Keeper of the B's

Bound for Rwanda!!!

2011-06-21T22:32:00.002-05:00

I can think of two things that would compel me to revive my blog after almost two years...

1. Another adoption
2. A mission trip

Unfortunately, we are not (yet) adopting again ;).
Instead, Brittany and I are embarking on an incredible journey to the beautiful country of Rwanda!!

We leave tomorrow morning, and we will return July 3rd. We are going with an amazing ministry called Africa New Life Ministries .

We have been sponsoring a 16 yo girl through this ministry, and we will have the huge privilege of meeting her and her family! I honestly can not fathom that!

Sooooo very thankful to the Lord for opening up this opportunity for Brittany and I to serve and grow together.

Must go finish packing...stay tuned!!! Prayers appreciated!

My Little Classical Conversationalists!

2009-09-02T15:14:00.025-05:00

This school year, I've decided to try something new with the two little B's. On Monday mornings, the three of us will join several other Christian, classically-minded homeschoolers in Classical Conversations (CC). I am AMAZED at the volume of things that will be presented for them to learn this year. It'll be interesting to see just how much they digest and truly commit to memory. For those of you familiar with Veritas Press History Cards...they/we will be (attempting) to memorize all FIVE sets...a total of 180 snippets of chronological history! Along with this, we'll be studying science and math facts, English and Latin grammar, art and music appreciation, and geography. We have had two weeks of CC already, and I am in awe at how these little, fresh brains can absorb facts.

Brielle outlining the continent of Africa...

Science Experiment...

Brock in his class...

(sucking on a piece of candy he got for answering a question)

Listening to his tutor...

We have been learning about Ancient Egypt in CC, and the kids LOVE it (all except the scented cones of fat worn on their heads at feasts...Brock proclaimed that to be "disgusting"). So, we decided to take a "field trip" to a local museum that has a small Ancient Egypt section...including a mummy (another "disgusting" facet of Ancient Egypt)!

Random fun at the museum...

My 4 very precious B's :o)

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 24:3 and 4

( If you haven't read my last post, please check it out below...)

Praying that we'd be moved to action...

2009-08-30T23:10:00.010-05:00

Please take the time to read the latest entry on Katie's blog.

Katie's updates from Uganda always stir in me a desire to DO MORE. I stand in complete agreement with her when she states: "I DO NOT BELIEVE that the God of the universe created too many children in His image and not enough love or food or care to go around. In fact I believe that He created the Body of Christ for just that, to help these little ones, the least of these."

Praying for Katie and the precious ones she cares for; praying for myself and all who profess to be Christians...that we would begin a reckless pursuit of being Jesus' hands and feet here on earth.

Praying, Praising!, Planning, Playing, Partying!

2009-08-02T23:25:00.029-05:00

Just what have I been doing this summer???...

PRAYING:

My summer has turned out to be a season of prayer as I have had so many things swirling around my head, so many decisions that need to be made, so many opportunities to weed through, and many situations outside of my control.

Our summer started out by prayerfully saying goodbye to Brittany as she embarked on a lifelong desire to try her hand in missions. She was gone for three weeks, with minimal contact for much of that time, yet God gave all of us complete peace. You can read more about her amazing trip to Guatemala on her blog.

Once Brittany left, it was time to prayerfully consider curriculum and extra-curricular choices for next school year. Since homeschooling has become a mass-marketing niche, there are SOOOOO many things from which to choose. At times, I am paralyzed by all of these "good" choices. I am finally learning that if I am still-fully (not a word, I know) praying, God, who always knows what is "best" for each of my kids, will begin to close the doors to "good" and "better", leaving what is "best" wide open for us.

PRAISING!:

So, this summer, I am praising God for closed doors! God has graciously eliminated many options in our schedule -- homeschool tutorials, classes at the community college, etc. -- while gently confirming what is best for our family. I am still seeking Him regarding upcoming service opportunities, and I trust that He'll lead us to and through the best door.

I also want to "publicly" give God praise for leading us to a new place of worship and teaching! We had visited many, many churches when we first moved here, and being unable to find teaching like we had left behind in WI, we eventually settled into a very large, convenient church. However, I never lost the desire to find a church with meaty expositional Bible teaching and had asked a few friends and family members to pray for us to find such a church home. I am so excited to say that God has answered that prayer!!! We have found a relatively small, friendly, Evangelical Free church, where God's Word is taught without compromise. It feels like home :o).

PLANNING:

I've spent countless summer hours in my study, sifting through the oodles of books, maps, activity pages, etc. comprising Tapestry of Grace's Redesigned Year 3. In hopes of freeing up my time during the school year, I set a goal to have each of the 36 weeks of Tapestry ALL planned, printed, and ready to go before summer's end. Actually, after many late night planning sessions, all 36 weeks are already planned and in files, ready to be pulled out and implemented week after week :o) :o) :o)!! I am still working on planning math, science, language arts, etc., but these are quick and easy in comparison to Tapestry planning.

PLAYING:

In case you were starting to doubt, I have photographic evidence that we have managed to squeeze in some summer fun! Our favorite place to hang out this summer has been at our zoo's "riverbank". My littles love to play in the sand and splash in the water of this little manmade river/beach.

I've been told that this July was S.A.'s hottest on record! Our pool has been such a blessing this year, and the kids just L.O.V.E to swim! Brock is totally swimming...he is even jumping off the back of the pool (the deep end) and swimming all the way to the shallow end....YAY!!! Brielle is making progress, as she just recently started jumping off the little ledges, putting her face in the water as she "swims" forward. They are SOOO cute!

PARTYING!:

Our summers have become FULL of birthday fun, with my birthday in June, Brock and Brielle's three days apart in July, and Max's in August!

Brielle still pretends to be our little kitty, meowing and crawling around the house for much of the day. So, we were not surprised when she announced that she wanted a Hello Kitty cake for her birthday!

A Birthday Morning Tea Party

A gift from China...Brielle was born in the Year of the Rooster!

A gift from Guatemala - A traditional Mayan blouse

Our Little Kitty is FOUR!!!

Thanks for the cards, everyone!!

Just when we finished off the last piece of Brielle's cake, it was time to dive in to Brock's birthday cake. He picked this particular one out from among all of the cakes in Target's cake book!?! I think he liked the fact that the tank transformed in to a robotic-like man :o).

A gift from China for our son born in the Year of the Dragon!

A gift from Guatemala...

Brock is NINE years old!

Brock loves, loves, loves Legos!

He had the entire garage set put together SO fast!

Hoping that your summer has also been full of praise,

prayerful plans for the future, carefree play,

and even a little partying :o)!

"Beauty for Ashes..."

2009-07-23T02:13:00.008-05:00

MBHOH Grand Opening from Show Hope on Vimeo.

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."

—Isaiah 61:3.

Revisionist History

2009-07-10T10:25:00.005-05:00

I'm cleaning my kitchen sink, laughing, as I listen to Brock and Brielle play, "George Washington taking 'Jon' Edwards to jail" (Brocks idea and Brock's words...comical, isn't it?).

It seems he's been listening to at least some of what the big kids are learning in school :o)!

It's been one YEAR...

2009-06-17T00:12:00.010-05:00

...since we met this "confident, brave, happy, perceptive, organized, independent, fun, smart, observant, adorable little guy" (you can read all about our "gotcha day" 2008 here).

I wrote those words on the very first day we met Brock Ji Hao, and after getting to know him for a whole year, they were right on! By the way...I can NOT believe it has been one year...seems utterly impossible.

Brock was so excited for his "Happy Adoption Day!". He had just experienced Brielle's special day in May, so he knew what this whole thing was about. Yesterday, he kept asking if I was going to decorate, make a cake, etc. Today, he repeatedly asked, "What are we going to do on Happy Adoption Day?", and when Max walked through the door after work, the first thing Brock said was, "Happy Adoption Day, Brock!" He certainly did not want any of us to miss or in any way slight his day.

Brock picked out lemon cake with lemon frosting - yummy!

A gift from China...

We know that God has great things in store for you, Brock Ji Hao,

and we are so blessed to be a part of your life's story!

On a Mission!

2009-06-16T22:57:00.027-05:00

Guatemala, here I come...

Waiting at the airport...

Brittany is already half-way into her 20 day GET Global mission's trip! Thank you sooooo much for your prayers...she is doing wonderfully, and so are we here at home :o).

For the first five days of her trip, Brittany participated in Wycliffe's TOTAL It Up! translation program. Because she was in Orlando, she was able to call home every night. It was so comforting to hear how excited she was each time we talked to her. She has so many stories and has already learned so many things! She said she is writing in her journal every night (thank, Aunt Michele!), so I'm sure she'll be updating her blog with all of the details once she returns.

Last Saturday, the team flew to Guatemala, where communication will be much less frequent. As a matter of fact, she called us early Saturday morning during their layover in Atlanta, and then I did not hear anything from her until today (Tuesday). Surprisingly, I have been completely at peace the entire time she has been gone. Just hearing the enthusiasm in her voice about the things she is learning and experiencing sets my heart in complete trust that this is exactly where she is supposed to be right now. I am so thankful for this experience for Brittany, and I thank each of you who helped her get here, and who are praying for her everyday.

Today she called from her team leader's cell phone and had ten minutes to talk. She was in the middle of a five hour bus trip from Guatemala City to Huehuetenango. The team had been in Guatemala City since arriving in Guatemala on Saturday. During their stay, they visited a National Anthropology Museum, where they saw numerous Mayan artifacts and learned more about the Mayans in general as well as about the minority group to which they'll be visiting. They also had sessions with Wycliffe language translators who are in Guatemala working with several other Mayan minority groups. She said Guatemala is beautiful and mountainous, and that they'd seen several volcanoes -- one of which had smoke coming from its top! Again, she sounded enthusiastic and bursting with things to tell us!

The rest of their schedule is as follows (click here to get to a map of Guatemala which can be blown-up):

June 16: Culture learning in Huehuetenango
June 17: Culture learning in San Miguel Acatan
June 18-20: Village stay (this is when they actually stay with a Mayan family)
June 21: Attend church in San Miguel Acatan
June 22: Travel back to Huehuetenango
June 23: Day at Lake Atitlan
June 24: Day in Antigua
June 25: Travel back to Guatemala City
June 26: Travel back to the U.S.
June 27: Home!

Your continued prayers are priceless!

Missions....before missions!

2009-06-16T21:30:00.032-05:00

The day before Brittany left for her mission's trip was deemed "Family Day", with Brittany choosing the day's activities. Even though we have seen them oodles of times, Brittany chose to once again visit the local Missions. None of us complained....we all love the Missions!

Mission San Jose

It was a beautiful afternoon spent with our little family. My heart is the most content when all six of us are spending time together in the quietude of nature or the beauty of an old, historic setting such as the Missions. Brittany further delighted my heart when, as we were strolling the quaint grounds of Mission San Francisco de la Espada, she grabbed my hand and said, "Thank you for homeschooling us, Mom, and for giving us a love of history and cultures." Ahhhhhhh! In that moment, all of the late night planning, late afternoon Chemistry correcting, all of the not-so-fun homeschooling moments -- they all disappeared. This journey is not always easy, but it can, and often does, yield precious rewards and memories.

Mission San Francisco de la Espada

Another sweet moment of our Family Day was when we were taking pictures at Mission San Jose. Something clicked in Brock's head, and he got all excited. He said, "Now Brock is in the picture!" He was remembering this picture we had sent to him while he was still in China...

Yes, Brock, now YOU are in the Goodrich Family Picture!!

2009-05-21T16:11:00.016-05:00

One year ago today, sweet little Maria Sue Chapman went home to be with Jesus. I'm sure some of you have been following the Chapman's journey of grief and healing. For those who haven't, you'll be inspired, humbled, and moved to tears by the courage, faith, and honesty shown on Mary Beth's blog.

I am so encouraged by these words written today by Steven's manager, Jim Houser:

And in Steven and Mary Beth's words, now that they as a family have stood at the door of eternity... they are more sure than ever that the Gospel is true. That when you go to the darkest, deepest, ugliest place... to the Very Bottom. God is there. He is still there with you. That it's all true. All the things that Steven has written and sung about all these years, it's true.

As someone who has been honored to walk alongside an extended family and circle of the Chapman's friends I have watched them closely. The words I've just typed aren't things they just say for interviews or for people at concerts or at church. They also say them when no one else is around... on planes to California with no one in the seat next to us, in their living room to each other, and on buses alone in the back lounge in the dark of night. They believe it, they are living it. Their new normal.

PLEASE continue to pray for the Chapman family as they navigate through the often uncertain and dark waters of "their new normal".

May 9th, 2006...

2009-05-12T00:20:00.025-05:00

Without a doubt, one of the most amazing moments of my life.

Being handed for the very first time the sweet child you've prayed for, L O N G E D for, ached for, shed countless tears for...there are no words for that moment.

It has been THREE years since my hands first held that which my heart had already held for SO long. Unbelievable! What a priceless gift we have been given.

May 9th, 2009...Look at her NOW!!...

Little Miss Brielle ~ You are the gift that keeps us smiling, brings us unspeakable joy, and allows us to relive life one more time through the eyes of a sweet child. I thank God everyday for giving us YOU!

Forever Family Day Swim!

Time to celebrate!

A gift from China for our gift from China!

Happy Birthday, Brant!!

2009-05-06T16:12:00.014-05:00

On May 1st, we celebrated Brant's *14th* birthday! Unfortunately, due to a couple local cases of the Swine Flu (am I allowed to call it that???? hopefully PETA doesn't frequent my blog) and the resulting hysteria, some of our planned festivities needed to be postponed. Brant did, however, have a great night (all night) of his favorite pizza, Monster, Coldstone cake, airsoft, swimming, video games, and movies with three of his closest friends. Teenage boys are so much fun! I love listening to their nonsense talk, movie quotes, and incessant witty comments.

We are so very proud of the young man Brant has grown up to be. He is:

*disciplined

*hardworking

*energetic

*witty

*full of interesting facts

*affectionate

*an entertaining and loving big brother

*a fun and entertaining "little" brother

*a meticulous pool boy

*a tireless landscaper

*competent and efficient at any given task

*a great running partner

*organized

*helpful

*analytical

*responsible

Happy 14th Birthday, Brant! We love you so very much!!

"Two Grandmas and a Grandpa"

2009-05-06T00:50:00.009-05:00

wow...not sure what's up with Brock's face...maybe he sees that white, shadowy figure in the corner (inside joke for two grandmas and a grandpa :o) )

In case the title has you wondering...???...

Recently, Max's Mom and Dad, along with my Mom all flew together from TN to see Brittany's drama production (see next post) and to visit with us. In anticipation of their coming, Brock excitedly asked a LOT of questions. For some reason, he was having a hard time grasping that not ALL of our relatives from TN were coming just because some were. He kept asking about cousins, Aunt Cindy, Uncle Pat, etc. Likely, it was because when we went to TN for Thanksgiving, we saw ALL our TN relatives. Finally, I told him that just "two Grandmas and a Grandpa" were coming from TN -- a total of three people. For some reason, this clicked, and so it was repeated again and again before their arrival.

We had a great time, as always, with our extended family. What a blessing it is to share the simple things in life with loved ones. Simple our time together was. In between drama rehearsals and productions, we simply fixed meals together, ate together, talked (a lot), took nature walks, learned the names of some TX wildflowers, etc. Simple and relaxing.

Oh...I almost forgot to mention our greatest accomplishment together...

As tradition requires, we put together this beautiful 1,000 piece puzzle...in just 3 days!!! Okay, I admit...they were three VERY LONG days...days with not nearly enough sleep, but with so much good late-night conversation ;o) .

Thank you so much for coming, Two Grandmas and a Grandpa!!

Come back soon...next time with Grandpa #2!

Lights!...Camera!...Murder??

2009-05-06T00:26:00.010-05:00

This school year, Brittany had been involved in a Drama Troupe which met three hours each week. Their final production was a Murder Mystery entitled, "A Party to a Murder". Brittany played the part of a mystery writer (a perfect fit for her) who eventually figured out who-dunnit. Everyone in the cast did a magnificent, believable job!

Brittany and some of her cast-mates...

GET Global!

2009-05-05T23:57:00.013-05:00

As most of you might already know, my sweet sixteen year old daughter will be off to Guatemala this summer with Wycliffe Bible Translator's GET (Go Experience Translation) Global program. What an amazing opportunity this is for one who has felt called to missions ever since she was a little girl. I am praising God for this open door and asking Him to continue to reveal His perfect will as Brittany walks through it.

You can read more about Brittany's upcoming mission's trip, as well as her other thoughts about "God's Call" on her own blog (scroll down to "God's Call", "Guatemala", and "SOOO Excited for this Summer").

Your prayers in behalf of Brittany and her team (as well as of those of us left here at home :o/ ) are hugely appreciated!

2009-04-12T23:33:00.027-05:00

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!"

Luke 24:5b-6a

We had a wonderful Easter weekend...probably one of my favorite weekends in a long time. How fitting. This was Brock's first Easter and likely the first Easter that Brielle can understand and will remember. Leading up to Good Friday and Easter, I read the Easter story to Brock and Brielle over and over again, using a variety of books and children's Bibles. I'm not sure just how deep their understanding goes, but they both can tell you why we celebrate Easter...another little seed planted. I am sooooo blessed to be able to pass on these Truths to two more precious ones.

Coloring Eggs...

Making tomb cookies as Brittany and Brant read the Easter story...

Searching for eggs and baskets...

A gorgeous Easter afternoon ... just perfect for a hike!

2 Wheelin'

2009-04-12T23:22:00.004-05:00

Last week, we finally got around to taking Brock out to learn to ride his bike without training wheels. Anticipating a long evening, we loaded up the van and headed to the neighborhood school's parking lot. Once unloaded, Max helped Brock get steady on his two wheels and started to walk along side him...but, Brock had already balanced himself and was OFF! Much to our surprise and delight, he immediately got it! He rode round and round the lot, with only a few mishaps (because he learned to ride so quickly, we didn't have time to teach him the whole brake thing right away...he learned that the hard way...but he DID learn :0/ ).

Just because I want to remember the cute things she says...

2009-04-08T09:43:00.012-05:00

For some reason, Miss Brielle has recently been waking up with a new burning question on her mind.

First it was, "Mom, who's Pharoah?" I, having had in only one cup of coffee that morning, wasn't prepared for hearing her ask about "Pharaoh", so I didn't understand what she was saying. Finally, in frustration, she said, "You know, the one in Egypt!"

Another day, she asked, "What's a meteor?", and when I asked her where she had heard about a "meteor", she ran and got a book I had read to them a while back. So, much to her curious delight, I reread her the part about a meteor.

Then came the early morning question, "What is Uranus?", to which I gladly grabbed a book about the planets, and then cuddled on the couch with my little inquisitor where we both learned more about this obscure planet.

This morning, she came downstairs and asked as clear as day, "Mom, what is echolocation?" So, I proceeded to describe echolocation using a bat and a mosquito as examples. She, of course, wanted to pretend to be a bat hunting for a mosquito, so at 7:00 a.m. , we were "flying" around our house looking for prey using our echolocation.

This little girl is a homeschool Mom's delight!

Spring Ball

2009-03-31T00:52:00.010-05:00

Our homeschool group's Spring Ball was the weekend after Brittany's birthday, so her visiting friends were able to attend the Ball with her. They were excited about this because, before moving, they were members of this same homeschool group. Attending the Ball, and all of the pre- and post-Ball activities, gave them the opportunity to hang out with a lot of old friends.

Brittany's TEN day Sweet SIXTEEN Celebration!

2009-03-31T00:08:00.012-05:00

On March 15th, 2009, our first-born turned SIXTEEN years old!

How can that be??

I find parenting quite strange and somewhat scary when I, as the parent, vividly remember being the age of my children (it was only yesterday, afterall). I'm delighted that Brittany is so much different than I was at sixteen. NOT that I was a horrible sixteen year old, but I certainly wasn't as quiet and gentle spirited as she is (nor am I today...ugh...the quiet and gentle thing just isn't in my genetic code).

Some other things I love about my sweet, sixteen year old daughter:

She is selfless,

patient,

kind-hearted,

imaginative,

nonconforming,

responsible,

always truthful,

self-assured,

optimistic,

easy to please,

content,

humble,

a great big sister,

a parent's delight :o)!

I so badly wanted to do something special for Brittany on her 16th bday, and I thought and thought about what would thrill her the most. Unfortunately, Joe Jonas had other plans on Brittany's bday, so I came up with something I thought she might enjoy almost as much -- a visit from her best friends who moved to New Jersey last May...a TEN day visit!! She was SO very, very excited to find out that they'd share her special day/week with her! Another best friend who lives here was able to stay almost the entire ten days at our house, too. It blessed my heart to hear them giggling late into the night, making memories that they won't soon forget.

The Jonas Brothers did show up after all!

Happy Sweet Sixteen, Miss Brittany!

Just Another Day at the Goodrich House?!?!?

2009-03-19T09:50:00.011-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was out with Brittany and her friends when I got a call from Brant.

His words were, "Mom, the weirdest thing just happened. I am upstairs reading, and I just heard a big crash. I looked out the window, and there is a blue car stuck in our garage."

My response, "What do you mean there is a car 'stuck in our garage'?"

He proceeded to describe to me the following scene....

Brant said he hadn't seen anyone exit the car, and he voiced concern that someone might be hurt inside. He was home alone, so I really didn't want him going out to check (by the way...the last time I left him home alone, he and his friend locked themselves out of the house...do you see why I'm not fond of leaving my kids home alone????). I was about 25 minutes away, so I called two friends who live nearby, and they both agreed to come over to assess the situation. However, someone must have called 9-1-1, so the fire department and first responders showed up at our door first. Poor Brant! He handled it very maturely, and it wasn't long before my first friend showed up.

I, of course, was speeding home, getting updates from Brant and my friend along the way. The first update was that "someone was hurt and they couldn't find him/her". Oh great. Thankfully, they soon figured out that this was not the case. Instead, a car parked on the road a few houses up the street must not have been in gear, and it rolled downhill...right into our garage! For those of you who've been here and know the layout of our house/garage, it is actually a blessing that this car hit our garage instead of continuing to roll down the ever-steeper hill, gaining speed and causing much more damage to whatever finally stopped its descent.

Here are some more pictures of the scene...

Hmmmm...."roll for damage"...

Hoping to Win a Book and Hoping You'll Get One, Too!

2009-03-06T15:21:00.005-06:00

Since going through the paperchase to bring Brock home, I've followed the blog, "Owlhaven", where I've been inspired, challenged, and received a lot of ideas/advice about raising and homeschooling children.

The author of Owlhaven has TEN kids - from three different countries - and she has homeschooled them all! A true hero in my book! You can imagine how excited I am to find out that the author of this inspirational blog has authored a new book titled, A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family.

Because I WANT and NEED a copy of her book :o) and because I think you do, too :o), I've linked to her blog (click on Owlhaven or her book title) where she's outlined "rules" for a Book Giveaway. Check it out!

**Please see the "I hear you!" post below if you haven't already...exciting times at our house!**

"I hear you!"

2009-03-04T21:40:00.017-06:00

This afternoon, Brock FINALLY got his Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) on a softband!!! I will spare you from all of the frustrating details of why we are just now getting the BAHA (grrrrrr......I never dreamed that working with medical professionals and insurance companies could be sooooo impossible).

This is what a "softband" looks like:

You'll note that Brock's BAHA came with a "sky blue"softband. I can't imagine me ordering that, but that is what we have. I'm looking into getting him a different color.

Here is a picture of the different colors that the sound processor comes in. Brock has a black processor, to "match" his dark hair.

The sound processor snaps into the softband, and the softband is then placed on the head like a headband, with the processor resting against the head. The sound processor changes sound waves into vibrations which are transmitted through the skull to the inner ear.

It has been so much fun seeing Brock's reaction as a whole new world opens up to him. In the doctor's office, he looked a little overwhelmed with all the new input and strange noises. But once we were out in the car, he kept saying, "I hear you!" with a big smile over every new sound. It is amazing to find out which everyday, ordinary things he had never heard before.

Some of the things he heard for the first time:

- music in the lobby of the doctor's office

- me moving the sun visor in the car

- me popping bubbles with my gum (which I do all the time)

- the noise of the car while driving along

- the noise of other cars/motorcycles passing us

- the sound of the beads/stuffing of a stuffed animal when you play with it

- clapping (I can't believe this one, but he was clapping in the car, smiling and saying "I hear it!")

- my cell phone ringing in my purse

- leaves rustling across the grass

- the different sounds made by knocking on different materials (believe me, he experimented all the way home from the doctor)

- us calling him softly when his back is turned to us

I'm sure there were more, but that is what I can remember off the top of my head.

When we got home, Max and I were talking in the kitchen, and the first thing Brock did was to walk out of the kitchen and into our entryway on the other side of the kitchen wall. There he yelled, "I hear you! I hear Mommy and Daddy talking!" It was so interesting to see him experiment like this. Then, he went upstairs, and there, too, he yelled down, "I hear you!", and we proceeded to have a conversation with him from downstairs -- something we never could do pre-BAHA!

After wearing the BAHA for about three hours, he asked if it could be turned off. Truthfully, his little face looked quite exhausted. The audiologist told us that this would likely happen, as it can be a lot of work receiving and processing all of the new input (especially in this noisy, noisy family!). He suggested we come up with a schedule of on and off times as needed.

Baba sharing some of his favorite music with Brock in hopes of winning someone in the family over to his poor taste in music :o). Poor Brock! He now thinks the sound of the Bee Gees is what constitutes "music".

2009-03-04T21:10:00.012-06:00

Last month, I took this picture of Brock's dictation lesson. The messy handwriting on the top two lines belongs to me :o), while the neat penmanship on the bottom two lines belongs to my eager student. Every day, I give him a sentence or two to read, then I cover it up, and dictate it back to him while he writes each word. He loves to do this, and as you can see, he is quite good at it.

Brock also likes to spend his free time copying books like, "Go Dog Go!" .

Today, while I was working with the big kids, I looked over at Brock and found him composing all of these little notes on the chalkboard.

Might we have two enthusiastic writers under one roof?!?

Three-Year Old Taxonomist

2009-02-21T23:05:00.011-06:00

This afternoon, Brock and Brielle watched Charlotte's Web for the first time. Immediately after it was over, Brielle asked me,

"Mom, are spiders mammals?"

Recalling the recent science lessons she has sat in on with Brock, I explained,

"No, because mammals have hair or fur - remember?"

To which she aptly replied,

"Spiders have fur."

Ewwwwwwwww...........she's right.......unfortunately, some are furry.

Mammals they must be then :o)!

A New Way to Help Orphans: Running Hope

2009-02-08T21:56:00.015-06:00

I am sooooo excited about this new opportunity to help orphans, and especially excited how it came at the PERFECT time for our family!

Last Sunday (February 1st), Max and I were out for one of our treasured runs together. We were discussing how we really wanted our kids to get more involved in extracurriculars/serving others and were brainstorming on how that could best be done with the unique talents/interests of our family. My thoughts trailed off, and I began to wonder if there could possibly be a way we could meet this goal through running. Seemed crazy, and I was just about to dismiss it, when Max spoke up and said that running could be a great venue for us to pursue with Brant (who runs with us during the off-season of hockey).

Oh my goodness...all of a sudden I was so excited, and my mind began to fill with ideas. Right away I said, "We could get sponsors and run races for a cause!" Of course the cause that is near and dear to our hearts is adoption, so we began to talk about running for orphans. I began to picture designing matching running shirts and imagined how amazing it would feel to run each mile for those who are fatherless. Truthfully, I didn't know about any organized adoption charities that had running sponsorship programs, but I planned on checking it out online and getting in touch with Steven and Mary Beth Chapman's Shaohannah's Hope to see if we could work out something with them.

A few busy days passed before I could sit down and research "running for orphans", but when I goggled those words, I was elated to find a link to Running Hope, a new branch of ministry for Shaohannah's Hope, just announced at the end of January (and complete with matching running t-shirts)!

If you run or walk, you can now do so on behalf of orphans through an established, amazing ministry! If you are not interested in the physical feat, you are more than welcome to sponser us as we race for orphans :o)!

Here is a description of Running Hope found on SCC's Manager's blog:

A New Way to Help Orphans:
Just announced last week by Shaohannah's Hope and an amazing friend to the Chapmans, Tony Amburgy. A new way to try to keep that New Year's resolution that you might have fallen off on perhaps? Not that I would know about such a thing. Here's an excerpt from the press release.

Show Hope, the ministry of Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman dedicated to helping families overcome financial barriers associated with adoption as well as raise awareness about the worldwide plight of orphans, is honored to announce their partnership with Running Hope. Running Hope is an organization with a mission to utilize running and walking events to generate awareness and resources to support charitable organizations across the nation, working to make a difference for the 133 million orphans around the world.

"While we find our nation in widespread economic unrest, this exclusive strategic partnership gives individuals, both runners and walkers, a chance to do something significant with their time and energy for orphans," explains Scott Hasenbalg, Executive Director of Shaohannah's Hope. "There is something for everyone in this program."

Running Hope is based in Atlanta and was founded by Tony and Marilyn Amburgy who were inspired to run for the world's orphans after attending a Shaohannah's Hope benefit in 2006. New to running at the time, Tony Amburgy learned many people participate in walking and running events to raise financial support and awareness for specific causes and charities. Amburgy began to consider running for a purpose, feeling called to support orphan causes. Partnering with Shaohannah's Hope, Running Hope was born.

It's the Year of the Ox!

2009-02-04T17:22:00.012-06:00

Due to our crazy hockey schedule, we were not able to make any of our area's organized Chinese New Year celebrations. So, we had our own family celebration at home (which is how we usually prefer it anyway).

Last week, the little kids and I decorated our house and did some CNY crafts. Then, on Saturday, I made Asian Orange Chicken, Longevity Noodles, and dumplings for our CNY feast. It didn't taste as good as it sounds, but it was Chinese! We gave the kids their red envelopes and then danced with the little lion dancer marionette we bought in China last summer. Brock Ji Hao and Brielle were thrilled with each and every activity!

Since CNY is China's most important holiday, I was curious to ask Brock Ji Hao how he celebrated CNY in China. He told me that he had seen Lion Dancers on t.v., but they never came to the "hotel" (what he calls the orphanage). He had never received the traditional "red envelopes", but he said a "woman" give one to his "laoshi" (teacher), and that there was money inside. He did describe something that sounded like the Lantern Festival, which concludes CNY. He said the children walked outside in the dark carrying lanterns. He was unaware of the Chinese zodiac, the animals, etc., which I find surprising. He is, however, happy to now know that he was born in the year of the Dragon!

My little Dragon and little Rooster...

A Dragon and two Roosters...

Happy Chinese New Year!!

A Big Texas "Welcome Home"

2009-02-04T16:22:00.019-06:00

On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, we were up in Dallas for (yet another) hockey tournament. Just before driving up there, the location of former President and Laura Bush's new Dallas home had been all over the media, surprisingly right down to the street address. So, out of curiosity and in between games, we punched the address into our GPS and set off to find it!

We were not the only one with that idea. In fact, we read on the internet that this up-until-now quiet neighborhood has recently seen a steady stream of curious spectators. As we approached their neighborhood, several yards were decorated with the "Welcome Home George and Laura" signs. I could only imagine their excitement and relief to finally move on into this new chapter of their lives.

Their neighborhood is, surprisingly, very modest and ungated. Apparently, it is to be gated in the near future; it might already be gated now. I'd assume that they would gate it before the Bush family moved in. We heard that the Secret Service bought the house just next to theirs, at the very end of the cul-de-sac, where they'd have a good view of everyone coming and going down the street. They had cut several branches off the big trees in front of that house, likely for a better view of the Bush's home.

Did anyone watch the Bush's arrival "speech" in Midland, TX, on inauguration day? Well, apparently, we saw the Bush's home even before they did! George said something about buying a nice home in Dallas, and then he laughed and said something like, "I guess it's nice. We haven't seen it yet."

The line of cars going to check out the Bush's Dallas home.

The Secret Service house is straight ahead, at the end of the cul-de-sac.

The Bush's home is to the left of that.

George and Laura's new home...

Welcome Home, George and Laura!

We pray you are blessed and find some much deserved rest in your new home.

Happy 2009!

2009-02-04T15:44:00.020-06:00

Making Shish Kabobs to grill for our New Year's Eve dinner....

Mmmmm....

After dinner, we spent a fun-filled New Year's Eve playing games. Our new family favorite is
Bananagrams --- another one of those they'll-never-suspect-they're-learning games that I love!

Christmas Break '08

2009-02-03T09:31:00.019-06:00

2008 was a crazily-busy year for us, and by the time the Christmas season finally rolled around, we were ALL in major need of a break. Max had two weeks off of work and, as always, it was so great having him home all day with us. We spent the time relaxing, playing, and visiting some of the area highlights, including the Riverwalk/Alamo, Six Flags, and the zoo.

Fuzzy pix of the kids at the Alamo...

Another fuzzy at Six Flags...

A beautiful day at the zoo...

As I'm sure you've noticed, I have no gifts in the area of photography (and our ancient camera doesn't help), but Max might have even less photographic talent. He was the Christmas-morning-photographer, and though he snapped about 100 pictures, very few were decent enough to post here.

4 B's on Christmas Morning...

Finding baby Jesus under the tree...

Brock Ji Hao discovering the gifts...

Brielle, soaking up the moment...

One of Brock and Brielle's favorite gifts is the My Little Sandbox...

2008-12-22T22:04:00.027-06:00

Thought I'd better share some of our pre-Christmas festivities before Christmas is actually here (and I only have 2 more days to do that). Can you believe Christmas is just TWO days away??

It has been unusually COLD down here in TX, so it does actually feel like Christmas. One night, we even saw this icky stuff falling from the sky and into our backyard (what is up with that????) ...

Tree Decorating:
For once, our Christmas tree lights and decorations went up without any mishaps. With the six of us working on it, we were done in no time. I've definitely lightened up in the ornament placement category. I used to secretly fret over where the kids hung each ornament. Now, I'm just happy they make it on the tree in one piece! Brittany helped add to the Christmas cheer by making us all a cozy cup of hot chocolate.

(click to enlarge)

Traditions and Advent:

If you were reading my blog last Christmas, you might remember me mentioning that I LOVE traditions and Christmas is a great time for loads of traditions. In case you missed it, you can read last year's post here: Christmas Traditions and Orname-mories .

We are once again reading The Advent Book every night before the little kids go to bed. What a great (and simple) way to hide the story of Christmas in their hearts. It warms my heart to hear both of them call out, "God with us", when the author mentions the meaning of Jesus' name, Immanuel. This advent season has opened up many opportunities to talk with the little ones about the baby Jesus, God's plan for HIS and OUR lives, His coming so that He could ultimately die for us, etc. What an awesome privelege it is to share these truths with these little ones, just as we have to the big kids over the years.

2008 Orname-mories:

Brittany will kill me for attempting to explain her 2008 orname-mory, so I'll let all of you fill-in-the-blanks...

Brant's 2008 was undoubtedly marked with TEXTING his friends, with 100s and 100s of texts coming to and from his cell phone per day. Crazy, isn't it?

2008 for Brock Ji Hao was obviously a year full of changes, as he prepared for and then began to acclimate to his new family and home here in America. We are so happy to replace his 2007 orname-mory, when we were just "thinking about Ji Hao", with his new 2008 "1st Christmas home" ornament.

Brielle has spent the last half of 2008 purring and meowing like a kitty. Not sure where that is coming from, but it made picking an orname-mory for her quite easy.

Cookie Making and Decorating:

Cookie decorating has always been an event for the entire family, and now with two more members in on it, it goes so fast. This, too, has been a place where I've given up on things looking perfect...or in this year's case, even edible :o) !

(click to enlarge)

Gingerbread House:

While Max and I were shopping one afternoon, Brant helped the little kids make a Gingerbread House from a ($9) kit. Brock and Brielle were so proud of their creation. It has been our centerpiece on our breakfast nook table, and they still proudly tell me all about it on an almost daily basis. Brant is such a good big brother!

Better make that it for now...there are many things to wrap up in the next TWO days!

Wishing you and your family the most blessed of Christmas Days!

Multiple Blessings from China!

2008-12-10T17:34:00.013-06:00

(photos compliments of my sister, Cindy, whose camera is MUCH better than mine...thanks, Cindy!)

Aren't they precious?

It really wasn't until I got home from our visit to TN and loaded my pictures into the computer that it really sunk in just how COOL it is that our family has been blessed with FOUR sweet Chinese children. To be honest, the reality of it brought me to tears. I am so humbled that our family was chosen to reach across the ocean to hold the hands and hearts of four of God's precious children born in China. God has a perfect plan for each of our lives, and I can't help but stand in awe and wonder of how He is orchestrating the lives of these precious, once fatherless, little ones. I can't help but wonder what great things He has in store for them...and for the country of their birth.

A Tennessee Thanksgiving!

2008-12-10T01:50:00.017-06:00

This year, with Brielle no longer "two", we decided to brave it and take the L.O.N.G. car ride to Tennessee for Thanksgiving with our family. With all six of us crammed in to our extremely over-packed van, we made the journey with no problems at all (as long as you don't include the difficulty in keeping our eyes open on the 19 hour trip home).

Several times a day leading up to leaving, I talked with Brock Ji Hao about the trip and who we'd see in TN, and he was so excited! He kept asking, "Tomorrow Tennessee?", so I finally decided that a count-down chain might help...and it did! He was able to meet both sets of grandparents, as well as some of his aunts, uncles, and cousins (two of whom are also Chinese...how cool is that???). He seemed to be enjoying his time with extended family so much, that I was worried he'd be sad to go back to life as usual. Actually, though, he was more than ready for life as usual, and once we were home, he repeatedly said, "I like San Antonio." So cute!

(click on the photo collages to make them larger)

A short hike in the Smokey Mountains...

Exploring the outdoors at Grandma and Papa Thibert's house...

Thanksgiving (and a little Christmas) at Grandma and Grandpa Good's house...

2008-12-09T23:21:00.020-06:00

"Be joyful always; pray continually;give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4: 11b - 13

I have SO much to be thankful for. Truly, my life is good. I adore my precious husband and cherish our relationship. I have four beautiful, healthy, smart, and (relatively) well-behaved children (uh, hem...at least two or three of them are :o) ) I have the privilege of being a full-time keeper of our home and our children. My husband has a good job with a good income. We live in a beautiful home with way more than enough room for all six of us. I love my extended family, and we all get along well and enjoy each other's company (Cowboy fans included...I guess :o) ) I was told about Jesus as a young child and have been blessed with His salvation, grace, and mercy for the majority of my life. I live in a country where I have the freedom to live out my faith.

Thank you, Lord, for all of these blessings!

But, what if my life wasn't so "good"? What if I lost one of those I hold most dear to my heart? What if one of us were terminally ill? What if I didn't have my "dream home" or even anything close to it? What if my children were rebellious? What if my husband was a jerk, and I despised the sight of him? What if I didn't know where we'd get the money to pay our next mortgage bill, hospital bill, electric bill? What if I lived in a country where I could be brutally persecuted for my faith?

Would I still be giving thanks??? Would I still be content???

I've been thinking about that quite a bit lately. Knowing myself, I ashamedly admit that I'm sure I wouldn't be a natural master in the thanks and contentment "in all circumstances" category.

God didn't give us two separate "manuals" -- one for when things are going "well" and another for when we are living through a trial. His Word is the same for each and every one of us -- yesterday, today, and forever, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. I have the same instruction (and responsibility) (and promises!) from the Lord whether I am rich or poor, healthy or sick, happy or hurting, free or in prison chains, in America or in Africa.

As I've been pondering these things, I started reading the book The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of the Chinese Christian Brother Yun, and then I saw the following video posted on several of my favorite blogs. Both of these are humbling and challenging examples of people living out the Lord's instruction to be "joyful always" and "content" in circumstances unimaginable to any American.

Dinner Conversations

2008-11-14T21:53:00.013-06:00

We were finishing up our dinner tonight, when Brielle turned to Max and said,

"How was the market today, Baba?"

Hmmm....pretty telling as to what has dominated our recent mealtime conversations!

(by the way, "Baba" is Mandarin for "Daddy")

Busy, Busy, B Hive!

2008-11-08T00:16:00.015-06:00

Hey, Everyone ~

I'm sorry I've been away for so long. Things have been so very busy around here...busy, but good.

Below this post you'll find several catch-up posts. They've been rather quickly put together, so please excuse the scanty details, as well as any errors.

Thank you so much for checking in on us!

Backyard Rickshaw

2008-11-08T00:04:00.007-06:00

Brock and Brielle play SO well together. As a matter of fact, their sweet relationship is one of the most unexpected blessings to arise out of our adoption of Brock. Brielle adores him, and he is so kind and caring to her. They spend their entire day playing and learning together.

Recently, they were outside riding their bikes on our back patio when I looked out and saw this...

Brock had hooked the front wheels of the umbrella stroller onto the back of the tricycle, climbed in, and Brielle took him for a ride around and around the patio. They soon switched places, and Brock now became the rickshaw driver, while Brielle lounged in the back. Too cute!

Little Empress, enjoying the ride...

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-07T23:40:00.017-06:00

Some background information on the costumes...

Brielle has long given up her princess obsession - thankfully that was short-lived - and is now always pretending to be an animal. Everyday, she wakes up and either asks me what kind of animal I am, or assigns me an animal. Then, all day I am referred to as, "Mommy __________". I'm usually "Mommy Sea Star", "Mommy Octopus", or most recently "Mommy Kitty". Brielle has been "Baby Kitty" for weeks now, and she only wants to be called that. Heaven forbid that you call her "Brielle"...she will quickly respond, "I am not Brielle. I am Baby Kitty." The first thing she says when she wakes up is, "Meow", and she continues to "meow" throughout the day (no exaggeration). So, it was only right and natural that "Baby Kitty" be herself for Trick or Treat this year.

Years ago, my mom made an awesome alligator costume for my nephew, Cody. Brant thought it was really cool, and so he was able to wear it a few years later. Thankfully, I still had it in a Rubbermaid container in my garage, so Brock was the next grandson to wear the obviously-very-well-put-together alligator costume. Thanks, Mom!

Brittany wanted to do the kids' makeup...thanks, Britt!

Kitty faces...

Wouldn't you love to know what he is thinking about all this??

Adorable kitty :o)!

Brock quickly caught on to the whole trick or treat concept, boldly ringing the doorbell at each home, yelling "Trick or Treat!", and even pointing out which piece of candy he wanted from the bowl (thankfully, that only happened once - we explained to him that it wasn't polite).

Jack-O-Lanterns

2008-11-07T23:26:00.011-06:00

A-MAiZE-ing

2008-11-07T23:09:00.017-06:00

An aerial view of the corn maze

Our newest conversation piece...

2008-11-07T22:46:00.010-06:00

Ladonia, TX

70 miles NE of Dallas

Population 667 (including "Eddie" and "Nancy", I suppose)

Original home of our new........

10 foot long church pew, dated 1917 AD

Yes,

we did drive ALL the way home from Ladonia like this!

Scenes from our Ladonian adventure...

Our pew resided here, at First Christian Church, for almost 100 years...

Now, a conversation piece in our home...

School Days

2008-11-07T15:56:00.039-06:00

This school year has without a doubt given us the L.O.N.G.E.S.T. school days of our homeschooling careers. Tapestry of Grace Year 2 offers a TON of information to squeeze in to each week, and all of it is so good that I can't get myself to cut much out.

Brittany is in 10th grade, so her days should be rather intense, and they most certainly are. Meet her latest and most frequent companions...

She has had many hefty literature assignments so far, including an assortment of medieval lyric poems, Chanson de Roland, Beowulf, Dante's Divine Comedy, and Canterbury Tales. I've been trying to keep up with her assignments myself, so that our literature discussion times will be more engaging. This is one of the main reasons why I have NO time to keep up with blogging. My free time (if there is such a thing) has also been spent with our family friend "Norton" :0). Our discussions are one of the highlights of my week, as I love to hear Brittany's insight into literature, worldview, etc. She blows me away every week. What a special young lady she is.

Brant's load has increased substantially this year as well, and I've seen a HUGE growth in his ability to work independently and manage his time wisely. It's so amazing to watch as each child matures and continues to meet the ever-growing challenges set before them. He, too, is reading many of the classical pieces Brittany is reading, but at the Dialectic level. I've found a GREAT new spelling program for him: All About Spelling. I am so excited about this program! It is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to spelling, using kinesthetic, auditory, and visual modes of learning. If spelling is not your child's strong point, I definitely recommend giving this program a try. It is much more user friendly than the other at-home Orton-Gillingham programs I've seen.

I am having so much fun teaching the "little kids"!! Brock is sooooo very eager to learn, and he is SOOOOOOO very BRIGHT! I describe him as a very "with-it" kid. He catches on to things extremely fast and is intensely observant. He knows all his letter sounds and is reading and writing 3 letter, short vowel words! For math, we are using Math-U-See Primer, and we are progressing through this book right on schedule. It is so cute to hear him go down "Decimal Street", knocking at each "house", saying "How many are home?" Everyday, he looks ahead in his books and asks, "Tomorrow?" I feel like I could be challenging him more, but with the language still being somewhat of a barrier, it is difficult (and likely unwise) to progress any faster than we are. His vocabulary continues to build and build. I am daily amazed that this little boy's paperwork labelled him as "profoundly deaf". Yes, he does have conductive hearing loss, but truthfully, we usually don't even realize it anymore, as he hears and understands most of what we say.

Brielle is our little tag-along learner. She, too, loves to do school. At first, I thought there was going to be a problem, because she would answer all of the questions I would ask Brock - before Brock had a chance to answer :o). I would be sounding out words with him, and she'd yell out the sounds, and then the word, before we were finished. She has most definitely benefited (in so many ways) from having Brock join our family.

Beautiful Fall Days!

2008-11-07T15:19:00.013-06:00

The summer heat has lifted, and the days here in Texas have become beautiful! So beautiful that I am seriously contemplating schooling through most of our summers and taking off the months of October, November, and December instead. It is just so hard to be inside when it is so sunny and gorgeous outside. The temperatures are still mostly in the 80's, but it feels so refreshing (and even cool at times). Being outside in nature is a sanity-preserver for me, so I've been trying to get out as much as our schedule will allow...which unfortunately is not nearly enough.

A nature walk resting rock...

An outing with friends to the Asian Tea Gardens...

Brock and his friends, Asher and Judah...

Brock and Asher...

(notice the sweatshirt?? I think it was in the mid-70s that day...brrrrrr...)

Beautiful DeAsia...

Noelle, Destiny, and Brittany...

2008-09-08T20:58:00.022-05:00

Today was the first day of our 2008-2009 school year. Yes, we are starting a little late, but because of our trip to China, we didn't finish our 2007-2008 year until August 8th. We all needed a break, and I needed the month to order books and prepare for the new year. For the last few weeks, I've been staying up W.A.Y. too late organizing and planning. We are beginning Tapestry of Grace's Year 2 Redesigned which looks amazing, but it is also one of Tapestry's most rigorous years. I love the classical education philosophy, but planning for each new year is always a little frightening as I can never imagine how in the world we are going to fit everything in to our days. Thankfully, it all seems to fall in place, and today we had a very successful first day!

We always start each new school year with a scavenger hunt for the kids' new "Study Buddy" :o). When we began this tradition, Brittany and Brant's Study Buddy was usually a new Beanie Baby. My, how things have changed! This year, Brittany got a backpack for her new laptop (which is actually her real sophmore year Study Buddy). Last week, Brant announced that he was too old for a Study Buddy. Thank goodness, because for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything for him. So, he got a 4-pack of Monster energy drink and some gum to assist him in his studying :0< !

As you can imagine, Brielle was SUPER excited about starting school! The last few weeks, as I was preparing for school, she kept asking, "You be teacher to me and Ji Hao?" And when I replied in the affirmative, she squealed at the top of her lungs! Brock Ji Hao went along with her excitement, but I'm sure he didn't quite understand what all the loud squeals were about.

(viewer caution: over the years, my Back-to-School Banners have become much less ornate and much more crooked...please don't look too closely)

My Students...

The most eager of students with their Study Buddies!
(yes...as you can tell, there was a very last minute run to Walmart)

Brock Ji Hao doing his "Get Ready for the Code" phonics book...yea!

I didn't realize how much fun it would be to do Kindergarten again!

He Makes Me Smile!

2008-08-22T00:44:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was Max's birthday ... As I was thinking about ways to make his day special, I began to think about how HAPPY he makes me. I've recently noticed how I am nearly always smiling when he is with me, when I'm anticipating his call home at lunchtime, and when he is almost home from work at night (so my crowsfeet and other "smile lines" are his fault). What a HUGE blessing to be married to someone with whom I love to spend time!

Happy Birthday, Max!

2008-08-19T16:13:00.032-05:00

Last week, Brittany and a good friend boarded a plane headed for New Jersey to visit their best (and boy-crazy) friends. They've been spending their days and nights in the family's RV -- can you begin to imagine how much fun that is for a bunch of teenage girls?!? Brittany calls home every night, and I can't hear a word she is saying because there is so much laughter and goofiness in the background. She'll most definitely be updating her blog with all the details once she returns home. I'm praying I don't have to listen to stories about Prince Caspian, the Jonas Brothers (who are they, anyway????), etc. for weeks and weeks to come. Yikes!

We finally wrapped up our 2007-2008 school year on 8-08-08. Thankfully, because you'll note that is also the date of the opening of the Olympic Games. Our family (like yours, I'm sure) has been up L A T E each night watching the latest Olympic events. It's been fun to share and discuss all the happenings with the kids. Brittany and Brant have been very "into" this Olympics. It's also been great seeing it all take place in Brock Ji Hao's and Brielle's home land!

Brock Ji Hao is aware that the Olympics are being held in China and points to the TV and says "Zhong guo" ("China" in Mandarin). He has especially enjoyed watching the swimming (I guess he takes after his Aunt Michele and Grandma T. :o) ) The last few times I've had him out in the pool, he has made HUGE advances in his swimming. Today, I realized that it is most likely from watching the Olympic swimming. He is now swimming around the pool with water wings on, and today he swam with his face under water. He also asked for goggles and even went under water (in the shallow end) to pick up quarters and diving rings. Thank you, Michael Phelps!

Brock continues to be doing fantastically! We truly could not imagine a better adjustment. As a matter of fact, there really doesn't seem to have been an adjustment - for any of us. He slid beautifully and perfectly into our family.

I've been working a little with him on some basic learning like letters, letter sounds, numbers, etc. I've ordered his "curriculum" for this school year, and it'll be so much fun teaching him. He picks up on things very fast. He continues to speak more and more English and is even stringing words together. Today, he caught on to the phrase, "How are you?" after saying, "Hi!", so he continually (over and over again) said to each of us, "Hi! How are you?" So cute! Older child adoption has been so much fun!

Brielle continues to adore her new big brother. One morning, at breakfast, they were chit-chatting in their own special way of communicating, and I asked Brielle: "Brielle, what do you think of your big brother Brock Ji Hao?" She smiled shyly and answered, "He's soooo cute!". The first thing she asks when I go into her room in the morning is, "Where's Hao?" (she still calls him "Hao" alot...that is what we called him before bringing him home). She follows him around, and the two of them play and laugh together all day long. Brock Ji Hao has been such a blessing to our little Brielle. I often stop and watch or listen to them and wonder why I was so blessed to be given the privilege of raising these two precious Chinese children.

2008-08-10T00:35:00.005-05:00

If you saw the Chapman family on CNN's Larry King Live a few nights ago, I'm sure you'd agree that God has already begun a great work through their (seemingly senseless) tragedy. Little Maria has touched and reached so many people with the hope we have in the Gospel of Christ - the only hope we truly have!

Have you seen this clip recorded by Larry King the night after interviewing the Chapmans? Please pray for Larry along with any of his viewers who have not yet made the "leap to blind faith"... but... "wish (they) had".

Incredible!

More from Steven Curtis Chapman...

2008-08-07T14:00:00.002-05:00

...regarding their family tragedy and God's love for orphans.

See also the link below...

Please Keep Praying for the Chapmans

2008-08-06T23:10:00.013-05:00

In case you missed the Chapman family being interviewed on Good Morning America this morning, here is a link to the segment: GMA Interview

Heartbreaking...Honest...Hopeful...

Please continue to pray for this family as they seek to glorify God in the midst of their suffering.

Tomorrow evening, the Chapmans will be appearing on Larry King Live. Yet another opportunity for the truth of God's Word and the hope we have in It to be proclaimed and heard!

2008-07-31T00:41:00.029-05:00

I am NOT a big fan of appointments.

I love spending time with the girl who does our hair, but I don't even like the thought of hair appointments looming on my calendar. I'm not sure why ???

Maybe I just don't like to be "somewhere" at a "specified" time ?? Maybe I don't like the routine of my day interrupted ?? Maybe I don't like the
W A I T I N G in the Waiting Room ?? Maybe I don't like ALL of the paperwork I have to fill out (note: in the last two years, I've doubled the amount of paperwork I need to fill out for my children).

Sooooo...I really had to psych myself up for all of the potential appointments that we'd have to add to our calendar with our new addition to the family. Surprisingly, I've found that his appointments don't seem to bring about that all-too-familiar feeling of appointment-dread. It seems part of the reason I don't like appointments might be because, for the most part, it is really not necessary to be there (thank you, Lord), therefore it might feel like a waste of time ?? Anyway, I've found out that it is so very rewarding to take Brock to all his necessary appointments. It feels good to be actively doing something for him.

This week's calendar had a few days of appointments scratched in. We started our week with early morning appointments for Brock and Brielle at the pediatrician's office. Brielle just needed her 3 year old well-child check-up, and Brock was there for his first visit to the pediatrician. I realized that Brielle has not been to the doctor since her 2 year old check-up (another thank you, Lord). She has been so very healthy. She was so cute and cooperative doing the little developmental checks the nurse asked her to do (standing on one leg, drawing circles, drawing a cross, etc.). Brock's physical exam went great, and the doctor is now ordering the routine post-adoption labwork. We'll meet with her again once his blood work is completed. I really wish I had brought my camera, because the two of them were so adorable sitting up on the exam table together.

Here are their stats (as of 7-28-08):

Brielle - 3 years old:
Weight - 36 lbs ... 90th percentile
Height - 39 in ... 90th percentile

Brock - 8 years old:
Weight - 44 lbs ... 10th percentile
Height - 48 in ... 15th percentile

Talk about tipping the scales at both ends!!

There is only one three year old in every ten that is taller and weighs more than our little (can I still use that word for her?) Brielle! However, nine out of every ten eight year olds are taller and weigh more than our (very) little Brock! Both kiddos are said to be "well-proportioned" as their weight and height percentiles are the same or nearly the same.

These percentiles as based on American children - Asian children have a completely different chart (hmmm....where would Brielle be on that chart?). The doctor told me that she is just happy that Brock even hits the American chart, as often internationally adopted older children do not. They do, however, typically grow a lot in the first year or so home, so it'll be interesting to see how he plots in a year. With the way he is eating up all our American food (he's a great eater!), I'd be surprised if he didn't move up rather quickly.

With doctors appointments behind us, it was time for the next big appointment day of the week - all FIVE of us at the dentist! Does the thought of that make anyone else shudder?

After filling out ALL the paperwork for the 4 B's and me, it was a fun three and a half hours of running back and forth between exam rooms, checking in on kids and listening to the dentist's diagnosis/prognosis for each of them. Thankfully, NO ONE had any cavities! Isn't that amazing?!? Not even our so very sweet and brave Brock Ji Hao! He had spent almost 8 years in an orphanage in China, and that guy is cavity free! Just another thing I'd like to add to the "thank you for..." list I'm complying in my head to someday give the staff at the Wuxi City SWI.

I guess I need to clarify that the "NO ONE had any cavities" statement was made with some slight hesitation because little Miss Brielle only had a "happy visit" at the dentist. This means an all-positive visit, minimal cleaning with the hygenist and without the dentist even checking her teeth. She did GREAT and was so adorable in the big chair (no camera, AGAIN). However, leading up to our dentist appointment, I had been talking to Brielle about what to expect at the dentist, etc. Each time she would say, "I'm going to tell him that Dots and Mike and Ikes make my teeth hurt." It's true....I feed my little child candy (potty bribery)....and, yes, the candy makes her teeth hurt! I'm sure she's got something going on in there, and I told the dentist so, but he insisted that the visit remain "happy". We'll see what happens next visit !?!

Soooooo....could Brock's teeth be cavity-free because his caretakers were not bribing him with Dots and Mike and Ikes??? Oh boy, I'm learning so much about parenting and children from this kid. Someday I'll post more about all he's teaching me!

Happy 8th Birthday!

2008-07-21T02:00:00.004-05:00

Today (July 20th) was Brock Ji Hao's 8th birthday! As I prepared and decorated, I couldn't help but remember how, during the agonizing wait, I longed to have Brock here at home in time to celebrate his birthday. I am so thankful we were able to do just that!

Because Brielle's birthday is just three days before Brock's, he was able to watch all the pomp and circumstance related to Goodrich family birthdays. We explained to him that his birthday was just three days away, and that he would be turning eight years old. He seemed to understand and proceeded to point to Brielle's b-day signs, crepe paper, etc., stating "Ji Hao" with each point. He also held up eight fingers and repeated "eight" over and over. So, when his big day arrived, he was definitely ready!

I've been reading, reading, reading to Brock, and he has really taken a liking to Curious George. So, this Curious George Rides a Bike is quite appropriate for the occasion!

Just unveiled..........

(Do you think he likes it???)

When we went to pick out Brielle's cake, Brock saw the Cars cake and excitedly pointed to it and then to himself. Sooooo, Cars it was!

Happy 8th Birthday, sweet son!

We are honored and so very blessed to be able to share all your special days and moments...

...now and forever!

Happy 3rd B-day, Little Princess!

2008-07-21T00:47:00.014-05:00

Last week (July 17th), Brielle celebrated her 3rd birthday! She had been asking about her birthday for quite some time, had memorized that it was "July 17th", and was more than ready when her big day finally arrived.

As I've posted in the past, Brielle likes The Wonder Pets (as do the rest of us), and so I had decided to give her a Wonder Pets themed birthday. I found a recipe to make the W.P.'s Flyboat cake, wrote down everything I needed, and headed to Walmart.

Unfortunately, Brielle had other plans. While at Walmart, she saw "princesses" balloons and other party paraphernalia. She immediately and repeatedly said, "I want a princesses cake". I tried to talk her out of it, but she remained firm. With my hopes for a Wonder Pet Birthday dashed, I submitted to a not-yet-three-year-old's wishes. After all, she has been saying, "I looooooove princesses" for the last several weeks. I'm not sure where she got that (Cindy??? :o) ?????). "Princesses" are not quite my thing (ugh)...BUT, I found out that they sure do make a low-stress birthday theme.

Our Princess is THREE!

When Brielle first saw her cake, she put both hands over her mouth and said,

"Oh my goodness, Mommy...it's so beautiful!"

That was precious and priceless

(and made my hostility :o) over the Wonder Pets-cake-that-wasn't quickly melt away!)

Blowing out the candles...

Big brother joins in to help...
Brielle and Brock have spent hours painting and drawing together on Brielle's new art easel.

Happy 3rd Birthday, little Princess!

Thank you for bringing us so many smiles and so much joy!

China Journey Blog

2008-06-08T11:29:00.008-05:00

I've set-up a separate blog to journal about our trip to Brock Ji Hao. Click on the title of this post ("China Journey Blog") to get to it. I'm going to do my best to update daily with pictures and commentary.

Hope you join us!

Three More Days!!!!!

2008-06-08T10:53:00.010-05:00

We leave for China in THREE MORE DAYS!!

YIKES. YIKES. YIKES.

We are very excited, but unfortunately the dominant emotion that is emerging right now is P.A.N.I.C. (is panic an emotion? IDK and IDC - text talk in a moment of stress). Soooo many things to do as the time is quickly ticking away!

O-kay...I just took a deep breath, and now I hope to calmly say a HUGE, completely sincere and heartfelt...

THANK YOU ...

to my precious Mom and my dear sister, Cindy, who tomorrow will be filling up the tank of Cindy's van with liquid gold and driving 12-13 long hours to our home in Texas to care for our smallest treasure, Brielle.

Last summer, when I told Cindy and my Mom that we were adopting again, they both immediately volunteered to do whatever I needed them to do - namely, take care of Brielle while we were in China. Then, thinking it was best for Brielle, they suggested coming HERE so that Brielle would be in familiar surroundings! I am completely humbled and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family! It's definitely going to be rough leaving Brielle, but I KNOW she will be well loved and cared for. Also, she'll get to spend a lot of time playing with her cousins!

I love you, Mom, Cindy, Megan, Miyah, and Mei Lin!

I can't wait to see you here in Texas!

Pretty in Patches!

2008-06-03T23:49:00.007-05:00

Today, I took Brielle to a pediatric opthamologist. Recently, we have been noticing her right eye doesn't seem to track properly with her left eye. We ended up being at the doctor's office for two and a half hours, and Brielle was such a stellar little patient. We never go to the doctor, so I was very surprised at how grown-up she acted. She was so excited for the doctor to check out her eyes. She jumped up and down and squealed with delight (feeling very important, of course) when the nurse called her name while we were in the waiting room. Then, she happily jumped down the hall to the exam room. She quietly and cooperatively named each of the little pictures the doctor asked her to name. Sure enough, her right eye couldn't see the progressively smaller pictures as well as her left.

The doctor said her right eye has a slight astigmatism, but she wasn't sure it was enough of a curvature to cause the difference in sight. The other potential cause is "lazy eye". In either case, she said that they always start with patching the good eye to make the brain start using the affected eye.

Soooooo...Brielle gets to wear a pretty patch over her left eye for FOUR hours every day until we see the doctor again in September. This should make for an interesting summer! She did a GREAT job tonight wearing it. She picked out the blue patch with the pink butterflies, hearts, and flowers. We all made a BIG deal about how pretty she was in her patch, how special it was that the doctor is having her wear the patches, etc. etc. etc. She left it on for FOUR hours in a row without any problem. To be honest...I am shocked! Not really a Brielle thing to do. Max thinks maybe the eye drops they put in to dilate her eyes had some sort of sedative in them :o). We'll see what tomorrow brings (and the next 66 days until we see the doctor again).

Countdown to China!

2008-06-01T23:27:00.010-05:00

TEN more days and we are off to China!!!!

Wow, that sounds unbelievable! Especially because, as if today were just like any other Sunday afternoon, I spent all day preparing for our week of school. Maybe I should've been finishing my shopping, packing, list making, etc., instead!?!? Maybe I should be taking the week of school off to shop, pack, make lists, etc. However, being that I am both a perfectionist when it comes to school and a procrastinator in almost everything (I work best under pressure -- I hope), I plan to carry on with school as if it is any other week...at least that is the plan for now...if I start to freak out mid-week, I think I'll give myself permission to call it quits until we return from China.

I've updated my "Travel Approval" post to show our confirmed travel schedule, which is almost identical to the first schedule I listed. It looks like we will meet Brock Ji Hao on Sunday, June 15th...Father's Day!! That is just FOURTEEN days from now (really thirteen, considering it is Monday already in China) :o)!!!

Max will meet his second son AND a precious almost-eight-year-old boy will meet his forever father on Father's Day -- no doubt our Father in heaven will be there, too, watching and holding us in His hand as His plan for the merging of all of our lives unfolds.

Travel Approval!

2008-05-27T23:00:00.029-05:00

Sorry about not updating you all for so long on our adoption progress. I was going to sit down last Wednesday night and give a not-so-upbeat update on our no-where-in-sight Travel Approval, but news of the Chapman's tragedy that night quickly changed my perspective on things (all things). How could I be so anxious and upset about the trivial matter of when we will travel when they had just lost one of their precious treasures from China and would never see her again this side of heaven? How could I not trust the Lord in my small matter, when the Chapmans were being asked to trust Him in such a HUGE, incomprehensible way? Immediately, upon hearing about little Maria's death, much more than grief swept over me. I also felt convicted. So, I gave my now seemingly trivial matter completely over to the Lord, and began praying, praying, praying for this very heartbroken family.

Coincidently, we found out on Friday that our Travel Approval had been mailed from China on Wednesday. It arrived today at our agency's office in St. Louis. With Travel Approval in hand, our agency requested our appointment with the American Consulate in Guangzhou, and should hear from them in the next few days. Once we have the confirmed Consulate appointment, we are ready to book flights and pack like crazy! It looks like we might just be bringing our son home before the Olympics :o)!!!

Here is our confirmed schedule (updated June 1st, 2008):

Wednesday, June 11th: Leave San Antonio at 8:47 a.m. and fly to Shanghai!

Thursday, June 12th: Arrive in Shanghai at 8:50 p.m.(red dot on map on right)

Friday, June 13th: Tour Shanghai - We are so excited about this, as Max really wanted to do this on our first trip to China.

Saturday, June 14th: Take train from Shanghai to Nanjing (we have to meet our son in the provincial capital, which is Nanjing; yellow dot on map)

Sunday, June 15th: Meet Brock Ji Hao!!!!!

Monday, June 16: Begin adoption process (registration and notary)... our new son officially becomes Brock Ji Hao Goodrich

Tuesday, June 17: Free day in Nanjing

Wednesday, June 18: Free day or sightseeing in Nanjing

Thursday, June 19: Free day or sightseeing in Nanjing

Friday, June 20: Receive all Brock Ji Hao's paperwork and complete forms with CHI coordinator for American Consulate appointment

Saturday, June 21: Fly to Guangzhou (red dot on dark gray map)

Sunday, June 22: Free day in Guangzhou (start shopping, of course)

Monday, June 23: Medical examination for Brock Ji Hao

Tuesday, June 24: Possible choice for American Consulate appointment

Wednesday, June 25: Go to Consulate late in the day and get your Brock Ji Hao's visa

Thursday, June 26: Return home (and smother Brielle with kisses)

Thanks for your prayers!

Hurting for the Chapman Family

2008-05-21T23:37:00.010-05:00

Photo by Tucker Photography, Inc.

Steven and beautiful Maria

I am heartsick and overwhelmed with grief as I try to soak up the reality that, earlier today, Steven and Mary Beth Chapman lost their youngest daughter, Maria, in a tragic accident at their home. I can not imagine the pain this family is going through. Please pray for this precious family.

Maria was one of three daughters that the Chapman's adopted from China. Steven and Mary Beth have made caring for orphans one of their life's missions and have encouraged and assisted many families in their pursuit of adoption.

Over the years, the truth Steven brings through the words of his songs has comforted, challenged, and encouraged me. I wish I had a song to give to the Chapmans that might give them even the smallest bit of comfort at this terribly difficult time.

Steven wrote the beautiful song With Hope for some friends who had lost a child. I cry every time I hear this song. Tonight I pray that the words God gave to Steven years ago would now bring peace that passes all understanding to him and his family.

With Hope

by Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all how

We thought it was supposed to be

We had so many plans for you

We had so many dreams

And now you've gone away

And left us with the memories of your smile

And nothing we can say

And nothing we can do

Can take away the pain

The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

There's a place by God's grace

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again

And never have I known

Anything so hard to understand

And never have I questioned more

The wisdom of God's plan

But through the cloud of tears

I see the Father smile and say well done

And I imagine you

Where you wanted most to be

Seeing all your dreams come true

'Cause now you're home

And now you're free, and ...

We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end

We can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

There's a place by God's grace

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We have this hope as an anchor

'Cause we believe that everything God promised us is true, so ...

We wait with hope

And we ache with hope

We hold on with hope

We let go with hope

A Mother Like No Other

2008-05-11T21:43:00.031-05:00

**Press Play Button Now**

I'm taking over Tracy's Blog (one day only; no encores please). - Max

Memories that make Tracy the best mom in the world:

Using the full time allotted during college junior year spring break to birth and take care of Brittany - didn't miss a day of school
Staying seated at the table while letting an employee of Cracker Barrel take her new born Brittany into the kitchen to show her off
Caring for Brittany at our first home, a tiny apartment at dirty Chateau Village - we fit in well with all the other creepy tenants
Caring for a family with minimal resources: $8 for two weeks of groceries ($60 phone bill)
Finishing college (an important example) while taking the best care of Brittany and me

Hours and hours of video taping baby Brittany saying “soo big”
Motherhood with minimal breaks for self; breaks like walking in search of dollars with me hoping to find $ to buy ice cream at McDonalds
Playing with kids and Simba for hours in the backyard at Boneham Addition – our first real home
Many stroller walks with Brittany, Brant, and me up and down Boneham Addition’s country road
Working for 75% less as a night transcriptionist (vs. nurse) to have the day hours for the children

Putting up with husband studying seven years for hours a day; helping him get the CFA & CFP
Getting the kids integrated in their new town of Sheboygan (YMCA, dance, ball, hockey)
Leading the family into home schooling in the best interest of her children
Buying a tent and going on many family camping trips at Yogi Bear and other campsites
Vacation planning to bring education into fun vacations: Badlands, Cap Cod, Williamsburg
Taking the family for many nature walks at Maywood and getting excited about barf (owl pellets)
Leading the family along with Brittany into adopting our precious little Brielle
Including her son in her marathon training by wanting him to ride his bike along each time

Leading the family in running and the importance of living healthy
Hours and hours and hours and weekends in encouragement of Brant’s hockey
She sees a little boy in a picture with pulled in ears and no hearing – wants to make his/our lives better
Leading the family along with Brittany into adopting Brock Ji Hao
Spending hours and hours every day making sure the children get the best education available
Sacrificing her time every day to cook, clean and do the laundry – with joy
Walking/hiking often with the family: Eisenhower, Comanche, Govt Canyon, McAllister, and around the neighborhood
Being a family running partner; teaching Brant the benefits of running
Encouraging Brittany in her love for writing and acting; attending all of her events
Making life fun for little B’L: Starbucks, park, pool, games
Transporting and arranging all the kids SHINE activities to show them the importance of others in their lives
Being someone who the kids are proud to tell others she is their mom

Tracy, thank you for all you have done and all you will do!!!??? Also, thank you for doing it in a way that is fun, light, full of energy and excitement. Thank you for being our family’s sunshine!!! We, especially me, all LLLUUUUUUUUUVVV You!!!!!

Happy Mothers Day!

Max

Happy Adoption Day!

2008-05-10T17:46:00.014-05:00

It's been TWO years since we first held our smallest treasure. She is the light of our lives, and BOY does she know it! Oh, how God does bless us when we are obedient to His leading, and we are thankful each and every moment that He led us to our precious daughter.

We love you soooooo much, Miss Brielle, and feel so incredibly honored to be your forever family.

Another Teenager in the House (and this time of the male variety - K.M.N.)

2008-05-01T00:21:00.037-05:00

Today is Brant's 13th Birthday!!

"Now that I'm a teenager, I can talk on the phone AND play wii at the same time!"

My baby boy is a teenager?!?! How did that happen??

Am I old enough to parent TWO teenagers?...

...or maybe the better question is "am I wise and mature enough to parent TWO teenagers?"...

...to which the answer is "mostly likely NOT"

Truthfully, I'm quite glad to have the last several months behind us, and (I think) I'm ready to embrace the years to come. That whole preteen business can be messy at times. Not having any brothers, I had never experienced the male struggle between boyhood and teenagehood. I was also fortunate enough to have missed living with the high, squeaky voice that accompanies this awkward age (watching and listening to Peter Brady's transition a few times was annoying enough for goodness sake). It seems that Brant has almost completely emerged out of that quirky, trying-to-figure-out-who-I-am-in-my-new-skin phase; AND I have accepted the fact that the alien who came down and stole my son has brought him back to me just the way he is supposed to be at this stage in his life - a delightful young man in the making.

I do admit, though, that it wasn't easy to readily accept the fact that my little boy WHO ONCE...

**observed and collected bugs is now using a magnifying glass to burn them in the

hot sun

**loved marine mammals and was a walking encyclopedia of their statistics now

MUCH prefers the wild coasters of Six Flags over a trip to Sea World

**cuddled and loved on his little dog now enjoys shooting "around" him with his airsoft gun

**was too active to take much interest in video games is now a walking video game encyclopedia

*talked in plain English is now using text-messaging-acronyms (things like IDK, IDC, BRB, KMN etc. are all a part of our normal dialogue; notice the "KMN" in my heading - can anyone guess what that might mean???? )

Amidst all of these changes, I am so grateful for the qualities of Brant that have remained unchanged. He continues to be ever-energetic and always on the move. He has always been an extremely hard and competent worker; if given a task, you can be confident he'll carry it out to completion and with perfection. He is organized and loves to clean, which is a HUGE asset to me, especially as our family continues to grow. He is very disciplined, which has made him a great running partner for Max and I. Brant has a quick-wit and is such a fun, lively, and interesting person to be around. He has always been my more affectionate kid, and he still tells me he loves me and gives me big hugs several times a day. He also almost daily thanks me for being his teacher. How sweet is that?!?

Happy Birthday, Brant!

I love you SO much,

and I'm blessed to share life with you!!

Update!

2008-04-30T13:27:00.015-05:00

I confess...I've been checking my e-mail a gazillion times a day just hoping for some news about our potential travel dates, updates on our son, Travel Approvals for several internet friends who are waiting on it (not to mention our TA), etc.

After checking for the 58th time this morning, I was finally rewarded with an e-mail from our agency titled "Xi JiHao". My heart quickened as I clicked to open the e-mail and was greeted with this news:

Good Morning Max and Tracy -
Below are updated measurements for your son, and attached are updated photos of him - he's a handsome boy!!!
Enjoy these and have a terrific day!
Xi Jihao:
height 122.5cm (48.2 inches)
weight 21kg (46.3 pounds)
head size 51.5cm (20.3 inches)
chest size 59.5cm (23.4 inches)
feet length 18.5cm (7.3 inches)
teeth 23

Are you thinking what I'm thinking???? Now that we have his current measurements...IT'S TIME TO SHOP...shoes, little boy shirts, little boy pants, little boy shorts, ball caps, swimsuit, pjs, undies, etc.!!! What could possibly be more fun (and more therapeutic) at this time???

O-kay...maybe studying his sweet new pictures is just as fun (and just as therapeutic). Doesn't he look more grown up?

We can NOT WAIT to meet you, our precious little man!

Oh, Happy Day!!!

2008-04-22T22:41:00.032-05:00

The most beautiful piece of paper in the world!!

Our SCL has been signed, sealed, and priority overnighted to our agency in St. Louis, who'll send it off to China sometime tomorrow!!

I was soooo excited to find two new pictures of our son in our SCL packet! I've stared and stared at them, just as I have all the other pictures we've received of him. It is such a HUGE blessing to have these tiny insights into our son's life. By the way, we were "forced" to make a decision on his "American Name" in some of today's paperwork....

SO (drumroll, please)....Introducing,

Brock Ji Hao

So very adorable, isn't he??

We found out through his best friend that he is indeed called both names "Ji Hao". So, even though we gave him the required Goodrich Family Br- name, we plan on calling him "Ji Hao" until he makes the decision (if ever) to be called "Brock".

Next step...Travel Approval --STAY TUNED!

One BIG Step Closer!!

2008-04-21T16:41:00.018-05:00

YES!!!!!

This morning, after 84 (LONG) days, we finally got the call that our Seeking Confirmation Letter (SCL) had arrived at our agency's St. Louis office!! The SCL is our "official referral" of little Xi Ji Hao, and the necessary NEXT STEP in getting to China to meet our son.

Just had to again include this picture because it is so irresistible, and because I can NOT contain my excitement!!! This little guy is OUR SON! I can NOT wait to scoop him up and kiss his sweet face. I'm trying to mentally prepare myself that he will be almost 8 years old when we first meet, so scooping and kissing might not be the best approach. Coupled with my gesticulative manner (not to mention protruding Caucasian nose), I just might be a little overwhelming (can any of you imagine that????)!

Anyway...back to the steps necessary before all the scooping/kissing can occur...

Our agency is going to overnight our SCL and other necessary paperwork. When we get it, we'll need to sign our name in a few places and then overnight it back to them.

Our signed SCL will be returned to China, and then we once again W A I T for China to issue us Travel Approval (permission to travel to China). This has been taking 2-3 weeks.

Once we receive Travel Approval, our agency finalizes all arrangements in China, we book our international flights, apply for our Visas, and PACK LIKE CRAZY!

Better go camp out and wait for the UPS man to arrive ...

One Day Closer

2008-04-17T23:26:00.032-05:00

We are on wait day 80 from LID to SCL.

Although our agency told us not to expect to hear anything "for at least" 3 months, I guess I really did expect to get our SCL before 3 months. I am starting to get antsy and uneasy, especially in the face of rumors that, due to the Olympics, China will not be issuing travel approvals r/t adoption in June, July, and August. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Our agency has not heard that there will be a halt in travel all summer, but I can't imagine the Olympics NOT effecting adoption travel in some way. For sure, it will become more and more expensive to travel to and then to stay in China the closer we get to August.

I honestly can not imagine having to wait until September or later to bring our son home. Especially knowing that his very best buddy has already gone home. Adoption can drive a person absolutely CRAZY! It's ironic...one of the requirements to adopt from China is that you can not be taking any psych med (no antidepressant, antianxiety meds, etc.). So, of course, you send off your paperwork all happy, hopeful, and med-free ... BUT, by the time you WAIT out all the emotional twists and turns and FINALLY hold your child, you just might be on every psych med on the market!!! Hmmm...maybe drug testing on adoption day would be a good idea :0)

Thankfully, more numerous than my ansty, uneasy, and insane moments, are the the moments when there truly is NO doubt in my mind that God has ALL the details worked out, just like He always has. When I think back on all the detailed "coincidences" that led us to KNOW that Hao was OUR son, and how I have been "coincidentally" corresponding with Hao's best friend's parents, how can I doubt that He is in EVERY detail surrounding Hao's homecoming? No - it might not be easy to have absolutely no control over when we'll finally all be together (as a matter of fact, there are moments it feels downright unfair, sad, frustrating, crushing, nerve wracking, and torturous), but - the God of all the universe is such a better planner, organizer, and orchestrator of the details than I could ever be!

SO...instead of thinking about how many days we've waited,

I'm going to try to think of each passing day

as one day closer to our son.

*just so you know, I'm already anticipating the need for some daily accountability on this positive outlook :o)*

More to share about Hao and his best friend!

2008-04-06T22:46:00.009-05:00

I received another e-mail from Joseph's mom tonight!!! It seems that when they took the picture of Joseph and his "best friend"(see post below) in the orphanage, they did not realize this "best friend" was our son, Hao. It wasn't until yesterday that they started putting things together.

Here is a portion of the e-mail she sent me:

Yesterday we showed our son the referral picture of your little boy, and
asked him with our translator if that's the same boy as his best friend, and
he smiled and nodded "yes". You might also like to know that he asked us to
put the referral pic of your son and the pic of the two boys together into
frames, and he attached them to the head of his bed. Last night he said
"Wan an" (Chinese for "Good Night") to your son and he gave the pic a kiss
before he went to sleep.

Another part of this amazing story is that we gave our son a Legos transformer to put together in China. He loved it--it went into the bathtub and into bed with him. At the orphanage, he gave it to his best friend--made all the adults choke up to watch. At that time, of course, we had no idea his best friend is your son!

Is that AMAZING or what? My heart overflows knowing that our precious son has had such a sweet friend. At the same time, my heart aches for these little guys and their loss.

Again, I stand in awe that God has placed both of these boys in their forever families within months of each other...after waiting EIGHT long years!

I'm afraid my growing impatience is becoming unbearable. Hurry, hurry, hurry, LOA!!!

Best Friends

2008-04-06T09:00:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, we received an e-mail from the family who recently brought their 8 year old son home from Wuxi. The e-mail read "attached is a picture of our son with his best friend from the Wuxi SWI".

Here they are....best friends:

Joseph's parents took this picture when they returned with Joseph to the orphanage to say their final good-byes. Joseph has told his parents that he and our Hao are best friends! Wow! It warms my heart to know that Hao had a special friend, and that both of these little guys would now have a forever family. After eight years of waiting, they both would go home to loving families...within months of each other. I am confident that God had this all in the plans.

I'm sure our little Hao is missing his buddy. We still don't know whether or not he knows he has a family who will soon be coming for him. We do know that the orphanage director is aware, because he asked Joseph's parents for their contact information so that he can give it to us when we come for Hao. I'm assuming that this gesture shows the closeness of these boys in that the director wishes for them to make contact in America. So very sweet!

Your continued prayers for Hao are extremely important to us.

P.S. Joseph and his family visited the SWI during nap time, so Hao is kneeling on his bed...he is not as short as he looks in this picture. I thought I might need to clarify, because our first impression when seeing the picture was "wow...he is so small"

P.S.S. Also see our March update BELOW...

March Madness

2008-04-03T12:27:00.020-05:00

We’ve had an event-full March.

Our homeschool co-op ended the first Friday in March, supposedly freeing up more of my time. No more finishing school with my kids only to spend hours preparing for my co-op class! No more waking Brielle up early on Friday mornings to make it to co-op on time! Yes!!! The end of co-op also meant the performance of the radio drama that Brittany's Radio Drama class had been working on all semester. Brittany loves radio drama and, as always, pulled off her part with much passion and projection. Brant takes more just-for-getting-together-with-friends type classes, and he is always happy and content having no performances of any type.

March 15th, 2008, was an especially exciting day, as Brittany celebrated her GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! Our sweet daughter turned FIFTEEN years old. What a blessing she is! Brittany is content and gentle-spirited. She is creative and tender-hearted. Her dad calls her “perfect” (but he hasn’t been in her messy room lately). God has gifted her in so many ways, and we are so privileged to watch His plans for her unfold.

Thank goodness Brittany is also a loyal hockey fan, because we spent the weekend of her birthday at four of Brant’s hockey games in Dallas. Brittany was so excited to spend her birthday watching her brother play hockey…what a sweet sister. In between the games, Brittany wanted to go to the Dallas Art Museum, and we had a wonderful time exploring the works of art there.

It ended up being a rather disappointing weekend of hockey, as Brant’s team underplayed and therefore would not proceed to the Finals. You’ll note the look of disappointment on Max and Brittany’s faces (notice, too, that there are no pictures of the expression on my face…hmmm…with this finally being the end of hockey, I couldn’t help but have mixed feelings). Hockey is a great sport, and it is fun watching Brant become a solid hockey player, BUT seven months of practices, games, stinky equipment, and travel is enough for this momma…especially with a two year old “rink rat” in tow.

Broadway’s production of The Phantom of the Opera has been on tour here, so as part of Brittany’s birthday present, Max and I took her to see it. It was a beautifully staged production and a wonderful evening with just the three of us. You can read more about our evening on Brittany’s blog at http://brittscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

To add more to the excitement, last weekend our homeschool group hosted its annual Spring Ball. I guess you could call it a friend and family-centered version of prom. Brittany looked gorgeous in her gown! She had a great time dancing the night away with friends, while I had a wonderful time talking the night away with a whole bunch of adults (a rare occasion, indeed). Driving Brittany to the Ball, I looked over at her and tears welled up in my eyes. My little girl has grown into a lovely young lady. Sitting there in her gown with her hair done-up, the song “Butterfly Kisses” came to mind, and I saw her wedding day somewhere in the all-too-soon future. Wow.

Brielle continues to grow taller and taller and is talking, talking, talking. She is an adorable little bundle of energy, independence, charm, and will. She loves attention, and you’ll most definitely know if she thinks she is not getting enough of it. She had a great time Easter morning, eagerly hunting for her basket and Easter eggs. We recently went to the zoo, and she kept asking to see a “water buffalo”, which of course is one of the few animals our zoo does NOT have. I look at her, with her dark almond eyes and sweet little nose, and marvel at how God has brought our lives together. My heart swells with gratitude when I think about how He moved us to grow our family through the blessing of adoption.

Which brings me to our little Hao. We are still waiting to hear from China, some days more patiently than others. Now that co-op is over, I’ve been trying to spend some of my freed-up time learning all I can about older child adoption, microtia, etc. One thing that both older child adoption and microtia have in common is that there are no absolutes. We can do our best to prepare ourselves for our son, but we really won’t know exactly what our biggest blessings and challenges will be until he is finally home. Even then, discovery will be a process over time. I am so eager to begin this amazing journey (o.k….I don’t feel very patient at this very moment…hurry, LOA)!

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Finally Coming Home...

2008-03-10T07:22:00.010-05:00

Some friends I've met online are leaving for China this Thursday to FINALLY meet their beautiful 8 year old son. This little man has grown up in the same orphanage (Wuxi SWI) as our son, so we are assuming they know each other well. If they happen to cross your mind this week, please pray for Jim, Marilyn, and their new son, Joseph.

Jim and Marilyn plan to spend one night in Wuxi and will be visiting the SWI (orphanage). They have a picture of our son, Hao, and are going to try to check in on him and potentially get a few pictures. I'm trying NOT to get my hopes up, but it would be so very wonderful to have an update on him!

I'll try to keep you posted on Joseph's homecoming and any Hao updates!

A Hard Day for Packer Fans

2008-03-04T22:54:00.022-06:00

Today, after 17 seasons, Brett Favre announced his retirement from football. Even though we've seen it coming, it was nevertheless a punch in the gut for all Packer fans. Number 4...the only Packers' quarterback Max and I have watched together as a married couple. Number 4...the only Packers' quarterback my kids have ever known. Will "the Pack" still be "the Pack" without Number 4????

I love how the youth pastor of our church in WI addressed this sobering news. Here is a link to his blog (I hope you don't mind, Jon), in which he wisely advises us to seize this opportunity to instill truths into our sons (and daughters):

http://www.mantransformed.blogspot.com/

Go Pack, Go

Lions, Love, and (Child) Labor

2008-02-20T23:39:00.041-06:00

Happy Year of the Rat!!

February 7th marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 is another Year of the Rat. People born in a Rat Year are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. A Rat Year is said to be a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. Traditionally, this is a good year to begin a new job, get married, or make a fresh start of some other sort. I wonder if adding a new child to the family counts??

During Chinese New Year, a local museum hosts its annual Asian Festival. So, we were able to spend an afternoon taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the Asian culture. The festival ended with an assortment of traditional Chinese dances, the lion dance being the grand finale.

The plate dance...

The fan dance...The lion dance...

Brielle is not so sure she likes the lion dancers...

Valentine's Day followed all too quickly on the heels of Chinese New Year (where has February gone, BTW?). February 13th at 9:00 p.m., Max and I joined the swarm of others who were searching for those perfect last minute gifts for the ones they love (trust me...the early bird really does have the advantage here; the rest of us are left with whatever the early birds have cast aside, unwanted).

For Valentine's dinner, it has become our tradition to make heart-shaped pizza. Right before Valentine's Day, I saw an ad that Papa John's was selling heart-shaped pizza, so I decided to delegate my pizza-making to them. Brielle and I listened to Chicago's love songs CD while making our Valentine's jello and cherry cheesecake. There is nothing like "You're the Inspiration" to get you into the Valentine's spirit!

After dinner, Max held the annual presentation of Valentine's gifts to the kids. As you'll see from the pictures, he has them sit backwards on the couch (no peeking) with their hands behind their backs. Brielle joined in as if she'd been doing this forever! Max then places gifts in their hands, starting with small things and moving up to larger things. The kids like to "feel" their gifts and guess what each one is before looking (this might be a significant fact to know before viewing one of the photos below). I'm not sure why we ever started this for Valentine's Day...there was obviously not a lot of thought put into it and there is obviously no significance to any of it...but, it's made it a fun night for all of us!

In position...I can't believe the early birds left some of these...

Look carefully at what Brant is receiving....yes, that is our already been "used" plunger....no, it wasn't really a gift to him...yes, Max is mean...no, Brant will probably never trust Max on Valentine's Day again...UGH! Brant was a good sport, though, and after scouring his hands, he was able to laugh about it.

Before closing out this post, I wanted to share some pictures of Brielle, my BIG HELPER! Brielle LOVES to "help you, Mom", and is quite capable at what she does. If I am in the kitchen, she will drag her stepstool to wherever I am working. I have learned to capitalize on this, and she and I will work on dinner together right after lunch. With her stepstool pulled up to the island, she is a master at opening any boxes of food I might need; she can crack eggs; she pours, whisks, and stirs; and is the best spoon- and beater-licker around! Last week, she totally surprised me by folding dishcloths and washcloths just about as well as I do. Truthfully, I do NOT know how she knew how to fold them so well. She just picked them up, one after another, and folded them like I would. I never taught her to do it...she just must have watched me and figured it out. I was shocked! Since then, whenever I have a load of towels out to fold, she grabs all the little washcloths out and folds them! Now, if only I could get my big kids to fold so eagerly and so well!

"Reporting for duty, Mom!" (Grandma Thibert...do you recognize this apron?) Brielle even stacked her folded cloths...

Inspecting her work...

"Seize the Day" (and the irresistably quiet night)

2008-02-05T16:02:00.001-06:00

Last night I stayed up late planning Research Paper assignments for the two big kids. Once I was done, I should have gone to bed, but the house was just too irresistably quiet not to spend some time doing some uninterrupted web surfing. So, I began perusing ALL my favorite blogs, adoption yahoogroups, etc. As any late night web surfer knows, one blog leads to another, and before you know it, the wee hours of the night have passed. I know the internet has a great potential for evil and yuck, but I am constantly amazed at how it provides me with a network of invaluable information --I absolutely can not imagine adopting or homeschooling without it (was there such a thing as adoption and homeschooling before the internet :o)?)

One of the blogs I infrequently visit is Doug Phillips' blog at Vision Forum. Although I don't agree with exactly everything Doug espouses, I do think his vision and voice for the family is something desperately needed in today's society. Last night (or should I say, this morning), I stumbled across the following post on Doug's blog--I hope to make "Seize the Day" the battle cry of each and every morning!

"Seizing the Day for Our Children"
by Doug Phillips at Vision Forum
http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2007/12/3285.aspx

My children are growing so quickly. And so are yours.
Today, the fair-haired
little boy is tugging at Daddy’s leg, but tomorrow he is a young man of stature,
strength, and potential who will soon be a family leader in his own right. The
pig-tailed little girl who is so generous to Daddy with her butterfly kisses
will suddenly emerge as a woman whose heart will be given to the husband
prepared by God to take Daddy’s place as the human love of her life.

Our time as parents of children is slipping away from us. Each day that passes
without a self-conscious determination on our part to invest great spiritual
resources into their lives and to equip them is a day lost. It is a day that
will never be recovered.

What will be our message to the little boy and
girl? How will we use the brief moments God has given to us to equip them to
stand holy, pure, hopeful, and determined through the cultural tumult of our
budding twenty-first century?
It is the mission of Vision Forum Ministries
to encourage and inspire the Body of Christ to make this time — this season of
precious parenthood — count for all of eternity.
It is why the words of my dear but now departed spiritual son Michael Billings, in his sermon to the future fathers of his own generation, ring so true: “Seize the day.”

DTC, LID, and other Adoption Acronyms

2008-01-30T16:47:00.000-06:00

Finally!!!!!

Our dossier is in China!

Our dossier went to China (DTC) on January 18th, 2008, and yesterday we found out that it was logged in (LID) at the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) on January 28th, 2008. FINALLY!!!!! With Brielle's adoption, we were DTC just shy of three months from the day we began paperchasing. This time around, it took TWO extra months to get through immigration (and to get our I-171H), and so we are approaching five months since we began the paperwork to bring home our little boy. Needless to say, we are very excited that our paperwork is finally in the hands of the CCAA!!

So, what does this mean? Well, we are told it will be at least three months before we hear anything from the CCAA. We are now waiting for the CCAA to review and approve our dossier, then send us the Seeking Confirmation Letter (SCL), which is the official "referral" of our son. We will need to sign this letter, stating that we do indeed wish to adopt him, and send it back to the CCAA. Then, we'll wait for them to issue us Travel Approval (TA), our agency will schedule our appointment at the US Consulate in Guangzhou, China, and we'll book flights and get packing! TA and travel usually occur about two months after the SCL is received.

The special needs children adoption route is faster, but less predictable than the non-special needs adoptions. So, all waiting times are only estimates. That being said, our best guess-timate for meeting our little guy is sometime in June (oh my goodness...can I wait that long?). Again, this is only a guess, and we are, of course, holding on to hope for a record-breaking fast SCL!

When you are adopting an older child, you are allowed to send them a little package. We were told we were limited to "a beanie baby size toy no larger than your hand". Thank you God for making Max's hands so large :o)! We thought and thought about what one toy would be the perfect one to send to our little son whom we've never met. Think about that...that's a tough one. Then, I read that a family from our agency sent their older daughter a little purse full of fun girly things. Perfect! Just the idea I was looking for! So, with Max's hand spread wide open, we found a little pack just the right size and filled it with all sorts of little boy things...a ball, yo-yo, slinky, flashlight, puzzle, Hot Wheel cars, stickers, and even a personalized little TX license plate for the bike we'll soon get him! We had so much fun putting everything together!
(note to other adoptive parents: our agency allowed us to send everything except for the candy we had included; I'm not sure why they didn't allow the candy)

Along with this, we sent him a Shutterfly photo book in which we shared photos of ourselves, our house, pets, etc., and through words and pictures, attempted to prepare him a little for his new family and home. We would so greatly appreciate your prayers in this area. Please pray that he will understand what is about to take place, and that his little heart and mind will be prepared. It grieves me to think about the emotions he will soon be facing - fear, loss, grief, lack of control... I pray that mixed with these emotions are even the tiniest bits of hope, comfort, warmth, sense of belonging,...

Thank you SO much for your support. We'll keep you posted on any news!

An Ideal End to 2007...

2008-01-07T16:20:00.001-06:00

Brielle is shocked that Christmas is over, and there are no more presents to open!

It is so hard to believe that the holidays have passed, and today it was back to school for us and back to work for Max. I hated to say goodbye to Max this morning, because we had him all to ourselves for a whole 16 days! This was the first time since we were married that we can remember having time off and just being together at home as a family. What a perfect way to end the very busy year of 2007!

This was also the very first Christmas with just us, our little immediate family. When we first decided to stay home for Christmas this year, I was somewhat afraid that we'd regret it, but as much as I love spending time with my extended family, I have to say that this was the most relaxing Christmas season I can remember. No packing, no rushed cookie making, no early gift opening (our kids actually opened their gifts on Christmas morning), no car trips or plane rides with a two year old....total relief! This time of rest and togetherness was priceless.

Max insisted that I wait to make our Christmas cookies until he was off of work, so we could all make them together. He was a HUGE help, and with him by my side in the kitchen, cooking and baking was much more enjoyable!

Cookie Decorating...

Some Christmas Pictures...

Brant had just two things on his wish list:

1) This airsoft gun

2) A Nintendo Wii

Brittany wished for a dozen books and almost that many movies!

Brielle continually asked for "games" for Christmas. What fun it is to experience Christmas morning through the eyes of a two year old! Brielle opened each of her gifts quickly and ably, moving onto the next one without pausing to play with the one newly opened. She let out a loud scream of delight when she uncovered her final gift - a new kitchen!

A Christmas evening walk

Brielle takes Daddy for a spin in her new race car...

With 2007 behind us, we look forward to what God has in store for our growing family in 2008.

Wishing you a blessed 2008 from all of us to all of you!!

Christmas Traditions and Orname-mories

2007-12-14T00:14:00.001-06:00

With the beginning of Advent this year, I dusted off our Advent wreath, positioned its candles around its circle, and eagerly anticipated the reading of our new Advent Book.
As I called the kids in to celebrate the first night of Advent, Brittany, maybe not quite as eager, looked at me and said, "Mom, you really like traditions don't you".

YES! I LOVE TRADITIONS! Aren't traditions what help make "Christmas" feel like Christmas, "Thanksgiving" feel like Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday feel like Super Bowl Sunday, etc.?? Don't traditions give us a sense of security and connectiveness as a family? Traditions bind our hearts together through anticipated and shared experiences which then become shared, cherished memories.

Am I idealistic???? Likely, but I still LOVE TRADITIONS!

One of the kids' favorite Christmas traditions is the receiving of their annual Christmas Orname-mory. On the night we decorate the tree, after all of the other ornaments have found their perfect place, Max and I give each child an ornament that reflects something specific and special about them that year. It can be a new interest, new activity, etc. Decorating our tree has become a walk through our children's childhood as we hang the ballerina, green frog, model car, "Kaya" American Girl, Darth Vader, girl on horseback, and many more.

This year's Orname-mories...

This year, Brittany developed a huge interest in listening to music, and after school she can usually be found plugged into her i-pod listening to her favorite tunes.

One day at lunch, Brant announced in a very 12-going-on-13-year-old-boy-voice, "Video games are my life!" (before anyone freaks out...he is limited to 30 minutes of gaming a day) Thankfully, I had already ordered him this Orname-mory:

Brielle absolutely ADORES the "Wonder Pets", a cute little team of baby animals who travel all around the world saving other animals. She literally screams with delight when they are on, can tell you the color of each of the Wonder Pets' capes, and recites other bits of useful Wonder Pets trivia.

Max and I will likely look back on our 2007 Ornam-emory and remember this unique year when our hearts were so full, yet not quite settled as we still waited for our little son to come home.

Wishing you and your family a Christmas season full of heart-binding, memory making moments!

Fall Festivities!

2007-11-08T17:16:00.002-06:00

In case you've been wondering....YES, we do have fall here in Texas! Unfortunately, there is no brilliant display of fall colors, but there is most certainly a change in the air - that crisp, freshness that moves in, replacing the much heavier air of summer. Thankfully, this fresh air is for the most part still warm air; however, it's hard to believe that high-70s and low-80s can feel downright chilly at times.

Homeschooling, high school, hockey, and our preteen's and teenager's social lives keep us constantly in motion. I could write a page about the blessings of the awesome homeschool group we are a part of here (it's called SHINE). From the very first day we stepped into this group, they lovingly embraced each of us and made us feel like we belonged. We honestly never felt like outsiders. It is a very unique group of people like none I've ever experienced before...and they are so much fun! Trust me...my kids are not missing out on anything being homeschooled. As a matter of fact, I can't keep up with all of the social functions and opportunities in which they can participate.

Our SHINE group hosts an annual fall "Hoe Down". The kids dress up in western apparel and meet for a Country Line Dance. Brittany had a BLAST and can't stop practicing the dances she learned.

Our Texas "star":

Below is a slideshow of some more fall festivities. Brittany was in another SHINE Radio Drama performance, "The Tell Tale Talent", and performed on Halloween night at a church fall festival. SHINE recently had a "Roaring Twenties" Mystery Dinner, so you'll see several pictures of our resident flapper and friends. Watch for our little chicken, too!

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

"You are God's Plan for the Orphan"

2007-11-08T15:40:00.000-06:00

November is National Adoption Month. Last November, I was thrilled to find out that three major Christian ministries — FamilyLife Today, Focus on the Family, and Steven Curtis Chapman’s ministry, Shaohannah’s Hope — formed an alliance to speak out for orphans and to challenge churches and believers with this message: "You are God's Plan for the Orphan". Their Cry of the Orphan campaign is this year's attempt to do just that.

The following is taken directly from the Cry of the Orphan campaign's website at: www.cryoftheorphan.org

The 2007 Awareness Campaign, Cry of the Orphan, marks the second annual unified campaign to heighten awareness of the plight of the 143 million orphans around the world. The scope of this problem is too big for any one person or organization to solve. In the midst of this crisis, organizations from around the world are joining forces to make a difference. The Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAO) seeks to “motivate and unify the body of Christ to live out God’s mandate to care for the orphan.” With over 75 members, the Christian Alliance for Orphans desires to see “every orphan experiencing God’s unfailing love and knowing Jesus as Savior.”

“[Many Christians] do not realize that caring for orphans is central to our call as God’s people. Churches so rarely talk about this issue. We are to be his hands extended in caring for the orphans just as God himself would. God’s plan for his people has always been for us to represent him to the world."
— Kerry Marks-Hasenbalg, former executive director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

“We have been blessed with so much, yet too often we squander these blessings on our personal pursuits without a thought that God gives us these things to use for his Kingdom. Yet I believe the adoption of orphans is one of the greatest opportunities today for fulfilling the Great Commission. When children are received into families where they are introduced to the Savior, and grow up in a secure and loving environment, they are positioned to meet and experience the living God in a tangible way."
— Dennis Rainey, president and cofounder of FamilyLife

What Does God Have to Say about Orphans?

God is their Father
Psalm 68:5-6a “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” (NIV)

Ephesians 1:3-5 “How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”

God is their Defender
Psalm 10:14, 17-18 “But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You are the defender of orphans LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so people can no longer terrify them.”

Proverbs 23:10-11 “Don't steal the land of defenseless orphans by moving the ancient boundary markers, for their Redeemer is strong. He himself will bring their charges against you.”

God's Call to Believers to Care for the Orphan
Deuteronomy 10:17-19 “For the LORD your God is God of gods
and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt." (NIV)

Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.”

James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

How can we argue with or ignore that last one (or any of them...after all, these are God's Words)?!? Understandably, not everyone is in a position to adopt an orphan, but we all are in a position to help in some way. Think of the impact we could have on our society and generations and generations of societies through the changing of the lives of these precious ones. To find out how you can help, go to www.cryoftheorphan.org/

I'm speaking up...

2007-10-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

Matthew 19:21-24 (New International Version)

21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Last July, World, a weekly Christian news magazine, ran a very interesting article about ministries and how they spend their money. Many of the things stated in the article came as no surprise to me, but infuriated me nonetheless. I wanted to post a link to that article on my blog then, but I never got around to it (click on the highlighted words to go to the links).

In light of the recent developments regarding the Roberts family of Oral Roberts University, I am now sharing this article on my blog in hopes that it'll help you discern where your money will be best used should you be happen to be one who supports these types of ministries. I think Wall Watchers is a ministry that should be getting more attention in the Christian community (hopefully, someone is grading their financial transparency as well :o). I also hope Christians will begin to voice their disdain for ministries that manipulate God's Word for their own selfish gain, mock His healing power, and prey on those desperate and less fortunate.

The World article quotes Paul Crouch of TBN telling viewers: "If you have been healed or saved or blessed through TBN, and have not contributed . . . you are robbing God and will lose your reward in heaven." Does that not make anyone else absolutely sick to their stomach? I'm serious...my heart is palpatating loudly in my chest right now as I type this. I have been reading the book of Jeremiah, and I can't help but think of the "lying prophets" condemned in Jeremiah 23. Why don't mainstream Christians speak out against such distortion of God's Truth??

I have to be totally honest (this is my blog, afterall), by choice I've watched very few TBN programs. The ones I have watched instantly gave me that same sick to my stomach, heart-palpatating, wanting to scream out "that is not the message of God's Word" feeling! There is just something deep inside me that is strongly repulsed by the prosperity message and the glitsy, pretentious people who often preach it. Not only is it unBiblical, falling in direct opposition to the example of Christ and the Bible's overall theme of humble, sacrificial servitude; this message is also unethical - asking less fortunate people to "sow their seed" into their ministry so that they can be blessed. Just so icky and so obviously wrong to me.

Back to the Oral Roberts University issue: My poor husband has his Bachelor's Degree from this university. After spending four years there (and several thousands of dollars), he saw a lot of hypocrisy and was already "sensitive" about sharing his alma mater with clients and co-workers in his corporate world workplace (he was attending ORU during the late 1980s prayer tower media-event...Oral claimed God would not allow him to live if he didn't raise millions of dollars...ugh). None of the recent allegations about the Roberts' family surprise Max in the least, and as a matter of fact, he could add some of his own to that list. How sad, that the degrees of thousands of graduates and future graduates will be devalued in the eyes of many. How completely more disdainful that the message of the Gospel is being devalued in the eyes of both the saved and the unsaved alike.

Isn't it time Christians speak up?

A Shamefully Quick Update

2007-10-07T21:34:00.002-05:00

As I predicted, turns out I'm a lousy blogger...

While carrying out my daily tasks as mom, homemaker, and teacher, I am often formulating blog posts in my never-still mind. These "posts", however, never seem to make it to this page. I'm not sure where I'm going wrong in the time-management category, but lately it truly seems like I have NO TIME for blogging. So, here is a quick (rather impersonal) update on what's been keeping us so busy.

School has begun. Brittany is a freshman. Brielle is a two year old. I'm using Tapestry of Grace for the first time. I'm teaching a Roller Coaster Physics class in our weekly homeschool co-op. Need I say more????

First day of school
Our high schooler
Our middle schooler
Our busy, busy toddler

Mounds of paperwork. Background checks. Doctor exams. Social Worker visits. Notarization. Our homestudy is finished, and we now await the USCIS for fingerprinting and the infamous I-171H. Our Letter of Intent to adopt sweet Hao was sent to China on 9-14-07, and we were so excited to receive our Preapproval to adopt him on 8-2-07! Now we can send him a package, and he'll know he has a family who loves him and is waiting for him! We can also post pictures. We are still considering names, but "Brock" seems to be the forerunner at this time. Introducing our handsome little guy...

We can't wait for you to join our busy home, sweet boy!

A return trip to Wisconsin after moving almost 2 years ago. Visited friends and favorite places. Met family in Green Bay for nephew's wedding. Had a great time with family and friends! We miss everyone sooooo much!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Halloween contest

Other contributors to our busy schedule: hockey season began and Grandma and Grandpa Good are visiting. More on these, later (hopefully)!

Where Were You?

2007-09-10T22:58:00.001-05:00

In memory of 9-11...

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in pride
For the red white and blue
The heroes who died just doing what they do
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Teaching a class full of innocent children
Driving down some cold interstate
Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone
Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her
Did you dust off that bible at home
Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Speak with some stranger on the street
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Go out and buy you a gun
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger
Stand in line and give your own blood
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you
The difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us
And the greatest is love

The greatest is love
The greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

by Alan Jackson

What Now?

2007-08-06T15:40:00.001-05:00

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl.
She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world.
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart,
"Didn't you say you wanted to find me?
Well here I am, here you are.

"So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected,
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be.
You've found me,
What now?"...

What Now?, by Steven Curtis Chapman

(To hear this song, scroll down to the end of this post and press the play button)

Six weeks ago, our family was asked, "What Now?", and since that time, we have been seeking an answer to that question.

On June 20th, our adoption agency posted on their website the faces of 20 "waiting children" in need of their forever homes. Every quarter or so, our agency receives a new list of children from China with special needs, and we (like most adoptive families) always look forward to seeing their sweet faces and watching as they are joined with their forever families.

This day, Brittany, Brant, and I were all at the computer to see this latest group of children. The first ones we saw were adorable baby girls. I perused passed their sweet faces, but then my heart skipped a beat as my eyes caught the face of an older boy in the next row. I clicked on his picture to find out more about him and was greeted by four more pictures of this adorable little guy.

Brittany immediately said, "Oh, Mom. He's so cute. What is his special need?"

Quickly reading aloud his special need and other information, I was interrupted by, "Oh my goodness, Mom! That is just like the book I'm writing...", and Brittany proceeded to tell me all about this book based on our family. This family goes to China to adopt a baby girl and sees an older girl named Hao Shan with this same special need. They decide to adopt both the baby girl and the older special need child.

(China's rules and regulations do not allow me to specify his special need nor post his picture at this time.)

I start to feel myself shaking a little as I read more carefully the very limited information given about him:

This little boy is almost 7 years old...He is lively, energetic and fast! He has a ready smile and likes to play with the other children.

I remember reading this and then looking down at all his sweet pictures. Oh yes, he sure does look "lively, energetic, and fast!", and there is no doubt about that "ready smile". I felt my heart melt for this little guy without a home and family. What Now?

I spent all the free time I had that afternoon and night researching his particular special need, homeschooling/adopting a child with this need, adopting an older child, etc. Late that night, I saw a message on our agency's yahoogroup from someone who was advocating for this little guy, hoping he'd find his family. Another lady responded, saying she had seen him on Harrah's waiting child list back in the fall of 2006. No one adopted him, so his file was sent back to China, who sent it to our agency, giving him another chance at a family.

Armed with this information, I launched a quest to find out more about him from Harrah. I went to a huge adoption yahoogroup and did a search for "Harrah waiting child (special need) boy". The first thing that popped up was a description of a boy named Hao with a special need that sounded very similar to the little guy on our agency's waiting child list. Oh my goodness...Hao?!? Wasn't that the name of the little one in Brittany's story? There was no picture nor birthdate with this new information, but I just knew this was the same little guy.

I noticed "Hao's" special need was more specifically identified in Harrah's information, so I next did a google search for this more specific need. The first site that came up was a world-renowned center for treating children with his condition. This site is extremely informative, and I spent a long time there learning more about his special need, it's treatment, etc. I found out that only a handful of doctors around the country are able to reputably repair his condition, the doctor whose website I was reading being one of those few. After all my reading at this site, I wondered if this doctor would be available to answer any questions we might have, so I clicked "Contact Us". Can you guess where this "world-renowned center" just happens to be? Yep...San Antonio, Texas...a short 7 miles from my house! I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I started to sob. What Now?

O-kay...now I really needed to find out if this "Hao" was the same little guy on our agency's waiting child list. One last google search gave me my answer. I don't remember exactly what I googled, but it was likely something like what I had searched for on the adoption yahoogroup. After sifting through numerous search responses, I found a "Hao" on yet another special needs adoption site. This time "Hao" had a picture attached, and sure enough, the little boy who was capturing my heart was named Hao! His description was much the same as Harrah's description with this added: "We think that a loving and active family with a daddy who likes to play ball would be great for this special little guy!"

The next evening, Max and I went running, and I told him about Hao and about all of the "coincidences". Earlier that day, some fears and "am I crazy" thoughts had started to trickle in, so I was surprised when he really listened and responded positively. After our run, I showed him Hao's pictures, and he asked a lot of questions. He said that he'd be open to reviewing Hao's file, with the understanding that reviewing a file was not a commitment to adopt. So, we submitted a request to review his file, but would have to wait until June 26th (my b-day) to find out if we were selected.

Soon after this, the fears and "what ifs" started streaming in. I began to pray that if this was not God's will, He'd start to close the doors that all seemed to be opening. I asked Him specifically to close the door on our file request if this was not part of His plan for our family or for Hao.

June 26th came, and our agency posted on the yahoogroup that only one family had requested to review Hao's file. Assuming it was us, I got excited at the thought that another door was opening. However, the hours crept slowly and without a call from our agency telling us we would be able to review his file. My heart sank as I read on the yahoogroup that our agency had called all the families that were chosen to review the waiting children's files. Did they lose our request form? Had they never received it? Did I somehow make a mistake when sending it? Who was the one family that submitted a request if not us? Admittedly, I was crushed. I had asked for a closed door, but I found out I wasn't ready for one.

Because it was my birthday, some sweet friends stopped over with gifts. I had already asked both of them for their prayers, and when I gave them a quick update, they both said that they, too, had been praying for open and closed doors. One of them encouraged me by saying that God can reopen a closed door. Shortly after that statement, the phone rang. It was our agency telling me that they were sorry, but in the chaos of the day, they had forgotten to call us to tell us we were selected to review Hao's file!

A few days later, Max and I went on a date and discussed Hao the entire night. We talked about worse case scenarios and agreed that we would be willing to handle any of them. We seemed to have come to a "yes" decision, but out of nowhere, the fears started to flood in.

For the next several weeks, we allowed God's "What Now?" to be drowned out by our "What ifs?" God faithfully continued to hold the door open, but we faithlessly were too fearful to walk through it and wanted to feel total peace before doing so. I was relaying some of these feelings to a friend of mine, when she replied that each of her five adoptions were done out of obedience and "in fear, by faith". Wow...those words spoke clearly to my heart and helped turn my focus off of my "What ifs?" and back onto God's "What Now?"

So...What Now?:
*We have chosen to be obedient to God's obvious leading.
*We will walk through the open doors by faith and not by sight.
*We will trust Him with all of our fears.
*We believe "this is right where (He) said (He) would be" and can't wait to find more of Him through this journey to our new son, Hao!
(Br- name to be announced later)

Still Feels Good Tour Sweeps the Court

2007-07-29T17:57:00.000-05:00

**Concert Review by RF's #1 teenage fan in this family (well, RF's only teenage fan in this family)**

A steady stream of people flooded the AT&T Center, which usually serves as a home building for the San Antonio Spurs or the San Antonio Rampage (a hockey team). But neither teams were present. No court was on the floor, and neither was ice.

I attempted to snuggle into my seat in nosebleed section 202, row 10. At first the sheer height and steepness of where we were made me nervous and dizzy. For thirty minutes, Mom, Brant, and I waited, chatted, took pictures on Mom's cell, and watched the stage.

Finally, the lights went out. A rowdy cheer erupted from the crowd. The Still Feels Good concert was on!

Guitars began to blare and twang as Jason Aldean, opening singer and country star with inclining popularity, began his part of the show. People cheered heartily as his modern hits such as Johnny Cash, Hicktown, Amarillo Sky, and Why rolled by. Soon enough, people discovered that he not only sang great, but was extra generous in hand shakes. The audience began to flock to the stage in hope of getting one.

Not too soon, Jason left the stage. By now, the Pit was pretty full, probably largely due to the text messages that you could send to enter for your chance to win a pass into it, and thereby getting an almost on-stage experience.

The lights went out again. By this time, the crowd was more than ready, and they didn't fail to welcome the stars with the screaming and applause that ensued. And the stars were......Rascal Flatts!!!

An orange light and smoke began to emmit from behind the staircase that led to another section of the stage. While we ooed and aaahhhed over this, the violinist came on stage, along with some guitarists.

"Here they come," I whispered amidst the screams and applause.

The whole stage suddenly illuminated and flashed in white and other minute colors. Needless to say, we were awed and excited.

The introduction to the song Me and My Gang played. But no one on the main stage was singing!

"Look, they're down there!" Mom said, pointing.

Brant and I followed her finger. She wasn't pointing to the main stage, but to a smaller, circular stage more towards the back of the room that earlier appeared to be nothing but part of the sound system. And on top of it, were the band members themselves! The guitarists and violinists on the main stage were performers, but were also decoys to lure the eye to the wrong place!

Mom had also had a hunch that the three Rascal leads were going to come out that way because earlier she had seen men rolling in big boxes that appeared to be sound equipment. Now we're not completely sure, but we believe that the trio were in the boxes!

I rose to my feet, singing along to the tune that I knew and loved so well (Me and My Gang). Hands raised up in the air as lead singer Gary LeVox sang, "Raise up your hands if you all wanna hang with me and my gang."

The band made their way onto the main stage by a bridge that was raised up when not needed. They continued by delivering hit after smashing hit. Gary's voice, which has a very large range, tends to err on the high side, but with a uniquely tomboyish tinge, was complimented skillfully by the startling talent of his two backups and their guitars (really, they could probably make it by themselves). Just some of the songs performed were These Days, Bless the Broken Road, Backwards, Feels Like Today, My Wish, I Melt, and Pieces, the last of which the two backups sang by themselves. Upon being asked which song they would like to hear, the audience yelled back "Mayberry! Mayberry!" So, upon command, the band performed the song perfectly.

In addition to this, the lights were amazing. They took on different shapes and were constantly changing colors. After one song, green lasers criss-crossed and were held in the air for a moment before vanishing. During Backwards, the stage was littered in red, blue, and white stars. When they played music videos, the floor of the main stage was so shiny that the whole platform looked like it was one big screen.

After nearly two hours of songs and anecdotes, the band ascended the staircase and walked onto a part of the stage that lowered them down. I was disappointed. They hadn't sung Here's to You, the song that I wanted to hear the most. Neither had they sung Life is a Highway, their most popular song.

The lights came back up. People began to leave. Then the lights went out again. A blue light shone onto the drummer, who had remained on stage. He gave us a few upbeat rhythms that allowed him to show us his skill. The whole time, I was going, "Okay, are they coming out again or not?"

Bright red and white lights suddenly blared onto the platform. Guitars twanged. Gary's voice came on again (he was back on the circular stage!). He began to satisfy the silent cries for encore with none other than Here's to You, a song that thanks the fans for being fans! It also has a fast-paced, fun beat where the guitars and drums match perfectly.

They ended with Life is a Highway, which credits much of its popularity to the motion-picture Cars (yeah, they're the ones who sing that!). The whole crowd stood and sang good an' loud. The whole building rang with it! I'm sure that we could be heard for miles.

Somewhere in the middle of the song, Gary got out to mingle with the people nearest the stage. Once he said something like "This is to all you guys there in the back!" and then continued with the next line, which was "There was a distance between you and I. A misunderstanding once, but now, we look it in the eye."

I was sad when it ended. I was having a good time, and I wasn't ready for it to stop. But, Dad was waiting for us when we got home, and, as usual, I was eager to relay all to him.

In short, even though we couldn't see all that well, it was a great evening and "kid's date" (as I called this evening out with Brant and Mom). I can't wait for my next concert and hope that Rascal Flatts will come back to San Antonio again.

I hope that you'll stay here and listen to a few songs. They sang these at the concert. Enjoy!

"Hoppy" Birthday, Brielle!

2007-07-19T21:49:00.001-05:00

Brielle turned 2 on Tuesday! Our baby is getting to be such a big girl!

Because Brielle loves bunnies and affectionately refers to them as "hoppies", Brittany suggested we have a "Hoppy" Birthday theme. Great idea, Britt! Of course, the making of the old traditional bunny cake was in order (I think I remember my mom making this same cake for my sister, Michele's, birthday which fell around Easter time...did I dream that, Mom, or did that really happen?).

The night before their birthdays, I always decorate the kids' bedroom doors while they are sleeping. Brielle was squealing with delight when Brittany, Brant, and I opened her door in the morning, singing the happy birthday song, and revealing the crepe paper, balloons, and "Hoppy Birthday" sign adorning her door. I really think she would've been completely satisfied if that was all we did for her birthday. She kept running in and out of the crepe paper hanging in her doorway, repeatedly saying "hoppy", "hoppy". It was definitely apparent that she knew it was her special day!

Thanks so much to everyone who sent cards, gifts, and money. We used her birthday money to buy her first little trike, a play "market" (complete with food, cash register, shopping basket, etc.), a stroller for her baby, and a huge play-doh set. It looked more like Christmas at our house than a birthday, but we really haven't bought her any of those bigger items until now. Everything was truly a hit with her. She has played and played with all of her new things! The big kids and I are also having so much fun playing with the new play-doh gadgets, playing store, decorating her pretend b-day cake, taking her baby for a walk, and reading new books to her. Brant has broken in Brielle's trike with his numerous trips around the house. It is quite funny, and I wanted to post a picture of him with those long legs pedalling that little bike, but he'd kill me for it! Oh, the benefits of having a little sister!

Happy Birthday, sweet Brielle ~
Our lives are so much richer because of you!!

Family Date!

2007-07-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

One of the great joys of having a teenager and a pre-teenager is they serve as built-in babysitters for their busy baby sister. Max and I have begun to take advantage of this and plan a "date night" for just the two of us every other weekend. From the outside, our dates likely look pretty boring (dinner, a walk, a trip to Starbucks), but I sooo look forward to these nights and often look back on them with a smile once they've passed.

Last weekend, Max and I went out on Saturday night, and then on Sunday, we decided to plan a surprise "Family Date" for the kids. There is so much to do in this area, and we decided to surprise them with something we hadn't done yet. So, we took them to Natural Bridge Caverns and Natural Bridge Wildlife Park. The caverns were nice, but probably would've seemed much nicer had we not just visited Carlsbad Caverns. The Wildlife Park was definitely everyone's favorite. It is one of those drive-through parks, where the animals roam free. We've been to these types of parks on vacations, so I was a little skeptical of the ads I'd seen and had set my expectations low. Usually the animals in these places are just laying down behind some tree, outside of camera range. Not so in this park! As you'll see, we had a whole zoo checkin' out the inside of our vehicle! It was a lot of fun and definitely accomplished the goal of our Family Date as new experiences were shared and new memories created.

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