Jia!

After nearly five years, we completed our adoption of a daughter from China, November 29, 2010. We call her Jia, pronounced like Gia. Her name is part of the name her orphanage gave her, which is Jia Jing. And, even though in Chinese it's pronounced like "Ja," we "americanized" it to Jia.
O.k.
Now that is out of the way...

I've got loads on my mind about life in the past few months.
I won't ever get to it all.
But, here are the highlights...
By the way, I am having camera issues.
It pains me that this has happened now.
That I can't crop and edit the way I would like.
But I have waited far too long...so here goes
Installment #1
This is the moment I got Jia, adoptive parents often refer to it as "Gotcha" day.

Come to think of it, maybe that wasn't the moment I got her.
That could have been about 40 minutes afterward, because the moment I got her she was balling her brains out.
Then we gave her some milk.
You can't tell, but boy was she sweating.
I learned quickly that is what she does when she is anxious.
The orphanage director and a woman who is still unknown to me, brought  her to us at our hotel in Nanchang.
I can't remember the hotel name....
This next picture is bittersweet.

Bitter because Jia is so clearly sad and unsure.
Sweet because of Steve.
Sweet because it's at the Civil Affairs office, where we legally became her parents.
Even though we were officially her parents from that point forward, there was a lot of paperwork and immigration paperwork that had to be completed before we headed home.

After we adopted Jia, we spent most of our mornings visiting places of interest, like this  one... it's a picture of a door at the Chen Family Temple in Guangzhou.
I took it mostly for Henry's sake.

Then the rest of the day we spent at our hotel.
Jia slept.
Then, while Steve worked, we would try to find a place to play.

These were taken on our first or second full day together.
I detest the lighting.
I was thrilled to get a grin.
A sign of contentment and interest.

I feel so humbled to have Jia.
So sad that China lost its most beautiful baby.

She has begun to reveal herself more fully to us.
When she arrived she weighed less than 15 pounds.
After a week with pneumonia and diarrhea, she weighed 16.5 pounds.
She didn't crawl, pick up food or put much weight on her legs.
She now does all of that, and climbs the stairs and is "cruising."
Most of all, she is talking and animated more and more.
And, she needs to work on those skills, with these two.
They were exuberantly waiting for her arrival.

They can't get enough of her, most of the time.
Me either.

school, new art

Here are a couple pictures from henry and eliana's first day of "school."

Eliana adores this purse converted into her school bag. I would like to make her one, I mean I would like to have one made for her (i.e. by someone other than me). I don't know though, she may not give this one up...no matter how it overpowers her. Tell me she isn't daring me to take it from her? This girl is not afraid.

Finally, many of you know that before Henry and Eliana there was a one pound dossier sent to China, an application to adopt a child, Tabitha. Well, after more than four years, we are on the brink of a "match." Of course, I will keep everyone updated. But, here is a painting I bought for Tabitha from Marie. If you haven't read "The Little Prince," I highly recommend it.

change

There have been so many changes in our lives lately.
I started a part-time job last week for the first time as a mother.
After three and a half years at home with Henry and Eliana, I felt we were all ready for it.
At least I was.
I am teaching at the same school I was teaching when Henry was born.
It fits like a pair of old jeans.
I keep learning about myself in this new role of mom.
I think working a bit suits me.
It's not too much, about 15 hours a week.

I wanted to post a before and after piece.
Our basement has been an albatross, sticking to my worries and annoyances and to-do list like spider man's web.
Before:

After:

Growing up and dealing with yourself and your stuff feels good. It has taken many years to "deal" with the "myself bit." The basement was easier, but significant.

Tonight though I have to write about the woman who helped me deal with myself the most over the last 13 or 14 years.
Marie.
I like this picture of her and her husband and their daughter. I wish their son was in it too.

Here is one from when she helped me with a wall hanging.

She is the single most influential woman in my adult life.
She discipled me and helped me learn more and more about Christ, and our Father's grace.
She hung in there with me, my grossly self-centered self week after week, month after month, year after year.
I have learned so much from her.
In a few days she and her family are moving.
There is nothing I won't miss about Marie.
Not one thing.
Here is her dog in the moving truck with our friend, Holly.

One of my favorite studies we did together was Ecclesiastes.
I remember like it was yesterday sitting in her kitchen (she has a groovy house) and discussing the over-arching message of that book.
Apart from God, life is meaningless.
God gives life its color and shape and rhythm and sweetness and depth and beauty and hope and inspiration.
He gave me that and more through Marie.
I suppose there is a time for everything.
But I don't particularly like this time.

oh me, oh my...tops for Roja

Wow...it's been way too long, and I have been way too preoccupied to write. A dear friend of mine likes to catch up by reporting on our top 10. I have been very, very delinquent in writing back to her. So, here they are, for you, Roja, and everyone else who has been wondering what the heck happened to me. Maybe not 10, maybe more or less, or this may be tops, part 1.

1. Snakes. Henry and I (and now Eliana too) enjoy watching the snakes in the spring. This spring Henry caught a few. Steve and I decided to let him keep two for a few days (for his efforts).

2. Easter...more fun every year, and yeah, a bit complicated trying to talk about Jesus' death and resurrection with a young lad and lass. ("Yeah, yeah, yeah mom, the candy, please....")

3. Steve's surprise birthday party (pictured with his mom and dad). That's a hand and card he made for them many (many) years ago.

He also got the iPad...

4. Eliana jumping, dancing, and apparently eating. 

5. Cute, cuter, cutest.

6. And...cute, cuter, cutest.

7. Mother's Day (with my mom, near her birthday - see how young she is!!)

8. A visit with grammy and papa white--fun in the hammock.

9. Painting Elle's toe nails---who knew it would be such a feat to paint her feet!?!

There is more--much more, like working again, and family visits and vacation, but more on that later. 

It's bedtime.

Oh, Henry

You know, not that I am a pro, but it seems that your first child teaches you how to parent.
Henry is an amazing child.
Some words that come to mind: active, verbal, spirited, persistent, relentless, insatiable, funny, clever, sneaky, smart, tender, thoughtful.
Like most three-year old boys he is a handful.
I was talking with someone recently; I said our house was stressful.
As soon as I said it, it seemed so terribly wrong.
Busy, loud, dizzying, full of energy, joyful, messy, disorganized.
I accept those words.
I realized though that our home had too much conflict.
Maybe even a cloud of negativity.
Too many power struggles.
So, I am trying to relax, to take stock.
Choose my battles.
Get to know my children better.
Why do they do what they do?
What do their choices and responses say about them and about me?
And, I have checked out from the library or ordered from Amazon all of these books.

I am not reading them cover to cover.
Scanning, and reading what seems to fit.
I also realize that there is no guide book, no how-to when it comes to loving your children well.
I am just hoping to gain more perspective.
Add more to my "bag of tricks."
So far, so good.
It's a process.
We are all a work-in-progress, no?

A Busy Evening

I am visiting my older sister, Danielle, in FL.
(My oldest sister lives in MA.)
Hard to believe I have been here 2 full days already.
Lots going on in just one evening...a trip for ice cream, of course. Nothing fancy, mcd's.

Then, we headed to the play ground and dog park.

The day's biggest event was a wedding.
For Hoho and Pinky.

Danielle is super creative and resourceful.
This is what she pulled together for the altar at the church.

And, officiating the service, a very formal and serious Tee.

Tee delivered a beautiful message.
Hoho promised to love Pinky "'til death do us fart," and then...that moment everyone waits for.

awww...do you think it will last?

Oh...I've missed you so!!!!!

It has been too long.
I've been in a rut.
A too-busy-to-blog rut.
And, that is just wrong.
I didn't capture some of the best parts of the last several days on film. So, I am starting with a list of highlights.

• Volunteered at our church's free medical clinic to pray with whoever wants to pray. The nights I spend at the clinic fill me with peace and humility. Such a blessing.
• A workshop for mom's only on disciplining your kids. Honestly, I felt like such an -ss of a mom and a failure. But, I also felt encouraged, and thankful that I am loved and judged ultimately by grace, and maybe someday I can impart that better to my family, and especially my children.
• Some dear old friends and colleagues for dinner.
• An evening of dinner and fund raising with more friends.
• Sunshine
• Mud
• Meeting with some school folks--looks like I am heading back into the classroom for some short-term subbing at the end of the school year. (yae!)
• Led a little Bible chat from Ephesians for our house church.

And, of course, there are a few pictures of what is new or cute or...actually repulsive around our house.
There has been way, way too much of this...

I am sorry.
I know it's gross. But, really.
After all the bitter cold days, there was a heck of a lot of that to pick up in the yard.
And, I have been in real deep in it with the kids too.
One of them isn't going where he is supposed to go--on purpose.

Moving on... I just adore this picture of sweet Elle. Not sure about the extra white light - would like to learn more about photography.

I am not always good about diversifying the veggie choices.
I don't care much for peas, but I thought the kids might.
Guess I was right.

Elle did this one night, unprompted.

Henry followed.

It's funny, I always expected the eldest child to lead and teach the younger one. Odd how that isn't always the case. Strange how the 3-year-old relishes the fun of acting like a 15-month-old (all the ill-manners) and how the 15-month-old picks up so quickly all the quirks like banging and screaming from the 3-year-old.
Sigh.
Smile.
There have been too many faces like this

Eliana is so expressive.
I love her.
Please come check in again...I promise not to be gone this long again for awhile.