when the 10-year-old superhero-in-waiting we had signed up to host in our home for the summer was scheduled to arrive with a group of children from his orphanage in China.

We had prepped for it. We had dreamed about it. We had already loaded up the car and begun imagining our drive home with the fourth superhero we had been praying for since April.

But when this little superhero became sick and was hospitalized the day before his scheduled flight, he missed his ride to the United States, and we missed the opportunity to greet him in a Chicago airport with 20 of his friends.

We were totally heartbroken.

For days, our agency fought for this little boy to still come to our home, even if later, even if for a shorter period of time. For hours, our team of superheroes brainstormed ways we could still advocate for the boy we had nicknamed “DJ,” even if DJ wasn’t able to be physically present for us to do so.

We printed business cards with DJ’s information. We used our previous Flat Daddy experience to create a life-sized 2D DJ. We carried that foam figure everywhere around our town and told DJ’s story from the supermarket to the splash pad. And all of us dreamed about what it would be like IF ONLY we could hold that little superhero in our 3D arms.

And then Monday night, we got our chance.

Change DJ's Story TODAY!

July 18, 2016 Michelle Cuthrell

It’s 3:30 a.m. and I can’t sleep another wink. My heart is racing and anticipation is already killing me. And after seeing THIS precious picture in my email box late last night (the evidence of this superhero’s travels to the airport FOR REAL this time), I can’t think about anything else.

DJ, our sweet host child for the summer, is already on board his flight from China to the United States! He arrives in Atlanta TONIGHT, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!

DJ is a 10-year-old orphan from China. He is staying in our home from July 18 - August 18 for an "international experience." His nannies have described this summer experience to him as a camp. We're looking at it as an opportunity — to LOVE on him, pour INTO him, INVEST in him and CELEBRATE HIM! And, by God's grace, help him find a forever family.

Making a Difference for the ONE

July 15, 2016 Michelle Cuthrell

Today, as I gaze at sweet faces that stare back at me from waiting child photo listings and orphan hosting lists of children who didn’t find forever families while they were here in the United States, my heart just breaks.

132 million vulnerable children, abandoned children and orphans sit around the world this morning without parents to call their own. Without daddies to hug them tight, without mamas to dry their tears.

After two back-to-back weekends of family weddings and extended family reunions where our superheroes got to experience the love and laughter and chaos of FAMILY, this concept is just unfathomable to me. And when I picture 132 million orphans without this kind of accepting, forgiving, unconditional love in their life … it’s almost too much.

Birthdays, the Facebook Way

June 28, 2016 Michelle Cuthrell

I’m just going to come out with it — today is my birthday.

I LOVE birthdays. I rejoice in birthdays. I’m not a 29-and-holder … I’m a proud 34-year-old woman today who is SO thankful to be five years wiser (notice the comparative form here —because it’s going to take about 500 more birthdays and 1.3 million more mistakes before this dense girl is going to gain any kind of REAL wisdom), more experienced and more able to choose joy throughout life’s trials than I was at 29. Bring it on, old age. I’ve got blonde highlights, photo filters and oversized sunglasses to hide the evidence of your damage. Not even your dark circles and white roots can keep me down today.

I LOVE celebrating a new year. A new adventure. A fresh start.

But if I’m just keepin’ it real, I’m not quite sure how I do that on Facebook.

After 15 months off Facebook, I’m kind of a social media moron. And so, for the last two months since I rejoined the 21st century, I’ve tried to watch closely and observe how “real people” celebrate birthdays in the virtual world. Because I would hate for my return to social media to be marred by the mistakes of an amateur.

This is what I learned.

One Week of Adventures in the Life of a Flat Figure

June 23, 2016 Michelle Cuthrell

2D DJ (who has survived seven days in a home with three boys who snicker when they pronounce his name “Tooty DJ”) is one week old today!

And seven days into his life as a laminated, foam-backed flat figure, his arm is ¾ of the way ripped from its foam socket, his “skin” has already “fallen off his skeleton” (thank you for that urgent announcement that brought you tearing through our kitchen this week, Superhero 2 — we love your compassion that translates even to inanimate objects created at Staples) and we have already busted out the Kraggle, our cure-all for all things Lego and life. (A few minor injuries are no match for our PA, who re-adheres skin and reattaches arms — even flat ones — like a champ. :))

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