Christmas Craziness

Ho, ho, ho! Isn't this the cutest Santa you've ever seen?

Once again, I have been delayed in posting. It isn't because I have nothing to say (yeah, right), but because by the time my day is done, I fall in bed exhausted. So this post is full of pictures from the past two weeks, with much less interesting descriptions of said pics. So, without further ado...Will's face describes how easy it is to get a picture of all 5 of us smiling. Moving right along...

A couple of weeks ago, our dear friends David & Cynthia came up to visit us with their three precious children. Their kids are the same age as ours, and even though we haven't lived in the same town for almost two years, Ben and Will still talk about their buddies all of the time.A few days later, Ben got to experience his first snow day. Ben loves to play in the snow. He loves snow angels and snow balls and snow men. I think Tim should take him skiing. Will enjoys playing in the snow, in theory, but after about 10 minutes he is cold and wants to go inside. His favorite part is throwing snow balls at his brother. Kate liked going down the slide into a big pile of snow. She did NOT like stepping into a pile that was deeper than she thought and getting stuck.
On Saturday we went to my aunt's house to celebrate with my Dad's family. I always love spending time with them, and I wish we could see them more often.My boys went home with Dad and Jee and stayed with them a few nights, which allowed me to get more than 5 hours of sleep in a row. (They are early risers, thanks to public school for Ben.) They came home on Tuesday, and as I listened to them play "Transformers meet the Planet Heroes to save the day" while I cooked and did piles of laundry, I realized how much I had missed them. My life my be chaotic and crazy, but I am so thankful for it!

Anyway, we opened presents with Dad and Jenn on Tuesday, but I failed to get pics of them...oh well. On Wednesday, my mom and Arlie came up to celebrate. My mom and I fixed an awesome meal (if I do say so myself) of turkey, dumplins (not dumplings), sweet potatoes, etc., and I really enjoyed having them over. I only wish that we could've had more time together. There is never enough time, is there?
We went to our church's Christmas Eve service, which was lovely, but chaotic with three children. They did calm down for the part where we all lit candles and sang "Silent Night". That is the best part, after all. We then came home and read the Christmas story.

Later that night I got to talk to my brother and his wife (who I miss like crazy). They are doing fine, spending Christmas with friends. Jacob and I reminisced a bit, which of course made me cry when we got done. I hope we get to see them soon! They need to meet Kate, and I just want to get on an airplane:)

Christmas morning came with much excitement from the boys. The night before they had speculated on Santa, when he would come, if he is real or not, and Will's theory that every country has its own Santa and that's how he makes it to all of the houses in one night.

Kate didn't really understand what was going on, but she liked opening gifts. He favorite gift was the Reese's cups in her stocking. She ate three of them "for breakfast" before we noticed and took them away. Bless her. It's all about the chocolate for this girl. Once that was gone, she really enjoyed her pots and pans.Ben and Will got Mickey Mouse stuff and Legos. They didn't actually ask for the Legos, but they turned out to be a big hit. They had the big Duplos, but it was time for big boy Legos.

We are now at Tim's parents, celebrating with his brothers and their families. (Photos to come in a future post.) I love to let the kids get together with their cousins. They play so well together. I grew up surrounded by extended family, so I hope that they will always enjoy being together, despite the distance.

But since this is all about Christmas craziness, you should be aware that Kate got a horrid ear infection and a cough for Christmas, and she was up all night crying, despite the antibiotics. We weren't alone though, my niece and nephew have a lovely stomach bug and were up all night with that. Ick. I told my nephew that if he would keep his yuck to himself, we would keep Kate's to ourselves. Nobody wants to share germs.

And now for some happy news to end with. Last night Kate asked me to "howlp" her open her presents. She didn't exactly put the ending on the "p" and the "l" was questionable, but she SAID it! A new word!! I got very excited, so she has said it about a million times. She only started using the sign last week, so she has figured this out pretty quickly. Yea Kate!!

Happy Birthday, Tim!

First of all, let me wish my precious husband a big Happy Birthday!!! He is my best friend and I can't imagine life without him. He is an amazing Daddy too, and even Kate is warming back up to him. We had ice cream cake to celebrate. In the first photo, Kate is reaching to be held by her Daddy! Yea!!! (Can you tell that she is adored by the men in her life?)

I love celebrating birthdays. In our family, we let the birthday girl/boy choose whatever and wherever they want to eat, and nobody is allowed to complain. My sweet husband chose the Japanese restaurant (can you believe our little town has a Japanese restaurant?), so we all pigged out on rice and shrimp and teriyaki chicken and steak and... well, you get the picture. The boys love to go to a hibachi places like this so that they can watch the food be cooked right in front of them. This time, Will decided that when he grows up he wants to be a "cooker" but he doesn't think he will throw all of those knives around because he is afraid he will get cut. Ben spent half of the meal under the table because he was afraid the chef was going to light something on fire. Kate just laughed and clapped the whole time.

As is usual, most of the staff at the restaurant were international folks. Our chef was from Bali (How do you like that J?). The hostess was from China, and came over and talked to us for awhile about Kate. Chinese people usually have lots of questions for us, and some of them are very apologetic about families who prefer boys over girls. This lady was no exception, but she pointed out how much this has changed in the past few years, and how many families today want girls too. I saw many happy families in China with girls, so I have no reason to doubt this from my own experiences. (One of my traveling companions was in a very rural area and didn't see any baby girls, so I guess it varies by province?) Anyway, we also talked about Kate's name. When I say her Chinese name to an English speaker, I say it with pride. I think it is beautiful and unique. But, when I say her name to a native Mandarin speaker I always cringe because I know that I am butchering it.

I loved our time in China, and I have so much respect for the Chinese people. I hope that I can raise my daughter to be proud of her birth culture and heritage. I would love for her to learn to speak Mandarin. I hope and pray that she will have good female Asian role models who she can look up to. Yes, I know that I will be one of her role models, but she needs to see positive examples of Asian women too.

Anyway, back to the nice lady... She repeatedly told me that Kate was lucky to have us and how nice we are to give a home to a homeless child. She was super sweet, but these type of comments always makes me feel a little weird for several reasons. First, I feel incredibly thankful to China for allowing us to raise this amazing child. I feel like the lucky one here. Second, at some point she is going to start understanding these comments. Basically, I don't want my daughter to grow up feeling like a charity case. I don't believe that children should be taught to feel self-pity. She is loved because of who she is (my daughter), not because I feel sorry for her. Third, people act like I have made some kind of sacrifice, when I have wanted this my whole life. I didn't give up my dream. THIS is my dream! God has been gracious enough to bless me abundantly. I could say a lot more (I know you are shocked), but I will leave it at that.

Oh, and changing the subject completely....a random Will-funny. Today we were in the car, listening to K-Love and there was a story about a Santa getting attacked by a cat that was half bobcat. I know. Random. Anyway, Will heard it and said, "Well now they are just making stuff up!" I laughed so hard I didn't know if I could drive.

My name is Amy, and I am a Blog Addict

There. I confess. I love blogs, and I love blogging. I love to unload and vent. I love to write about my beautiful children. I love to attempt to get my thoughts down, even when I fail miserably and later can't figure out what I was trying to say in the first place. I love sharing pictures and videos and information so that I don't have to call all of my relatives to share because they can just read about it on the blog. And yes, I know that I am wordy. I like that too.

But perhaps I love reading blogs even more than writing them. I love the ones that update me on friends that live hundreds of miles away or across town. I love the ones that help me look at life from a different angle. But most of all I love adoptive family blogs. (No offense meant to those of you who aren't in this category. I love you too.) Every chance I get I am making my rounds on the blogs of people I have never even met to check in on their children and see how their lives have changed since they got home. I love to read about the little girl who had heart surgery days after her arrival in the U.S. And I love to read about Fin the Kindergartner. This little girl is adorable, and her mom is so funny. She always makes me laugh. Then there is Jeff. When he was in China to pick up his daughter he made me think about some really tough adoption issues. And I can't wait to see new pictures of Tara's son (he is soooo cute) and hear about her perspective. (OK, so I know Tara personally, but this makes it even better!) And ok, yes, I love to hear about their craziness because it somehow makes me feel a little more normal.

Another thing I love about adoption blogs is how God is using them to create community. These people provide me with encouragement and support. They make me cry and laugh. There is one lady who is in Uganda right now to bring home her 8th and 9th children. From her, I am learning to pray more for my kids and for orphans around the world. And then there is Sharla. Somehow, Sharla always says what I wish I could say, only she says it about 10x better. For example, I've been thinking about James 1:27, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." It had been floating around in my head for a couple of days, and then she writes a post about it. And then in my post yesterday, I had been trying to put into words some of the preparation that goes into adoption. I had been trying to express how you shouldn't expect all sunshine and roses all of the time because sometimes adoption is tough. I was thinking all academically, but she points out that the most important thing is to ask God to prepare your heart for adoption, because there are certain things that only He can do. Wow - exactly!

The point is, God has blessed me with all of these folks who are a lot like a support group of sorts for me. I love how they challenge me to think outside the box and to go deeper in my relationship with God. So thank you to all of my cyber-friends out there. There are more of you than I could possibly count (like I said, I have an addiction), and I appreciate your openness and honesty. And I appreciate you making me feel less crazy too.

New words

Tonight I was playing on the computer when Kate insisted that she sit in my lap. I put the computer aside, and when she climbed up and got situated, she pulled the computer up on her lap. This girl loves electronics. She cracks me up. More than once she has fooled around with my computer or camera until I had to figure out how to fix what she did.

Anyway, tonight Tim grabbed the camera (after he wiped the drool off) and got some video of her playing and saying her extensive list of spoken words. She loves this game, which our favorite speech therapist (hi Jennifer!) says will make her a great learner when the time comes.

(Please ignore the laundry piled behind me waiting to be folded. I can't even remember how long it has been there... did I tell you that I am a lazy slob who is tired of housework?) (Also, "hau-la" sp? is Chinese for "that's enough". The sign we are doing is for "stop". She sometimes gives this sign to her brothers or other children and says a hearty "hau-ma!" when somebody is bugging her. It's very funny.)

I can't even imagine what my life would be like without her at this point. I love to watch her grow and learn new things. She is amazing.

One thing that we have been working with her on is how to play with toys. She just hasn't had a lot of experience with toys, and so Will has taken it on as part of his job. The other day I went in her room and Will was "reading" to her on her bed and showing her how to hold baby dolls. I told our early intervention people that evidently I don't need developmental intervention - I have Will! Ben has also been reading to her. Last night she brought me her doll and a book that Ben has been reading about the Christmas story. She did the sign for "baby doll", and wanted me to hold the baby and read the book to them. When I got to the picture of baby Jesus, I pointed it out to her and did the sign for baby. She then did the sign for Jesus! I can't get over how quickly she is picking things up. And what a wonderful sign to learn!

On Sunday we all went to Ben and Will's Christmas program at church. They "sang" two songs. I put that in quotation marks because they were much more interested in making eyes at Kate and waving to her from the stage. I'm not sure how much singing they actually did. As we were leaving to go to the program I told her that we were going to see the boys. We were going to go in the car and hear her brothers sing. While I was talking, she did the signs for boys, car, brothers, and sing. Smart as a tack, I tell you.

Anyway, I am blessed beyond measure. Do we still struggle with bedtime attachment issues? Yes. Are we making big time progress? Yes again. I can't believe how blessed we are with this child. As we work through our relationship, I am learning more about myself and my other two children. For those of you who are seriously considering adoption (I know you are out there), do your research and educate yourself on attachment issues. (Read Attaching in Adoption, or Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft - I will loan them to you:) One of the blogs I follow is by a former orphanage volunteer. She occassionally has parents write in, and she then shares these stories on her blog. They are often heartbreaking. The most recent parent's story is a tough read that talks about severe attachment issues, but her faith and persistence are amazing. So is God's healing power.

As an end note, I am actually getting excited about Christmas this year. I am usually quite Bah Humbug as I feel the holiday is too much about presents and logging miles on my odometer rather than love and peace. But this year, we are cutting down on our traveling, and we are scaling back the gifts, so I have high hopes of celebrating Christ's birth instead of my VISA card.

Progress? Let's hope so.

Ok, this picture doesn't have anything to do with my post, but I have been dying to use it, so there. She just crawled in the dryer the other day, and rather than doing what a good mommy does and pull her out, I ran and got the camera. She was so pleased with herself!Anyway...
As many of you know, Kate started out a Daddy's girl, but shortly after we got home she changed her mind and prefers Mommy. She usually does ok with him still, but at night she only wants me, and she gets frustrated if he wants to put her to bed. One night she screamed at him until she threw up. Twice.

Anyway, tonight he put her to bed and there was no crying! She whimpered a bit when she realized what was going on, but after they went upstairs she did fine. I am so thankful for this, and I am praying that this is a turn for the better. I love her snuggles at night, but it can be exhausting to do it every single night. It is quite the process. Plus, it is important for her relationship with her Daddy that she trust him enough to let him put her to bed.

Busy Week

I haven't blogged lately because I really haven't had many blog worthy moments. We have been super busy, without much time for thought, much less computer time. But I wanted to share a couple of pictures today, and give a shout out to my brother and sister-in-law. We missed you for Thanksgiving, and we think of you every day. Blessings to you as you continue to learn and seek God's will.

Anyway, back to my busy week. Last Wednesday we went to my grandparents house so that they could meet Kate NaNa for the first time. Naturally, she charmed their pants off, and her aunt Sally taught her a new word - Quack. It comes out a really loud MAH, but it's close enough we know what she is saying. She also learned to say "home" just perfectly.

That night we went to Tim's hometown and celebrated on Thursday with his family. The highlight of this trip is always seeing all of the neices and nephews playing together. There are seven of them now, and the tradition is that they all line up in order of age on the steps. This tradition dates back to Tim's childhood Christmases. In the photo, you can tell who the trouble makers are...
We then traveled to my hometown, where we celebrated with my Dad on Friday. By Saturday, my mom and I decided we had had enough turkey, so we went to Sonny's instead.

On Sunday, the kids and I decorated the Christmas tree...
And on Monday, we travelled back to my hometown for my Aunt Ruth's funeral. My Aunt Ruth was an amazing woman. She was godly, smart, and spunky. She spent most of her life serving the children of our church, teaching, and playing the piano. She is the one who explained salvation to me. She is the one who took me to the big stained glass window of Jesus with the children, and she told me that Jesus loved children so much! That left a huge impression on me, and I have always felt special to God because she took the time to show His love to me in real and personal ways. She will always be one of my heroes.

Today, we spent the day at the cleft clinic. The only interesting tidbit regarding that is that we hope to have the surgery to repair Kate's palate in about six weeks. Oh, and we feel very good about our surgeon.

So that is the update. Probably not interesting to most of you, but an update for the fam. Love to you all!