In the Hands of the Lord

The Saga Continues

2012-01-31T09:00:00.003-06:00

The adoption saga, that is.

I don't know how they could possibly make the adoption process more difficult.

I guess by the time you actually get your child home you have if nothing else proven to yourself that you really did want to do this, because nobody would stick this out without 100% commitment.

I finally called USCIS, because they've had our paperwork since Dec. 23 and we had not heard from them. The next step should have been a fingerprint appointment, and I was really unsure about how that would work being overseas. Recently I found out that a family here at our base, who just adopted from China in December, had mailed in their fingerprint card along with their I800-A application without waiting for an appointment. Yet I figured that someone would certainly have told me that by now if it was that simple.

Tonight I made myself stay up 'til midnight so I could make the phone call (the fun part of being all the way out here is those business hour phone calls have to happen at crazy hours). The wonderful USCIS officer assigned to our case tells me that, no, we will get no appointment and can just go to the Military Police to get our fingerprints done and send them in.

Very glad to hear that, but I'm left to wonder when they were planning on notifying us of that. It's not like we didn't pay them big $$$$$ to have this paperwork processed.

I'm having flashbacks to two years ago. The only difference is that I now have a daily reminder that this can actually have a happy ending!

High School

2012-01-19T05:59:00.002-06:00

This is what high school at home looks like.

I waked past my darling sophomore around 10 o'clock on a recent morning, when I had to do a double take. I stared, dumbfounded for a minute, and then recovered enough to ask "Please tell me you're doing school on that iPod.

He grinned sheepishly and replied "Of course, Mom. I'm studying my Bible!" He really was, too. Trust me, I checked!

Gotta love homeschool!

2 Year Celebration

2012-01-09T07:51:00.002-06:00

We have a big celebration coming up.

Two years since Abby joined our family.

I can hardly believe it's been that long.

She's made some huge strides, and we've made some huge strides as a family.

Frankly, it's still a learning game most days.

But, because God extends His grace every.single.day, we are truly, and amazingly FAMILY.

Not because a piece of paper says so, but because we're bonded the way family should be.

Just the other day my 15 year old said - "I cannot even imagine life without every one of us here." And I knew what he meant.

I can't either.

I still haven't decided exactly what we'll do to celebrate.

Almost half of us will be gone on a snowboarding trip on the actual day. But I will be here, and Abby will be here, and so I might make it a special JUST THE TWO OF US celebration. We never, EVER, do anything just the two of us, so I think that would make it pretty special.

I guess I'd better get planning. I have exactly one week.

New Year, New Plan

2012-01-02T01:36:00.002-06:00

I seriously considered opening up a new blog for the New Year.

I know I've really let this one go in the past several months and I wanted to start fresh.

And then I thought - well, this one's already all set up. Why go through it all again?

Why not just keep going in the same place and just "refresh" it.

Sounded much, much easier.

And therefore more likely to actually happen.

So Option B won.

I'm going to give the old blog one more try. Maybe I can get back into the swing of things in 2012.

Background

2011-11-04T06:35:00.002-05:00

Just sitting here,
relishing the sounds of my little girls in the background.
They're making their Christmas lists with Daddy right now.
And I just feel grateful to have a house feel with their sweet voices.
And a Daddy that spends his Friday night doing things like these with his kids!!

Time Melting Away .... or Standing Still?

2011-09-14T09:11:00.002-05:00

Don't know where the days are going.
Just moving terribly fast.
Or terribly slow, depending on what you're focused on.

I can't believe summer is gone and the new school year is well underway. Don't know how that happened so fast.

On the adoption front, things are moving terribly slow. It's getting to that painful part where I dread people asking how it's going, because, frankly, it's just s.l.o.w.

I don't know if trying to pull this off while being stationed overseas was the right thing. If Abby's adoption was complicated, being oceans away from your adoption agency only makes it thrice as much. And because we have TWO agencies involved, one placement agency and a different homestudy agency, nobody seems to know WHAT IN THE WORLD they're supposed to do.

So, I'm back to reminding myself that it is in His hands. Really, this was all His idea to begin with. So I know He'll figure it all out.

I just wish He would stop insisting that I need to grow in patience.

2011-08-01T09:47:00.002-05:00

Lanie got to be in a M*ssoula Children’s Theatre play this past weekend.

It was “The Pied Piper” and she played one of the Mayor’s cooks.

It was a very hectic, but fun, week because they audition for the play on Monday, and the production is put on the following Saturday.

M*ssoula Children’s Theatre is a production company that travels around the world putting on these spectacular plays. All in one week. Pretty amazing.

And even more amazing is the fact that unlike Lanie’s last play or her two (ever) ballet recitals, this time I actually remembered to get her flowers!!!

More Confessions

2011-07-29T06:40:00.005-05:00

OK, and while I'm in the mood to confess about obsessions..... I'll throw another out there.

Hubby and I have started sharing a certain addiction.

I mean, it's hard when you're the parents of five kids.

It can be difficult to really make time for each other. It's hard to find those passions that you can share and, well, just have fun with together. Because, let's face it, something else usually has your attention.

We have made an effort over the years to not completely take off on a personal hobby that would cost us even more time away from each other.

I do have my scrapbooking, and he has his motocross (which he shares with the boys), but we really do limit the time we spend on those activities.

And admittedly, since we have two kids now old enough to babysit, there's been a whole lot more date nights.

BUT we now have something to keep us entertained RIGHT HERE AT HOME. Something that doesn't involve his constantly flipping channels and me begging him to PICKSOMETHINGALREADYYOU'REDRIVINGMENUTS. Something we can do with the kids going berserk all around us.

It is a bit sad, and pathetic, and I am a bit embarrased to admit it. Because it DOES involve us each walking around the house at all times with an extra appendage - namely and ipod and ipad. So we can play "W*rds with Friends" against each other. Non.stop. I mean, we've only been doing this for a couple of days, but for those two days there hasn't been a minute when we have both been home that one of us is not staring at said device trying to find our next word.

And don't ask me why we each need our own device, and can't just hand it off to each other. Or why we can't act like normal people and sit down in front of a Scrabble board.

I guess it's just more fun to holler across the room "It's you now!!!!" And to hear the little "ding" a second later!!

I LOVE summer, b/c I would never have enough time to keep up with this little game in my "real" life.

But I have to go now, it's my turn!!! I'm pretty excited, 'cause I have a "Z".

Obsession

2011-07-28T01:26:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make.

I am obsessed - VERY obsessed, with G*mboree clothes!!

Luckily, I have become very savvy about when I buy from them. So I manage to satisfy my crazy need for it at pretty stellar prices.

Just this past week we got our big quarterly box of G*mboree stuff. The one from the order where I reedemed my G*mbucks. The girls always get super excited when this box arrives.

This time around, the contents were mostly summer PJs. Aren't they just so darn cute??

Just Thoughts

2011-07-25T10:39:00.007-05:00

Preparing for a new arrival from China (if only mentally) has made me reflect a lot on the last eighteen months since Abby joined our family.

I am in awe when I think of what an amazing child she really is.

When I allow myself to think, even for a few minutes, of what her daily life was really like when she was still in the orphanage.

When I see her next to other kids in the neighborhood, kids who have been loved and nurtured by their parents since birth, who have lived, really, like royalty. Her own siblings included.

And when I realize that to her, even after eighteen months, this is all so new.

I am not going to say that the adjustment has been a piece of cake. It has probably been the hardest thing that any of us has ever done. And it's still a work in progress.

But when I think that, and I pause to watch her, I really am amazed. Completely amazed at how smoothly she transitioned. She is truly, and has been from day one, such a sweet, sweet child. We have never, not once, had an issue with temper, or anger, any of the many things I feared so much in adopting an older child.

We struggled with food for quite a bit, and in hindsight that was probably her way of assuming some type of control over her topsy-turvy life. Then came the giant struggles over schoolwork. . And again, we have made incredible progress in this area. Easy it has not been, that's for sure. But considering she spent almost 9 years with no one having a single expectation from her academically, other than keeping her quiet and busy, it really comes as no surprise that she would be resistant to learning. At this point, she's almost caught up to grade level, and is now reading chapter books completely on her own (Way to go, Abby)

Like my friend Sonia, who's no stranger to adoption, is fond of saying, "Adoption is not for wimps". She is absolutely right. And I believe that we were very blessed with Abby, and feel like a spoiled brat for even considering any of our minor struggles a struggle at all.

That being said, even in the best case scenario, bringing home a child who has experienced tremendous loss in their very short life will rock your world.

But all good things, I think, require effort, sweat, and tears. And I cannot in a million years imagine missing out on the beauty that I am seeing unfolding before my eyes. I would not give up learning the things I have learned about myself, about my husband and children, and most importantly, about our Heavenly Father, through the experience of opening up our home and hearts to Abby. I do not care how hard the hardest days have been, I would not give this up:

The sound of her voice calling me "Mommy"

Watching my TWO daughters give each other pedicures.

Hearing her read a book - in English - to her little brother.

Feeling her lay a kiss on my cheek - a completely new concept to her at the age of NINE.

Listening to her sing praise songs - or belt them out in the shower!

Watching her fall in love with a God whose name she had not heard less than two years ago.

Seeing the understanding in her eyes, the fact that she is really getting it, when I put her on my lap and tell her that she is OURS, she is SAFE, she is LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

People ask about adoption all the time: "Isn't it hard?" YES - it's VERY hard (so was labor, by the way. And parenting period). But, boy, look at the rewards!!!

I can hardly contain my excitement at the little surprises I have planned for this week. Obviously, because it's 1 am my time and I'm sitting here typing about it. I have:

1 - Signed Abby AND Lanie up for soccer camp next month, which Abby doesn't know about yet. She has NEVER EVER done anything like this - and I can't wait to see her face when I tell her!!

2 - I am scheduling the girls in for a photo shoot at the photography studio. All five kids recently had some "antique" portraits done, but I've really been noticing that we really need more professional pictures of Abby. Not having her here for a chunk of her life, we really do need to "catch her up". I thought it'd be fun for the girls to do that together. I might even be talked into posing once or twice (most likely not).

3 - This isn't a surprise, but I'm excited about it anyways. Next week, the girls are doing a Golf Clinic. Again, this type of thing is completely new to Abby. She loved mini-golfing on our vacation recently, so I thought she would get a kick out of that.

So, I know this was all over the place, but I just kind of had all these thoughts floating around and wanted to get them down. I know I've probably said the same things a thousand times before. I'm just feeling very blessed these days to have these FIVE incredible lil' people that call ME "Mom"!!!!

Typhoon

2011-07-18T21:28:00.002-05:00

So we're experiencing a "typhoon" right now.

Or the beginnings of one.

We're supposed to see most of it tomorrow.

So far today, it's been raining cats and dogs. It feels like the sky is going to fall one minute, and then it completely stops for a while. Crazy.

Meanwhile, Jake is on a summer school field trip - get this - blueberry picking. How on earth they're doing that with all this rain is beyond me. But they have a Japanese teacher, and the Japanese generally don't let a little thing like weather hold them back from anything. They're used to lots of rain, too.

The other kids are trapped in the house (well, besides James who's at work). Thank God for next door neighbors!! The girls have one friend over and Josiah has one friend over. So I'm back up to five kids in the house, which feels normal.

It's actually a lot quieter around here when they have friends in the house.

Working Man

2011-07-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

Today my oldest son had his first taste of full time employment.

It's only for 3 weeks, but it is a REAL job, and he'll be working a full 40 hours each of those weeks.

It was really strange to drop him off this morning and watch him walk into the building, all dressed up (for him) in his polo shirt and slacks.

It was a very bittersweet moment and made me almost want to cry - he just looked so grown up!

This was a wonderful opportunity provided by the base we're stationed at. It is called "Summer Hire", and it's basically an internship for kids 14 - 18 to get a taste of, well, "real work". They pay them - peanuts - but they are getting something!!

He is working in the building right next door to his dad, so they got to have lunch together. They'll probably do that on most days for the next three weeks. What a great unplanned opportunity for some bonding time! DH went to James' office to meet him for lunch, and said it was very strange to see him sitting in his own little cubicle with a bunch of papers in front of him. We're both having flashbacks to his first steps, first lost tooth, first bike ride, all those little milestones that just seem to FLY by. And just praying that God will continue to remind us to slow down and savor the blessings we have RIGHT now. Time with our children is truly fleeting.

Meanwhile, Jake is going to a summer school program for the entire month of July. It's a Host Nation class, so he's learning about Japanes culture and getting an introduction to the language. He's really enjoying it and learning quite a bit.

Here's the thing: The class meets from 9 - 12. Which means for the entire morning, I am without a babysitter. I mean, I can't even step to the coffee shop in the next building without dragging three other people with me. I am totally spoiled by my two big boys and don't know how to live like that anymore. Spoiled.rotten. I know.

Time to Update

2011-06-29T07:46:00.003-05:00

Wow!! Just got to looking around my blog, and started to realize how OUTDATED everything is. From the pics on the sidebar, to my buttons, to, well pretty much ALL OF IT!!

Which really should come as no surprise considering what a whirlwing this last year has been.

And the fact that we've been trying to complete the slowest moving homestudy in the history of international adoption.

Luckily, with summer here, I should soon have time to give things around here a bit of a facelift.

That is, as soon as I'm done switching out the summer clothes for the winter ones. I thought it'd be a one day job, but it's more like a week.

Feel blessed that I'm sparing you pictures!!

Sweet Summer

2011-06-26T00:02:00.023-05:00

Summer is FINALLY here.

Well, it has been here for a couple of weeks, but those were busy weeks.

One week we spent in Tokyo, which was GREAT.

The following week we all participated in VBS (all minus Daddy). The big boys were helpers, and the smallest three attendees. James ended up being fully in charge of games, and I got a pile of compliments at the end of the week about what an awesome job he did.

Now, we're done, ready for the NOTHINGNESS of summer.

My big plans include:

1. Catching up on my blogging.

2. Lots of time at the swimming pool.

3. A bit of "mindless" reading.

4. A lot of downtime with the kids - getting to just BE and not having to teach (formally, at least).

Although I confess that I am requiring reading from Jake, Lanie, and Abby all summer. Don't have to worry about James keeping skills up over the summer anymore, and he's already an avid reader. This will probably be the last summer I require it from Jacob. Anyways, here's what they're each reading:

Jake:

Abby:

Lanie:

Lanie is working her way through this series and she's completely addicted. She is reading about one book a day or every two days.

The Story

2011-06-01T09:01:00.002-05:00

First off, let me say that the last thing we planned was adding to our family again.
Five, well, is truly a handful of kids.
And as much as I love parenting, we really felt, well, COMPLETE.

Then we found out that China had recently changed some of their rules regarding adoption.
They were going to allow anyone adoptive parents to re-use a dossier already filed in China, if they started the process of adoption within twelve months of their last adoption being finalized.

And our hearts started stirring.
The whole "paper chase" to put together our dossier had been so daunting, we really had no desire to go through all that again anytime soon. We wanted to focus on school, and life, and just moving forward.

However, once we heard the news of the dossier being re-used, we started wondering if maybe
God wasn't opening up a window for us to step up in faith one more time. The window was very small, as it was almost the one year anniversary of Abby's adoption. So we prayed hard, and figured it was truly in God's hands. If this was His plan, we would have to be matched with a child pretty quickly.

We were thinking it would be a boy this time, as our heart had really been softened for the boys who wait in China, who seem to wait and wait, many times with no or very minor special needs.

God, however, had something else up His sleeve. And a few weeks later we were matched with our new daughter, Genevieve Grace (Evie). She just turned two this past May. She's got plump lil' cheeks. And such expressive eyes!

I absolutely cannot wait to get her home, and neither can anyone else around here. The girls, in particular, are bursting with excitement and already packing bags filled with the things they are going to "hand down" to their baby sister. It's also been a while since we've had a baby girl in this home, and so I'm stocking up on irrestible baby girl clothes. I put my sister on notice to let the shopping begin.....

We've kept this under wraps for a while because, having walked this road before, we fully understand how fragile the whole adoption process is. Basically, until that child is home with you, anything can happen. We didn't want to bring others on that emotional roller coaster with us. And frankly, although we have pre-approval from China, I still worry about things going wrong. But we are stepping up in response to His call, so once again I remind myself that if it is His will, it will come to be. We couldn't hold the news in any longer!!

I think it's too early to post pictures, and will hold off until our Letter of Approval from China is here. I'll just have to send out a private email or two if anyone just can't wait to lay eyes on her!!

Another exciting part to this adoption will be that we're planning to take the entire family to China this time!! We hope to be able to add some days on the front side of the trip to take Abby (well, all the kids, but I think it's of particular importance for her) to do some sight seeing. And it doesn't seem remotely daunting to do it from here - we don't even have to worry about jet lag!!! Abby can't stop talking about getting to see the Great Wall.

And if that wasn't enough excitement around here.....
SIX more days of school left!!!!

Exciting News

2011-05-31T08:17:00.001-05:00

We're heading back to China in the near future....
and it won't be just a vacation.

Details to come......

Normal ????

2011-05-16T09:39:00.002-05:00

Well, life must definitely be back to normal.
Whatever that is.
And today it felt totally normal to take 4 kids to back to back physical exams.
We were at the doctor's office for three hours.
And I'm sure we weren't the only ones happy when we finally got to leave.
To make it even more fun, there was a brand new doctor on staff today.
Not brand new as in brand new to the doctor thing.
Just brand new to this facility, which when you are in the military is just the way it is.
Someone is always new.

We survived, and everyone is pretty healthy. And it did make me a bit sad that I have one kid that doesn't qualify for the pediatrician's office anymore. A kid that has the same primary doctor I have. And that is kind of scary.......

PW is Going to Kill Me - Or At Least Make Me Fat

2011-05-09T04:42:00.006-05:00

Pioneer Woman is going to literally kill me. I just made these for dinner:

I don't think I've ever tasted anything so delicious. And I'm really hoping someone will hurry up and eat the last one lonely taco sitting on the counter, 'cause I really don't want to go back for more. Well, I DO want more, but I'm trying really, really hard to be good!!

(Disclaimer: That is NOT a picture of MY tacos, but mine looked just as good. Or better).

And guess what? Tomorrow night, it's another PW dinner!!

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T01:54:00.002-05:00

I am having a truly fantastic Mother's Day. Started with breakfast in bed - nothing can beat that!!! Then I ventured over to the little Asian bazaar we're having on base this weekend, and was beyond thrilled to find this:

Yes, it's a mortar and pestle (actually, suribachi and kogi, to be exact) - and I've been wanting these items very badly recently. 'Cause it makes me feel like I'm really cooking when I use things like this. And because it makes me think of my own mom, which is always nice.

The pestle is made of wood from the pepper tree, which is supposed to add a hint of fragrance to the food. SCORE!!!

AND my twelve year old made me this. From scratch:

He said he had some trouble making the frosting and getting it to be, well, smooth. So I asked him how he made it. He said: "Well, I melted some butter, added 3 cups of sugar, a little vanilla, and a little milk......"
Me: "Wait. Three cups of REGULAR sugar?????? You mean powdered sugar, right???"
Jake: "No, it was regular sugar. I think it said cane sugar."

Well that would explain the trouble he had getting it nice and smooth.

But you know what???? You top anything with a little New York Super Fudge Chunk, and it's not a problem. No matter how gritty that frosting was!! I loved every.single.bite.

The Blessing of Siblings

2011-05-03T17:59:00.002-05:00

Remember the recent fiasco with Josiah's swimming lessons?

We went twice. The first time he screamed his little head off the entire time.

The next time he calmed down some, and even went in the water, but was very stressed out.

The day it was time for the third lesson, he started throwing a fit at home at the mere mention of going. And I figured it was not worth it to force a three year old to go to swimming lessons. So we just quit going. I had only paid $36 for the month, so I didn't count it as a great loss.

Soon after that I took Abby for a swim test to see what level she needed to start on. Although she's pretty comfortable in the water, she would NOT put her head in without plugging her nose, so they said she had to start on Level 1.

Then the lightbulb went off. Maybe Cy would be willing to go to his lesson if his big sis' was there with him. So I signed them both up.

We had our first lesson yesterday, and it worked like a charm. She's happy because she feels like the "big" girl. He's thrilled because it's not so scary with her there. They both did a wonderful job.

Now I'll just have to make sure they work at the same pace, so they can move up to the next level together : )

Uninspired

2011-05-01T05:42:00.005-05:00

I've been pretty uninspired to blog lately. We're pretty much doubling up on school so we can get done as previously scheduled. And by the time that's done for the day, I just don't have the energy to think.

Abby's been up to her usual - trying everything possible to NOT have to do any school, or should I say - to not have to THINK in school. Which involves a good amount of tears and drama. The good news is, I'm getting pretty good at expecting it and, frankly, not letting it get to me. The schoolwork IS getting completed by the end of the week, mainly because she really wants to be able to play on the weekend. It's not an inability to do the work - it's just plain unwillingness. But she won't just say "no". That would be too confrontational. She pretends to be trying but it takes forever. Kind of like eating used to. Then somehow, magically, on Friday it all comes together and she can get like 3 days worth of work done in about 1/2 a day. Whatever.

We've cut out sports for now so that we can focus on school. But, that doesn't mean no fun. It is very rare for us to have a completely free Saturday, but, yes, we actually had one this week. So, we went and hiked up Mt. Takao - another beautiful mountain here in Japan. At the top they have a little monkey park. It was great to get outdoors and get some fresh air and exercise, and so much fun to be able to do it as a family. Jim and Jake took turns carrying Cy in one of those hiking backpacks that kids ride on, and surprisingly he enjoyed it. I was very impressed with Abby here because she hiked all the way up AND back down with zero whining. And I could tell it was hard work for her little body. Frankly, she did less whining than some of her brothers, who will remain unnamed.

Yes, I did let my children pet a monkey.

I spent the remainder of the weekend poring over curriculum choices for next year. So much fun, but, oh so hard. So many choices.........

Normal Life

2011-04-20T18:16:00.003-05:00

Well, life's getting back to normal around here.

Yesterday, Lanie had four teeth pulled to prepare her for upcoming braces. She was a trooper, and after a little Tylenol #3 and a good long nap, was as good as new.

We're back into the swing of school, and have actually had one of the most productive weeks all year. We're all motivated to hurry up and get done before summer is here. Yes, even Abby has been cranking it out with no (OK, few) complaints. It is really helping that the weather is very springlike, making us all long for some serious outside time.

It is not 100% normal though, because both of our next door neighbors are still gone - which means 7 less kids on the block. Plus, no one that I can run to for a teaspoon of sugar or that much needed can of tomato sauce when I realize at the very last second that ooops, I don't have one. I really hope they come back soon, but they evacuated and then enrolled their kids in school in the States, so they might decide to stay until the school year lets out even though the evacuation order has now been lifted.

We also told the kids we're skipping the sports season so that we can focus on getting through school. Although we got some schoolwork done on the road, it definitely wasn't a full month's worth of school, still leaving us behind somewhat. The boys had both started track before we left, and as it turned out the whole track season was pretty much put on hold. They ended up only missing five practices. Now they're going to have a mini-season, with only something like two quick meets. So I don't feel they're missing much by sitting it out this year.

Home Sweet Home

2011-04-17T06:04:00.002-05:00

Well, we are finally, finally back home.

Reunited as a family.

The trial of the last few weeks is OVER - once and for all.

And let me tell you, it was definitely a time of trial.

A time of worry, anxiety, and testing.

And although it was wrapped up in blessings, in the form of special time with very dear friends and family, it was certainly a huge TEST for me personally, for our marriage, and for our family.

A walk through the desert.

But I'm happy to report that we are emerging on the other side all the stronger for it, with our faith having been refreshed, renewed, and definitely strengthened.

So I am thankful for the sand and the heat of the desert, because as usual, they only serve to make us more aware of the oasis He provides daily.

Thank you to all of you who covered us in prayer, and please don't forget to continue to pray for the Japanese as they work to reconstruct their country.

Blog Vacation

2011-04-08T09:22:00.003-05:00

I would LOVE to write a new post and update everyone on what's going on in our nomad life. But, alas, I have a three year old at my side every.minute who is away from his toys and his routine. He will NOT STOP TALKING. And when he goes to bed at night, well, I have hours of games to play with my kids and game loving sister. To catch up for all those years that we've been far,far away.

Maybe I can find a quiet minute at some point in the next week.

What airline NOT to fly

2011-03-30T23:44:00.000-05:00

I need to vent!!! I am on my fourth D*elta flight in about two weeks. I've been traveling alone with FiVE children. And every.single.flight they have seated all of us scattered all over the plane. HELLO!!! When I say scattered, I mean not even my three year old is sitting next to me. Most of the time I've been able to get the seats switched at the gate, but not today. They made me get on the plane and beg strangers to switch seats with us...

And I would have a lot more to say about that if I wasn't so tired!!!

Sent from my iPod

Life Interrupted, Part 2

2011-03-29T19:27:00.014-05:00

Over the last few days, we felt several more aftershocks. It was becoming more and more unsettling to sit around, just waiting for the next one to come. And then we started hearing more about the problems at the nuclear power plant in F-kushima. The first few days we figured everything would blow over in no time. Just had to wait it out. My MIL even emailed me at some point, asking if the kids and I were planning on coming home. I told her I wasn't ready to leave my hubby, and that we would make that decision when it was absolutely needed.

In the meantime, we were becoming more and more concerned for the way these consecutive disasters were affecting the Japanese. We know this country has a mostly non-Christian population, and we felt a true heartache for all those lives lost without coming to know the Lord. We felt a deep sadness for the people suffering without knowing His comfort, and spent many hours in paryer for this difficult time to become a wake up call to all of those who needed to have a greater hope. It was very conflicting to be hurting for the people around us, and at the same time to want to depart that very place and bring your children to safety. But with each passing day, things seemed worse instead of better. We were trying not to give in to panic, but also trying to have wisdom and make the plans necessary to do what we felt we needed to do as parents. And then we woke up one day and decided that we'd had enough of the guesswork. Quite simply, there was really no reason for us to be staying put.

I personally wanted to be a help in some way to the recovery efforts in Japan, but at the time that wasn't really practical. Not with five kids in the house that I was homeschooling, and trying to keep calm as well. In those initial days, there was such an outpour of volunteers that the Red Cross was turning people away, and even asking the public not to call their offices anymore. Nobody but official rescue workers were allowed in the areas affected by the tsunami. I just felt we were more in the way than an actual help. There was a huge emphasis being placed on conserving energy, and I thought maybe we could help do that best by being gone. As it stood, we felt we were sitting around waiting for a disaster to unfold. We didn't want to wait to be given the order to go, because we thought that it would be complete chaos to try to evacuate at that point. So, even though it was a huge stretch for us financially, we decided it was time for the kids and myself to take a little trip home to visit family.

With the decision finally made, it felt like someone had pushed the fast forward button. I had one day to get everything packed to take five children and myself halfway around the world for an undetermined amount of time. We had a flight leaving at 8:10 in the evening, but still opted to take the very first shuttle our base offered to the airport. We figured in the current state of things, we could not be sure that the shuttle would be running at all by the end of the day. That meant we'd have to spend 9 hours sitting in the airport, waiting for our flight. Did I mention I had five children with me???? And that one of them is THREE????

The airport in Tokyo was completely packed. But just like I've come to expect from the Japanese, everything was very calm. Lines ran smoothly, people seemed at ease, and everyone was being friendly and polite. I thought I would lose it when a strong aftershock hit at about 1 pm that afternoon, but everyone else just rolled with it. We tried to check in as soon as we arrived only to find out we had to wait another three and a half hours. We asked if there was an earlier flight we could take and she pretty much laughed at us. So we found a spot in front of Mickey D's and parked our two cart-fulls of luggage while we ate what they had left on the menu. When we finally got to check in, the lady told me that if I could PLEASE agree to switch to a flight leaving only one hour later, we would each get a $400 voucher. And I will be completely honest - my first reaction was to turn it down. After that afternoon's aftershock, I was really just wanting to leave. But good reason (and a wise husband) told me to accept the deal. So with shaky knees we sat around for an extra hour, while I tried to convince myself that nothing terrible would happen in that hour between when we WOULD'VE left and when we actually did. The original plan when we made arrangements to leave Tokyo was to fly to the West Coast to spend some time with my extended family there, and then fly on to the South where my nuclear family is. But the vouchers gave us the opportunity to add a leg to our trip, and get to visit with my in-laws in the East Coast as well.

But that also meant......5 children, THREE time zones, in THREE weeks.

Part 3 to come.....soon

Life Interrupted, Part 1

2011-03-27T20:30:00.007-05:00

Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how I've felt for the last almost two weeks.

The events of March 11 shook up our world in ways we could not have anticipated at the time. Shortly after 2:30 that afternoon, the ground started shaking beneath our feet. Having spent several years in Southern California, this was not a new experience for me. The earthquake didn't seem particularly big to me at the time it was happening - but what did stand out was how.incredibly.long it seemed to go on. I kept thinking it must certainly be done and I was just feeling dizzy, but then I'd notice the door was still swinging, or things rattling on the shelves. However, once it was finally done, we thought "No big deal. We are in Japan - there's earthquakes here all the time." We were even surprised it took us nine full months to get our first one. Back to business as usual. Boy, were we wrong!!!

That evening, however, things were still going on as usual. I even attended the dinner to kick off the women's Bible conference our chapel was sponsoring that weekend. We followed our scheduled program but took the time to pray for the people of Japan, since we were already starting to hear reports of damage from the tsunami that had hit Sendai following the earthquake. We had no clear concept, however, of how extensive that had really been.

It wasn't until the next morning that the reality of what had happened in the aftermath of the earthquake started taking place. The women's conference went on with Day 2, which was in a nearby town about a 45 minute bus ride away. I opted to pass on that day, feeling a little too nervous to be so far from my crew. Initially, we focused on how merciful God had been that in such a BIG quake (it was measured as a 9.0 at the epicenter), there had been so little damage from the shaking itself. We heard virtually no reports of major damage due to the earthquake. That, however, turn to a deep concern as the realization of the massive damage from the tsunami became a reality. And a true and very real concern for a nation of people who for the most part do not know the Lord.

The next few days were spent in prayer for those experiencing loss due to this tragedy, and pleading that this would be used for God's glory and that those in need would turn to the true source of all comfort.

I can't even remember when we started to hear about the concerns relating to the nuclear plant. The days all kind of blur into one another now. We did not want to panic, and patiently waited out the first few days hoping the situation would be reversed and it would turn into a non-issue. We tried to reassure family members stateside, telling them we would be sent home when deemed necessary. We just didn't know how fast that would be.......

Part 2 to follow........

2011-03-13T22:34:00.001-05:00

God is our refuge and strength
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

(Psalm 46:1 - 2)

All By Myself

2011-03-13T08:05:00.006-05:00

Josiah is learning to dress himself.

I like it - but I don't at the same time!! youknowwhatImean

He's also VERY particular about what he wears.

His absolute preference is jeans.

As a matter of fact, if it's not jeans I'm trying to get him to wear, I literally have to wrestle him into his clothes.

And then he walks around for half the day holding his pants up as though they're burning into his legs!

Sensory issues, or strong-willed child?

I'm honestly not sure.

He even says he wants a "jean" shirt!!!!!!

And if anyone else is wearing jeans, he goes up and rubs them and says "I love your jeans!!"

Be Still

2011-03-12T00:06:00.002-06:00

Again, we are thankful that we are all OK at our home, and all our immediately surrounding communities. However, there is devastation all across the country, and that leaves one feeling helpful, fearful, and frankly, somewhat depressed. It reminds me of the feeling we had being overseas on 9-11, or the awe and devastation felt following Katrina.

It is exactly at times like this, when we are at the end of our ropes, when we are brought face to face with our helplesness and our total LACK OF CONTROL - that we must turn to Him!!!! A time of crisis serves to remind us that we are in fact NOT in control, that each day is a gift - not a guarantee, that at any moment it can all be gone - all in the blink of an eye.

Please continue praying along with me for the families of Japan, and also that all of those affected will not give in to fear, but instead use this opportunity to draw closer to our Father.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love...." (2 Tim. 1:7)

Shaking Things Up

2011-03-11T08:41:00.002-06:00

Thank you to all who have contacted me to check on our family. We are well, thank God, and the quake was not huge where we are at. We are also far inland enough that the *tsunami did not affect us either. It still certainly is scary even when you grew up with things like this - especially when there is such devastation around you (not in my immediate surroundings, but feels a bit "close" to home). Please lift the Japanese people up in prayer today - and that somehow God's name be lifted up through this in this nation that needs Him so much. Maybe through outreach in the days to come some of us can help that happen!!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!!

2011-03-03T02:45:00.004-06:00

In honor of Dr. Seuss, we had this for lunch:

I just make them, but I can't actually eat them. I can barely even cook them - they look too pukey to me. So I make them for my kids, who enchantedly eat them, and then I make myself good-ol' yellow scrambled eggs. Thank you.

No Milk, Thank You

2011-03-01T08:26:00.002-06:00

Well, we spent a whole week waiting for a doctor's appointment. Lanie had been having a lot of tummy issues lately (she's really kind of had tummy issues her whole life, but they were getting significantly worse), so I wanted to check out what was going on. But of course I couldn't sit for a week and do NOTHING, so I started researching. Between that and the little tiny bit of nursing knowledge that remains in my brain after all these years being not so formally used, I came to the conclusion that the problem might be lactose.

So, I took her off all dairy (all "visible" milk, anyways) and she started feeling MUCH better.

Today was the much awaited doctor's appt.

And what did the doctor say???

Well, if she was having belly issues, and you took her off dairy, and she's feeling better, then, yeah, she probably IS lactose intorelant.

Wow!!!! We pay her for that?? And to think I interrupted a perfectly good homeschooling day to hear her say that!!!

Pics, As Promised

2011-02-26T01:31:00.003-06:00

Well, it's been busy, as usual, around here. But I am very proud to have remembered to take some pictures of Abby's family birthday party, which finally took place last night. It is getting harder and harder to find a time when we are all at home at the same time!!

I love this last one with that sweet, sweet smile. I was reading her birthday card to her - apparently she really liked it!!

Happy Birthday, Abby!!!

2011-02-20T04:55:00.002-06:00

It is hard for me to believe that Abby turned ten today. She still looks much younger, and definitely acts much younger - ten in my mind sounds like such a "big" kid.

She definitely had a fun filled day, but I beat myself up because even though I reminded myself about ten times I forgot to get my camera on my way out the door.

Part of the advantage of having a birthday on a Sunday is you get to go to church to celebrate - which I think is pretty neat. We started off by going to the morning service, although we usually go in the evening. We wanted to leave room for all the other things we had planned later on in the day.

Church was followed by one of Abby's favorite places on the planet - brunch at the O'Club. On the way there we were discussing what we each wanted to start off with and she said "I'm having BACON first!!!" Hmmm, a girl after my own heart......
She did indeed feast on a giant plate of bacon and eggs, followed a a mountain of shrimp and tomatoes. She even got adventurous and tasted the crepes - but didn't go for more than one bite of that. Then she shocked us again by putting sprinkles on her ice cream. Usually, she will tolerate ice cream but only if it's vanilla with NOTHING on it. I love seeing her willingness to try new things. Long gone are the days when we struggled to get her to eat anything.

Later on in the afternoon we went to the theatre to watch Yogi Bear. She seemed to enjoy that quite a bit too. Then she cracked up on the way home when I made a stop at the commissary and told her "This is the BEST part of your birthday. We get to go grocery shopping." She was a very good sport about getting dragged through there on her special day. I just knew that with tomorrow's holiday it would probably be closed and our pantry was EMPTY.

The girls are right now capping off the day with some Mario Party 8 on the Wii. The big boys are gone and so it's pretty cool to them that they totally own the video games and can play exactly what they want without being kicked off.

We're holding off on the cake and presents until probably Tuesday, because Daddy and the boys are on a snowboarding trip. They called her to wish her a happy birthday, and you could tell she felt like the most special girl getting that phone call. Same thing this morning when Grandma and cousin Tommy called her. She's not used to getting phone calls, so she thought that was pretty cool.

Singapore Details

2011-02-19T02:12:00.003-06:00

Singapore was absolutely perfect - one of those vacations we will remember for a lifetime.

For starters, the flight was free. And they fed us like crazy - I mean, the kids were turning food down towards the end and I was grabbing it and stashing it in my backpack for later. They even came around with FULL SIZE CANDY BARS. Snickers, etc.... Yes they did.

We stayed at a military lodging facility that charged us a whooping $90 a night for a three bedroom apartment, with two bathrooms and a kitchen. Laundry service was directly outside our front door. Free movie rental. Pizza Hut, KFC, and McDonalds all delivered to us. Oh - and of course, someone cleaned the apartment and did the dishes every day. I could have stayed just in that room and been happy.

A short walk away we could get on the metro, which would take us pretty much anywhere we wanted to go, or pretty close anyways.

When we got to our room, we noticed a sign that said "Feeding the monkeys has a fine of up to $5,000." We're going "What monkeys????" Well, as we found out from the noises outside our window bright and early one morning, they do roam free around the island. We got to see a couple on our walks back and forth to the Navy post - that was probably one of my favorite parts.

Singapore is only about 85 miles north of the equator, so the weather is spectacular. We had solid 88 degree days, perfectly clear, the entire time we were there. Well, truthfully there were showers every afternoon, but they came and went so fast you just felt refreshed. The weather is the same year round.

I absolutely loved the abundance of fresh tropical fruit everywhere we went. Guava, mangos, papaya, coconut, all the things I grew up loving in Puerto Rico were sold in every corner. OK, fine, I don't really like papaya, but I just feel like I should, you know. I did get to drink straight out of a coconut which I hadn't done since, well, since I ate at the Thai restaurant in China last year, but it was a REALLY long time before that.

We stayed pretty busy but still made it back to the room early enough each night to just enjoy lounging around and having no responsibilities. Which makes having roomy lodging very key.

The food was a great part of the experience as well. There is such a mix of cultures on the island that it makes for an interesting selection of grub. We enjoyed getting giant plates of authentic Chinese and Indian food for dirt cheap, mostly $3 to $4. Abby in particular probably ate a truckload worth of noodles while we were there. My absolute favorite were these "crunchy" meatballs I had on the beach - I could've eaten them every single day. Jim had a fair amount of seafood, including the popular "chili" crab.

We explored the beaches, the zoo, night safari, Science Center, Chinatown, Little India, spent two days hanging out on Sentosa Island, and still had time for a "down" day on Sunday, giving us a chance to go to church and hang out by the pool after Sunday brunch.

We got back on Wed. evening, and already this morning (Sat. morning to us) my three big boys left on a snowboarding trip. From the equator to the slopes in less than 3 days.

Here's a few pics from our time in Singapore:

The cool pool we hung out at.

Beautiful beaches on Sentosa*.

Look at those plates of food for $4.

A little Luge action.

Chinatown

And a very special little girl is turning 10 tomorrow, so be on the lookout for more pictures.

Life is Rough

2011-02-13T16:58:00.000-06:00

I am typing this poolside, while I digest my awesome Sunday brunch. We have had the most amazing week of clear and beautiful 88 degree weather, and taken in probably every Singapore tourist site. We shot down a zipline over the rainforest, spent some time on the pristine beaches, and took in the nighttime safari. We have also eaten to our heart's content. The mix of cultures here is evident in the great variety of traditional food available. Genuine Chinese food, Indian food, you name it.

We are in heaven.

Sent from my iPod

In Singapore, but for some reason when I try to post from my itouch it only lets me type a title

2011-02-09T18:14:00.001-06:00

Peach Fuzz

2011-02-05T00:36:00.001-06:00

I can't post to FB, 'cause he'll see that.

But I think I'm safe here.

Jim just went upstairs to teach our 14 year old how to shave.

Sigh.

Where'd my baby go???

Can't Wait 'Til Today Ends

2011-02-04T22:01:00.002-06:00

Tonight Jim and I are speaking at our chapel's women's group Valentine's event.

I'm honored to have been asked.

And Jim certainly has no problem with it.

But I'm terrified.

I'm shaking in my boots. Literally, because it's a Western theme (Spurring Each Other On).

And I won't be able to relax until it's all over with.

My son said it'll probably be really good and then they'll be asking us to speak at ALL sorts of events. So I might have to purposely blow it.

I'll let you know tomorrow if I survived.

And fill you in on day 2 of swimming lessons.

If you're really lucky, I might let you in on the really big news.

But I can't right now. I have to go run through our speech for the gazillionth tim.e

More Prayers Needed

2011-02-02T08:56:00.001-06:00

John 16:33 is the verse I'm hanging on to today:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart - I have overcome the world!!!"

A needed reminder when it seems that more often than not these days my posts involve prayer requests.

Our VERY beloved brother in law, Jason, has just learned he has a sizeable mass on top of one of his lungs. I fully trust God for his healing, and have confidence that through the prayers of many that love him dearly this will all turn out to be "no big deal". But it really makes me sad to watch those I love go through stuff like this...... And it makes it specially hard to be SO far away from family when you just want to give them all your love, well, in person. I want very badly to give him and his wife a big'o hug and hold their hands and actually pray TOGETHER with them - but I'll just have to hit my knees on this side of the world and ask all who would join me from your particular corners to do the same!!!

I'm Back Up

2011-02-01T09:11:00.002-06:00

I love that God cares about the little things that matter to us.

Like internet access.

And I know He cares because if it had been up to my ISP I'd still be without service.

Anyways, it's not like I had much time today anyhow.

Cy had his first swimming lesson.

We talked about it for about two weeks.

Over and over again I explained that I couldn't go in the water with him.

I told him I'd be on the other side of the plexi-glass, watching him intently.

That if he was a big boy, I'd buy him an ice cream (yeah, I broke out the big guns).

In spite of all the careful preparation, he cried through pretty much the ENTIRE thirty minute lesson.

Maybe for the last five minutes he finally sat there and WATCHED - without crying.

But he would not go anywhere near the water.

Maybe on Thursday.

Waaahh!!!

2011-01-31T17:52:00.000-06:00

Internet.
Is.
Out!!!

Prayers appreciated.
I'm crying like a baby.

Really.

My Montage 1/26/11 at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-01-26T22:27:00.002-06:00

Celebrating having Abby home for one year. Don't forget to turn off the blog music on the sidebar so that you can enjoy this video. Then read the accompanying post below.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Abby's Adoption Celebration - Take Two

2011-01-25T04:17:00.004-06:00

I had written this really nice, long, and emotional post about reaching the big milestone of one year with Abby. And then, I felt like it was all just re-hashed stuff. Touchy feely things that I have probably said a million times, and so has every other adoptive parent out there in blogosphere.

So, I scrapped it.

Instead, I thought I'd do another favorite of adoptive parents, which is much more light-hearted. A list of things about Abby. I went with twelve things, one for every month she's been a part of this family. 'Cause I thought no one would want to read 365 things about ANYONE else..... no matter how cute that person might be!

1. The girl can SLEEP. When she wakes up in the morning, she tumbles down the stair and has that "nobody talk to me until I drink my coffee" look on her face that she must have learned from me. I think most days she finally gets up just because she doesn't want to be alone upstairs. Which leads me to number two......

2. She HATES to be alone. I don't know if that comes from being in the orphanage and getting used to always having so many others around, or from having been punished by being left alone in a room, or from abandonment fears, but she avoids being alone in any room at all costs. The only place she's comfortable alone is the bathroom. Thankfully. lol

3. She loves salty foods. When most of my kids finish a meal, they beg for cake, cookies, or candy. Not Abby. She always says: "Can I please have some chips for a snack??"

4. She is gifted with a beautiful singing voice and is not afraid to use it.......... in the shower, or when doing chores.

5. She LIKES chores. I mean, she knows enough by now to do her share of complaining when she's assigned them. But she does them with JOY. And does not rush through them. She honestly looks every bit as happy doing chores as she does when she's playing. Either she loves them, or she's found the secret of doing everything cheerfully the way we SHOULD. But wait: she doesn't do schoolwork cheerfully - so maybe not.

6. She has the best handwriting out of any of my kids. There might be two reasons for this: 1- I wasn't her sole handwriting teacher!! 2 - There's something about learning to write those complicated Chinese characters that makes our alphabet ridiculously easy.

7. She cannot get enough of looking at her reflection. She says they had no mirrors at the orphanage, so she did not get the opportunity much for most of her life. But now she just can't stop. I've caught her fixing her hair using the microwave door for a mirror while on time-out. I found this kind of endearing at first but now it's just a little over the top.

8. For those of you who think I talk fast, you have seen NOTHING until you meet our Abby. Her English is GREAT - but we have to keep reminding her to please.slow.down!!

9. She has never taken a bubble bath in her life - but I'm terrified to leave her in the bath by herself. I'm going to have to sit myself in the bathroom with her so she can experience this indescribable joy, or figure something out.

10. Bible is her favorite subject in school.

11. She is great with babies, and baby dolls too.

12. She is a total Daddy's girl. And to think, before adopting, I worried about how Jim would bond with our adoptive child. You worry about the dumbest things sometimes.

One Year Celebration

2011-01-19T08:05:00.004-06:00

We celebrated our one year anniversary of Abby's adoption day, or gotcha day, or whatever you want to call it, yesterday. I can hardly believe it has been one year since we met that scared and TINY lil' girl. I've been meaning to sit down and write something deep, profound, and touching, something that will express all the feelings that have raced through my mind and heart in the last twelve months. But frankly, with five kids in the house plus homeschooling thrown in, I just haven't had the time. I'll get to it, hopefully before the end of the week. And I'll also throw in a nice detailed description of how we celebrated, with the ONE picture I managed to take.

But if I leave you wanting for inspiring adoption related reading, please hop on over to Sonia's blog and laugh and cry along with her and her crew, as they are in China RIGHT NOW adding two more sweet boys to their family. And Sonia has me beat now, with SIX children to call her own, she's two days post adoption, and she still manages to find the time to write witty and touching posts. I might need to hire her for some private lessons!

On a side note, Jim and I have been asked to speak at an upcoming Valentine's Dinner for the chapel. While my husband is quite talented in the public speaking department, I have no skills- or nerves - whatsoever for that type of thing. Plus, it made me feel really OLD that they would even ask us to do this. I guess they just want the young, hip couples to reach out and encourage the other young, hip couples, right??? Please pray that my nerves will be stilled and I can speak clearly and be an encouragement to others - not just blubber, and stutter, and sweat!!!

OK- wonderful one year post coming up, VERY SOON!!!

A Hero

2011-01-16T09:05:00.002-06:00

I just got the sad news that my dear uncle gave up his fight with leukemia this morning. It is difficult, as it always is, for all of those who loved him to say good-bye (well - see you later). His battle had been long, though, and there is great peace in knowing he is at rest in his Father's arms. And although I hadn't seen him in the last 20 years - I just wanted to note that he was regarded as a hero in our little family circle. I would need to open a separate blog just to give enough detail about the ways he gave to others. He was an amazing father, an incredible brother, and I know many not-so-young-anymore nieces and nephews that still called him "favorite" - and when you are one of TEN siblings you have stiff competition for that title. He also dearly loved God and walked hand in hand with Him.

Anyhow, thanks for your prayers over the last few months. And to my family in every corner of the world - I love you bunches and wish I could be closer!!!

Need a Little Inspiration?????

2011-01-12T01:51:00.001-06:00

This song is a great reminder to get off our duffs and DO something!
(Don't forget to turn off the blog background music on the sidebar).

Big Boy

2011-01-10T17:16:00.006-06:00

My baby turned 3 this past Sunday. Boo-Hoo!!!!!! I am so ~~sad~~ happy to see him getting so big!! OK, I'll admit this is bittersweet for me. All it takes is one look at my big boys (the oldest of those now being taller than me, by the way) to remind me how crazy fast the time goes by. I'm going to miss his baby ways.

On Monday, we were leaving the commissary and the lady pushing out our groceries started making conversation with him, and dared to call him "baby". He quickly turned around and said: "I am NOT a baby. I am a boy." Luckily, this smart lady must have had a bit of experience with toddlers, because she did not snicker or even break a grin. If there is one thing that drives him crazy is when people laught at what he says. Instead, she apologized and then asked how old he was. He was SO excited to get to hold up three little fingers and announce "I'm THREE".

Excuse Me???????

2011-01-06T01:01:00.002-06:00

I just about died today......

Now I have to say that schooling Abby has not been an easy feat. The girl is extremely smart, but also has been very, well, unmotivated. Which is to be expected considering she was never challenged academically before she got here. So, to her chagrin, she got a nutso mom who is a little too motivated when it comes to teaching her kids. So, I've really cut her no slack and have pushed - err, I mean, encouraged her, to do her best. But it can be exhausting work. And there's times I want to just have a good day with no confrontations and just let her get away with doing next to nothing. Luckily for her, I 've had six previous years of experience and don't easily succumb to those temptations.

We've come a very long way......
She knows tears don't get her out of school, she knows I know how much she can do, and she frankly has turned a big corner and has stopped fighting me on it. She still freaks out when I ask her questions, like she thinks I'm trying to trick her into being wrong or something, but we're working on that....

And yet I was not ready for today. I mentioned recently that Abby does most of her work on the computer. She is doing the third grade program from Alph* and Omeg*'s Switched* on Schoolhouse*. In China, she would now be in fourth grade, as she would be here based on her age. Lanie is in fourth grade now, and she is a few months younger than Abby. The third grade program has been just right for her, though, considering she is still learning English.

Well, today Abby came to me and said: "Mom, I wanted to ask you if I could do fourth grade over the summer. I want to do it but I don't know if you will let me."

I just about fell off my seat. Actually asking to school over summer break??????? Are you kidding me? She then told me she is anxious to catch up to Lanie and the rest of their friends. Peer pressure at its best!!!!!!!!!!!

I explained she'll catch up eventually, and the only reason she is behind at all is the language. Luckily, she seemed pleased with that - for now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Smile

2011-01-03T17:48:00.002-06:00

See the little cutie on my sidebar, Marcelle??? She is the child we are privileged to sponsor through An Orphan's Wish. I just got word that she is having her lip repaired!!! That is amazing news and I am thrilled for her. Not only will she have a beautiful new smile, but this will make eating so much easier for her!! What a thrill to get to watch the changes this will bring. Please praise God along with me for this milestone for Marcelle, and pray for a speedy recovery!

Too Cute

2011-01-02T21:27:00.002-06:00

Abby does most of her schoolwork on the computer. It really helps her to be forced to read mostly everything on her own, instead of having me read to her all the time, but the computer is set up to help her with pronunciation when she needs help, plus it also gives her definitions of new words, etc.... It is definitely not something I would do long term, but for now it is really working out well.

I require her to come tell me what she has learned before she can move on to the question part of the lesson. So today, after her Language Arts lesson, she ran up to me and said:

"Mom, they're teaching me about what to put at the end of a sentence. I already knew about periods and question marks, but now they are teaching me about EXPLOSION MARKS!!!!""

So cute! Love my language learner!

Top Ten Memories of 2010

2010-12-29T06:16:00.016-06:00

OK, when I saw Tonggu Momma made a list of "Top 10 Christmas Memories of 2010" I thought I would definitely be stealing that idea. But considering it's almost New Year's I decided I'd make a "Top 10 of 2010" instead. I've asked everyone for input, so this list reflects what our memories are as a family unit (not just MY point of view, as usual). And they are in no particular order (OK - except #1 really is #1!!!!).

1. Abby became a part of our family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. Moving to Japan

3. Climbing Mt. Fuji (well, at least for THREE of us this is one of the top 10 memories).

4. Taking Abby and Josiah on their first trip to Disney.

5. Sanibel Island with DH's family.

6. Road trip to TX to see family. Mom having to drive all 5 kids by herself for a ridiculous number of hours at a time. And everything this trip included - visiting with old friends and family. Strangely, this is the ONLY picture from this trip that I could find on my computer today. I'm sure they're all in there somewhere - I would've liked to include a group picture, but it'll have to wait because my eyes hurt from looking. Plus, I like this shot of Lanie with Uncle Juan anyways.

7. Abby's first Christmas.

8.Three day getaway to Tokyo.

9. Jim's big promotion!!!

10. Climbing the Great Wall of China (OK, at least for two of us). The memory of how sick we were that day has pretty much faded and all we can remember is the awe inspiring views, and just the magnitude of such an incredibly impressive man made structure. And I'll always be grateful for well placed friends armed with anti-nausea medication who prevented my memory of the Great Wall from being something much more horrific!

Post Christmas Cheer

2010-12-28T18:57:00.004-06:00

I enjoy the days following Christmas almost as much as the days leading up to it.
It is now time to just relax and enjoy all those fun presents that showed up under the tree......
Or just hang out and revel in the fact that we have no responsibilities for a few days.

Well, outside of laundry. And dishes. And meal making.

Daily Bread

2010-12-28T07:55:00.005-06:00

In spite of the busyness around here , or maybe because of the busyness, the time just seems to be flying right by. And my babies are growing up WAY too fast. So, I'm trying to hang on to those sweet little things that soon fade to just memories, as my youngest little man turns into a BIG boy. Sadly, scrapbooking time has become almost nonexistent, and although I still truly enjoy creating albums I seem to sit down and do it less and less. So I better keep track of some of these little things here, so I'll have a record of it somewhere. Amidst the craziness, these are the things that help to keep me going when the batteries are running on low - my daily bread. I think there's not one place where you can see Jesus' love more purely than in the love of a child.

A few weeks ago, Cy came up to me out of the blue and said "Mom, you're so pretty. You're a flower." He said this completely on his own! I almost started bawling right then.

Now we play a little game. I'll say "Cy, can you say something nice to me?"

And he'll say "Flower?????"

I reply "Yeah"

He gets this giant grin and says "Mom, you're a flower!!!!!" and then gives me a great big hug!!!

It just doesn't get much better than that!!!!

And on another note, for those of you adopting older children. I have to tell you that my little Abby just grows sweeter every day. In the last several weeks, she has completely let go of any apprehension, any guarding, any fears that she has had. She has finally allowed us to truly start to see her personality, and I think she is finally trusting that she is here to stay - no matter what. Now, she will have been with us one year in January. And we did make a major overseas move about five months after she arrived, which I'm sure was dirsuptive to her on some levels. All in all, her transition into our family was a smooth one, and we did not experience many of the extreme behaviors I've read about other families going through. But, it is not until now that I can truly say it feels like we have molded as a family and I can see that she feels like she belongs. I have to tell you, it is a complete joy. It makes me so relieved for her to know that her little heart feels secure.

Every time I walk past the girls' room and hear the giggling in there, when I see them come downstairs in their matching shirts, or help each other do their nails, my cup overflows!!! Have we had difficulties along the way???? Absolutely!! Was stepping out in faith and opening up our hearts and homes to an older child worth it???? 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not White Christmas

2010-12-25T05:26:00.003-06:00

I'm very happy to report we didn't have a white Christmas. I think white Christmases are overrated. It got cold enough to wear jackets out, and that's cold enough for me.

I'm quite exhausted right now after all the festivities, but wanted to at least share some pictures. Abby had a fantastic first Christmas - she enjoyed every bit of it. From the singing carols at church, to "Christmas Eve pj's", sleeping over in her brothers' room, dragging mom and dad out of bed, etc... And she loved that we got to have deep fried turkey again.

Josiah really got a kick out of getting a birthday cake for Jesus. I think that might have been his favorite part of the whole weekend. We even let him blow out the candle, which as someone pointed out, will just serve to confuse us years from now when I get around to scrapbook these pictures. We'll be asking if it was his birthday, or what.

So, although I actually have about 200 pictures, here's just a few of our favorites.

Cranberry Bread......... Amongst Other Things

2010-12-21T00:09:00.003-06:00

So, today's goal is to bake enough goodies for everyone at DH's office to receive an individual package of something homemade. I know for a lot of them, it will be the only fresh, homemade baked good they have this season, being so far away from home. I know the younger, single people in his office in particular could use that little piece of a homespun Christmas.

I am making a ton of loaves of cranberry bread, but I don't realistically think 17 of them for tomorrow is doable. So I'll be throwing in some magic bars as well. Maybe some fudge. ???

So my kitchen is pretty insane right now, but I have to say I love it!! I love the mess of baking, mostly because my kids clean it up - and because I LOVE the results!

And speaking of loving the craziness, it has really stood out to me this year how much people like to complain about the busyness of Christmas. Oh, too much to do, too many parties, all this baking, too much money spent, etc... And a lot of Christians will say that we've gotten away from the "true" meaning of Christmas. But I say, that all depends on your perspective. It's true that for many, Christmas is void of any true celebration of Christ. But for those of us that KNOW what this holiday is really about, that know we are celebrating the birth of a SAVIOR, then yes, we should be going ALL out. Yes, I want to put bright lights ALL over my house - I want a BIG tree, I want to have a GIANT party EVERY night, I want to play my Christmas music as loud as possible, for as many days as possible, I want to do EVERYTHING I can to shout out to the world that CHRIST was born. And I absolutely LOVE that we have not just a day, but a full SEASON to all out CELEBRATE this fact. That doesn't mean I don't live out my faith the rest of the year, but times set apart to remember and to celebrate ARE important - just like they were in Biblical times.

I don't give my loved ones presents because I feel obligated to. I do it because God gave me the most important present of all 2,000 years ago in sending His Son, and I want to take the time to show my love to others with a gift as well. It doesn't have to be big, or expensive - I could never match the gift He gave. It is just a way of saying you are loved, you are special, you are thought of. It doesn't matter if I spent $5 or $50, or maybe even $0 but just took the time to do make or do something special

I don't want to be guilted into thinking I should celebrate less. Like somehow I am more spiritual if I buy less gifts, or bake less, or turn off my Christmas music. I celebrate God in plenty of quiet ways all year long. For the month of December, I say turn it up a notch.

Break is Here

2010-12-17T06:12:00.002-06:00

OK - so with the exception of one person who shall remained unnamed and who is upstairs at this very moment (9 pm on Friday night) trying oh-so-very-hard to get done, we are THROUGH with school and officially on CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not excited or anything!!!!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-14T06:52:00.000-06:00

I posted this video around this time last year. This year, it has a whole new meaning to us!!!

Advent

2010-12-12T05:42:00.004-06:00

We've been having a great time around here preparing for Christmas.

And we've been trying to explain to Abby that the best part of Christmas is the Advent Season - this time of preparation, of looking forward to the BIG day!

One of the traditions that is a MUST around here is our advent chain. About 10 years ago, I saw this idea in a magazine and started doing it with my (at the time) 2 kids. We make a paper chain with 24 links, and on each link we write down a different fun Christmas-y activity. Ex: singing carols, watching The Grinch (or Charlie Brown, or The Nativity, or It's a Wonderful Life), making cookies. It helps us to make sure we make time for all the little things we like to do this time of year, and not let any of them slip our minds.

I had no idea back when I started this that my kids would love it so much. The chain (or as Abby calls it, the train) has become an absolute MUST each year. They start talking about it around Thansgiving, planning what kinds of things they're going to write down this time around. And they have come up with some unique things throughout the years, like "December Fools Day" - 'cause one annual day to play parent sanctioned jokes on everyone in the house is not enough.

Anyhow, we've been happily busy enjoying the season. And it holds special meaning this year, because it is Abby's first time celebrating Christmas. Everything is new through her eyes. And the sweetest thing is, she gets it, fully understands what all the hoopla is about. As a matter of fact, when she refers to Dec. 25 she says "Jesus' birthday", not Christmas. I love that!!!

This last picture is from the day we made popcorn balls. I broke out the good ol' air popper - which I've had since college - and hadn't brought out in SO long none of my kids had any recollection of it whatsoever. But it still works!! I absolutely loved the look on Abby's face when she saw what was going on in there!

Face of God

2010-12-06T00:36:00.006-06:00

When I was getting ready to travel to China in January, somebody commenting on one of my posts said "You're about to see the face of God". Silly me, I thought they meant this would happen the moment I met Abby, which it did. But that was just the start of it.

I have seen His face, upclose, pretty much every day since then.

In taking a scared little girl and teaching her to trust.

Teaching her that families are forever and love unconditionally.

In teaching a momma to love a child she did not bear.

A child she did not get to rock, and bathe, and love.....

A child she did not have the privilege of loving for the first (almost) nine years of her life.

I have seen His face in my biological children's eyes, as they love their new sister as though she had been here forever.

I have seen His face in my other family members, who have all accepted and loved Abby the same way - as though this was the most natural thing in the world, as though she was always here.

And that type of unconditional love, friends, comes only from God.

But that's only the start of it still.......

In adopting Abby, I became part of this giant network of adoptive families. And I have had the joy of seeing the face of God as I witness Him at work in their lives.

The stories are many, they are beautiful, and they are touching. And they all have His fingerprints all over them.

The story I want to share today is one particularly close to my heart, because it is happening in the life of a dear friend. Melissa and I have never met in person, but we connected with each other in 2009 when we were both waiting to hear if China had received our paperwork. I believe it was even before either one of us knew who our children were. We then had the privilege of supporting each other through the roller coaster of international adoption - what a ride that was!!! In November of 2009 I got to follow along via the amazing world of computers as Melissa and Ryan traveled to China to bring little Everest home. And then I got to keep following along over the next year and watched them mold into a family. Well, their story doesn't end there. To hear what awesome twist God just brought into their lives, visit their new blog . If you're able to get involved and help them complete this story, please do so, whether by donating or just backing them up in prayer.

And to my tech - savvy friends out there, if anyone knows how to make them a nice little button for their blog that would be AWESOME. I am clueless in such matters!!

In closing, let me assure you, I feel like I fall short every single day. Not one day comes to an end that I don't feel like a failure in one way or another. I am so glad that in spite of all my shortcomings and imperfections, He still extends His grace and allows me so close a glimpse at His face.

Tough Week

2010-12-05T08:16:00.003-06:00

It's been a tough week this week, and I haven't felt much like blogging.
Not a tough week around here, but for a lot of my loved ones all over the place.

DH's grandma passed away this weekend, and will certainly be missed. Even though we've been far away for so long, we all have fond memories of the visits we shared with them every time we did make it home. And it stinks to not be closer to family at a time like this.

My cousin P is hospitalized and very seriously ill, with a lot of unknowns and unanswered questions. She is terribly missing her little man who is only about three months old.

And my parents are visiting my uncle who has been very bravely fighting leukemia for a lot longer than anyone ever thought possible, but we don't know how much fight he's got left in him.

Closer to home, one of Lanie's volleyball teammates lost her dad in an accident this week. Pretty shocking and a great reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. My heart is breaking for this little girl and her family.

So, if you could take a minute to lift all these needs up in prayer, it would be greatly appreciated by many more people than you can imagine.

I'll lighten the mood later this week with pictures of our more cheerful happenings, like Jake's 12th birthday (yeah, TWELFTH!!) and our beautiful - yet- not - as - big - as -we're - used - to Christmas tree.

Oh- and lovely pics of Abby fully enjoying her first Christmas season.

Grateful

2010-11-26T07:35:00.004-06:00

Grateful for so many things this Thanksgiving....

Like this new face in the midst of our table:

Abby thoroughly enjoyed her first Thanksgiving. I think she has a good understanding of the history behind the holiday, and more important, the special meaning we personally find as a family in setting a day aside to thank God for our blessings. Surprisingly, she actually really enjoyed all the food. And she also demonstrated incredible grace by forgiving me for forgetting to add tomatoes to the feast. Her absolute favorite at any time!

I do think the highlight of her evening was playing pin the hat on the turkey. Even though Daddy won the highly coveted prize - a bag of M & M's.

And, just so you don't accuse me of leaving anyone out:

Karate Kid*

2010-11-15T15:53:00.002-06:00

We rented the new Karate Kid* the other night, and the older kids in particular were super excited to watch it.

Poor Abby was sobbing by the end of the very first fight scene, so she came and cuddled on momma's lap. My super sensitive girl.

Then about halfway through the movie, we realized she thought Dre (the Karate Kid*) was a GIRL!!

Glad we figured that one out before the kiss scene..........

Which, by the way, is a whole other post, because I don't really get why TWELVE year olds have to have kiss scenes in a movie.......

Do Pumpkins Break???

2010-11-12T14:51:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was busy doing something in the kitchen.

I really can't remember what it was I was doing, but for a mother of five whose laundry room IS the kitchen, there are endless tasks in there.

Anyways, there I was busy with my motherly tasks when Josiah runs up to me and says "I made a mess."

So I said what any reasonable mom would say "Well, go clean it up".

To which he replied "Do pumpkins break???"

Huhhhh??? "Did I hear you right?? What did you say?"

"Do pumpkins break???"

Then I remembered the ceramic pumpkin I had (stupidly) put in the bathroom - to "spruce" it up, you know.

Sure enough, it was shattered into countless pieces!!!!

Better be glad he's so darn cute. AND my last lil' baby.

Someday He'll Hate Me For This

2010-11-10T20:34:00.001-06:00

I walked in and he was just sitting there, with the ENTIRE roll of TP rolled out in his hands!!

Who Doesn't Love a Giveaway??

2010-11-09T09:32:00.005-06:00

I have to admit, I sure do!! And Stefanie over at Ni Hao Y'all is doing a BIG one. Basically, thirty days in a row with a giveaway EVERY day. And considering that the people contributing to this giveaway are the readers of her blog, I'm expecting some pretty neat stuff to be part of the prize stash. Because, well, her readers just happen to be a very creative and talented bunch. I know there are certain things in the blog community I'll be hoping will show up....

So, do yourself a favor and check out her giveaway. You might just have to write me a little note sometime in the next six weeks to thank me when you win some fabulous prize!!

Sports Don't Keep Us Busy Enough

2010-11-05T01:27:00.004-05:00

so, today Lanie started her piano lessons. She has been waiting for this day for YEARS. We adore her teacher, who also happens to be her ballet teacher. Multi -talented lady in every artisitc way, wonderful for a homeschooling momma who completely lacks in that department. We tried to sign her on to teach us all Japanese, but she said she is not a "professional".

New Sports Season

2010-11-02T06:57:00.002-05:00

It's a new sports season for the kids.

Jacob will be trying wrestling. He has practice Monday through Friday from 2:45 until 5 pm.

Luckily, they only have four meets the entire season.

Lanie is playing volleyball.

I could've sworn when I went to the parents' meeting, they said TWELVE year olds and older would be having away games. Well, the first week of practice they hand out game schedules, and out of six games, FOUR of Lanie's are away games.

When I say away, I mean at least a two hour trip each way. Not looking forward to that.

On the bright side, Jake's wrestling matches are mostly in January, and Lanie is done with volleyball by then. Which means, for a season, we might actually be able to ALL be at each other's sports events every weekend.

And THAT sounds like a lot of fun.

Shout Out

2010-11-01T08:48:00.005-05:00

I will probably lack the words to correctly express myself on this post.

But, I wanted to give it a go anyways.

Because somebody out there totally deserves it.

I want to give a special "shout out" to my mother in law.

So many people out there struggle with their relationship with their MIL, a lot of them for good reason.

And although I don't remember ever praying specifically about my future husband's mother and our relationship, God chose to bless me anyways (don't you just love it when He does that?).

I am blessed to share a special bond with her - not only because of our mutual love for her son and her grandkids (and actually, her daughters too. They're my own little sisters in my mind). We share an even greater passion for the Lord.

How awesome to be able to call on her with any prayer request, and KNOW that my needs are covered in prayer.

How reassuring to know she will never call me with criticism, but instead takes the time to call me with encouragement. Not once in our 16 years of marriage have I heard her even show even a hint of criticism for my performance as a wife, or as a mother for that fact.

She praises our homeschooling efforts, always calls me on my birthday, and NEVER plays the jealous mom game.

She is very conscious of boundaries, and very careful never to cross any that might even possibly exist. She is almost TOO careful - but I DO appreciate it that so!!

She truly treats me as one of her own daughters - and I LOVE that I have TWO wonderful moms to shower me with love.

And I won't even get into how she spoils (in a totally positive way) the grandchildren.

So, thank you, Grandma, for showering Christ's love on us continously.

Thank you for going well out of your way in pretty much everything you do.

Please know that I count myself BLESSED for having you in my life!!

P.S. I would love to throw a picture in here, but I really thought I'd better ask first. And I didn't want to wait to ask to write the post!

Lazy Day

2010-10-23T08:37:00.002-05:00

In case you're wondering, the pumpkin bread pudding never got made.

I was glued to this chair, or my couch, for most of the afternoon.

I did make it to the commissary to stock up for the week, but that was about it.

I feel guilty; I feel lazy; but it had been WAY too long since a Saturday had come up with absolutely NOTHING on the schedule. And so I relished every single second.

I even cancelled our zoo trip for tomorrow. And I'm going to do a repeat of today. All over again. Plus a trip to church, but that's a GOOD something.

Autumn Festival - Japan Style

2010-10-21T07:20:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday we did a little sightseeing in the nearby town of Nikko*, in time for its annual Autumn Festival. We also checked out the Toshogu* Shrine, which is dedicated to the spirit of Ieyasu*, the first shogun of Tokugawa. Ieyasu* founded the Tokugawa* Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 200 years. We got to watch a big parade that is a re-enactment of the Ieyasu*'s funeral ceremony. Very interesting stuff, although it makes you sad to become so aware of how deeply engrained false beliefs are in this culture.

The highlight of the trip:
I had put a pull-up* on Josiah and had packed a bag full of extras, because although he is now "officially" potty trained and doesn't miss a beat around the house, we had a (very) long drive there, plus I wasn't sure of the availability of public restrooms once in the town. He had used the potty maybe twice on the ride up and kept his pull-up* dry. However, upon arriving at the shrine, my brain just forgot that I have a newly potty trained kid. Forgive me, but it's been about 6 years at least since I had to think in that mode. You know, scoping out where every bathroom is ahead of time, constantly asking if they have to go, so on....

Well, there was a bathroom right by the front door, but I TOTALLY missed it - I wasn't really looking. About 30 minutes after we entered, Josiah starts doing his little dance and saying URGENTLY - I have to PEE!!! I really didn't feel like running around like a madwoman searching for a bathroom, so I reminded him he had a pull-up* on, and he could just go in THAT.(Oh -don't judge me. You know you've told your kids the same thing). And he gave me a weird look, but he did it.

So, instead of scoping out the bathroom now, to be ready for next time, I just forgot about it again. We proceeded to climb about one million steps to the top of some massive hill, where they had this magnificent statue thingie. It was like the center of this entire shrine. We are WAY up there, surrounded by all these locals who consider this a "sacred" place - and he yells again "I have to PEE". Definitely NO bathroom anywhere near us. So I cooly say - "Hey, you've got your pull-up, just go in that." To which my way too smart for his own good two year old replies "Did I ALREADY go pee???" Because, you see, he can feel the wetness already there and that causes him some concern. So mother-of-the year says "It's OK, you can go again" So he does. And it all just completely flows right down his leg, soaking the ground beneath him.

And then mother of the year did the only thing left to do. I tapped Daddy's shoulder, pointed at the two year old, and ran as fast as I could in the OPPOSITE direction.

"Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil" monkeys originated with this carving.

Meant to Be

2010-10-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

The families in this video are all adoptive families who received a grant through Show Hope (and the Chapmans themselves). Two of my favorite things come together: the Chapmans, and VeggieTales!!

Mommy For Sale

2010-10-10T20:43:00.003-05:00

Since I'm sure everyone on FB is tired of my status being the latest cute (or not so cute) thing my two year old said, I'll delight YOU with his latest.

Josiah just informed me that HE NEEDS A NEW MOMMY!!!!

I asked him why and he said "Because you are being NAUGHTY"

All this because I asked him to sit down.

Parenting is SO rewarding.

Not Much of Anything

2010-10-05T09:08:00.003-05:00

Well, things have been rather dull around here lately.

Not a lack of busyness, mind you.

Just same old stuff type of busyness.

Nothing much worth blogging about.

Other than, I guess with all the insanity in this house the last several months, boring is GOOD.

Jacob has some changes coming. He will be starting a paper route tomorrow. And sometime in the near future he will be getting braces.

Josiah is keeping his pants dry most of the time. And has decided that he loves Kai-Lan. Must remind him of someone dear to him, I guess. He continues to crack us up with his off the wall comments. Today, he picked up his toy dog and said "He's a very active puppy". We kind of stared at him in disbelief for a minute (I mean, the kid is TWO for goodness sake - where does he come up with these words?). Then we realized he was quoting this Arthur book he loves.

James is enjoying X-country, improving every week, and consistently beating a few of the juniors and seniors he's running with. Loving youth group, probably as much for the free dinner as for the Bible study and social part of it.

Lanie had a photo shoot for some Japanese modeling agencies that come on base to find American faces to put on their stuff. We'll see if anything comes of it. It looks like as she wraps up the soccer season she'll be picking up volleyball.

Abby's English is improving more each day. I am learning more and more each day about how she best learns, and I'm able to help her move along even more as I figure this out. This teaching thing is really a dance, a back and forth between teacher and student. I wondered for a while if she wouldn't get so much more out of a regular classroom, but I really think the one on one from someone who can really get to know her learning styles is more beneficial right now. I also think it's great for her to have the added family time. I have finally realized that even though she can read pretty fluently at this point, making all the right sounds, obviously a lot of the meaning behind what she is saying escapes her. Just because she can say the right words doesn't mean she understands them. So if I hand her something and ask her to read it, even though she can technically read it - the understanding is not always there. We're taking a lot more time to read together, to make sure she can "get" what she is reading. I am still in complete awe at the fact that this sweet girl has only been learning English for less than 9 months, and she can do as much as she can. As a matter of fact, her English has come such a long way that I sometimes forget she is still a language learner and ask WAY too much from her. She's too smart for her own good, I'm telling you. So this teaching "dance" is a work in progress, and we're both learning in the process.

Another noteworthy piece of Abby news: today, she was talking about not being able to choose her clothes when she was in the orphanage. I guess there were only a couple of dresses or skirts available, and that's what she always longed to wear. But it was a random pick by the nannies, and so she just got to wear what was handed to her. I asked if she ever told the nannies that she really wanted to wear the dresses, and she said she hadn't. She said there was this one really cute outfit in particular for the boys, and all the boys always wanted to wear that one. Anyways, this discussion led to talk about perhaps sending some clothes to the orphanage, as we thought it would be fun to send some "cute" things for the kids to wear. Abby was very excited about that possibility, so I'll have to look into it and see if it is possible.

And I guess that's a lot more than the nothing I thought I had to share : )

Birthday Boy

2010-09-29T08:15:00.005-05:00

My big boy turned 14 today.

Did you hear that???? FOURTEEN!!!

Where in the world did the years go????

I have a constant family video playing through my head today, but it seems to be stuc on fast forward.

I am so grateful for the call to stay home when he was small, and the fact that God provided for that.

I am so grateful for the call to homeschool, and the fact that God provided for THAT.

I have no regrets about the time that we have gotten to spend together, and would not trade ONE minute of it to have been somewhere else, to have made more money, or to have a cleaner house.

And as the day quickly approaches when he will be off on his own, I am very grateful for what I feel is a very close relationship with my teenage son. I know not many moms can say that. And I know it might not always be that way.

I am grateful for the man I see God shaping right before my eyes. Trust me, God is doing the shaping, and not me. The wisdom, maturity, and love for others that this child displays are way beyond his years. And yet he is not missing out on being a kid: he loves to have fun, be goofy, lose himself in his video games, and pick on his sisters.

I actually have to remind myself sometimes that he is still a kid, as the temptation to treat him as the more mature person he acts like is always there. He never complains about being asked to babysit his siblings (even if it involves the occasional diaper change), or do an extra chore, or, I don't know, accompany his highly emotional mother all the way to China to bring home yet another sister.

This year I have seen him step beyond his comfort zone and join the high school's cross country team. A brand new sport for him, at a school he's not really a part of, in a brand new country!!! Things I would've never dared to do at his age if I were in his shoes.

Just last week I was having a panic attack after dropping him off at midnight to go off on a bus full of rowdy teenages to a cross country meet THIRTEEN hours away. He survived. I survived.

What I don't think I'll survive is what he told me tonight. And he'd kill me if he knew I was blogging about this, so NOT A WORD!

He has been asked to Homecoming.

Didn't see that one coming. I am NOT ready to be the mom of a fourteen year old.

Let alone one who's being asked out on dates.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like..........

2010-09-28T08:31:00.007-05:00

I know, I know. It's not even October yet.

But I can't help it.

It's Christmas in the stores already.

And, usually, I find that a bit irritating.

But not today.

Today we walked into our trusty on-base "T*yland", all decked out for Christmas.

And Abby absolutely flipped out when she saw the Christmas trees.

I mean, I really don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile on anyone. Ever.

And she said (or at least I think she said, b/c it was all slurred together and said in ONE breath, the way she does when she's excited): "Mom, mom, I think maybe you will put a tree like that in our house for Christmas"

To which I replied " Oh, no, sweetie, we will put up a REAL tree in our house"

And she just looked at me very strangely, because she probably never heard of a "fake" tree, and thought those were real trees she was seeing in the store.

But anyhow, she kept on scrambling all over her words, talking about how she was going to make a heart to put on the tree, and on, and on, and on..........

I absolutely can NOT wait to help her celebrate EVERYTHING Christmas this year!!!!!!!!!!

Sleepover

2010-09-24T09:02:00.002-05:00

The girls have a friend over tonight for a little sleepover. They're camping out in the living room, and when I came downstairs to check on them, this is what I found. Lanie and E are reading this book to Abby and explaining what she doesn't understand.

Bye-Bye Diapers Day 5

2010-09-23T19:26:00.002-05:00

Cy has been ready to potty train for a long time now.

He's known what to do, and talked about it, for a while.

We have even gotten started down that road a time or two, but then life has happened.

School started and I got too busy to constantly take him potty.

I went to spend two weeks in China.

Then we were a bit busy getting his new sister settled in

We moved overseas.

So finally, I decided we just need to get this done. Life will never stop. And as long as I keep slapping a diaper on him, he'll be more than happy to use it.

This week, I told him: "No more". We officially said "bye bye" to diapers. Yeah, cold turkey. It's been quite the ride.

He has done a lot better than even I expected.

Yesterday, he stayed dry (and clean) ALL day until 6 pm. And I guess at that point he was getting a little tired to care. 'Cause he just quit for the ENTIRE rest of the day.

I'm hoping we can make it through the WHOLE day today.

And I feel a party comin' on soon.

'Cause unless I see a burning bush, I think we're about done with diapers around here. At least 'til grandkids start comin' over.

Forever Brothers

2010-09-21T07:58:00.020-05:00

A while back, I mentioned my bloggy friend and fellow AF wife Sonia was in the process of trying to bring home two GORGEOUS little guys from China (check them out on my sidebar). To add to her four boys already at home, mind you. Because apparently she doesn't have enough sweaty boy laundry to fill her days yet. I only have three boys, and the dirty socks that pile up on my kitchen floor (yes, I said KITCHEN floor) are enough to keep my washer running all day. But I digress....

Through amazing, miraculous circumstances that could only have been orchestrated by our AWESOME Father, these two little guys Sonia's family is adding to their home are the very best of friends, and are currently in the same foster home in China. You can read the rest of their incredible story HERE.

While you are there, you can find out how to participate in their upcoming drawing for some pretty cool prizes, and help this beautiful story be completed.

Made It

2010-09-20T08:39:00.005-05:00

Can't believe a whole week has gone by since I last posted. It didn't hit me until the time rolled around again today for ballet class. Yes, we survived a week of waiting and finally made it to class, which I think met everyone's expectations. Better yet, we found out that the ballet teacher also teaches piano, and Lanie was wanting piano lessons. She teaches at the student's house, which I guess is great because I don't have to drive to yet one more lesson.

But does this mean that I have to clean my house in preparation for the lesson????? 'Cause if that's the case, the lessons will be short lived.

We spent the last few days in Tokyo, celebrating Lanie's 9th birthday. Pics have been shared on FB, so I won't put them all up here, except for a few of my favorites.

I think my three "middlers" look very sweet in this one:

This one is one of my favorites because it shows that wonderful big brother - little sister thing they've got going (more details below):
The Tokyo tower (model after the Eiffel Tower) was Abby's absolute favorite thing in the whole trip. And I think her expression in this next picture says it all. It's interesting because the rest of us have traveled so extensively that it's quite hard to impress us - we've seen it all by now. It is neat to see things through Abby's eyes - everything seems so exciting when it's the first time you've done it.
OK, this last one is not from the Tokyo trip, it's from the birthday party after we got back. But it's just so cute, I couldn't resist!!

We had a fantastic time in Tokyo, but it hit me how much squabbling is going out lately. TWO girls to pick on is way too much temptation for a teenage brother - and he is relentless. Abby is definitely getting a taste of what it is to be a younger sister. And I am having many fond (really) memories of my big brother. And James would much rather tease Abby than Lanie, because Lanie actually enjoys it and just begs for more, while Abby responds with that high pitch WHINE that mothers everywhere LOVE. It is very true to her lil' princess personality.

So to top off the stress level around here, we got back and I decided that it is time to say bye-bye to diapers. We did so ceremoniously this morning, and had one succesful errand running outing with NO accidents. At home, however, it was a different story. Although he did stay dry through an entire Barney video, and then flipped out the second it was over and said "I have to go potty RIGHT now!!!" Think we'll do a pull-up for KinderMusic tomorrow.

Disappointment

2010-09-13T07:55:00.002-05:00

There was lots of disappointment for the girls today....

After counting down the days all week long, the big day was finally here.

They were due to start ballet class.

Together.

I had heard about nothing else all week.

We finally got there tonight, to a very surprised instructor.

She said she didn't know she had any girls signed up at all for the 9 and up class, and had somewhere else she had to be in half an hour.

I saw tears well up in Abby's eyes, but the savvy instructor pulled out a tub full of lollipops and let them each pick one, plus bowed and apologized about 50 times. She even gave them a big bear hug.

So we forgave her.

The good news???

Apparently they'll be getting private lessons.

We'll be back next Monday, and that woman better be ready to teach those lil' girls some moves!!

Neighborhood Posse

2010-09-11T08:46:00.001-05:00

There are now about 20 kids on the block and they all spend countless hours playing together. But these 5 are inseparable.

Cy and His Buddy

2010-09-04T21:36:00.005-05:00

Isn't the resemblance uncanny????

The other young kids in the neighborhood are always mixing these two up!!

We live right next door to each other, and I think these two have already found the start of a longtime friendship!!!

Great First Week

2010-09-03T06:09:00.002-05:00

We had a GREAT first week of school. Everything went better than planned, and everyone seems to be enjoying what they're learning about this year. And the last few months have been a time of growing and maturing for our little man - and the school day is a world of difference with him around now. He actually entertains HIMSELF for most of the morning, happy to be near us and color, or play with his bucket loads of toys - but not interrupting or demanding my attention. Last year we all took a "shift" to play with him so that the rest of us could continue to work uninterrupted, but I don't think that will be called for this year!!!!! HOORAY!

Most of what Abby is doing this year is on the computer (which she REALLY enjoys), but she's also tagging along with us when we do some of our geography, science, and read alouds, and I'm blown away by how much she's getting out of it. She actually begs to do mapping first thing in the morning.

And speaking of Abby...... This whole older child adoption thing has been quite a roller coaster for all involved, from the DECISION to accept an older child referral to the daily issues we're still facing now, more than 7 months down the road. But there are moments when I am clearly reminded of the real purpose in this journey - and we had one of those this afternoon. Abby was humming some songs, and then started singing "Jesus Loves Me". She turned to me and said: "Mom, that is my VERY FAVORITE song!!!!!!". That coupled with the many times she's turned to me and said "In China, they never talk about Jesus. They don't know about Jesus in China" make me want to hop on a plane and adopt about 100 more kids.

Not to be left behind, the lil' man has to melt my heart with his charm on a daily basis. This morning, he came into by bed and crawled on top of me, gave me a HUGE kiss, and said "You know what?? I missed you!!!" What a perfect way to start my day!

Pray

2010-08-31T07:40:00.001-05:00

So the first day of school is tomorrow.....
Pray for us! : )
MOST of my kids are actually very excited.
I am actually pretty excited.
I told you maybe I'd lost my mind!

Maybe I've Lost My Mind

2010-08-29T07:27:00.002-05:00

Most people look at me like I've lost my mind, anyways.
They do that most of the time, like when they know I have 5 children.
And ESPECIALLY when they find out I homeschool them!
Or when they find out I ADOPTED one - when she was 9 years old, to top it all off.
But when I REALLY get that look, is when I tell them I'm actually enjoying having a teenager and a toddler at the same time.
What I don't think they get is........
what makes that particular combination so nice is that one is old enough to babysit the other one.
And that fact has changed my life in incredible ways!!!!

Now, before you get the wrong idea, I don't leave James babysitting very much at all. I only do it when I absolutely can't take Josiah with me - like this week when I had a certain yearly appt. with the GYN. I'm very sure Josiah would rather be at home for that...........

And I do admit I've been visiting the O'Club on a very regular basis with my hubby - but that's directly behind my house. Literally, if the kids shout loud enough I could hear them from there.

But on all these occassions, little man has put up quite a little show when it's time for me to leave. Sounds like an ambulance siren is going off in my living room. James says he stops immediately when I leave, and I've confirmed that by standing outside the door for a minute. He just feels he must make me feel bad about leaving, I guess. Just in case.

Tonight, however, was a bit different. I am pleased to annouce that DH and I went to a movie - yes - at the movie theater. Without kids. And quite frankly, I can NOT remember the last time we did that. Most likely over a decade.

And guess what????? When it came time to leave, Josiah happily waved good-bye from the front door. NO TEARS!!!! And only ONE request for : "One kiss, really quick, mama".

So proud of the little man. And yet sad at the same time...........

After so many years of having SOMEONE totally heartbroken everytime I left, it feels very odd to have everybody in this house be pretty comfortable that I'm not around. I'm glad he feels safe with his big brother......

But still..... I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry : )

Where Did My Day Go?

2010-08-24T08:09:00.003-05:00

So, the first day with nothing to unpack went a little something like this:

Drop off Child A at soccer camp. Get very excited because next door neighbor is there with her daughter and we agree to carpool.

Run three errands with little man in tow.

Pick up Child A and neighbor from soccer camp. Get even more excited because neighbor mentions her older sister is doing soccer camp that afternoon - HEY, so is MY son. Arrange more carpooling as soon as we get home.

Make lunch for the masses. Also start on dinner because I won't have time to make it closer to dinner.

Celebrate that I don't have to drive back to the soccer field just yet as I send Child B out the door.

Put little man down for a nap and spend the next two hours prepping for school - which is coming oh - so - soon!!!

Drag little man UP from his nap so that we can drive Child C to cross country practice and pick up Child B and neighbor from soccer camp.

Drop those two off at home, get Child A ready for hula dancing, and book it back out the door.

Arrive at hula dancing and dig the cell phone out of the trunk where I've forgotten it all day, because Child C is about due to call me to pick him up from cross country. Realize my cell phone's battery is dead.

Leave Child A at hula dance and swing by the high school to see if Child C is done. He IS done, and has been calling me for the last 20 minutes. : ( ooops.

Drop Child C off at home drive Child B to soccer practice. No, not the same as soccer camp. This is the actual practice for his youth league soccer team.

Pick up Child A from hula and take her home.

Finally make it home, and ask hubby to pretty please pick up Child B from soccer practice.

Eat dinner, then head out to the gym.

Fall into bed exhausted, only to find I can't sleep because I worked out too stinkin' late.

So, is YOUR head spinning too???
I can't wait 'til school starts, so we can stay HOME for a change.

Changes

2010-08-22T07:22:00.003-05:00

I love looking through our pictures of the last seven months and seeing the changes that have taken place right before our eyes. I love that Abby's frame and face have filled out some, evidence of the better nutrition and in general healthier life she has now. But most importantly, I love seeing the change in her eyes. Do you see it too?????

This is Abby on her first day home with us:

This is Abby this week:

By the way, don't you love the outfit??? I know I posted pics before of her in this Snow White outfit, but we have now added the Super-Girl cape to the get-up. She wears this around the house about 90% of the time. But what I love is the light in her eyes - evidence of LOVE.

Hanging Out

2010-08-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

What we do while mom unpacks.

How He Works

2010-08-17T08:23:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago I started going to the Ladies' Bible Study at our base chapel. On our first night, as we introduced ourselves, one of the ladies mentioned that she had three boys and was in the process of adopting two girls. When my turn came around, I made sure to share that we had recently adopted Abby, and invited said lady to please ask me any questions or to just stop by and chat with me about their growing family if she felt so inclined.

Well, she did indeed take the time to stop by and chat with me after we were done that night. She mentioned that she had noticed me at the commissary parking lot recently and just felt like she recognized me from somwhere. Which, when you've been part of the military for this long, is not surprising, really.

So we started the run-down of the bases we'd each been stationed at over the years. When we hit on R*mstein - BINGO!!!! We'd overlapped there for two years. She then says "Where did you go to church there???" Again - BINGO!!! It turns out we'd been in the same Bible Study WAY BACK THEN!! We weren't in the same small group and so never developed a friendship, but she'd seen me enough to recognize me almost EIGHT years later.

So, here we are, all these years later, sitting in the same Bible study again, at yet another foreign country. AND we have just completed this amazing journey with Abby and she's in the middle of HER journey to bring her two beautiful daughters home from Kazhakstan. What a blessing to be brought together again at this time - somehow the fact that we "knew" each other before gave us common ground and help us feel very comfortable around each other from the get-go. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be an encouragement to someone else during their wait, as it seems like only yesterday I was yearning for the day I could get on that plane to China!

And as it turns out, when my new friend and I met for lunch this past week, and I was so excited to be able to be there for somebody else - God again reminds me that His plans are so much more intricate than I can imagine.

I ended up leaving that lunch feeling like I was the one totally blessed. Hearing S share about her feeling during the wait helped to refresh those feelings for me, and to remind me what a great MIRACLE adoption really is. I feel like maybe I'd started to take the whole process for granted now that Abby's been home seven months, now that we have really molded into family. I forget what it took to get here and how truly blessed we are to have her here. But all that was fresh again in my mind after my time with S. So as it happens so many times, when I thought I'd be a help to someone else, they turned out to be a great help to me!!!

It doesn't end there.....

Did I mention that S's boys are 11 (I have one of those), 13 (I have one of those too), and 16????? And her daughters are 6 and 8 (my girls are 9, so I think they'll definitely be good friends). Plus the kicker......

They homeschool too : )

Friendships are so important when you are this far from home!

And I'm just smiling at the way God works things!!!

P.S. - SORRY about the crammed look - I couldn't get blogger to space today for some reason!!

Not Quite Done

2010-08-15T07:23:00.002-05:00

I'm totally exhausted from all this unpacking.
And I'm not quite done yet.....
Bedrooms are done - I just have to finish downstairs.
Frankly, it's mostly scrapbooking stuff and school books that are left to do, but that's also, really, the bulk of it : )
I know I never posted the promised pictures, but I have just been trying to focus SO hard on getting done, I've allowed myself very little time to play on the computer.
I'll be back soon, with a vengeance!!!!!!

Oh- and I have to add a big shout out to my big brother, who will be starting his new teaching career very soon and taking on a 2nd grade class!!!! Way to go - I'm so happy for you!

Crazy Week

2010-08-08T10:36:00.003-05:00

It's been a BUSY week.

All our stuff is finally here.

Now I have to get it all out of the boxes and placed somewhere that makes sense.

No easy task when I still have to feed everyone three somewhat sensible meals a day and provided them with clean clothes to wear.

I just hope we can get it all done before school starts.

We did take a break today to check out a local festival.

More on that tomorrow, along with some pics.

And get ready to be grossed out by what my hubby and (some) of my kids had for lunch.

If you didn't already see it on FB.

Our neighbors went to the festival with us, and the mom asked at some point how long Abby had been with us. She was totally shocked when I said six months. She said that not only language wise, but just in the way we interact, she thought she had been with our family for years. It's great to hear that we "look" like family, even to outsiders. Because we certainly FEEL like Abby's been here forever. And it's always great to hear how impressed everyone is with her English.

The girls are very excited because our neighbors on either side have a pile of kids, and each family includes one eleven year old girl. The ones on the right also have a seven year old girl. Both families just moved in, so they should be here the entire time that WE are - so no fear of having to say goodbye to your friends a year into knowing each other. They all hit the playground together this afternoon - but Abby wound up playing more with the five year old boy than with any of the girls. She is just still really catching up in the social aspect, and really plays a lot "younger" than her age.

OK - pics tomorrow, after I get tired of unpacking : )

Beating the Heat

2010-07-27T00:19:00.006-05:00

We're trying to stay inside as much as possible and away from the scorching heat.

So today, we took Abby to try her first real (she's an expert on the Wii) game of bowling.

She had a blast and scored a very impressive 32.
And you're trying to tell me she doesn't share my DNA????

That kind of skill can NOT be learned!

And, I won't mention what my own score was!
I held strong and DID NOT succumb to the second game the kids were begging for, because, I told them, I'm not made of money.

I just wanted a cheap afternoon out and didn't really want to end up spending $50 to do that. They moaned and groaned, and I went up to the counter to pay.

The grand total for FIVE people including shoe rentals and playing time??????
$5.00
And I felt like the cheapest mother in the world.
But I promised I'd take them back VERY soon.

At those prices, I might even let the little man in on the action.
By the way, if you're wondering why there's no pictures of the boys, I'll be honest.

The girls are just so much cuter.

Andrew Peterson - Dancing in the Minefields (Official Video)

2010-07-25T02:19:00.001-05:00

I saw this on one of the blogs I read, and I couldn't help tear up AND smile at the same time. To hear it, make sure you turn up my blog playlist so you won't be listening to two songs at once. Just scroll down and look for the music playlist on the sidebar (to the right) and hit pause.

Showa Memorial Park

2010-07-24T05:33:00.005-05:00

Today we visited Showa Memorial Park, which is only about a 20 minute drive from base. We left the house with the intention of parking by on base near the gate and walking to the train station, and then taking the train a few miles down to the town of Tachikawa. However, once we left we were completely shocked by how ridiculously HOT it was outside. I think it was around 94 degrees. We decided to forego the 15 minute walk to the train station and just drive there instead. Well, on the drive there we had to go right by Showa Memorial Park, and we decided to make a pit stop to check it out. We had no idea it was so MASSIVE.

Cool little cavern area we got to meander through:

Bouncing on some giant bouncy blob thingie:

What's a 94 degree day at the park without an ice cream break (we actually took TWO ice cream breaks):

Showa Memorial Park Part 2

2010-07-24T04:37:00.008-05:00

Ice Cream break # 2:

You can rent a boat, but we were too hot.

They also have a mega swimming area with several swimming pools and slides, but obviously we were not dressed for it. I think this park will be one of our favorite local spots, though. We're already talking about when we will get to go back.

Help Another Child Come Home

2010-07-21T02:38:00.004-05:00

I don't know if anyone noticed the new button I place on my sidebar this week, that looks like this:

Lori's family at Joy Unspeakable is starting the process for ANOTHER (as in #3) adoption. They just got home I think last year with their sweet 13 year old Macy. And they're going back for a 13 year old boy this time. In a big hurry, because in China children become unadoptalbe once they turn 14. And, well, sadly, adoption in not cheap. Especially when you do it three times in three years. So, Lori is hosting a big fundraiser. Stop by her blog and see how YOU might bea able to help bring another child home to their loving family (just click on the button above).

Mt. Fuji

2010-07-17T07:57:00.006-05:00

My boys (the three big ones) climbed Mt. Fuji today. It was a long, hard day. They left here at 4:20 am to start the 1 1/2 hr drive to their starting point. They climbed for the next six hours to reach the summit. I had stocked them with oxygen cans, plenty of snacks, and even rain gear. Most of it (except for, of course, the snacks) was not needed.

I tried calling their cell phones at some point and although I did not get through, I was very surprised to have them return my call a while later. It felt like a cell phone commercial.

They all said it was the hardest thing they've done in their entire life. I am SO proud of them for making it all the way!! The way up was difficult, but they said what really did them in was actually the descent. I guess you're just exhausted by then, the anticipation of reaching the top has subsided, and you still have about three hours before you're all done.

They finally made it home at about 6 pm. I thought

the boys would immediately crawl into bed, but they surprised me by staying up and giving me all the details. They ate a HUGE dinner and then hung out and played video games until their regular bed time. Daddy, however, WAS all done for the day. Age will do that to you, I guess.

I am looking forward to getting to do this myself at some point. What I would like to do is start hiking up in the evening, spend the night at one of the huts they have along the way, and then reach the summit at dawn to watch the sunrise. I know I have family out there who would do that with me, so c'mon, get out here!!!!

These pictures are not in any particular order - sorry. I am too tired to try to make it make more sense. I love the amazing views from the top that remind us of the awesome hand of our Creator.

You can stop at different stations on the way up, where they will brand your walking stick with a different imprint. Makes a very cool and unique souvenir.

At the summit.

Overdue Pics

2010-07-12T03:49:00.005-05:00

First night in a "big boy" bed. He did SOOOOOO well!! Too well - the next morning he woke up and laid there quietly for who knows how long before someone finally checked on him. I had told him not to get up, so he didn't. I'm going to have to teach him how to read a clock at an early age!

A slanted view of the backyard. See that brown building behind it??? Yeah, it houses Starbucks. Thank you.

Living room with loaner furniture. Will show some better pictures when the way cool sofa we just ordered arrives.

Yes, I'm a slave driver. Here's Abby doing summer school, just because I'm too afraid she'll forget all the phonics we've worked so hard on for five months. Can you tell how thrilled she is about this?

Kitchen. I acually have 3 times the cabinet space here than I had at our last house.

View of downtown Fussa.

One of the gigantic stores I told you about:

Please clap for Mr. Donut:

The girls starting a new tradition on our first night in the new house. Although all of the kids have always washed their own dishes after each meal, we have decided (and by we, I mean I) that they can step that up to doing ALL of the dishes - including those used for cooking. They can just load them in the dishwasher and put away anything that was already in there. They are alternating nights - one night for the girls and one for the boys. It's freeing me up to do some laundry or give Cy his bath - and frankly, with them working together it only takes them about 10 minutes to get done. I love the look of joy on Lanie's face. Actually, it was a weird picture, but she is the one out of all the kids who is very excited about doing this.

And just in case you were left with the impression that I'm working my kids to the bone, I just spent a pretty penny today signing them up for every activity known to man. Over the next few weeks, they will be doing paintball camp, robotics camp, archery camp, soccer camp, and starting soccer season, dance and piano lessons. Not every one is doing every single one of those activities, of course, just a few each.