Rachel's First Day of Nursery School

Today was another exciting day for the Crist household! Rachel started her 2 year old nursery school at First Baptist. I wasn't quite sure how the day would go, especially since last night at her dance class she gave me a taste of how she might react and it wasn't good.

We've been talking up her first day of school for weeks now, especially the last couple of days. She was excited about going to school but a little disappointed to learn that she won't be taking a school bus. Rachel loves school buses. We count them every morning on our way to mommom's house. We went shopping last week and bought her a Ni Hoa Ki-Lan backpack for her school papers and we even bought new shoes with the birthday gift cards she received! We had a conference with her new teachers last week so that she could get to know them before today. The exciting thing is that Rachel has the same nursery school teacher that Jake had 9 years ago when he went to First Baptist. How special is that? We feel so blessed to have Mrs. Melito again.

Our morning started off well and she even went into her little classroom without hesitation. I was even able to snap a few photos. She sat on Mrs. King's lap and was playing with the other kids and as soon as Dave and I went over to kiss her good-bye, well the sobs came. She cried and screamed so loudly that I heard her all the way out the front door. I was hesitant about leaving, but I knew this would be good for her. I cried all the way back to my office and I cried to my sister and my mother in-law on the phone. I felt like I completely abandoned her. I left her with total strangers and to expect her to feel comfortable and safe is ridiculous. The more I kept playing the scene in my head, I just wanted to run back to the school and snatch her up! They told me they would call if they couldn't calm her down. I was sure the phone was going to ring. I waited 30 minutes and decided to call the school myself. I couldn't stand it anymore! Apparently, she cried for about 20 minutes uncontrollably, but Rachel allowed the teacher to hold and comfort her, which is a great sign. After that, she got up and participated and there was no more tears! Amen! I was so happy and relieved. Believe me, I kept one eye on that clock for the next hour which is when I could leave and pick her up. This week they are only doing an hour and a half vs. the normal two and half hours which will start next week. When Dave and I arrived to pick Rachel up, she was being held by the teacher peeking out the door waiting for us. What a wonderful sight I must say! She was in very happy spirits and so very happy to see us. She didn't seem grief stricken as I thought she may and she even said she wanted to go back. The teacher commented on how intelligent Rachel is and that she spoke very well and was such a well-mannered little girl. Of course I was beaming ear to ear. Rachel is a smart little girl which is one of the reasons I knew nursery school would benefit her in so many ways. I'm so relieved that her day went better than I had anticipated. I'm curious what Thursday will bring. I guess it can go either way. She will know that we are leaving her, but she may end up loving it and not crying a tear. Me, her mother, that may be a different story!

So we are embarking on another journey of Rachel's life and I'm feel utterly blessed to be a part of it. Rachel is such a blessing and I'm so excited to see what my little sponge absorbs in the new chapter of her life.

Jake is embarking on a new journey

in middle school this year! How crazy is that?! My little boy has entered the 6th grade of middle school today and it is a bittersweet time for me. Honestly, it feels like yesterday he was going to nursery school and then kindergarten a couple of years later. Ironically, Rachel had her nursery school orientation today at the same nursery school Jake attended 9 years ago and she will have the same exact teacher Jake had too.

The start of middle school didn't go quite as Jake had planned. Last evening, while at friends for a Labor Day picnic, Jake had an accident playing football. While running, Jake hit a ditch in the ground and fell on his wrist. After about an hour, a bump that formed on his wrist forced us to make a trip to the emergency room. We spent a couple of hours in the ER where they x-rayed and splinted his arm until we were able to see an orthopedic today. Well, the orthopedic confirmed a fracture of Jake's growth plate in his wrist. He will be casted for four weeks which will include the time we are on vacation in Disney later this month. Not quite the way Jake wanted to end the summer or start middle school. He's in good spirits and has a good attitude. The water-proof cast will not hinder most day to day activities like taking a shower, but football is out of the question!

We are so proud of Jake and we hope his middle school years are as great as his elementary years. He has been such a great student and other than the reputation as the class clown, Jake has been complimented for being a well mannered young man. I hope he continues to make wise choices and takes advantage of the education offered to him throughout the rest of his school days. He is so incredibly smart and I know he can do whatever God has planned for him in life.

A Drummer in Training?

Rachel loves playing the drums and Jake loves showing her his moves. If you listen towards the middle of the video, Rachel counts to 10 all by herself! We didn't even know she could do this! We knew she was a smart little girl, but this took us by surprise (you can hear our reaction in the video). Rachel loves anything to do with music and dance. This summer Rachel and I participated in a Mommy and Me Petite Feet Dance class and she absolutely LOVED it. After her first class, she ran out of the dance studio telling everyone "fun fun fun" while dancing for them. She made everyone smile. This video makes us smile! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Excuse the mess around her! We are cleaning out closets. LOL!

GUESS WHO GOT THEIR FIRST HAIRCUT???

I know, you are probably thinking, what hair does Rachel have to get cut? But believe it or not, she is getting hair. She doesn't have a lot, but she does have hair. She had quite a bit of stragglies in the back that just looked thin and uneven. We went to Tornambe's in Audubon and Wendy cut her hair. She was such a trouper, thanks to the dum dum that was offered to her. She went to town on that lollipop as Wendy cut her hair. I don't think she even realized she was getting her hair cut. She just sat there sucking away. It was so cute. I'm surprised at the difference that little trim made. Her hair really does look thicker in the back. Now we just need to grow more on top! Afterwards we went to lunch and she announced to the hostess at the restaurant that she got her hair cut! So funny!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!

Today we celebrated our baby girl's 2nd birthday. What a blessing to be able to share another birthday with her. Friends of ours invited us to the Please Touch Museum and we couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate her day than a day where she can be herself! Happy Birthday Princess! You bring so much joy to our lives and we love you to the the moon, stars, heaven and back!

Rachel's birthmother will be in my prayers tonight. I'm so glad God spoke to her heart to give Rachel life so that we can be Rachel's parents! I will always have a special place in my heart for this woman and I pray that God will give her peace in her heart.

2009 SUMMER BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS - THE DRAGONS

What a phenomenal season The Dragons had. With only one loss the whole season, the Dragons secured the Championship position. This was Jake's first time really playing in a competitive basketball league and from the way he played, he truly enjoyed it. This was the first season for this summer basketball league and you could sign up as a whole team or as an individual player. The Dragons was formed into a team with all individual players who have never played together before. Our team beat teams that have played together for years. It was one of the most exciting seasons I have ever witnessed since Jake started playing sports. With only one loss, we secured a position in the championship game. What another exciting game to watch. The Dragons were down by 10 points at one point and we came back with only 2 points between the two teams With seconds left, Jake scored a basket to tie the game! What incredible team work we witnessed in a 3 minute overtime. The Dragons won the Championship by only 4 points. Both teams did an unbelievable job, not to mention put on a great show! I think Jake found his new favorite sport!

"New House"

Rachel got a "new house", which is what she has been telling everyone who will listen. Mommom and Poppop bought this as an early birthday present a couple of days ago so that Rachel could enjoy it for a little longer during the summer. Hard to believe Rachel's birthday is a month away already! It's even harder to believe that she's going to be 2! I think Jake likes her playhouse as much as Rachel. They have had a blast the last two days in the house and playing with the water fountain.

You should have seen us when we tried to bring this playhouse home from Toys R Us! Mom and I went over the night before to purchase the house, but we knew it wouldn't fit in either of our cars. Dad and Dave went to pick it up the following evening. Mom and I were sure it would fit in dad's SUV if all the pieces were taken out of the box! Well, we totally misjudged. Dave called me and I had to meet the guys over at Toys R Us with my little car and we had to put part of it on the roof of my car! We tied it down the best we could and all the way home Dave and I had to hold unto it so that the wind from driving wouldn't blow it off the roof of my car! It was quite the scene and my arm was killing me by the time we got home! It was all worth it for the enjoyment of my kids!

"Time flies when you're having fun..."

I can’t believe I let so much time pass in between my posts. I can’t believe I didn’t share a very special post in celebration of our “Gotcha Day” on May 19th, 2009. May 19th, 2008 is a day marked in my heart and soul just as December 15th, 1997 when Jake was born out of my womb. There is a definite truth in the old cliché, “time flies when you’re having fun” and fun is what we’ve been having since our little princess entered our lives on May 19th, 2008 in Changsha of Hunan, China.

I found myself the days leading to our special day reading old posts and emails, looking at photos, watching our China video, crying, laughing, praying and thanking God for Rachel. I thought about how blessed we are to have such a beautiful, fun, loving, spicy, smart, entertaining and strong-willed little girl in our lives. She really is all of these things. There is not one day that goes by where she doesn’t amaze us with something else she has learned that day. She definitely keeps us on our toes and will fight us to the end when she wants something. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve met a more strong-willed little girl! LOL!

When I think back on all that we endured to adopt a child from China, I keep going back to the “what if’s.” Three plus years is a long time to wait to adopt a child. While going through the process, I wanted so badly for things to rush along and for China to get on the ball and produce more referrals each month. There were months I went into depression because there were only two days of referrals matched that month and there were endless nights I cried myself to sleep because I yearned for another child so badly. All the while, God had a plan for us and His plan was for us to be Rachel’s parents. I keep thinking “what if” the time had gone quicker, or “what if” we had switched to the “Waiting Child” program or “what if” we dropped out of the program because the wait time had increased so drastically. All the “what if’s” don’t matter, because God had a plan and His plan was for us to adopt Rachel and she is the most perfect little girl, sister and daughter for our family.

We’ve had a very turbulent year with the loss of grandparents, me losing not one, but two jobs, some health issues, financial difficulties, but all and all, we have so much to be thankful for and I thank God for all that we do have. When I look at my children, I need to try and remember that stuff is just stuff and family and friends are what matters!

I’m posting some photos from our special trip to China. I can't believe how big they are now! On one hand it feels like Rachel has been part of our family from day one and on another hand, I can't believe it's been a year plus already. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey of raising my children and watching them mold into the teenagers and adults they will become. It’s remarkable that we get to be part of it all. What a true and amazing gift that is!