"Normal"

Things around here are finally settling down here.  We are kinda getting into a routine and finding our new normal.  Everyone is finally sleeping through the night.  Steve and I are able to relax more after the kids go to bed and not just pass out in our bed.  The first round of doctor appointments are done and our first update to China is done (our part anyway).  We have everything we need for the new kids.

Abram is a tender little guy.  If we have to correct him it breaks his heart.  But we hold him and assure him that everything is ok and we love him.  He has amazed us so many times already.  Like Elias he is a cuddlier, which I love. He loves to be taken care and I think loves being part of a family.  He is so smart and is making leaps every day.  When we were in China and first home we thought he would never talk.  He was so quite.  Now he is picking up words out of no where.  We were playing with a sticker book this morning and he started counting.  A couple days after we got home he started saying thank you.  This afternoon I said thanks you to him and he said "your welcome".   He loves Elias but is not sure about Jade.  I think that he fells like he has to share us too much with her.

Jade is a sweet, sassy and stubborn little girl.  I am going to get paid back for everything I did as a child.  She is so smart.  She is trying so hard to talk and she is doing a good job.  She is 100% girl.  She likes to be the center of attention and when she is not she will let you hear about it.  Her walking and coordination has improved so much in the month we have had her.  She is a determined girl that is going to be just fine.   She loves to do hair and is turning into a Daddy's girl.

I am getting a routine down that is working pretty good for now.  Every day after lunch we have a quite time.  Jade is suppose to take a nap (she at least lays down for a while).  The boys sit in there beds and either reads or looks at books.  Mama gets to relax, sometimes.  We have a bath schedule, but if the new kids had there way they would take a bath every night.  I have no idea how but I have been able to keep up with laundry since we have gotten home.

Steve is back at work but still helps around here.  He has been doing dishes for me every day.  He has also helped keep the house clean. In the morning before work he has done school work with the boys.
This last week I have been feeling sick. I am trying to kick what ever it is but I do not think I am winning.I have loved taking care of my kids.  I have been really good at making meals most of the time and the kids eat them and like them.  Tonight was a treat, I made rice and dumplings.

Clothes, Clothes, and More Clothes

We are so blessed!!!  We started going to a wonderful church almost two years ago and about a year ago we got involved with a small group.  The ladies from our small group threw us an adoption shower.  We asked for cloths for the kids.  We forgot to get pictures but it was a wonderful time.  I came home with the same number of clothes for both kids.  Everyone who bought an outfit for one also got an outfit for the other.  We got a couple of toys, books and stuff animals also.
We may not have gotten pictures there but all these bags were filled to the top with gifts.  We had to condense everything.  My friend Laurie also brought me a bunch of clothes that her girl has grown out of.  Everything is really cute.  My sister-in-law brought some clothes for Abram today since we got the clothes from Laurie. I think that both the kids are good with clothes for awhile.

I want to say thanks to Krista, Vicki and Katie.  Vicki, the kids love the the leftover cake.  Katie, I never got a chance to say thanks for the flowers.  They are beautiful.   Krista thanks for all you did and for being a great host.
Our church was also praying for us while we were in China.  Elias and I went to church this morning and everyone was so sweet.  So many people were welcoming us home, asking if we needed anything and told us that they prayed for us while we were in China and that they would continue to pray for us.

Doctor Appointments.

     Today Abram and Jade had their doctor appointments today.  They were great.  We were there from 9 to 13:30.  Jade started getting a little cranky at the end when she was getting hungry, but that was about it.  All we people were very nice and were good with the kids.  We took Elias to an Aunt's house so he did not have to sit and do nothing all morning.   He was very grateful.
     Abram is just what we though.  He is a 6 year old boy who is small.  There is no way to get his real age without finding his mom in China.  Bone test and dentist can get it close but from how he acts, his skills, and how he does things, everyone thought that his age is close.  He needs to see a dentist and we are going to take him to a nutritionist but other wise he is fine.
      Jade was the center of attention today.  She was smiles most of the time.  We knew that today was going to be hard for her but she was a trooper.  She did not like to exams but loved everyone giving her attention.  She is going to need some PT for sure.  They think that it is to early to start trying to diagnose her with anything right now.  Getting her some good nutrition and just working with her has helped so much already.  From what they can tell she has not built up some of her muscles in her leg.  PT is going to help with that and hopefully get her a little more coordinated.
     They also did a non-verbal intelligence test.  She did great with that.  We think that she would have done better but by the end of it she was hungry and just doing things to get done so she could eat.  At the very end she did not even want to do anything at all.  The test came back that she has normal intelligent.
     Right now the boys are in their room putting together puzzles quietly.  Jade is taking all the cloths off all her dolls and putting them in the hamper for me to wash.  I do not know why she is doing this but it is cute.  She loves to help and to imitate things I do around the house.
     God has blessed us with wonderful kids.  These kids fit into this family perfectly.  We have not looked back since we have gotten them.  There has been a peace in our hearts and a level of comfort that is almost scary.  It is like we have had all of our kids forever.  God is good.  Only he could have put together something so perfect.  Like I tell Elias, "God made you to be in this family".  We thank God for this ever day.
     

Home Sweet Home

     Things have been going great since we came home. The first couple of nights were rough, especially for me since I only had about 4 hours of sleep in our 48 hours of travaling. The boys are now sleeping through the night while Jade is getting up at about 3AM.  I am able to get her back to sleep in our bed but then she kicks me out of bed.  I think that between the trip to China and having 3 kids at home I am going to become a coffee drinker.
     The kids are doing great. Abram is now eating with little problem.  He would be a picky eater if he thought he could get away with it.  One day we had white chili and he liked it so much he asked for seconds a couple days later we had it and he would not take a bite.  I was able to get him to understand that he either eats or goes to bed.  He ate.  He has started some school work.  We started him on fun things just to get him interested.
     He has started talking.  Yesterday morning during breakfast he said "thanks you Mama; thanks you Papa" out of no where.  He is very polite and sweet.  He loves to be taken care of.  He has pushed some boundaries, but not very often.
     Jade is such a girly girl.  She  is sweet and sassy.  She is also trying to talk.  Yesterday she learned eye, nose and mouth.  It is hard for her to pronounce English words but she is trying.  She is also starting to play with her toys.  She really did not want to play much when we first got her.  She loves to help, and is always wanting to help clean.
     Friday we have our appointments at Children's Hospital Adoption Clinic.  I am curious of what we will find out.

Last Days in China

 Shopping was great on the island.  Some places had cheap stuff but some places had some really nice things. Here are some pictures of some of the shops we visited.

 This is a picture with Jenny in her shop. She was really sweet and we enjoyed talking to her.

 We got to meet up with some friends while we were in GZ.  We met Cheryl after our adoption from Vietnam fell through several years ago.  She adopted a sweet little boy and was there with her mom and niece. We had a great time having dinner with her and I got to go shopping with her.

 One of the few times Jade and Abram played together.  They were brother and sister from the first moments they met.  They care about each other but already have sibling rivalry.

 Elias is a sweet heart like always.  He is great big brother.  He did really good in China.

 Going from GZ to Hong Kong was a little stressful.  The train ride was great but getting to the train was a real test of our patience (and after 3 weeks away from home out patience was wearing pretty thin).  We were let out of the van in the middle of the street with 5 suitcases, 4 backpacks, 3 kids and a stroller.  We had to cross a street, go up two escalators and then wait for our paperwork.  Once we got on the train we were able to relax and enjoy the ride.

When we got off the train in Hong Kong some people from Christian Action found us and wanted to talk about Jade.  They help with the orphans in her province and had some more pictures of her and some additional paperwork.  It was nice talking to them.  We were only there one night and Steve and I did not sleep very well.  On February 16th we finally came home.  With the time change this was a 37 hour day.  Steve was able  to sleep some on our 14 hour plane ride to the States but I did not sleep at all.  Customs and immigration went very fast and smooth (almost too easy).  The last plane ride home was only 34 minutes.  Altogether out trip was 22 days, 8 plane rides, 5 hotels, 1 train ride, and more than a few scary car rides.
IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!

Parks and Appointments

Even though being away from home was hard, we were able to stay relaxed and got in some good bonding time with our new kids.  I love this picture of Abram and I.  He is so sweet.

 Not far from the hotel was a park.  He kids had a blast and Steve and I had a workout.  We were able to go there a couple of times.

 Just in front of our hotel was a great Thai restaurant. We ate here two or three times and loved the food every time.

 At ever hotel we there was a breakfast buffet,  This was our last one.  The pastries were great and they made eggs to order.

 In Guangzhou the seats were limited so we had to get there early. The first day we were there Steve and I had to stand and eat.  We sat the kids down in some empty chairs that were next to a very stuck up couple.  They were done eating but would not leave until we were done eating.  We just smiled.

 On Tuesday morning, February 14th first thing in the morning we had our American consulate appointment.  It was not as bad as the medical appointment and a little shorter.  The kids did great and we rewarded them by taking them to the park afterwards.

 Our wonderful travel group again.  These people were a gift from God.  There we great and I am sure the friendships that were started there will continue for a lifetime.

Better Late Than Never

The last few days of our venture have been a whirlwind of events. We are now home and doing our best to adjust to the jet-lag and non-hotel living.  However, we don't want to gloss over some very interesting and exciting things that happened during our trip...

Guangzhou was crazy for us.  While walking around the island we noticed that there was a photo shoot going on.  Everywhere we saw models dressed up and getting pictures taken.  

 We were told by our friend about a great deli that was very cheap and only a 5 minute walk from our hotel.  We tried to eat there at least one meal a day.  The food was really good and cost next to nothing.  We would stop at a little convenience store/souvenir shop next to the hotel and get some chips to go with our sandwiches.

 On Monday after the kids got their TB test checked, we went for a walk off the island.  We went with our travel group and another family to go to a DVD shop.  I think Steve liked the DVD shop in Nanning better, it was less commercialized.  Nonetheless, we saw some interesting stuff both there and on the way.  Like seahorses drying in the street and smoked lizards on a stick.

  It took me a couple of days but I finally found the Starbucks.  It was right behind the hotel.  It was also really good coffee.

 I will post more pictures after dinner.