Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Our Nightly Entertainment
This was too funny. Almost as funny was watching little JuJu laugh at herself as she watched the video.
The Monday before Thanksgiving....
(I really needed to be reminded of these things this Monday morning.)
EVERYDAY IS THANKSGIVING
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings, thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud, thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my vocation(job, life) is often monotonous, thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Thank you, Lord for the friends and special times that touch my life in so many ways. There are many who are not so lucky.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life.
Author Unknown
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud, thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my vocation(job, life) is often monotonous, thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Thank you, Lord for the friends and special times that touch my life in so many ways. There are many who are not so lucky.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for life.
Author Unknown
H/T to Michelle
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Next Step
Yesterday we received our 797 Provisional Approval for little Joseph. While I know this is the next step in our paper chase to travel to Joseph, I am still not sure it brings us any closer to determining travel dates. Our next set of paperwork was sent off last night to Guangzhou and we now wait-- again. This wait though, is the most variable. We really need it to go quickly if we want dh to have traveled and be home with Joseph by the time baby is born. If this wait is slow, we will be faced with some tough decisions. Do we postpone his trip so he can be here for the birth? Do we send him anyway, knowing Joseph needs to be home? We can only pray that God's will be done. He is total control of this timing.
My sister has been back in the hospital with some complications. Please keep her in your prayers. I know it cannot be fun to have to spend weeks at a time in the hospital. I also know it would be especially difficult to have to spend Thanksgiving there.
My sister has been back in the hospital with some complications. Please keep her in your prayers. I know it cannot be fun to have to spend weeks at a time in the hospital. I also know it would be especially difficult to have to spend Thanksgiving there.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday Food For Thought
The Mother Theresa Edition
If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
A Response to Questions about Joseph
Joseph is currently 19 months old, he is about a month and a half younger than Juliana. There will be about 21 months between him and his baby brother, we are still deciding on little brother's name. The update we received said he is not quite 25 lbs and about 31 inches. This is actually a little bigger than Juliana. Receiving those measurements reminded me I really need to get moving on getting things together, especially for dh's trip to pick him up. I am close to an expert on little girl clothing, shoes, and accouterments, but the boy thing is a whole new world.
Joseph was found when he was a few months old. He was taken to an orphanage in the province of Henan. His cleft lip and palette made feeding him very difficult and he was soon sent to a foster home in Beijing that was better equipped to deal with his special need. He has been at this foster home for over a year now, and seems to have received absolutely wonderful care. At the end of October he had surgery to repair his cleft lip, which seems to have been very successful. He will have to have his palette repaired once he is home.
Because Joseph is in a foster home, it will be necessary for him to return to his original orphanage before he is placed with us. Dh will have to travel to his province (Henan) after he arrives in Beijing. Then the orphanage workers will most likely bring him to dh. Dh is planning to visit his foster home in Beijing, even though there is a good chance he will not be there. We do not know the timing of his transfer back to the orphanage, but would appreciate your prayers for him in the coming months. I can't imagine how difficult it will be for him to leave the only home he has known to return to an orphanage he cannot remember, only to turn around and be placed with a family he has never known. All this for such a little fellow.
Joseph was found when he was a few months old. He was taken to an orphanage in the province of Henan. His cleft lip and palette made feeding him very difficult and he was soon sent to a foster home in Beijing that was better equipped to deal with his special need. He has been at this foster home for over a year now, and seems to have received absolutely wonderful care. At the end of October he had surgery to repair his cleft lip, which seems to have been very successful. He will have to have his palette repaired once he is home.
Because Joseph is in a foster home, it will be necessary for him to return to his original orphanage before he is placed with us. Dh will have to travel to his province (Henan) after he arrives in Beijing. Then the orphanage workers will most likely bring him to dh. Dh is planning to visit his foster home in Beijing, even though there is a good chance he will not be there. We do not know the timing of his transfer back to the orphanage, but would appreciate your prayers for him in the coming months. I can't imagine how difficult it will be for him to leave the only home he has known to return to an orphanage he cannot remember, only to turn around and be placed with a family he has never known. All this for such a little fellow.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Only My Children
Yesterday, Grandma stopped by with dinner and some other goodies. Aunt Missy had sent some little trinkets for the girls. She can't visit herself until I get over this silly virus. She sent little Bophie a charm bracelet. Bophie has been wanting one since her older sisters got one and started collecting charms with the Little Womens Hospitality Program. She also sent bangle bracelets for the older girls.
Banana, being my bookworm, and clearly a home schooler, took one look at the sparkly pile of bangle bracelets and said, "Look, I can use these to make Venn diagrams!"
Earlier in the day, I had made "coffee" for the girls. The coffee is essentially frothed milk with a scoop or two of decaf instant cappuccino mix. As we were all at the table enjoying our coffee Bear and Bophie kept sliding out of their chairs to the floor under the table. After a few times, I finally asked them to sit up and drink their coffee like ladies, after all, did they ever see Mom do that when she drinks her coffee?
Bear thought a minute and piped up, "No, but you wouldn't fit."
I chuckled with her for a moment, but then warned her that was a dangerous thing to say to a pregnant woman :)
Banana, being my bookworm, and clearly a home schooler, took one look at the sparkly pile of bangle bracelets and said, "Look, I can use these to make Venn diagrams!"
Earlier in the day, I had made "coffee" for the girls. The coffee is essentially frothed milk with a scoop or two of decaf instant cappuccino mix. As we were all at the table enjoying our coffee Bear and Bophie kept sliding out of their chairs to the floor under the table. After a few times, I finally asked them to sit up and drink their coffee like ladies, after all, did they ever see Mom do that when she drinks her coffee?
Bear thought a minute and piped up, "No, but you wouldn't fit."
I chuckled with her for a moment, but then warned her that was a dangerous thing to say to a pregnant woman :)
Friday Food for Thought-- Thankulness
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” - W.T. Purkiser
I was saving this quote for the week of Thanksgiving, but I have had so many little blessings this week I decided it shouldn't wait.
I have been feeling pretty lousy the last month or so. The girls all came down with some little bug at the beginning of October and promptly got over it. I seemed to catch it, but have been unable to shake it. I am tired. Unbelievably tired-- more so than I was my first trimester. I have been schooling my girls from the couch. On those few times I attempted to go into public, I found myself not enjoying things I normally loved to do.
It turns out I did have the flu, it had gone on too long to bother to check for H1N1. I also have had a nasty sinus infection. And because of a fluke at the doctor's office, I had my blood drawn and they found I have some anemia. I know this is crazy, but I am glad to know all this fatigue is not in my head. It seems baby boy is still doing well, he sure is kicking up a storm, but I am lightheaded and tired, bone tired. I will be seeing a hematologist in the near future and until then I just have to take it easy--which is about the hardest thing for me to do.
Why did all this mess make me thankful? Because I have been so blessed by friends and family in the last few weeks, if I tried to list them all this post would be pages and pages. My mom came by last night with dinner (again), she brought an amazing meatloaf and my favorite pumpkin roll! She also brought a whole slew of food from my sisters. The girls and I had homemade banana bread for breakfast, and we have dinner (and yummy desserts) for the next few nights. I had a dear friend loan me saint costumes for two of the girls last week so I didn't have to worry about making or gathering them. She also lent me many much needed maternity clothes. It is such a relief to know I don't have to worry about dinner and I don't have to do the wash every three days.
On top of this my girls have really pitched in. Banana has taken on vacuuming, I can't do this at all during pregnancy or after the c-section. Bear has become proficient at cleaning up the kitchen and is even trying to help fold the laundry. On top of all this is my unbelievable dh. He has so much going on at work, but he has really taken on so much more at home. Preparing dinner, cleaning up dinner, bathtime duties, bedtime duties, he's pretty much had to cover them on his own.
So now I am asking myself how am I going to use all these blessings? First, I am going to have pumpkin roll for lunch :)
I was saving this quote for the week of Thanksgiving, but I have had so many little blessings this week I decided it shouldn't wait.
I have been feeling pretty lousy the last month or so. The girls all came down with some little bug at the beginning of October and promptly got over it. I seemed to catch it, but have been unable to shake it. I am tired. Unbelievably tired-- more so than I was my first trimester. I have been schooling my girls from the couch. On those few times I attempted to go into public, I found myself not enjoying things I normally loved to do.
It turns out I did have the flu, it had gone on too long to bother to check for H1N1. I also have had a nasty sinus infection. And because of a fluke at the doctor's office, I had my blood drawn and they found I have some anemia. I know this is crazy, but I am glad to know all this fatigue is not in my head. It seems baby boy is still doing well, he sure is kicking up a storm, but I am lightheaded and tired, bone tired. I will be seeing a hematologist in the near future and until then I just have to take it easy--which is about the hardest thing for me to do.
Why did all this mess make me thankful? Because I have been so blessed by friends and family in the last few weeks, if I tried to list them all this post would be pages and pages. My mom came by last night with dinner (again), she brought an amazing meatloaf and my favorite pumpkin roll! She also brought a whole slew of food from my sisters. The girls and I had homemade banana bread for breakfast, and we have dinner (and yummy desserts) for the next few nights. I had a dear friend loan me saint costumes for two of the girls last week so I didn't have to worry about making or gathering them. She also lent me many much needed maternity clothes. It is such a relief to know I don't have to worry about dinner and I don't have to do the wash every three days.
On top of this my girls have really pitched in. Banana has taken on vacuuming, I can't do this at all during pregnancy or after the c-section. Bear has become proficient at cleaning up the kitchen and is even trying to help fold the laundry. On top of all this is my unbelievable dh. He has so much going on at work, but he has really taken on so much more at home. Preparing dinner, cleaning up dinner, bathtime duties, bedtime duties, he's pretty much had to cover them on his own.
So now I am asking myself how am I going to use all these blessings? First, I am going to have pumpkin roll for lunch :)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Happy Feast of All Saints
From my little saints in the making...
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Scholastica
St. Apollonia
And one grumpy bumblebee... She was much happier after seeing all the loot :)
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