Gotcha day 1 Year - Wow

Its been 1 year since our daughter found her forever family. Its been a year of getting to know each other, but I can easily say we have all figured it out. She is a typical teenage girl, nothing more nothing less. She loves her siblings, but as all siblings do the fuss at times, but in the next minute they are laying together studying spelling words, sharing headphones, or drawing pictures. I just smile becasue I never in my widlest dreams thought we would have 3 daughters in our home let alone a teenager, so soon. :>) I wouldnt have it any other way though.

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She stays busy with school, dance and cheerleading. Our high schools are magnet programs so you go to high school where your field of interest lies. She attends a fine arts program high school. Her major is dance and drama. There is constant music in our home between dance music, cheer chants, and of course pop music.

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We spent the weekend in Chicago for her Gotcha Day. It always proves to be a great time. China town and Navy Pier provides a full weekend. it was nice because I got the best compliment for our "C". Momma you make better Zao (congee) than they make here. Wow Im good. :>).

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With our oldest daughter I have had to really fine tune my Chinese cooking skills. The one thing I really wanted her to know is its OK to be Chinese. She watches Chinese tv shows on the computer, she listens to Chinese music and helps her sisters with their Chinese. She also takes Mandarin class at school. By doing this, she also has improved her English skills. Her grades are GREAT. She receives minimal services in school and her grades are all hers, she has earned every one of them. She is really quite brilliant when it comes to math.

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Can you tell I think shes pretty amazing?

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She also just celebrated her 16th birthday. She received many cards in the mail. Thank You. We spent the day with her siblings, nieces and nephews, cousin and Aunt, and a host of friends. That in itself made a full house.

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One of the things I did for the other girls while in China was to buy them a good set of pearls for their 16th birthday. Well considering circumstances this didnt happen with our "C". When I had a friend travel this year to bring her 5 yr old daughter home I asked her to get a set for us, so I was able to present them to our daughter. I know pearls are an "old lady" item, but when she is an "old lady" and wears her pearls, she will look back at her 16th birthday and remember her youth and know they are from her homeland. She loves them. Not quite as much as her ipod touch, but she loves them. I really think the best part was to see all the people who love her and are glad she is part of our family.

Autumn Moon Festival

Autumn Moon Festival last month was allot of fun. Every year we make lanterns, light them and set them afloat down the river. As we turn them loose we say a prayer and a thank you to the birth families still in China. The girls really enjoy this. Especially afterwords when we go get ice-cream. This year we had 2 new additions to our little group. Of course our beautiful "C", and then newest addition just came home from China 2 months ago. She is 5 yrs old and belongs to a dear friend of ours. My niece joined in the fun this year.

Look who was Baptised

One of many of the things "C" struggled with was Christianity. I guess maybe it wasn't a struggle so much as what it was knowing what the real definition of a Christian was. She had previously been taught one thing and it had left a sour taste in her mouth. She had decided that she did not want to be a Christian. After being with us 11 months she decided that she really did like being a Christian if it was the way she was now living her life. This meant giving unto others in the community and family. Not the giving of $$$$ so much as the giving of your time and compassion for people. Volunteering to help others who may need it. Letting go and giving your troubles to God. He can handle it so much better than we can. Loving people for who they are and not who we want them to be is also a big factor. Anyway she decided she wanted to be Baptized and accept Jesus Christ into her life. What a beautiful smile she has

The last time I was in China I bought an extra Jade cross. it was unknown why then but I felt the need to buy an extra one. i say an extra one because I bought one for "G" the first time i traveled so she would have it at the time of her baptism. I then bought one for "A". As I was buying it I felt the need to buy one more. It sat in my dresser since 2005. I ran across it 3 months ago. Wow talk about God Bumps. I knew then why I bought it.

This is the life -

Our newest Grandson is now 5 months old I love snuggling down and taking a snooze with him. It's funny how life stops for a baby. The dishes set, the laundry sets, the world goes by and we just snuggle.

What an amazing summer we had. It has taken a better part of the year for all of us to get settled in and find our places in the family unit. The addition of our beautiful teenager shifted our entire life a full 360.

Has it been easy? No. Have we struggled? Yes. Have we questioned our selves and whether we did the right thing or not? Many times. Have there been battles between sisters? Yes. Have there been battles between adults and kids? Yes.

Its been almost a year now and the battles have lessened by 99%. The struggles are null and void. We no longer question our decision. We know it was one of eight of the best things we have ever done. The sisters still battle, but NO wear near the amount as before.

The girls sit together and read stories. The girls practice their dance routines together. The girls cook together. The girls make crafty items together. The girls look out for each other like best friends would. C looks out for them and when they get in trouble she comes to their defense and tries to rationalize what they did and tell me how harsh I am on them. She is the big sister I think they always thought she would be.

C has made so many personal strides it would take forever to list them. She has turned into a typical teenager. She still has baggage we deal with but all in all a typical teenager. She is trying out for cheer leading next week. She has joined into many clubs at school as I said earlier. Along with all of that she is a caring responsible young lady. She has already started Christmas shopping for her sisters. She loves to do things for others.

G is settling into school and growing up so fast. She joined choir at school this year. She still struggles with social settings and controlling her emotions, but we are working on it every day. She is such an amazing little girl. She has the faith of a mustard seed and tells me often "it's OK God will take care of it".

A, what can you say about her. I still believe she is a teenager caught in a child's body. Her soul is so old. Her reading skills are 3 years ahead of her grade level. Her math skills are 2 years ahead. Although she is a brilliant child she has no sense of child play. Everything is so serious with her. I do hope she finds a balance one day.

Mothers Day 2011

Mothers Day was amazing. The girls made me breakfast and agreed to not fuss and carry on at all that day. What a sweet gesture for 3 girls who love each other more than anything but also feel the need to be in charge. They did well at keeping their promise. It gave me the chance to reflect on the past 6 1/2 months since "C" joined our family. We are all settling and finding our place in the family unit. It was important to figure out where each person fits in. After all we went form a family of 9 to a family of 10. Not only did the size change but the birth order as well. "G" was the oldest girl at home for the past 5 yrs, she now had to turn that title over. We also have a hormonal teenager in the home. Although chronologically "C" is a teenager there was so much she missed out on being in an orphanage and then where she did not feel the love, that she can behave like an 8 yr old sometimes. She needs to sit on my lap. She wants me to brush her hair. She feels the need to hold my hand in public, as if needing the security. It's also easy to see the little green monster in her when the girls are loving on me. This is so minor considering where we started. I know in my heart I loved her when she came to us, but now I LOVE HER. I look at her and think how did we lead our lives without her, she is such a part of our everyday. On to the rest of the Clan........ My boys and DH all bowl on Sunday nights and this Sunday was their bowling banquet. So I went along and had dinner with all the kids. The girls enjoy going because they can play the video games at the bowling alley. I got a few gifts as well. The girls all made me beautiful cards. Very touching was "C"'s card thanking me for being her forever family and how she knows God had a plan all along for her to be here. Ahhhhh. When I was sitting in my sewing room the girls brought in a gift from them and Daddy. A new camera. Wooooo Hoooo I have been using my Kodak I bought to take to China in 2005, and it's seen better days. I did break down a few years ago and bought a nice Cyberhsot but within 4 months at a friends house bubbles were spilled all over it. Oh Well back to the old faithful Kodak. But now I have a Canon SX130 IS. Yeah Loving this new camera. I'm still playing with it trying to see everything it can do. I'm VERY impressed with how clear the zoom is. This is going to be fun this summer

This is our baby Queenie, She is our Gassy Girl as we call her. She settles in on your lap and passes gas. It's so bad she will leave until the smell is gone. But we love her anyway

2 of my beauties after handing me the camera. Gosh I love them so much.

Easter

Darling A hunting eggs. G runs so fast I need to get a new camera with high speed to keep up with her.

Easter was great. we had most of the kids over and the grandkids as well. Our oldest girl was not here because Grandchild #10 was born a few days before. We also were missing a son, he was in Chicago. As you can tell in the picture 2 more grandchildren are due any moment. We also were missing a few grandkids. They had so much fun hunting eggs and eating stuffed cabbage. I can't say enough how blessed our lives are. C was definatley a missing link that we didn't know was missing. She is absolutely in love with "FatFat" as she calls her niece Riley, and Riley loves her. The boys loved playing basketball like they did when they were young'uns again. They didn't feel like young'uns the next day though. :>)

Teaching her Fat Fat to walk. They went up and down the drive way. Look at those smiles

Isn't that smile the prettiest thing ever. Its hard to believe she was a preemie weighing in it just 4 lbs.

So excited about finding eggs. She looks just like her daddy did at that age. Sometimes I have to wonder what part her mommy played in her besides just carrying her in her belly :>)

What Nana I'm not going down the steps to look for eggs.

Life can be so serious sometimes. I'm OK right here in Nana's arms.

Friend on a Mission Trip

I have a dear friend leaving for Kenya on a mission trip. Please say a prayer for a safe journey and a blessed outcome. You can follow her along at www.JamboInTheNameOfJesus.blogspot.com Bishop Lawrence, from Kenya, spent time at our church, www.monsonchurch.com , and touched many lives. He really showed us and unconditional love for God and his work. The faith he has is that of a mustard seed.

Gods Grace and Glory

Monday "C" had a report due in her class. She has never done an oral report with the props and all. She did it on China. :>) Her teacher told her if she felt more comfortable I could come in and help her out, because during the report the children are allowed to ask questions and she may not understand what they are asking. It also was a chance for the class to talk about adoption. This has been a great deal of talking in her grade since her dad and I have been seen with her. As a proud momma I will say she did wonderful. She came out of her shell and the class was so patient with her talking they really listened to what she had to say. Two questions that came up hit hard. 1) Is it safer in China than here? She answered "YES" and then began to explain that the children did not disrespect the teachers for they would be severely punished. There was not allot of killings and robbings because the court system was swift and punished harshly. 2) Are we rich? (because we have 8 kids) She said "YES" and then told them that we have love and the food is always there and the lights are on and we are warm. She also told them God helps us when we need at and ask him too. Gosh I love that girl. Way smarted than a 15 yr old needs to be in the ways of life.. Someone sent this to me and I can't help but pass it on. AMAZINGLY ACCURATE Have a Blessed Day

Great Day

Wow, I think I may have caught up on my sleep by now. After a rough ride to Albion, MI, 4 hrs from us, we made it to the hospital for Abigail's surgery. She did well and looks like Princess Leigha from Star Wars. Dr. Kim had to cut on both ears. She had to harvest cartilage and skin form the left ear for the right ear. Of course "A" woke up nastier and meaner than ever. pretty typical with the steroids for her breathing and the pain medicine. We were finally able to leave and realized we were missing 2 hubcaps and had a HUGE flat tire. The rim was destroyed. GRRRRRRRR. But as with all things God steps in. There was a Firestone shop across the street and one block down. The man tells us they do not carry my rim and it will take 6 hours to get one in. GRRRRRRRRRRR. Again God stepped in. It turns out I do not have a donut for a spare but a full size beautiful tire. It cost 15 dollars to switch it over. The best 15 dollars I have spent in a long time. We get five minutes from home and "A" projectile vomits all over the car. Oh Well we're home. We had to get another Rx for the tummy. The pain meds make her sick. But all in all she is fine.

The reason we had to be home that night was just as critical as the surgery itself. We had court the next day to finalize our "C"'s adoption. What a great day. It was such a blessing to see all the support at the court house. She is an amazing young lady.

Please Pray for Our Family

Please Pray for our Family over the next few days. We have a very busy schedule with many life changing events. 1) "A" will be having her final surgery, hopefully, on the microtia portion of her ear on Thursday morning. We have decided that the atrasia portion will not begin until the fall. We want her to have a carefree summer this year and just be a kid. She has only had one of those since being adopted because of surgeries and illness'. 2) We go to court Friday afternoon to finalize "C"'s adoption. We are hoping this will give her some closure in what she has been through. She can move in. We have been working very hard at teaching her that the past is the past and it can not be changed, we can only move on. God is so good, and I know things are at his will and he has total control over all that happens, but I will admit somedays are easier than others to remember this, especially when it comes to our children.

Happy Birthday Darling "G"

"G" Lady turns 8 yrs old today. Wow where did the time go. Every day she gets more and more beautiful inside and out. When we adopted her at 9 months old it was so hard to picture her each year growing older and older.

They are in the news

Our 3 darlings were in the local paper for their Lunar New Year performance. The pics and articles are great. http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20110220/News01/102200310/1130 http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110220/News01/102200310/1130&template=ARTGALLERY

MiFan & LoMein

These are our 11 day old babies. They are doing amazing considering the rough start they had. LoMien's leg is healing well. We weren't sure if it would have to be amputated or not after the cord was removed. It took 7 days for the swelling to go down and he could get good use from it. Now we just have the wound and it looks wonderful.

Our "C" is quite the little mommy. She does so good with them. I guess it's easy when you can relate your life to theirs. BTW If I haven't said it lately, she is so amazing. The word survivor should be her name.

Bamboo ance

Bamboo ance

popcorn song (abm Hi Qui)

our latest additions

As usual with our life never a dull moment. Sunday afternoon we had babies born. The mommy cat was rescued from a hoarder the day before so she was still unknown to us, as to her attitude demeeaner and behavior. Well, the babies were born with umbilicail cords wrapped around the neck of the grey one, and one of the white ones had it wrapped around his leg. The leg had swollen to be the size of his head. I never knew how strong mommy instincts are and in some cases aren't. I say that beacuse mine kicked in and I knew what to do to handle it and cut umbilical cords and get the kitties cleaned up. I say arent present because this all was suppose to be done by the mommy kitty. She really wanted nothing to do with them. when I tried loving on her and setting her up with the babies she layed her claws into my face. I am on Cipro and doing well.

We had to take her back to the shelter and the babies are bottle feeders. We have lost 2. :>( The runt and the grey one who had the cord around his neck. The other 2 are thriving and doing well. The have been named Mi Fan and Lo Mein. They were born in the Lunar New Year and are going to be Siamese in color, what other names would work but Chinese Food. Our "C" has been amazing with them. She helped me remove the cords, massage them to life and take care of their needs. She helps with the bottles and stimulation to assist them in going to the bathroom. Except the 2 am and 4 am, those are mine. ;.)

I have had several requests and questions about disrupted adoptions. Here is a link to a website I found to be very useful. www.karensadoptionlinks.com. There was info and groups on there from people who have disrupted to people who are looking to disrupt and people who want to place a child.

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granger dance company

Lunar New Year 2011

Genevieve says they look like jungle girls in these outfits. I just laugh, until I see the dance and then I kinda agreee.

The 3 girls posing for Mom.

What a real Beauty. This dance was one of my favorites.

Decorating for the Lunar New Year is one of our favorite things to do. What a blast. Each year we find things we forgot we had.

The entrance way promises good luck and fortune. Boy we could use some of that fortune :>)

This was one of the craft projects the girls did this year. Each year we do a new one.

The placemats were done a few years ago. I had no idea then why I made one, but I guess I know now. I had to have one for our 3rd daughter that would join us.

I will post some videos later from the performance. The crew has to approve which ones I post. :>)