Tweetsie Railroad

We have had some great adventures this summer!  Grandma and Paw Paw took us to Tweetsie Railroad. I had never been there before and did not know quite what to expect.  It was a really nice place!  It wasn't very crowded, and the weather was beautiful.  There was something fun for everyone in our family. . . . 

We discovered that it is super fun to sit on fake horses!!!

 

And to go to fake jail!!!

I am not sure that my kids have ever been on a ferris wheel, but everyone (including Drew and Grandma and Paw Paw) joined in on the fun!

 The only ride I would not  recommend was the Tilt a Whirl!  We felt pretty sick after that one. 

 Our girls loved the inflatable rock wall - - - - they all made it to the top!

Drew wasn't sure what to think about the petting zoo at first, but he warmed up to it!

 We enjoy the Llama, Llama books, so it was fun to get to see some in real life.

 Grandma and Paw Paw talked us into this one.  I was a little unsure after the Tilt-a-Whirl, but it was really fun!

 Drew was quite brave about the kiddie rides.  He wanted to try them all.  It was nice to have big sisters to bring along!

It was wonderful to spend time with Grandma and Paw Paw.  Joe misses the mountains (and I do too!), so we go up there whenever we can.  We all had a wonderful time!!!

Favorite Things

Every summer since I was a child, our family has gone on a beach trip.  Now that we are grown up with lots of kids, my dad still rents a house for a family week at the beach.  (Thank you Pop!!)  This year my sister Cassie was very pregnant and has a 3 year old.  My sister Meredith has a newborn and a two year old.  Even though we have 4 kids now, I felt like maybe we had it the easiest!  We go at the same time as another family that we have known forever.  They are like family too, and have also greatly increased in number! I love the tradition, and look forward to it every year.

My girls know that my inevitable question at the end of the trip will be: "What was your favorite part?"

Katherine has grown up so much in the past year.  She is so helpful and mature, and is a great big sister.  She still loves the beach, and she has always enjoyed spending time with friends and family.  Her favorite things this year were. . . . .

watching the sunset,

making drip castles in the sand,

and reading on the porch that overlooked the ocean.

Sue has such a sweet and gentle spirit.  She almost always puts others in front of herself.  She loves to take care of younger children.  Her favorite things this year were . . .  

playing with her cousins and friends,

playing putt putt,

and shopping at Eagles for mood rings and dolphin statues - because that girl loves to shop!

Emma has always LOVED the beach. It makes me smile to watch her run out into the waves over and over.  She doesn't mind being dunked under the water.  She is so very full of life!  She actually had way too many favorite things to mention, but here are a few. . . . .

running out into the waves

battling the waves like a ninja,

flying kites, and playing with her friends.

It was Drew's first trip to the beach!  He was a little unsure when the waves first came in, but he quickly came to love the water.  His favorite parts were. . . . . 

seeing the water for the first time,

playing in the waves,

and playing in the sand.

His least favorite part was having to share the Italian ice we bought with his sisters.  It is just so yummy!!!

 I must say that Joe helps me all of the time, but I especially appreciate it on vacation.   He has not always loved the sun and the sand, but now that we have kids he has fully embraced it!  This year his favorite things were. . . . . 

watching the sunset,

and seeing a huge, intricate sandcastle,

I love getting to spend time with my dad and his girlfriend Patti, my sisters, my kids, and old friends.   My favorite things this year were. . . . .

going out in the evening

 and every mama needs a Girls Night Out.

 I had to include a picture of Pop and Patti with all of the kids!  

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Joe and I read a short devotion out of the "Upper Room" almost every night before we go to bed. I believe God speaks to people through devotions, Bible verses, and everyday events. . . . that if we truly seek His guidance, He often shows us His will for our lives.  I believe that He is involved in and concerned about our lives on a daily basis.  I have found it to be true time and time again. 

 Shortly after we received Drew's referral information last Spring, this was the Bible verse in our devotion:  

 "For you formed my inward parts; 

 You covered me in my mother's womb. 

I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." 

 Psalms 139:13-14 

 Drew has amniotic banding sydrome. This means that while he was in the womb, he became tangled in bands that broke off from the amniotic sac. Because of this, he is missing fingers, his toes are webbed, and he has several deep banding scars around his fingers and his leg. When we read these verses last year, we felt that God was giving us some confirmation that this child was meant to be in our family.  We later accepted his referral and moved forward with our adoption.  

 A few weeks ago, I took Drew to an ophthamologist appointment. We were sent to the appointment for a routine vision screening to make sure that he did not have a lazy eye or other vision problems, as these are more likely in children who have been in orphanages. At that appointment, the doctor said that Drew had optic nerve atrophy or hypoplasia. She was very surprised that he did not seem to have the vision problems normally associated with this condition. She immediately ordered an MRI, because optic nerve atrophy is very often related to defects or other problems in the brain, which could delay growth and development and cause lifelong health issues. I am a bit of a worrier, so I have been quite anxious about the MRI. We have been praying so hard over the last few weeks. Last Friday was our MRI. We were told we would not know anything until Monday or Tuesday, but our pediatrician called us before we even got home from the hospital. PRAISE the LORD, everything was completely normal.  Although there is apparently some sort of scarring in the back of his eyes, the scan showed that his optic nerves are OK, and all structures in his brain are completely normal.

Psalms 139 was in our nightly devotion again this week.  For me, that is a reminder that our newest little one is fearfully and wonderfully made.

The jie jies

When we got home from China, it took me about a week to get the gifts we bought the girls out of our suitcases.  These may well be the only pictures we take of them in their silk outfits. . . . .  

Jie jie means big sister in Chinese. I hadn't really thought about the fact that this little boy would have three of them!  Emma is having an adjustment period.  She is getting used to being a middle child instead of the youngest, and learning how to share her toys.  It has been hard for her at times but she is working though it.  Katherine and Sue have fought over who gets to hold him and entertained him around the clock.  They hold him, he points, and they do whatever he wants.  I think I may have to put a stop to that in the near future, but for now he is loving it!

Lists

I am a list maker.  I make lots of them.  My desk at school is usually full of post-it notes and my journal is full of lists.  Before I forget, I want to save a list of the things I learned from my trip to China. In no particular order.

1. Stacking balls or stacking cups are great to bring on an adoption trip.

2.  Save a toy for the flight home.

3. Ramen noodles in a cup make an excellent meal in a hotel room. 

4.  Memorizing scripture is a good way to get through airplane turbulence, and other stressful situations.

5. Nature is good for my soul.

6.  Skype is a wonderful way to keep in touch.  There is something about seeing people's faces that makes great distance seem easier.

7.  I am very blessed by my family, my neighborhood, my church and my God. 

8. My life is usually pretty easy.

9.  There are a lot of people in China. 

10. Joe is a wonderful husband and father. 

11.  Eat as much as you can at the breakfast buffet.

12. It is not so fun to have a sick child in a foreign country.

13.  Things in China are expensive.

14.  In Guangzhou, shop at Jenny's Place on Shamian Island.

15. Papa Johns in China tastes exactly like Papa Johns in the US. 

16. Wal-Mart gives me the same headache in China as it does at home, but I still went.  Twice.

17.  It takes about a week to get over jet lag.

18. People are much happier when they have enough food and sleep.

19.  Children who have not had many choices in life can be overwhelmed by too many of them.

20. Losing control of things can cause a child to try hard to control small things such as diaper changes, sleep, and food.

21. Kids are resilient!

22.  It sure is nice to be able to drink the water that comes out of my faucet.

23. Our family has been blessed by a sweet, funny, charming little boy.  He has changed our lives and hearts forever!

24. There is no place like home.

25. God is good.

What a Journey!

We left our hotel on Wednesday night, and took a two hour train ride to Hong Kong.  It was a good trip and the train ride was interesting.  We got to see some of the area around Guangzhou and Hong Kong.  Joe was impressed by the fact that there seemed to be one continuous city from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.  The train ride also kept us from taking an extra connecting flight.  Drew ate his weight in yogurt at the train station and got a little sick on the train, but other than that it was uneventful.  At the train station, they had temperature scanners.  Someone took the temperature of all the children as we entered Hong Kong.  I am not sure what happens if you have a fever.  There was a sign that said "Quarantine." I think they are very serious about stopping the spread of contagious illness.  Thank goodness Drew passed that test!  We spent the night in the Hong Kong airport hotel.  We arrived late in the evening so we did not see much of the city.  Hong Kong seemed more Western than the rest of China.  In the dark it looked modern and tropical.  It reminded us a little bit of Bangkok, the city we stayed in when we adopted Susannah in 2005.

Joe and Drew looking out of the train window.

 The Hong Kong airport was very nice.  It was huge. and all of the people working there were very kind to us.  They let us move to the front of every line and tried to play with Drew while we checked in.  Still, we arrived 3 hours early and barely got to the gate before we boarded our plane.  The plane ride was pretty uneventful.  Yay!  We had not bought a seat for Drew since he was under two, and I was worried about the lack of space.  However, Drew did great for almost the entire 15 hours!  He did not sleep more than an hour or two.  However, he did not cry either, and that was really nice.  He was very interested in the touch screen in front of our seat.  He didn't watch anything, he just pressed buttons and called the flight attendant a few times.  She was not so excited about that!  We also brought out the Ipod touch for the first time.  He really enjoyed playing with that.  Before we left I bought a $20 board book in the Hong Kong airport.   That last minute purchase was well worth the money, as it entertained him for a couple of hours!

After we landed in Detroit, we were able to call our girls.  We were tired but excited about completing our trip.  Finally we took the flight home.  I was so happy to see my family at the airport.  I really missed my girls!  A LOT!  They are such good girls and they were so happy finally to meet their little brother.

My dad drove us home, and Grandma and Paw Paw met us there with our luggage.  What a journey!  

Our first family photos!

I am so thankful for all of the friends and family that took such good care of our girls.  They missed us but had a great time with their grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends.  They had a much easier time than I anticipated, largely because of the good care that everyone took of them.

When we arrived at home, some very good friends had worked on our yard, planted flowers, and decorated our porch!  Our house had been stocked with diapers, wipes, and food, and our church friends had signed up to bring us meals for the first couple of weeks.  We are so fortunate and blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!   

Saying Goodbye to New Friends

After the Pearl River cruise, we realized that we would soon be saying good-bye to some new friends who had played a big part in this trip that changed our lives.  There were 17 families in our travel group. However, only 3 other families went with us to Jiangsu Province.  All of them are from faraway states, but they sure felt like family when we were in Nanjing!  We were glad to be able to share the experience with them.

 This family adopted a 12 year old boy.

 This is a picture of Larken with her mom and sister - although they decided to change her name to Avery on the last day!

This is the family who shared their Papa John's pizza and cruise tickets with us!  This single mom had adopted a little girl from Thailand, who is 7 years old.  The girl in yellow reminded Joe and I so much of our Sue!  The other little girl was adopted on this trip, and she is 5 years old.  I enjoyed spending time with this family. . . . . they helped me not miss my sweet girls at home quite so much!

This is all 17 families on the last day.  They took the picture just before we picked up Drew's visa and began the LONG journey home!

If you see me anxiously looking around back there, I was looking for our guide Anson.  He had gone to the Consulate to pick up Drew's visa that we applied for the day before.  Once we had our passport and that brown envelope in our hands, we boarded a bus, a train to Hong Kong, and a van.  After spending a restless night at the airport hotel,  we got up early, navigated the HUGE Hong Kong airport, and got on a plane bound for the United States.