Over the Moon

The Beach...and chemo round #3

2011-07-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Long before we knew Shawn had cancer, we had already put a chunk of change down to rent a cottage along our beloved 30-A in Florida near Seaside.

After he was diagnosed, we asked his Oncologist if we should cancel or work around it and she highly encouraged us to keep this vacation planned as long as we brought along some help with the little's. She basically scheduled the entire chemotherapy treatments around so that he would be feeling the best he could on vacation.

Vacations are so good for the body and soul and we are so appreciative that we were able to maintain this family tradition. This time...my super fun, 'always-game-for-anything' parents joined us for the trip. As always, wonderful memories were made.

Shawn is doing remarkably well. Despite 10 sessions of chemo sessions, he was still able to enjoy the 14 mile (carting 80+ pounds of cuteness behind him in a trailer) bike rides into Seaside that we have come to love. He obviously didn't have the same energy has he had in the past and it took him a lot longer, but the reward at the end is worth it....

Hands down some of the best shaved ice evah. That, and then lots of...

We've had so much of it too. If you're going to be a bear, be a Grizzly right?

We shamelessly got to bring along our precious Rudy. We are proud to say we are "one of those people" that are hopelessly in love with their pets.

Shawn grew up never being around dogs and had a major aversion to having one in our home. One night, after 10 years of wearing him down, I finally got a mumbled "maybe" when I asked him in the middle of the night while he was sleeping.

Rudy Hercules was en route the next day. Shawn didn't even know what hit him. In our house, all the girls know that if Daddy says "maybe", that is soooooo a yes.

So Shawn said he would tolerate him at best, and that lasted until the moment he met the little guy. Now, one year later...

Just look at that proud papa. Rudy has been his constant companion, his best friend, standing by him through thick and thin. I think they are even starting to resemble each other. He is only 4 pounds and goes with us anywhere we can take him....even on those 14+ mile bike treks.

Oh, and the girls tolerated a few of my photo shoots..."few" is the key word here--as one, the other, or both-- just were not in the mood at all for many of my attempts to take their darn photo. Case in point...

Little stinkers.

Ridiculously cute stinkers though.

Now, onto an update of how Shawn's holding up for all those blog stalkers that have patiently been waiting for a new post...

He's continuously kept a great spirit throughout this ordeal and I believe that's why he's managed through these intense treatments so well, that, and we feel like half of America praying for him (thank you very much). His third round of a 30+ hour week of Chemotherapy started today--he's tired, but otherwise, it was just another day at the salt mines. I'm proud of him, sure do love this man of mine.

Round Two...and a whole lot of catching up.

2011-06-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

Shawn started his second round of chemotherapy today...came home exhausted, but otherwise in pretty good shape. As mentioned in the previous post, the last chemo session started off okay. I pushed submit that night, and then headed to bed to find Shawn in pitiful shape...and the following days turned quickly to the worst with extreme nausea, exhaustion and other really painful or downright strange side effects.

This chemo thing is just a boatload of fun, trust me on that.

Two weeks later, going into this next round, he's feeling good. His smile and wisdom...those have not been stolen by cancer. He's lost his hair but not his sense of humor. Case in point...the other day I walked in on him while he was studying his new "Charlie Brown inspired" do in the bathroom mirror. He quickly shot a smile, and asked nonchalantly...

"You think it would help if I part my hair differently?"

Despite a couple of hard punches, round one goes to Shawn. Cancer just isn't going to win this fight.

On to other news...as it's summertime and I don't want to be a Debbie Downer all the time on a blog meant to serve as memory book for the girls...we've have lots of fun times despite being consumed by all things medical.

For starters, our little Leah had a birthday. In that first week of being a six year old, she made leaps and bounds in the growing up department.

1. She took off the training wheels and rode off into the sunset
2. Jumped off the diving board and swam across a junior size Olympic pool
3. Read her first chapter book with no help
4. She made no complaints and gave up her dream of a "friend party" in light of her Daddy starting chemo treatments.

And the way she handled that disappointment--which is everything to a little girl with a bazillion friends and who has gone to birthday parties nonstop over her first year in school--we were most touched by that over anything.

...And we've had some great family times...

cousins

Our birthday boy..2!

Making a box car tonight.

Life is good.

Ready to Rock n Roll...

2011-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Shawn is on day three of his very aggressive and intensive Chemotherapy treatment of five days a week for six-seven hours at a time. He will have two weeks off to recuperate and then start the treatments over again...this schedule will remain until the end of summer.

As of now, he has had little effects other than some dizziness and mild fatigue but the nurse said next week is when he will likely start feeling bad after multiple sessions of chemo start taking effect.

The medical team is OUTSTANDING. We are in good hands with both the Oncologist and the nurses that administer the chemo.

and...

We are in awe of the beautiful, sacrificing hearts of those around of us...to receive so many cards, letters and notes of concern, meals provided for, offers to help with the girls, the lawn...anything we might need...it's just flat taken our breath away. Thank you so much.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2011-05-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, the girls were batting around the word "hate" in the back seat of the car...and I explained to them that word was only allowed to be referred to something very, very bad...like cancer. The girls were happy that they now had permission to direct that word to a "thing" and have repeated the phrase quite a bit, because in the minds of a 5 year old and a 3 year old, it's like getting away with saying a bad word in front of your parents as long as it was said correctly.

In a million years, I would not have guessed this chapter in our lives happening now. Shawn...my kind, gentle, perpetually positive husband, was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of testicular cancer. He's had one surgical procedure down, one to go, and then is embarking on a healthy dose of chemotherapy all summer long in great hopes of clearing the cancer from his body. Then five years of c-scans and check-ups, and the fear of it coming back to haunt us for the rest of our lifetime.

Sitting there, hearing a doctor say "...it's cancer" just sends your mind right into a tailspin, and as you pull yourself out of that fog over the next couple of weeks, you realize the only thing you can control in the midst of all the unknown ahead, is your spiritual walk with God.

And suddenly, time just becomes unbearably precious. Man, oh man, I really do, from the bottom of my heart, hate cancer.

Leah...my wise, old soul....upon hearing the news of daddy's cancer and what was going to happen over the course of the next few months summed it up quickly...

"So it's going to be like a movie, Mommy?"

What do you mean, Le Le?

"You know...good in the beginning, scary in the middle, and then good again in the end..."

"Yes, honey. That's it exactly."

Our family blog has been used to document our most important journey's in life and this is definitely no exception. Please feel free to follow along with us. We greatly appreciate your support and prayers to give our family the faith, strength and courage to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Summer Recap: Part 2

2010-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

While I'm in the mood I just have to get this blog up to date with some memories I cherish!

Baby Jack's 1st Birthday Celebration

I adore my little brother Rich, always have, uh...that is, after I got used to the idea of being a middle child.

He's 9 years younger than me, and I've gotta give props to Mom because this kind of age difference really is a perfect balance to not fight much as kids and but still close enough in age to foster a strong relationship as adults like we so easily do.

He's handsome, caring, wise, gregarious, give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back-in-an-instant-kind-of-guy. And he married beautiful, brainy, talented, ultra-funny Rachel. And now they have a son, Jack...who is perking up to have those same wonderful qualities of both of them.

I'm so proud to call this family my own. And lucky us to have this little guy in our lives. I'm going to enjoy cheering him on in life just as much as I still love to do for my brother.

Our family gathered together in late June to celebrate his first birthday, and as the official family photographer, I'm always there to capture the action. I'm going to apologize in advance for the amount of photos...but I wish you knew just how dang hard it is to pick and choose the piddly amount of photos that make the blog cut. I decided, ah..what the heck...to just throw a lot up on here to make up for all the lost time until I get into a regular rhythm of adding posts.

So....here we roll...

Did I mention how much I love my whole family? Can you tell? Cause I do. I do. I do. I do.

Summer Recap: Part I

2010-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Please ignore while I get this blog back up to date and record some wonderful summer memories with my family and friends.

Seaside Vacation--May 2010

We visit Seaside, Florida every year as family and have been for the past 10 years and Shawn many years before that with his family. It's a little slice of heaven to me and the memories made there are precious beyond words. This year, we stayed in beautiful Seacrest, just outside of Seaside and met up with our beloved Nana & Ye (Shawn's parents), Aunt Jennie (seriously, hands down the best aunt in the world), and absolutely ADORED Uncle Day-Day (David).

These are just a small sampling of the many photos I must take (like it's a drug), there's a lot. Every year, I make these photo memories into a little book for the girls to treasure and we love, love, love to look at them at bedtime and dream of the next time we get to visit our second home.

Nana performing a very serious operation on "ChipMUnk".

Sunday Snapshot

2010-07-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Perfect case in point of why I need to document better for my family....I'm in the midst of organizing and editing photos from some sessions I've been doing lately and ran across a folder on my computer dated an exact year ago today. I couldn't resist opening it up to see it was filled with my little Kate running around the backyard, playing hard as she always does. Look at what a little baby she still was just a year ago....

and now look at her...

She's so stinkin' funny. She spends literally half of her time getting sheer joy out of trying to make us laugh, singing songs and dancing, smiling these million watt smiles like she is above, and then the other half of her time she spends just as mad as a hornet at the world, because it takes very little to set this firecracker off. She's unbelievable headstrong and so.....two. She wears the age like a fine wine.

And as I look through an impromptu photo session that took just minutes to produce, how can I not chuckle at her little personality coming out frame by frame. Because I get just as many of these kinds of looks....

That would be her going "....UGH!" at me....

as I do these...

in a matter of mere seconds. It's hard in those tantrum moments to deal with as a mom, but in hindsight, it's so hilarious of how absolutely psycho this age is. "This too shall pass." I say that a lot.

She's beautiful, courageous, fearless and unstoppable. Before I even knew this little gem, Kathryn Mei Lin, I had a strong feeling she was a powerhouse. Something told me, that her special need wasn't really going to be so special.....

I just knew she was going to set this world on fire with an inner strength and strong belief in herself that there was nothing she couldn't do if she set her mind to it....

and so far, so good.

Our Latest Addition to the Fam...

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

We are nuts, but just barely a year after bringing our Kate home, we decided to adopt again. He was just too sweet and gentle of a little guy to pass up....introducing our 2.5 pound fluff ball, Rudy Hercules....

As you can imagine, the girls are ecstatic. We've teased Leah that we should have named him "George" after that bugs bunny cartoon. She loves him in that ever-loving, but smothering, I just want to squeeze you tight and dress you up" kind of way.

And yes, while puppies are a tremendous amount of work...and I have had so many people say to me...full-time job, side photography business, two children, and you added...a dog? What are you thinking?!?!

My gut told me I needed something on my lap late at night to keep me company while I edited photos, that my girls would need that unconditional love that only a pet could give you, and that adding this little guy would bring us a lot of joy. I'm so happy to report that I was right.

On a side note, holy cow...I'm loving all these new updates to blogger. It's a good excuse to start adding some more bits and pieces of our life on here. I miss blogging sometimes, especially when I go back and see what we were doing on a particular day, such a great way to capture and preserve memories.

Must. Do. Better.

I had to think really hard about what my password was...

2010-05-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's been that long since I've plunked down photos or words on this blog. I've been very neglectful this past year. And I'm already stinking as a fair mom to my youngest baby. I've done exactly like I thought I wouldn't do and didn't take many photos, didn't write down much and didn't take much videos.

What is it about that second kid that throws you for a loop?

I've resolved to do better. I must do better. Got that whole sibling equality thing to worry about. Kate's Journey video, like I did for Leah, is currently in production hopefully in time for our first anniversary of meeting each other for the first time. That's my first test to see if I'm committed to the cause, keep your fingers crossed.

So, with that in mind, let's me chat about Kate for a minute, she deserves a little air time...

Spend a little time with this chica, and you find yourself saying..."EWWWW...your so darn cute, I want eat you up!" Smack your lips and start kissing her all over. And instead of looking at you like you have something growing out of your nose, she throws her arms around you and hugs you really tight. It's been a long year of building trust...but she just gets it now. She knows she is here to stay, she knows we love her very deeply and she is happy, truly happy.

She overcomes obstacles with zero hesitation and makes her way through this world bravely. She has not yet noticed that her hands are different, and it certainly hasn't stopped her from jumping the farthest, swimming the longest, climbing the highest...you get the point, born determination. I'm going to have the time of my life cheering on this little dare devil.

Now, this blog post wouldn't be complete without mentioning big sis. She'll be the big FIVE in just a few short weeks. She decided when she was three to start growing her hair, and the goal was for it to reach her bottom..it's been scary as it was almost getting there! Last weekend, she came to me and said, "Mommy, I want my hair up to my chin."

"Are you absolutely sure?" You've been growing your hair for years!"

"Up to my chin, I'm sure!" Leah tends to know exactly what she wants, so off we went and got it chopped to a super cute bob...

Last week, she was in love with the new look, but this week...eh, not so much. She got huge crocodile tears because I couldn't french braid her hair like I did for Kate one day this past week (big mistake). So, now our plans are to grow it back to at least "the length of Hannah Montana". Oh brother, I've got the feeling this is the beginning of a very long emotional roller coaster.

Her official "Look at me, I've lost TWO teeth" photo.

The World Needs a Million More Kate's

2009-09-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few reasons why...

1. She brings unfiltered sunshine into the room with a flash of her smile.

2. She leaves your jaw dropped to the floor with disbelief of all you can do without the fingers you THOUGHT you needed.

3. Those eyes. Those lips.

4. She's eclectic, totally spunky and as bohemian as a toddler can get. That's just plain funny.

5. She lives to make you laugh.

6. She wakes up happy and stays that way all day.

7. ALWAYS glad to see you and always glad to smother you with hugs and be your girl.

8. Tough. As. Nails.

9. A brave resilience through all the changes in her short little life is simply amazing.

10. She's absolutely fearless and determined, ready to fly at any given notice.

The world needs more of that...it really, really does.

Sometimes...

2009-08-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

in the photos I take of Leah, I catch a glimpse into the future and see what she will look like when she's in her teens and twenties. Can you see it too?

She's changing from a very cute, healthy baby/toddler with the most pinchable cheeks into a beautiful little girl. She's sassy, ultra smart, funny, so sensitive and has the kindest heart. She loves her "babies" (stuffed animals), wearing her hair in fancy styles, listening to Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift. She's adjusted to the change of having a little sister, and has rose to the challenge of being a good example so her little sis learns the right way. I'm in absolute crazy love with her, so very proud of her.

Today, she starts her new pre-K class, and before I know it...she'll be in college. I want her to spread her wings and fly, but WHOA!! Slow down life...you're going too fast.

Back from the Beach...

2009-08-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

and it was all that I wanted it to be for our newly-formed family of four. Much needed R & R, bonding time for all of us, lots of sunshine, laughter and absolutely beautiful memories made.

Lucky me.

2009-07-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

I could write all sorts of stuff about counting my blessings, and looking at those beautiful smiles every day of my life...but I'll just get to the point.

I. AM. ONE. HAPPY. GIRL.

I mean, SERIOUSLY happy.

Splish Splash

2009-07-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is the most awesome water table ever!

I got this at Costco before we even got Kate's referral, just gambling that she would be of the age to appreciate it. Oh my goodness, does she ever! The water runs through the faucet without having to connect it to a hose, it comes with dishes and pans to "wash" and it is the perfect size for our deck. What's not too love...I mean, look at that little face!

I love this wall...

2009-07-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

and these girls...

with every single ounce of my soul.

Too Much...

2009-07-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I took a little vacay from blogger to tend to my new life as a working mother of two. I left you hanging, sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better, my camera USB cord broke, so nobody got to see any pictures, except for sorry little mobile phone photos like this...

Lots of wonderful things have happened in the past month, but it's just too much for one post...so here's a few of the highlights...

Kate is blessing our lives and brightening our days with her million watt smile. She's truly beautiful, inside and out. She's a little firecracker too.
S-P-U-N-K-Y. And oh, so sweet.

My brother is a proud new daddy of a little guy named Jack.

She's 4 now. My baby is growing up. Sniff. Sniff. She's really busy with lots of playtime with her cousins and her new friends at preschool, but thankfully, still drops everything for cuddle time with Mommy.

And finally, I get this...

and this...

plus, some new photo editing software, and a couple of accessories, like this...

Tomorrow. I'm stalking the UPS tracking site.

Life is good.

Kate's Homecoming

2009-06-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

On Thursday morning, we finally reached what we missed so much after two and a half weeks away...home. Really....is there anything better than your bed? Precious little Kate was greeted by family and friends that got up early on that morning in the rain, wow. Holly & Brad, Carolin, Kelly...we love you all so much, thank you!

This trip was really hard, I'm not gonna sugar coat it. In the short time span of our the journey, we logged thousands of miles on 10 separate airplanes, stopped in several countries and states along the way toting two children under four. It nearly did us in.

Here's a funny TMI, that wasn't so funny at the time....my perfect little angel (that would be Kate that I am referring to this time)....who rarely had anything but smiles after we got to know each other in China, decided to have the mother of all meltdowns during a security checkpoint in the Guangzhou airport as we were leaving for Japan. She was terribly upset because I had the nerve to put her in the stroller earlier when she had wanted to walk, but since we needed to get past security and on to our gate to make the next flight, there was no time for dillydallying. So she was letting us HAVE IT and doing a fabulous job making it known to everyone in the airport her displeasure. When I pulled her out of her stroller at security to walk through the detector, I noticed she didn't smell too hot, so I turned her over to discover that she has poop all the way up her back.

In her battle with the stroller, she had made herself human toothpaste.

Peachy.

Holding my stinky, screaming child, I walk under the security detector, and get flagged to have one of those really fun extra security probes. Except I don't know it at the time because I don't understand Chinese and my child has poop all over her, so I walk through quickly, concentrating on finding a bathroom and move on with my life. Luckily for me, there is a bathroom less than 15 feet away, so I get to the bathroom and look up to see I have 5 Chinese security guards surrounding me as I attempt to change my daughter who is now writhing in tears and anger and definitely won't be sitting still for a quick diaper change. I realize that I am now a security risk in communist China. Really peachy.

After 15 minutes and the battle of the century, I finally get Kate cleaned up and changed. I'm sweating, worn out, embarrassed, horrified at her tantrum and wanting to pause the whole scene so I can quickly skim some chapters from a book on handling the "terrible two's" temper tantrums in public. Leah can be dramatic, but has yet to produce a performance like this, so I was totally unequipped to know what to do.

I look down to see I am covered in poop. The guards have looks on their faces that you don't need a Chinese translation book to figure out... "Ewwww....that's just gross."

I have it on my shirt, in my hair, on my body, on my pants, on my shoes...everywhere. At this point, our plane is getting ready to board in 20 minutes which begins a journey of 15 hours in a slender, silver tube with recirculating air. And I still have to go back with all my new friends and do a security check with poop all over me.

Thankfully, they made it quick.

After I got Kate changed and out of the bathroom, she instantly was her happy little self, like the last 20 minutes had not transpired. Figures. That's motherhood for you.

Enough about that, this is about Kate.

She is home and I think she knows it's for good. And after two full days of exploring her new nest, she is having the time of her life, and so are we. The next chapter has begun.

The photos above are provided by our wonderful friends, Brad & Holly.

Almost Done

2009-05-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago, we started our journey to China, and now we have only a few days left and just one more item to check off on the adoption checklist before we head home. Today was the medical exam, required by the U.S. Consulate, and it went as expected for little Kate. She's not really keen on strangers, so I knew she wouldn't like being poked and prodded very much.
We know one thing....

Her lungs work.

Other than that, we are having fun haggling with the shop owners, picking up some awesome treasure for the girls to have for later in life, playing hard on the playground, and spotting all the stunning brides. Guangzhou is a historical city that looks very similar to Savannah, Georgia with beautiful courtyards. On every corner, there is a bride and a groom having their photos done prior to their weddings. So gorgeous!

Oh, The Games We Play

2009-05-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

Shawn...
We flew into Guangzhou early yesterday afternoon, and have now set up camp at the Victory Hotel for the remainder of our time in China. We really like our hotel room--- it's a Japanese-style suite with a separate sitting room, which is great for the girls to run around and play. This is especially important today, as a steady rain has set in and dampened (no pun intended) any thoughts we may have had of going to the pool or walking around the area to visit the various shops.

Not to worry, though... we are continuing to use this time together as another opportunity to let Kate get to know us better. Kate loves to tease, and she created a game that she likes to play with us--- sort of a staring contest, where she tilts her little head forward while still staring at you with a very serious look, then quickly raises her head up and screams while she smiles. We played it for 10 minutes straight last night, and today Melissa was able to get a brief session on video. Also, be sure to check out Leah putting on her Mommy's makeup in the background.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Uh.....Jennie?.....

2009-05-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A smile goes a long way

2009-05-26T04:35:00.001-07:00

Shawn...It's hard to express how nice the people have been to us over here. I guess a smile is the universal language, and we've exchanged many with the locals over the past week.

However, out of all the nice people we've met,

three have made a particularly deep impression on me.

The first is a shopkeeper who operates a small kiosk near the bridge in the park we visit every day. Today I found out his name is Lee (which is my Dad's name, and Leah's namesake--- pretty cool, huh?). He has humored my feeble attempts to communicate in Mandarin and has been very patient with me. Every day we visit his stand to buy ice cream for Leah and a bag of some kind of potato chip/twist food called "Lonely God" for Kate. I guess the taste is heavenly (Hello? Is this thing on? Please tip your waiters and waitresses). He is a very kind man, giving both of the girls lolipops today and helping other curious park visitors understand who we are and why we're here in China. He even posed for a picture with us and my Western Red Towel... quick explanation: WKU's Alumni magazine encourages alums to take their red towels with them on their travels, then send a picture in for publication. I've never really thought about doing this before--- probably because the most exciting locations I visit on a regular basis are the big towns of Waddy and Frankfort on my drive to work every day, and I'm pretty sure Western graduates have visited there before. However, although I've seen shots on the Great Wall before, I doubt anyone from Western has ever been here, so my sister Jennie and I (also a WKU grad) thought it would be fun to plant the flag here like Neil Armstrong. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Big Red (you can quote me on that).

The second friend we met was the guy who runs the paddle boats. We have played on the paddle boats for the past several days, and when we showed up today the smallest bill I had other than about 23 yuan in loose bills was a 100 yuan bill (the ride costs 40 yuan for all five of us). He did not have change, so he accepted the 23 yuan rather than not letting the girls ride, and he didn't want to take the 100 yuan in full. We paddled around for awhile, then tried to dock but all of the slips were full and our friend was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, we saw a series of steps on the opposite shore than came down to the water, so I put the boat against the steps and the girls all got out and we agreed to meet after I docked the boat. I wish you could have been there--- it was truly an astounding display of nautical skill, the likes of which haven't been seen since Columbus' time. After dropping off the girls I paddled back to the dock and found our friend again, who created a spot for me to tie up the boat.
I tried to pay him again, but he politely refused. I felt pretty bad about this and told him I would get change and return, although he seemed to be telling me that it was OK. I found another kiosk nearby and was able to break the 100 yuan bill, then returned to the paddle boats. He again refused the money, but in English pointed to some chairs and said, "Please sit." He sat down next to me, with a big grin on his face, and we began talking to each other about anything and everything. I pulled out my handy-dandy "Just Enough Chinese" pocket-sized book with English and Chinese characters, and we pointed and talked to each other for 10 or 15 minutes. It was pretty amazing--- two men from very different backgrounds, neither speaking the other's language, that fate had thrown together for a brief period of time to become fast friends. It may sound funny, but I was deeply touched by this man's gesture... so much so that I had to write it down like Doogie Howser on this little blog/diary so I could remember the details, although I know I will never forget the experience.

The last friend I will mention is a gentle old man we met yesterday who speaks very fluent English. After awhile other people came up to Melissa and Jennie and began speaking to them, so this man and I found ourselves speaking alone. After talking about our families and homelands, he looked me in the eye and said, "The world is getting smaller, and China and America are good friends.
I hope to see you again one day."

I hope so, too.

Daddy Day in China.....

2009-05-26T04:16:00.001-07:00

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is worth repeating that Melissa and I are extremely proud of how Little Bitty (Leah) has adjusted to her new life on this trip. It's pretty hard to start sharing the spotlight with someone else after ruling the roost for the better part of three years... kinda like how Arnold probably felt when that little redheaded kid and his Mom Dixie Carter moved into the Drummond household in the later years of Diff'rent Strokes (OK, bad analogy, but I thought it more fitting than using the example of Oliver, the kid who started showing up in later episodes of The Brady Bunch. I mean come on... did anyone really like that kid? Who was he, anyway? Funny what things you think about after being in a hotel room for over a week).

Anyway, she has been great, but that doesn't mean that she hasn't had her moments of wanting some undivided attention. Therefore, yesterday (Monday), Leah and I headed off to the local park for some quality father/daughter time while Melissa put Little Bird (that's become our pet name for Kate) down for her nap. Back home we call these "Daddy Days," which we usually spend together every other Monday on my day off while Melissa is at work, and we always look forward to spending some time together to just talk and play. If you've ever met Leah, you know that she is 3 going on 30--- we have to catch ourselves sometimes to remember that we're talking to a 3-year-old because she is so insightful and mature for her age. Thank goodness for Google, otherwise I wouldn't know how to answer half her questions. It makes me wonder how Mom and Dad ever did it for me!

We had a great time, walking through the paths and looking at the beautiful flowers, eventually ending up at a small amusement park with a carousel and helicopter ride that spins around while playing a pretty catchy little tune. Since it was Monday morning the park was pretty deserted, so we had the run of the place. Next, we stopped at the paddle boat rides and were one of only three boats out on the river. Finally, we visited our shopkeeper friend near the bridge (I'll write more about him in another post) and bought an ice cream cone, then headed back to the playroom at the hotel for more fun.

What a kid. What a morning. What an honor to be her Daddy.

In the Eyes of the People's Republic of China...

2009-05-25T03:15:00.001-07:00

She's ours....

Today our adoption was finalized and the paperwork has been cleared so we can officially be called a family of four today. We have one more day in Zhengzhou and then we fly to Guangzhou for another week to complete America's portion of the adoption which will make her a citizen of the United States when we land in Los Angeles. Although we all would rather be on our way home, these days in China are precious. It's your one chance as a family to be in a complete bubble without the chaos of everyday life to just bond and learn about each other.

We feel so complete...to finally have the family we've always wanted. It's amazing to think that just days ago, Kate was terrified to come out of the bathroom of our hotel room, and she is now running to me from down the hallway with a huge smile on her face and arms outreached, yelling "Baba!!" with a grin when she sees her daddy, and is trying to immulate everything her big sis does and hugging her every chance she can get. It's just fascinating to me how quickly this has evolved, love sure is a powerful thing.

Hangin' with the Locals...

2009-05-24T02:05:00.000-07:00

Today was another beautiful day in Zhengzhou....we absolutely love it here! The park is very close to the hotel and it takes your breath away with the beauty of the landscaping, the music, the art, the people. It just happened to be the day the locals practice english at the park so when they saw us, we were bombarded with people trying to practice on us. We feel like rockstars, we've had our pictures taken more times than I can count...it's hilarious and we are eating it up! Speaking of eating, Shawn is really having the time of his life right now. He tends to eat rather safe "American" meals, so he had big plans to loose 10 pounds on the trip...but all that boy has done since he's gotten here is eat, so we wouldn't be suprised if he came back to the states 10 pounds heavier! He can't get enough of the food. Last time I was here, I pretty much survived on cheese crackers, but there is a fabulous restaurant inside the hotel, so nobody is starving (don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm eating this time!).

Shawn is enjoying practicing his mandarin on the locals as well, most of the time they laugh at him, but we are making friends right and left. It's been a joy to converse with these wonderful people, they are so kind...just beautiful, beautiful souls.

Kate is continuing to just blossom in front of our eyes, she's pure sunshine. She's uber attached to me, I definitely have a clinger, but today was a huge breakthrough in that she finally let Shawn hold her. She's a bit of a jokster and loves to play games, especially with her big sis and she just thinks it's the funniest thing to put on a pair of Mama's shoes (see pic). She has been flashing a million watt smile at us all day long, so I think she's starting to really enjoy all the love and attention. Our hearts are so happy.

Walk in the Park...

2009-05-23T01:56:00.000-07:00

First...thank each and every one of you for all your support and encouraging words! We really appreciate it and every word feels like home to us. Shawn helped me out a fews days posting because after all the traveling and dealing with a little broken-hearted soul, I have been physically and mentally wiped out...I wouldn't have been able to make logical sentences! But it's the magical "third" day since we have had Kate now and she is making great strides. The first couple of days were a little rocky, she has had bouts of grieving and bouts of giggles and smiles evenly. It has been incredibly hard to see her go through what she needs to in order to let us in her heart.

We are crazy in LOVE with this precious little bird. She's absolutely beautiful in every single way. She can do some incredible things already with her hands..it blows our mind. She's amazing and we are so lucky to have her in our life, she''s going to teach us all so many lessons!

Kate prefers to be held by me most of the time still. She really loves Leah, comes from behind and just gives her a huge bear hug. Leah is a fantastic big sister...I mean FANTASTIC in the biggest boldest lettering I can find. She's patient and tender with her, makes her laugh and has put Kate at ease numerous times...I am so glad that we made the decision to bring her, it was the right one without a doubt. She's helped not only our little Kate, but the other babies in the group transition better. She's deserves a metal of honor for her ability to know just what to do to make the babies feel safe.

Today we had a paperwork-free day and went to the local park...it was gorgeous! We have a few days left in Zhengzhou so we can't wait to go back tomorrow, there was an amusement park that was also there that we didn't get the chance to see yet. Many people stopped to ask us about the girls and with Shawn's basic mandarin that he's learned they were able to figure out our story and they were just so sweet and encouraging to us, it's been such fun for me to see Shawn experience what he missed the first time.

All the locals that we spoke with told both girls how beautiful they were numerous times, and Leah has picked up a little mandarin as well from those conversations and says "Ni Hao!" to anyone that comes up to greet her, she's not at all scared to talk to them. I think she has a much better feel for what China and the culture is and this trip will stay in her memories for many years to come and help answer questions she will have about her own story.

There was a calligrapher in the park and invited Leah and Shawn to draw with him on the pavement, so Shawn drew his signature Mickey Mouse face, and with that, he gathered an audience of lots of thumbs up and laughter, we made a lot of friends with this universal symbol...it was so cool! We are feeling very, very blessed on this miracle day, our little family is starting to mold together.

Here's some photos from today's adventures....

The Land of Oz...

2009-05-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

All of my girls are now safely tucked away in bed after our first full day with precious Kate. I think we can say it was a pretty successful day, with Kate continuing to come to grips with the fact that her not-already-uneventful life has changed big time once again. She woke up this morning, took a quick look around, and promptly started crying, probably thinking that she was going to wake up like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and find that it had all been some sort of a dream. However, after seeing us in living color instead of black and white (and realizing that her new Daddy, although unshaven today, doesn't bear even the slightest resemblance to Bert Lahr... a fact that both I and, I'm sure, Burt Lahr, greatly appreciate) she quickly calmed down and the game of "Coax Kate Out of the Crib" began. She was very comfortable in her little 3' X 5' bubble and it took some serious negotiating to get her out.

On the plus side, I can now tell everyone that I traveled to China and successfully negotiated a high-stakes deal with one of the locals... and don't think I won't embellish that story to include some sort of nuclear warhead-angle if I ever run for public office. Hillary Clinton, eat your heart out.

Speaking of skillful negotiating, Leah heard Kate start to cry and promptly walked over to the phone, dialed Aunt Jennie's room (she knows the number by heart), and said, "Um... I want to come to your room." She then grabbed her deck of "Go Fish" cards and headed for the door. I guess her Momma didn't raise no dummy...why listen to crying when there's good spoiling to be had next door?

But I digress. The main order of the day was a walking trip to the local Kodak photo shop to take Kate's passport photo, followed by a trip to the Notary Office. Our merry little band of Americans left the hotel grounds this morning and strolled up and down several side streets, really getting a feel for the area. My only experience with international travel prior to this trip was a quick stop in Mexico during a cruise (thus putting my foreign policy experience on par with George W., although I hear he claims the time he once ate breakfast at an International House of Pancakes as "training for the big show"). No, no... love ya, W, if you're reading this, but I'm digressing again.

Anyway, if you've never been to a foreign country it can be a real shock to the senses. I was expecting the sights and sounds to be different, and was even expecting the polite stares (we tend to stand out a little bit), but the unique smells of the area are difficult to prepare for and even harder to explain. It's certainly nothing unpleasant, just a little different to my Western olfactory senses. Actually, there was one notable exception to the "not unpleasant" rule, and that was when we walked past a sewer. It's actually comforting, in an odd sort of way, to know that some things--- like the delightful scent of raw sewage--- are the same the world over.

Although my breathing is actually a tremendous level better here than at home (that had been one of my biggest concerns about this trip), I already know what street to visit if I need my sinuses opened quickly.

Well, back to the main story. At the Kodak shop, Kate had her picture taken alone, then she was joined by the two of us for our first "official" family photo at a portrait studio. Actually, it's not an official family photo yet, as Leah decided not to join in the picture and instead chose to hang out with Aunt Jennie in the lobby. Next, with Leah perched high on my shoulders and Kate attached like glue to Melissa (that little girl has quite a grip!), we walked a few blocks back toward the hotel to the Notary Office, where we climbed six flights of stairs to reach a conference room to sign more paperwork and have another picture taken with the Notary in front of the Chinese flag. As someone who is interested---some might say obsessed--- with government and its many facets, I was very intrigued to see the inner-workings of a Communist government agency up close and in person. Pretty cool stuff for someone like me, especially considering we were likely the first few Americans to ever visit this particular office. Quite an honor.

Later in the day we visited the local equivalent of Wal-Mart, a three-story building covering a block or more of ground and featuring a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on the first floor. Man, talk about sensory overload! Half grocery, half department store, and half yard sale/flea market (my apologies to Yogi Berra for the math in that last comment--- although I've always believed there are three types of people in this world: those who are good at math, and those who aren't). Go ahead and let that one sink in... I'll wait.

Mattel and Disney will be glad to know that they are doing a thriving business over here in Barbie dolls and Mickey Mouse items, as the toy section was covered with them. You'd think that since the darn things were built here they would be a little cheaper, but that wasn't the case. I paid the equivalent of $18 bucks for a Barbie doll today, which I guess explains how Barbie can afford a Malibu beach house and Corvette with no visible source of income. And before you ask: no, the doll was for Leah and not for me, but I'll go ahead and clarify that since I know that's probably what many of you were thinking. However, I was tempted to buy the counterfeit copy of the new Star Trek movie on DVD that was prominently featured in the video section downstairs, but since I have no desire to see the inside of a Chinese prison I let that one slide.

I think I better close this little missive for now, because if you're still reading this lengthy post you can tell that I'm apparently still not quite over the jet lag. Kate and I seem to be making headway in getting to know each other--- she let me give her a bottle and hold her hand walking down the hall today, which are big steps for these little children. Most haven't seen men before now (the nannies at the orphanages are mostly women), so she doesn't know just exactly what I'm here for other than to make her laugh playing "peek-a-boo."
If she thinks that's funny, she should just wait to hear one of my knock-knock jokes. :-)

Kate has Arrived!!!

2009-05-21T06:32:00.001-07:00

This posting is from Shawn--- I'm temporarily filling in as Melissa is otherwise occupied right now, holding one very beautiful but very exhausted and upset little girl.

After several years of waiting and many miles traveled to arrive here in Zheng Zhou, Melissa, Leah, and I were finally united with Kathryn Mei Lin this afternoon at approximately 3:34 pm local time (3:34 am Louisville time). Little Kate put some significant miles under her own belt this morning, taking a four-hour train ride from her orphanage to meet us here at the hotel.

It was certainly love at first sight from our end but I don't think she knew what to make of us at first. Fortunately, we have become accustomed to polite stares of curiosity over the past few days, so her look of, "just who are you people, anyway?" didn't surprise us. She was immediately attracted to Leah, who has been an incredible little partner to us every step of the way. We are so proud of Leah... every day I am more and more impressed with that little girl's spirit and ability to adjust to anything that comes at her. I know she will continue to help Kate make the transition to her new life.

I'll close for now, but will post some more comments as time allows over the next day or so. Kate is grieving and will need some time to process everything that has happened today. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our family throughout this process.

Last Day As A Lonely Only...

2009-05-20T02:54:00.000-07:00

We've made it finally to the Henan province. In the past two days, we've been in three states, three countries, two lengthy quarantine inspections and one earthquake. It's been a doozie of a 48 hours, but we made it.

I need to give major props to Leah...considering all that she's been through over the past few days, she's a rockstar. I couldn't have asked her to do better, she was fantastic and very mature through it all. She just got in the "zone" and did what she needed to do. I am so proud of her and am very glad she is here with us. When I asked her what she thought of China, she replied, "I think it's wonderful! The colors are so pretty and there are so many people!" She proudly told everyone in our travel group that she was born in China.

Kate arrives tomorrow via train and she will delivered to us in our hotel room. Ack! That makes me nervous for her, I prefer it to be in an open area vs. just being dropped off, but I'll work with whatever we can do too.

Thank you so much for your prayers, we have definitely felt them. Keep Kate in your thoughts tomorrow, it's likely to be a rough one for her.

Link to photo stream

Love's Journey

2009-05-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, May 17th...Shawn, Leah, Aunt Jennie (Shawn's little sis) and I embark on a life-changing trip to bring our precious girl home. I've never asked this of anyone before in my life...but I feel like I really need to this time.

Please pray for Kate to bring her comfort, she will be frightened of her new life until the trust can set in, which can take days, months or years.

Please pray for Shawn & me, to give us the strength we need emotionally, physically and mentally, not only during this trip, but when reality sets in and we are home.

Please pray for Leah, to protect her heart, to know that love is not divided, but multiplied, and adding Kate into the fold will not diminish our adoration for her.

And lastly, please pray for everyone on that plane that sits within a 50 feet radius of an almost 4 year old with a majorly extroverted personality (and who can't sit still to save her life) on the 16 hours that we will be in the air.

Pray especially hard for that last one.

And thank you from the bottoms of our hearts--the support we've received for this adoption has been absolutely phenomenal. We are just flat humbled by your offerings to help pack, to cook meals, to mow our lawn, to give donations, to give of your time, and to give us encouragement.

We feel so blessed to know such incredible people, you've given us the gift of pure joy.

Peas & Carrots

2009-05-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

I remember every little detail about May 8, 2006. Leah's Gotcha Day. One of the best days of my life. Also the most nerve-wracking. I was so unbelievably antsy to meet her, to hold her in my arms, to call her my own. I couldn't believe it was actually happening, it's such a surreal experience.

When our adoption group walked in the room that day, all the babies were surprisingly already out in their walkers, waiting for us. I didn't even consider how stressful it would be to figure out which baby was her based off of three little photos I'd stared at for 8 weeks.

In my months of waiting, I'd watched tons of Gotcha Day videos and every single one of them had the parents name called and then a child was brought to them...no pressure. I didn't expect to be put to the challenge right off the elevator.

Well, I failed my first "Mom" test. Miserably. I guessed wrong, like, three times! I couldn't figure out for the life of me which baby was Leah. In my weak defense, she was getting her diaper changed.

I failed my second test when later that night, I got her back into the room and changed her diaper...put it on backwards, and not just once, I did that a couple of days before I figured it out. Got pictures to prove it.

Note Exhibit A:

I failed my third test when I tried to make her a bottle and shook it without holding the nipple at the top and formula sprayed all over the room.

I failed my fourth test when I didn't bother to relearn any nursery rhymes or songs to soothe her in the 18 months I had waited...the only thing Mom and I could remember the words to were "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in those two weeks in China. So we sang that. A lot.

I was so green. Still am. I learn as I go, still make mistakes. But Leah...she's the forgiving type. Thank God. We are like peas and carrots, always have been since she quickly sunk into my arms that day, ready to love and be loved.

Easy, breezy, lovey, and deliciously cute to boot. She's hilarious and smart and all the things I want to be when I grow up. That's my girl. I love her with every single fiber of my being.

For the one person who might care to look (Hi Mom!), I put the video of our journey to Leah below. Good times. :)

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

China or Bust!

2009-05-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow!!!!!!

We got our travel approval today....hallelujah, praise the Lord! We are either leaving May 13th or 15th...just days from now! We're just waiting on the confirmation of our consulate appointment to determine the date, which hopefully we will know tomorrow.

For our little family, the timing of this is so significant. Shawn and I met 10 years ago on the 15th of May. We truly can't believe the adventure we've been on the past decade, I would have never dreamed this up!

Shawn had caught a very bad case of the flu that landed him in the hospital while we were making travel arrangements to get Leah, so he was not able to travel to China with me. On May 18th of 2006, he was finally able to hold her in his arms for the first time...

This is likely the same day we meet Kate.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

I think we're okay?

2009-05-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Iyiyi...what a roller coaster of a week. I foolishly thought this was going a slam dunk after we received Kate's referral and the fast PA, LOA...oh, silly moi!

However, at least as it stands this minute (since things are changing on the dime), it looks like we will still be allowed to travel and hopefully should receive our travel approval from China next week so we can start making arrangements to get our girl. Thanks so much for all your encouraging words and e-mails, it's been such a comfort with the uncertainty of the situation.

Happy May Day and to my fellow Kentuckians...Happy Derby...where all the beautiful people hang the first Saturday in May.

You can't make this stuff up

2009-04-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

So.....I hugged my girl, took my walk, giggled while she sang "Best of Both World's" at the top of her lungs listening to our ipod on top of Daddy's shoulders, completely oblivious to the world. I was even feeling better as I'm watching Leah play in the sand by the playground. Life goes on.

A sweet little boy decided I looked interesting enough to stop what he was doing and come over, so I smiled and he took that as an invitation to sit down next to me. I noticed that his nose was running pretty bad, so I inched myself a little farther away from him but thought nothing of it. A few minutes later, as I was getting up to leave, he leaned over and WIPED HIS NOSE ALL OVER MY SHIRT.

I got slimed.

I mean seriously.

Now, I'm sure the reason of why this is happening to us...I'm going to come down with the pig flu.

Since it soaked through my shirt, I had to take it off in the car in the parking lot, while Shawn slathered my back in hand santizer, and I wore a dish towel home.

Yep, it was the cherry on top.

So I did get to take my bath, but I was quarantined immediately upon arrival. And since we've been all "healthy living" for a year now, the worst thing to eat in my house is this:

A big ol' whoppin' 260 calories. It's pretty darn awesome though.

I can't stop laughing. Whatever will be, will be.

Ugh.

2009-04-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

We've been expecting our travel approval from the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) for weeks now. We were told we would travel within the next two weeks to go get Kate, but it looks like we've hit a roadblock, and I don't know if it's minor or major yet.

Our agency can neither confirm nor deny a report that CCAA is not sending TA's or referrals indefinitely until the swine flu outbreak subsides.

I'm going to hug my girl, go for a walk, take a bath and eat something really, really bad for me now.

Go now, and live.

2009-04-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Seven and a half years of waiting and wishing is coming to a close in just weeks. It’s been an uphill battle from the word go. I dreamed of being a mommy, Shawn needed to be a dad. A painful chapter that lasted several years included multiple heartbreaking miscarriages and countless medical procedures.

We were left broken, battered and exhausted….trying to put a round peg into a square hole….meant for a different path. Hard to accept, and a difficult chapter to close. Not realizing that these dark days were getting us ready to be the parents God needed us to be.

Just days after a lonely Christmas in 2004, we threw in the towel on having a biological child, I was done, it was time to move on. The decision was made to pursue adoption from China and immediately I started to perk up and feel God’s hand on my life again, though I know now he had never left, and in fact, guided us to this new path.

We jumped through numerous hoops, produced mounds of paperwork, opened our home to a social worker barely out of school to judge whether we were fit to be parents. Bring it on. I had a new surge of energy and was made of steel after all the battles in my life.

Eighteen long months later, Leah was placed in my arms in May of 2006. What an amazing child she is! We are absolutely crazy about her. I humbly thank God every single day for allowing us to be her forever family.

When we started the process to adopt again in October 2006, a year before Kate was born; the wait times were climbing fast. For several years, I had been promoting adoption at educational seminars which gave me the chance to learn about the waiting child program which included special needs orphans, China’s ultimate underdogs. These children needs referred would be considered relatively minor issues in the United States, but not so there, so we opened our hearts to consider a child with a special need.

In October of 2007, the same week Kate was born, we submitted our medical checklist to our agency. We were told 8-10 months until a referral from that point, but waited another 17 months. It seemed endless at times and I did have moments when I felt like it wasn’t meant to be.

Then I saw her photo for the first time.

Oh my. Her soulful eyes and beautiful smile has captured my heart and wrung it dry. But God was clearly asking us to step up to the plate and stretch ourselves again, to risk, to have faith. Kate has a visible special need, missing most of her fingers on her right hand and a few on her left.

I’ve had a top doctor recently tell me that she was a reject, that she should have been left in a field to die, to not pursue this adoption. The horror of his statements gave me extra strength that I needed to take on this new challenge.

More than ever, the adversity, the darkness and the light, Shawn and I have had in our lives makes us the perfect parents to raise her. I have peace. Yes, this precious little girl does have a noticable need, but I absolutely refuse to let it define who she is, because she is so much more than that.

She will face harsh adversity and climb mountains daily, but I know she also will show more courage and determination than anyone I’ve ever met. She is going to touch lives, and not just a few, many. She will inspire, she will teach compassion, she will do something amazing for this world.

Just wait and see.

Blessed

2009-04-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

because you might need it today...

2009-04-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

The World's a Better Place...

2009-04-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm surrounded by some amazing friends that I've met within the adoption community that I never would have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Two perfect examples...

Felicia--Uber talented, artistic, beautiful and classy...adjectives that come to mind when I think of this lovely lady. A local instant friend that I met a few years ago at an adoption seminar that I was presenting information about and I actually got to share in their joy of deciding to adopt that day! Since then, we've been on plenty of walks and lunches and talked endlessly about decorating, photography, or "what we want to be when we grow up" over the past few years. I just love this sassy chic.

A few weeks ago, she grabbed my bedding from both the girl's rooms and said she had an idea of what she wanted to do. That sure did sound like fun to me! So look what Leah, Kate and I were surprised with!

She loves her print that matches her new bedding!

Poor thing, whether she wanted it or not, by posting these prints, I might have created her a little side business! Thank you so so much, Felicia!!

Sara--I "met" this wonderful, funny chic with the best smile I've ever seen, about 2 years ago. I had this blog that I feel like only 5 people looked at outside of my family! She was one of them and would leave just the sweetest comments. A virtual friendship was created and we have sent countless emails and packages back and forth, celebrated both referrals of her beautiful Mya and our Kate. We just "get" each other. Distance has prevented us from actually meeting in real life so far, but I feel so blessed to have her in my life. When I looked in the mailbox and pulled out a package from Sara and Miss Mya...well, I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and joy for our family.

Oh, thank you Sara...for your kindness, for sharing our happiness, and for your faithful friendship through blogland. I truly do hope we get to meet and hang out together in real life...your a gem!

When you first decide to adopt, you tend to only think about the child finally having a forever family and a family finally having that much wanted child. You don't really realize until you are in it, that the journey will lead you down a road where you will be touched by genuine, compassionate people that you become a much better person for having them in your life.

Last night, I got to spend a little time with just the sweetest family I've met years ago who are local, and celebrating their 2nd referral (Yea!) and are traveling to China within weeks of us...and this afternoon, my good friend Carolin and her girls stopped over for a playdate. Oh, I just love it! I could fill up my calendar easily every week with get-together's with all these incredible people we have met because of our unique connection.

Adopting sure does have it's perks, doesn't it?

La tee da

2009-04-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

CUTE! Got Leah a couple of things from this etsy shop, including her Easter dress. The fabric combinations are adorable, and the clothing is well made.

Before the Great Wall Kicks My Hiney...

2009-04-10T22:23:00.001-07:00

Since finding out we are heading to China in a few weeks, we are amping up our workouts because, if I'm going to see the Great Wall of China (which I LOVE to be our port city since I saw Hong Kong last time), then I want to really cover some ground. And Shawn, well...he just wants to be able to breath over there!

So I had to share this...anyone seen Slumdog Millionaire yet? Rent it, if you haven't, it should not be missed. This movie easily fell into my top 10 favorite of all time. It wows you with so much heart and soul and within minutes, you are INVOLVED. Who doesn't love movies like that?

At the end of the movie, there is a fun dance scene with the now academy-award winning song, Jai-Ho, by A.R. Rahman. I can't tell you how many times I have listened to this song and a few other of his songs on my ipod during my workouts since seeing the movie. I literally have to stop myself from breaking out into the dance number at the gym when I listen to this song!

Check it out and turn your speakers up really high and see if you don't feel like dancing:

See...fun! It's a craze on Youtube right now with a lot of people taping themselves doing the moves to the music, it's hilarious! Seriously though, dancing is one the ways I lost weight last year and still use it to stay in shape--a couple of nights a week I will let loose in my basement with some fun songs. It's easy, releases the stresses of the day, it doesn't feel like exercise and the best part, no rules! And I love it best when I have my little sidekick dancing right along with me.

Um...should I be admitting this? I guess I might as well, it's only a matter of time before Leah "outs" me. ;)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Which now begs the debate...fresh or stale?

As for me and my house, at least a few days of open air for our peeps.

LOA!

2009-04-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we received our Letter of Acceptance from the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) and expect to travel in a month. It's so funny it took years to get to this point and now it's happening with lightning fast speed!

We will be in China almost exactly the same time that we traveled to get Leah in 2006, I had my first Mother's day there and wouldn't it be the coolest if I was there again with both my girls? Seriously, how's that for timing?

We were also fortunate to receive updated photos of our little cutie-patootie....check out that twinkle in her eye!

Her love for the camera just makes my heart sing too, she's a little ham bone! It's so rare to have referral photos with the children actually smiling. In almost every photo we have received so far, our girl is cheezin' it big time! I have no idea what that means, but it sure sounds like fun. I'll keep you posted on that.

I was in the mood for a new blog to document the journey to China to get Kate and life thereafter. Hope you like it and sorry I've made you change your blog links for the third time! :)

Babypalooza Weekend

2009-04-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

My brother Rich and his beautiful wife, Rachel, are expecting their first child in early June...around the same time we are likely to fly to China to get Kate. In one way, it's so neat that we both will be blessed at the same time...in another, I want to be there for them during this exciting time in their life. In the meantime, we are both nesting together and preparing for our little ones to arrive in the next two short months.

We had a fabulous little shower for the radiant mom-to-be this weekend, it was such fun to share in the happiness with friends and family.

Rachel and I had been planning for months for me to take some baby bump pictures for them, and wouldn't you know it...the day we had planned turned out to be a miserable 30 degrees and rainy! I think the pictures still turned out great even though we were frozen and I lost all feeling in my fingers while clicking away.

Aren't they just the cutest couple? And that bump...oh, so adorable! I'm sooooo looking forward to spoiling my little nephew rotten in a few months and of course, have the chance to keep practicing my photography skills on all my new subjects. I can hardly wait!