Chinese New Year

It is the year of the rooster! Happy Chinese New Year!

Each year we try to add something new to our Chinese New Year Celebration. This year the addition was: family. For the first time we were able to have the whole crew over to our house for dinner. My parents have come in the past. But this year we were able to seat 8 additional adults around our new table! It felt like a real celebration.

I made the usual cuisine:

And the kids received their red envelopes as usual. Caity made me promise not to post the picture as she felt she was making a funny face. None of the kids were looking particularly photo ready so I will honor her teenage-girl request and allow you to imagine their enthusiasm over their little red envelopes with a crisp new bill inside. It's funny how excited they will all get over a dollar.

But mostly we enjoyed each other's company and laughed around the table for a few hours playing games.

We asked Ty what he remembered about celebrating Chinese New Year in China. And we asked the kids what they thought Nathan and Aiden might be doing to celebrate. I love little opportunities to get them thinking about their brothers.

Now that we have the big table they kids are asking a lot more about the boys and when they will come home. Empty seats at the table make us all long for the day the chairs are filled. So far every meal has had some discussion about who gets to sit by Nathan and Aiden when they come home. Warms my mama heart.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Drummer boy

Jacob is having the best time in 'home school.' I say home school with air quotations because it is barely school. We make letters with playdoh. We count toys and match numbers. We draw his name in flour or shave cream or rice. We make crafts and read stories. Basically, we play.

But Jacob's favorite part of home school is being able to participate in gymnastics and drum lessons. Because Jacob is the appropriate age for Transitional Kindergarten he receives funds just like every child in the state. Choosing to school from home allows us to direct those monies to other enrichment activities for Jacob. So he gets to go to gymnastics and drum lessons without an out-of-pocket expense to our family.

Jacob LOVES gymnastics. This boy needs to move his body. Being upside down, doing cartwheels and somersaults, handstands and trampoline is the most wonderful therapy for his little sensory confused body.

And drums? Why drums you ask? Jacob has a natural rhythm like no other. Thirteen months of rocking and self-soothing in the orphanage has taught his little neural pathways perfect timing. He loves a good beat to follow. But beyond that, Jacob also has a sensitivity to sound. Practicing the drums exposes him to lots of different types of sound and helps him cope with intense noises that would otherwise cause him great stress. Our first lesson was down right scary for him. But now? Jacob can't get enough.

Jacob's teacher allows him 5 minutes of 'free play' at the end of his lesson to follow along with the teacher's beat. At first Jacob would just sit with his hands over his ears and his teacher would play as soft as possible. Now Jacob's favorite thing is hitting the loudest cymbal over and over again. 

Jacob's teacher is fabulous and does a great job tailoring each lesson to his ability for the day. Jacob is allowed to touch, take apart, and feel every instrument and learn through touch and movement. 

Helping disassemble and reassemble one of the toms.

This has been an excellent experience for my little drummer boy. I think his brothers are a little jealous. Sometimes it pays to be the youngest.

Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary

Brad and I have been searching for a new kitchen table for months. In our previous home we had a bar where 2 of the kids could sit near us at meal time. In the new house we had no choice but to cram all 8 of us around our little 4-seat table. It's been 7 months of elbow rubbing and jockeying for foot space.

Brad and I bought this table for our very first apartment when we were newly married. It's been through a lot over the past 16 years.

We've been watching Craigslist, checking furniture sales and researching do-it-yourself designs to build a table over the last 6 months. Finding a table that can accommodate 10 on a minimal budget is not an easy task. Time and money are always the barrier. This week I happened to walk down an isle I wouldn't normally see at Costco and there it was: the perfect table on sale!! The price was so low we probably couldn't even build a table and benches/chairs at the same cost. I couldn't believe my eyes. My mom was with me and was so excited for me she offered to help pay for the set. I was told this is my birthday, Christmas, and anniversary gift for the next couple years. I eagerly agreed.

We can fit all 8 of our children at the same table! Drew and Jacob's little wooden chairs will be stained to match soon.

One more little piece of the puzzle has fallen into place. Room at the table and bedroom furniture were details at the very bottom of the list. But it always feels good to settle each little detail. I remember before this adoption when Justin first came home, before our move, thinking, "We can't adopt again because we are full. We have to be on a break until the big kids move out. There is no room in the house, no room at the table, no room in the car. We must be on a break." Then came the 15 passenger van. Then came the 6 bedroom house. And now comes the 10 seat table. Nothing is impossible.

Birthday Boy

Ty is officially 9! Another birthday snuck up on me.

Ty started the day with our tradition of donuts for breakfast. But... I forgot to snap a picture. Next he was off for a day of adventure with Grandma. I am assuming there are pictures... but I haven't seen them. So next I met Ty and Grandma at the Pinewood Derby. Finally a picture!

He was hoping for a birthday win. It didn't work out that way.

After the derby he was off with Grandma again for a birthday movie. When we finally saw him again it was time for dinner, cake and presents at Nana's house. 

Uncle delivered again and offered to take Ty snowboarding for his birthday gift. He did so well last year we figured this would be a great adventure for him. Amber weaseled her way into the equation and Ty was sweet enough to agree. It turned out to be a little harder than Ty was expecting and he ended up falling asleep at the lunch break. When we asked if he had a fun day he said, "Not really." So, it looks like we will only have the one snow junkie in the family. Amber comes home every time asking when she can go again. Just look at the joy on her face as her brother tries to sleep his sorrows away:

If we can convince him to stick with it, Ty will soon master the mountain. But we will first need to nurse his bruised ego. I guess his visions of 360's and back flips on his first day were a little too hard to let go of. Wrestling his way down the mountain like every other beginner was just too much.

Aside from the rough day on the mountain, Ty had a great birthday.  Another year is gone and next year we will be on to double digits!

Ty, you bring us great joy. It is so fun to watch your natural athletic ability and tenacious spirit. No one will ever hold you back from what you want. We cannot wait to watch you grow and see what you choose to become. The sky is the limit for you, young one. I may joke about you needing to survive your childhood before achieving greatness, but that is just because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt greatness is coming. We  love you son!

Almost half way there!

We received notification today that we have been approved for a $5,000 grant through The Gift of Adoption Fund! We are so excited to see we are approaching the mid point of our fundraising goal!

It has been truly inspiring to watch through each adoption as our friends, family and even those we have never met rally around and support us in bringing our boys home. We are abundantly blessed to call each and every one of you our friends.

The pace will no doubt be picking up speed in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned. It's about to get even more exciting around here...

One Step Away

I wanted to post this yesterday. But there was not a spare moment to get on the computer. This was one of the first songs I heard yesterday morning just hours after my last post. Sometimes it really does feel like God controls my radio station.

"One step away from surrender."

"One step away from coming home"

Surrender

After my fancy little post about 'being willing' and 'the only thing we truly have to offer is our will' I apparently needed a little lesson on surrender. Since I wrote that post 9 days ago I have been sliding further and further into the pit of worry.

I am willing. I still believe a way has already been made. I still believe all is well in the big picture. But rather than surrendering my will, it seems I was holding onto the last little corner of it. And it seems to have been a bit of a death-grip on that last little corner.

Today I found myself struggling to focus and get anything done. I just lacked all motivation. Everything seems to be out of control. I am a big fan of control. I much prefer to have a pretty little plan all wrapped up in a bow. I like lists an schedules. But it seems lately that very few things are going according to plan. Work has been stressful. Finances have been stressful. Children have been stressful. Obligations outside of home have been stressful. There just hasn't seemed to be many solid areas of stability and success.

At least so it seemed.

Tonight I had a big whining fest with Brad and vented all of my current frustrations. Once I had vomited all of my complaints on him he quietly rubbed my back. I impatiently (but playfully) added: "Fix it." to my list of whines. Brad tried ever so gently to share with me his own recent surrender. He suggested that perhaps it was time to let go of the worry I was carrying. He reassured me that I was indeed accomplishing all that I needed to right now.

I was not content. I continued to lay there in the dark staring at the ceiling and decided no sleep would be had until I figured this thing out. I proceeded to gather my scriptures, my journal and my paper and pencil and slip back downstairs to empty my brain.

An hour and a half and three pages of scribble later I figured it out: it is time to let go of the worry I am carrying. I am indeed accomplishing all that I need to right now.

Sigh.

While I have been willing all along, I have yet to fully surrender. The worry can be comforting for a little while. Worrying makes me feel like I am doing everything I can. When there is nothing I can do, at least I can worry.

But that is not what I have been asked to do. "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" "Fear thou not, for I am with thee" "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

It is time to surrender even the worry (fear).

After my hour-and-a-half whine fest on paper, I decided to continue with three little letters that would change everything:

b...u...t...

Once I stopped focusing on all of the stuff that has me worried and instead focused on all of the things that have been provided, the light bulb came on. The list of things that we are doing well was longer than I thought. The blessings and provisions continued to flow down the page as I surrendered the worry and instead chose to focus on what is good and right. We are doing a lot right now. There are so many positive things going on in our home. We are blessed in abundance. And had I stayed in my little worry pit I would have continued to miss out on the abundance around me.

Our boys are coming home. Our children are thriving. Our home is secure. Our God is in control.

And I don't have to worry.