Ramblings about Distractions...

What? I'm blogging? Yep, I found some time to journal today. Josh's Eagle Court of Honor for Boy Scouts is over finally. That extravaganza only took 2 months of dedication to plan and prepare for. It was a lot of fun, but boy am I glad it's over. I'm done with training for the LA Marathon. Boy, that took a lot of time. All I did each day for 4 months was walk, walk, jog a little, and walk some more!!! It was worth it, for all the little babies in China who got the medical care they needed, I walked to raise money for them. But now...now it's time for some down time. You know what I mean? I might have some time for myself....I hope. Time to do something I want to do like blogging, or catching up on my scrapbooking, or working out at the gym. I envy those blogger friends that blog on a regular basis.

I want to be like you one day. There is just so much to do and not enough time to do it. I don't know, maybe that's just an excuse...oh, it is. It seems that whenever I get on the computer, something...or someone...needs me. Have you ever tried to type with a 25 pound 35" adorable sweetheart on your lap? It can be done. Right now I'm holding her on my lap, smelling her fresh babyskin fragrance and I have to be honest with you it's distracting. I can only see the screen when she lifts her head. Typing without looking is challenging, you know. And then she says what she says every morning upon waking and finding me on the computer..."I'm hungry!" Well how can I ignore that? She wants to eat. She needs to eat. Then Josh comes in and says he's leaving for school and could I send in the money to pay for his college. Frank arrives shortly after with his list of things for me to do today. Sheesh! How can I have time to journal on the computer? What's the secret to having sustained journaling time on the computer? And pictures. What about those? Who's got time to take them let alone download them on the computer. I want to know your secrets. You know who you are...how do you do it?

So for now, enjoy my post. Who knows when the next one will be. My children are calling...gotta go feed them.

The Life of a Two Year Old Princess

Click here to view this photo book larger

My Heart is Deeply Touched

My adoption agency friends, the one's who were strategically placed in our life by God to help show us about cleft affected babies, just adopted their little Bella today. Her story is an amazing one that only God could orchestrate. If you want to hear their wonderful Godstory, email me (www.nuts4mykidz@yahoo.com) and I'll send you the link.

Anyway, after reading their travel journal today my heart so deeply ached at the reminder of how each orphan's life is so drastically changed at adoption. Oh yes, it is good for them to be able to have a forever family and a mom and a dad they can call their own. A life in America is a very rich life where these children will never want for anything. But each little baby/child is removed from the people and places where they have come to know as home. Can you imagine being permanently torn away from your home today...unexpectantly? Then given over to strangers who look, smell, talk, eat, and act differently than anyone or anything that you've ever known? It is heartbreaking to see these little angelic faces so sad from their very core as their old life is stripped away! Not to mention their foster families and/or nannies who have grown to love them as their very own for the first years of their lives...the pain as a parent is just too much to fathom. But it happens everyday, all over the world, thousands of orphans are dealing with this change.

As I write this journal with tears in my eyes and a broken heart, I look over at my sweet, little angel, Sophie, as she plays with her Duplo blocks building a swimming pool with a slide. She's talking to herself, she's content to play with her toys, sometimes changing to her Cinderella playset, or to put on the headphones to listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella" song. She has more than she needs in all sense of the word.

She has had 3 surgeries to repair her cleft lip and palate, she's had countless speech therapy sessions to help her speak clearly, she has a closet full of clothes and cute, little pink shoes, she's been to Disneyland at least 20 times in the last year to visit the princesses, she goes weekly to a mommy and me ballet class, she has a playgroup made up of little Chinese friends who share her story of adoption, she has such a wonderful big brother and sister who adore her a million times over, and she has a mommie and daddy who love her with all their hearts. Yes, it was a difficult journey getting to this place of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness and comfort but God has her right where she belongs now.

God has had this plan all along, to give her hope and a future. His plan was set in place before the beginning of time. His plan is a masterful plan, well thought out, all to bring Him glory. You see, He loves us so much more than we can ever think or imagine. God is good, all the time. I'm reminded of the song called "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" that I was introduced to when we decided to adopt. It tells of how God loved us so much that her gave his only son to die on the cross for us, but not only for you and me, but for all those millions of orphans all over the world. He wants to bring them to sit on his lap, to be sheltered under His mighty wings. And maybe the best way to do that is to bring them into our homes where we can lavish them God's love, teach them all about Him, and prepare them for a life of giving Him glory.

Adoption is a miracle. It is a miracle that shows God's love and mercy in a daily, tangible way. I know for our family, and countless others, our lives have been forever blessed by taking that step of faith and adopting. I hope that if you are at all considering adoption that you take that next step forward in faith. You won't regret it. Just be ready for an incredible gift that will make your heart sing a new song and change your life forever!

My Sister

Sophie (Mei mei),

I Love you my little moon cake,

And I love your crooked smile.

Since you came from across the seas,

You made life better than it's been in a while.

I love your silly giggly laugh,

And I love watching you grow.

Everyword you say makes my heart smile,

It's hard not to let is show.

I love when you dance around the room

And I love the way you pat my back when we are hugging tight,

Your beautiful brown almond shaped eyes

always let me know when everything's all right.

I love how you use chopsticks to eat your rice.

And I love when your soft little hands are in mine.

When you twirl around in your princess dress,

I realize that this love is part of a perfect design.

I love your big kisses

And I love your little voice when you sing

God always knew you were the one for me

with all of the joy and love your bring.

I love you my little moon cake,

You are a slice of Heaven!

Love,

Courts

(Meim)

Sophie's Favorites

I was inspired by Laurie's recent blog interviewing her son Aaron, Sophie's China travel mate, to also interview my sweet little princess. It's kinda cute to see how her little mind thinks. Enjoy a little piece of Sophie!

Favorites

color: purple, green, red, yellow, black, brown and pink

clothes: Cinderella dress

food: ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies

drink: lemondade...no water...and lemonade

dessert: vanilla ice cream

video: The Wiggles

activity: dance class

letter: abcdefg...Z (I guess she like all of them!)

place: Disneyland

Disney character and "best friend": Cinderella

BFF: MeiMei (that's what she calls her sister, Courtney)

ride at Disneyland: horsies, Dumbo, Cinderella castle, It's a small world after all, it's a small...(she just sang the whole song)

toy: puzzles

animal: horsies

books: Mouse a Cookie

Now I'll tell you what I think some of her favorites are according to what I witness everyday...

color: pink

clothes: anything girly girl, especially a yellow "Belle" dress, a white "Cinderella" dress, and any dress with sparkles on it!

food: grapes, watermelon, yogurt

dessert: strawberry ice cream, frozen GoGurts

drink: apple juice

video: Shrek

books: anything book in the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series

computer site: Nick Jr.

computer games: Caillou, Team OomiZoomi, Kai Lan

It's Been a Month!

Boy how this summer has flown! It's been a month since my last post and so much has happened. I wish I could be like my other blogging friends and post daily or weekly, but I've got just so much time in the day. Anyway, here's what's been happening in a nutshell:
I'm starting to homeschool Sophie not because I'm one of those overachieving moms but because she wants to learn! She learns very fast and can already count to 15, recognize numerals 1-5, sing her ABC's, and recognize about 1/2 of the letters and their sounds! And that is just from watching educational videos and playing computer games! I'm amazed at her abilities. Wow!
Josh is back to his senior year in high school and seems to really enjoy it. He has more confidence now that he's been at his new school for 4 months (b/c of the move in the middle of the year). He is taking some tough classes and has really is taking off academically...finally! He is right in the middle of doing his Boy Scout Eagle project for a local nature center. He's building a much needed bench with pergola on an upper hiking trail.
Courts is finishing up her final year of community college. She is doing really well and LOVES her Italian class. She's figured out the perfect time for classes...1-5. This way she she can still sleep in and come home in time for dinner! She has become quite the helpful person around the house and I'm loving having her around.
I'm so excited that I have found a wonderful group of adopted moms from China to meet with weekly. They get together to do a variety of activities from going to the beach to celebrating Chinese Moon Festival and Chinese New Year. We plan on going to Disneyland soon. Now Sophie has some sweet friends to grow up with.
I will be also starting MOPS in September as well as a Beth Moore Bible Study. Finally, life in the OC is getting back to normal. Well, that is until we find a house to buy. We will be moving into our "real" house in less than six months. So my busy life that is finally settling in will be totally uprooted once again. At least we'll just be moving within a 15 mile radius of where we are now. Updates to come!

My Little Buddy is Growing Up!!!

Somehow the last 17 years have flown by in a blur. My little curly head baby boy is now a young man entering his final year of high school. It's amazing to hear how he wants to be an engineer, creating and inventing new ways to do things. He is a wonderful person, both kind, gentle, thoughtful, and sensitive. In many ways he is just like his dad. Heck he can wear his dad's clothes now (those are Frank's pants and shirt he's wearing in the picture)!

As a child, "Doshie" was always playing with balls, trains, cars, and throwing everything in sight. He even threw his grandma's cordless phone into her pool once, hence the reason he owes her his first paycheck to cover all of the damage he's caused. LOL Josh was never a big talker, his sister took over that role early on. No, Josh was a hugger, a kisser, a snuggler. I'll never forget the image of him sitting patiently on the rocking chair, waiting for me to nurse him when I was ready. He nursed until he was 3 years old and was getting the boot from his dad to give it up. In his cutest, littlest, most innocent voice he replied..."just one more time?"

Awwwww, my little boy has finally grown up. He takes out the trash, mows the lawn, washes the pots and pans, keeps his room clean, does his laundry (mostly), does his homework without being told, and even flushes the toilet when he's through. See there is hope for all of you younger moms out there. Haha!

I'm so proud of how you're turning out and growing into a wonderful young man.

Josh, you make a mama proud! Many blessings on your final year of high school! May it be filled with lasting memories. Love, Mom