A sparrow when I'm broken, and eagle when I fly.....

Welcome to my world. I am an ordinary wife and mom who has been extraordinarily blessed by an amazing husband and house full of beautiful children. My prayer is that you will be somehow blessed by our family's story. It is a tale of God's grace and forgiveness...His loving kindness and patience with us His children as we strive & struggle everyday to bless His name with our lives

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

hey friends...I am in China, Yah!

Hey friends...I am in China, Yah! I can't get access here (at least so far ) to blogger or facebook..so I set up this babyjellybeans site. Please check it to follow my travel journal and photos of the trip here to china to get the two new girls. The site is http://www.babyjellybeans.com/web/do/site?ID=32176 and there is no password needed. i am able to use my gmail account though so feel free to email me! Blessings to you all!>>

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Testing sending blog posts to stillwater via my cell phone

Monday, November 14, 2011

packing....

Looking at the photo of stacked toddler girl outfits below...I see a trend of animal prints. No, I am not bringing all this.



Anna, Miriam and I leave in six days for China! It is finally time to pull out all the little girl clothes I have been stashing in the closet for the last eleven months since we started this adoption. Since then we have twice received weights, heights, and feet length on the girls. My guess is that both Elsie and Charis wear about size 18 mos clothes. A guess is all that is. I am packing clothes in sizes 12 mos, 18 mos and 24 mos. The truth is that it's possible very little of what I am packing will fit. In that case we will hit the Walmart in Nanning. Walmart has revolutionized travel to China. I think we could go there with just the clothes on our back and buy all we need in China...if we wanted too. I don't want too. I want to be prepared to hunker down in hotel room snuggling my new babies...not dragging brand new kids to big department store to find clothes, diapers and snacks. It is going to be rough on Charis and Elsie to do all the stuff we HAVE to do.....like official adoption appointments. These two toddlers will not be used to car travel or shopping at all. Hopefully the outfits I'm bringing will fit. I think they will look adorable in anything though.

Our first adoption was from China ten years ago. Mike, Michael and I traveled to adopt Anna. We went COO (carry on only). I loved it. No checking luggage or waiting long hours for luggage to be unloaded off plane. COO is not as practical nowadays with airline security. I do pack all basic necessities in my carry on bag though. Meds, camera, IPOD, basic makeup, change of underwear and tshirt, and all important paperwork. I like to feel that even if all my luggage is lost we could still get by with what is in "carry on' bag and what we could buy in China. This has worked well. 98% of the time your luggage winds up with you after your flight. The other 2% of the time it is sure good to be prepared

Monday, November 7, 2011

Judah's 6th Birthday!




This is catch-up post of Judah's birthday. The day that began our CARS 2 marathon. The day my boys fell back in love with Lighting McQueen. I now hear Owen Wilson talking to me in my sleep.

Happy Birthday Judah! Judah was adopted right before his 4th birthday so he has been with us for two years now. We love you so much little man! YOU were a surprise gift of great worth to our family! I will never forget when we visited Gladney's orphanage in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia...we walked into the toddler room and there you were! Sitting on the floor and looking up at us. You were perfect. You were beautiful. What a miracle that you later became our son!





Yes...this pretty birthday cake cupcake is a Costco chocolate muffin in disguise. I love you Costco. You Costco are my friend for oh so many reasons.





This might have been a bit more spitting at candle not blowing at candle...





Yah!! I am really six years old now!





Cake might be good and tasty but the real fun is watching the new CARS 2 Movie for the next year every day. At least once every day. Many multiple times a day. Depending on mental health of parent and how badly they need "q u i e t" time. Times when only noise in our home is voices of Lighting McQueen and his friends.


My 2 favorite "A"s!!

Oh glorious "A"s...that bring us closer to our sweet baby girls waiting in China...




Elsie Ping Ping



Younger Elsie mug shot



Charis Yilin



Charis mug shot



My two favorite "A"s?

Well TA and CA of course! Yahooo!!! Friday our agency emailed to tell us we had TA (travel approval) and they were trying to get us CA (consulate appointment). Today I heard our CA(consulate appointment) is confirmed for Dec 6th! Yahooo again!!! TA comes from China and is permission for us (me) to travel to China for the adoption of "Elsie Ping Ping" and "Charis Yilin". TA is the BIG thing you wait for in world of China adoption. Yahooooooo!The CA is the confirmation from U.S. embassy in Guangzhou China that they have us scheduled for our consulate date. This is where we go to obtain the U.S. visa for Charis and Elsie to travel home to U.S. Ya Ya Yahoooo! Today all day, so far has been booking flights while walking on air. Praises be to our GREAT GOD. He brought our tax refund last week as well as the news of our super cool "A"s!
Anna and Miriam will be traveling with me to China to pick up Elsie and Charis. Anna was adopted from China at age 20 mos and Miriam was adopted from China at 3 1/2 years old. This will be their first trip back to their "motherland". This is going to be amazing! We leave two weeks from today on November 21st and get home I think December 9th! Oh my goodness ...it is the countdown to meeting our new little girls!!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Solly's September Seven Year Old Birthday

This post would fall under "summer blog post catch up". There are too many great events that happened to pass them up and move on to fall/winter blogging. One important day was Solomon's 7th birthday! Whenever we have a birthday it means a "party" for everyone! Solly chose hot dogs for his birthday dinner...of course. That boy could eat four of Costco big ole hot dogs in one sitting. Everyone was happy with meal choice. Mom too as it is just so easy to fix.




Here is Solomon with his first hot dog as a seven year old



Miriam looking much too old and mature for her eleven years. sigh




Miriam and Towabech


The goofiness starting even before the cake educed sugar rushes



Yah...the time is now. Just gotta blow out the candle and then presents!


A super duper remote controlled car



Guess what I miss when the weather turns colder? I miss lots of stuff about summer; but for birthday partys eating messy chocolate cake outside is fun fun fun. And way less mess and clean up than messy chocolate cake inside at dining table.








Monday, October 24, 2011

What God Can Do: Happy Birthday Jonathan

Jonathan would have had his 6th birthday yesterday. So very many memories crammed into the last six years. Though I still battle the ugly memories of the tortuous ordeals he was forced to endure in attempts to save his life...those nightmares have eased some with time. More and more when I think of our "Jonnie" it is with peace and smiles to think of his quirky laugh and song singing. How he woke every morning with a total body molding hug around my neck and sweet whisper of "mama". How he was joy filled by all music and for some strange reason especially enjoyed country music?! No matter how many times nurses and doctors poked him and bled him, tied him down for radiation and chemo...he still always greeted them with smiles and hugs and a happy dance. More joy memories now than haunted nightmare memories. I love how God created time. How He uses it. He uses time as the great healer. He uses time to ripen us in knowledge. He uses time for second chances..He uses time for "seventy times seventy" chances. He uses time to allow the living hell of seeing your child die an agonizing death; to grow a heart in ways only extreme grief can grow it. He uses time to cause the worst things to become "good" things. Things for Him.

I miss Jonathan. Always will. But my life is wonderful. How could it not be when I have such a great God? God who can heal the biggest heartaches and forgive the biggest sins. Thank you God for bringing Jonathan into our family. It was awesome...all of it. Even the hardest parts because when it was hardest You showed Yourself the brightest. Thank you God that I know because of You I will see my Jonathan again. I love him so...and I love You more




A baby for Julee! What a glorious day!




















The first time Jonathan went bald from chemo. He wasn't too upset about it as you can tell



















Transplant was delayed a second time so we were blessed with a third Christmas and Hanukkah with Jonathan


Home away from home "Ronald McDonald House" in Seattle


With big brother Cody at BMT (bone marrow transplant) post radiation and chemo...last day with hair


What radiation, chemo poison and 17 other IV meds can make a person feel like


My poor sweet Jonnie losing the fight for life.



This is how I think of you little man! Happy and at home! Can't wait to be in our real home with you and someday!



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Summer Spells Berries




Judah in moment of strawberry bliss





Blueberrie pancakes don't really even need syrup




Berries for pancakes from our very own little strawberry patch out back







I always make a lot of jam in the summer. We love freezer jam the best for it's fresh flavor and that it isn't made with as much sugar. Mike wanted me to make more cooked canned jam this year so as to not have to use up so much of our freezer space. Some days we use up a quart of jam a day. Yes, I said quart. That's a lot of jam in a year. I like making it myself as i can control amount of sugar added plus I know it is just fruit and sugar...not chemicals or preservatives. Tastes better too! Here is some strawberry, blackberry, and Strawberry/blueberry jam.