Oh Where is Spring - My kids need to get out!

Yes, they are chasing each other with Peacock feathers. Where does one get a peacock feather? At a local cat show. Apparently they make a great cat toy....except for our cat. But never fear, kids can make use of anything.

S decided to play a game of "catch the beast" JT, oblivious to her big sisters intentions, was just running in circles...with her big sister following her. I think she was playing follow the leader and she was the leader.

Please note the facial expressions of S. And everyone thinks she is so quiet and serious...HA.

S: I'm going to get you......



JT: Mommy help!


JT: HA, you can't get me
S: Oh Yes, I will
S: I'm getting closer...


JT: She surrended....I win!
S: You didn't win, I have to fix my feather!

Mommy: Can we go outside yet?

We did it!

Yes, WE. This was much harder on me! JT is now sleeping in her toddler bed. I know, it doesn't sound like such a big deal, she is two. And I thought I wanted this so much. Having her crib and the toddler bed set up in her room of the last few months made everything a bit cramped. (There is a couch in there too that we use to read and snuggle on)

But when I saw her little body in the bed it made me sad. She is my last child and she is growing up way to fast for my taste. I remember feeling the same way when her big sister moved into this same exact bed. And guess what, they keep growing! Oh how I wish we could slow down time, just a little.

Happy Chinese New Year!

We went out to dinner with friends to celebrate CNY. It has become a yearly event we very much look forward to! Last year, we went and we each had one child. This year, we have two and our friends have three! A year full of little blessings! Just look at these delightful faces! Great Kids, each and every one! And yes, two plus three does equal five children. The smallest of blessings was taking a nap!

This is about when S decided she had enough of this photo shoot! JT was still game though!

S teaching JT what to do when you get sick of Mama taking photos:


Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Uh Oh

S: "Ahhhhh M.E., we have a problem, it's an expensive problem"


Yes, the handle bar her little chubby hand is holding on for dear
life was securley attached to the bike. How did she get it off?
Don't ask, it will make you crazy. I stopped asking how she does
things after she figured out how to get on the counter, opening
the drawers one at a time to climb up, figuring out how to get
the outlet covers off, standing on the seat of her bike, sitting on
the handlebars....Hey, that woudl probably make them fall
off!


Ahhh the joys of toddlerhood :)

Happy Birthday JT!!!!

It is JT's 2nd birthday today!!!! We are so happy she is here with us this year to celebrate her life! It is hard to believe last year, the most we could do was to send her a birthday cake. We so wanted her to be home with us. It was sad not being with her on her 1st birthday. But we felt some relief when we saw the photo's the SWI took for us. Little JT got the cake we sent her and looks like she enjoyed it with her friends at Chenzhou SWI!!

THIS YEAR.......SHE IS HOME! I can't believe how much she has grown!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Balloons............

And Presents............


And Cake OH MY!



Happy 2nd Birthday to our Happy, Feisty, loveable, kissable, beautiful baby girl!!

Change For Shuang

S has given me countless ways to be proud of her over the years. But this time just makes me want to scream it from the roof tops! Last week, she asked on her own, where she could donate money. Her money! Oh, she has heard me all these years!!

I immediately think of all the wonderful organizations that help China's children. But not wanting to sway her, I listed several local organizations such as our homeless shelter, our refugee resettlement program, the food shelf, and I also listed Half the Sky and Love Without Boundaries.

With no hesitation she decided she wanted to help the children in China. At first, she wanted to help children from her orphanage, then her sisters. Then we decided we would sit down together and look at both websites. When she found out she could send funds to help a child waiting for surgery that is what she wanted to do. When we opened the page filled with beautiful children waiting for surgery, she was immediately drawn to a little 8 month old baby girl. Shuang has VSD and cleft lip and palate. Love Without Boundaries is trying to raise funds for her heart surgery.

S made a box and is filling it with part of her allowance. She went through old clothes for me to bring to a used clothing shop and she added that money, she made a vending machine (AKA zip lock bag filled with little trinkets for quarters) for her family to purchase. And today, she drummed up the courage to go talk to "The PRINCIPAL" of her school to see if she could put a "Change for Shuang" jar out at school! She was so nervous but I insisted she needed to talk with him. I went in with her and as we approached the door with the picture of little Shuang clutched in her hand, she said "You go first Mama" (Boy, I hope she is always afraid of the principals office!) She did so well! And of course he said yes. She came home and after some brainstorming, she made this Change for Shuang container for school!

If any of you would like to help Shuang, please go see her on the Love Without Boundaries Site. http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/ Tell them S sent you! If you local and would like to donate to the funds S will be collecting to send, please contact me and I will be sure the funds are sent along with ours!

I am SO PROUD!

Here is her "Change For Shuang" collection Box!

Happy New Year

Without a doubt, the highlight of 2008 happened on 3/17/08 in Changsha, Hunan, China. I can remember it clearly, watching S peer out the window onto the busy street looking for anybody carrying a baby into the building while clutching the soft pink rabbit S had hand carried to China for her little sister. Then the moment the man carried in a sweaty, red cheeked, baby holding a toothbrush in her hand looking at us with a worried and confused little face. After she was placed in my arms, telling her I loved her and finally being able to kiss those chubby cheeks I had been gazing at for the past four months, I quickly knelt down as her big sister waited anxiously to hold her. We have watched JT grow and blossom in so many ways in the 9 months since coming home. She went from having a hard time pulling herself to stand to running (and it is so cute to see her run from behind, she looks like a little cartoon character!) and climbing stairs, bookshelves, drawers, anything really that seems to be of interest to her! She has gone from understanding and speaking no English to understanding thousands of words and phrases and speaking seventy-five. Her favorite words are her sisters name which comes out like Sha Sha and yogurt which sounds like YO -YA. And of recent her sister taught her to cross her arms over her chest and yell "YO" then her sister proceeds to call her "JT from the hood" and they dissolve in giggles together. JT went from a very somber, frightened baby to an exuberant, happy, full of life toddler that laughs right from her belly and tops it off with a snort or two!

And S started 1st grade, lost two teeth, traveled half way around the world and back to become the BEST big sister that ever existed. Over the past year, S has had to overcome many emotional hurdles. She had such a tough year in Kindergarten. One of her friends decided to make S her target and this went on through the whole year. S could not understand why a "friend" would treat her in such a way. There were many nights she cried over the loss of this relationship. It took almost all year and someone said to me "ya know, this happened to us and we asked ourselves why we spent so much time and energy talking about the other little girl" Then we changed our whole way of thinking. We can't change the other little girl, but we can change how we handle the situation, and help S grow from this situation. S was forced to deal with the harsh reality that sometimes kids can be inconsiderate and unkind. She learned how to handle this with such grace and dignity, much more than any adult would have done. S went from crying about this several nights a week, to talking about it and how sad it was that the other little girl changed. But she no longer cries over this lost relationship. She has learned from the experience and continues to grow! Yeah S!!! And of course becoming a big sister. As with any child, having a baby come into the home shook her to the core for a few months. She was worried she wouldn't be loved anymore. We reassured her this would not be the case, and she figured that out pretty quickly too! And I am so proud to say, this was the first Christmas S initiated purchasing gifts for others with her own money. The best shopping trip I have ever been on was bringing my very grown up baby shopping so she could get presents for her sister and her cousins not asking for a single thing for herself in spite of all the temptations at her eye level. I am so proud of her!

There have been so many things, too many to write, that have happened over the past year. But there is no doubt, 2008, is a year to remember! Aside from receiving our little bundle of joy, watching the girls develop such a close, loving, relationship over the past nine months has warmed my heart. My heart just melts when I look back and see them both stretching across the back seat so they can hold hands. I chuckle when I hear JT start to fuss because S decided she just can't stretch anymore to hold her hand. Then I hear S say "JT, I love you and I'm right here, but I can't hold your hand right now." S is so motherly to JT, always wanting to get her dressed, change her diaper (YES, I said change her diaper and she does it well! Don't worry folks, I only let her change the wet ones!!), help her brush her teeth ect. And she does all this with a wiggly, giggly toddler that weighs almost as much as she does! I've, said it before, and I will say it again, this little soul is amazing! And no doubt big sister will help JT become the same caring, kind, child that S has become. With her nurturing guidance, and unwavering patience, there is no other direction for JT to go.


We hope you all have a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!!

Our family is thrilled beyond words to have JT home with us for the Holidays this year. Our hearts are overflowing!


May you all have a safe, Happy Holiday and may the new year bring you and your family health, peace, and happiness.

JT's First Christmas Tree

Our tradition the morning after Thanksgiving is to bundle up and head out to our favorite Christmas Tree Farm. Why is it our favorite? Because it is a very family oriented place, they are friendly and we have gone there for years before S was born. Why for S and JT? Because they serve Hot Chochoate and candy canes!

For S, this was the same trip she has made for the last six years. She was so excited to go. She loves to "watch" someone else cut the tree and she waits anxiously to help drag the tree back.

This year she was trying to hide from me. Why you ask? Because I had the camera. So throughout all the farm you could hear this little voice shrieking after peeking aroud a tree....run run, its mama she's has the caaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmra!! Notice the forced smile on her face! Can you just see what she is thinking....."take the picture already...I'm smiling...for Gods Sake JUST TAKE IT." She wasn't just thinking it. She had a few choice words for me. Maybe I should have done what the mom a couple of rows over did. All I hear is "Smile for a Lollipop" I think I will try that next year :)

For JT, it was a whole new experience. After playing ring around the rosie, because that is just plain fun to do anywhere, she decided the trees were her friends. There were several there her size so why not give them hugs :)

When it was time to cut the tree, I of course took the photo's because I am just not strong enough to cut the tree...wink wink. But that's OK because I think next year JT will be ready to take over the cutting. Look at that form!

And the best photo of all.....I can't see any smiling faces! I have been dreaming of seeing my TWO girls walking hand in hand for years! May they walk Hand In Hand for the rest of their lives.

WOW, Can I climb it?!!!

Cousins

I just have to dedicate a post to the most wonderful boys in the whole wide world! They are the BEST cousins ever.

C..........

C (currently 15) who is now towering over me at six feet two inches and has a voice deeper than any 15 year old I know, was just a little 8 year old boy when S came home. C is so kind hearted (even though he acts all tough, I know the real C!) giving, loyal, and bright. He has matured a lot over the past two years and amazes me with his adult like decision making skills. He is more mature than many adults I know :)

He can fix anything put in front of him and is very mechanically inclined. He loves to hunt, hang out with his friends, work on cars, and push my buttons! Although he is off with his friends a lot, if ANY one of his family members is in need, he will be the first one by their side. And oh, is this young man quite the charmer. He can charm the pants of anyone! I am so lucky to have him in my life. I am very proud of him!

D..........



D (currently 12) who will be towering over me in the next couple of years too, was only five when S came home. D is so sweet. He is so bright, always able to make the best out of the worse situation. He is the kid that makes lemonade from lemons!

He is very artistic and can draw for hours. Just a pencil and paper is all he needs to create some amazing artwork! Then just a quickly he will jump from drawing to dirt bikes, paint ball, hunting, and sports! He is so much fun to be with. D has overcome some obstacles no child should have to deal with. And he has come out smiling. I love his sense of adventure. He will try anything once and has a great attitude. He too loves his family and deeply cares. He has so much passion and excitement for life. He is one of a kind. I am so proud of him!


I still vividly remember them standing there with roses as we came off the plane with S way back in 2002, finally reaching home after a long and wonderful journey to china and back. That was my one request to my family. PLEASE make sure MY boys are at the airport when we get home! And again, in 2008 I asked the boys to PLEASE be at the airport when we got home with JT. Well, D said he would be there, C said he would "try" with that little grin of his he gets when he is trying to push my buttons. They were both there to greet their new cousin and give Shea loads of attention! Of course JT was freaked out by Cody. She cried if he went anywhere near her. I'm not sure if it was his size or his deep voice, or perhaps the fact that she was crying and he thought it was funny, teenage humor! At eight when S came home, he would have been bothered by this, but at 15 he thought it was funny. Go figure! She went right to D....for a minute, but she wasn't scared of him :) Of course now JT runs to them with excitement when they show up at the door, just like I knew would happen. Geez, I still run with excitement to the door when they show up!

C and D are very different in many ways. Personality, looks, likes and dislikes, but both are just all around great kids! Those boys love their cousins so much. And the girls just adore them. They are very much like the brothers my girls would never have been able to have. "In the old days" before these most wonderful boys found the wonderful social world of friends, they would argue who's turn it was to spend the weekend at my house. Oh, I miss those days. They are growing up way to fast for my taste.

Once upon a time, when I took priority over his friends, C spent many weekends with us. He would play and read to Shea for hours. Now unfortunately, I have to beg him to pencil us into his busy social calendar. The last time I got him over for a weekend is only because he was grounded and couldn't go to any friends houses, ohhh the love :) However, he is always thinking of my girls. Just last week he made a heart shaped stool for Juliana and carved her initials in it. He called me so concerned because one of the screws he had put in popped out one side a bit and just wanted to make sure I watched JT closely so she didn't get hurt. Ahhhhhh, I wonder if his friends not what a marshmallow he is for this little baby cousin. He is currently working on a Jewelry Box for Shea. Oh, he knows them so well, she will love it!


D is getting to the point where we have to be penciled in but not YET! I am fighting this transition of him phasing me out until the bitter end! He still comes over for a weekend about once a month (not as often as I would like) but at least he doesn't need to be grounded to join us for the weekend! He has always showered S with attention and JT is no different. One time while we were out, JT choked (more like a gag reflex than choking) on a piece of bread and D just about lost it. He was so concerned. Now every time we sit down to eat he tells me, "you better cut that smaller. I'm worried she will choke. Don't you want to feed that to her?" This little man is amazing. He will let Shea do his nails (shhh, don't tell his friends), he face paints the girls, plays anything they ask him too and is just an all around great kid! And to balance the nail polish, he can usually drag S outside to play "his" games like baseball, football, or golf!


We just love these boys. And much to my dismay, no matter how much I begged over the years, their mother will not let them move in with me! There have been several occasions when I had the boys and people would make "your son" comments. I never corrected them! My sister and I still joke about this. I love them like they are my sons! Over the years, they have joined us for vacations, and yearly events like Kids Day, First Night, July 4th Celebrations, Halloween, spent a million fun filled weekends at my house, grown up with my girls, called me in the middle of the night when they were scared, and yes, I miss it, even the phone calls in the middle of the night! Call me crazy but I would give anything to go back to the days when they fought over who's turn it was to come to my house.

Please tell me the girls will never choose their friends over spending time with Mama. I know I know, it will happen. It just reminds me to enjoy every minute even more!

We love you C and D!!

Six Years Ago Today......

Happy Gotcha Day S!!! SIX years ago today, the most charming, beautiful, itty bitty soul was placed in my arms and heart forever. Oh my, she was as cute as a button. After the initial shock of being placed in this weird looking women's arms, she began to laugh as my father played a, how many times will this strange man pick up the toy I throw on the floor game :) She was the only one laughing, and I mean belly laughing, in a conference room with many other babies crying. Nervous laughter? Probably, she still laughs when she is nervous, but it was the sweetest sound I have ever heard!

The last six years with S have been fast, amazing, joyful, the best years of my life. I look into her all knowing seven year old eyes and think, Wow! How lucky am I? She is smart, funny, curious, inquisitive, talented, good hearted, extremely artistic, and simply beautiful inside and out. At seven she can tote around quite the attitude when she wants. I just can't even imagine where she got that from :) S has tried many different things over the past six years (some a couple of times) and found she does not care for ballet, tap, gymnastics, or Tae kwon do. She will tolerate swim lessons for her Mama, although I think she is finally enjoying them now. Her passion though is horses. (see previous post) She LOVES horses, everything about them and lives for her riding lesson each week.

S has gone through many changes in the past year, the biggest, becoming a big sister! Having a little sister in theory sounded great! In reality...hmmm, I think she wanted to rethink her position :) While in China S took on the nurturing role, as you see in the photo's. I knew she would. She is nurturing by nature whether it be her little sister, or the latest catch in her bug catcher. Not that I am comparing her little sister to a bug, just that S will give any living thing the same type of nurturing.....her dog, a bug, her little sister :) It took us a long time to convince her that the bug actually prefers the great outdoors to her warm bedroom :) Anyway, once we got home it is like she slammed on the breaks and said Ahh Wooooo, back this bus up. Is she staying here forever? She is taking my attention, she is keeping me up at night, and then oh, when she keeps me up at night SHE gets to go sleep in Mama's room, she is getting presents and EVERYONE wants to see her. UH HELLO, What about ME?? We, and when I say we I mean all of my family and friends, showered S with attention so she would know that she simply is not replaceable. About a month after being home, overnight, she went back to her natural nurturing self with Mei Mei. She is a great big sister and I mean that. Yes, she still gets upset with JT when she steals her crayons and proceeds to snap them in half. Yes, she still gets upset when JT opens her dresser drawers and empties out all of the contents. BUT, in between all those little toddler quirks, S showers her with love and affection. She loves to help her eat, get her dressed, change her diaper (and NO, I never ask her to, she wants to), play with her, help her brush her teeth, teach her things ect. The list goes on and on. If I correct JT in any way, and S thinks it's an injustice (which most of the time she thinks it is, KIDS UNITE) she will run to JT's defense and tell me why I should not have talked to her sister that way. I could just eat her up!

Six years ago, I can only assume a very brave women in China was remembering the precious bundle she left on the steps of a busy hotel a year ago at five days old. We believe she did this in hopes that her little girl would have a good life with opportunity, education, and love. Like so many other women faced with the social challenges and laws of their society, she felt this would be her baby girls best shot at a good future. By leaving her in such a busy place, we can only assume she wanted her precious baby to be found quickly and given what she needed, perhaps things her birthmother could not have given her. And indeed she was found quickly by a police officier who took her to a place where she was loved and cared for until her forever family could come to bring her home. I am so thankful to this women I will never know. We think of her often and we hope she knows her dreams for her baby girl to be loved and part of a family have come true. S asked me one day what her birthmother looked like. I told her, we probably would never know for sure but I think she probably looks a lot like S. The same silky hair, the same sparkling eyes, and a beautiful smile.

Six years ago, S amazed me at how quickly she adjusted to us after being taken away from everything she knows. Then to be placed with strangers she had never laid eyes on, in a strange hotel, with a strange language, strange smells, and strange looks. Only to get on a plane for 22 hours to go to another strange place with more strange people! Six years later, she still amazes me. Six years from now, she will no doubt still be amazing me! We are so proud of her, we love you so much S!!!