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!