7daysweek

Saidie's first pedicure

2012-02-10T21:01:00.000-06:00

Craving the rare treat of a pedicure this morning, the girls and I headed out, flip-flops in hand. I hadn't planned to get pedicures for the little girls, but decided to splurge. This was Saidie's first professional pedicure (at the ripe old age of 4).
AND.
SHE.
LOVED.
IT.

Saidie

Maimie

Saidie picked a very bright orange polish, and Maimie picked a light purplish pink color.

5 year Gotcha Day anniversary

2012-02-06T12:19:00.000-06:00

Five years ago yesterday we met our little Maimie in an upstairs room of the Nanning Civil Affairs office building. What an incredible day that was for our family! Last night we celebrated with some Chinese takeout and a chocolate cake (generously topped with pink and blue sugar sprinkles).

Helping with the cake

After our meal, we watched Maimie's Gotcha video, and she opened her gift. Usually we let her open one of her little treasures from China. This year we decided to stray a bit from tradition. Maimie has been reading very well and wanted a big Bible of her own. Last week she asked Jesus into her heart, so we decided this would be a great time for her first real Bible.

We are so excited to see all that God has in store for our precious Maimie. She has brightened our lives and deeply touched our hearts over the past 5 years.

We love you, Maimie Beth GuoZhen, and feel incredibly blessed to be your family.

Groundhog Supper

2012-02-03T20:15:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again... Groundhog Day. Five years ago on Groundhog Day we were boarding a plane bound for China to meet our sweet Maimie. What a day that was!

Yesterday I had two little helpers to prepare our Groundhog Meal. After making our traditional "groundhog loaf", we baked some "groundhog cookies".
(Disclaimer: No groundhogs were harmed during the making of this meal.)

Later in the evening, Steve, Mikaela, and I watched the movie Groundhog Day.

In other news, Tess is growing by leaps and bounds. Her weight went from 12 to 16 pounds a week ago. Judging by how much effort it takes to lug her around, she's probably gained at least another 4 or 5 pounds this week. She's almost too big to weigh on the old baby scales at this point.

The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T14:35:00.000-06:00

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Chinese New Year! Last evening we ushered in the Year of the Dragon with a Chinese meal shared with our friends Tim and Vera. It was nice to spend this holiday with people who had visited China and could relate to some of our experiences. Vera made the most amazing orange chicken and rice, dumplings, and green beans. My contribution was steamed pork buns and dessert.
Unfortunately I was frazzled shortly before our guests arrived due to dog vomit and a burning pan/bamboo steamer, and completely forgot to snap photos of our meal or visit.
For dessert I bought a red bean rice cake, lotus candy, fortune cookies, and honeyed dates. In addition, I tried a new recipe for steamed Nian Gao, a traditional Chinese New Year cake. It was fun to try these new things, but I think we were all glad for the bowl of M&Ms we brought out at the end.

Steamed Nian Gao and lotus candy

My kiddos

2012-01-12T19:09:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to share some photos of my kiddos. I'm shameless that way.

First, my handsome fellas in their school photos:

Jacob- Sophomore

Joseph - 8th grade

Next, my little girlies had their birthday photos taken during Simply Charming Photography's fall fundraiser:

Maimie - 6 years

Saidie - 4 years

Then we changed Saidie into her Chinese dress for one more:

Finally, Mikaela had her Senior pictures taken, but we haven't ordered them yet. This is a sneak peek:

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-05T14:08:00.000-06:00

A new year is always an exciting time full of promise. This year is no exception. During 2012: Mikaela will graduate from high school and begin college, I will celebrate my 25th high school reunion, and Joseph will enter high school. I anxiously anticipate all of the events and blessings in store for us this year.

Cleaning up after Christmas

After ringing in 2012, it was time to name the dog who had remained unnamed for over a week. Truly we did try, but with Mikaela and Jacob away at SVR (youth retreat) from Wednesday until Saturday of last week, there wasn't a lot time together as a family to decide on a name. Three of the names we picked ended up being names of dogs belonging to family and friends, so those names were out. The girls and I had really liked one other name, but the guys in the family didn't. Finally I just wanted to be done with it. So, I made the call.

And the name is....

Tess.

It suits her.

Tess is doing well with crate training and is having very few accidents in the house or in the kennel. Mostly if she's in her kennel she alerts us by whining if she needs to go out to potty; when in the playroom, she starts sniffing and loses interest in toys. Like most puppies, she's biting like crazy. We have several chew toys for her and are firm with her about biting people or furniture, but still it continues.

So far, Tess is learning to kennel up, and I need to begin to teach her to sit and to come. Maimie loves to help with getting her food, wiping her feet, getting her leash, giving her treats, and brushing her. Saidie is still cautious, but will sometimes let Tess sit on her lap for a moment or two and pets her if someone is holding Tess. The older kids have taken Tess out for walks to make her comfortable with her leash and take turns taking her out if they are home.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T23:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Surprise

2011-12-25T22:58:00.000-06:00

Hard to top last year's Christmas: Leaving Hong Kong on Christmas Eve to fly home, getting stuck in a blizzard and circling over Peoria's airport only to be told we might have to GO BACK to Detroit?, miraculous landing by a pilot who looked young enough to be my son, arriving home Christmas Eve to a very white Christmas, waking up IN. MY. OWN. BED. on Christmas morning, all 5 children at home for the first time ever. Fabulous!
So, we decided to go for something pretty special this year:

And she is pretty special, too. She's a black English labrador retriever born on November 9, and she's just adorable.
The plan was to surprise the kids on Christmas morning. But when we got home with her Saturday afternoon and started to set her up in the basement, she started making noise and we didn't think we would be able to pull it off. We decided to call all of the kids in by the tree right then and there before she barked any louder and blew our cover. Steven brought her in with her big bow on.

(Please excuse the terrible video work)

I think everyone was surprised. Saidie did pretty well at first and even tried to pet her while Steven held her. Later, well, not so much. By this evening Saidie had warmed up quite a bit, though.

The older kids seem to really like her and have had her out of her kennel almost nonstop. Maimie has to be all up in poor puppy's business even when someone else is trying to hold her or play with her. She just can't get enough.
Now if we can just agree on a name...

Saidie's first visit with Santa

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Maimie 6 years, Saidie 4 years

No amount of bribing, cajoling, or promises of train rides could persuade Saidie to tolerate Santa long enough for a quick photo.
Actually, big sister Mikaela was also not a fan of Santa. So, no, it wasn't my first time in the chair, either...

(1995) Mikaela 15 months

(1996) Mikaela 2 years 3 months, Jacob 6 months

Success!! (1998) Mikaela 4 years, Jacob 2 1/2 years, Joseph 4 months

(2007) Maimie 2 years 2 months

Although we've never taught our kids to believe in Santa, for some reason I have insisted that each one had their photo taken with him.

Christmas program videos

2011-12-20T13:49:00.000-06:00

Forgot to add the videos from the girls' Christmas program. They both sang out loudly (whether they knew the words or not). At one point Maimie even coaches Saidie a bit. Enjoy!

A flurry of December activities

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have gone by in a quick blur of Christmas-y goodness.
Joseph played his trombone and sang in a boys quartet during the middle school concert. Mikaela played flute, Jacob played baritone, and then both sang with the Madrigal singers during the high school concert.
This past weekend, Mikaela and Jacob performed in our school's Madrigal dinners.

Jacob and sophomore madrigal singers

Mikaela and senior madrigal singers

Joseph helped serve on Friday evening, and our family attended with Grandpa and Grandma on Saturday evening.

Also this weekend, the little girls sang in our church Christmas program. Steve and the three older kids played in an orchestra for several songs as well. After the girls sang their songs, we went back to our class with the 3-year-olds to teach the storyhour lesson. Later in the afternoon, the boys went with Joseph's Jesus Club friends to see a movie and eat pizza.
Only 6 more days until Christmas...

One year Gotcha Day anniversary!

2011-12-13T14:31:00.000-06:00

One year ago today we met our little Saidie for the first time. Here is a link to the post I made for that day. It still amazes me that the frightened, grieving child we met in China has become such a happy, playful, loving little girl.

While the journey from there to here has at times been marked by tears and difficulties, it has much more so been marked by laughter and joy. We have witnessed a slow and steady transformation in Saidie that continues to develop daily. Her tender love and engaging smile bring such sweetness to our lives. Her girly-ness and love of bling bring a special sparkle to our days.

Tonight we celebrated our little sweetie. We ate Chinese take-out and let Saidie unwrap her Gotcha Day gift. This year's gift was a little blue patchwork quilt with traditional Chinese dresses on it. Each year our girls open a small gift from China on their gotcha day and we light their gotcha candle in memory of their Chinese family. After the gift was unwrapped, we watched Saidie's movie. It consists of both still photos and video of our time in China with Saidie. She enjoyed her movie so much that she requested we watch it again.

Happy Gotcha Day, Saidie! We certainly love being your forever family.

Putting on a little Christmas

2011-11-28T13:43:00.001-06:00

Wreath?

Check!

Kids in santa hats?

Check!

Perfect Christmas tree?

Check!

After taking a break in many of our Christmas traditions last year so that we could travel to China to meet Saidie, ...we are back! It was with great pleasure that we trekked out to the Christmas tree farm again this year to get our usual live tree on the day after Thanksgiving. It was so sweet to watch Saidie take it all in this year for the first time. She was excited to wear her santa hat...and accessorized with her favorite denim purse.

The girls chilled...

...while the guys tied the tree on the car.

Since we had Friday evening plans, we decorated on Saturday evening.

It turned out just perfect.

And then I took another look and had to smile. The tree leans a bit to one side as almost every ornament is on the bottom left. There are absolutely no ornaments in the back or on the whole right side.

Some day my tree will be perfect. The ornaments will be positioned just so and sprinkled around the whole tree. Many of the current ornaments will be gone, safely packed away for each child as they move out into their new homes.

But I'm glad that day is still many Christmases away. I know it will be bittersweet for me to see that perfect tree and miss the little hands that used to decorate it.

What's been up with us

2011-11-14T13:18:00.001-06:00

Mikaela (in center wearing maroon) and her friend Chelsea (at right in maroon)

Just over a week ago Mikaela performed with the All District Chorus at WIU. Although I may or may not be a little biased, it was an amazing concert.

Jacob completed his first ipod/ipad application a few months ago. It was an agricultural app that he wrote for the company where his dad works. As payment, he received his own ipad.

From the speech contest a few weeks ago, Joseph and Clayton were chosen for the judge's choice award for the second year in a row.

Saidie has been added to the Saturday breakfast rotation and enjoyed her first breakfast out with daddy recently. She also spent some time in speech evaluation with Miss Kristie last week.

As our one year post-placement report will soon be due, we visited with Miss Laura so she could get the final information and photos from us to complete the report. It's always a pleasure seeing her, and the girls were in "entertain mode".

This past weekend we attended an Orphan Care Event at a nearby church that featured the ladies from 147 Million Orphans. I always enjoy hearing adoption stories, and there were several very inspirational stories to be heard that evening.

First Place and Halloween

2011-10-31T20:42:00.001-05:00

Last Friday evening, Joseph and his friend Clayton rocked the speech contest with another first place in improv. My video didn't turn out well since I was stuck in a far corner to watch, but it was pretty entertaining. Joseph and Clayton really work well together and are both a couple of characters even without an audience.

Joseph and Clayton

Tonight we took the little girls out trick or treating and Joseph met up with a couple of friends. Mikaela and Jacob passed out candy for awhile on the porch while doing homework.
Joseph wouldn't join in on the photo op, but went as Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings. The girls went as fortune cookies.

Enjoying some treats

Homecoming weekend recap

2011-10-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

Homecoming was the weekend before last, but I failed to get a post together in a timely manner, so here goes:

Homecoming week dress up days included Pixar characters, pirates, Turks spirit, and class colors. Here are photos from two days:

The homecoming dance was on Saturday evening. Mikaela and a few of her friends met for photos before eating out and attending the dance.

Selah, Grace, Leah, Peak, Mikaela, Brianna

Yep, she really did wear Converse!

Even the little girlies got in on the action

Mikaela and Peak, the foreign exchange student from Thailand

Our week in pictures

2011-10-21T23:16:00.001-05:00

On Monday, the morning after Saidie's birthday party, Saidie woke up with a front tooth that was turning dark from the gum downward. That same tooth was one of the teeth that she had chipped only two weeks ago.

I knew I should have gotten her photo taken sooner!

The dentist decided to leave it alone and watch it for now but it has been turning darker as the week has progressed.

There was a lot of playing with new birthday presents this week:

And even a middle school chorus concert.

Joe is in the center, grinning

Then came Friday. I had big plans to go shopping and run errands. Ten minutes into the drive, I heard a strange sound from the back. Turns out it was Saidie blowing chunks all over herself and the middle row. There wasn't anything I could do but turn around and head home. It took close to an hour to clean up Saidie, the carseat, her purse and toys, and the rest of the mess. Let's just say there may have been a hose involved in the cleanup effort.

By early evening Saidie had downed 3 plates of spaghetti, an applesauce, and some ice cream. Then just before we left for the football game, she was running around with Maimie. I had mopped the wood floors in the afternoon and she was wearing socks. There was a crash, a cry, and after two hours in the ER, Saidie had two stitches.

Yep, that about sums up the week.

A Very Special Birthday

2011-10-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday little Saidie celebrated turning 4 years old with her first birthday party of her own. As far as we know, Saidie's birthday was never celebrated in China. Now after being in America for nearly 10 months and waiting (not so patiently) as every single member of her new family celebrated a birthday, it was finally Saidie's turn.

Saidie chose Ni Hao, Kai Lan as her birthday theme which worked out well for our combination birthday/ adoption party. We invited a few friends and family members, ordered chinese takeout, and ate birthday cake.

Saidie posing with her fortune cookie cake and Ni Hao, Kai Lan cake

Saidie was thrilled to be the star of the day. The weather held out, even though it was a bit chilly. We have been so blessed by loving, supportive family and friends who pray for and love on our kiddos. Many of them came to help us celebrate.

Thanks to Saidie's friends Mark and Deb, there was a special guest appearance by Ralph the pig at the end of the party.

Eventually Saidie warmed up to Ralph and even gave him a little lovin'.

After all of the guests left and everything was put away, Saidie watched a Ni Hao, Kai Lan dvd to finish her birthday evening.

So, does this mean I'm finally a teenager?

2011-10-11T23:46:00.001-05:00

This morning Maimie asked me, "Am I really six now?" When I assured her that her day had arrived and she was indeed six, her follow up question was, "So, does this mean I'm finally a teenager?" Yikes...not another one!

Yesterday we used the Columbus Day holiday in our favor and invited two of Maimie's friends for a little party. Maimie chose Tangled (Rapunzel) as the theme.

Saidie, Maimie, Addy, Lily

We played hot potato with a princess crown, popped balloons by sitting on them, and learned to braid Rapunzel's long hair. The girls ate cupcakes, flower shaped grape jello jigglers, and juice for a snack. Later they played outside on the swing set, chalked on the driveway, and finished up with party favor bags as parents arrived.

Tonight we celebrated with Culver's, Rapunzel's tower cake, and gifts before everyone left for their various activities. We ended the evening with the Tangled movie and one tired and happy little princess.

Day at the Zoo

2011-10-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

On Friday, the kids had a half day of school. The day's plan changed several times, but then eventually we got a winner. Steve took a half day so he and Mikaela could make a college visit. Later we all met up at the zoo for a quick run through. It was Saidie's first time at the zoo, and when I mentioned our "field trip" throughout the week, Saidie told me she didn't want to go and reminded me she was afraid of animals.

As it turned out, Saidie was less than impressed with her field trip. She didn't cry or cling or fuss. She simply walked around quietly and muttered often, "Animals scare me". Okay, so not the most wonderful time for Saidie, but the rest of us enjoyed the afternoon. Until we arrived in the hut with the ginormous snake behind glass. Maimie started screaming and ran out of the hut like the thing was chasing her. We all thought it was pretty funny (except Maimie, of course).

Feeding our pork dumplings to the lion

Last Week

2011-10-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

Last week began with a celebration for Mikaela's 17th birthday. Probably the last birthday (sniff) we'll celebrate with her while she lives at home full time. After the cabin last Saturday night she invited her friends Selah and Brianna to hang out and watch a movie and eat snacks. Then on her birthday Monday night we ate Chinese take-out and cupcakes to celebrate.

The middle of last week looked a lot like this:

Then last week ended with Saidie taking a header off a riding toy in the driveway Friday evening as Steven was coming down the road towards home. She fell flat on her face, twisting both of her top front teeth and chipping the entire corner off of one. Her teeth were pretty loose and bleeding. We've fed her soft foods all weekend and have an appointment to take her to the dentist tomorrow.

Too bad I didn't get her birthday photo taken last week...

Mooncakes and choco-pies

2011-09-13T14:51:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we celebrated Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at our house for the first time. The girls wore their Chinese silk dresses to Church that morning, and that evening we ate stir-fried chicken, rice, and noodles with dumplings.

Last week the girls and I made a trip to the Chinese market to search for mooncakes. We hit the jackpot. We found this beautiful tin with 4 large mooncakes.

Each was just so lovely. The tops were embossed with a gorgeous pattern and they tasted a little like peanut butter fudge to me. Very rich...so 4 was plenty for all of us.

Of course, since we didn't know if we would like them, I snagged some choco-pies for good measure. While in China this past winter, our family ate our weight in choco-pies from the carre-four.

Later that evening, the girls watched Ni Hao, Kai Lan's Moon Festival cartoon before we went out to view the moon. What a bright, beautiful moon it was.

Polka dots and piano lessons

2011-08-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

My girls love having their nails polished. And I love polishing their nails. Kinda cool how that's working out. I try to check their nails once a week on Saturday. This week I gave the girls an "End of summer spa treatment".

It was a huge hit complete with bubble bath soak, nail brush scrub, scented lotion foot/hand massages, polka dot polish, and scented candles.

Homeschool has been such a joy with Miss Maimie. She's a bit of a perfectionist, but we manage to keep it fun. Here's our little "lefty" practicing her cursive handwriting: i's, u's, and e's.

And today was Maimie's very first piano lesson. Here she is with Mrs. I., her piano teacher.

Slowly, we are all beginning to make peace with our new schedules after a very leisurely summer routine.

Playing Catch Up

2011-08-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

Been feeling a little buried under the mounds of stuff we needed to do to get ready for school to begin this week. And last week was full of activities, too.

Last Wednesday, August 10, Joseph turned 13 years old. That makes THREE TEENAGERS for this mama.

Joseph celebrated with a fishing birthday. He and a couple of pals decided to hang out at our house eating, playing video games, and swimming. They finished the evening by going fishing with Steve and Jacob.

Collin, Joseph, and Jack

Last Thursday, we left in the evening for the Creation Museum. We stopped in Indianapolis and drove the rest of the way on Friday morning. We really enjoyed having one last little something fun before the summer was over.

botanical garden

Saturday was my birthday.

Then, this Wednesday was our first half day of school. Mikaela is a senior this year, Jacob is a sophomore, and Joseph is in eighth grade. For the first time ever, I didn't load up the suburban to drive the kids to school. Mikaela took her brothers to school in the bug.

After the older kiddos left, it was time for another very special first. Miss Maimie started her first day of kindergarten. What a great student! Maimie was so sweet and excited to sit in her little desk and learn. We enjoyed a fun first day of home school together.

Saidie wanted to be included in school, too. She spent some time coloring and cutting with her new crayons and scissors.

Twenty-One

2011-08-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

Yep. 21 years of marriage, as of yesterday. I've now been married longer than I was single. Many things have changed:

Holy cow, we look young! ...And skinny.
And.
Oh.
My.
Look. At. Our. Hair.
Yikes!
Not to mention that some of our children did not even know daddy ever had any color of hair other than white.
It's not all been easy, but there have been many wonderful blessings along the way.

Milestones

2011-07-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

It's been a week of milestones both big and small for us.
Jacob had his wisdom teeth removed and did very well. He chose not to have a photo taken for the occasion. heh, heh

Maimie and Saidie finished swimming lessons. And, after 3 attempts, Maimie passed level one. Saidie needs to grow a few inches to start level one.
Last, and certainly not least!, Mikaela bought a cute little Hello Kitty wallet. And why is that a milestone? Because it just happens to hold her newly issued driver's license!!!

Today, Mikaela had her first solo flight in the new bug. She was only driving to work, a few blocks away, but,

the

lump

in this mama's throat.

I was proud of myself. No ugly cry.
Of course, there was one moment there...when she began to turn the corner down the road.
Gee, musta gotten something in my eye.
Yeah, that's it.

Grouches at the nursing home

2011-07-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

This month the girls made a fun craft for the nursing home residents. We saw the idea for film canister grouches online. Then we added this Bible verse : "Godliness with contentment is great gain. " I Timothy 6:6.

And voila!

Oscar the grouch...with a positive outlook.

Maimie and Saidie loved making these Oscars and passing them out to their nursing home friends.

Another winning smile

2011-07-25T14:54:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday we signed the financial papers for our third set of braces. After 5 years of orthodontist appointments for Joseph, he finally made enough progress to get his braces on. Seems like we ought to be able to recycle or something, but, alas, no such luck.
So here's a look at Joe with his shiny choppers shortly after getting them:

Did you see the green on his teeth? It's not spinach, just green rubberbands. I wonder what color he'll choose next month...

Swim Lessons

2011-07-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

Today marked the first day of swim lessons for Maimie and Saidie. Last summer, Maimie took level 1 twice and never passed. After her lessons were over, she practiced with Jacob in our pool and turned into a fish.
So, this year, Maimie and Saidie both began in level 1. We managed to get Sammy as the girls' instructor and the girls were excited. Until it was time to get in. Maimie got right in, but Saidie...not so much.
Saidie clung to me like a tick and wouldn't get in. Finally I coaxed her to sit on the side and let go of me. Soon Savannah came over and suggested we try to get her in near the steps. Eventually that worked and then she was ready to join Maimie. Unfortunately, Saidie is only slightly taller than 3 feet tall and couldn't touch the bottom. So tomorrow we'll try her in the parent/toddler class where she can wear a floatie. Of course, that means mama doesn't get to sit in a lounge chair taking photos, wearing normal clothes. Uggghh! Good thing I snapped this quick photo today.

Sammy and the girls playing "ring around the rosy"

Surprise!

2011-07-17T17:24:00.001-05:00

Today we surprised our teens. And that's really no easy task.

Mikaela and Jacob have been away this week and weekend on a mission trip. They were scheduled to arrive late this afternoon or early this evening. Steve picked up Mikaela, Jacob, and all their gear shortly after the bus pulled in to the church parking lot.
And when they turned the corner to come down our street, there was a "little" surprise waiting for them.

Since Mikaela is about 6 hours from getting her driver's license, and Jacob starts driver's ed in August, we thought maybe it was time to add a third car. And for a used car, this little beauty just seems...fun.

I'm sure the kids were heartbroken that I wouldn't share my sweet ride with them. I mean, after all, I do drive a Suburban. But I'm selfish like that.

Mikaela and Jacob were definitely surprised.
Oh, and...slug bug silver!

The Fourth and Fishing

2011-07-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed our Independence Day picnicking at a nearby park. The girls displayed their patriotism all weekend.

And showed their prettiest smiles...

Later in the week, Jacob and Joseph caught some nice fish.

And Miss Saidie got an adorable new "do".

Bye bye beach, hello sprinkler park

2011-07-02T19:01:00.000-05:00

We reluctantly left Destin on Saturday morning for the two day drive home. This week we got back to reality and caught up on laundry, household chores, and the like.

Saidie, Maimie, and Ava

On Thursday, we met up with friend and fellow adoptive mom Lisa and her girls Maria and Ava. After a picnic lunch, the big people chatted and the little people enjoyed the sprinkler park. The girls became fast friends and spent the whole afternoon holding hands.

It was a great day spent cultivating friendships.

Last day in Destin

2011-06-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

It's Friday evening in Destin, and we leave in the morning... sigh. I think everyone is ready to come home except for Maimie and me. We're going to miss being beach bums. I won't miss the endless supply of sand between my toes and all over the floors, but it certainly has been nice to relax and get away. Here are the remaining photos from today.

Sand sculptures

2011-06-23T22:13:00.000-05:00

Today began a bit overcast at the beach, but then brightened right up. The kids spent the morning on sand sculptures.

Joe's seascape on a sand canvas

Joe's dragon head

Mikaela's pikmin

Jacob's pacman and ghost scene

At lunchtime we came back to the room shortly before a light rain began. Despite the forecast for this week, this has been the only rain we've experienced. After supper, we drove in to Brewsters for an ice cream treat. Later we enjoyed a lovely walk on the beach during a gorgeous pink sunset. Another amazing day in Destin.

Don't ya' just love the little eyes?!

Wednesday night beach photos

2011-06-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

Well, there's just no amount of trying that can make my hair work on the beach. I've tried it all. Within about 5 minutes of the heat and humidity mingled with the salt spray, it looks the same...like I just got up. So, the beach photos were not easy. Actually the ones of just the kids worked the best and turned out pretty good. Of course, I'm a bit biased when it comes to my kids. And truly it was an act of love and sacrifice on their part to all dress in white and be seen in public together for about a million photos. Some day they will all tell their kids about how their crazy mother forced her ridiculous beach photos on them. But for today they behaved themselves and smiled.

Well, mostly...

Low Hazard Alert

2011-06-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

Saidie seems to be all better, no known cause for yesterday's episode. Of course, we can never go back to that souvenir shop again...

Tuesday evening we ate in again and then walked the beach with the whole fam. So many families were getting photos taken. Hopefully tonight will be our photo night if the weather holds out.

Today was amazing at the beach.

I may never come home.

Just sayin'...

Stuck in the condo

2011-06-21T15:22:00.001-05:00

Steve treated us to breakfast out at Chick-Fil-A. It was great! We planned to look around at a few of the shops for souvenirs instead of heading to the beach this morning. At the second shop, Saidie wanted to be held the whole time. We made it part way through the building and she acted funny and indicated that she wanted down. Seconds after putting her down, she puked a bucketful all over the floor. Not sure what's up, but everyone else seems fine. I spent the rest of the morning in the condo. After lunch, Steve and the kids played a rousing game of Risk while Saidie napped and I cleaned house and washed laundry. This will probably change our evening plans, but hopefully Saidie will be feeling better by tomorrow.

There are no photos for this post.
Yeah, I know.
You're very welcome.

Monday at the beach

2011-06-21T11:48:00.002-05:00

Despite the sunburns, we headed back to the beach in the morning. Some of us never lost the coverups.

But, it was still a lot of fun.

Later we went out for a few supplies and then an evening walk on the beach to look for shells. Evening has to be the best time of the day on the beach, and we hope to spend more evenings on the beach while we are here.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful Father's Day in Destin. We were here in 2008, as well, and enjoyed spending our day at the beach with Steven. And much like our stay in 2008, we ...uh, sorta overdid it. I know, I know sunscreen sunscreen. We did use lots of sunscreen today... just not enough in all the right places. We were only at the beach a couple of hours before lunch today, but that was plenty. This evening I made a nice meal for Father's Day, and Steve, Mikaela, and I spent the evening with chills from the sunburn. Fortunately the boys and little girls fared a bit better, although Joe did get some on his back. Needless to say, I made a trip to Walmart for the aloe vera gel with lidocaine in it. Nighttime crab hunting will have to wait until another day. I forgot the camera in the room today and was too lazy busy enjoying the beach to go back for it. So today's photo was taken in the living room area of our condo.
Happy Father's Day, Steven! And Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Ahh, the beach!

2011-06-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

Well, today was spent driving again until about 3:30pm when we pulled up to our little condo and stepped out into the 90+degree heat. After a quick look around, we left to eat at the Mellow Mushroom. Pizza never tasted so good!

Then on to Walmart--along with three thousand other people--to get some supplies for the week.
The kids had waited fairly patiently, so we decided to walk on down to the beach even though it was getting late.
IT WAS SO WORTH IT.

Just standing on the beach at sunset gives me such an appreciation of God's magnificent creation.

Four States

2011-06-17T22:39:00.002-05:00

Today we woke up in Kentucky, visited family in Tennessee, drove through Georgia, and stopped in Birmingham, Alabama. We enjoyed seeing Aunt Pat and Uncle Glenn, even though we were only able to stay a few hours. They truly are the sweetest people. Aunt Pat had recently undergone surgery on both feet and still welcomed us into her home. Uncle Glenn told several great stories and kept us all laughing.

It was nearly 9:30 before we got to a hotel and managed to get the girls to bed. Tomorrow we should only have about 5 hours in the car before we reach the beach. One of the seatbelts broke this afternoon and we ended up shifting positions so that all the kids were belted in. I'm dreading getting in the car again, but the thought of sleeping at the same place for a week without having to live out of a suitcase is quite appealing.
This photo was taken a few miles down the road from Aunt Pat and Uncle Glenn's house.

We are on our way!

2011-06-16T20:59:00.000-05:00

We left this morning a little after 9am with Mikaela driving. We made it as far as Lexington, Kentucky before stopping for the evening. Tomorrow we head to east Tennessee to visit Aunt Pat and Uncle Glenn. Can't wait to spend some time with them and let them meet the girls. They only briefly met Maimie a couple of years ago at a funeral.
I noticed that while I still packed a ton of stuff for the beach, it was a whole lot easier than packing for our China trips. I'm sure that's due in part to knowing there's a Walmart right down the road from our condo. When I packed for China I packed as though we were being dropped from a helicopter into a remote area where we could never survive unless I brought everything necessary to sustain life. Turns out we did just fine in China, but we were definitely well prepared.
I packed for Steve, Maimie, Saidie, and I and made sure the boys at least had the necessary clothes. After checking the back at the gas station when we got ice for the cooler, I found that Joseph had added a harmonica, a metal detector, and an acoustic guitar...for the beach. Sigh.

Photos from our week

2011-06-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

After a crazy busy week, we leave on Thursday for a week of sunshine, sand, and salt water. We couldn't leave without a quick photo recap of what's been going on in our little piece of the world.

Jacob's 15th birthday:

Jacob chose to host a LAN party for a few friends in honor of his birthday. With several monitors, a projector, some xboxes, and plenty of snacks, the guys enjoyed a couple of hours of video games.

Pageant:

Parade:

PIG DAY

2011-06-06T22:45:00.000-05:00

For over a week now, today's date has been circled with the word "pigs" written by it.

Maimie had asked a friend of ours from church when he was getting a new batch of pigs on his hog farm. Since Maimie doesn't completely understand the concept of time yet, she nearly drove me nuts asking continually if it was pig day yet. Marking it on the calendar helped a little.

Today Maimie was beside herself in anticipation of Pig Day. After supper, we headed to Mark and Deb's house with the girlies and the camera. The girls saw brand new kittens, chickens, three week old pigs, and finally the smallest piggies.

Saidie, unfortunately, was afraid of the animals and wouldn't touch any of them, including the tiny kittens. She cried a couple of times, and really wasn't interested in getting too near to anything for a long time.

Meanwhile, Maimie loved being right in the pens feeding the pigs. She kept remarking how smooth the pigs felt when she touched them.

Eventually Sarah squeezed a little porker too. She just couldn't resist!

Shortly before leaving, Saidie started feeling a little braver...

But not quite brave enough to go in the pen with Maimie.

Before leaving, the girls found Mark's tailless kitten, Earl. Maimie carried him around like a baby while Saidie petted him. Maimie said she thought the name Jacob was a much better name for Earl, and told us in the car on the way home that she'd sure love a kitten like Earl of her own.

Something tells me there is a goldfish in our near future...

Fun in the sun

2011-06-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

We've had some HOT weather over the last couple of weeks. The girls have spent quite a bit of time in water play.

Before the big pool was ready, we put a little water in the old sandbox.

I'd say the girls were pretty content with their makeshift pool.

Hearing test results

2011-05-20T14:08:00.000-05:00

About a month ago Saidie was sedated for her ears to be cleaned, a tube to be inserted, and finally her hearing was tested using brain electrodes. Yesterday we visited the ear doctor to get the final results. The tube was in place, the other eardrum had healed, and the hearing test results were obtained.
I've got to admit, I expected some slightly abnormal results. What I didn't expect was to nearly lose it in the office.

Saidie's hearing tested completely within normal range in both ears.

I feel so humbled by this evidence of God's hand on Saidie. I can't help but think back to almost exactly one year ago when we were given Saidie's referral information. We were faced with some scary words: facial cleft, hemifacial microsomia, conduction deafness in both ears, abnormal hearing tests, unable to express herself verbally. I remember being concerned about conduction deafness. It involved such a wide range of possible scenarios and question marks.

We prayed and stepped out in obedience at that time. How amazing it is to me that God had already decided that Saidie would be spared of the challenge of deafness.

We praise God for this answered prayer!

Mother's Day

2011-05-07T20:38:00.014-05:00

In honor of Mother's Day, I decided to share some old photos. The first one is my mom (with my dad and me):

December 1969

This photo was taken on my first Mother's Day:

Mother's Day 1995

I am honored to be called mom by five little souls. I met each of my oldest three children in hospital rooms on the days of their births.

Mikaela - September 1994

Jacob - June 1996

Joseph - August 1998

My youngest two children I met later in their lives in two different Civil Affairs offices, one in southern China and one in northern China.

Maimie - February 2007

Saidie - December 2010

I still find it amazing how being a mom has made my life and my heart so full. With each new child I wondered if I had enough love for one more and God multiplied my love to overflowing each time.

Being mom to Mikaela, Jacob, Joseph, Maimie, and Saidie has been my greatest joy, privilege, and blessing.

Junior Prom

2011-05-05T20:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was Mikaela's junior prom. Here are a few photos with her friends:

Sarah and Mikaela

Gabrielle, Mikaela, Rachel, Sarah, Hope

Gabrielle, Sarah, Mikaela, Hope, Rachel

Sarah, Joanna, Mikaela, Gabrielle, Audrey, Rachel

Easter Overview

2011-04-24T20:54:00.009-05:00

I love this photo of my five favorite blessings! All eyes were open and not a single kiddo keeled over from color-coordinating. Amazing.
Too bad I focused so much on the photos that I forgot to put our lunch in the oven before leaving for church. Ah, yes. Good times.

This year was Saidie's first year to join in on our Easter traditions.

Saidie really enjoyed egg coloring. Twenty-two eggs (assuming two would crack that didn't), 5 cups of egg coloring, a box of crayons, lots of newspapers, two paint shirts, and 5 tiny sponge paint rollers and nearly two hours later, we had finished. None of the kids will actually eat hardboiled eggs, but they all enjoyed being egg artists.

With the beautiful weekend weather, we hunted eggs outside this year.

The two older kids hid eggs and the three younger kids hunted.

Another tradition we enjoy is reading the book, Benjamin's Box while opening our homemade Resurrection eggs. Saidie couldn't hold still for a second and kept touching the egg carton. After I moved it out of her reach, she nudged it with her foot. Maimie, on the other, was listening intently. When Steve read about Jesus having the nails in his hands and feet, Maimie was upset. She just kept saying, "Oh, that's just terrible... poor Jesus."

Saidie's first hospital experience

2011-04-22T09:41:00.003-05:00

Tuesday Saidie went to the hospital bright and early for the appointment we've been waiting on for two months. The plan was to sedate her, clean her ears, possibly insert ear tubes, and finally to give her a hearing test using brain electrodes. After waiting about 3 hours she was wheeled away in a wagon clutching her piglet and blanket. Within the hour the doctor came to tell me he had inserted a tube in her right ear. All structures seemed to be in order in the ear canals. Much later we were ushered back to Phase 2 recovery where Saidie was sitting in a chair crying. I scooped her up and held her on my lap. She was not pleased with her IV or being stuck in the hospital room. Within minutes she calmed down and looked at the easter animal shaped rubber band bracelets and tiny stuffed hedgehog we found for her in the hospital gift shop. Before we left, Saidie downed an apple juice and two bags of Teddy Grahams.

front porch picnic lunch

We haven't heard the results of the hearing test yet, but the doctor didn't expect the audiologist to find any big surprises.

Long time no post

2011-04-13T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if it's blogger's block, or if I've just been too bogged down in the mire lately. Either way there hasn't been any bloggin' going on here.

Today marks four months since the day we met Saidie.

Saidie is adorable, funny, busy, stubborn, lovey, prickly, sweet, bossy, sneaky, smart, wonderful, ...did I say adorable?... , and a perfect fit for our family. But she's not entirely able to let down her guard with me in some ways. I don't say this because I blame her. It's really not been that long ago that we upset her whole world, her whole life.

But sometimes I look at her and I see it. It's in her eyes mostly, and sometimes the set of her mouth. She's not sure she's ready to buy into me. I sometimes think maybe she almost wants to, but...perhaps that would mean giving up on her foster mama, or maybe I'm just another in her long line of mother figures who have so far all abandoned her (at least in her way of thinking). Maybe I'm imagining it. Maybe she just doesn't like that this big nosed white lady tells her no, or makes her share, or doesn't allow her to push and pinch her sister, or makes her clean her plate if she wants dessert. Could be a combination.

Making a snack for the birds

Maybe it's normal that a 3 1/2 year old and a 40ish year old need time to learn to love each other. But that's okay, too. We do have plenty of that.

Peeking through the fence

Bouquets for mom

watching for the birds

I do know that I'm having a lot of fun with my sweet little Saidie despite the challenges. I couldn't be happier to have her in my life. And I'm confident that someday the feeling will be mutual. Meanwhile I'm grateful to be chosen to parent this amazing gift of a child. And each day God knits together our hearts a little more...

Three Months home

2011-03-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today marks three months since we arrived home with Saidie. It's been quite an experience getting to know this little person. I think it's fair to say that some of our perceptions of Saidie 3 months ago have changed, and some are no longer true.

Messy head

First ice cream from Pinky's

Hearing the translations this week from her Half the Sky Little Sisters school booklet, I think having a family has helped Saidie overcome some of her shyness and reticence to try new things. Having Maimie blaze the trail has been huge to her confidence in her own abilities. The same child who "didn't get it", cried, and required a teacher to physically move her hands or body to help her do any new task now jumps in with both feet after seeing Maimie do things. After we complete the transition time with her, I think that parenting Saidie will be one of my greatest pleasures.

Saidie has her challenges, as do all of my children. But I guess sometimes I wonder if the challenges all belong to my children, or if some of the ownership actually falls to me and my ability to deal with opposition. Perhaps God uses my children with their unique personalities and gifts to refine me...or, at least, God is trying to teach and refine me through my children.

Making Easter decorations for the door

It's really different becoming a mom of a 3+ year old, as opposed to a newborn or even a 15 month old (Maimie's age when we adopted her). In some ways it's been so difficult, and I feel so inept. But mostly I wouldn't change a thing about it. I'm finding that in many ways Saidie is like an infant and still needs so much nurturing and babying. And I don't mind a bit...after all she's the baby of our family, and I have lots of time to make up for.

My Little Leprechauns

2011-03-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of St. Patty's Day. My paternal great grandfather was as Irish as they come. I suppose that still makes me only a fraction Irish, but you won't find me neglecting this holiday. I decorated for the occasion, made green desserts and Reuben sandwiches, and watched Leap Year for the hundredth time.

My little girlies really enjoyed sporting their green today.

...and giving kisses

...and giving "dog kisses"

Music to our ears

2011-03-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

The last several days have been filled with music for our oldest 3 kiddos. Friday afternoon, Joseph competed in the solo and ensemble contest and received a second place rating for his trombone solo.

Mikaela and Jacob participated Monday in an all day HOI conference choir clinic followed by an evening performance at the performing arts center.

A few weeks ago, I received a package from some of our Tennessee relatives. I finally got around to photographing the contents so that I can share them here.

Quilt square and wish #41: This lovely orange palm tree fabric and sweet wish are from Steve's cousin Diana.

Quilt square and wish #42: Diana's daughter, Jackie, sent this adorable little jungle print square and wish.

Quilt square and wish #43: Diana also contributed the beautiful fabric and touching wish from Steve's grandma that passed away before we were able to bring Saidie home.

Jazzy Evening

2011-03-09T18:24:00.000-06:00

Been keeping busy with all of the kids' activities. This past weekend our local ice cream shop opened, and Mikaela started back to work. Jacob has been logging a lot of Robotics hours, and Joseph has been busy with Jazz Band.

This week the band held their Jazz Coffee House. Joe played his dad's hot pink electric guitar and sounded nice. The girls and I decorated a table with a Twister theme (the game, not the storm). The table was okay, but the twister shirts we made that day were really cute.

Home Two Months

2011-02-24T21:33:00.017-06:00

I noticed today when signing a consent form at the doctor's office that two months ago we arrived home from China with Miss Saidie. Funny how much she has changed. She was mostly only responding to being called Jia Wen at that point and didn't understand much of what we said to her.

Saidie has been really blossoming in the past two months. We are starting to see a huge increase in her understanding of what is said as well as her ability to respond. She is using English words for many things now. She will often use signs while verbalizing. She is also learning to use please and thank you. Saidie says "bless you" if anyone sneezes or coughs, asks for candy about 10 times a day, and tattles on Maimie about 50 times a day. She lights up when it's time for a bath or time to dress and fix her hair. She enjoys dress up, puzzles, lacing cards, baby dolls, folding laundry, cooking, reading books, Chinese children's songs, stroller rides, legos, playing in the tent, jumping, playing rice and beans, making bracelets, playdough, painting, and stickers. Saidie is happy, fun, loud, goofy, busy, and sometimes stubborn. She's a pretty typical toddler. We are enjoying having her in our family so much.

Today we attempted the ear doctor for the second time. I have been giving Saidie ear drops twice a day for a week in order to ease the removal of the impacted wax. Let's just say it was a disaster. Our next step is to take her to the hospital for the cleaning. She will be sedated and an audiologist will also be present to more fully check her hearing with electrodes after the cleaning. Then, while she is still sedated tubes will be placed in her ears if needed. Apparently the doctor has some concerns about whether or not the ear drum, eustachian tube and inner ear have all fully developped due to her facial clefting. The doctor also mentioned the possibility of hearing aids if the results aren't favorable. It was a lot to digest, and I'm not looking forward to this procedure. And yet, it will be good to have a true assessment of Saidie's hearing. I'm comforted to realize that God already knows the answers and holds little Saidie in the palm of His hand.

This video catches Saidie singing one of her little Chinese children's songs. Wish we could translate this.

High tops x 2

2011-02-16T13:35:00.000-06:00

The temperature has been steadily rising around here in the last several days. The enormous piles of snow are quickly melting away in all of the sunnier spots of the yard. It's still jacket weather, but the girls looked so cute this morning that we headed out in the yard for a couple of photos without coats.

I just can't get enough of the high tops! It's always a hoot trying to find the right ones for the right sister since they are so close in size.

My Funny Valentines

2011-02-13T21:33:00.000-06:00

What could be cuter than these little valentine treats?

Only these little valentine treats!

Today was our family's day to serve church lunch. I was thrilled to see that our week would fall the day before Valentines Day. How fun is that?! We chose an easy, low-stress meal of pizza, chips, cookies, and candy kisses.

Just for fun we made a few valentine hearts to hang up over the serving area and 50+ candy airplanes with which to decorate each of the tables. My "helpers" weren't really able to help put the airplanes together, but they certainly enjoyed eating some smarties and broken peppermints.

Goofing

Tickling


Smooching

***I must admit these photos of the girls were taken a couple of weeks ago. Saidie ran into our ping pong table on Superbowl Sunday and got her first shiner. Today her eye is a sickly shade of yellow-green.

And now for my not-so-little valentines...

Yeah, turns out it's easier to get a good photo of the 2 little ones...

2011-02-08T14:06:00.000-06:00

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

...but the water's so delightful.

Barbies taking a swim

a sink full of suds and toys

A little over a week ago we gave our adoption testimony at The Cabin (our high school youth outreach). We shared our story, some photos and videos, and some worship and prayer time. Afterwards, the thoughtful teens at The Cabin gave our girlies the most adorable (and soft!) pandas.

Today Joseph participated in the Spelling Bee at school. Joseph lasted until nearly the end. Only 5 spellers made it longer. The word that tripped him up? FLAMMEOUS. Great job, Joe...we're proud of you!

Concentrating

Maimie's 4th Gotcha Day Anniversary

2011-02-05T15:06:00.002-06:00

It's hard to look at little Maimie and believe that it's been 4 years since the day we first met. To see our original Gotcha Day posts for Maimie click here and here.

What an exciting day that was for us and so full of surprises. We had received Maimie's referral just 3 months earlier in November of 2006. We were given 3 photos of a 6 month old child with unrepaired cleft lip and cleft palate 3rd degree.

As we walked into the civil affairs room to meet our 15 month old daughter, we saw several nannies and babies, but not ours. None of the babies had an unrepaired cleft lip. Our guide was surprised as well and spoke to the nannies in Cantonese asking them where Guo Zhen was. To our amazement, Guo Zhen's lip had been repaired just a few weeks before we travelled to meet her.

As she was handed to me, her eyes took in everything. We gazed at each other, each of us wondering about the other. There were no screams or cries. Not even a whimper. She was easygoing and tolerant. For the most part she still is.

Maimie is a such a fabulous part of our family. No one snuggles closer, kisses more often, or enjoys helping like Maimie. She is a bright ray of sunshine with a sweet spirit, a friendly smile, and a compassionate heart. Truly we are blessed to have her in our lives.

Squares and hearts

2011-02-04T15:48:00.001-06:00

It's time I caught up on Saidie's quilt squares.

Quilt square #37:

Our friends Joe and Nancy and their family sent this beautiful fabric and wish. I just love the verses from Psalm 139 that they used.

square #38:

This lovely fabric, card/wish, and the poem that follow are from a sweet family that adopted their son Reuben from China. Their daughter Natalie has plans to be a missionary to orphans in Africa soon after graduation.

Square #39:

This adorable panda fabric and wish are from a sweet lady from our church and her husband.

Square #40:

This gorgeous square and wish were contributed by Laura, our awesome social worker, who has been a part of both of our adoptions.

This past week, the girlies needed something fun to do. I realized they hadn't really had an opportunity to paint since we returned home with Saidie. Truthfully painting is a bit of a rarity around here. Sometimes it's too much mess for this tired mama to deal with. But I must admit that my little buddies had a lot of fun and were very serious about their work.

I can't get this video to fit, so you might have to make it full screen to see Maimie.

Chinese New Year 2011/ Year of the Rabbit

2011-02-03T15:34:00.000-06:00

I don't suppose I'm all that great at remembering and celebrating all of the Chinese festivals and holidays for my girls. But, I do try to make a special effort for Chinese New Year.

No, I don't give the house a super cleaning.

No, we don't all get new haircuts.

Or new chinese outfits in red to wear.

I don't buy red envelopes or give chinese money.

But we do celebrate Chinese New Year in our own way. Some years I try a new Chinese recipe. Some years we just get Chinese take out. Every year we decorate our house and our table. We generally give the old chopsticks a fair try (for a few bites, anyway). And sometimes we even go to a Chinese New Year Celebration.

This year, I tried a new kind of decoration thanks to my friend Vera's suggestion.

It was very easy and turned out great.

Ode to Phil

2011-02-02T16:38:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's kinda corny, and I might even be the only one who actually enjoys it...

But we celebrate Groundhog Day around these parts. I think it started when the older kids were little, but I'd still want to celebrate it even if we didn't have any little ones around.

View of the backyard through my kitchen window

Judging by the enormous snow drifts in the backyard, Phil didn't even make it out this morning. My prediction is that he's stuck inside like the rest of us and isn't going to be seeing his shadow or anything else for quite some time.

front porch

No worries, little furry friend. We've got ya' covered. Tonight we made our yearly "groundhog loaf". The little girlies were lots of help. I was lucky to even have hamburger in the house with this crazy blizzard, but we managed to find some interesting things to decorate "Phil" properly: dried cranberries for eyes, rice crispies for teeth, and whales for toenails and ears.

Yeah, we outdid ourselves.

Snow Days

2011-02-02T14:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks to the blizzard that hit the Midwest yesterday, we are on snow day number two. Things didn't get bad until about noon yesterday. Steve came home for lunch and just stayed here. All of the kids were already here and spent the afternoon watching movies, playing piano, video gaming, and playing ping-pong.

The way the wind howled last night, we thought the house might blow down. The lightning flashed, the snow came down, and the winds blew it into terrific drifts.

This morning dad sent the big kids out with shovels...

Joseph and Mikaela

Jacob getting ready to throw snow on Joseph

Pretending to earn their hot cocoa

Not sure how many more snow days this mom can take... I need a trip to Target!

Snow much fun!

2011-01-26T21:33:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, the girls and I spent the entire morning out in the snow. It was fairly cold, but the girls didn't complain while wearing the snow pants and boots I scavenged from the basement.

I even put on Steve's ridiculous looking camo coverall and shovelled the drive. (No photos of that to share!) The girls came to my aid with shovel and broom.

Once our work was done, we made snow angels and sledded down the drive and out across the street.

Each time I pushed the girls' sled down the drive, Saidie would shriek with delight. Apparently shrieking is contagious, as Maimie joined right in.

Later, when mom was too exhausted to drag ~~my camo rear~~ the sled back up the driveway, we took a walk around to the backyard to play. It was Saidie's first time to play on the playset we bought last summer.

I'd say it was money well spent.

Keeping busy

2011-01-24T11:52:00.003-06:00

My girlies kept me busy last week:

Makin' music

Mixin' up some biscuits

Valentines and bracelets for the nursing home

Play-dough

polishing nails

There's been lots of noise:

And lots of accessories (Gotta love the turkey ring!):

We visited Great-grandma:

And Grandpa and Grandma:

We even hung up the name signs I made for the girls back in early December:

Bundled up

2011-01-17T22:31:00.000-06:00

Saidie came to us with very few possessions. She had the clothes she was wearing, the photo book and the translated letter we sent to her, this loved-on teddy bear,

and this gift from the orphanage.

The clothes she wore probably belonged to the orphanage and not specifically to her. Still, those garments are very precious to us. We will preserve them for her, as we did Maimie's. Eventually I may frame them for hanging on the wall, but currently they are in a large bin with other gifts from China we will someday give to Saidie.

To give you an idea just how cold it was in Shenyang, here are photos of the clothing Saidie wore on Gotcha Day.

First there was the outerwear:

Winter coat, snow pants, hat, scarf, snow boots.

Then there were the under layers:

Thermal sweatshirt, thermal sweatpants, socks, long sleeved t-shirt, long pants, and heavy sweater. It's really no wonder the poor baby was so sweaty by the time we got back to our hotel. Curiously enough, there wasn't a pair of underwear under there.

And even though most Chinese babies and small children are quite bundled up throughout all of China regardless of weather, Shenyang was bitterly cold when we visited. So, really Saidie's clothing was pretty appropriate.

Love and Hearts

2011-01-14T13:57:00.000-06:00

Spent some time making Valentine's Day decorations for the door today. The girls really enjoyed it.

Just look at the concentration on those little faces.

Okay, okay.... Maybe I enjoyed it a little bit, too.

And just look at the end product.

Have I mentioned lately how blessed I am to stay home every day with these knuckleheads?

One month since gotcha day

2011-01-13T19:41:00.000-06:00

Today marks one month since Mrs. Tan came out of the elevator and around the corner into a large room of the Shenyang Civil Affairs building holding a very frightened little girl in a pink coat and snow pants. At that moment, Shen Jia Wen's forever family had waited for 40 minutes (and over 14 months) to get their first glimpse of little Shen Jia Wen in person.

The 30+ minutes that followed were filled with crying, screaming, fear, and lots of tears. Little Shen Jia Wen's entire life was turning upside down. Everything that she knew was changing.

One month later, that little girl is still a bit baffled at times by how her life has changed. She still grieves her former life, friends, teachers, and foster family. She still struggles to communicate her needs and wants. But she is trying.

Saidie is now signing and attempting to say with some degree of accuracy: potty, drink, eat, more, bath, banana, apple, cheese, nap, up, book, thank you, help. She says several other words in English as well and knows each of our names. Saidie recognizes each person's place at the table, and when I'm doing laundry she can identify to whom several articles of clothing belong.

Saidie is helping to put her clean clothes in her dresser, fold wash cloths, and put dirty clothes in the hamper. She has become much sweeter and is rarely aggressive now. Saidie laughs and teases and plays and sings and dances. And sometimes she cries, gets upset, stiffens when held, and shrugs when uncomfortable....but much less often than before.

This morning was a difficult morning for little Miss Saidie. Earlier in the week her dentist appointment revealed 3 teeth with yellow soft spots perhaps due to maternal fever or infection while Saidie's teeth formed in utero. Today we went back to the dentist for filing and capping of the worst of the affected teeth. Not gonna sugarcoat it...

It.

Was.

Hideous.

Hard to sit by and watch without being able to grab up my baby and hug away the fear. She was screaming, crying, writhing around, kicking. Worst of all was not being able to explain to her what was happening or why. Her reaction was actually similar to gotcha day. Poor baby. Not lookin' forward to putting the poor thing through it again for the other two teeth eventually.
We finished our morning at the mall on the little riding machines. I think I went through about $10 in quarters so the girls could ride the ice cream truck, the circus wagon, the rollercoaster, etc. But it was so worth it since it made for two of the sweetest little Chinese smiles you ever did see.

Saidie's bracelets from the dentist

Fun with the girlies

2011-01-12T13:23:00.000-06:00

The girls and I have been making bracelets, reading books, painting nails, taking walks, doing laundry, attending medical appointments, and generally trying to bond. We are seeing small glimpses of progress along the way, so we plan to continue doing what we are doing.

making bracelets

playing in the beans and rice

meeting Great-Grammie

Today was our first post placement visit with Laura. It was really nice to catch up with her again and hear about her trip to Korea this summer with her family. Tomorrow marks our one month gotcha anniversary.