A Crooked Crown

Friday...leaving for Beijing and then HOME!

2009-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Friday was our last day in Guangzhou, and as of yet, we had not really bought much, so we set out to get some gifts from the remaining open stores on Shamian. (It's kind of a ghost town these days...like the mall everybody *used* to go to.) This didn't sit well with Ross YunLong, who would grab something from nearly every aisle and beg us to buy it for him. He knew (it had been explained) that we were getting a gift for each of his siblings back in the states. A little temper tantrum, and a refusal to eat lunch, checkout of the hotel, and then it was time to meet our guide. We had a few hours to kill before heading for the airport, and she offered for us to go to a museum or the zoo. We asked the kids, and they (of course) wanted to go to the zoo, and we felt that was best. Our guide didn't seem too happy about our choice, but oh well. When we got there though, we saw they had a separate part of the zoo that is more like a Sea World (in a smallish, not so nice kind of way.) We exchanged our tickets and went there instead, since we'd already been to the zoo in Kunming.

Again...what a difference from things in the states! At Sea World, during the dolphin show, there's usually the obligatory "pick the girl out of the audience and let her pet the dolphin and it then kisses her cheek" bit. Well, here...they have the girl get in a blow-up raft and the dolphins pull here around in the VERY deep show pool! (Can you even imagine the insurance premiums for the liability of someone falling out of the boat here???)

Inside the aquarium part, there was a shark tank that was only waist high...and open on the top! You can just stick your hand right in with all the sharks! There's just a gal posted in front of it who says, "Just be careful!" Then, just like at the zoo where we fed the lion, they had a tupperware full of fish parts so you could feed the sharks. Bo, of course, had to let the kids do that! They gave them each this grabber thing. They loaded fish on one end, held it in the water, and the sharks would come at it and grab it vigorously, splashing water everywhere! Quite cool, actually!

Then we were off to fly to Beijing, much to Ross' chagrin. He kept saying he didn't want to go to Beijing. He wanted to go to America! We got in late, slept, and then left for the airport in the morning. The flights from Beijing to SanFran, and then on to Denver were largely uneventful. The kids mostly watched TV. (In fact, they didn't sleep on the flight over, and only slept on the flight to Denver.)

Kara was timid, getting off the plane here, but Ross was skipping and jumping and excited to meet his new siblings. He was silly and playing with all of them from the get-go!

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You!

2009-06-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

I told y'all I was a terrible blogger! I'll try to recap as best as possible.

Thursday in Guangzhou started off great! Lucy's (which re-opened today) for lunch, and then met our friend back at the hotel. We took a cab with her to a sewing factory that employs girls who have aged out of their orphanages. It's really a ministry, and was started by a woman here in the states. (It's called DORCAS, but I can't remember what the acronym stands for.) Currently, there are 6 girls working, sewing those cute outfits that we all love from the store on Shamian, A Gift From China, as well as beautiful purses and other items. We even got to see the apartment the girls live in.

After that, we all went to our friends current residence. (I say current because they just moved in, but it's being borrowed from friends and they will likely be moving in 3-6 months.) They live there openly as missionaries, although they can only attend the international church or the Three Selves Church. This family is amazing, and just hearing about the years they've been in Guangzhou and all the struggles of adjusting to life there was very humbling. Six months before they moved to China, they too had adopted their youngest daughter from Hunan, and they know how families are feeling by the end of their trip....ready for American food! They graced us with a fantastic dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and dessert. Oh, and be still my heart, sweet tea...with ice!!!!

They are now foster parents to a nine year old girl with pretty severe CP.

Kara and Ross got into a BIG fight (their first) while we were there. It actually was good, because at least we had someone there who could interpret for us rather than trying to comfort and calm without any words.

Guangzhou!

2009-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

After 1.5 hours delay, we finally got into Guangzhou late last night. It's so good to be in the homestretch! The Victory isn't as nice as the White Swan where we stayed last time we were here, but we're only here for 3 nights, so it's not a big deal. First thing this morning (Wednesday) we went to take our laundry to Tiffany's, with an obligatory stop at Starbuck's for Bo. We ran into Jordan though, and decided to take the laundry to his shop. Everybody who's been to Shamian Island knows Jordan! He did the kid's name in calligraphy, and then we had to head back to meet our guide and head to their medical examination.
I was absolutely dreading this. It took three nurses to hold Ellie down last time we were here, and all they were doing was checking her heartrate and temperature under her arm! Now, because of the Hague laws, the kids *have* to get shots. I totally expected YunLong to decide to take a hike upon hearing about the shots, but he and XiaoMei both were total champs. They didn't even flinch! Two shots for Ross, and four for Kara!
The kids weren't hungry yet for lunch, so we walked over the bridge to the "scary place" as my friend Ang calls it. I actually thought it was totally cool and fun! We loved walking through the blocks of traditional Chinese medicine. Our other guide told us that basically they pull everything they can out of the sea, and call it medicine. There were herbs and dried lizards, dried seahorses, and all manner of other things considered medicinal here. Then there were a couple blocks of domestic animals for sale; puppies, kitties, rabbits, fish, as well as chipmunks and iguanas. Suffice it to say, PETA would not be happy with the condition of the animal crates and the lack of water for the critters.
We headed to the jade market, and then to the pearl market, and by then the kids were starving. Lunch was in a Chinese restaurant at the mall, and then back to the hotel where we had planned to go swimming. Unfortunately, the pool was closed for maintenance. After resting in the room for a little while, we did some shopping here on the island, and headed for Lucy's (YES!!!! AMERICAN FOOD!) Unfortunately, they are also closed for maintenance!!! Arrrrrgh! We just can't catch a break!
We decided that we'd better take our only chance (dinner tomorrow will be with friends who live in Guangzhou) here to order PaPa John's Pizza (not normally a fan, but here, it's GREAT!). Knowing the kids would probably not like it, we got them dinner to take back to the room from the most interesting place. Our room looks down on the restaurant, and I'd been watching it, just fascinated. The have a pool set up...the 3 foot or so deep kind you get at a Walmart type store....and there are a couple of different types of fish swimming around in it. I'd seen people pick the one they wanted, the worker grab them out of the water and take it back, and then return with a filleted fish to be prepared. Not unlike our picking out the lobster we want, just in a much larger scale! We, however, stuck with rice, rice noodles, and a beef dish for the kids :-)
Some goofing off in the room, a skype call home, and it'll be time for bed. Tomorrow our guide will go the consulate for us. Because Kara XaioMei is 14, she herself has to go and sign, as well. Tomorrow should prove to be a really interesting day, and I can't wait to update!

Happy Birthday, XiaoMei!

2009-06-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 8th is Kara XiaoMei's 14th birthday! We celebrated by heading to Green Lake Park and renting a motor boat (as opposed to the paddle boat we got the other night.) There were also bumper car rides, although XiaoMei chose to not do them this time. We had a pretty quiet afternoon in our hotel room, waiting for our notary papers to arrive, but finally celebrated with cake (actually strawberry mousse) and opening presents. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see it's garnished with not cherries, but cherry tomatoes! Our evening was really fun though. We stayed out later than we have any other night here so far. We shopped for more shoes for XiaoMei, as well as a new skirt.
We discovered that we were within easy walking distance of Walmart, so we headed there for more clothes for YunLong, since he wasn't much in a shopping mood the day we got him. Tonight, he was all for it though, and was even mugging gangsta' style with the ballcaps. Dinner was below Walmart at KFC, and then back to the hotel for a very late night, drawing in the new books they got.
Tuesday, June 9th...I'm writing this from the Kunming airport, and our flight was just delayed one hour. We again took a walk around the park this afternoon; more basketball games, bumper cars, and lunch in the hotel room before we left for the airport. Not too much to post about, other than it's going really well. When we were getting ready to leave the hotel, YunLong asked our guide if we were leaving for the states! He's ready, and excited. XiaoMei, as always, is much more subdued. We'll get into Guangzhou and probably have a late dinner, maybe from Lucy's. We changed where we're staying though. At first, our guide and friends thought we'd be better off staying off Shamian since the kids are so much older and there's not much for them to do there. They thought they'd like the excitement and activity by the Holiday Inn Shifu. However, upon meeting and getting to know the kids, we all felt it better to be in an area that is far less crowded and where we can better keep an eye on XiaoMei (our independent girl) and YunLong (our monkey boy.)

Sunday, June 7th

2009-06-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

Today was a really good day! We went to a Children's Park that had all sorts of rides, and surprisingly hardly any shops or people hawking their wares. You paid an admission just to get in, and then you bought individual tickets for rides. (Can you say coming and going?) YunLong had been here before, and had ridden some, but not all of the rides. XiaoMei had never been to a park like this. Sometimes she would be hesitant to try a ride, but YunLong was always encouraging her to try it, and that it was fun, not scary. He also is now quick to reach for Bo's hand to come ahead and see things with him. He's doing so great! It's harder for me to tell how XiaoMei is doing, but our guide says that whenever she asks her, she says she is very happy.
Towards the end of our time at the park, Bo and YunLong went into a building that has snow, and tube and sled riding, and forts. They give you a parka to wear, although YunLong had on shorts and Bo had on sandals, so they got quite cold. During that time, Jane and I got to talk with XiaoMei about some things at her orphanage. Through Jane, I told her that she will always be a part of our family....that it's forever.
YunLong wanted MeiDonLaw (written phonetically, I have no idea of the pinyin for that) which is McDonald's. He tried to convince XiaoMei, but she wasn't having it. She's not such a fan of American food! We ended up getting some take out from McD's and taking it back to the hotel room, since we have noodle bowls to heat up here for her. She ended up eating some of YunLong's drumsticks, after all though. (Their menu also has KFC type stuff on it here.) And just like last time we were in China....FRIED pies! You don't get any sweets here, and we've pretty much eaten rice noodles this whole trip, so it's a nice break from the monotony.
The whole day was incredibly fun, and the only iffy time was right before bed. It kept getting later and later, and they would not settle down. Constantly getting out of bed, turning on lights, noisy video games, even though they asked if they could just stay up to read, etc. Then the notes started. YunLong was writing notes, and XiaoMei was totally cracking up. I'm pretty sure they said something to the effect that we're schlumps or something! Oh well, today was certainly more than two steps forward, one step back. Closer to five and one, I'd say.

Highs and Lows

2009-06-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday started off well. I caught the kids looking together at their photo albums that they each received, comparing the pictures. We got ready, had breakfast, and then headed out for the Minority Village. (Like Epcot, basically...not a "real" minority village.) It features typical architecture and costumes of the 20 or so minority groups, all in Yunnan. Anyways, we pay for our tickets, and are just inside of the park and see you can either hire a costumed guide for the day, hoof it, or rent one of those 6-seater family bikes. We opted for the bike, since the kids thought that would be fun. Bo and Jane were at the counter paying for it, and XiaoMei and YunLong were goofing around and pedaling the bike forward, while I was goofing around and holding them back or letting them get a little ahead and then pushing the bike back to its original spot. Two ladies walk up, one with a small child, and in rapid-fire Chinese start talking to me, and I could tell I was being thanked. Then the woman says she is "......(can't understand)........Mama," gesturing to herself. Now, we've many times in China, especially with Ellie's adoption, had people thank us for adopting, usually getting across the point that the children will have a bright future in America. But, this time it seemed different, and I gestured back, and in my limited, mangled Mandarin asked if she was his MaMa. She started nodding her head yes, hugging me, and then went over to YunLong, trying to hug and get him down off the bike to see him. He kept his head down, but I could see tears starting, and he was getting very upset or mad. I called Jane over and told her I thought this was his foster mom. She quickly came over and found out that indeed, she was. We aren't sure if YunLong had mentioned coming here the next day (although Jane didn't hear him say that) or if they took a gamble, knowing that adoptive families usually visit this tourist spot. Anyways, we hugged, said our thank-yous, to her for loving and caring for him all these years, and to us for giving him a family and a future. (The other woman was her sister, I believe, and the child was like YunLong's cousin.) Jane was quick to get us on our way though. It was very distressing to YunLong, and we got him down off the bike for a quick, face downcast picture, but then he got back on the bike and would not speak to them. Clearly, he was hurting. Within about 15 minutes though, he was enjoying himself again at the park. Absolutely crazy, but it did allow for some more closure, we believe.
After resting in the room for a few hours, it was time for a walk to Green Lake Park and the boat ride we promised the kids yesterday. We took a paddle boat out on the lake for about 50 minutes, and had a very pleasant time. The kids took turns paddling, and when we were in areas where there weren't other boaters, they both steered and paddled. Then we were off to a Sichuan style restaurant across from our hotel.
Now, YunLong is incredibly smart. Although he is the younger of the two, he is the one who speaks and explains things to XiaoMei. Now, this is not to say she is not bright! She definitely is! It's just that her cleft lip and palate were not repaired till she was much older, and she never received any kind of speech therapy. Her orphanage basically felt she couldn't do much in the way of schooling due to her lip, so there you go. She will definitely have a tough row to hoe, but we'll do what we can to make sure she receives the help she needs. YunLong has definitely got a sweet side, but the "little emperor" side can come out, too, and it did tonight. He was the youngest in his home, with sibling far, far older. The Chinese tend to be far more permissive than we are anyways, and because he was the baby of the family, we don't believe he had any discipline. The kids tease back and forth and have fun, but tonight at dinner it went too far. YunLong was really making fun of XiaoMei. She laughs it off, usually, or swats at him, but he took it even farther. We let him know, and then had our guide explain that making fun of her lip and saying derogatory things about her because of it are completely unacceptable. He (begrudgingly) acknowledged this rule. Back at the room, however, he started up again. So, he got told (in Mandarin), "NO!" with gestures about her lip. He took off to his bed and pouted. He did allow me to go in and rub his back though, and I told him (again, in Mandarin) that we love him, but we also love XiaoMei. I sent the kids in to get their showers, and XiaoMei came out without her hair washed. This wouldn't be a big deal, except that she had done that yesterday, as well, so I told her to go back and wash her hair. She shook her head no. So, I said that yes, she needed to go wash her hair; again, no. One more time, then I told Bo to tell her. She AGAIN said no! And he, more firmly told her to, and she did! I actually take this as a good thing. I think she's comfortable enough to risk NOT doing what we say! Oh, and after YunLong came out, I could tell that he had just run the water for enough time to have taken a shower, and then came out, un-showered.....
Sneaky little monkey.
We'll deal with that another day :-)

A New Day

2009-06-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! Seeing as how difficult yesterday was for YunLong, I had no expectations for today to be much better, if not quite a bit worse. I was incredibly (and thankfully) wrong. YunLong woke up, knowing that today we'd eat breakfast and then head to the zoo, since our guide had explained that to him before bed last night. He woke up amicably enough, and I had him choose between his new clothes what he would like to wear. Bo, XiaoMei, YunLong, and I then headed to breakfast. Breakfast was fine, no incidents, and then it was time for the zoo.
We spent several hours at the Kunming Zoo, and had so much fun! This zoo would never be allowed in America. Besides the fact that many of the walkways were stone walking paths (definitely *not* ADA approved), there were steps and steep ramps everywhere. And the displays were so much closer to the animals than we are used to at home. The kids were quick to take over with the camera and the flips (video cameras) so we have MANY, MANY photos and videos! Everytime we got to steps or ramps, YunLong took off running up them, always waiting for us at the top though. He led us from place to place, and was familiar with the layout of the zoo.
The part that clearly let you know we weren't in Kansas anymore was the lion display. For around $1.50 each, the kids got to have a bamboo rod with string attached. On the end of the string was about a quarter of a chicken. They could dangle it over the lion, and tease it, and get it to jump after it, till it finally was quick enough to grab the meat. Course, for $12, we could have thrown a live chicken into the cage! (Really!) YunLong informed us though that it's cheaper to buy a chicken in town, just about $3, so we should get one there and bring it to the zoo!
After lunch at McDonald's (YunLong wanted it, and asked XiaoMei if we could have that), we went back to the hotel. The kids watched some Tom & Jerry, and YunLong set up ramps and tunnels for his remote car. Then the jumping on the bed started! After that, they looked at pictures on the computer. YunLong took over the clicking and picking what he wanted to see, also allowing XiaoMei to have turns choosing photos and clicking. I showed them the iVideo on my computer; you just click it and the built in camera can film you in front of it. Then....the BOOTY DANCE! YunLong is a total ham, and as soon as he saw he was on the computer screen, he jumped up on the bed and proceeded to act like a monkey, make faces, and the icing on the cake was the booty dance. There were even some "Walk Like An Egyptian" type moves at one point! XiaoMei and I were cracking up! (Bo was asleep in our adjoining room, so he missed it, but got to check out the video later.)
Dinner was at a local Yunnan style noodle house, complete with entertainment. YunLong did get reprimanded a little though when he went and unlocked windows. We took a stroll afterwards around Green Lake Park, which is beautiful. Tomorrow we'll go back in the afternoon and rent a little boat.
The most amazing part of the day though was when we got back to the hotel this evening. Jane had talked with YunLong about his foster family and what he knew. He didn't want to write down the address, although he knew it, because he said it was in his head. We wanted to let him call his foster family though, since he hadn't been allowed to say goodbye. Sure enough, he did know the phone number. Jane spoke with his his foster mama first, making sure it was okay, and then he got to talk. His foster brother and sister came home while they were on the phone, so he got to talk to them, too. I can't share much more on here about that, but suffice it to say it was a positive thing for him.

Seven Kids!

2009-06-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

I wish I could write a glowing report of how today went; however, that would be a lie. Knowing what I know about Kunming though, I was prepared for this.
We met and finalized YunLong's adoption today, much to his chagrin. (He has been in the same foster home for 8 years.) The orphanage staff showed up at his foster home today and took him. They told him they were taking him to the city (he lives just outside in the suburbs) to go to a park and that they would bring him home later. He had NO idea he was being adopted, and was completely lied to, to boot. He never even got to say goodbye to his foster mama and baba, or his older foster siblings...an older brother who is a police officer and a sister who is getting married soon. The nanny (who is a virtual stranger to YunLong, herself) was very mean to him...yelling at him and threatening him if he didn't stop crying and asking for his foster family (at the police station where Jane, our awesome guide, convinced them to use the faxed copy of our TA, which they normally won't do.) She also let the nanny know that that was not the way to talk to him, and comforted him and assured him nothing bad would happen for crying.
The afternoon was quite difficult. He's grieving hard, of course. That being said, I did get him to laugh some this evening, showing him photos on the computer and even a video of Bo singing on the Wii Guitar Hero game. He is smart as a whip, and the cutest (and tiniest) boy. He did give us a real scare earlier today at the Carrefore (like Walmart) store. As soon as we arrived, he took off running up the escalator/ramp thing. Fortunately, he stopped at the top, and was just being a boy...looked like something fun to do. He went in and took his shower tonight and got in his pj's, but came out sobbing again, crying that he wanted to go home with his mama and baba. We feel so bad for him. What is already a terribly difficult thing, was made so much more difficult by what they did to him.
Kara XiaoMei is sweet as can be. She is helpful and independent, but not in a bossy way. She smiles her beautiful smile at us, and so enjoys going shopping and clothes and all things pretty. What a delight!
Please, continue to pray for our little guy. He's hurting so bad.

Kara is Officially Ours!!!!

2009-06-03T16:02:00.001-07:00

Well, it’s official! Kara XiaoMei is officially a member of the family! After breakfast, we headed to the local CCAA/Notary office and finalized her adoption. Again, Kara was so sweet. She had to verbally agree to the adoption, which she did, but then teared up (so, of course, I teared up.) Our guide is translating the answers from the orphanage director that we had brought. We’ll be spending the afternoon at a park, and then heading to the airport. We’ll be flying to Kunming tonight, and meeting Ross YunLong tomorrow.
Crazy schedule!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

2009-06-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our meeting with XiaoMei went so well! She is a sweet, quiet girl, and very pretty...such a sweet smile. We had a pretty quick appointment at the local CCAA office, during which she was obviously very quiet, and I’m sure scared and quite shell-shocked after her 3 hour car ride. It wasn’t until the directors of her swi left that she started to cry. We left the office, having signed the harmonious bonding period papers, and then went straight to the Carrefore shopping center to get her some necessities, like clothes, and shoes, as well as some fun things for her.
It became quickly apparent that XiaoMei is a girly-girl! Her favorite color is yellow, and she loves hair pretties. We were all getting pretty hungry, so we finished up shopping (after 1.5 hours) and went to the noodle shop right next to the hotel. Jane, our guide, left us there with meals ordered and plans to meet up at 6 PM to head out for dinner.
After lunch, we went back to our room for some “getting to know you” time. Even though we don’t speak the same language, we managed to have a nice afternoon, going through XiaoMei’s new things, doing Barbie hair (XiaoMei is good at braiding hair) and coloring. She even let me paint her nails! XiaoMei and I then watched a dvd we had bought her of a famous Chinese musician/actor and BaBa took a nap. I even got a laugh out of XiaoMei by making fun of Bo’s snoring!
At 6:00, we headed out with Jane for some dinner and it was actually cool out, so we bought XiaoMei a sweater. The area around the Confucius Temple is lit up, as are many of the pagodas, and it’s just beautiful. We’re now back in the room, XiaoMei is getting a shower, and I’m planning on hitting the hay. I’m exhausted! But thrilled with how things are going, so far.
Night, y’all!

2009-06-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Oh, my goodness! What a whirlwind. We left home for the airport at 5:30 AM Sunday and flew to San Fransisco, and with just a 1 hour layover, hopped on our plane for Beijing. That flight was about 12 hours, getting us there at around 2 (Beijing time). We had about 3 hours, so we grabbed a quick dinner at the airport, and then headed to our gate for our flight to Nanjing, Jiangsu. That was another 2 hours, plus a half hour drive to our hotel, putting us there around 10 PM. All of this totalled about 27 hours travel time, so we were *very* tired by the time we arrived. We called home, and hit the sack.
Her in Nanjing, we’re staying at the Mandarin Garden Hotel, and it’s beautiful. And although we loved the Jin Feng Hotel in Nanchang, Jiangxi (where we stayed with Ellie), this hotel has a much prettier view out front. Our daughter has probably left her swi in Sucheng City, Suqian District, since it’s a 3 hour drive for her. We are going to head down to breakfast, our first non-airplane/airport food in 2 days, and then we’ll be leaving for to meet our daughter at 10 AM!!! We are so excited to finally meet her, and have her join our family. And we’re so grateful for all the prayers. We only just learned of her about 6 weeks ago, but she’s already taken her place in our hearts and the hearts of our children. The fact that we were able to get all the paperwork done in time, with all the different government agencies involved, is a testiment to our good and faithful God.
More to come!

Thank You

2009-05-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

I just want to take a moment to thank all the men and women (especially my brother and sister) who have served this nation. Your sacrifice is not taken lightly. We thank God for your willingness to serve and protect our freedoms.

This was taken at our neighbor's home after Hurricane Charlie in 2004.

So much drama!

2009-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not even gonna run down all the drama of late, but let's just say...WHEW! It's all worked out now...all the paperwork is in China, and we're good to go!

I know it's really lame to not be able to see any photos, but I don't think I'm able to post any just yet, but seeing as how we're leaving for China in 9 DAYS, you'll be seeing the kids soon enough :)

Bo is back from his two weeks on the road, and now it's time to ready the rooms (which we're shuffling a bit) for our new additions. We have this three day weekend, and then Carissa and Nathan will be flying in. We wanted her to come a little early to get a feel for the area, as well as allow Annie and Ellie to get reacquainted with her.

Our tickets over and back are booked, and our in-country itinerary is being worked out now. We are getting so excited, but with it is trepidation, knowing how difficult the coming weeks and months are going to be. But, it's all worth it, and we can't wait to bring our kids home!

Mary's at it, too!

2009-05-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Whatever talents I may (and I use may very loosely) possess when it comes to sewing, Mary far surpasses. She bought this pack of fat quarters, and wanted to make a purse out of it. She couldn't find any tutorials that I've saved that she liked, so she decided to make it up as she went. With very little input from me, she created this little, lined purse. She's awesome!

Fat Minnie looking on.

Christy's Craft Challenge

2009-05-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

A while back,before the craziness of late, I had entered some of my sewing projects in a contest on a site called Crafty Nation, and won a free month's subscription to Christy Nelson's Craft Challenge. Basically, Christy sends you a package containing different items, and you have to come up with something out of those items. You can add your own items to what you make, but you must use each component that was sent.

This month's featured floral scrapbook paper, blue fabric, silk flowers and leaves, floral wire, buttons, and hmmmm....I think that was everything. (Sorry, posting about a week after I made mine.) Anyways, I immediately saw a purse with a paper doll set.

Here's Ellie enjoying her new toy.

And Annie asked me, "Is it magical?"
That's all I need to hear! No matter what, if that's her reaction to it, I'd say I already won.

Quick Update

2009-05-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Our paperwork arrived at NVC on Tuesday, May 19! Now, it just has to get sent to the consulate in Guangzhou, then on to the CCAA so they can issue our Travel Approval!

Amazingly Good News!

2009-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I called NBC to see if our paperwork had been released from the lockbox and sent on to them, and was told that they still did not have it. Then woke up Friday to find that not only had NBC received it, but we got our I800 Provisional Approval!!!!!

I know all these terms and such make no sense outside of the adoption community, but let me assure you, this was GREAT news! At this point, NBC (National Benefits Center) will forward our approval on to NVC (I don't even know what this one stands for) and then they will do their thing with it (probably stamp it or something). They will then forward it to the consulate in Guangzhou, who will stamp it, I guess, and then it will be forwarded to the CCAA (Chinese Center for Adoptive Affairs), at which point, we can receive TA! (Ooops, yet another acronym. That one stands for Travel Approval :) Still a few more hurdles to jump, but on Thursday, upon hearing NBC didn't even have our paperwork, we thought that their was no way this would all get done in order for us to be on a plane by June 1st. Now...we're feeling very hopeful.

The hardest part for us in this, is knowing full well that God is sovereign over all this. It's hard to think that it could possibly be in God's plan for XiaoMei to *not* come home and join our family, but we trust in His perfect Word. Thank you to those who have been praying for us. We are so grateful for your friendship.

Why I Miss Florida

2009-05-11T20:59:00.001-07:00

'Nuff said.

Some More Sewing Projects

2009-05-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Before putting away my sewing machine to work on some other necessary projects, I managed to finish a few more items that I've been working on.

These are dresses I made for Annie and Ellie out of fabric I got at a thrift store for about $3 total. They love 'em, and I think they're cute as can be! I can't find the link at the moment, but rest assured. Someone more talented than I came up with the idea.

Here is the purse I made for both my mom and mother-in-law for a combo birthday/Mother's Day gift. I used this tutorial and then made this make-up pouch to match, using this tute.

I still haven't used a pattern for anything I've made. One of these days, I'll learn how to sew, for real, but for now I manage to make do well enough.

Nothing new to post on the adoption front. I'll be keeping y'all posted.

Roadblock

2009-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

The new adoption laws have really messed things up. Sorry, but it's true. See, the Hague laws went into effect; these laws which are supposed to help children. So far, it has just seemed to slow things down, if not altogether deter parents from even going through the process altogether. We were at the stage of sending in our I800 when I last posted. Well, the part I didn't understand was that this next batch of paperwork *must* go to a lockbox first. (That's right. Lockbox. And if all you can picture is Al Gore, you're not alone.) Anyways, my agency talked to NBC (not the tv station, it's the US's agency that handles all the paperwork for adoptions) to see if it were possible, considering our tenuous situation, to skip or expedite the lockbox step.

Guess what. It's not actually run by a government agency. See, it's contracted out to union workers. They're only permitted to work a certain number of hours, and no one is allowed to call them to explain why it's so critical that ours be sent through. They say that the lockbox wait is currently one to two weeks before they send your paperwork to NBC (no...they don't actually do anything with it...just hold onto it for a while.) From others reports lately though, it looks as if it's more like two to three weeks. If that is the case, we will not have time to get Kara Xiao Mei's paperwork through everything it needs to get through for us to adopt her before she ages out.

Somehow, this new process just doesn't seem like it truly has the best interests of children at heart. Seems like bureaucracy to
me.

Sorry for this rant. I've just moved from jubilant, to sad, to ticked in a very short period of time and it's all coming out here, unfortunately. I plan to call NBC tomorrow or Wednesday...just to see if maybe, just maybe, they have received our paperwork.

We have names!

2009-05-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Still can't post pictures, however, I think it's okay to share the names we have chosen.

Our daughter will be Kara XiaoMei and our son will be Ross YunLong.

I know it's not much, but I should have some pretty regular updates from here on out. We are going to send a care package out to Ross later this week, although based on other's experiences with his orphanage (he's in foster care, but it has to go through the swi) he likely won't receive it, or will just receive a portion of it the day before he meets us. We want to wait a little longer before we send anything to Kara, because she has already been disappointed by a family backing out of her adoption and I don't want to get her hopes up if it looks like this final bit of paperwork won't be done in time. Plus, we know we'll have time to get something to her, even if we wait another two weeks or so.

Our BIG news!

2009-05-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

For so long, we had NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH going on with the adoption. Everything with the paperchase this time around was slow. It took 8 months to complete our dossier. Back in February, we had decided that if it were at all possible, we'd like to bring home two children. We had contacted our agency and social worker, and since we weren't yet through immigration, we were able to change our paperwork. (Ended up having to pay all sorts of extra fees and everything, even though we got it done in time, but that's a whole different story about the efficiency of government work!)

As of last Monday, April 20th, we still hadn't received our approval, but we knew it should be done pretty soon. On Tuesday, April 28th, we got a call from our sw at our adoption agency, WACAP about a girl who was close to aging out. They knew we were hoping for a second child, and especially one that was close to the age cut-off, which is 14. This girl will age out June 8th, so they weren't sure if the CCAA would even agree to us being her family, because we may not have enough time. However, we decided to try to pursue her adoption, along with the adoption of the son for whom we've been waiting so long.

The CCAA said yes, they would expedite their end, so we were hopeful, but tentative. Our agency received our approval from USCIS, and sent off our dossier on Monday, April 27th. On Tuesday, April 28th we received PA (pre-approval) and on Thursday, April 30th our agency received our LOA/LSC, which is our Letter Seeking Confirmation!!!!

So, here we are. Friday, May 1st. Bo will get home from a business trip tonight, and we'll be completing our I800, along with a slew of other paperwork. (It is remarkable how many forms our government can come up with, and how insanely wordy and complicated they can make things.) We need to choose names, since you now have to have their names chosen before traveling. First thing tomorrow, we need to find a notary so we can sign all the paperwork, and then FedEx them all to our agency. They'll get these off to all the various places they need to go, and we're praying that these agencies will cooperate with rushing them through. It's vital that this all be accomplished in as short a time as possible, because we need to be in province and have the adoption completed *before* June 8th, so we really don't have much time at all.

We have already purchased a 12-seater car! Yep...we're now THAT family! We have so much to do before we leave, and my head is spinning trying to sort through it all. We weren't expecting to travel till November, so all the things that you need to have prepared....well, we don't. We need things like red envelopes, ayi gifts, medicines, and so much other stuff that I unfortunately don't remember from the last time we went to China!

I cannot yet post pictures, but I will just as soon as I can, I promise!

2009-04-29T15:06:00.001-07:00

My newest form of therapy

2009-04-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed sewing for years, although I've tended to limit it to things like curtains, pillows, and costumes that are only going to be worn once so it doesn't matter how well they're contructed. Lately, however, I've become really adventurous and even tried making some clothing. There are so many great FREE tutorials (I heart free!) to help guide you step-by-step through your project, which is perfect because I don't really know how to read a pattern, and I learn better seeing than reading.

Oh, and turns out being totally thrifty and reconstructing things and doing then in a less than professional or correct way is a popular way of doing things now. Apparently I've been decades ahead of the curve! I'll post a slideshow of some of the things I've been making.

I WON AN AWARD!!!

2009-04-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

That's right...Worst Blogger Ever!

Okay, maybe not the worst...but right up there, I'm afraid. I get into moods where I like updating and adding pictures, and sharing with the two people who read this what all we're up to. But then I get in this mood where I hate fighting with my iPhoto program, which seems to take any pictures that I use for a post, and adds them to about 12 folders, which makes me crazy. I'm determined to not let this computer get all junked up like my last one. Oh, and speaking of my old computer....the one that Best Buy said would cost about $700 to fix....yeah, that one. Well, a friend from church fixed it....for freeeeEEEEEEE! (Said in my best Adam Sandler voice in the movie Bedtime Stories.)

So, I'm going to spend today and tomorrow trying to bring this blog as up-to-date as possible, because I have a feeling things are going to start getting really crazy around here!

Four Generations

2009-01-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, we left for Ohio to see family. We visited my Grandma Schmucker, and were able to get a four generation photo for a beautiful picture frame my mom gave me. I'm not sure what Clay and I are looking at though, but it seems to be something on the ceiling...either that or the person who took the photo must have been sitting down :)

(I'm going to try adding the photo tomorrow...I've tried multiple times, and it just isn't happening.)

Okay...Day Two of trying to add this picture, and it just ain't happening :(

Annie's 4th Birthday

2009-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Annie was really excited about her princess dress-up clothes, and of course, had to change into her new purple princess dress. (Ellie snatched up the pink one as quick as could be.

Annie's purple cake had more of a bluish hue, but she was still tickled with it. (After all, Ellie had an all pink birthday, so Annie wanted an all purple birthday...her favorite color by default since Ellie claims everything pink that we get.)

It was a wonderful, stay at home and play happy birthday!

(The pictures post in reverse order...cake first, then presents, but I'm too lazy to change them. Remember, if you click on the photos they will enlarge. I highly recommend clicking on the one of the cake being presented to Annie. Take a look at Ellie's (whose face is hidden by the cake) fingers!)

Huge hiatus...

2009-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long. I actually worked 20 some odd hours/week from the week before Thanksgiving right up to Dec. 23rd at Bo's company. We figured it was doable for a very short period of time, but it was definitely a busy time for us. It was nice to have some extra money towards the adoption, though, so it was worth the sacrifice.

Enough about that...pictures, right! Here's a cute one of Annie & Elle....

Just had to share....

2008-11-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

The kids and I were privileged to be able to go hear John McCain speak at the rally a little over a week ago. We were sitting right over the walkway where the speakers entered, but my camera pooped out on me. (Surprise, surprise.) These are the pictures I *did* manage to get.

Ooops! Bo took the camera with him on his latest business trip, so I can't upload the pics. I'll add them when he gets back. (Course, the election results should be in by then, so not quite so timely a post!)

Is That Don Johnson?

2008-10-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Clay was invited to a 60's, 70's, 80's dress up birthday party for a friend in his co-op. We knew that we were most likely going to go with the 80's (and why not...it was a great decade all around...the styles, the music, the president.) We just weren't sure what direction we were going to go though. There's the classic "hair band" look, along with other musical inspirations like Devo, Flock of Seagulls, Van Halen. Or you can go 80's styles like parachute pants, upturned collars, preppie-Izod, pegged jeans, stone washed jeans, and oh, what we would have given for a sweet mullet. But seeing as how he's 6'3" and we were planning to obtain this outfit at one of the local thrift shops, we decided to hold off deciding till we saw what was available.

Well, the heavens shone down upon the most wonderful pair of white linen pants in just the right length and we knew...Miami Vice. That's right, Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett. We got the turquoise blue tight shirt, and even found a linen jacket. Aviator sunglasses, dress shoes, and a gun finished off the ensemble. But, the shining masterpiece was the hair. I (Mom) feathered, blew dry, and hairsprayed Clay's hair in the most awesome (or was it tubular or radical back then? But I digress...) style! Oh, and wait...his good friend in the co-op had not yet picked out his outfit. Clay called him from the thrift store, and he looked them up on the web. (You read that right...he didn't know the guys from Miami Vice!!! Neither boy did, actually.) But, as soon as he pulled up the website, his response was, "I am so gonna be Tubbs!"

Clay and Joe looked great as Crockett and Tubbs. They got 2nd place for their costumes. Joe's brother Justin won though...He was dressed as Erkle! (He was perfect, although wasn't that a 90's show???) Neither here nor there. The kids all had a great time!

Had to get a close up of the feathered hair!

Crockett & Tubbs

Photos from Steamboat Springs

2008-10-15T13:25:00.001-07:00

Heading for the waterfall and FREEZING!

So worth weathering the cold (and my silly camera doesn't even attempt to grasp how beautiful this really is.)

Close to 12,000 feet...again, FREEZING!

I have a new computer!!!

2008-10-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to pick up a nasty virus, or some other crazy thing that all but slaughtered my computer, but I'm back up and running with a new computer. This one is a Mac though, so there's a learning curve to using it. Since last posting though, I've been up to see my oldest friend, Angie. We were both nannies way back when and have managed to keep in touch, and even name kids after eachother (middle names). It was a totally last minute trip, but she graciously allowed me to come "get away" and spend time hanging out with her and her girls and even her husband, Jason. We cooked, recovered chairs, and scrapbooked (well, I would have except my computer died.) We went and saw zebras, elk, deer, bears, and buffalo that chewed on her Odyssey. We thrifted (woohoo!) and she even planned a girl's night out with her friends that have somehow become my friends through Ang and the internet. We even hit Ikea on our way back to Seattle's airport. Mainly, we just hung out, laughed, and had so much fun talking about everything under the sun.

And now, since Bo is getting ready to leave for Hawaii and California for 10 days, he decided to take a day off work. We went up to Steamboat Springs. It's too late in the year for summer activities, but too early for winter sports, so we really didn't have a whole lot to do. It was a nice trip up there though, and we walked around the old downtown. The kids are always happy to spend the night in a hotel, especially Annie and Ellie. The next day (today) we went to Fish Creek Falls, a 280 ft. waterfall. There was a dusting of snow on the northfacing mountains and the birch trees were a brilliant yellow. It was stunning. We then took a different route home that looked more like Arizona than anything we'd seen so far in Colorado...very pretty, and then stopped for lunch in Vail. We decided to get off the highway and took the Loveland Pass, which peaks at over 12,000 feet and over looks a 14,000 mountaintop. At the peak, we got out of the car so the girls could play in some of the little patches of snow. It was freezing, and Annie, our little GRITS girl, or Girl Raised In The South was sooooo cold. It didn't seem to bother Ellie at all. We're back home now, though, so it's back to normal....laundry, school, grocery shopping. I'll try to add some pictures tomorrow, after I figure out how to put my new pictures into my new photo program.

The Mike Tyson of the Animal World

2008-09-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we went for a quick trip to Castlewood Canyon again (hiked different trail than last time) and then couldn't resist heading up into the mountains, at least a little. So, we make the quick drive up to Evergreen to our favorite park. We normally stop at the first part of it where there are these great rock formations that are fun for climbing. There are difficult parts, which challenge Mary and Sam, as well as Clay even, although less and less, since he goes rock climbing almost every day at our rec center. There are easy enough parts though for Annie and Ellie, who love to go rock climbing, and fancy themselves as being quite adept!

This trip, we decided to head a little further back into the park, just to see if there were any other neat areas or rocks for climbing. We got just a little further in, and came upon a huge herd of elk. There were tons of female elk (cows) and one bull elk (the male.) He was HUGE!!! There were other bulls, but they couldn't get too near the harem. (Yes, that's really what it's called in the elk world.) They were in the woods right next to the road, as well as on the road, and the hill above us. We saw a biker, who wisely stayed tucked behind a bush till the big daddy bull went running after another bull who was trying to get next to one of his *ladies.* We kept hearing this high pitched yelling, and I thought a child had surely gotten away from her parents and was terrified by all the large elk she was surely surrounded by. I'm feverishly looking for this little girl, when Bo busts up laughing. It's the big guy himself...

That HUGE bull with his 7 point on each side antlers screaming like a little girl! The kids were dying laughing at the howling this guy was doing. Annie would imitate it, as well, and then just bust up laughing.

We sat and watched this herd for about 45 minutes. It was hilarious seeing the big guy go running after the other males who were skirting his harem, howling all the way. He'd then come back to the harem and squeal at them, and make them come in closer, I imagine so he could keep tabs on them. We later spoke with the wildlife rangers who came driving through, and they shared how the other males were trying to enter the herd, but the bull was not yet letting them. We took plenty of pictures, but I'll just share a few.

Bawling at the cows...gotta keep 'em in line (Big bully!)

Had to share this picture of my little ladies. (This was earlier at Castlewood Canyons.)

My baby is sixteen & I lost my job!

2008-09-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

September 16th....My oldest baby turns 16! We officially celebrated Clay's birthday the weekend before by going climbing and hiking at Castlewood Canyon, then going out for pizza, but celebrated with cake and ice cream on his actual birthday. Oh, and speaking of cake...my position has been downsized, outsourced, I've been let go. Clay asked Mary to make his birthday cake this year. (WoooHOOOO!) And not just any cake. He wanted a checkerboard cake. Think Vans Old Schools. She is one messy baker, but she got the job done. Clay loved his cake (and I loved not having to bake it!)

The checkerboard cake is taking shape

Clay being a 16 year old goob

The finished product

Obligatory picture of the blowing out of the candles :)

One of our new favorite places

2008-09-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

As homesick as I have been, I cannot deny that Colorado is amazingly beautiful. One of the things our family has really enjoyed since moving to Colorado is hiking and climbing, each at their own level. One of our new favorite places is Castlewood Canyon. After a short hike, you come to a beautiful waterfall, and there's plenty of fresh, cold water to splash around in.

P.S. In case you didn't know this (I didn't!) you can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them.

Mary Bakes!

2008-09-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

That's right! Here's Mary, showing off the Red Waldorf cake she made, which just happens to be my favorite.

My Cup Runneth Over

2008-09-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

I finally have some pears!!!! Look how beautiful they are. We had some sliced pears with lunch, and then the girls and I went and collected a couple more pears that were close to being ripe. (A lot more fell off the tree when we were picking them, so I brought them in, in the hopes that I could get them to ripen soon.) There were enough that were close enough to being ripe...not to be eaten fresh, but they cooked up beautifully into a cobbler.

Country Pear Cobbler

Filling:

3/4 C firmly packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Dash cloves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

6 to 8 medium pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Topping:

1 C flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 C buttermilk

3 Tbsp margarine or butter, melted (Who am I kidding? BUTTER!)

1 Tbsp sugar, if desired (and yes...you do desire)

Light cream, if desired (and yes, I did desire, but not enough to run to the grocery store)

Combine all of the filling ingredients, except pears, in a large skillet. Stir in sliced pears. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly, stirring gently. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make topping. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and soda in bowl and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Continue to mix on low for another 30 seconds, or until blended. (Don't overblend.)

Pour hot filling into 8 or 9 inch baking pan. Spoon topping over filling and sprinkle with that extra 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until pears are tender and bubbly and topping is done...all nice and golden brown. Serve warm and top with light cream, if desired, or a la mode.

I also had a sweet surprise from one of my "new, old" friends. I'll explain that first. I've known Erin for 2 years online. We're both members of a China adoption group, and we both brought our girls home within a couple months of eachother. Now that we live in Colorado, we only live about 20 minutes away and were able to get together one day this summer before she had to go back to school (she is a teacher here in our local school district.) Well, she dropped in to congratulate us on receiving PA, and she brought me flowers! How sweet is that?

I am one blessed gal!

Doing the Snoopy Dance

2008-09-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks! We got PA! That means China has given us to go-ahead to proceed with our adoption!

Here is our timeline so far:
8-28-08 Letter of Intent
9-8-08 PA

Now, please pray that everything on the US side starts flooding my social worker's mail box so we can really get rolling. Seriously, though. We do covet your prayers. This adoption is going to be quite different than Ellie's, I'm sure, but we look forward to what God has in store for us.

Mom's New Hairbrush. Take One.

2008-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Cast of Characters

One ratty, 1.5+ year old hairbrush that had a "comfort" gel handle that mysteriously began to get squished out after the first week of being owned. (Through no fault of its own...simply that it's Stretch Armstrong-like feel proved too tempting for a two year old.) It has since been bandaged with toilet paper, Dora bandaids, surgical bandaids, tape, and now is currently wrapped in bandaging tape.

One fabulously put together and perfectly coiffed Mom

Annie: a spunky, sassy, 3.5 year old with lots of dramatic flair
and a messy mop of blonde hair

One shiny new hairbrush

Annie: Mom, why did you get a new hair brush?

Mom: Because somebody squeezed all the squishy stuff out of my old brush.

Annie: Oh, I'm sorry. (Big smile) But didn't you know there was a monster in it? I squeezed all the monster out.

Mom: Really? I had no idea there was a monster in my brush! Thank you so much, Annie.

Annie: No problem, Mom. You're welcome. (Begins to head out of the room, but turns back around to say...) Glad I could be of help!

P.S. Just have to add that after I took Annie's picture she said, "That's a good one!" Good grief, that girl is cute!

Speaking of homeschooling....

2008-09-08T00:03:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd give you a heads up about a really cool site. It combines two of some of my favorite things, homeschooling and freebies!

Each week they send out an email containing what that week's freebies are going to be, and all you have to do is go to their site and download them.

http://homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

I honestly cannot remember.....

2008-09-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

The last time I had a whole afternoon to myself. I'm trying to think back to a time...surely there's been a day in the last year, right? For the life of me, I cannot remember one though. Anyways, this past Saturday, Bo took the kids to the zoo, and I got to stay home...ALONE! Now, normally, I'm all about getting out of the house and being with the family, but I had a ton of work to do that just wasn't happening with all the kids home (or should I be honest and say with two 3 year olds at home?)

See, I somehow managed to get myself into a brand spankin' new homeschool co-op. Teaching two classes. Me. I know I've homeschooled for 9 years, but I am no teacher. There's a world of difference between schooling your own children on your couch and around your kitchen table and standing up and teaching a lesson to a group of someone else's children. I've done the preschool VBS thing, but that only requires a weeklong commitment, so again...world of difference. And believe me when I tell you, preschool is my ultimate comfort zone. It's the only age group with which I am fairly competant I can appear more knowledgeable than my students.

Fortunately, one of my classes *is* preschool. We'll be doing Before Five in a Row/Five in a Row, which should really be a lot of fun. We'll basically read a different book each week, and do a couple activities which tie in to the story. The only real challenge here is to have enough activities so that each one is *rilly* short and *rilly* sweet, cause kids that age have *rilly* short attention spans.

My other class will be a little more challenging. It's for K-4th graders (BIG age difference--non-readers & readers, spellers & non-spellers) so that alone presents a challenge. I'm basing my lessons on Galloping the Globe, which is a basic geography course. We will be covering the continents and the larger countries within them, as well as the major bodies of water. I hope to have quite a bit of activities and different foods to keep it interesting. (I will hate if it I find out the kids hate my class....and I'm realizing that I may have issues if I feel the desparate need to be liked by 2nd graders!)

Anyways, it was a nice change of pace to have a quiet house for the whole afternoon. I sat and lesson planned and drank several cups of coffee. I think I could get used to this teaching thing if it means I can request more of these planning days!

My Beautiful Torment

2008-09-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Look at this amazingly beautiful pear. It, and many others just like it are growing in my back yard. I wake up disappointed each day though when I see so many of them laying on the ground. I feel them on the tree, and they just aren't ripe. I've googled the tar out of "growing pear trees" and other searches like that to try to figure out how we can enjoy this blessing right from the yard. I've read that the pears don't ripen on the tree, but that once it begins to feel soft by the stem is the perfect time to pull it off. Then, to speed the ripening, you can place it in a paper bag. I assure you...I am out there checking these pears everyday. They still don't feel soft AT ALL. Still, I pick some, and try the paper bag trick, but still...no edible pears.

Oh, wait...I did happen upon one pear that seemed to have softened enough to cut up. Unfortunately, that suspicious brown spot on the skin was exactly what I was hoping against hope that it wasn't...a worm. The inside was....YUCK! The cold weather is coming, and I fear I'm going to lose all the pears to either dropping on the ground, or not being ripe before the frost sets in and does them all in.

I had such vision for these pears. Pears with chocolate dripped over them, pear cobbler, pear salad, pear muffins. *sigh* Anybody know anything about pears?

Forever Family

2008-09-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

This week we celebrated Forever Family Day. One year ago, this past Tuesday, Ellie was placed in our arms for the first time. Just like the births of Clay, Mary, Sam, and Annie, I will never forget the moment Ellie was handed to me. The following day, she officially became our daughter, but just as the child you carry inside of you is a part of you much sooner than their birth date, so is the child that you carry in your heart for so long before an official document declares she is yours. We cannot fathom our family without her in it.

I had planned to post pictures from last year as well as Tuesday's pictures, but I can't yet bear to post them again. Her pain and fear was so raw. I don't want to make light of it. Please feel free to follow the link to our adoption Journey To Me site if you'd like to see those, but I just can't post them here. I will share some pictures though from Tuesday, which also happened to be our first day of school (since Sam was fighting a virus last week when I had planned to start.) Annie and Ellie are doing "preschool" with me (using Before Five in a Row, for any other homeschoolers who might be checking this out.) This week we're reading The Runaway Bunny. We were talking about some of the pictures we saw in the book, and Annie said she saw the Mommy Rabbit. When I asked Ellie if she knew what a baby rabbit was called, she thought for just a moment, and then answered, "Tiny, lil rabbit!" Brilliant, huh? We made scarecrows and put them in the garden, or should I say the spot where one day I hope to have a garden.

To celebrate our Forever Family Day, we went out to PF Chang's and then back home for cake.

And now, just to see if anyone's paying attention...we'd like to share that we've started paperchasing again; this time for our son. More details to come!

Who's afraid of heights?

2008-09-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Another Colorado "must see" is the Royal Gorge." This is absolutely spectacular! You enter the park on one side of the gorge, and you can walk or drive across the suspension bridge. There are things to do on both sides, like an incline railway, petting zoo, an aerial tram, and whooo boy...the sky coaster! Bo didn't think I would even walk across the bridge, what with my fear of heights, but I really shocked him by saying that I would *love* to ride the skycoaster.

Enjoy the pics!

Manitou Cliff Dwellings

2008-09-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about moving to a new area is getting to check out all kinds of new places. Last weekend, we headed down to Manitou Springs to see the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Here's some background information I took from their website to give you some background:

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a rare historical treasure. Preserved under a protective red sandstone overhang, authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings, built more than 700 years ago, await you here. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs. You are free to touch and even go inside these fascinating architectural remnants of an American Indian culture that roamed the Four Corners area of the Southwest from 1200 B.C. to A.D. 1300.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, at the foot of Pikes Peak, the mountain that provided the inspiration for the writing of, America the Beautiful. The dwellings are open seven days a week, year round, except for Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. During the summer months, Native American Indians - descendants of the Ancient Ones - demonstrate their living culture through traditional dances handed down from generation to generation.

Next to the cliff dwellings is a three-story Pueblo-style building that houses the Anasazi museum and a Southwestern gift shop. This structure was faithfully designed and constructed in the architectural style of the Pueblo Indians, descendants of the Anasazi.

It was really neat to go to a dwelling as old as this, and yet be allowed to climb up into it and see the rooms where people actually lived.

After our time there, we started to drive up into the mountains a little, but were dissuaded from going any further by the tornado warnings that cropped up for our immediate area :) Nothing came of it, but there was a good bit of rain, so we didn't even get out and walk around the quaint town of Manitou Springs, but I know it's a place we'll head back to again.

Aw, man!

2008-08-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a cute wooden children's table and chairs set? Yeah...I thought so, too. Which is why I was so thrilled to find a set so similar at Goodwill for $14.99. It was unpainted, and I had visions of doing it up all cute and pretty (think lots of pink, polka dots, colorful Mary Englebreit-like) for the girls to put out in their "playhouse," which is the storage shed in the backyard. Let me back up a little....Upon entering a thrift shop, I always make a beeline for the furnishings and home goods, because you never know when you might stumble upon a really great piece. (Not that this actually happens when I shop, but there are many urban legends swirling about that give me hope that it might happen.) I've been wanting a little table and chair set for the girls, and lo, and behold, there was the perfect set, right there waiting for me. I was almost shaking as I hailed the closest male Goodwill employee and asked if he could take this to the front for me and mark it sold. He assured me with a smile that he'd do it, and promptly carted off the table and one of the chairs. I waited with the other three till he came back and scooped them up as well. Two other lady employees happened by and remarked on my good fortune, as it had just been set out and they knew it wouldn't have been there long.

I continued meandering up and down the aisles with a smile on my face, not caring whether or not I found any cute cold weather clothes for the kids (my *real* reason for being there, since none of them have any long sleeve shirts and we were caught off guard when cold weather blew in last week). We were able to find some cute items, so I was feeling victorious as I headed for the cash registers. My pace quickened as I got closer to the front and could not spot my table and chairs. Mary was bugging me as to where our table could be, and I was quick to reassure her that it must be outside already, trying not to betray what I truly suspected. Sure enough, I unload the clothes, and let the gal know that I also would be purchasing the cute children's table and chair set that the nice employee already brought up and marked sold for me. Her countenance fell....then she asked if there had been two sets, or if I'd already purchased it, taken it out, and then come back in to shop some more. (Huh???) I assured her that no...I did not already purchase it, but that it had been brought up front for me and marked sold. She and another employee that happened by at this point start saying, "Uh, oh....I'll bet...oh no." That's right...they sold it to someone else. My table that I'd already envisioned painting just as cute as can be, with little girl tea parties on it was gone.

I'll be remembering this shut-out for a long time to come.

Good Morning, Birthday Girl!!!!!

2008-08-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

I always take a picture first thing in the morning on the kid's birthdays, and on August 5th, it was Ellie's turn! It's our first birthday with our sweet girl, and it was so special. For weeks, she's been waiting for this, and any time we brought up her approaching birthday, she would start in with a litany of "pinks."

"Pink birthday, pink cake, pink ice cream, pink baby, pink present."

So guess what we had? The pinkest birthday you've ever seen!

We started the day by taking the girls to Tiny Town. It's this whole little village of miniature houses all set up...perfect for two 3 year olds! The playground and the train ride were huge hits. Ellie found a pink house that she really liked, but Annie fell in love with the replica Addams Family house (complete with Addams Family characters in the windows!) Go figure.

(Notice the pink shirts? And the new hair bows for the pink birthday girl!)

Pink presents!

This is the Little Tykes vanity. The girls are so into doing hair and nails, and I got a great deal on this little set.

That's not only a baby, but a baby wearing a PINK outfit with Disney princesses on it! It doesn't get any better than that for our Disney-loving girl!

Ellie is totally in to sunglasses, but she has a bad habit of breaking them. Her birthday warranted another new pair, especially since I found a pink pair!

Annie & Ellie are teaming up to make Mary beautiful!

Time for pink cake with pink frosting.
Happy Birthday to You, Ellie!

Ellie needed no coaching when it came time to blow out the candles. She blew them all out before we even finished singing!

Ellie got her own little pink cake, with pink ice cream, of course!
We are so thankful that Ellie is home with us now, and we'll never have to miss another birthday with our precious Ellie Tian.

A Visit from Grandma & Grandpa B

2008-08-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

We took Grandma & Grandpa B up through Estes Park to Rocky Mountain National Park. The weather was beautiful, and they got to see some of the amazing wildlife we've come to love.

Yep...we're playing in the snow in shorts and tank top dresses!

We took Trail Ridge Road through the park (which was closed this past weekend due to the snow that fell up there) and stopped for a photo at the Continental Divide.

This would be a moose!

New Old Friends

2008-08-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Abby, along with Annie & Ellie. I met Abby's mommy & daddy in China. They are one of the families from our travel group, and just so happen to live only about 45 minutes away now! We met at the zoo, and her mom & I had a great time catching up and it was so fun seeing how well Abbey is doing. We also got to meet her two big brothers (who weren't with them in China.)

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Next up is a picture from a get-together with one of my ladybug friends. Erin & I have been in the same online yahoogroup for so long, and followed eachother's adoption journeys for so long, it felt as if we'd known eachother forever. You'd have never known it was our first irl (in real life) time together! This picture is of Annie, Ellie, and Erin's two beautiful daughters, Hailey and Hanna.

Let's see if it'll work tonight....

2008-08-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

These are the baby doll quilts that Mary made for Annie & Ellie. My girl is so talented, huh? (Oh, and woohooo! I can load pics again!)

Woefully behind

2008-08-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Okay...so clearly, I'm terribly behind in posting without any hopes of truly filling in all the gaps. I think instead of trying to go back and re-create posts from the fog that is my memory, I'll just post some pics as highlights of what we've been up to, and call it good. How's that sound?

Okay...maybe not. Blogger is being a pain, and not allowing me to add any pics right now. (Or it could be this hateful computer that likes to overheat and freeze everything.) I'm going to go ahead and post this (sans photos) and try to add pics later, after blogger, my computer, and I have had a little time out. Hopefully, we can all play nice so you can see what you come here for anyways, which is photos of the kids.

More pictures from the park

2008-07-20T21:32:00.001-07:00

Exploring Colorado

2008-07-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by this gorgeous scenery, the kids and I enjoyed an afternoon at the park. Unlike parks in our neighborhood, this one didn't have any swings or slides. What it did have was clear, cold water from the Rockies rushing over rocks worn smooth, as well as mountains soaring high above us on all sides. I have been extremely blessed to live in places where I can see the majesty of God's handiwork, from the vastness of the ocean to the heights of His mighty mountains. Oh, that I would not take His creation, His goodness, His grace for granted.

For the LORD is a great God
And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Ellie Tian's Bai Jia Bei

2008-07-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth with a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth goes into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth can go into a creative memory notebook with the wish for the child. The quilt contains the luck, energy, and good wishes from all the families and friends who contributed a piece of fabric. The quilt is then passed down from generation to generation.

As promised, here is the picture of Ellie's quilt. We are so thankful to all our friends and family, as well as all of our new friends in the adoption community who helped by sending squares and wishes. Heartfelt thanks go out to Lindsay, who made sure this actually all got put together and quilted. It is beautiful, and it is a cherished gift for our daughter.

He's back!

2008-07-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently, we have a new pet! Bo & I are sitting down in the family room, and he sees the fox in the backyard again, so I grab my camera and DON'T try to open the door this time. I caught him! I hope he's friendly, since it seems he's going to be around quite a bit!

More wildlife

2008-07-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Okay...the decorations aren't getting put up, but I'm seeing lots of new & different wildlife here! We mostly just saw alligators, snakes, and dead armadillos in FL, but it's a whole new world out here in CO. We took the scenic route up to Evergreen this past weekend, and just as we were coming into town, a bunch of deer walked out in front of us. Thankfully, there were no cars behind us, so I was able to whip out the camera and get some shots.

Our next animal adventure hits a little closer to home. We had promised the kids that once we moved to a house that had a basement that we would again get a cat. Two cats, actually. Mary has been bugging us since before our furniture arrived. On Saturday night, we found three kittens who were littermates on Craigslist. When we called though, two of them were spoken for. We were only interested in littermates (so they'd be used to eachother), but the gal kept our number in case one of the people didn't follow through. Sure enough, we got home from church on Sunday to find a message on voicemail saying that she'd not heard back from the interested parties. Well...the gal talked to Bo, and she surely could see "sucker" tatooed across his forehead through the phone lines, because she brought all three to where we were meeting her...so we "could choose." I said the prerequisite, "Oh, how sweet! How could we possibly choose?" Then, once the kids grabbed the first two and started loving on them, said, "Okay, looks like it's these two!" Then...my darling husband (who doesn't have to feed or poop scoop) pipes up with, "We could just take all three!" WHAAAAAAAAAAT? "No honey, really...three...that's a lot of cat to feed up and care for, spay, poop..." To which he replies, "It's just like kids. Once you have two, what's one more?" Pictures to follow (when I finally get a shot of them.)

Now for today's episode of Wild Adventures. A GIANT FOX ran through my back yard today!!! Actually, first he sauntered. I was sitting down in the family room at about 6:20 this morning, and Annie had just come down (yeah...she and Ellie have taken to getting up between 6 and 6:20 these days.) Out of the corner of my eye, through the french doors leading to the back patio, I see movement. I look over and see a HUGE fox! I double take, just to make sure it isn't a dog, but no...definitely a fox. Anyways, I stand up and point him out to Annie as I'm reaching for my camera (which just happened to be on the end table.) He waltzes across the back yard (which is only about 15 steps) and disappears by the pine trees and the shed. I'm panicking, because I'm afraid he's gone for good, so as I'm trying to get my dumb camera to power up, I undo the lock, thinking I'll just step out, and he'll have to come back into the open part of the yard. Well, he obviously heard the lock, because before I can even open the door, he runs back around flies up and over the fence by the shed, and is gone! This, by the way, explains how the feller got in to the yard in the first place. I had been wondering about that in the 5 seconds he was in the yard since every single yard in this town is fenced. And it's not like we're up in the mountains. We're in an area that definitely qualifies as urban sprawl, so I couldn't even imagine that a fox could be in this area to begin with. (Although, we did see the little fox when we were house hunting on a BUSY street in Littleton!) Crazy, huh?

The Big Move (Part Three)

2008-07-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mid afternoon, Thursday, June 19th, we got to Denver! WoooHOOOO! Nobody was actually woohooing though...we were all too tired (from sitting and doing nothing for four days) and cramped. We met our realtor at the new house, since we had closed on the house by mail on Tuesday.

We spent all day Friday cleaning. Baseboards, fridges, toilets, tubs, etc...plus, Bo got vacuums and floor scrubbers, and carpet cleaners, so he came back and did the floors that night with Clay, while I took the other kids swimming at the hotel.

Our movers could have brought our stuff on Saturday, seeing as how the truck was here in town, and apparently they kept trying to call us. However, the company (the cruddy one in FL) had given them my cell number...my old cell number...the defunct, no longer functioning cell number...the one I told them NOT to use. We had even called the company to see where our truck might be, and when we might expect it, and were told that we'd hear from them. They never did call the driver, but they did finally come on Sunday. They finished unloading the truck around 5:30 PM or so, so we then left to grab a bite to eat for dinner, and came back and started unpacking. I'm happy to say that we got the whole house unpacked and put away by Tuesday. All that I have left really is decorations. Some of them are up, but I'm not quite sure where I want most of the stuff to go yet, but that's alright.

We're settling in, and really enjoying our close proximity to everything. I took Annie and Ellie out for haircuts today, and they look cute as can be, and I think we'll take all the kids to one of the four rec centers in our community tonight.
Hope everybody's doing well! I miss you all!

The Big Move (Part Two)

2008-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Day two of our drive to Colorado is pretty much a blur. We drove from Atlanta to St. Louis, and the only things I can recall from that day are driving through Nashville and stopping at a rest stop in Illinois (or was it Indiana?) They had a little park there, so we let the kids out for some sunshine and stretch your legs time.

Day three found us driving from St. Louis to Salina, KS. Let me just say...technology is for killing people. (That line is only funny if you watch "The Office.") See...we got this gps-thing for our househunting trip last month. It's real handy...you just punch in the address of where you want to go, and it will direct you there. The only problem is, it came preprogrammed to avoid tollroads. Unfortunately, we didn't realize this till after it rerouted us around St. Louis. For the $3 we probably saved in tolls, we got to add about an hour to our drive, which equals...hmmmm...about $15 bucks in gas! (Just as an aside...our kids named the gps Diablo prior to this, and it lived up to its name.) We did arrive in Salina though, safe and sound, and had fun swimming at the hotel with the kids. Oh...another side note. Salina was apparently hit by some nasty tornadoes a week or so prior, and the hotel had a bunch of boarded up windows, as they'd apparently gotten hit pretty hard. (Note to hotel developers...don't build your hotel next to a trailer park in KS...it's a sure bet that you'll get hit by a tornado.)

Day four...Kansas...Kansas...Kansas. Which reminds me of a joke. Why is Colorado so windy? Because Kansas sucks.

Okay...that was hateful. It doesn't suck. It just goes on forever. And there's nothing there. I can't say we weren't warned though. I just never could comprehend the nothingness that we'd experience. It started out with these beautiful, lush, rolling green hills, and I thought, "Yeah...not much here, but quite pretty." But just keep heading west, and it just gets flatter and duller. Oy! I did like the fields of windmills though, but apparently PETA wants those gone, because birds will fly through them and get decapitated. Oops! I'd have to imagine that it generates a lot of power though, with the wind sweeping across the plains and nothing (I mean NOTHING) to break it up.

The Big Move (Part One)

2008-07-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Okay...Saturday, June 14th, the slackers, I mean packers, came to pack up all of our belongings. These guys left so much unpacked, and in fact, "finished" before lunch. (Although they did stick aroud to eat since Bo had gone to pick up Subway for all of them, expecting them to be working all day.) Sunday was great...church, last trip to The Loop with everybody after church, and then home to continue the packing that didn't get done (although they assured us the movers would finish up the packing) and then cleared out everything salvageable and took to our friend's house (thanks Skip and Laura!) for dinner. The movers showed up Monday, and it quickly became apparent that there was no way they were going to be done by 3:30, at which time we had to leave for closing.

The plan had been to have the truck all packed and leave for closing at 3:30 (which was located a half hour north in Jax), grab a quick bite, then drive about 5 hours up to Atlanta. Sure enough, the truck was not loaded (nor was everything even packed yet) so we left Clay there with the movers, and headed out, thinking they'd for sure be done by the time we had our closing, plus the hour round-trip drive. We arrived home, and the new home owners were there waiting (with their moving truck) and our movers were still several hours away from being done). To say it was stressful is a MAJOR understatement. I left, took Sam, Mary, Annie, and Ellie out for dinner, came back, and they STILL weren't done! A couple hours later, they finally had everything out of the house (though still not completely loaded on the truck) and we had to leave. We finally pulled into our hotel in Atlanta around 1 AM, and in bed by about 1:45.

Whew...long day!

Access to my blog, FINALLY!!!!

2008-07-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Okay...I finally have access to my blog again, so I'll try to bring this up-to-date. Blogspot wouldn't let me sign in to my blog using my old email address (since it is now defunct), but finally did. I'm not holding a lot of stock in being able to continue to access this though, since they will not allow me to switch my email to my gmail address (even though blogspot is tied to google.) Makes no sense to me, but nobody asked for my input in that decision!

My Hundred Good Wishes Quilt

2008-06-14T19:12:00.001-07:00

Okay...this post is a little lame without an accompanying picture, but...Ellie's quilt is DONE! It was such a blessing to receive squares and wishes for our new little girl, and I was able to piece the quilt together before going to China, but it has been put away since then. I really didn't know how to put it all together, and was very intimidated and afraid of ruining Ellie's beautiful quilt. My good friend, Lindsay (who also happens to be our pastor's wife) quilts, and she came over Thursday night to help me finish it. She even brought her sewing machine over (which is SUCH a cool machine, btw!) Turns out, she pretty much sewed the whole thing for me, because I was *very* slow (in my defense, she doesn't use a presser foot, just a button that you push--very newfangled.) Anyways...the quilt is DONE, and it's beautiful, and I'm so thrilled to have this gift to give to Ellie. I'm also thrilled to have had my dear friend have such a big part in making it for her.

Oh, and the reason there is no picture is that I brought my camera upstairs today to take a picture of it, and the packers had already packed it and sealed up the box. I'll get a picture on here once we get moved and I unearth it again.

I actually feel like I could do more quilting now, though. Lindsay is a great teacher! I doubt I'll ever hand piece and quilt like my mother, but I may take on a new project in the coming months.

Headstrong for Him-Clay's Blog

2008-06-14T18:57:00.002-07:00

Okay...before another day passes, I need to invite you to Clay's blog. (He's our oldest son, for anyone who may not know our whole family.) Clay is much better about adding stuff regularly to his blog, and is much more interesting than me! Oh, but fair warning...you may want to turn down your speakers. He normally has music on his site!
www.headstrongforhim.blogspot.com

We're so blessed!

2008-06-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

We are part of an amazing body of believers! Our church had an awesome going away party for our family at a local park. It just so happened that the choral group, Majesty, from The Master's College in Santa Clarita, CA was in town on tour. Our pastor is an alumni, and arranged for them to come and sing at the party!!!! I mean, speakers set up in the park overlooking the river while the sun is setting behind them...good stuff! We chose to have two of the girls stay here at our house, as well, and were privileged to get to know them a little....just charming, beautiful girls with hearts for the Lord. I'll try to link this to their website so you can go check them out!

Evergreen Pictures

2008-05-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

Majestic Mountains

2008-05-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

We have seen so many amazing things in the short time we've been in Colorado! And now that we're done househunting, we can really get out and enjoy it. The kids have had so much fun hiking (for you seasoned hikers, you'd just call it "a walk" but for those of us living in isolated subdivisions with landscaped pathways, we call it hiking) and rock climbing. The topography here is just so beautiful and different from anything we've ever experienced...we're just eating it up! One day, we went down to Castle Rock, and the kids went all the way to the top. After getting about a third of the way up, I went back down with Annie and Ellie and let them play in the meadow that just had little hills and they had so much fun gathering pine cones.

The next day, we went to Evergreen and walked around the lake, and then up into the rocks where all the kids really got into rock climbing. I even scaled some of them...me...deathly afraid of heights! We visited Red Rocks, and the amazing campus of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, as well as several of the local parks/playgrounds.

Today was, hands-down, the best though. We went to Estes Park. We stopped at a local playground to let the girls play for a while, skipped all the neat touristy-type shops downtown (which looked really fun, btw) and then went to Rocky Mountain National Park. Upon entering, we saw prairie dogs for the firt time, a deer ran across the road in front of us, went high enough for the kids to play for a few minutes in the snow, which they haven't seen for years, and then went down and ate a picnic amidst hundreds of elk, and even two wolves, which an elk eventually ran out of the area.

I can't take any pictures any more since my camera battery died, but I have a few from Red Rocks and Evergreen that I'll post.

Blessings to all!

Whirlwind!

2008-05-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am seriously the world's worst blogger! I haven't updated in a month, but that's because it's been non-stop here. A little background....my dh works out of Denver, but we live in Florida. Our house has been on the market, but the housing market is really slow now after the boom we had three years ago. Right after my last post, we had decided to pull the house off the market, stay in Florida, and deal with Bo's traveling back and forth for work for another year, hoping the housing market would come back a little by then. He had just cleared it with his HR...and less than an hour later, we got an offer. For the rest of the week, we negotiated back and forth with the buyers and finally came to an agreement, and sold the house.

It was then time to line up movers, have house inspections, wood inspections, appraisals, and a garage sale! Whew...all done!

We've been here in Denver looking for our new home since Saturday. It's been a lot harder than I was expecting...trying to find a home that would work for our family. After a couple bidding wars, on two different homes, we finally have a new address! Now we can finally kick back and enjoy getting to know the area we will soon call home.

We'll be back in Florida soon for just three short weeks, and plan to soak up as much beach time as possible!

Blessings to all!

Happiness is....

2008-04-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

Knowing that I have 20 meals prepared and ready to go in my freezer. Once upon a time, I loved cooking. Really. I even wore an apron (homemade, of course.) I'm still smitten by a cute apron, but I no longer want to be standing in front of the stove, stirring spices into whatever I've concocted, or rolling out buttermilk biscuits on my countertops. Somedays, I don't mind it, but most days I just long to be Joan Jetson and punch in my order and have it magically appear, warm and ready. Since that isn't likely to happen, and Rosey isn't strolling around cleaning up my messes when I do cook, I found a way to simplify our dinners.

Once a month, we do a Costco run. We then come home, and Bo (God bless him) and I spend a couple hours preparing anywhere from 12 to 19 meals. (I think we hit 21 meals once!) These aren't complicated, fancy meals. But they are economical, filling, delicious, and READY when I need them! And it really doesn't take that long to prepare them.

Here's what's in my freezer now:
1 Italian Red Sauce
3 Mango Cranberry Chicken
3 Cheesy Chilada Bake
1 Mariachi Chicken
2 Tequila Lime Chicken
1 Teriyaki Chicken
1 Urban Garlic Chicken
4 Honey Glazed Chicken
1 Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
2 Ginger Beef
1 Beef AuJus

I started cooking this way when a friend told me about the book The Warehouse Gourmet. They have since discontinued the printing of that book, but published a new book called Fix, Freeze, & Feast. (Check Amazon for it!) We started small...just did three simple recipes which yielded us nine dinners. Of course, in one month, we don't want to eat those same three dishes more than once or twice, so there will be some of them left over when we go shopping the next month. From there, we typically began making 15-19 meals at a time, so now we have lots of meals, ready and waiting. Some are for the slow cooker, others baked, while still others put Bo to work on the grill.

I just wanted to share, because I know lots of people spend a fortune going to places to do this very thing, but you really can do it yourself, at home, for a fraction of the cost.

Fix, Freeze, Feast

Testing out my new signature!

2008-04-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

After checking out how to do this on www.SplitDecisionz.com, I generated a signature at www.MyLiveSignature.com. Let's see if it works!

WooHOOOO!!! I DID get it to work!

A New Spin on an Old Favorite

2008-04-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Okay...for all you tech-savvy peeps out there, this is nothing new, but I am sooo not that gal! I bucked computers and the internet for a long time, and still don't understand how to do much more than answer my cellphone when it rings. Necessity is the mother of all inventions (or abilities, as it were) though. I am now doing *digital scrapbooking!*

With the house on the market, there is just no way I can do the traditional paper scrapbooking that I've done for years. It takes forever just to bring all my supplies downstairs, get set-up, and then have to put it all back again. But, as weeks, and then months after returning from China ticked away, I started getting more and more worried about forgetting important dates, stories, and things I wished to express. Well, my friend, Ang (who is uber-tech-savvy) was coming for a visit back in February. She also just happens to be a Creative Memories consultant! I made her hook me up! She downloaded the program I needed for me, and then taught me how to download freebies, oh, how I love freebies, and also how to download cool fonts.

Now, I am able to work on pages during the girl's ever shortening naps and in the evenings, just by pulling out my laptop!

I'll post a couple of pages that I've made so far, and believe me, if I can do this, anyone can!

My Blog Has Been Spiffed!

2008-04-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sharon, over at Spiffy Blogs did an amazing job on my blog makeover. Isn't it just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I'm so motivated now to add to it, if for no other reason than to see this cute design.

And let me tell you...she is a digi-genius! Sharon translated exactly what I asked for into this design (and really quickly, too.) I had even emailed her some fonts I liked, and she incorporated them all into it.

When it was all said and done, I told her I realized I'm alot like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally." I'm the worst kind...I think I'm low maintenance, but I'm really high maintenance.

What's more, when you have Sharon Spiffy your Blog, she donates $5 towards bringing another child home from China!

Thanks, Sharon!

A Homeschooling Post

2008-04-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything about our homeschooling on this new blog yet, so I thought I'd share a little about that.

Clay is a freshman, and our favorite find for both him (or is it he, grammar police?) and Mary, our 6th grader, is Teaching Textbooks Math. Oh, my word, how this has saved us! I actually did quite well in math back in my day, but I don't remember much of anything since the extent of my daily practice is balancing a checkbook and doubling recipes (or tripling, if it's cookies.) The kids have quickly gone beyond the scope of my math teaching capabilities, and TT has been a Godsend.

It teaches the lesson, and you watch as it is presented on a sheet of notebook paper (on the computer.) The student watches the examples being worked, as well as hearing the lecture. If any problems are missed, they can then watch the problem being worked out, thus reinforcing the correct way to solve it, rather than wait for mom to grade it (WHEN I get around to it) and then still having no idea how to come up with the right answer.

The best thing is, they BOTH look forward to math now, and it has become their favorite subject!

You can check it out at Teaching Textbooks

Feng Shui

2008-03-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Poor Ellie....she's a little OCD! She hates it if someone switches from sitting on a chair to the couch. The other kids will usually humor her and move back to where they were originally sitting (before getting a drink or going the bathroom and coming back to a different spot.) Don't even think about putting your hair back in a pony tail, or taking out your contacts and wearing glasses. It sends her into a tizzy! "No hair up! No gasses (glasses)!" The kids have started saying we're throwing off her feng shui whenever she gets peeved at something we've done. (Think Emporer's New Groove, "You threw off my groove!"

We can usually talk her into things being okay if someone sits somewhere else, or if somebody wants their hair up instead of down, but there is one thing that renders her completely bonkers....Bo putting his arm around me, especially in the car! Oh, my word! It sends her over the edge! This last time he put his arm up, Ellie kept saying, "NO! No arm up!!!" Bo, of course, thought it was funny, so he kept his arm there. Ellie quieted down for just a moment, and then piped from the backseat, "Hands UP!" (This is something this kids will all do when we go up a hill, such as they are here in Florida, or when we ride rides at Disney, and she must have figured it was a great solution for getting Bo's arm off me!)

These are the days....

2008-03-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my! These are the days that I'm reminded of just how blessed we are to live in sunny, beautiful Florida! Today was perfect...blue sky, the occasional high-up cirrus cloud that didn't block the sun at all, and a nice breeze blowing so you didn't get too hot. Clay had an orthodontist appointment, and we had to pick something up out by the beach, and I just couldn't resist...

We picked up Subway, and had an impromptu picnic on the beach. (I had a sheet to lay out, and we made a quick stop in Walmart for some buckets and shovels.) After eating, the girls played with their new toys, while the big kids buried feet and built castles (of a sort). I laid out and thanked God for His goodness, while the kids laughed and played in the background. In the midst of our fun, Bo called....from Canada. He was standing next to piles of snow that were 8 feet tall!

We've decided that every other week or so, the kids will double up on their schoolwork, or do extra the night before so we can take regular trips to the beach before it starts to fill up with vacationers. I know how great it felt when I was a kid up north to have a snow day. I'm sure it's awesome for them to take a day off to have a BEACH day! (Pictures coming soon!)

A Big Step for Ellie

2008-03-09T19:16:00.001-07:00

Guess what my Ellie did today? She pet a cat!!!!!

In China, we learned that Ellie was deathly afraid of cats. She would claw her way up as high as possible on me, and scream, and her entire body would tremble. I thought she might not do that once we got home, but she would do the same thing if she saw a cat or a dog. Forget the petting zoo at Animal Kingdom. That was NOT her idea of fun!

On two different occasions, I tried to "help" her pet a cat a while back, and held her hand while touching (ever so slightly) a cat, and it did NOT go over well. From then on, I didn't push it. I figured she'd eventually get past whatever made her fear them so much. (I wonder if stray cats would enter the courtyard/playground at the swi and if maybe the nannies would yell at them and shoo them away or if maybe a cat had even clawed at her and hurt her...she does have a slight scratch-like scar on her cheek.)

Well, lately she's been getting braver and braver, and walking right up to our neighbor's cats (a lot of people let their cats run around outside here, so there are always cats roaming around) but she still would not reach out and touch one. Well, today, the neighbor girl gathered her cat in her arms and Ellie walked right up and petted her!!!! I was so excited for her! It seems like such a small thing, but it FEELS like such a big thing to me. She even rubbed the cat's ears, and said, "Ears!"

Yea, Ellie!

Unbelievable

2008-03-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

We're all in awe today that Ellie Tian has been a member of our family for six months. In some regards, it seems like we just went to China, but mostly, it's as if she's always been here and always been with us. I will never forget the labor pains of waiting for her, of traveling and seeing her for the first time as we walked into the Civil Affairs office. I will always remember how she strained against me, fighting against her birth into our family. And yet gently, quietly, she became a part of us all. A daughter, a sister. Each of our children is so special and unique, and each story is worth sharing and remembering, but today, we rejoice that Ellie is with us now and forever. I am blessed beyond measure.

Can you spare less than $1 per day?

2008-02-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

Please go to Bringing Hope to Children (link in my sidebar) and see if you can't spare less than $1 per day to help feed, clothe, and care for these children. This is the fundraising branch of the IAAP adoption agency, and their two centers in Siping and Changchun (Jilin province) provide special care for orphans whose needs are too great for their orphanages. You can see what a difference their care has made in such a short time for this sweet boy, Zhang Qi.

One Year Ago Today

2008-02-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

It was one year ago today, February 13, 2007, that we first saw our daughter, Ellie Tian's face. She was just a baby in the photos we saw...7 months old, in fact, although she was at that point already 18 months old. We would then wait until July 2007 to see any updated, more recent photos. She was such a beautiful baby! It is amazing to think back over this past year, and all the events leading up to Ellie joining our family. She truly has been in our hearts since this day last year, and then the agency confirmed that she would be ours the next day, Valentine's Day.

And then...God sovereignly placed her in our arms on September 2, 2007.She is such a feisty, spicy girl, who feels everything, both joy and anger, with a passion that belies her 2.5 years. Her smile is as big as the ocean and her hugs are as tight as can be. We are so blessed, and I am so thankful for my daughter, Tian Elaine Angela.

Not exactly what I had in mind!

2008-02-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd inspire the girls to want to use the potty by getting them Pull-ups, but they believe this is a better use for them.

This is so not what I had in mind!

2008-02-08T11:20:00.001-08:00

I'm convinced that one of the fundamental differences between men and women is the need for Armor All. My dh thinks this stuff is great...makes his car all slick and shiny. He makes sure he gets the inside of his car detailed with it every time he gets it cleaned.

I, on the other hand, loathe the stuff. It leaves a tacky residue (if they were polite enough to wipe all of it off) or even worse, a full-on sticky mess, which makes it hard to grasp your steering wheel. And forget about the space where your door handle is. You just know you're gonna need at least three baby wipes to get that offensive stuff off your hand and out from under your fingernails. I can't even switch the radio station without a smear of that stuff being left on my finger. Blech!

Rant over!

2008-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

These are my some of my greatest blessings...Clay, Ellie, Mary, Annie, and Sam.