Friday, May 29, 2009

My last 36 hours.....

The weather is amazing! The kids are nearly done with school. We are 23 days away from holding our baby A. What could go wrong? How about being stranded in the middle of nowhere with three children and no husband, or a maimed child? I'm not complaining. I'm just stating the facts.

For the past couple of months, the kids and I have been looking forward to taking a trip to Idaho to watch my niece graduate from high school. We have been very excited to see this monumental event come to fruition, as well as enjoying some time with my folks and sister and brother-in-law. My sister has been planning the soiree for quite some time, and she has been sharing all of the plans with me, which made me even more excited to go. Admittedly, I am a big chicken, though. I do not travel alone, and I will not go without my sister, Auntie A, or my darling hubs. Well, I was finally going to make the trek alone, sans hubs and sis'.

On Thursday morning, after I dropped the kiddos off at school I headed over to have coffee w/my lovely mother-in-law. While we were enjoying our coffee, my hubs came in and told me that the school was trying to get a hold of me b/c Mr. J. had been hurt during recess. I immediately scrambled out of the house, and called the school secretary on my cell. She told me to hurry, which totally freaked me out! When I arrived, I saw my little boy sitting in a chair with his blonde hair completely covered in blood. I think I may have freaked out a bit, and ran past everyone in the office. He had the biggest tears that I have ever seen, and I could tell that he was trying to hold them back. He was SO brave! I started tearing up when I saw him because he looked so tiny. Supposedly, a little boy threw a large rock at him. I whisked him off to urgent care, and they cleaned him up. He had quite a gash on his head, and thankfully they were able to give him liquid stitches. They also gave him some Tylenol because his head was throbbing. . . poor guy. I wish I could of taken his place. I hate seeing my kids in pain:(.

After returning home from the above mentioned ordeal, I had approximately 15 minutes to pack, fuel up the vehicle, make my hubby lunch, and get on the road. Everything started out wonderfully. D' slept for the first 2 1/2 hours, and I was privately having a "mental" celebration. I was doing it. A road trip on my own w/the kids in tote. We stopped for dinner, and then hit the road again. About 3 hours into the 6 hour trip, things began to turn. D' was not enjoying himself nearly as much (think screaming:), and I kept noticing that my normally super dependable Suburban was kind of coughing and burping as I was going up the never ending rolling hills. At first, I thought it was the cruise control, so I turned it off. It seemed to be doing fine....that is until we came to yet another hill. Something was definitely wrong. I went from 70 to about 20 mph in a matter of seconds. I felt like I needed to get out and push it. The kids were now happily watching a $5.00 movie from Wally World, and I thought it would be a perfect time to call my darling hubs for some advice. I know N O T H I N G about cars! He didn't answer. I called my pops in Idaho(who was still hours away), and he told me all the things that could be wrong. Nice. I was in the middle of nowhere w/three kids and a car that seemed like it was about to puke. All of the gauges were reading normal, so I thought I'd move on until I could hit a gas station, or hotel. I didn't make it that far. We broke down on the freeway about 15 miles from the nearest town. My car died. I freaked out. Everything shut off, and I couldn't steer, or brake. Thankfully, I was only going about 10 miles an hour(on a hill), so I coasted to a stop. I called darling hubs again, and he finally answered. He told me to start it up again(if it would) and drive as slowly as I needed to to the next town. By this time, Miss M., Mr. J., and Darling D. were screaming that they were gonna die in the back seat. Again, NICE! I had tears rolling down my face from laughing at myself for getting myself into such a situation. Oh, don't think some of the tears weren't from frustration, too. My sister, Auntie A. and my wunderbaar brother-in-law were about 15 minutes behind us (not luck people.....I don't believe in luck!), and ended up following me until we were safely to a hotel. My darling hubs decided to come and rescue me from my predicament. He worked until 2:00 am. planting corn, and then jumped in his car and traveled 5 hours to my rescue without complaining once (now can you see why I love this man! what would I ever do without him?) I have never been so happy to see him! He, of course immediately collapsed onto the hotel bed from exhaustion, but J' and D' didn't mind. They were very happy to see him, too and began jumping all over him. He rested for a few minutes, and then went for a drive to find parts. In his resourcefulness, he managed to fix it in the middle of a hotel parking lot. I was too shaken up to continue the drive to Idaho, and he wasn't sure if the 'Burb might be having electrical issues on top of fuel pump issues. Much to our delight, I made it back home. The view from my rear view mirror was fabulous, too. I saw my husbands smiling face the whole way home. The boy has my back:).

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Camping at home???

The tent in our yard.
My beautiful picnic table compliments of my darling husband.

As a kid, I remember spending nearly every weekend exploring the great outdoors. My parents used to pack up the camper, and we'd head out for a few days of campfires, smores, eating food that my mom would NEVER normally buy(think jelly filled powdered doughnuts and chocolate milk for breakfast!), fishing, hunting, bike riding, or just lazing around. We would often meet up with our family friends because everyone knows that the more the better when camping. I thought everyone camped....that is until I met my darling husband:). In his opinion, it is a silly way to spend time when hotels offer the same amenities of home. He figures why would anyone knowingly avoid indoor plumbing, electricity, and a hot shower. I have tried to convert his thinking for almost 13 years now, but he will not budge. So, in order to make me happy, he made me a firepit in our yard a few years ago. Our kids can still enjoy roasting hotdogs over the fire, or licking sticky marshmallow goo off of their fingertips. This weekend, he decided to go one step farther. He made me a beautiful picnic table, and he even set up a tent for the kids. Now, we both have it all.....the kids are enjoying the tent during the day, and he is still getting his hot shower at night. Did I tell you how much I love this man? Ok....I'll say it again. I LOVE THIS MAN!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Me on my soapbox

I have to be honest. I didn't sleep for more than an hour last night. My mind was spinning out of control. I kept thinking about flights, in-country travel, where we would stay, my lack of Mandarin knowledge, we must be crazy, will Miss A. be afraid of us, will she mourn the loss of her caregivers, will she think that we are a bit nut-so, is D' ready for us to be away from him, will M' and J' be ok w/out us for a few days, do people "really" want to take our kiddos for 11 days, etc., etc. The list can go on and on. I almost got out of bed at about 2:00 am to go for a run in hopes that I would come back tired enough to sleep. I can not stress the word ALMOST enough:).

I will admit that one of my many weaknesses is worry. I struggle with it! I don't know why I do b/c it serves no purpose except to make life miserable, and one of my biggest pet peeves in life is listening to people complain. I have all the sympathy in the world for people who are going thru struggles and trials in their lives, but I ALSO think that we need to realize that we are blessed beyond measure! God does not send us anything that we can not handle, and to constantly complain (in my opinion) is not showing any sort of thankful heart.

So, last night I was committing my own worst pet peeve. I was "mentally" complaining. Things may seem overwhelming to me right now, but I know that God will work it all out to serve His purpose and that He will be given the Glory! My boss (and also my good friend) tells me often that worry is lack of faith. Hmmm....I would tend to agree. I am so blessed. God's timing is perfect, and He gives us strength to persevere thru our trials.

And, just for the record.....everything does work out in the end. Our airfare has been booked, our in-country travel is being worked on, the amazing missionaries are working w/A' so that her transition won't be as difficult, etc., etc. God is great!

Monday, May 18, 2009

TRAVEL DATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We just got an email from our agency, and we have confirmed travel dates/visa appt. dates to bring Miss A. home. I'm not sure what our departure date is yet, but it appears that we will be going around June 18-22nd, and returning July 1. I'll keep you posted, but for now I'm off to do a lot of busy work!!!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

May 13 roundup....

I'm a Copier.....

I confess....I copied this from Marmee who copied it from Joyce, but I thought it was fun:)....
20 Of My Favorite Things.
1. Color- Fuchsia, or purple
2. Dessert- Cheesecake, or a pineapple sundae
3. Smell- Bread just out of the oven
4. Flower- French Tulips
5. Animal- Dogs....not a cat person at all!
6. Month-December....I love Christmas.
7. Beverage- Grande Americano...2 equals...1 inch NF milk.
8. Pair of shoes-Running shoes.
9. Snack- Popsicles.
10. Song- Anything really. I love classic rock, Third Day, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, etc.
11. Book- Bible, of course. Then anything to do w/adoption, China, etc.
12. Fruit- Apples, or pineapple
13. Hairstyle- up in a "mom" clip.
14. Piece of clothing- Trackpants....I live in them!
15. Store to clothes shop- Ross, Kohl's, Outlet shopping. I'm a cheap!
16. Season- Summer!
17. Hobby- Crochet, kids, baking, Internet.
18. Thing to collect- Antique Teacups.
19. Movie- The Sound of Music, Cold Mountain
20. Restaurant- Anything fast and kid-friendly. We like Bob's Burger and Brew the best!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Happy Birthday to D' and Mr. J!


Earlier today, Mr. J., Sr. and I were reminiscing about the day that little Mr. J. was born. If you are somewhat familiar with farming, you know that spring and fall are undoubtedly the busiest times of the year for crop farming in our area. When we found out we were due on May 8th w/J', we both wondered how it was all going to work out. But, to our delight little J' was born on a VERY rainy day in May. Rain shuts everything down when it comes to field work, so we chuckled that little J. must have farming running thru his veins. He comes from a long line of farmers - just ask G'pa :o).

Similarly, little D' was born in the dairy capitol of China. We were not aware of that fact until we arrived in his province, and we were thrilled to find out that the countries largest dairy farm was only a short trip from where D' was found. His province produces most of China's milk, so I guess that you could say that farming runs in D's veins, too.
It's so amazing to see God's plan unfold in our lives. He has given us three beautiful children, and one that we are yearning to hold in our arms. He is to be given the glory for everything, including His plan to forever unite us w/D', and soon Miss A. Three years ago, in a country half way across the world, an incredibly unselfish woman delivered our beautiful baby boy. I sometimes think about the events of that day, but they are just that....my thought. She probably delivered him in secret, possibly in her home, as it is frowned upon to have a child w/out permission from the govt. She took great care to make sure he was wrapped up in a warm blanket, and left him in a place to be found. She could have faced serious consequences for abandoning him, but she chose to make the sacrifice. Her heart must of ached so deeply, and she must of wiped away a million tears that day. She may have waited until night when she thought it would be safer. It would have been easier for her to abort him, but she chose to give him life. She may have hid her pregnancy because she was too afraid of what might happen to her if she was found to be with child. She loved him enough to bring him to a place that he would get the medical treatment that he needed. She is an amazing woman, and we are forever grateful to her for choosing life. May she find peace and comfort in the Father on this Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to the sometimes forgotten mothers....birth mothers. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for our precious children!

G'pa, G'ma, and Uncle Jerm at the party.

D' excited to open his remote control tractor...very cool!

J' opening his Cars game. J' is so funny b/c he rarely shows any excitement when he opens presents. He really liked this toy and played w/it for a long time after everyone left.
Whoops....put this picture on twice. It is a cute one, though:).
Cousin K and T playing with the kitties. They REALLY liked them:).
Cousin M' being cute and goofy.
Happy 1 year anniversary, Uncle K and Aunt C!
Auntie Gooch, Logie-Pie, and Uncle B.

GEMS

From L. to R. Miss M's classmates and Miss M. on the far right. Such a cute little hippie!

Miss M. and I attended her final "Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior" meeting of the year this past Wednesday. It was a mother/daughter event, which certainly was fitting with Mother's Day weekend just around the corner. The party was also to celebrate the 50th year of GEMS. Attendees were instructed to choose a decade and dress accordingly. Auntie Amanda had a "hippie" outfit lying around, so Miss M. jumped at the chance to put her best bell bottom forward. Much to her delight, two fellow classmates also chose to go with "flower power," as well:)

Friday, May 1, 2009

Prayer request....

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are probably aware of the swine flu. Obviously it is a serious problem, however my PERSONAL opinion is that the news media is going a little overboard. I realize that WHO, CDC, and local health officials need to be vigilant when such things happen, and I am not minimalising the need for cooperation as countries scramble to isolate suspected cases. However, from a very selfish perspective (I admit it!) I am sickened every time I turn on the television and see more coverage.


You may be asking why I am even bringing all of this up. Well, here goes.....



We learned this week that international travel for adoption may be halted until health officials are confident the pandemic is under control. Here comes the selfish part.....we were expecting our travel dates soon (in the next few weeks) for Miss A', and now it seems like we may have another minor delay in bringing our sweet baby girl home.



Hopefully I am not coming across as callous, but I'm just being honest. I pray that those affected by Swine Flu will be healed quickly, and that they do not suffer. I know that it is obviously better to error on the side of caution and not spread the disease thru intl' travel, but I find it interesting that only intl' adoptive travel would be halted, and the borders would remain open for everyone else....like adoptive parents are the only ones that would carry the flu:(. Come on....crazy!



Anyway, please pray for continued patience for me as I am about to loose my mind! Just kidding, of course. I'm being overly dramatic:).