Choosing to SEE - Mary Beth Chapman [107]
Mary Beth
Hosea 6:1
“Chubby Chapman” was a damaging nickname. Years later I finally realized its effects on my life.
My grandparents and me. I thought the red culottes were fine for church camp meeting.
Farrah Fawcett hair was the style for senior pictures in the ’80s. The perfect feathered look.
Anderson University homecoming football game after an all-night “discussion.”
Livin’ on love! 19 and 21 years old. Fifty dollars and a green Ford Pinto to our name!
Strollin’ down memory lane during a 2008 visit to Anderson University campus. Notice the mailboxes behind us?
Where’s Emily? After freshly laundering what stuffed animals I could after the fire, I seized the photo op while the animals were laying out drying.
Pill-eating puppy named Peso, with the result named Emily.
Sweet Emily at age 13. “The Fingerprints of God” says it all!
Celebrating Gold. We saddled up for the Great Adventure, but I was barely hanging on to the reins.
Band name: 2 Car Garage (Caleb was missing his two front teeth). A glimpse into the future?
One of my favorite pre-adoption family portraits. We love to laugh together, and now we love to cry together. It’s a privilege.
Our Compassion trip to Haiti in 1997 captured Emily’s heart for orphans and vulnerable children. The faith of a child!
I named this Maria's Big House of Hope baby after Hudson Taylor. He giggled at the name Maria and is with her now in heaven.
XU CHUN XI (MARIA SUE CHUNXI CHAPMAN)
CHEN BI RU (STEVEY JOY RU CHAPMAN)
CHANG YAN YAN (SHAOHANNAH HOPE YAN CHAPMAN)
The first look at our precious daughters. These are the three referral pictures that came to us with all their other pertinent information.
When love took ME in . . . everything changed! Sha-Sha-oey rocked my world for GOOD! Thank you, Jesus! oey
When the going gets tough, the tough find the humor.
While in China adopting Stevey Joy, I found some fun with photos! Warped? Maybe.
Adoption day in China, and it was as if Steven and Maria had known each other their whole lives.
And Maria makes eight! Now we look complete.
We were blessed with a private tour of Cinderella’s Suite at Disney World, and all my Cinderellas loved it!
Vacation! “I love it when my whole family is together” was one of Maria’s favorite lines.
Giddyup! Isn’t that what brothers and daddies are for?
Dancing at a wedding in 2006. Will and I have always been close and have so many awesome memories together.
It’s true! Chapman family tradition. Chinese or Japanese food on Christmas Eve, before Christmas Eve service.
Maria could make a “Rock Face” like none other! I cut the sleeves off the shirts to improve them.
Two peas in a pod! Maria and Stevey Joy were born seven months apart and were best buddies, inseparable.
Maria’s third birthday. She loved Tinker Bell and fairies. Shaoey says Maria's finally a fairy because she has her wings!
Rub a dub dub, three girls in the tub.
In China, pools require swim caps. Why? Don’t know. Will was a great sport and they all got to pick out their own cap.
Family picture day! Will was the only sibling who had his picture taken individually with each of the three girls. He makes everything fun.
Caleb had ways of making Maria laugh and smile so hard her eyes would disappear.
Spring break 2007. One of these is not like the others! I’m grateful God used Emily to speak into my life.
Taken in China, this picture of Steven and Maria would be sent to us later, confirming that this was Daddy kissing his daughter.
After a long weekend in Maine, Tanner proposed to Emily on an airplane flight.
When I look at this picture, I can smell Maria’s sweaty skin, I can hear her sweet voice, and I can feel that chubby little hand on my neck.
Maria’s favorite blanket. She had to have that one. Will kept it with him in the days following the accident.
Goggle Girl. Many days, this is all she swam in. For that matter, I would occasionally catch her watching TV with them on and nothing else!
Maria was “Little Miss Attitude.