The traveling tree and I need more ornaments!

The shoppers!

I'll have the gift but get me out of here quick!

James and the traveling tree

We put up the tree and I had one helper with the ornaments. The girls usually do disappear after a while because we do have oh so many ornaments. James was thrilled unwrapping each ornament and putting it on one of three bottom branches. Wow was that a funny looking tree when he was finished.

Ali gave him her little tree from her room so he could have a tree in his room. He is thrilled, but little did I know he thought it would be a traveling tree and brought it downstairs the other day! As I saw ornaments decorating the staircase I explained to him it was his very own tree and it could stay in his room! Every night when he goes to bed he props his chin on his hand and gazes into the tree and says I love my Christmas! Every morning when he wakes up he says he needs more ornaments for his tree. He is picky about what he will include when I give him ornaments to put on his tree.


James loved our annual trip to Galena which he has been hearing about for weeks. He didn't know what it was he just knew he wanted to go. So when the day finally came he got to experience it. As we pulled back into the parking lot of the hotel after shopping he shouted there's Galena! He wasn't all that thrilled with the cute little shops, but what young one would be! He is not into Santa but when he heard there was a gift he stuck up for a quick minute with his dad. He loved swimming in the pool and just having fun with his family.

Pumpkins and Family Day!

Spiderman James on a mission!

James celebrating his family day anniversary
with a spider cake he picked out

Found my pumpkin!

The day we got James at the orphanage in China "family day" happens to be Halloween. We got a cake and watched some videos which actually upset James. He sees those and says he wants to stay home with mama and baba- I think he fears going back for some reason and losing his new family. He cried when looking at the videos saying he is all done with Beijing so he still has some very real memories and probably confusion about all of it. He loved Halloween except the scary costumes.

Summer trip to Michigan

Got a fish- I love fishing just like dad!

Taking the boat out! James is in charge!

Loving the water!

One year ago...forever grateful

James and Mom walking out of the orphanage lobby.
James with his new family, he is not sure what is going on.

James just after he was brought in the waiting room.

A year ago a reluctant little boy followed us out of the home he had known for the past three and a half years. We signed countless papers and jumped through all the hoops and began our journey. Our lives were changed forever on that day and we are so thankful for God's direction, guidance, and provision through it all. How many times a week, sometimes in a day, do I look at this little boy and say "is this real, did this really happen?" I looked at James last night when he was going to sleep and time just stopped and I could not believe it had been a year. The beautiful way he has adapted, his contagious laugh, the way he throws himself around and the way he joins in with us and talks at the dinner table. I think some of my favorite times are at the dinner table listening to him interact with his family. You can just see the love he has and wow the countless times a day he tells each of us that he loves us. It melts my heart. I overflow with joy as I watch the beautiful relationships that James is sharing with each of us. Seeing the relationship with dad and his son-whether its watching football, wrestling, reading, going to the store or just hanging out-it is precious!

This is how God has worked and before we even knew it would be James, God knew. God enabled us to love James through the years of prayer as we prepared for our adoption. He prepared our hearts, opened our arms and blessed us in ways we can't begin to count. I know one day James will understand God's love for him. James has asked us from time to time why we love him, why God loves him, and in time he will get it. At times we cannot comprehend how blessed we are and marvel at how much joy God has poured into our house with James. He has entrusted us with one of His children and we are forever thankful. We dedicate James to God and I really cannot wait to see what God does in his life and the plans He has for little James. This is the boy God chose for our family and He has plans for James just as He does for all of our children. We will be forever thankful God gave us the opportunity to be blessed in this way.

We love our little muffin as we like to call him!

My heart still aches and I cry right now as I think of the many orphans who do not know what it is like to be a part of a family, who don't know the love of a mom and dad, the laughter and love of a sibling, and may never learn of God's love. I do not know what our role is in this, but I feel as God continues to stir our hearts, He will give us direction. At times it feels like there is little we can do to help in this monumental problem. It seems too big, but I know God is bigger than all the mountains that need to be moved for these kids. I remember being amazed when I heard a story of some of the nannies in James' orphanage that were Christians. God watches over all of His children.

We celebrate this time and remember without God none of it would be possible.

Celebrating Claire

Claire posing while I play with my new camera!

Claire at one of her first meets

I never got a chance to post around Claire's birthday because we were in AZ. Claire- I like to think of as our miracle baby. We were told she would not make it when I was a few months pregnant. She was such a gift when she arrived, early of course, because she gave me such joy in a time of sorrow when I has lost my mom during the pregnancy.


Claire is a busy girl who likes to be involved in a lot. I remember a teacher once saying she likes to live large. She can be dramatic about things and she has quite a sense of humor. She loves to laugh and keeps us laughing a lot. We laughed the other day on the train from Chicago until we cried playing the no smiling contest. She plays soccer and is on the cross country team this year at the middle school and really loves to run like her dad. She sings a lot too-this can cause problems in the house when others don't want her to sing. She is finally in a singing choir so she can sing more often!

She has just begun a study of the book of Proverbs with her dad. I pray it is a special time of growth for them. This was her idea and she has a heart for God and wants to know Him more and we are very proud of her!
Happy late Birthday Claire, Bunchkin, Care Bear, Clareese -WE love you!

We survived!

First day of school

Soccer-(mass chaos) I caught the only time he was near the ball!

The first week of school. Poor James didn't understand why he had to go and why I wasn't going with. I really wanted to ride the bus the first day, which they used to allow, but they no longer do. He wasn't too excited about the prospect of going to school and when I asked him what he would wear his first day he replied in an angry voice "nothing". I drove him most of the week because he was just not going on that bus. The second day I could barely get to the bus to tell the driver he wouldn't be riding the bus. It was a hard week for James and Mama! The puzzled look when he rode away on the bus was enough to reduce me to a long cry in the house. I believe he likes school though. God provided a dear friend who is actually over at the school helping out in a different class who is able to look in on James and tell me how he is doing! How awesome is that! She even felt a heavy heart one morning and went out to the bus area and found James was on the wrong bus-couldn't believe it! Talk about entrusting our kids to God and knowing He will watch over them.

So I think James will be continuing on with his school career and will like it more and more with time. I caught him singing the days of the week and was pretty excited. He also "ran soccer" this week which was a great surprise considering last week. I say "ran soccer" because he ran around where the ball was. He wore his uniform and everything. Things are going well and James is adjusting to change!

Getting ready for school!

Wow it has been a while since I have posted...another reason I am trying not to get a facebook even though a few are encouraging me to. I don't know where people find the time to spend on it!

James is just too cute for words really! I mean he prayed tonight at dinner thanking God that mom didn't hit the car! I was having trouble backing out of a crowded parking lot! I can't get enough of this boy...I need to record him daily. He is taking in the world around him and loves it. We got a book on boats and he is begging me for a boat ride. I need to make that happen-soon. He keeps telling me I have a boat let's go (we store a friend's boat in our garage) Come on mom there is a boat in the garage! It seems he has gotten more and more attached. He is so constantly telling us he loves us and now that he doesn't want to go back to Beijing. The highlight of the summer was his birthday party with a pinjata and spiderman cake. He was so so thankful at the party-it was beautiful. He just kept saying thank you for my birthday over and over. Just melted me to tears! If I ever get a new computer I will put some great birthday shots up. I got a great camera for my birthday which has been amazing to use!

He loved spending time with his grandparents and family this summer. The kids are back to school and he is adjusting well although he misses them. We are busy though and time flies and he will be watching his sisters band, cross country and volleyball this fall. We went to the first v-ball game today and he seemed to love it. He did want to play though. School starts for James on Monday and he says he is not going! I know it will be very hard for James and I, but he will love it. I have bribed him with "milk and cookies" when he arrives home. I am not sure it is doing the trick cause he says he is not going. There is an open house prior to the first day and I think that will help him. I don't know what his mama will do on the first day-she may have to go on the bus. I just can't imagine putting him on the bus and what will be going through his head? I may have to get on the bus myself and go to school...I don't know that they'd go for that?

James on the dunes and James and Ali running down the dunes!

Claire having her face painted!

Where has the summer gone! It has been a whirlwind of a summer. We were so sorry that Mike's sister Donna passed away on her birthday and we are so thankful for Mike and Ali's time in Arizona. There time in Arizona was a time of prayer and God bringing His peace in many ways. It was a wonderful opportunity God gave Mike to talk to his sister and tell her how much he loved her and day goodbye. It was a way for Ali to minister to all in her prayers and support. I am so proud of her. Mike, James and I flew out at the beginning of July for the services. We went with Mike's brother Bob and sisters LuAnn and Lisa. It was good to be there with all of the family. It is still hard to believe it has happened and so sad to think of her three kids and husband left behind. Such comfort and such peace comes in knowing without a doubt she is with the Lord and her suffering is over. We ask for continued prayers for Donna's family.

July brought the annual dad and kids campout. I thought James should stay at home, but all insisted that he should go and boy was he ready to go! He was in his carseat buckled up before Mike was even home to leave! He had the time of his life! There were some times when he wanted mama, but the girls and Mike helped him pull through! I had the weekend to myself and painted two rooms! I also got to go to dinner with my two sisters and my sister in law!

Little Red Riding Hood comes to life...

Well all I can say is God was really watching over James the other day. James was out in the front yard with the girls and was looking at the dog next door (who incidently looks kinda like a wolf). James said to the dog "My what big eyes you have" and the wolf attacked. Well thankfully the owner was out and she got him right away. But James had teeth marks all over his arm and a hole in his shirt where the paw must have got him. We were so shook up and all I could keep thinking was what could have happened if the owner was not there. I can't believe the dog did it, and we have never experienced it with any of our kids, you just never know with dogs. Claire thought maybe the dog thought James was making fun of him...I told Claire dogs don't really understand english or fairy tales! I held James for a long time and he just shook, I guess the girls dreams of getting a dog just came to a halt. Maybe we'll get a fish instead.

James has finally gotten to meet his grandparents from Arizona. He just loves his grandma and grandpa. They stayed with us so he had a lot of quality time, taking walks and playing. Their visit was cut short though with some hard news from Arizona. Mike's sister Donna who has been sick for a while was diagnosed with a rare cancer the other day. We have been praying for answers, but this was such a shock and hard answer. Mike's parents flew out to Arizona right away and Mike is now driving their car out to AZ and going to see Donna. Ali is going with her dad, she suggested it and both Mike and I thought it would be good for him to have someone with him for the long trip. Please pray for Donna that the treatment the doctors go with would be successful and she would be healed. I am on this journey already-believing God that all things are possible and God is in control and is working good. Thanks for praying.

Six Months Ago

James six months ago right after we met him in the orphanage
James fishing for the first time so proud of his catch!

Are you kidding me can it really be only six month ago that we were united with this sweet little boy? Our lives and the life of our little boy we met on the other side of the world were changed forever on that day. As Mike said the other day it seems like James has always been with us. That really is how God works and I have heard it so many times before. When we filled out the paper work for our request to adopt a child I wanted God to be completely in control of this in all ways. We chose boy or girl and prayed over what special needs we thought we could handle. We checked off quite a few special needs and I felt in my heart it would be a boy and he would have a heart defect. I love how God prepares you in these ways! Well we absolutely fell in love and even as we tried to decipher the medical report with pages of cardiac things we didn't quite understand, we walked in faith. I remember Mike saying that "complex cardiopathy" was a scary term and fully agreeing with him. I remember the day when we were confirming we would accept this boy that there were questions about insurance covering these special needs. What a scary day it was with the thought of not being able to adopt him and we only knew him for 48 hours- but wow had God molded our hearts to him. God specifically used that to confirm this was our boy. In a way the fear was a place I just couldn't go, even though it always has been kind of a part of who I am. God helped me to walk in faith about his medical needs because we firmly believed this was our boy! I remember the one doctor saying "we really won't know until we get him here, isn't that what faith is about..." how did this doctor at our practice who I really didn't even know say that (I mean that was directly from God)!

When I look back at some of these pictures and videos of when we first met him it makes me sad to think of how scared he actually must have been. I mean he didn't know us at all! We have missed the first three years of his life, but we have our boy now. I look at the way he has just thrived and bloomed and it brings us all such joy. We are overflowing with love for him and he has accepted our love and freely gives love back. I cannot believe how much we have been blessed by God in all of this. The opportunity to parent this beautiful boy is a privilege. We are so thankful for the joy and laughter he has brought into our home. Every financial need was met in ways we were blown away by. We kept our eyes off the cost of this and on God that had guided us to this journey. We wavered on taking the kids to China because of the huge expense, but we are incredibly thankful we did and the debt is gone. Only our God could provide Mike with a bonus in this economy! We will be forever thanking God for the gift of James He has given our family!

Celebrating Ali!

This month our oldest daughter Ali turned sixteen. I can hardly believe that I have a sixteen year old...(and a three year old!) We are so proud of our Ali and I wanted to take time to brag on her and celebrate her this month. Ali is actually in New York right now with the high school economics team competing in Euro Challenge after they won last month when they competed in Chicago.

I remember the day Ali was born like it was yesterday. Ali tried to arrive early like all my kids, and thankfully just missed April fools day, actually she has a great sense of humor so it wouldn't have surprised me! I went into preterm labor which they stopped and we proceeded to go on bed rest for at least a few months. I had an unusual situation and ended up going into labor about five weeks early. Ali was ready though and did great. As a young child she loved to read and draw, and later developed a love for writing. She is a wonderful writer and I know God will continue to use that gift in her life. I have so enjoyed her writing and she has such a way with words it really amazes me.

Ali has done more and gone more places in her sixteen years of life than many people! I love her selfless heart in wanting to serve God and be like Jesus. She has a heart for the needy and her life has truly been changed on her mission trips to Mexico and Trinidad, and her recent trip with us to China. She had some wonderful opportunities with some people who live with very little. She also had the chance to see that many of these people were actually quite happy living with less. She witnessed some real poverty and worked in some of the poorest areas in Mexico. I think her favorite time was visiting the special needs orphanage in Trinidad. I think she has learned a lot of life lessons on these trips, certainly a new dependence on God. I know she will never forget these trips and is so fortunate to have had these opportunities.

Ali has a sweet and quiet spirit and she is a thinker. She has a peace and gentleness about her that is an example to the louder people in our house(probably all of us)! She also serves as a small group leader with me at church and the girls really love her. She seeks God in every decision and knows He has the perfect plan for her life. She is striving to live authentically like Christ, which certainly isn't always easy in this world. Wow how I wish when I was sixteen I had known the things she knows. She is an encourager and has been a great encourager to her mom in countless ways! I will never forget a particularly hard time in China when I was crying and Ali opening her bible and praying with me. I love looking back and seeing how Ali's faith has grown. She truly has made it her own and I love the evidence of this in her life.

Ali brings a joy to our house that I am so blessed by. We laugh a lot and laugh until we cry about many things. I love just sitting and talking to her. We share a love for iceeey cream and hand banging on the table laughs! She has a very special relationship with her brother which involves a lot of walks. James loves to walk and I love the way she pours into his little life with their walks! When he sees her, James will usually say to Ali "Ali take a walk" She gets her "aotoman shoes" (roller blades) on and off they go, and weather is not a factor! I am so thankful for my sweet Ali or as James would say Alullee!

Easter

Easter dressing like dad!
The Chocolate and candy has gotten to him!
I love this can we have baskets everyday?

Oh I can't just sit here and finish this basket of candy?

Easter was fun with all the cousins. We did not see much of James which is very unusual. He is starting to enjoy his extended family more and feel very safe to branch out. He especially had fun with his two older boy cousins Johnny and Joey. He loves getting rough with them and this is sure all new for me (boy stuff!) I am just waiting to end up in ER with the way he flies around.

The girls were insistant on James getting dressed up for Easter. When we got him in China they said he likes "comfortable clothes" and since he's been here I really haven't been able to get him in much more than sweats. Well the girls did it by telling James he could be like Baba. So they showed him the matching khaki pants and the button down shirt and that did the trick.

I don't think he was in it too long, but it is a start!

Easter Egg Hunt

James with his basket at the egg hunt
James in the red we gave him instructions to to do whatever he had to do to get the most eggs (kidding?)
James and Ali


James went to a few egg hunts and loved it. I am looking forward to when he can fully understand the true meaning of Good Friday and Easter. But I don't think he is ready yet given a recent exchange with Ali. Ali: James what did you learn at church today? James: We learned about the lions. Ali: What about the lions? James: The lions ate baby Jesus....
We are so thankful James has transitioned into going to his church class by himself. He has a lot of wonderful things to learn about the God and Savior who loves him very much!
He told me recently he loves library class and church class!

Spring Break and the Zoo

James just loved the zoo
His favorite was the gorilla!

James and the gorilla close up he was amazed!

We did not let the weather stop our spring break fun on our trips to Independence Grove!

We had a great time on James first trip to the zoo. I knew it would be pretty exciting for him because he has really loved the animals in the books we have been reading. When we explained the zoo to him he got these big eyes and could hardly wait for the day to arrive. We went to Lincoln Park Zoo and due to the colder weather, we had the place to ourselves. James had some great up close and personal interaction with the gorillas and even got to see a monkey try to come after Claire when she sneezed by the glass-that was scary!

Mommy and Bobby!

James enjoying his chinese food

James is really good with the chopsticks

We got chinese the other night and you would have thought James had not been fed for a while. He was so happy to see the food! I think either we'll have to order out more or I'll have to learn to cook better chinese food!

When James first met us we were Mama and Baba (Mandarin for mom and dad) Well just recently he started calling me mommy. It sure is the cutest thing hearing his sweet little voice saying it! Occasionally he would call me mother which I have to say sounds pretty funny coming from him. Well we all got a real kick out of it when he decided since he was calling me mommy he would change Baba appropriately to Bobby! Wow have we all had some good laughs hearing him calling for Bobby. We are just loving it, not sure if dad loves it as much but we are laughing. James and Baba are getting to be real buddies especially at the dinner table when all of us girls are laughing about something and the two boys don't think it is such a hoot!

An Adoption Legacy of Sorts!

"Difficulties afford a platform upon which He can show Himself. Without them we could never know how tender, faithful and almighty our God is." - Hudson Taylor

They say writing is therapeutic and so I write...February of 1999 was one of the hardest times in my life. My mom was taken to the hospital one morning and as us four kids met my dad at the hospital we found out she didn't make it. To say we were shocked is an understatement-she had no health problems, it was so out of nowhere. I remember those first few days and nights so vividly, thinking it had to be a bad dream. We just sat at the house we grew up in and cried and kept thinking someone would say it was all a mistake. I was a few months pregnant with Claire and she was due on my mom's birthday. I had been having problems in the pregnancy and they told me it was pretty certain the pregnancy would not continue and that I would miscarry. One time when I went in the ultrasound tech recognized me and said something about not believing I was still carrying the baby. My mom had been such a support to me during this time.

I really didn't know how to process my emotions, I don't think any of us did. I just felt so unprepared. I felt like the walls of my faith came crashing down, and it was a fork in the road in my faith. Was I going to believe God was who He said He was and His comfort would carry me? It was a long process of grief and I grew in my relationship to God in many ways. God met me in so many ways I can't even begin to count. I think through it instead of my walls of faith crashing down, the walls were made solid. I found I could believe God was who He said He was and He would carry me. I look at the friends He put in my life prior to this to grieve with me and support me. I am thankful for the great church I was attending where I could really continue to grow in this time. I can remember the beautiful conversation my mom and I had the night before she died. The dinner Mike, Ali, Caroline and I had with my mom and dad the prior weekend. This baby I was carrying that was due on my mom's birthday, which miraculously I was able to deliver!

I think it has been hard this year not having my mom here to be able to share the joy of bringing home James. I think of her often and know she would love James and get such a kick out of this little boy. And God continues to pour down His blessings and comfort. What an incredible joy to find out just recently from my dad that my mom had talked about wanting to adopt(a boy)! He said they talked about it, but never ended up going further. I could hardly contain myself when my dad shared this on the phone with me recently. I just cried-how amazing that this was my mom's heart as well and I never even knew it-but yes I guess it doesn't surprise me at all. I am so thankful that God would choose this time to have my dad share this with me, because it has been so comforting to me and just brings me such joy! Our kids have said they are going to adopt too-how cool is that!

1st Haircut with us!

I need a haircut mom-look what these girls are doing to me!
Yes it is time!

James thought this was worse than the doctor!

He sat on my lap and moved quite a bit as the buzzer tried to clip his hair!

That was not so bad!

Chinese New Year!

James and Aunt Cocoa (formerly Coo Coo but James has renamed her Cocoa -Coll is thrilled!)

James was so happy at the parade

His favorite was the dragon

James celebrating with some of his cousins

We went to Chinatown for Chinese New Year and went to the parade and went for a great lunch. James had a blast and the weather was actually great (heat wave at 25 degrees!)
It was great spending the afternoon with our family!