Happy 8th Birthday!

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!

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

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!!!!!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

**Press Play Button Now**

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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!

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.)

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!

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!!!

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!!

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

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!

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

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

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...

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

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