Chenzhou Trio

On Saturday we had the priviledge of getting together with Lily, Sarah Mei and their families.  These girls along with Lainie spent the first year and a half of their lives living together in an orphanage in Chenzhou China.  They have known each other longer than any of us have known them.  God in his goodness placed them all in families here in the Carolinas.  Their families are a blessing to us and we are so thankful that these girls share this connection.  Only he could orchestrate such a thing!

Lainie, Sarah Mei and Lilly 2010  - Home in the Carolinas

 

Lainie, Sarah Mei and Lilly 2006 - Chenzhou, China

First Day of School 2010

Even though we woke up at the crack of dawn (Mia couldn't figure out why we were up and it was still dark outside) I did manage to get some quick shots of our kiddos just before we ran out the door....

This is the last year that Lainie won't be going to school with us.  Although she LOVES her sitters, she can't wait to be a kindergartner next year. (And no I did not realize her shirt was on backwards until I picked her up that afternoon).  And I'm thinking next year I'll probably have to fix her hair before we head out the door. 

Mia - our first grader- has been waiting not so patiently for school to start all summer.  She LOVES school and is so excited that vacation is over.

Will - our 3rd grader - ready to go as always.  This boy has a good time anywhere he goes and school is no exception.

Jillian - our 6th grader - all grown up.

Trey - our 9th grader - where did the time go?  It seems like yesterday he went to kindergarten.  His first day of high school was just like his very first day of school.  Not a bit nervous  - just excited to start something new.   He's going to have so much fun. 

Because our school is K-8 Trey has been with me at school every single day.  It just didn't seem right to walk into school this morning and him not be with us.  In my classroom he had written on  my board on the last day of school last year.  "Hey mom - Trey was here."  I think I'll leave that there for awhile - or maybe forever.

I Survived

Looking back over our summer, I feel as if I need one of those cheesy "I Survived" t-shirts.  Mine would say, " I survived the summer with 5 (kids)."  Why would I need such a shirt?  Well, here are just a few of the things we've done this summer....

7 doctor's appointments
6 shots
1 trip to urgent care
2 beach vacations
2 dermatologist appointments
1 week of driver's ed
1 urologist appointment
1 softball world series
1 set of ears piereced
1 set of training wheels removed
6 birthday parties ( to attend)
3 Bible Schools
4 house showings (still for sale)
1 week of Quarterback camp
Daily football workouts
baseball practice
softball practice
basketball practice
1 oil change for the van
1 week overnight church camp
Numerous sleepovers (hosted and attended)
4 meetings at school
1 spider bite
2 orthodontist appointments (no more braces!)
6 haircuts
1 pair of glasses repaired
1 graduation from floaties to swimming
1 bathroom painted
7 closets cleaned out

and that is just the beginning.

But, more important than this list is the long list of times we've smiled, laughed and giggled together.  So while we can't deny the impending end of summer,  we have certainly made many happy memories to tuck away in our hearts.  Now comes the days with more routines and more schedules.  Goodbye summer.  I survived with 5!

They spent lots of time doing makeup and playing dress up.

My kitchen floor often served as a nail salon and tattoo parlor.

Our beach vacations always seem to go by much too quickly.  

Lainie is already asking how many days until we go next summer.

Sweet Trey has been so much fun this summer.  

He's the World's Best Big Brother for sure! 

 I can hardly believe he will be starting high school in just a few days.

This final shot - fresh out of the camera today as we played in the sprinkler - is how I will remember the summer.  All together.  All smiles.  All fun.

One Less Orphan in Ethiopia

We are thrilled that our friends, Ryan and Courtney are adopting from Ethiopia.  We have been so inspired by their compassion for the orphan.  Check out their website:

http://www.thomasadoption.myevent.com/

Family Vacation - One Year Later

Last week I sat in the very same beach house where we first saw Mia's picture one year earlier.  On July 8, 2009, I opened an e-mail from our agency's special needs coordinator.   It contained the files of three girls from the China Shared Special Needs list.  Less than a week earlier we had submitted our paperwork to begin another adoption. .  We had struggled with what to do with our burden for orphans since we returned home with Lainie in 2007.  We weren't sure if God was calling us to adopt again or if there was some other orphan ministry he wanted us to be a part of.   Last July we had seen him work in our lives in ways that led us to another adoption.  This time we knew we would do the special needs route and we had requested to be considered for any girl aged 2-5.  So last July when I opened the three files in my e-mail, I quickly read through the info for the first two girls - they both fell within the age range, but I didn't feel drawn to either of them.  When I looked at the third file I didn't expect to find my daughter.  This little girl was already 6 1/2 years old.  But then, I saw her face......

and I knew she was ours.  Every single fear I ever had about older child adoption was absent from my mind in that moment.  Every single fear I had about adopting out of birth order was suppressed.  I can't explain it.  Two days earlier had you asked me about adopting an almost 7 year old I would have said - that isn't for us, that wouldn't be the right fit for our family.  Everything that made sense to me was turned upside down. I know it was God who kept those thoughts from my mind that day.  It was God who opened our hearts and our minds to this little girl.

Now, one year later when I watch her playing on the beach I am so thankful that we trusted Him despite our fears and our own plans for our family.  Mia has been home six months.  It has been quite the journey.  Layers of this precious girl's heart still peel away as time passes.   We still learn new things about her life in China every day as she begins to trust us enough to share her experiences there.  Just recently we learned a whole other side of the story of the grandmother's phone number saga that we didn't understand until now.

Daily I am amazed by this little girl who after all the trauma she has been through still choses to love life and others.  God is using her to write an amazing story of His grace.  My prayer is that one day she will be able to share all that God has done in her life in a way that gives Him glory, honor and praise.

And the rest of our family - one year later.....
I'm so proud of all my kids.  They've accepted another child as a sister.  They haven't missed a beat.  From the first moment they met her, they have loved her and treated her like she has been here forever.  That is a miracle too.  Adoption, every single aspect of it, is a miraculous event.  One that can only be orchestrated through Him.  I look at the picture below and can hardly believe this is my family.  So different from what I ever planned.  There are certainly more people in the picture that I ever thought there would be.... and a few of them look quite different that what I would ever have dreamed....  but is this picture more beautiful than anything I had ever dreamed myself?  YES.

Her Heart is Home

Mia has been physically home for almost 6 months.  Now I can finally say that her heart is home too.  Slowly, day by day, her heart has begun to heal and she has let herself love us.  The child we saw in China is not at all the same Mia that we know now.  Now that we have seen her true personality, it is hard to imagine that her behavior was what we witnessed those first few weeks.  It makes me even more aware of the trauma that she endured from leaving all that she knew and loved.  I don't share much about what we experienced with her in China.  The pain we saw her endure was almost too much to bear.  I recently spoke with another adoptive mom and I told her I wish I had journaled more about those first weeks, but at the time I just couldn't bring myself to write it all down.  She reminded me it is because it is just to painful to relive as your write it.  You can't dwell on it that long.  It is just so heavy it will crush you if you try to take it all in. She was so right. I've often thought about Mary, the mother of Jesus and how scripture says ...."Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." I suppose that is what I will do with those painful memories.  I will ponder them in my heart and look back and know that in those days that seemed so hard, God never left our side.  Even then he was beginning to heal Mia's heart and soul.  She is a beautiful, precious little soul with a sweet, sweet spirit that is in some ways mature beyond her years.  I am so proud of her and truly thankful that I have been allowed to witness this miracle in her little life.

Just last week we had this conversation at bed time:

Mia:  Good night Mommy.  I love you.

Me:  I love you too Mia.

Mia:  Mommy, I'm sorry I didn't love you when you came to China.

Me:  It is okay Mia.  I understand.

Mia:  It was because I didn't remember (know) you Mommy. I was so scared.

Me:  It is okay Mia.  I know you were scared.  I loved you even when you didn't remember me.  I love you now and I will love you always.

Mia:  I will love you too always Mommy.

She just started calling me Mommy two weeks ago.  She did that on her own.  I was fine with Mama, but the first time she said Mommy it melted my heart.  You might have to be me to understand the difference.  It is not so much the term, but the endearing way she says it that lets me know this precious girl has let her heart come home.

Congratulations Stefanie!

For quite some time have been following the blog of Stefanie at
Ni Hao Ya'll.  I've never met her, but she has been quite an inspiration to me and many others.  She recently posted her 1,000 post on her blog.  She not only has adopted 5 beautiful children from China in addition to her 4 biological children, she also has done some incredible things in the adoption community.  Check out An Orphan's Wish (new button to the right) and No Hands But Ours (button also to the right).  Now, if I can just figure out how she does it all........