An Update!!

I missed doing a post yesterday. :( It was either write a post or tackle this:

Hmmm, blog or laundry....blog or laundry.....fun blog....smelly laundry......the decision was a tough one but when it came down to my kids going to school neked today or writing a post....sadly I chose laundry. So now that my children are once again fully clothed I can proceed. And proceed in a BIG way I shall!


We had our final home study visit today, capped off by lunch with a new friend who just returned from Ch*na with her new daughter and a side trip to Barnes & Noble*, it was a great day. Well, it just got better. Because look who was waiting for me in my inbox:



Could you just reach through that computer screen and scoop him up?!!! He is too sweet for words!!!

I'm going to take a guess and say that these aren't new pictures. He looks ever so slightly younger and by his surroundings I'm guessing these were taken when he was still living in the orphanage*.

We also received the following info on our little guy:

He is still living with foster family.

What are his likes and dislikes?
He likes to play basketball, car and run around. He likes to draw picture and he is good at math. His favorite toy is Sun-wukong. His favorite color is red, yellow, green and black. He loves to eat biscuits.

Is there anything else they can tell us about him?
He is a very smart boy. He has lovely big eyes. When he takes photos, he loves to make a face.


Hello! Basketball?! Biscuits?! Math?! Run around?! This boy is sooooo ours!!! Yes, we have the cutest boy in all of Ch*na. This I know.

Now I must go and figure out what on earth Sun-wukong is.

For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Adoption expenses

First thing to go as we cut expenses around here? Haircuts.

Welcome my son's to the school of-still in training-really has no idea what she's doing-who am I kidding there is no training-it's a good thing you are boys-hope I don't mess this up too badly-

HAIRCUTS BY MOM.
(That's me.)

Don't worry Beans, it'll be ok.....



Really....it will grow back...

......I hope.
Come on bud! It doesn't look that bad! Can you give me a smile?

No? Ok, how about a joke?


Why did the cookie go to the doctor?

Because he was feeling crummy.

Awwww, come on man! That was funny! No? Ok. Ice cream? Candy? Peanuts? Crackerjacks?

(Well 2 outta 3 isn't bad. Thanks for believing in me Jack.

and thank you Jordan for your smile and more importantly for being oblivious to the bald spot on the back of your head. Sneezing and haircuts. They are not friends.)

Aaachoo!

Do they speak Spanish in China

About a month before we decided to adopt my husband's job required him to take a foreign language course. He was able to put down his top three choices that he would like and then they would choose one for him. So he chose Spanish, French or German and was assigned Spanish. Yeah. Spanish. Not 4 weeks later we were on the paper route to Ch*na. One of the choices he could have made? Yep. Mandarin. Argh. So here we sit. Armed with Spanish speaking abilities and on our way to Ch*na. But alas, whilst I was out yesterday I saw this:



for the bargain price of this:


With funny cartoon learning like this:


So look out world. We are going to learn a few key phrases in Mandarin to get us through those first few weeks together. Otherwise our sons may think all we know how to say is Ni Hao thanks to one popular cartoon.

Son: "I need to use the bathroom."
Me: "Ni Hao!"

Son: "I am really hungry."
Me: "Ni Hao!"

Son: "Can we go swimming?"
Me: "Ni Hao!"

Son: "Is that all you can say?"
Me: "Ni Hao!"

Son: "This lady is crazy."
Me: "Ni Hao!"

Uhhh. Yeah. I'd better get to studying. Ni Hao everyone!

One of these things is not like the other......

We live in the land of bows. Big bows. Small bows. Bows, bows, bows. Bows and smocking.

Did I mention the smocking?


Bows, smocking, dresses and jumpers. Seriously, the cuteness that abounds around here is too much. Throw in church on Sunday morning and both the size of the bows and the ruffles on the dresses escalate to pandemic proportions.

And then. And then if you are feeling really brave, go to the Easter Extravaganza and the cuteness rises up and smacks you in the face. I think I was staring. Scratch that, I know I was staring. I think I was known as the creepy lady who was staring at the ruffles who didn't have her teenage son dressed in a jumper. Seriously people. I don't have girls so when these little one's toddle past me in their precious little outfits it's all I have within me not to reach out and pat their sweet heads.

Now so you understand, my boys weren't raised in this foreign bow land. So there's that. And then there's the fact that...well, that they are boys. So we don't get a whole lotta that in our house.

The combination of being temporary visitors in bow country and the fact that these boys live most of their lives in sports attire; this

is how my kids had to show up to the Easter Extravaganza. Yep. That's my kids. Not a bow in sight. I'm almost certain I'm breaking some sort of law of the land around here but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. And we gotta put them in this in order to race across town directly afterward for a game. I'm certain the bow police are after us.....

Yep...there they are...don't they look menacing? Run Justin!! Run! Ruuunnnnn!!!!
Someone please send me 10 spools of ribbon so I can bow...I mean bail us out. Thanks. This girl appreciates it.



Even without our bows and smocking we managed to have a really good time.


Even with someone's pocket turned inside out...which apparently when you are 7 and playing baseball...is how it's done.

Name Game Extended Edition

Just for fun, a little glimpse at the meanings of the names.

Joseph - God added. Joseph also being the name of Jesus's adoptive father. How profound.
John - God's grace
Jonah - Dove, or Peace
Josiah - God heals Our "baby" survived open heart surgery at 8 weeks old and lay in a hospital alone for nearly two months afterward. God heals? Absolutely, bet your britches He does.
Joshua - Salvation We CAN NOT wait to be able to share the love of the Savior with him!
Sponge - Rectangular scrubby thing you clean with. Comes in a variety of colors. Most prominently in yellow. Best friend: one Patrick Star...a talking star fish...nuff said.

The Middle Edition:

Samuel - Requested of God. Also significant that one of my favorite verses is 1 Samuel 1:27 which says, "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him" Hello. Love it when the Word leaps out at you!

Benjamin - Son Need I say more? :)

Henry - Home ruler (definitely not my favorite meaning, but really like the name Henry...what to do, what to do....)

David - Beloved A little Biblical synopsis for you on one part of David's life: David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied ... today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel ... it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."
Bob - Middle name? Or last name of the popular sponge. He's charming, witty and enjoys jelly fishing.

The Name Game

What's in a name? Well, a lot. What's in naming an almost 6 year old? 4 brothers who think they have the perfect name....and one stranger who commented the other day that we should let him choose his own name. Ummm ok. Have you spoken with many 6 year old boys lately sir? I think he'd end up named something like Transformer Galactagon the III. Or Blue Monster Truck or Sponge Bob. "Sponge Bob! Time for dinner!", "Galactagon, time to go to the park!" yeah. Not happenin. So my friends, jump in and jump over to the poll on the sidebar and vote! Vote for your favorite name!Whichever name we choose we will also be adding his Chinese first name. So without further ado, I give you our top 5 name choices.

1. John David
2. Joseph Samuel(Joey for short)
3. Jonah Benjamin
4. Joshua Henry
5. Josiah Samuel Sponge Bob (Just kidding, makin sure you are paying attention)

So vote! Don't fear the poll button. It won't bite.

They always said it would happen...

I always knew...I guess...that one day it would happen. That one day these boys who from their earliest days have been early birds...would turn the other direction. That those little toddlers who would bound into the living room bright eyed at 7am every morning.....would learn to sleep...to sleep in.

But here we were, 12 and 13 years later and still....nothing. Until yesterday......

This one:

fell asleep on the way home from school. And this one:


well, I think this picture speaks for itself. Yeah. This is Jordan. This is Jordan at 7:15am. So I guess it's true after all. It took over a decade but now I get it. I get it and I believe it. The day may actually come when I will have to drag 6 teenage boys out of bed each morning...or out of the recliner. Anyone have a spray bottle I can borrow?

He's here.

He's there.

He's pretty well glued, taped or hung up on any surface that will stand still.

Yesterday we asked our agency to get an update for us so hopefully in a couple of weeks we will have new measurements, new info, and....dare I say....maybe a new picture or two?! I'm anxious to find out if he is still in foster care. According to his referral file he was placed there in 2007 so I am interested to know if that is still the case. Better go makes some more space on the walls!

Where two worlds collide.

Ever since our adoption adventure began we moved across the country, set up a new house, started the boys in new schools, and figured out where the commissary and Targ*t are I have been neglecting our family blog. And what I have figured out is that there is no way I can keep up both...well, I'm sure there is a way. But that would involve giving up eating...or sleeping...and I get grouchy when I don't eat or sleep. Then this would be the place where that grouchy woman who never eats or sleeps writes stuff down. So I'm thinking that would be slightly counterproductive. Thus, this will now become my little corner of the cyber space where you, my dear reader, get to listen to my ramblings on not only adoption but our daily life raising these boys. Congratulations. There is no prize. But congratulations nonetheless. So standby your laptop, and let the full family craziness be unleashed!

Love on a Lanyard.

We introduced little man to his brothers yesterday as the bigs were finally back from their week long mission trip. Our PA came while they were gone so I had wait 5 days to show them his picture.

5 whole days.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

I waited very patiently.....

Or not.

But I did make it all 5 days and couldn't wait for them to get home to see him. Yay! They love him and his Snoopy shorts as much as we do. They all wanted to bring a picture of him to school and since I'm not an idiotI've been around the block a few times; I knew that near anything that you put into a boy's backpack will never be seen again. It is a phenomenon of epic proportions. Thus, I problem solved.



A little lanyard, a little clip, and four little necks and waa-laa!



A little brotherly bonding in progress.

Love from Ch*na, Oregon.

Somewhere, in the little town of Ch*na, Oregon there is an aunt. An aunt who follows our blog regularly. An aunt who decided to bless us with our first ever Ch*na themed care package. And oh how sweet it is. Here's just a sampling of her blessing to us.


Sweet note on beautiful Chinese paper.



Hysterical.


Beautiful.

My new favorite key chain.


Jack enjoyed

the package but

he enjoyed the

bubble wrap a bit more.
So thank you Auntie Bra-bra. You made our day!

Wondering....

Sitting here thinking about little man's birthday approaching in a couple of weeks. Part of me want's to send him a huge birthday cake and a package(aww, who am I kidding, ALL of me wants to go jump on a plane to Ch*na and watch him from the bushes...but that would be wrong...right?....yes wrong...I think) and the other part of me, A: thinks it's illegal until our LOA?(guess that settles that) but beyond that B: at what point should I make first contact? 10 months to us grownups? Not that long. 10 months to a 6 year old who is waiting for his family to arrive? An eternity.

I don't want him to know about us too early that he will begin to wonder if we will ever actually be there. Yet I want him to be prepared. I want to send him a cake just because and some gifts and photos of his crazy brothers, his new house, his room, his bike, his toys and send him candy(the mother of all bribery). But when? 3 months out? 1 month out? How long is too long? How early is too early?

So here I sit. Waiting, wondering and pondering what is best for our little guy and his little heart. Anyone been there? Done that?

Help bring Drew and Jaxon home!

Head on over to http://bringingdrewhome.blogspot.com/ and donate to help this remarkable family bring TWO boys home from China!! They will be blessed and so will you!! Their story is truly amazing!

1 down. 1 to go, 143 million left behind.

Justin and I were in Targ*t yesterday and out of the blue he looks at me and says, "Mom, now there are only like a million orphans since we are adopting a couple. Maybe if I adopt some when I grow up then there won't be any left." Yes baby, maybe so. -sniff-holding back tears in the middle of the store-cry-sniff-sob-sob, snot bugger, snot bugger, snot bugger. That's what it's all about my friends. That little 7 year old wisdom. If we all did it there wouldn't be any left.

If only 3% of the world's Christians adopted one child, all adoptable orphans would have a permanent safe home and a loving family. What? Only 3%?! I know not everyone is called to adopt. We all work together for His good.....Romans I think....yes, here it is:(Don't ya just love the Bible?!)And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according go his purpose. Romans 8:28 But 3%? Seriously? 3% of the estimated 2 billion Christians in the world?

Turns out some of the worlds problems are easily fixed. Peace in the Middle E*ast? I have no idea. But the orphan crisis? That one's easy. (Check out lighted - path.net.)

Though dual adoptions are INCREDIBLY rare in Ch*na we are still going to ask. What was that my elementary school teacher said?..."The only dumb question is the one you don't ask." Well I'm askin!

There are typically some guidelines that they follow when approving dual adoptions:

* Older children? Check.
* Been on the list for a long while? Check.
* Same orphanage? Check.
* Same special need? Check.

Add to that list that we have a family already successfully structured in pairs of two that we can show them and we know that we have done what we can do. Now we pray and seek the Lord's will for this. He is infinitely bigger than an entire foreign government so we rest in His promises and know that if it is HIS will do this then it will be done. What we will do is rest, wait and be ready to follow wherever He leads.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

Journey Starting

I can't tell you how many times I have stared at his little picture over the last month but just know that it included about 99% of my waking hours. What a didn't notice until my dad pointed it out yesterday is what his little T-shirt says in his picture. I knew it said, "Journey" but didn't really try and decipher much after that. Well, thanks Dad, because as he pointed out, his shirt actually says, "Journey Starting." Wow.

Let me say that again. Wow. How appropriate.



It is indeed the start of a BIG, big journey. For him. For us. His life will never ever be the same, our lives will never, ever be the same and we wouldn't want it any other way. Hang on little man, your journey's about to start. We're comin!

Where in all of China is he?

Here:



is where our little man is currently living. He is in foster care and from what we can tell being very well taken care of. I will never, ever be able to express to his foster family the tremendous thankfulness that we feel toward them for loving our son. (Good)Foster families in China are really the unsung hero's of this adoption process. They take in these children sometimes for years on end, raising them as their own, knowing that they may have to give them up to their forever families at some point.

What. A. Gift.

We are probably going to fly into Hong Kong and then take the train to his city. We are taking all of the boys with us so it should be an adventure of a lifetime!! Nothing like 5..maybe 6!....boys and two parents in a foreign country for 2 weeks! I think I need to learn to say, "No thank you, we would not like the turtle for dinner this evening." in Mandarin. Rose*ta Stone anyone?