The reports are in

"G" and "A" got their report card Friday. Wow I am so blessed with great kiddos. "G" struggles a bit and has to study to get the grades she receives where as "A" never opens a book and everything just comes to her so easily but both girls are on Honor Roll. I am so proud.

This baby needs a home - Is this your daughter

http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=770 If you are considering adopting PLEASE consider this darling. Emily and her family are dear friends of ours and she talks about Melanie often. Children develop bonds in the orphanage we can never understand. Our "C" talks often about the friends she left behind and they way they would protect, comfort, and take care of each other.

Happy Family DaY - Smart Girl

OK, officially its been 1 year since "C" became our forever daughter. Unofficially, I guess she always was, we just didn't know it.

My little darling got her report card yesterday. A freshman in highschool, who now receives NO resources made HIGH HONOR roll by making 5 A's and 1 B. She was only a couple points off from an A in that class. She spends allot of time in her books, but she knows she needs the grades for college. Her counselor has suggested a couple AP classes, I'm not sure. I may just let her bask in the glory of being top dog. :>)

"G" and "A" get theirs today. I'm sure I'll get to be proud mama again.

mary had a little lamb

KONY 2012

get the tissue and help these children

adoption tax credit extended

Joint Council Update: Adoption Advocates support President's Proposal to Extend the Adoption Tax Credit Joint Council is pleased to announce that we have joined forces with a vast group of adoption organizations to support the President’s proposal to extend the Adoption Tax Credit. A Press Release regarding the letter is below. To view the letter to the President, please click here. Joint Council will continue to update our partners and supporters regarding the Adoption Tax Credit as the year progresses. VAST GROUP OF ADOPTION ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT PRESIDENT’S PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE ADOPTION TAX CREDIT Washington, D.C. – A broad group of adoption organizations from all sectors of adoption—including foster care, international and private—join together in thanking President Obama for his recent proposal to make the U.S. federal adoption tax credit permanent. The President’s Fiscal Year 2013 federal budget puts forth a proposal to make the adoption tax credit permanent and extend the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that make the credit refundable for 2012 and 2013. The refundable aspect is vital to some families’ ability to access the credit and there is broad support for ensuring that all families that adopt are able to benefit equally. More than thirty different organizations, some of which are membership umbrella organizations that represent additional adoption agencies, have come together to support the President’s adoption tax credit proposal, which will help families offset the cost of adoption or assist parents as they address the ongoing demands of caring for children with special needs. We have several stories that stress the importance of the tax credit’s existence for families. The adoption tax credit is a critical support for families who chose to form their families through adoption. The diverse groups that support the extension of the tax credit are working together to encourage members of Congress to move this from a proposal to tangible legislation. If Congress does not act to extend the credit, it will only be available to a limited number of families after 2012. Adoption is a bipartisan issue; in fact ever since the adoption credit was first established in 1996, Congress has acted to extend this credit every time it was set to expire. However, because the credit has changed several times and is frequently up for discussion, it leaves room for great confusion and uncertainty about the availability of the credit among key stakeholders, including professionals, parents, and tax preparers. Having a permanent credit in place will help eliminate future confusion. “We are all pleased to be working together, with a unified voice, to advocate for the needs of families that choose to adopt. We look forward to building the support on Capitol Hill to ensure that all families that adopt children have access to this benefit long term,” says Nicole Dobbins, Executive Director of Voice for Adoption. The organizations that signed onto the letter thanking the President are: Academy of California Adoption Lawyers Academy of California Family Formation Lawyers American Academy of Adoption Attorneys California Alliance of Children and Family Services Center for Adoption Support and Education Center for Adoption Policy Child Welfare League of America Children’s Action Network Children’s Home Society of North Carolina Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Families for Private Adoption Family Design Resources Family and Youth Initiative Gladney Center for Adoption Holt International Children’s Services Joint Council on International Children’s Services Kinship Center, a member of Seneca Family of Agencies Lilliput Children’s Services Mission Focused Solutions National Adoption Center National Council for Adoption North American Council on Adoptable Children North West Adoption Exchange New York State Citizens’ Coalition for Children RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Show Hope Three Rivers Adoption Council Voice for Adoption Sincerely, Rebecca Harris, Director of Programs & Services

Happy 9th Birthday

Its so hard to believe G is turning 9 years old. She was 9 months when she was placed in our arms. What an amazing person she is growing up to be. Its this time of the year I have to say a prayer of Thanks and a prayer for blessings to her biological mother, for without her and her decision to want something more for her daughter, she would not be a part of our lives today.

I leave you with her take on life somedays.

Emmanuel Kelly The X Factor 2011 Auditions Emmanuel Kelly FULL

If you can watch this without crying, you're good. What a great voice. God is so good.

we have hearing :>)

Almost $300,000.00, 9 surgeries, and 2 years later we have hearing. God sure touched the surgeons hands. "A" has 50% hearing in her right her now. This is amazing considering she was born without an ear at all. We will know in 6 months the full degree of hearing she'll have. She goes in for hearing tests once a month and by Aug the full restoration amount will be known. Dr Art the ENT from Mott Hospital in Ann Arbor MI.

China to ban names that signal ’orphan’ status

Interisting article showing the many children still looking for their forever families. The numbers are sad at he end of it. * * * * China to ban names that signal ’orphan’ status

C at nd

"C" is in a Mandarin class in school. They also did a prformance at the Notre Dame Lunar New Year celebration. They were wonderful.

girls performance a Notre Dame

Lunar New Year 2012

After many performances our lives are beginning to calm down a bit. C had her high school group to perform with as well as her usual Dance group. Talk about lickity split changing of clothes. At one point she had 4 1/2 minutes to get down the back steps change clothes and back up the steps to the stage. Wheeeewww

G and her amazing smile Me and my girls, gosh I love them.

G and her science fair

G took 2nd place at the science fair this year. Boy was that a life lesson for all of us. For her it was she needs to listen to mama and realize just because she knows the answer not everyone else does. She was given 2nd place because her project lacked a hypothesis. Her hypothesis was if you turn the speed up on the fan would the anemometer move faster or slower. When we discussed this she told me as a matter of factly everyone knows the answer, faster of course. I told her she needed to list this. she told me that was common sense and it would be like calling people dummys. I told her it still needed to go on there. She told me no. I thought, and thought, and thought, about it and decided this would be a good lesson for her to listen sometimes. Well she got 2nd place. The director told her why and it was all good. Wow. I was amazed at hard some of the parents worked on these projects. Maybe next year I need to work harder for the girls.

st mary performance lunar new year

abigail getting ready for the ribbon dance. she is so worried about the flowers

Genevieve and all her BIG smiles as usual

My girls

Mom and the girls. They sure are beautiful.

Their daughter is fromt he same SWi our C is from. Lets help them out * For years, my husband and I have wanted to take our kids on homeland journeysback to China and Vietnam. I won a contest that discount airfare to and fromHong Kong. However, we need to get from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City + localtransport and translator to Can Tho, from Can Tho to beijing + local transportto Great Wall, Beijing to Shanghai or Nanjing + local transport and translatorfor Maanshan, and back to Hong Kong. Time and money permitting, we would like tosqueeze in a side trip to Chengdu to see pandas!I have written and recorded a song about the proposed trip, and it is an entryin a contest that would fund the trip if I win. (It was sung by another adoptivemom (China and Korea) that I have known since college.) Part of the requirementfor winning is getting views, likes, and positive comments on YouTube.Please help me get there by liking/commenting on my video * .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMmHWl5YD9A * Thank you!Jill, mom to Zia (Ma Zi Dan) and Quinn (Nguyen Khanh Nguyen)

Hey

Wanted to share a few pics before I share something I ran across. G is not to fond of the whole Santa thing

C on the other hand is loving life.

Yes its been a while, sorry. But I ran across this great article had to share it with everyone I knew. Will it cause controversy, yes. Do I agree with it, yes. Is everyone going to agree, No. Do I feel it may help change stereo types, yes. I have a wide range of adoptive families I have met over the years, many are now part of our "family". I couldn't be more blessed by them. Enjoy the great article.

http://news.yahoo.com/why-gay-parents-may-best-parents-131902676.html

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.