THE PRINCESS TURNS "3" TODAY!!!

Rachel, it is so hard to believe you are three years old today. Seems like yesterday you were just a baby and we were introducing you to family and friends after bringing you home from China. I have to say though, it seems like you are 3 going on 13 sometimes! You definitely keep your dad and I on our toes. You give Jake a run for his money and boy oh boy do you give him a hard time. We know how much you love him though, because when he was at camp for a week, you cried yourself to sleep several times that week. You wanted "your Jacob." You are incredibly smart and there are times you have this wise soul about you and I wonder what is going on in that cute head of yours. I am so curious to see what kind of child, teenager, and adult you will become, because you are so funny, smart, independent, feisty and as strong-willed as they come. There are times when you are being naughty that your dad and I have to turn our heads to keep you from seeing us laughing, because you just cease to amaze us with your words and actions. Rachel, you just exude personality and when you walk into a room, everyone knows you are there. I love when you tell me you love me for no reason and I love when you offer hugs and kisses out of the blue. I love when you come into our room in the morning and you climb in bed with us, even if it is just for a few moments, because you want to get your day started by watching one of your favorite t.v. shows. I love that you found comfort in your blanket and bunny when mommy and daddy can't be with you. I love how excited you get when I remind you that you have dance class that night. I am and will be eternally thankful that God chose us to be your family. I am thankful that your birth mother cared and loved you enough to give you life. I thank God each day for you, Rachel. We love you with all our heart and souls. Happy 3rd birthday baby girl.

Lots happening around here…

My sister, Sandy, and her husband, Marion, have received a little girl through the foster care system in their home state with the hopes to adopt Bella. Bella joined their family last Friday after only having a weeks notice to prepare. We are so incredibly excited for Sandy and Marion and I am planning a visit over Labor Day weekend so that I can show some loving to my new niece. She is going to be one spoiled little girl, if I know my sister and her love for shoes, Bella will probably have about 100 pairs of shoes to choose from. I can see Bella now sporting every color sneaker or some metallic gold or silver maryjanes.

Sandy has such a big heart, so I know she will make a great mom. She has helped so many of her friends who have struggled by taking in their children or even the whole family when they needed a place to stay. She has a heart of gold and would take her shirt off her back to help someone in need. Sandy works with mentally handicapped adults and has such a way with them and develops these awesome bonds and relationships. Sandy hit the jackpot when she met and married Marion too. Marion seriously treats Sandy like a queen! She couldn’t have married a better person than Marion; he truly has helped her become a better person, woman and now mother. The pair of them will help this little angel blossom into a wonderful young lady and I’m so thrilled to see them embark on journey of parenthood. I cannot wait to meet little Bella!!!!!

I find it interesting that my sisters and I have been led to adoption. My sister, Debbie, and her husband adopted twin girls domestically about 7 years ago now, we adopted Rachel from China, and now Sandy and her husband are adopting domestically through foster care. God has really worked mysteriously in our situation and it’s wonderful to share this special bond with my sisters. I just wish Sandy and her husband lived closer so that we can do more together as a family. I feel like we are missing out on so much with her being so far away. Dave and I are thrilled that they asked us to be godparents to our soon-to-be niece and we are godparents to Debbie’s twins too. We feel so privileged that my sisters trust us that much to be guardians for their children God-forbid anything were to happen to them. We don’t take this responsibility lightly either. We would do anything for these girls!

Andrea and Dave will be leaving September 2nd for China. I can’t believe that is only about two weeks away now. I’m nervous about being a single mom for 2 weeks and I’m sure I will have a new appreciation for single parents when all is said and done. I am sad that he will be missing out on the first day of school for the kids, the first games of soccer and flag football for Jake, and Rachel’s first ballet class. What keeps me at peace is knowing what a great guy Dave is and what a special gift he is giving to Andrea and her daughter, Phoebe. Dave has experienced many firsts with our children and hopefully he will get to experience more when he returns home from China.

I am elated for Andrea and I get so emotionally overwhelmed when I think about the journey she is about to embark because just a little over two years ago, we were on that same journey. There is nothing like having your child put into your arms, especially after the wait we had. Andrea’s wait has been almost 4 ½ years, which is a whole year longer than we had. Just like labor pains, all of that will go away when Phoebe is placed in her arms. Please pray for safety, bonding, and health for Andrea, Dave & Phoebe.

We had a fantastic time at Great Wolfe Lodge for Living Hopes Annual Reunion. I mean seriously, it was wonderful! The kids had a great time. If you have not been, you should go! It is a little pricey, but when you consider what you are getting, the price isn’t so bad. There is a refrigerator and microwave in every room, as well as a 4-cup coffee maker. You get 2 full days in the indoor water park with the price of the room. The room comes with 6 tickets for the water park, so you could easily share the room with someone. I loved meeting new people and reconnecting with those we haven’t seen since last year. It’s great when you can meet up with a friend you haven’t seen and pick up right where you left off a year ago. We really did experience that with one family and I do hope we connect with them before next year’s reunion. The kids has a blast including Rachel, who LOVED going down the water slides. I thought she’d be afraid, but she was so brave and so independent too. She loved playing with other little girls who were adopted through Living Hope. Jake even had fun with the older girls and hung out with them some in the pool. We were so sad to see our weekend end. I hope we plan another weekend at GW in the near future. We will have to look out for some special deals! Thank you Living Hope for planning such a fun event. We truly enjoyed ourselves and we are looking forward to next year!

After our Great Wolfe weekend, we headed to Wilkes Barre, where Jake would be attending overnight camp for the week. This was a brand new endeavor for Jake and his parents as he’s never been away from home for a week! The camp came highly recommended and the fact that it is a Christian camp really intrigued my interest. The idea of overnight camp was more intriguing when Jake new that his close friend, Miles, would be attending. Knowing someone reduced his fear to a minimal and he decided to try it. It was a little unnerving dropping Jake off to a camp where I didn’t really know the staff nor would I have contact with him during the week. As the week went on, I constantly worried about whether or not he was having a good time and even Rachel cried herself to sleep numerous times. The second day of Jake being gone, I walked into Rachel’s room to find her playing with her little toy cell phone. I asked who she was calling and she said “I texting my Jacob, I so miss my Jacob, mommy.” OMG, I thought that was so funny but so sad at the same time. She cried herself to sleep that night.

We left the house bright and earlier the following Saturday after dropping Jake off. We had to be at the camp sight by 9:00 AM and we had about an hour and half drive. So much for sleeping in! We got there and I was expecting to see Jake waiting for us, but oh no, they made us wait at least another half an hour or so and then the kids came out where they were going to perform a few songs for us that they learned during the week. Rachel ran as fast as she could to her brother. She was so happy to see him and Jake just scooped her up and hugged her. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the same kind of loving that Rachel got. The kids were apparently told that they couldn’t talk to us until after the performance. I was dying to hug and kiss him after not seeing him all week. They showed a short slideshow of photos from the week and then they performed a prayer in sign language. There was a camper who was deaf and he taught the kids sign language. It was incredible and touching to watch. They sang two songs they learned and they seemed to have a great time singing them too. Even Jake performed including the motions and Jake hates signing with motions in front of people.

Finally, after the performance, we walked back to the camp site Jake stayed at and I was able to get a quick kiss and hug! My goodness, we don’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends! LOL! I can tell he had a good time and found new friends, because I watched as kids, both boys and girls, come and hug Jake good-bye. They had made up nicknames for each other and they were all yelling to each other saying they are going to miss him and whatnot. It was so fun and heartfelt to witness that. He told me that he had a great time at camp and he definitely wants to go back next year. Jake wasn’t too happy with the one counselor who was part of his group, apparently he was mean, but overall loved it. His favorite part about camp was mattress surfing. LOL. I can just picture him going down a hill on a mattress. What a riot! I so wish I was there to capture those moments on camera. He definitely learned from the small group lessons too, because he learned that when you say “oh my God” you must finish it with a prayer. I love that! He met some great friends, where he now has connected with them on Facebook and cell phone. I love that he had a good time and that he wants to return. What an amazing experience for him and what wonderful memories he will have as time gets on. I asked him if he wanted to go for two weeks, and he said “nahhhh.” LOL! I’m glad he only wants to go for one week. I don’t think I can handle two weeks. I would have to sneak in after a week to get my fill of my Jake.

So, Jake has a girlfriend and her name is Paulina. A lovely girl I must say and I love her parents! Her mom is very social like me and her dad has quite the sense of humor. It’s cute seeing Jake with her. They are both very shy around each other and almost look somewhat uncomfortable. Paulina is extremely shy, which seems funny with her mom and dad so outgoing! We had her over for dinner last Sunday evening, but I think we had too much company, because she seemed even more uncomfortable than the first time we had her over. I’m sure it was uncomfortable for her being surrounded by not only Jake’s parents, but his grandparents and his parent’s friend too. I’m hoping the next time we have her over, we can sit as a family and play a game or something so that we can get to know her more. Jake thinks I’m crazy for suggesting such a ludicrous idea, but hey, guess who gets to call the shots! LOL! We are very careful and they are closely monitored. Not to mention, Jake’s little sister likes to bug them! LOL! Our young man is growing up and we have to accept that. I could forbid him to have a girlfriend, like my brain tells me to do, but I remember when I was just 13 and already in a serious relationship. For me, it worked out since I married that man! Anyway, we have very strict rules and again, they are closely monitored. Before we allowed them to get together, I had a heart to heart with Paulina’s mother, and she was very much on the same page as me about how we should handle visits. She has two older kids, so she is experienced with this already! They sound like great kids too and my heart tells me we did the right thing. I just pray that they don’t betray our trust. Our allowing them to be boyfriend and girlfriend is based on trust and once that trust is broken, it’s all over! So, I have a question. If I became good friends with Paulina’s mom and their relationship ends, do I have to break up with her mom if we became friends? Tee hee!!! I really like her parents. LOL!

I can’t believe we are at the tail end of summer already and school is about to start in just about 2 weeks. So many milestones about to happen this fall. Rachel will be attending a new preschool and will start ballet and Jake is going into 7th grade and will be playing flag football, soccer and he’s assisting with coaching for the Upward flag football league at our church. We are going to be very busy this fall, but I love it! I love watching my children grow and seeing them excel at something. I love watching them perform at their activities. I love this time of year when the weather gets cooler and the leaves start changing. I’m excited!

Prayers requests:
1. Safe trip for Dave and Andrea to China
2. Family bonding for Sandy & Marion with their new addition, Bella
3. Bonding with Andrea and Phoebe
4. Safe return for Dave, Andrea & Phoebe
5. Great start to the school year
6. I will have a safe trip to see my sister and her family over Labor Day weekend
7. Thankfulness that I’m feeling a lot better, especially my back and legs
8. Our country & President

Blessings!!!

Dave and Andrea are going to China!!!!!!!



Andrea received TA (travel approval) last Friday and today she received an email that she is to be in Hong Kong by September 3rd. It looks like they will be leaving either September 1st or September 2nd! Looks like Andrea will be united with Phoebe on September 6th! It is finally happening about 4 1/2 years of waiting. What wonderful news. Please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers as they make this journey on the other side of the world. Pray that Phoebe will bond with Andrea, her new mother, and pray that Dave will give her the support that she needs. And please pray that they will have a safe trip and journey! I want them all home safe and sound. Please pray that I will handle being a single mom for 2 weeks!

Summer of Milestones

Wow, it’s August already!!! Summer is more than halfway over now and the kids are starting school in just a little under a month now. So crazy how fast life goes when you don’t slow down. Thank God everyone is happy and healthy these days.

We returned a couple of weeks ago after spending a week in Kansas City, Missouri with Dave’s Uncle Donald and his wife Jackie. Rachel did great flying with Dave and me and Jake drove the 17 hours in a car with his grandparents. He got to see the famous Gateway Arch as they passed through St. Louis, Missouri. Our vacation was interrupted, yet again, with illness. Rachel started with a fever the third day and we also noticed that she was frequently urinating. Seriously, the girl was going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. I know it’s not her fault, but my goodness, what a pain and inconvenience! I can’t wait till she can go by herself! Anyway, I knew something was wrong when her sleep became interrupted and she started complaining that her throat hurt. We made our way to an Urgent Care where we had her seen and where they performed a urinalysis. They diagnosed her with strep throat, ear infection and a bladder infection. We started her on an antibiotic and round the clock Motrin/Tylenol. Three days after seeing the doctor, we weren’t seeing an improvement and she continued getting a fever. She was not eating nor drinking and I was starting to get concerned that she would become dehydrated, especially because the frequent urination came to an almost complete stop. The physician’s assistant was so kind and called to check on Rachel. After filling her in on what has been happening over the last few days, she really thought Rachel should be seen again by a doctor this time. Good thing we did take her, because she was on the verge of dehydration and she was diagnosed with the hands, mouth and foot virus again. She had just had it in May after a visit to Sesame Place! No wonder it was so painful for her to eat or drink. We really had to push the fluids. I knew she was in pain, because she wouldn’t even drink a milkshake I bought to coax her into eating/drinking. We followed up with our doctor upon our return home and the sores were finally starting to dissipate in her mouth and they repeated another urine test and that also came back normal. She still urinates a lot, so that’s something we need to look into.

Our trip had some highlights, though. It wasn’t a complete bust after all! We did take a 3 hour drive to Springfield, Missouri to the famous Bass Pro Shop. If you or someone you know is a hunter or outdoorsman, they will know this store. It’s fun to visit even if you aren’t a hunter. I was thrilled to find a very cute pair of sandals for $10! Lots of stuffed animals on exhibit, aquariums, a turtle exhibit, and the décor is amazing. When you look up at the ceiling, it’s like we are the fish in the water. You see fish, the bottom of boats, feet hanging down, etc. So very cool and creative! There was even a Starbucks where I treated myself to a frapuccino. The Bass Pro Shop is where I received the good news that my friend, Andrea, was getting her referral that day! I might not be able to show my face there again since people thought I was being attacked or something because I was jumping up and down with excitement! LOL! We ate at a very famous restaurant that was featured on the Food Network called Lanterns. It was a family style restaurant known for its barbecue! Hot rolls were tossed around all over the place and servers carried around large pots to fill up your plate. A great experience, but just wished Rachel was feeling better. Another highlight for Jake and I was boating with Uncle Donald and Aunt Jackie. We got to go tubing! We have never done that before and honestly, I wasn’t sure I was going to do it. Aunt Jackie showed up the ropes and she was bouncing and going airborne all over the place. Uncle Donald promised he would take it easy on us. Jake gave it a try and he absolutely had a blast! It was a little unnerving watching Jake out on the lake with being completely unprotected by me and bouncing all over the place. It was unsettling, but by the look on his face, I knew he was having a great time. The worse that could happen was he’d fly off and the life jacket would keep him afloat. So now I’m thinking, “if he can do it, I sure can do it” and I did! It was such a rush being out there and water sprinkling in your face and just losing yourself out there. I was worried about falling off the tube, because again, it was unnerving to me to be in water where you can’t see below your feet and the thought of something swimming by me and rubbing against me just freaks me out! I know the living creatures in the water are probably more afraid of me than I am of it, but I was so scared. I held on for dear life! LOL! My arms felt like rubber when I was done from holding on so tight. I had so much fun though and I’m glad that I allowed myself to do it. Jake took another turn, but I figured I had enough for this time. I really would do it again and do hope I get a chance to do it again. What a blast!

We didn’t do as much as we wanted to do, but all in all, it was nice to get away and see family that we haven’t seen in awhile. We so appreciate Uncle Donald and Aunt Jackie giving up a week for us!

There has been some discussion and debating going on in our house that involves Jake and us, his parents. Jake is now 12 ½ years old and he’s maturing in every way. We are truly blessed for a wonderful and bright son. He just returned from a weekend with his friend, Miles, whom he’s known for quite a few years now. Mile’s parents invited Jake to go camping in Gettysburg and was gone for 3 ½ days. Boy, did I miss him. Anyway, Carrie, Mile’s mother, said that Jake was a delight and was very well mannered. He apparently was even great with their 7 year old nephew which was so nice to them. It’s nice that I can send Jake away with friends and not worry whether or not he’s misbehaving. I’d like to think we had something to do with that. Maybe putting the fear of God in children isn’t so bad after all! LOL. I’m just glad to know that he’s not the sarcastic kid that shows up in our house often, especially lately, and the back talking stops when among friends. So, I got off topic here, but lots of discussion going on about whether or not Jake is old enough to go out in a group unsupervised and if he’s allowed to take a young lady out on a date unsupervised. Of course, my gut and heart says absolutely not! He is way too young! And you know what, he is too young! Jake really hasn’t even been out in a group with adult supervision, so what makes him think he’s old enough to go out unsupervised. I’m so glad that when I posted a comment on Facebook, everyone who is a parent completely agreed! I shared each and every comment with Jake, including the one from my friend, Melanie’s daughter, Kayla. She will be 14 this month and she just went to the mall with a group of girlfriends unsupervised for the first time. She completely agrees that Jake is too young. She even reminded him of the crowd of kids we saw when our families were at the mall together one evening, and these kids were clearly older than 12 years old, but they were acting and doing stupid stuff! So, it’s not Jake that I don’t trust, but the influences around him. He’s too young to think in adult situations and quite honestly, I want to keep Jake as young as possible! So, the group thing, with supervision will continue until I feel good and ready! I’m his parent and I’m the one responsible for protecting him.

As for the girlfriend and going out thing, absolutely NOT! I am not opposed to a “girlfriend”, because I can’t control who he likes or dislikes. I was 13 years old when I started dating my husband, so I can’t be a hypocrite and tell him he can’t have a girlfriend. Anyway, we agreed that he can have his “girlfriend” to our home when we are home and under our supervision. We also agreed that after meeting the girlfriend’s parents and assuring they will be home when he wants to visit, he may visit his girlfriend. I did talk to the mother last night, and we are very much on the same page which I was so happy about. This young lady is her third child, so she’s been through this twice already. She probably thinks I’m a nut with all the questions I asked her last night. I just need to know who my child is hanging with and what influences he will be around. I’m so glad this family sounds wonderful and I’m excited to meet the mother. I hope I’m making the right decision and I’m hoping with church and the openness we share, that he will always make the right decision. All we can do from this point forward it guide and direct him, but ultimately, they will make the final decision. I can only pray that God will always be in his choices.

Like I said, Jake is 12 ½ and we’ve never been away from him for more than a couple of days at a time, but that will change as of Sunday. We have registered Jake for his first overnight camp in Wilkes Barre, PA called Bear Creek. It’s a Christian camp that’s been around for a long time and that comes highly recommended. I can’t believe we are doing it! I think he’s ready and I think he needs this experience. The only thing he asked for his first away camp experience was that he attends one that a friend will be attending. Thank the Lord for Carrie, because Jake will be going the same week with Miles. Jake was so thrilled to hear we were able to get him in the same week with Miles even though I was first told they were completely booked. The Lord some how moved mountains for us so that Jake could have this experience with a friend. I’m praying that he loves it and wants to return next summer. We have lots to do in a short time to get him packed and ready, but it will be so worth it.

We are looking forward to this coming weekend because we are attending Living Hope’s annual reunion at the Great Wolf Lodge. YES! If you’ve never been, you should check it out because it is a blast. The last time we went was two years ago after bringing Rachel home. My friend Melanie and her kids invited us and we have an amazing time. I will never forget that weekend with them. We are so excited for it this weekend and we are looking forward to connecting with friends and families we met along our adoption journey. The reunions are always great and the women who plan them from LHAA are so incredibly wonderful and do such a great job in making everyone comfortable. I’m excited that next year parents may be more involved in the planning of the reunion, since it is growing and becoming such a large task for the small staff at LHAA. I’ve been networking with families to recruit others to help in this endeavor. Anyway, the Great Wolf Lodge offers a great indoor water park and it even has small outdoor pool area. Talk about great entertainment for the kids! LHAA is also planning a dinner Saturday night at a local Chinese restaurant! I can’t wait for Friday! When we make our way home on Sunday, that’s when we will drop Jake off at camp for a week. That should be interesting!

Rachel will be starting a pre-school this September and boy does she need it. She is so smart, I know, I say that all the time, but she really is amazing. If you have a three year old or an almost three year like Rachel, you will know how trying this age is. I love her so much, but there are times where I just need to put her in her room for a break. She’s been so incredibly feisty and the smart mouth has started. Sometimes I have to control myself from laughing, because she really is funny, but my goodness, she gets mad so easily. I don’t know if she is testing us or if this is her personality. I don’t want her to get angry so fast. For instance, this morning I had to leave for work, but she wanted me to read her a book, Frosty the Snowman! I know, it’s summer, but that’s the book she wanted me to read. I said, okay I can read it one time. Not only did I read the book but we then sang the song together. Well, I told her I had to leave but of course she said “read it again.” I tell her that I can’t that I need to leave for work. Well, she gets off my lap and says “I’ll read it myself!” If you could have seen the look on her face and how angry she got, it just saddens my heart. I know children think the world revolves around them and I try so hard to be a good mom, but that just upset me this morning. She wouldn’t even kiss me good-bye. She is terrible to Jake. He can’t go near her without her screaming at him or yelling. Oh yeah, the screaming has gotten horrible too. So, what in the world am I doing wrong? We discipline her and we don’t let her get away with things. Even my mother in-law called me last week to talk to her because she was being nasty. Rachel always says to me “I’m nasty cause I’m tired” or “I nasty cause I didn’t have a good sleep.” She’s heard me use this excuse for her when she’s being nasty to people. Now she thinks it’s okay. Girls are very different from boys. I guess I didn’t expect the “attitude” to start this young. She is extremely independent and extremely strong willed. It will serve her well later, but in the meantime, what do I do? She is so smart and says words like, condensation and supervision and she completely gets it! I don’t know, those seem like very big words for someone as young as her. She completely explained condensation to me in the car yesterday because daddy explained it to her that morning. She is such a sponge! I can’t wait till she starts school because HOLY MOLY the things she will learn. I love this girl to death and I hope our love, affection and discipline will work out in the end. I know it’s about consistency as well, and I feel like we are being consistent. Any advice is so welcomed! My kids are my everything and I know Rachel is going through a phase. She really is a blessing from God and this is just one of his tests!

We are still waiting to hear about Andrea’s travel approval to go to China to get Phoebe. We are hoping that she and Dave will travel sometime this month. I remember this part of the waiting process and it was probably the hardest part for me knowing who my daughter is and knowing that we are now waiting for each other. Andrea is experiencing many emotions including whether or not she will be a good parent. I have no doubt in my mind that she will be a good mother. All the things she is putting in order and in place tells me she is already a good mother. So, please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers!

I just want to say that all your prayers are working, because my back is feeling so much better. I don’t know if it finally worked itself out or if it’s the medication, but I’m thrilled to be able to get in and out of my car without cringing or crying in pain. I’m able to get down on the floor and play with Rachel again and I’m able to do a simple task of putting my pants on again without feeling like I’m dying. So, thank you for your prayers and support. I pray that I continue on this path. I’m working now on losing weight so that I can feel even better. I started doing Weight Watchers online and I’m loving it. I’m down 4 lbs. and feel great and confident that I’ve been sticking to my program for a full week now. I didn’t even blow it this weekend when I went away overnight with my girlfriend. I didn’t keep track, but when I went back and wrote down everything I ate, I was surprised to learn that I actually have some flex points leftover! So, if you can continue to keep me in your prayers that I can stay on this program and continue losing weight for my health, I would be so grateful. The last two years of stress as taken its toll and I’ve put everything back on that I’ve lost with Weight Watchers about 5 or 6 years ago. I’m not going to let that get me down, but I’m going to keep my head up and keep journaling and staying on plan!

I have rambled on yet again, but all of my words will be a great treasure for my children and grandchildren in the future. Blessings!

Wonderful News!!!!!!!!

Great news has finally arrived for one of my closet friends, Andrea, who is a single woman adopting from China. She finally received her referral for her daughter, Phoebe, who is in the Jiangxi Province of China. Her birthday is December 27, 2009 (ahh, another December birthday!) and she was found two days later, taken to TongGu County orphanage and then placed in foster care.. She is only 6 ½ months old! She is so incredibly beautiful and her name, Phoebe Liat-Yin Zavod, is perfect for this little peanut who only weighed 13.2 pounds when she was 5 months old. I can’t tell you how elated we are for Andrea and how much we are looking forward to loving on Phoebe.

Andrea has waited over 4 ½ years for her little girl. Being single has scared her on more than one occasion with China constantly changing their rules and guidelines and Andrea was concerned that she was becoming too old! Thank God, Andrea was grandfathered in and was able to keep her LID of 4/29/06. It’s crazy to think that she was less than 4 months from our LID of 1/6/06 and she was waited over 2 years longer to receive her referral. And the age thing, I think it’s better for a child to have an older parent and know what it feels like to be loved and feel affection than to be stuck in an orphanage where she would otherwise not have this kind of attention or feelings. And hey, kids make you feel younger! Just ask my back! LOL.

For some reason, God has made us wait for our little girls and we constantly wonder why and questioned God on more than a dozen occasions. I still remember a pastor, who we met along the way and who has since adopted 2 children from China, has said to me that we have to think of our lives as a this million-piece puzzle where everything has to fit into place before you meet your daughter. I truly believe that part of that puzzle is the friendship that has developed in those 4 ½ years of wait between Andrea, me and my family. I met Andrea through an adoption Yahoo group and when I noticed that she only lived in the next town over from me, I invited her for dinner. We met and had great conversation! Me and my outgoing and social-butterfly self, invited Andrea again to my home, but this time to meet more of my friends at a scrapbooking evening and she graciously accepted my invitation. From that point forward, we started hanging out and have become the best of friends. She has become a part of our family in such a short amount of time. Honestly, it feels like I’ve known Andrea forever. My kids adore her and she has even babysat for us on numerous occasions. We love her so much that my husband is accompanying her to China to bring home Phoebe. I believe our family has given her more of the confidence she needs in becoming a mom. I don’t think she needed much help, because seriously, she missed her calling by not becoming a teacher. She is incredible with kids and they respond so favorably to her. I have truly enjoyed watching Andrea blossom into this more confident woman who is ready (still a little nervous, but hey, who isn’t nervous about becoming a first-time mother) to take on the role of being Phoebe’s mommy. I know I can’t wait to get my arms around her and to smooch those adorable lips! We love you already Phoebe and Rachel is dying to be your “big sister.” Mommy and Uncle Dave will be coming with open arms very soon.

Please keep Andrea, Phoebe and Dave in your prayers as they continue processing all that needs to be done to head to China. Please pray for transition, bonding, travel, etc. You can follow Andrea’s journey at www.meisnowwe.blogspot.com.

SUMMER IS IN FULL SWING!

Gosh, Jake looks so grown here. We are on our Second Annual Scavenger hunt on Memorial Day

Jayden and Sherman are Rachel's best friends at nursery school. She will miss them!

You can't see me! I just love this picture of her.

My princess!

So pretty you are!

Please take the picture!

We have very little patience and the fiestiness is showing here! LOL.

Catching the wind! LOL.

Jake loves basketball!

Here we are at a park on 4th of July! How appropriate to take a picture with a statue of a soldier?

I LOVE LOVE the pigtails! Can you see, they are getting longer!

Love this picture of the two of them.

Pool fun in the backyard.

Jake cathing during one of his games.

Can you see the ball right in fron of him? He smacked it!

Jake pitching. He has power! We are still working on control.

He looks like a professional! LOL.

Well, we finished up the 6th grade and Jake did extremely well. He earned “meritorious” honor roll all year, which is fabulous. I know he can do better, but I’m proud of him nonetheless. He’s a smart boy, and he earns A’s and B’s without much studying or effort. I tell him constantly, “can you imagine how much better you would do if you studied just a little bit more.” I know, I am grateful, really I am. I just don’t want Jake going through life doing the bare minimum. I expect and want more for him. He’s a terrific kid with a great personality, extremely athletic and he’s a great looking boy…very well rounded. Doesn’t a mom want their child to be the best they can be? I need to relax and know that as long as we are the best parents we can be, he will be just fine!

We are finished with baseball and we are in full swing with two summer basketball leagues. He started the first one about a month ago already and the league has been a little challenging for him because he is playing with 9th and 10th graders. I attended my first game last week because the games are so far away and they don’t start till either 8 or 9 o’clock at night… way too late with a little one. I couldn’t believe the size of these boys! I mean, Jake is big for his age, but HOLY MOLY, some of these boys were even a foot taller than Jake! I kept thinking “is Jake going to be that big when he’s in 9th or 10th grade.” He’s definitely heading in that direction since he’s already 5’7” and he’s only going into 7th grade. Oh, I have to add, Jake’s very proud that he’s taller than me now! Anyway, I could sense Jake’s intimidation and his confidence was lacking, but he was a different kid playing with kids his own age with the second league that started last week. He really does enjoy basketball and hopes to be able to play for his middle school next year.

Jake started camp through our township. I believe this is his fourth year at this camp and it is probably the last year. I walked in last week to pick him up and I thought he was one of the counselors. All the kids are so tiny. Seriously, I think Jake is at least a head taller than every single child there. He does seem to enjoy it more this year than in years past. Apparently, the kids who caused a ruckus last year and the year before are no longer there. We do need to find something more challenging for him next year. It would be nice to find a part-time summer job, but I think he will still be too young. We shall see what happens.

Rachel finished her first year of two-year old nursery school at First Baptist Nursery School. I don’t know what it is, but life just seems to fly by, especially when you have kids in school. My year doesn’t go from January to December, but rather September to June which is the school’s calendar and every year, it seems to get faster and faster. We are going to miss Mrs. Melito and Mrs. King since Rachel won’t be back in the fall. It was so neat that Rachel had the same teacher Jake did 11 years ago! Rachel has learned so much this past year and one of my favorites, is that she learned how to say the blessing during meal times. It’s so cute to watch her through slitted eyes, but she’s watching us making sure we have our eyes closed. So very cute! She can count to 10 and surely knows her alphabet. I love when she rattles off shapes and colors she’s learned a long the way as well. In the fall, Rachel will be starting a Christian pre-school full-time. I know she will continue to flourish in her new setting, but it’s all bittersweet. She’s growing up so fast! We are now in a big girl’s bed too and she thinks she is such a big girl. A big girl bed was her incentive when potty training, which she did in no time flat. Rachel is such a quick learner.

We are in a second year of Petite Feet dance and we even are doing a summer session because Rachel LOVES to dance. A woman who works there, was kind enough to give Rachel a used pair of tap shoes. Rachel was in her glory when I gave them to her. She constantly talks about getting bigger so she can do “tap tap.” She puts the tap shoes on and goes to town on my kitchen floor. I’m sure the linoleum won’t like it soon, but hey, she’s tapping and she’s happy and that makes momma happy. In September, Rachel will start ballet and tap. The tap won’t start until after the holidays depending how they do with ballet, but Rachel will feel like such a big girl. She watches the big girls every week when they are tapping and when we leave, that is all she talks about. I love watching her dance and sing. I’m telling ya, she’s going to be on stage someday!

The kids are enjoying the pool at my in-law’s house. They are both fishes and Rachel is becoming so comfortable in the water with just arm floats on. She isn’t afraid to put her face in the water, but screams like a girl when Jake splashes her. Seriously, I thought with almost 11 years between the two of them, there would be no sibling rivalry! Boy oh boy, was I wrong. The two of them harass and pick on each other. Jake tends to be an instigator at times and Rachel gives him the reaction he wants. LOL. The other day in the car, Jake was being is usual silly and sometimes annoying self, and Rachel screams “enough Jake, that is enough!” Hmm, I wonder whey she’s heard that from. Made us all laugh. Bottom line, you have to laugh sometimes and have a sense of humor…if not, you can drive yourself crazy.

We are leaving for vacation shortly and we are looking forward to getting away. Believe it or not, we are headed to Kansas City, Missouri. I know, how many people do you know go to Kansas City, MO for vacation? Well, Dave’s, Uncle Donald, moved there about 10 years ago now and we have yet to visit and we’ve never been and I figured what a great way to spend time with family and enjoy a vacation. Uncle Donald has a boat and a pool, so we definitely shouldn’t be bored. We plan on seeing a Kansas City Royals baseball game and there is an amusement park not too far from his home. I believe we are going to visit Branson, Missouri as well and may even stay a night there. Should be fun! I’m just excited to be on vacation and get away from the monotony of life and work.

In August, we are going to the Great Wolf Lodge for Living Hope’s Adoption Agency reunion. I cannot wait to go there again. I think I might be a tad more excited about that weekend getaway then my week away. We were fortunate enough to go there shortly after bringing Rachel home and we had a blast! The kids were so incredibly good and had such fantastic time. This time we are staying 2 nights and we’ll get to use the indoor water park for 3 full days. I’m looking forward to seeing and meeting new families and connecting with the girl’s that work at the agency. They do such a wonderful job in planning the reunions. I’m hoping next year that I will be able to help them a little, especially with forming a reunion committee where parents will do a little more of the planning. The planning is taking up more and more time which takes away from them helping families to grow. The agency would love the help and would appreciate getting more ideas in making the reunions even more successful in the future. In September, I’m attending the Women of Faith Conference in Philadelphia with a group of women from my church. I’ve never done anything like this before and hope to grow spiritually as I learn to grow my faith. I heard that these conferences are fabulous and that you will go home a different person in every aspect of your life. I can’t wait to share this journey with the women of my church. We have a great summer planned and I’m looking forward to everything about it.

It’s been a little trying at work because for the last three weeks, we’ve been working with NO air conditioning. I know this is such a luxury compared to what others deal with around the world. I try hard not to complain, but let’s face it, we are spoiled here! We are and I will be the first to admit it. We are told that the air conditioning should be working in the next day or so, which will be great since we have embarked upon a heat wave this week.

I’ve been purging up a storm in my house. I don’t know what it is, but it feels good to unload all that stuff. I don’t know why we accumulate so much stuff. Where does it all come from? Most of what I’ve been purging are clothes, toys, baby gear, home décor, etc. It feels invigorating to get rid of it all. Do you ever feel like getting rid of almost everything and starting over? I don’t know why I feel like that sometimes, but I do. Anyway, I love giving to those who could use them or those who are in need. Clothes are expensive and I’m glad to pass them on to someone else who can use them. I was such a snob when Jake was a baby because I didn’t want any hand-me-downs for him. I grew up with hand-me-downs or clothes from thrift stores and I vowed that I would never put used clothes on my child. Well, let’s say I grew up and realize how silly it is not to share things that can be shared. I mean, you spend full price for something that your child is going to outgrow in a matter of a few shorts months. So, I’m not too proud to take hand me downs for Rachel and believe me, she looks fabulous in them! Unfortunately, since Jake is the oldest among most of my friends, we are usually doing the handing down and I love that I can give to a friend to save them money.

Did I tell you yet that Dave is going to China?! I think I did, but we are getting close. My dear closest friend is getting so close to her referral, actually we are hoping to hear this week, which means they will be most likely heading to China in August. I’m so excited. I almost feel like I’m waiting on my own referral. Andrea has been waiting over four years now. She is so incredibly brave to embark on this journey as a single mom and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. It will be so cool to be on the other side of this journey and how cool for Dave to witness the whole family uniting across the world where he will get to witness it all first-hand. We had a lovely baby shower for Andrea on June 11th where about 30 of her friends joined us as we ate, laughed, and watched Andrea open gifts and cry doing it. It was so much fun and I’m thrilled that I was able to be a part of it all. She has been a tremendous friend over the last four years and I’m so blessed to have her be a part of our lives. You can follow her adoption journey at www.meisnowwe.blogspot.com. I am asking that you please keep her in your prayers too. Please ask God to give her peace, strength and security as she embarks on this amazing journey of motherhood.

Can I also ask you to pray for me? I’ve been struggling with my back terribly. I have horrible pain in my back which radiates to my legs. Thankfully, after many tests, x-rays, an MRI, etc., they have found nothing serious. This is bittersweet because I’m glad nothing is seriously wrong, but it’s frustrating to be experiencing this kind of pain and discomfort and no one is able to tell me what it is. I’m seeing a chiropractor and rheumatologist and they are leaning towards fibromyalgia at this point. This scares me because it means I might have to live with pain for the rest of my life. I do know that I need to makes some changes personally including losing weight, eating healthier and just taking care of myself. Mothers tend to not take care of themselves and then we pay for it later. I want to be around for my husband and children for a long time, so hopefully, with God’s help, I can lose weight and start exercising. So please pray for me? I would be ever so grateful.

I hope everyone is enjoying there summer. I will post when we return from vacation with some photos which is all people really care about anyway. LOL! Hey, I get on my blog at least once a day to look at my beautiful family. It reminds me how blessed I am.

Happy Father’s Day
to the man I love and the father of my children

Wish I had posted this yesterday in honor of Father’s Day, but you know what, I do nothing on time anymore. Seriously, I’m constantly “a day late and a dollar short!" Isn’t that how that old cliché goes? I probably got that wrong too! LOL. (Tee hee, I did get it wrong, but my husband corrected me so that I didn't make a fool of myself! See, that's love!)

I just want to post about the wonderful father and husband we’ve been blessed with. I mean, truly, he has been my guardian angel since 1985, which is when started dating! He has been a gentleman through and through and fatherhood has been easy for him. Since becoming a father, he’s also come out of his shell more and more, because let’s face it, the man was as introverted as you can get! But since Jake started school and playing sports, he has gotten more and more involved. Now that we have grown our family through adoption and since bringing Rachel home, he’s opening up and exploring so much more. In the beginning, Dave was hesitant about the road of adoption, but because he had an open heart and open mind and a love for me, he went out of his comfort zone and explored the journey of adoption. Well, we know where that road led us, don’t we? For goodness sakes, he’s going back to China with one of my best friends sometime this summer! No way would he have done that 20+ years ago! He has reached out to the adoption community and is researching more and more about Rachel’s heritage. He has taken on more of a role in all the sports Jake plays with assisting the coach and leading drills. I’m so proud of the man, husband and father he has become. I’m truly blessed to get to share my life and to grow old with him. Dave, we love you so much and I want you to know how much we truly appreciate you. I thank God every single day for you, even when we aren’t having our best days! Thank you for loving me and being the father of my children.

Two Years of love and blessings...

It's hard to fathom that we just celebrated our 2nd "Forever Family Day" or "Gotcha Day", a phrase most adoptive families use. The day didn't quite go the way we hoped, since baby girl is suffering from an ear infection and strep throat. We've had two very difficult sleeping nights. But you know what? We are truly blessed to be able to nurse her back to health. I feel so privileged to be a mom and that God entrusted me to be a parent to two wonderful kids. It's not perfect everyday and there are many days that God may be disappointed in me, but in the end, He knows that he can count on me and all will be okay.

I will say that these two years flew by! And, I know it will be worse when Rachel starts school, because I look at Jake and shutter because he's at the end of his 6th grade year and in just a few short years,he'll be in high school, then driving, taking girls on dates, going to college, etc. Man, that all scares me, but it's exciting too. I guess having the kids almost 11 years apart was kind of good thing, because I won't suffer from "empty nest syndrome" when Jake does leave home because we'll still have Rachel home for at least another 11 years! LOL! "

"Forever Family" day will always be a day to celebrate for Dave, Jake and I, because our little girl was wanted so much and loved from the moment adoption was placed in our hearts. We will always celebrate our day as a family of four. I want Rachel to always know how much she was loved from the moment God placed the desire in our hearts to be parents for the second time. We didn't know at first that we would become parents again through adoption, but I will tell you, it's wonderful to have the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately, our day didn't go quite as planned because Rachel was up all night with a fever and crying because of ear pain. Dave stayed home with her and took her to the doctor and here she had an ear infection and strep throat. She is still battling a fever as of today and crying every now and then because her throat hurts. I think I may be staying home another day with her.

Sunday, we went to Sesame Place. What great weather for a park, not the warmest for water rides, but it the weather made being at an amusement park very bearable. Rachel loved it and Jake didn't mind it either, considering it's more of a park for little ones. Jake probably would have had more fun if it was warmer where he could enjoy more of the water rides. Here are some photos from our day.

Well, thank you for being my blog fans as I continue journaling about our family of four. I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would, even if I don't do it as often as I like.