The Christmas that almost wasn't

It has been so insane here for the last few weeks, I began to wonder if we would ever have a Christmas together as a family. Where do I begin? OK, at the beginning....

On Tuesday, 12/11 Jon's grandparents flew down to Florida to spend the winter at their Port Richey home. When their plane landed, grandpa collapsed and the flight crew had to perform CPR. He was transported to a nearby hospital, with grandma in tow. Thank God he stabilized, though they did about every test that they could think of to find a cause.

When we found out what had happened, Jon's mom, Natalie and I caught the quickest flight we could to Tampa. We arrived at the hospital around 1 am on Thursday morning. Grandpa was released on Sunday morning. And after some long and heated conversations, he agreed to come back home to MI. Now we had to try and find a flight that would have oxygen on board for him. Not an easy task.



We got a flight on Friday, 12/21. Jon picked us up at the airport and we drove across state to take his grandparents home. Jon's mom stayed with them, to get everyone settled in. I finally laid my head down in my own bed at midnight. Saturday was a blur. Sunday we picked up Jon's mom and took her home.

Now it is Monday, Christmas Eve! No tree, cards still on the coffee table, what gifts I have are still unwrapped. Jon and I decided that we were not buying for each other this year. Jon was still on the fence about getting a tree, but I whined about Christmas not being Christmas without a tree and how Natalie was old enough to really enjoy a tree. So, he relented and we set out to find a live tree on Christmas Eve. HA!!!! Easier said than done! Everywhere was closed. So we headed to the nearest WallyWorld. I thought that we might find a fresh one there. But again, no dice. We decided on a small artificial tree. I guess a tree is a tree is a tree. Well, when all was said and done, it looked adorable!


Natalie was as happy with this tiny tree as she would have been with a huge, live one. Ah, viewing life through the eyes of a child! I had forgotten the wonderous joy of Christmas. We went to Christmas Eve mass, which was beautiful. Sometime during the hectic evening, I came to realize that this was what Christmas was supposed to be about........rejoicing in Christ's birth, giving thanks for family and marvelling in the mysteries of life and love. Not the amount of gifts, the size of the tree or who got what from whom. I thank God for the opportunity to be with my dear family.


Christmas day was spent with Jon's mom. It was a relaxed, laidback kind of day. And it was wonderful!


On a side note, when we were in Florida. I was able to call one of our good friends, Michele, from our adoption travel group. She lives in Florida and she was able to get a hold of another Florida family from our group and we got together for a little impromptu mini-reunion. It was so nice to see our friends again. The girls have grown so much since we last saw them in June. It was amazing how much a child can change in 6 months!

Christmas Angel!

Here is our Christmas Angel! Natalie is the light of our lives and we thank God everyday for bringing her into our family.

Christmas with the Troops

Yesterday, we had the honor of going to a Christmas party at the Grand Ledge Army National Guard Armory. Jon's cousin, Christopher is in the Guard, waiting to enter flight school to become a Black Hawk pilot. He spent last Christmas in Kosovo. We all thank God regularly for bringing him back home to us, safe and sound. The party was in typical military style. Dinner was served in a large mess hall with the officers dishing up the grub. Personally, I thought it was mighty good grub! Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, corn, stuffing, etc. Then there was a huge dessert table.

Natalie, Jon, Jana and I all got to sit in a helicopter. I can honestly say that I don't every need to do that again.....it did nothing but reinforce my fear of flying. Needless to say, Natalie loved it! She sat at the controls giggling and saying "Fly! Fly!" When we went to look at the new helicopters, she looked at the enormous engine and propellers and said "Ooh! Toys!"



Jana and I took Natalie to see Santa. She was great until the very last second, then she didn't want anything to do with him. As you can see if you look closely, she was beginning to cry, so we didn't push it. Santa was a very nice man, he gave me a hug and said not to worry, maybe next year she'll do better. Natalie rallied and took her gift from Santa and ran off, not looking back. First thing she tackled was the candy cane. She actually likes them. I never knew a kid that liked peppermint candy canes.



The day was very emotional for me. We met a lot of men and women that are risking their lives so that we may live in a free country. I pray that they will all be kept safe and sound until they are again home with their families for good.

May God bless each and every one of them.

We got Elved!

Click on this link to see our cute little Christmas dance. http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1150179123

The Season of Thanksgiving

As I look back at our lives in the last couple years, I realize that I have so very much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful, loving husband who has been through a terrible setback and has worked hard to get past it. I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, a little angel sent from GOD by way of China. And if my prayers are answered - I will be seeing the tiny face of our newest child next Spring. For each of these Blessings, I am so very grateful. My heart is full.

Boo at the Zoo and Halloween Treats!

This past Sunday we went to the local zoo for Boo at the Zoo. Natalie wore her Mulan costume and looked mighty cute, if I may say so. She loved seeing all the animals. But she couldn't quite figure out why people kept giving her candy and treats. Not that she complained, mind you. It was a beautiful day for an outing, and we were sure tired when the time came to leave.

Today, Natalie transformed into Mulan again and was eager to go Trick or Treating. We went to a nearby mall, like we did last year. This time, Natalie got IT! She was so excited to get lots of candy. But there was one snag......each 'treat spot' was marked by a balloon. And our Natalie is a balloon freak! If she sees one, she HAS to have it. Once she figured out that if you ran to a balloon, the clerk would give you candy, she was hooked. Though she was more interested in trying to talk them out of the balloon, than she was the candy. But if you can't have your first choice, candy makes a good second.

I see another Balloon!!!

A day at the Cider Mill

Today was a fun-filled day. The sun was out, it was 74 degrees with a blustery wind. The perfect day for a quick bike ride, then a trip to the cider mill with the local FCC group.
It was very crowded at the cider mill so we didn't spend much time watching the cider press, instead, Natalie played in the Kiddie Corral with Daddy. She had a blast in the giant sandbox and making music on the huge wind chimes.


Then we trotted off to the corn maze.

Though by this time, Natalie was about walked out. So we cut that short, too. We caught up with the FCC group again at the nearby Chinese restaurant. Yum ...the food was great! And the company was even better. It is so much fun to see everyone and marvel at how much the girls are growing. Natalie fell asleep almost as soon as we put her in her carseat - she'll probably be awake at midnight again tonight. But she looks so precious sleeping, I don't have the heart to wake her (though I know if I want to get any sleep at all tonight, I better get her up soon).

Natalie's 1st Hair cut

Well, I finally did it! I cut Natalie's baby hair off. While trying to comb out the snarls in the back of her hair, I realized that it would look so much thicker if I trimmed off the shaggy baby hair. So, with scissors in hand, I took a deep breath and, SNIP!

BEFORE

AFTER

I Love My Daddy!

Just like riding a Bicycle!

They say that you never forget how to ride a bicycle. Well, you may always remember how, but that doesn't mean that your body will forgive you for trying! Today I picked up my brand new bicycle (quit laughing!!!). It has been, well, about 34 years since I have sat my fanny on one. Oh the brain remembered how, but the coordination left a lot to be desired. I was swerving all over the street. But I will say that it was fun. Natalie had a great time in her cart, riding behind daddy. She thought it was cool that her mama was riding along with them. Silly child. No really, I think that I could actually enjoy this. And maybe reap the benefits of losing a few pant sizes as well.

Li'l Biker Gal

We broke down and got a bicycle trailer/stroller for Natalie. Though we were uncertain how she would like it, since she does not like to be restrained in anything. But our little speed demon proved us wrong, yet again! She loves it. On her first ride, she was squealing with delight. In the below photo, she is yelling "Wheeeee-wheeee!".

Tiny Bubbles

Since it was so beautiful outside today, we took the bubbles out and Natalie had a blast chasing them all over the side yard. Nice thing was that it wore her out and she took a decent nap this afternoon. YEAH! I think that Jon and I had as much fun as Natalie did.

And then we found this most boo-tee-ful flower.

Adventures in Bubblewrap!

Monday we received the motherload of bubblewrap, courtsey to trusty e-bay. I tried having Natalie pop some by squeezing them but she couldn't get the hang of it, so I put a sheet down on the floor and told her to JUMP! It took several tries, she was just too light, but she finally got the hang of it. Natalie could not figure out where the popping sound was coming from. She jumped and something popped.

Mulan or Snow Princess?

I went nuts on E-Bay and ended up with 2 halloween costumes for Natalie. They are both so cute that I can't decide which one to put her in. I am thinking of using the Mulan for Halloween and the Princess gown for her Christmas photo. What do you think?

MULAN

or SNOW PRINCESS?

Don't let the BedBugs Bite

Sometimes you find something that sums up all your feelings better than you possibly could. This little song does just that.**

Since we returned home from vacation in June, we (I) have been having sleep issues with Natalie. Just before we left for vacation, she learned how to climb out of her crib. And since Jon and I felt that it was now too dangerous for her to be doing that we decided to convert her crib into a toddler bed when we got home. Unfortunately, while on vacation, she slept in a bed with me so she got used to sleeping with her mama. Now, mind you, I LOVE my daughter, but she is not my first choice of bed mate.

First we tried her normal nighttime routine of bubble bath, nite-nite kisses, warm bottle and soft music. Yeah, that no longer worked, she just got up as soon as I closed the door. She would stay up until she fell asleep wherever she dropped (usually on the hardwood floor in the living room). I was not comfortable with her having free run of the house or seeing her sleep on the hard floor. So, Mama moved into her room (air mattress and all). This grew old after a few weeks. The air mattress developed a slow leak, which meant that tired, old Mama woke up every morning on a deflated mattress - usually with a two year old's body part flung across her.

The mattress was retired to the basement and now Mama sits safely by the toddler bed until her little princess falls asleep. This process usually takes between 30 - 45 minutes, on a good night. But once sleep has been achieved, Mama can tiptoe out to the comforts of a new, soft pillow topped queen bed. Ahhhhhhhhh.


But who could resist this sweet face. This is how Natalie greeted me yesterday morning, sunglasses and all. Gotta Luv Her!

**I must add that Pacabel's Canon was one of "Our" songs which was played at our wedding and now Natalie listens to it each night on her bedtime cd. So I found it especially meaningful that this wonderful man summed up all my feelings in this song.

Summer turns to Autumn

I must tell you about something that happened a few weeks ago. I was working on Nora's 100 Wishes Quilt, tracing hearts and cutting them out. When Natalie walked over and pointed to one of the hearts. She looked up at me and said "Heart". I told her "Yes, it's for Baby Nora's quilt. Do you want to see the hearts that mama made for you?" She got all excited and said "Yes". So I pulled her 100 Wishes quilt out of her dresser drawer and showed it to her. She pointed to each heart and smiled. I told her that mama made that special for her and that it was filled with love from all over the world. She snuggled down into the blanket and pulled it up over her head. I continued to cut out hearts. Soon Natalie walked over, with her hands cupped, and pretended to hand me something. I reached out and she said "Mama, a heart for you". I was speechless. I wiped the tears and hugged her close. How I wish I could have frozen that moment in time.


Natalie got a tricycle for her 2nd birthday and has been pushing it around until recently, not really interested in getting on and riding. But, after seeing Daddy riding his bi-sca-bee, she decided to give it a try. She put on her little Princess helmet and climbed on. Next thing I knew, she was pedaling across the room! She was so proud of herself.

An Evening with the Monkey King

On Friday, Aug. 10th, we went to the Children's Museum in Grand Rapids for a Monkey King event. It was a blast. Natalie was out of her mind with all the fun things to do. We even had a major meltdown when it was time to leave, complete with kicking and screaming! It was so fun to watch her running from exhibit to exhibit, laughing and jumping. What a look of sheer joy on her face. There was a life-size fishing boat, a real Beetle Bug car, giant bubbles, a bee house, kitchens, grocery store, fruit market, a Chinese kitchen with a giant wok and much, much more. Here are some pics of the fun time.

Dreaming......

This describes my mood today. I guess I am just feeling like there is so much time and space between Nora and I. Nothing that a big hug wouldn't cure.

Biking - with a side of Streaking!

Saturday, August 4th was Jon's very first bike race/ride. It was at Huron Metro park for an Alzheimer Charity. We had a beautiful day with a bright blue sky full of puffy, white clouds. Jon warmed up and then got ready to ride. There were a lot of riders there and everyone was interested in Jon's fancy bike. This is a pic of the start of the race.

Natalie and I scoped out the area, deciding what to do while we wait for Daddy to return. We thought that the nature trails would be fun, but as we approached the trail, we were nearly carried off by the flies and mosquitoes! So we re-thought that idea. New plan........put down a blanket under the nearest tree and lounge until we see Daddy, then join him at the picnic area.



While laying peacefully in the shade of a tree, it was time for a diaper change. But Natalie had other ideas. The next thing I knew, she was off and running......... half naked! So, here we have, preserved for all posterity........ Natalie's first (and hopefully LAST) display of public nudity!!!!!!


Jon finished the race about midway in the pact, which was pretty good, I think. And he was no worse for wear, either. He did a little cool down and had a protien drink and was as good as new. What an amazing change from just a few months ago. God is Great!

A Day in the Life of Our 2 year old!

Ok, here is a tidbit of this morning.......Natalie runs in and jumps on a sleeping mama. (How she got her door open I'll never know!) She snuggles with mama, giving her a chance to get her bearings. Then it's off to play! Somewhere in there is a diaper change....if I'm lucky! Now let's eat. We will try Cheerios this morning. Unfortunately, Natalie has other plans. She prefers the yummy delights of Kitty food! Mmmmmm....crunchy! Mama suggests some yogurt...that's good for a few bites but not nearly as tasty as the food in the big dish on the floor. Mama gives up! Let's get dressed. While she is in the bedroom, Natalie finds the kitty's water bowl. "Hey, let's go for a swim!" All is too quiet when mama comes back out. Where's Natalie? Oh-oh! She's hiding in the corner of the kitchen, sitting in the green bowl that used to be full of water! Ha-ha! Aren't we too funny? So......time for a towel and a new diaper and some clothes. Natalie gets dressed and mama goes to clean up the mess in the kitchen. While she is gone with the wet things, Natalie is over the baby gate again. The little bit of water that remained in the green bowl is now soaking into Natalie's new diaper. "Silly mama! If you wanted me to stay dry, you should have picked up the bowl~!" So it's outfit #2 and diaper #3 and it isn't even noon............ Is it nap time yet? Oh wait! Natalie doesn't 'do' naps anymore.

Oh-oh.....It's too quiet, better go see what disaster awaits...........

Family Sadness

The last few weeks have been a little crazy. We had a scare with Jon's Grandfather. He was rushed to the hospital in Kalamazoo. It was touch and go for a while, but thankfully he has recovered and was able to go home 5 days later. Thank God for his ever-present guardian angel!

Unfortunately, there is also sadness in our home. Jon's Grandmother, on his father's side, passed after a two year battle with ALS. We were rushing over to her home when she passed. We are thankful that she did not suffer but went, to be with her beloved husband Leo, in peace. She will be deeply missed.

The Winds of Change

After long thought and many prayers, we have decided to change adoption agencies. Our new agency is smaller and more client-oriented. Since we had a completed dossier, we were placed on their waiting list as soon as I sent it to them. So, as of June 29th, we are officially waiting. At the same time, while researching for a VN quilt swap, I found the story of Our Lady of LaVang. She appeared to the people of LaVang in Vietnam, blessing them and answering their prayers. She has become my guiding light in our adoption journey.



Not long after we got home from Florida, Natalie came down with a fever that lasted 4 days. It would go up and then come down and go back up. After it finally broke, I noticed that she had red dots on her back that, within the next day, spread to her chest and face. Come to find out, she had Roseola! (Thank you WedMd) Within a day or two, she was spot and fever free.

The last development is....Jon is enrolled back in college. Though the major has changed. He is going to get his paralegal degree in preparation for law school. He had been fighting it for a long time. But, when push came to shove, he realized that being a lawyer might not be all that bad. And he does so love to argue!!!

A month with many ups and a big down.....

I am sorry for not posting sooner, but we have been pretty busy lately. First I will begin with the good stuff. Jon, Natalie and I went on our first family vacation! We packed up the car and drove to Franklin, North Carolina to pan for rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Yup, that's right! Got right in the dirt, sloshed it around and found some pretty rocks. Jon is having a couple of them polished and cut, I can't wait to see what they will look like. The gems, in their natural state, look just like plain, old, junkie rocks to me! We had a great time and Natalie loved playing in the muddy water. Near Franklin was Cherokee, which is a Cherokee reservation. We saw a lot of really cool artifacts and learned a lot about the Cherokee culture.

Next stop was Daytona, Florida. Anyone that knows Jon, would say....well, of course! We got to Daytona USA with just enough time to tour the track, see the IMAX movie and get a picture taken. Natalie loved all the noise. During the movie, when the engines started up, she squealed with laughter. Our little adrenalin junkie!

The next morning we were off to Disney World. You can't go to Florida and not stop there. I think it a state law. LOL We stayed at a great Disney hotel, the Port Orleans - Riverside. And it lived up to its name. It was like being in old world Louisiana on a plantation by the water. Natalie loved the Magic Kingdom, though she was not too tolerant of the heat or waiting in lines. Ah well, that's what you get when you take a two year old. Live and learn.

The whole reason for our trip to Florida was because we were having a reunion with our Great Wall China Adoption travelmates from Natalie's adoption. There would be all seven families that travelled to China to receive our daughters, all from the same orphanage and all born in May, 2005. But more about that later.

On our third day at DW we met up with the D's, Jack, Bonnie, Ryan and Keira. Natalie and Keira took up as though they had never been separated. It was so cute to see them call each other "Baby!". I wonder if they really do remember each other......we will never know. Jack got us a room at the Dolphin hotel, so we could be close to them. It was very elegant and posh. The pictures do not do it justice. As a group, we went to the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday, and then Animal Kingdom on Thursday. It was so much fun sharing that with them. We had dinner with Winnie the Pooh and Friends at the Magic Kingdom. Natalie fell in love with Piglet and Pooh.
Then we went on the infamous, It's A Small World ride. Again, a BIG hit with Natalie. Animal Kingdom was great, but very crowded and hot. I think it would be better in the fall/winter when you can really stop and look at all the animals. Friday, it was Star Wars Day at MGM!!!!! The D's begged off (smart people - lol) and Jon went to frolic with all the other little boys and middle aged geeks. Sorry Honey. Natalie and I joined him, in the evening, after it began to cool down. Actually, it was a lot of fun.

On Saturday, we all left for the beachhouse, near Clearwater, where the rest of the gang were beginning to arrive. It was one of the most memorable weeks in our lives. All the girls have grown so much. The transformation from scared babies to beautiful, healthy, happy little girls was almost enough to burst your heart.
The girls took to each other as though they had never been apart. By the end of the week, they were calling each other by name. Even though there were seven 2 year olds, there was no fighting over toys. The girls got along so well. Everyone was wonderful and a great time was had by all. It's so amazing that you can take seven families, from different parts of the country and different walks of life, and everyone will get along as though they had been friends for a lifetime. I guess sharing one of the most emotional and joyous times of our lives created a very strong bond. We have already begun planning our next reunion.




OK, not to the not so happy......

As you know, we were finishing up our dossier (which had already been sent to our agency) and it was about to be reviewed and sent to Vietnam. Our next step would be to wait for our referral. Well, on Monday, June 4th (when we were leaving Daytona, actually sitting in the parking lot of a place for Jon to get his Visa pictures taken) I got a phone call from Kathy, our FTIA rep, saying that we should hold off on sending our workbooks and money because Vietnam is changing their adoption procedures. It seems, because there have been so many families submitting dossiers for matching, they have gotten overloaded. So, the IAD in Vietnam have stopped accepting family dossiers until they get more caught up. What this means to us is............according to Kathy, we are still on the same timeline for referral. What has changed is that we will wait to submit our dossier until we are close to receiving our referral. FTIA will tell us when to start gathering all the updated documents (our I-171h and homestudy should be ok). We will have to have everything re-authenticated at the Vietnamese Consulate. Then it will be submitted to the IAD in Vietnam.

Needless to say, Jon and I were very upset. Though we were able to put this in the back of our minds until we got home. It was very upsetting to see our finished dossier sitting on the dining room table, knowing that it will all have to be re-done. I am sorry, but it still gets me upset just writing about it. (It's not that I am angry at anyone. I understand that this is one of many things that are out of our control. It's just that we worked SO VERY HARD to get this dossier done, ran all over Lansing rushing to submit it to the agency. And now we have to do it all again. The VN authentication alone will be another $500!)