Road Trip-Birmingham!!!

Yesterday we spent the day in beautiful Birmingham Alabama!  Actually, we stayed in Hoover, but close enough.  :) 

We drove down Friday night because Saturday was our adoption agency's 30th birthday/reunion!  I honestly had no idea what to expect but it sounded like a fun time, was only 3 hours from home and I thought it would be a good road trip for us.  At this point, we surely needed to get away!

Anyway, it was a rough first hour because we got there, but knew NO ONE.  We got over to the craft table where Jenna made a butterfly...

The other reason I wanted to go was to meet the woman who found Kylie for us.  She lives in China and her name is Lily.  She works for several agencies (as I understand it) and before we were with Lifeline, I had heard a lot about the famous Lily and how unbelievable she was.  Her reputation certainly preceded her.

The first person I met was actually Rebecca.  She will be our guide in Guangzhou.  She was so fabulous to talk to and I can't wait to spend time with her in China.  She has a cute sense of humor as well.

Rebecca shared with us that a Chinese delegation was there also, including one of the directors of Jiangsu (Kylie's province) and the 2nd in command at the CCCWA.  UM HELLO!?  Can I meet her?  I need her to remember my name so she can move that LOA along!!! LOL.

I did actually meet her and she was very pleasant.  I didn't want to freak her out by asking for a photo.  She did have many pictures made with some of the children, but since Kylie's not here yet, I thought it might be a little weird.  I just got one from the back while she was talking with someone else.

She's the one with the golden jacket on.  In case you are wondering who the tall, long haired woman is next to her?  Well, that's Lily.  I wish I'd gotten a picture with her, but she was crazy running around translating for the Chinese delegation.  When I met her, she was asking me what Kylie's Chinese name was, trying to place her face and who we were.  When I told her the name, she said, "Oh, you transferred to us!!" and I was like, "YES!  That's us!!!" and then she just threw her arms around me and hugged me.  She was so instrumental in getting my dossier from the CCCWA and getting me logged back in under Lifeline.  She was amazing.  I'll admit, I just about burst out into tears of gratefulness.  She brought our sweet Kylie to us and I could never thank her enough.

There were lots of people there including a friend I met on the adoption boards that I frequent.  Her name IRL is Emily and she introduced me to a couple people who are with Lifeline and who very possibly could travel at the same time we do. 

There was a presentation and this is a little bit better picture of Lily.

After the presentation, we sang Happy Birthday to Lifeline and then we all went out to have yummy birthday cake.  Right before we were dismissed, they acknowledged the keynote speaker for their upcoming fundraising dinner was present.  Guess who?  None other than David Platt himself. 

Let me just take a minute to say if you haven't read his book Radical, you do NOT know what you are missing.  I read this book as part of the ladies' Bible study I used to be part of.  And it changed my life.  If you are not ready for change, then stay away from this book.  It was while reading this book on the heels of "Crazy Love", that I started praying again about adoption.  I would come home and share what I learned with Steve and eventually his men's group read it.  Shortly thereafter, he shared with me that he was open to adoption.  We have watched several of David Platt's podcasts and his sermons are unbelievable.  If you are interested go here and watch a few.  But again...be ready to be changed.

Anyway, while Jenna and I were standing there eating cake (Steve was introducing Katie to some little girls), who other than David Platt stands next to us with one of his sons eating cake!  I couldn't just stand there, so totally out of form, I tapped him on the shoulder and apologized for bothering him but I just had to tell him how much his book changed our lives.  He was SO nice.  We introduced each other and I told him how his book opened our hearts to adoption and how the ladies' Bible study group I attended read it.  He thanked me for the encouragement.  He asked about our adoption, what step we were on and when we expected to travel.  They are traveling "anytime now" to pick up their little girl in Guangdong.

He was the nicest, humblest guy and it was definitely another highlight of the trip.  Somehow Steve couldn't find us, and by the time he came over, the Platt's were leaving.  We were on our way out too, and I tried to get Steve to stop him for a picture, but then it did seem a bit stalkerish to go running after him, so this is the best I could do.



Oh, and Mr. Platt, should you ever stumble on this blog, I apologize for this crazy, stalker picture, but we felt like running across the parking lot screaming at you to stop for a picture might have seemed a little overboard.

It was an honor to have met all these people.  From the beginning of our journey with the author of Radical, to the climax of our journey of seeing Kylie's face for the first time (thanks to Lily) to going to get her (with Rebecca)...it was an amazing day.

Hula Hoopin'

As her second act in the 4th Grade Talent Show, Jenna and her friend Mikele did a hula hooping act.  I didn't do ANYTHING to help them other than download the song onto a CD.  I was a little nervous and had no idea what to expect.

But holy cow!  My girl can work it!  This is something I could never do!

Fall!

Last weekend we went to our friend's nursery to start on her big leaf project.  After we finished gathering some leaves, we went to do some personal shopping!  It was a great time for our family to be together and Steve (the nursery owner) does a bang up job decorating for Halloween!

Just look at this background they've set up!  I think we might use this for one of our Christmas card photos...



Jenna is a bit too old for some things, but she sure did love running through the pumpkins trying to find the perfect one....or FIVE.

This is probably the creepiest thing ever.  Just gives me the heebie jeebies.

Jenna's Got Talent!!

Last Thursday was the 4th Grade Talent Show at school.  Jenna had practiced for a long time on Amy Grant's "Better than a Hallelujah" but she was very nervous.  I thought it would be only the parents of the 4th graders who were participating (21 acts).  But no, they paraded in the entire school...all the way down to the kindergartners!  It was a packed house.

I am not sure which of us was more nervous, me or Jenna.  I was shaking inside and out.  I tried not to let her see though. 

There were little girls who sang solos and Jenna was the middle one.  And she actually looked up at the audience when she was singing instead of staring at her feet.  In the end, it went beautifully and I thought it was a great performance.  She has way more courage than I ever would have to get up and sing in front of a large audience.  Peers, no less.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did...

My Amazing Shrinking World

A few weeks ago, I blogged about how adoption has shrunk my world.  In that post, I mentioned Jiayin Designs who sold these cool pendants....

Well, I emailed the lady that runs this website inquiring about ordering one.  They actually customize the pendant with your child's original Chinese name.  After exchanging a few emails, I realized this woman actually writes a blog that I already read!!!  Talk about a small world!

She works with another woman who lives in China and helps on that side of the business.  They also make these super cute dolls...

I haven't ordered one of these beauties yet, but it's on my wish list.  Here's the coolest thing...the profits from these sweet dolls goes to support a woman and her family in Beijing to do the work they've been called to do.  Also, the Jiayin sales employ artisans some of whom have no other sources of income.  What a great way to support those that are trying to make their own way.

Back when I ordered the pendant, I sent my new friend Kylie's Chinese name (Ying Bei) and the Chinese characters.  They also ask you include the meaning if you know it so they are sure to make the right pendant.

As you know, in her referral paperwork, it said Ying means "welcome" and Bei means "baby" and we weren't overly in love with that, so we made her Kylie Liann (Liann taken from her surname of Lian).  Well, the message came back that her name actually means "welcoming the precious one" which I love so much more.  Now, I kind of wish we had worked that in.  We could call her Kylie Liann Yingbei Taylor.  Many families give their children an American and Chinese middle name.  I'm still working on Steve on that idea!!!

But anyway, I finally received the pendant in the mail and oh my...if you are an adoptive parent, you MUST order one of these.  Words do not describe...

I wish I'd gotten a better picture of it.  But I just wanted to get something up.  I have worn it at least 3-5 days a week since I got it.  And someone suggested I give it to Kylie when she turns 16 (or some significant age).  I really think it will be great! 

So, if nothing else, run over there and take a look at their stuff.  It's beautiful stuff!  And if you order, tell them I sent you.  I don't get anything from a sale...just want them to know I like their stuff and want my readers to support them!

One of my dearest adoption friends, Jennifer, I met online.  She was matched almost immediately after she was LID with a precious little girl with bilateral cleft lip and palate.  They named her Myah.

Jennifer and I have gotten close via FB, blogs, emails and we even talk frequently (um, OK daily) on the phone.  She's been a wonderful world of information (this girl KNOWS her adoption stuff) and we've supported each other through this journey.

At this very moment, Jennifer and her family are in China getting their precious Myah.  Tonight, while I was helping Jenna with her homework, my computer and cell phone starting ringing at the same time.  I finally realized it was Skype!  Jennifer was calling me from China! 

I was SO excited to see and talk to her because I've missed our daily chats!  But best of all, in her lap was Myah!  And OH MY WORD.  She is stinkin' cute!  I enjoyed our chat and just loved looking at Myah (who is 14 months old now).  It made my heart ache for my Kylie.

But if you want to get a glimpse of what a trip to China will look like for us, follow her blog here.  And pray for them as they adjust to having their Myah in their arms finally!!!!

Traveller's Rest

Last week, Jenna went on her first 4th grade field trip to Traveller's Rest.  I wasn't able to go and chaperone, but I entrusted Jenna with my little point and shoot.  Believe it or not, it made it back in one piece.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't go because it really looked interesting and Jenna said they all had a great time and learned a lot.  She talked about seeing the beekeeper and what all she learned about the queen bee...

She also say the pottery maker and she really enjoyed that.  She bought a little clay bowl which is displayed in our kitchen!

It was a good day and the weather was perfect for the trip away from school!

Adoption Update-Once a week whether you need it or not

Yep, so no news is...NO NEWS.

We have now entered into a holiday in China.  So news coming from there is pretty slow.  We have now passed the time where we would have been able to schedule travel to China in December.  We had pretty much ruled that out given the average wait for LOAs.  We are nearing day 60 in the 70-90 day average wait.

So yeah.  Nothing yet.  But I'm trying very hard not to obsess.  I know for a fact God's timing is perfect.  So I just trust He'll get us there when it's the perfect time for us to be there. 

That's all.

Ham Fest

Oh yes, you know fall has officially arrived when the Ham Fest comes to town!  Ham Fest is an annual fall festival of sorts that comes to our little town every October.  We almost didn't go this weekend because we were so busy, but it turned out to be a lot of fun (as it is every year) even though Jenna is a little bit past the point of wanting to play in the bouncy houses with all the littles.  :)

We looked at all the booths and Jenna bought a cute ring made of wire which they wrapped to spell her name.  I thought it would be a gargantuan waste of money, but the little thing turned out pretty stinkin' cute.  I guess it was worth the $5 we spent for it.

We had some yummy, fair-like, food.  But the best part (and most expensive) food we had was:

I know, right?  And it was chocolate with big chunks of chocolate or brownie or something delish.  This was the best part of my day! 

The day was beautiful, as you can tell, but the wind was blowing and it made it feel quite cool at times.  Jenna was dressed like it was ready to snow!

It was a good day and we had fun even though originally I thought we didn't have time for it.  I'm glad we went.  It was a nice day spent together as a family and the weather was cooperative.

Sunday Outfit

This past Sunday, she came downstairs all ready for church...

 Obviously, her sense of style does NOT come from me.  But the fact she put this ensemble together all by herself (down to the headband and all) made me smile.

Journey On at Home

This past weekend was super busy.  It started out on Friday night hanging out with our friends the Yanceys.  That's always enjoyable except for the fact that I always watch Elizabeth with her kids and feel like a complete failure as a parent.  I am never amazed at her patience with them (they are 2 years and almost 1 year) and the way she incorporates learning about Jesus.  I'm sure Elizabeth would laugh to hear me say that and would be the first to tell you she is by no means the perfect parent, but dang, she sets the bar pretty high.  Or perhaps, it just seems high because I'm so far below it???

So, with that fresh on my mind, I was convicted to attend a parenting conference my church was putting on.  I signed up a week or so ago before my weekend got so busy.  Then by Friday night, I had decided something just had to go and it would have to be the conference.  But when I was leaving her house Friday night, Elizabeth said she was going and God really started working on me about going Saturday.

And boy am I glad I did!

Started out with a little worship which always gets me in the right frame of mind.  And then we went to break out sessions.  It was only 8:30-12:00 so it didn't take up my whole day and the sessions were SO good.  Basically it all centered around making our HOME the center of Christian influence and not just sitting back and trusting the church (and school, in our case) to do the job.

In one of our breakouts, the question was asked about who influenced you most in the faith.  Most of the people mentioned their parents or grandparents.  And they gave examples of waking up in the mornings and finding their mom or dad praying together or reading the Bible.  And I sat there wondering...in 25 years, when Jenna is asked this question, will she be able to say that??  If she were asked now, "How do you know your mom and dad love Jesus?", would she be able to give any concrete examples or just say, "They always went to church on Sunday morning."  I want to leave her with a legacy of faith.

And y'all, right now, I'm failing pretty miserably at it.  I'm not going to go into detail about how badly I'm failing, but trust me...I'm nowhere NEAR where I need to be in my spiritual/prayer life or my personal walk with God.

I noticed though that in the past several weeks, I have started to study the book, "Spiritual Parenting" during my Wednesday night class.  I have attended the Empowered to Connect seminar AND I attended this Journey On @ Home conference.  Think God might be trying to get my attention???  HELLOOOOO!!!!????  I'm about to bring a 1 year old into my home who has been institutionalized for the whole year she's been on this earth!  Perhaps now is the time to start taking some steps to become the parent God designed me to be.

I hope to share with you soon some of the changes we are making around here...but until then, just pray for me as I make these changes.  Change is always hard.  Especially where conviction is involved.

And as I learned this weekend...wherever you are right now...that is a GREAT starting place.  Won't you join me in starting to make YOUR home the center of Godly influence? 

Journey on.

Caught!

We've been struggling a little bit in school remembering to bring home the right study papers, books, notebooks etc.  So Thursday when I got to pick Jenna up from school, she says, "Did Mrs. L email you today?"

I told her I didn't think so but I wasn't where I could check my email and was there something she needed to share with me.  She kept saying no, but I told her I was going to check my email and she finally gave in. 

She said, "OK...OK...here..." and handed me this:

Boy was I surprised!  Caught being good awards can be given to any child by any teacher when they catch a student doing a good deed without being asked, prompted or cajoled and without expecting recognition.  Mrs. Smith was Jenna's third grade teacher and left a lasting impression on not just Jenna but Steve and I as well.  She's asked Steve to come give a talk on Katie, Service Dogs and what they do for 2 years in a row and has already booked him for her class next year!  She also walked the largest part of the adoption journey with us and was very disappointed when we had not gotten a referral by the end of last school year.  She was the FIRST teacher Jenna took Kylie's picture to on registration day.  And she was one of the first people I emailed to tell the good news (unknown to Jenna).  We love her.

And I love my little good-deed-doer. 

I Snapped This Earlier This Week...

Something about her sitting there on the morning commute reading her book made me ULTRA happy.  Oh yeah, she's definitely my child.

This is NOT a Food Blog

I cannot recall ever blogging about making food on here before.  It's just not what I do.  I do cook.  Not as frequently as I used to because Steve cooked most nights when he was at home and now he always beats me home.  But yesterday I got to leave work a little early, so I picked Jenna up from school (a rare treat indeed!) and had dinner nearly ready for the table when Steve got home.

All that to say, since I had a few extra hours in my afteroon/evening, I thought I'd document one of my favorite meals ever.  If it tells you anything (and it probably doesn't), even Micah loves this meal...

My mom first made it when I was a young teenager and my family and I have been eating it ever since...

MEXICAN CASSEROLE

First, you brown some hamburger meat (yeah, "some", whatever.  I just buy a package.)

OK, it's probably about 1 1/3lbs.  And it's Laura's Reduced Fat.  I started using this kind a while back...it has very very little fat and I can't stomach the regular kind now.  Once it's brown, theres very little grease left over.  However, you do want to drain what IS there.

Then, take your favorite tortilla chips...

These are the Kroger brand white corn tortilla, but Steve's fixed this with Doritos before and it was yum...I'm sure with all the different flavored tortilla chips available, you could really spruce this up if you are a little adventurous in the kitchen.

Crumble up some of these chips and line the bottom of a casserole dish with them.

Then, you mix all the ingredients together.  Do what?  Oh, I didn't mention the other ingredients?  Well, here they are...

1 can of diced tomatoes drained (I use very few of these because we like the flavor but not the big chunks), 1 can of chili beans, 1 can of cream of chicken soup and chili pepper to taste.  And don't forget the shredded cheese.  I think the recipe calls for a cup but I LOVE cheese so I basically use the whole bag (yep, that's like 2 cups).  Leave a little of the shredded cheese to go on top...

Put the casserole in the oven on 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour and...

YUM!

Happy Birthday!

Today, my first ever "baby girl" turns 27.  Yes, you read that right...27.

Isn't she so pretty?

I met Micah when she was 10, the same age Jenna is now.  It was through her that I met Steve.  She wasn't necessarily trying to fix her dad up but that's just the way God used her to orchestrate it.

Micah and I have always been very close, but as she grown up and become a mom herself, we've grown apart as sometimes happens in life.

But my love for her has never changed.  She'll always be my brown-eyed girl.  My first ever "baby girl".  My first daughter.  The one who taught me how to be a parent (a step-mom).

Happy birthday Micah!  I love you!

Parenting without a Mother

I haven't really talked much about this on my blog...just because it's a rather sensitive subject.  To me, that is.  However, I wanted to share now because I know there are more and more Moms out there struggling with this  As we get older, it's inevitable.

I was 17 years old when my mother was diagnosed with cancer.  I graduated in May of 1992 and I knew then my mom had been visiting doctors a lot more than usual.  But in typical teenage fashion, I was too wrapped up in my own senior year and teenage drama to notice too much.

I don't remember when they told me it was cancer.  You'd think that would be a moment in my life that I could remember clearly.  Maybe it's because I've tried to block it out.  Either way...I don't remember.  What I DO remember is my mom being rushed to the emergency room near death because they had given her the strongest dose of chemo that it almost killed her.  It wasn't long after that until I found out it was TERMINAL cancer.

After the super strong doses of chemo, Mom was never the same.  She was confused most of the time.  I remember spending my 18th birthday in the hospital with mom.  I remember watching fireworks from the hospital walkway on July 4.  For a short while, in probably late August, right as I started college (in town to be able to stay living at home) I remember my Mom as she used to be.  I remember her cooking dinner at the stove with one leg resting in a chair.  I remember her knowing I was going to college and asking me about my days.  And I remember the day it all changed.  Just as clear as if it were yesterday, I remember eating dinner at the table and Mama saying something random that didn't make sense.  I said, "What Mama??".  That was the beginning of the end.  The next day she woke up confused and never recovered. 

She was diagnosed in May 1992.  In November 1992, she was gone.  I had great friends, family and church family to care for my dad and I after her passing.  But what I didn't have, and still don't is a Mother.

Why do I bring this up now?  Because I'm raising a young woman.  And it's hard.  And after recent issues, I really wish I had my Mom to talk to.  I'd like to ask her when I started getting frustrated with Math at school.  I'd like to know if Jenna acts anything like I did at her age.  I'd like to ask her what to do when I don't know what else to do with Jenna in her schooling or her discipline. 

But I can't.

And it sucks.

And I bet I'm not alone.  I bet there are others out there who have lost their moms (even recently) who feel that void when they are parenting (or struggling with it!) just like I do.  It's not easy and it's something I think most women take for granted.  I have family and women in my life who try and help fill that hole.  But they can't be everything I need them to be.

But it is what it is.  We go on.  We do the best we can.  I know I feel the loss of her much more during these times...

I miss her.

Another little surprise!

So you read my post yesterday about my little surprise in the mail...well, a few months ago,  I got involved in a local group (the one we did dinner with here).

When we first signed up, I went onto the yahoo group and introduced myself and told where I lived.  I got an immediate email response from someone in the group who also lived in our city.  We exchanged a couple of emails and found out I could literally SPIT on her house from mine.  Yes, she's two doors down on the opposite side of the street.  They have a little boy from China who also had cleft lip/cleft palate and they have lso been matched with another son and are hoping to travel about a month after we do.

We've been out to eat with them once and Friday I took Jenna down to meet their son and eat some pizza and hang out.  While we were there, she came out with this...

I know, right?  Look at those stinkin' cute shoes!

She had bought it way back when she started the adoption process for her first child...starting in China's non special needs program, they were waiting on a baby girl.  When they switched to special needs, they asked for either gender and got a boy.  Now they are waiting on another son, so she figured I would be able to use this rather than it sitting in her closet unused.

Isn't that thoughtful?  I'm telling you...these new friends are unbelievable!  Not just because they are sending me gifts but because we all share something in common...something pretty lasting...something that other friends don't understand despite their best efforts.  It's one of the parts of this journey I love the most.

Thanks Bridget!  Can't wait for Kylie to wear this!

A Little Surprise

Remember the other day I talked about what a small world this crazy adoption world is?  Back when we had just successfully transferred agencies and gotten our LID and quick referral, I wrote this post.  Not too long after I wrote it, a much more popular blog than mine linked to it.

From that link, I started getting email after email from people asking about the process and how it worked for me etc.  One of the very first emails I got was from my friend Julie.  Well, at the time, we weren't "friends", but that's the ultimate cool think about this journey...we started exchanging emails about transferring and those emails turned into conversations about other things.  This gal has not one miracle child, but TWO.  And she and her husband still have the heart to bring home a daughter from China.  I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Julie and I am ever amazed at how God has brought our two lives together.  And I can't wait to see how our relationships and families develop.

All that to say, on Wednesday, I got a little package in the mail.  Just look at what was in it...

My sweet friend Julie packaged these books up and sent them to me.  If you'll remember this post, you'll know how much I loved buying adoption books.  "Every Year On Your Birthday" is written by the same author who wrote, "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes".  I sat down and read both of these right away and left for church weeping thinking of my sweet Kylie.

When we started on this adoption journey, I had others tell me they'd developed relationships they would have for life, but in the beginning I just didn't know how that would happen for us.  But over and over again, God has introduced beautiful friends into my life, like Julie, like Jennifer, Amy, Bridget, Michele, Amber...the list goes on and on...

Who knew this little Asian beauty would be the catalyst that would introduce me to new forever friends.



She made it!

As soon as school started, I began to hear about the beloved 4th grade talent show.  Over and over again I heard different ideas of talent that Jenna and/or her friends wanted to perform.  Finally, after much deliberation and changed minds, Jenna settled on singing, SOLO, the song by Amy Grant, "Better than a Hallelujah".  I bought the track for her online and burned the CD.  Last week she "tried out". 

In addition, she and her friend got together a hula-hooping act.  Well, the night before the try out for the hula hoopers, we find out they have no music.  So I got up the next morning and went to iTunes to find the song they'd been practicing on.  As luck would have it, that song is not available on iTunes, nor is it available anywhere else.  After much back and forth and one lost temper (I'll give you a guess whose it was), Jenna picked another song and hoped it would work for the routine they'd planned.  The good thing is we learned a WONDERFUL lesson about procrastination.  :)

Monday of the past week was the day the announcement of who made the cut.  Late afternoon my cell phone rang.  I recognized the number as coming from the school.  UH OH.  Well, I answered and Jenna excitedly told me that she'd made the talent show!!!  Not just her solo, but also her hula hooping act!!!!  I'm very excited and proud of her.  Now to make sure she's prepared between now and the first of October...More to come on that!

Adoption Update-Alternately Titled...Or Maybe Not

Besides how Steve's job is going, the second most frequent question I get is how is the adoption going.

Well.  We are waiting.  Which is the same answer we have given the whole process...it's just we are waiting on someone different each time.

We are on about day 45 of our LOA wait.  And we are probably in for about another 40 days of wait.  I wish it weren't so, but unfortunately, this wait is the longest of all of them and the most fluid.  We could get our LOA next week.  Or we could be here waiting another 2 months from now.

We still anticipate travel in January or February but the Chinese New Year is in January and basically everything in China shuts down for 2 weeks which would most likely mean, if we didn't travel the first of January, we would be February (after her first birthday) before we could travel.

I have talked to Jenna's teacher again about her traveling and missing school and she maintains she thinks it would be more educational than anything she could teach her during those two weeks.  I am leaning towards taking her, but she's got some shaping up to do to prove she is old enough to miss that much time.

So....we wait.

It's a Small World After All...

Truer words have never been spoken (or sung) as it relates to this crazy adoption world.  When I first embarked on this journey, I knew of a few close friends at church who had adopted.  Outside of that, I'd had acquaintances, but that was it.

Once we started the process, I started finding online groups and boards.  One of the most popular groups is Rumor Queen.  I have met many people who have become dear friends through online forums and groups.
When I joined the FCC group, I mentioned my city and one sweet mom piped up that she was in the same area.  Turns out I could SPIT on her house from mine!  I'm not kidding.  She's just diagonal from us.  And she had a son from China.  With cleft lip and palate (well, not anymore, but that's what he had when they adopted him).  A few weeks ago, we went out to eat with them.  They are in the process of adopting a second son from China.

Another mom I met online has family members who live in our city just a few blocks down the street from us.  She is coming to town soon for a big conference on adoption I am also attending.  I can't wait to meet her in person.

There's a mom from the RQ boards who not only lives in the city slightly to the north of ours, but who is also with our original agency.

Through our transfer of agencies, I've met and gotten to know several new friends, one of which lives in Chattanooga and who already had TWO miracles at her house and is hoping to bring home her China miracle soon.

My friend Jennifer and I met online after I helped her fundraising efforts by purchasing some handmade hair bows.  We talk nearly every day on the phone now.  She is literally weeks away from traveling to get her precious Myah.

I have taken to reading many China adoption blogs and this one led me to this super cool website.  What really turned on to this site is that they will custom create your child's Chinese name in a pendant.

So right away I emailed them with Kylie's name and ordered a pendant.  I also ordered a couple different sized chains.

I am dying for one of these sweet dolls, but I just couldn't do it in this order.

There's a marvelous story behind these Niu Niu dolls and the Jiayin Designs company....but you are going to have to wait a while to hear it.  As soon as my pendant comes in, I'll post a photo and tell you the story.  Until then, check out their site and buy one of those pendants.  I can't wait to get mine!

Autumn Moon Festival Celebration

When we finally got matched with Kylie, I sought out every website, yahoo group or China adoption boards that I could.  One of the groups I found was the FCC of Middle Tennessee.  That is, Families with Chinese Children.
This group is made up of families who have adopted from China.  Saturday night, we attended our first get-together (even though we don't have a Chinese child yet, we are close enough!) to celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival.
The dinner was at a local Chinese Buffet.  We walked in not knowing anyone and were immediately confronted by a restaurant worker who told us we couldn't bring Katie in.  After many, many minutes of trying to explain to multiple employees that she was a service dog, they left us alone.

The buffet wasn't the greatest, but the company was wonderful.  So many beautiful Asian children...it made me long for sweet Kylie.

They had a long table where the children could do crafts.  Jenna was definitely the lightest skinned kid there and most likely the oldest, but she enjoyed the crafts.

And I personally thought the crafts were super cute!  Jenna spent quite a bit of time at the table perfecting her creations.

We met a few new friends and learned about some local opportunities for Chinese children.  I think the group will be wonderful for Kylie to be able to keep in touch with her heritage and even help Jenna to learn more about it.

We are looking forward to the next get-together!

Employment Suits Us (sort of)

I've gotten repeated questions regarding how Steve's job is going.  It's a complicated question actually.  The company is a large company.  And there are perks that go along with a large company that Steve's never really encountered before.  He sits at a desk.  He's not required to stand or run a press.  The people he works with are, for the most part, professional.  They come in and say "good morning" and speak in the hallways.  He has a badge to get in and out of the building as well as in and out of his area.  They have a cafeteria on site as well as a workout area.  They know the rules and employment laws around service dogs.  They are more than accommodating with Katie and Steve's needs too.  In these respects, he could not have chosen a better company (except for maybe mine!)

The negatives are personal and not related to the company.  Steve is what I would consider IT customer support.  He answers calls from folks who need password resets and such.  The problem is Steve has NEVER done anything like that.  Therefore, there is a HUGE learning curve.  And Steve has a problem with learning curves.  He hates them.  He is easily frustrated when he doesn't 'get' something the first time it's presented to him.  The first two weeks were 7-4 M-F and all day every day training.  And it was rough.  He came home every day fussing about how he was never gonna get it.

Due to an error in his very common name, he's not gotten all the proper log ins, so this past week, his third week he did 7-4 shadowing.  Luckily they've sat him next to my niece's husband, Bob, who has been a GOD SEND for Steve because he teaches Steve more slowly so he can pick up on things.  This week Steve is also working 7-4 M-F.  That's 2 extra weeks of training while he waits on his new log in.  Don't you love it when God orchestrates little things like that to help us where He knows we need it?

So, for 2 extra weeks, Steve has sat with not just anyone, but a family member, shadowing him and the days have been considerably better.  Each day he comes home saying his day was "OK" and "alright" instead of dreading the next day.

I do believe Steve has realized all the benefits of being at home.  I know I sure have.  I had forgotten how much I did NOT miss worrying about child care for Jenna when she's randomly out of school or on holiday.  Here I am trying to save up as much time as I can for our trip to China and he's not really at a place where he can take off.  That's probably the one stress I do not miss at all.  That and the entire first week, I'd be like, "Hey, can you run to the bank tomorrow?" and then realize, no, no he couldn't.  I've lost my personal assistant.  :(

The good thing is every Friday when his paycheck arrives in the mail.  It's not a lot more than what he was getting in unemployment but it is enough to get us through. 

And in a few weeks, I think the answer to how his day was will be, "It was great!"

Say What?

I know I have been MIA for a few weeks.  I wish I could say it was because I was busy planning my trip to China, but not so much.  Work has definitely picked up and keeping me pretty busy.  That makes the days go fast and that is a good thing.

A week ago Friday, I felt like my allergies were really starting to kick up.  My eyes were burning, my ears were itching and my throat felt hot.  All signs of fall coming to Tennessee.  By Friday night, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.  We were planning to go tailgating with our church friends at the local high school football game, but I just couldn't do it and Steve was beat.

I lay on the couch all night long, only sitting up to eat my Jet's pizza.  As an aside, I first had Jet's pizza while hanging out with my friend Elizabeth Y.  (hey E!).  And I haven't stopped thinking about it since.  Seriously.  I could order one right now if I could.  YUM.  Anyway, I asked Steve to order it on Friday night and it turned out to be the best part of my evening.  I took some allergy meds and went to bed.

Saturday morning I woke up and felt better, but I didn't know how long it would last since I started feeling bad late afternoon on Friday.  I cleaned the kitchen, started the laundry and straightened up the rest of the house in between sitting down.  I never even got out of my PJs.  ALL. DAY. LONG.  By late afternoon, I was ready to call it quits.  I just had no energy and I really hadn't expended that much.  I took more allergy meds and went to bed early (yes, I'm 90 years old thankyouverymuch).

Sunday morning I felt pretty good.  PLUS, I was excited for Lifegroups at church to start back up.  I felt fine until the middle of LG when I started having to incessantly clear my throat.  I didn't take any meds on Sunday because I thought maybe the meds were what was robbing me of my energy.  I went to bed Sunday night knowing I had a dentist appt. to fill a cavity on Monday morning at 7:30. 

Monday morning I woke up feeling like I was drowning in mucous.  Sorry, TMI, but I felt and sounded awful.  I canceled my appointment and drug myself to work.  The clinic nurse at work confirmed I wasn't infected and told me to start Mucinex-ing.  By Tuesday, I felt pretty darn good, but unfortunately my voice decided to take a vacation.  I didn't have a voice.  NONE.  The most I could do was whisper.  There were no squeaks or anything.  GONE. 

Every fall about September/October, when the weather starts to change, I get complete and total laryngitis.  Usually I have a few days leading up to it where I start to sound hoarse and get squeaky and then I have one day with no voice at all and then I have another 2-3 days where I go the other direction.  And typically there is no feeling bad with my laryngitis.  I simply have no voice.  This time I felt bad and had no lead time.  I'm still trying to get rid of the crud in my chest and still have a bit of a sinus headache, but I think I'm on the mend.  It did make for a few quiet days around the house, which says a lot...

So here's to cooler weather and I hope, my last bout with laryngitis!

Blogs a Comin'

I know I've been MIA, but I promise there are blogs coming!  I'm going to try and get them up soon!  Please keep checking in!

I Remember

10 years ago today, I had been back at work just a few weeks after having Jenna.  I'd been at work only a few minutes, when a co-worker came by and said a plane had crashed into one of the world trade centers in NY.

I kind of blew it off, but she was headed to the conference room to watch the news so I tagged along.  Once I started watching, I began to realize the horror which was unfolding before my eyes.  Before long, there were several of us still watching when the second plane hit.  Then the first tower fell.  And then the second.

I wanted so badly just to have my baby daughter in my arms.  I can't recall whether I worked all day, but I do remember sitting in front of the TV at work, at home, wherever...

I am STILL horrified at the events of that day.  I am still grateful for those that gave or risked their lives for others.

I remember.

Praises and Updates

First, I'd like to thank everyone on my FB and from my blog for praying for us lately.  We've been through a lot of changes and even though for the most part they are exciting, even excitement can be wearing on a person emotionally.

Steve got his schedule today.  If you'll recall, he had 15 different shifts to choose from and they were almost ALL different. It wasn't the 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift type stuff you normally find.  It was every type of shift under the sun most with weekend days.  He was to rate them 1-15 with 1 being his top choice.  Then they would assign shifts based on their ranking in training.  Of course, having NO IT knowledge, he was very concerned about this process.  The day he got the schedules to rank was probably our darkest day yet.  We've prayed ferverently that God's will be done, but Steve's main concern was being able to go to church.  Well, I'm thrilled to be able to give God ALL the glory in that Steve got his FIRST choice of schedule!!!  He'll be working 6am-3pm Tuesday through Saturday.  Yes, that ruins our Saturdays, but we'll get to spend every evening with him even though he'll go to bed super early.

That means Jenna will only have to stay in aftercare for about 30 minutes 4 days a week.  It's a bummer to have to pay over $100 a month for that length of time, but it is what it is.  We aren't complaining.

Also, the situation at school seems to have resolved itself.  Jenna spoke with the teacher yesterday and she said they talked to the other child's parent on Friday afternoon and "got it all straightened out".  That's all Jenna got in terms of an answer.  Which makes me happy since it seems it's over.  But then it makes me mad that after all the grief my girl went through, she got "it's straightened out" and I got nothing.  So I'm going to email the teacher today and see what information I can get.

No word on the adoption.  Due to Steve's new job, we believe we'll have to have a home study update done.  We are waiting to hear about that for sure.

Thanks for your prayers!  God is SO good!

Happy Labor Day!

We just got home from dropping Jenna off at her friend's house for a playdate which is effectively going to last ALL day.  After heavy laboring all weekend so far, my house is clean (relatively speaking), the laundry is clean, folded and put away, the groceries are bought, the monthly menu planned and snacks ready for lunches. 

Which means I really don't know what to do with myself.  There's a basket full of magazines waiting to be read, 2 books of which I'm in the middle of and months worth of scrapbooking that I could be catching up on.

What would YOU do?

Wrongfully Accused

It’s been a rough weekend for my sweet girl starting on Friday.  Friday morning got ugly between the two of us because we were rushing and Jenna wasn’t moving fast enough and basically ignoring what I’d told her.  But by the time we’d gotten to school, all was right with the world again.

My department head kindly let us go early on Friday at 2:30 so I rushed to the school to pick her up before aftercare.  She was momentarily excited to see me but when I asked her how her day was she said something had happened but she wasn’t actually sure what.  Clearly that was confusing to me, so I asked her to explain.  She went on to tell me that some kids had said she’d called another child an ugly name.  When I inquired as to what name it was, she called out a name I didn’t recognize it as a real word.  I continued to ask her and she kept saying different words but they were all nonsense words.  Finally, after a few guesses and some concentrated thought, I realized the word she was TRYING to say.  The reason she couldn’t get it right was because she didn’t actually KNOW it.  In our house, we don’t use this word nor any form of the word.

I kind of blew her off and said not to worry about it that it would blow over by Tuesday but she insisted it wouldn’t.  She went on to say adamantly that she did NOT say what they were saying she did and because she clearly didn’t even know what that word was, or how to pronounce it, I believed her 100%.  As we neared the interstate to go home, she began to get upset.  Jenna is not an emotional child and never has been.  If she is crying, you better believe there’s something wrong.  It was then that I began to get concerned.  I asked her why she was so upset and she said she didn’t think the teachers believed her and the whole 4^th grade was talking about her.  I could tell this wasn’t something I should take lightly, so I offered to email the teacher involved.  She said that was OK but continued to be upset.  So, we turned around at the next exit and headed back to school.

I spent an hour talking to her homeroom teacher as well as the teacher involved.  There are several kids who said they heard her say it and several kids who said she did NOT say it.  But they are very clearly concerned about the situation.  After I talked to the teachers, we stopped by the office and spoke with the principal.

I have to say, I left the school I have grown to love with a sick feeling in my stomach.  I am not actually sure they believe my girl.  I would put my life on the line betting she did not say what they are accusing her of.  If you are a parent, you know what I’m referring to.  You just know.  I know.  I believe my child.

And this is not over.  The principal was going to call the other child’s parent to see if he said anything.  Then they were going to address it again on Tuesday.  All weekend Jenna has worried about this situation.  She has gone over and over (with me, with the teachers and with the principal) how in the world anyone thought she said this word she doesn’t even know.  How do you explain to your child that there are mean kids (yes, even in Christian schools) that will lie about you just because.  She talked so much about it last night that she literally fell asleep talking about it.

This morning when she got up, I asked her if she slept well and she said, “so-so”.  I said why just so-so and she said, “Because I can’t quit thinking about the school thing”.  And so it began again.  And I know what she means.  I can’t quit thinking about it either.

I’m very angry.  Not really at anyone involved (except the kid that started it and we don’t know who that is), but I’m angry that anyone would dare think my child would say such a thing and then not believe her based on just her word.  I know my child’s heart.  I know when my child is lying.  And I’m not a parent who defends her child to the end when I know she’s wrong.  But this time she’s not wrong.  She’s being accused of something she did not do.

I’m angry that I have to explain to my 10 year old daughter that Satan is alive and working hard to get her heart.  It should not be so.  I should not have to have this conversation right now.  I’m angry that I have to watch my child’s heart break because people she thought were good kids and even friends lying about what they heard and some of them gossiping about it behind her back.  She is TOO YOUNG to have to learn this lesson already.  I sat and watched my child cry about losing friends and having friends talk about her.  I watched her cry fearing her teachers did not believe her.  I watched her cry telling the same story over and over again to teachers and principals only to hear them speak to her with questions in their voices.

And I’m so angry.  I took her to get mani/pedis today in an effort to get her mind off of this situation.  But other than that, the only thing I know to do is pray.  And pray we have.  This morning we prayed that God would remove the worry from our minds.  And we pray that whoever started this lie will be convicted so much that they come in on Tuesday and confess what they’ve done.  I pray that God will give the teachers and principals the wisdom of Solomon to know what the truth is.  And I pray God will protect the heart of His child.  I pray He will make this right and if it doesn’t right itself Tuesday that He will give both Jenna and I peace that one day the truth will be known.

If you think of it, please pray with us.  Especially on Tuesday when Jenna will have to relive this all over again.

One Month Ago Today...

We got the call that would change our lives forever.

Then we got the picture that would change our lives forever.

And even though she didn't know it, the life of this sweet face was changed forever!

We can't wait to get you baby girl!!!

The Upside to Employment

Since I gave the downside to employment yesterday, I thought I'd give the upside now.

*He doesn't have to fool with unemployment anymore.
*Unemployment ends...and soon.  God willing, the job does not!
*Steve FINALLY understands how bad traffic can be!
*He still makes it home before me which means he fixes dinner!!! :)
*Getting up in the morning is way easier when you aren't getting up alone and in the dark.  I really have missed this part.
*He's learning something brand new and realizing that even though it's hard, he CAN do it!
*He now better understands large, corporate work environment.
*Steve is a much happier man, husband and daddy.  And that my friends, makes it ALL worth it.