Giddy-up Cowgirls and Boys

Ryan's girlfriend, Shelby, is an avid horse-woman. She and Ryan often go to a nearby horse stable and take care of three horses, owned by a friend. They have been wanting us to bring the kids out to take a ride, so we promised that the first warm day, we would. And have I mentioned how much I love Shelby? She is such a sweetie. Ryan couldn't have chosen a better girl!

Sunday afternoon, we headed to the stable. What fun! Jeff wanted to stay at home with the little boys who needed a nap, but I was having a Chevy Chase "this-is-going-to-be-a-fun-fun-family-outing" moment, and begged him to join us. Jordan had his heart set on seeing the 'horsies' anyway. A nap for him was going to be out of the question.

We gave the kids a lecture on how they needed to be quiet around the horses, so as not to spook them and make them skittish. You know...I could have saved my breath. It is nearly impossible for certain unnamed ones to be quiet. Under threat of danger or death, I doubt they could manage it.

I was happily looking forward to riding again--it had been more than 20 years since I'd been on a horse. Jeff, on the other hand, was not so sure this event was going to be anything but stressful. This kids did have a good time--but baby Jake was over-tired and LOUD about his unhappiness at being strapped into the stroller. With all the kids clamoring for 'another ride' it did get a bit chaotic, but most of us had fun. hehe

Thankfully, SaraGrace has out-grown the phrase she used last year, 'Giddy-up Cowpie."


WAITING TO SADDLE UP

I LOVE THIS KID!

MOLLY GETS BRAVE AND FEEDS THE HORSE


A BEAMING JORDAN GETS A "HORSEY" RIDE


DOES JEFF LOOK STRESSED AS HE TELLS A CHILD TO "STAY BEHIND THE FENCE?"


SARAGRACE THOUGHT THIS COWBOY HAT LOOKED FETCHING. IT WAS SIDEWAYS FOR MOST OF HER RIDE.

Our Friday adventure

I guess, to be fair, I should start with the statement that we are very happy that our fingerprint appointment for Zoey's adoption came so quickly from Immigration. That truly is a huge blessing, and one we were not expecting.

We have had our house on the market for almost a year and in our slow Michigan real estate market, we have not had a showing request for almost 5 months. Thursday afternoon, we got a call...could they show the house Friday morning? Panic! We had let the deep cleaning slide and our house was definitely not 'show ready.' Thankfully, Jeff was not out of town, and helped me get it cleaned up. We worked until almost midnight touching up paint, cleaning, etc., since cleaning when the kids are awake is usually an exercise in futility. Exhausted, we sank into our bed.

Our fingerprint appointment was scheduled for 9:00AM on Friday. The fingerprint office is an hour from our house, which meant that we were going to have to get the kids up early. Being a non-functioning person in the morning, this was not good. ha. Murphy's Law instantly went into effect. Our kids will wake up at the crack of dawn on any day that we want to sleep in, but if we need to get up early for something, they act as if they are under anesthesia, limp and unmoving when prodded.

Because of the house showing, we also had the leave the house immaculate. This presented a breakfast problem. No way were we going to let them eat in the house! Jeff dashed out to the grocery store for some granola bars they could eat in the car, and we called it breakfast.

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, we finally wrestled their sleepy bodies into their carseats and off we went. We were just going to make it. Well, that is until we hit several traffic snarls and got off at the wrong exit. But...we made it, only 10 minutes late. Thankfully, the folks at the fingerprinting office were kind and gracious (yes, this seems like an oxymoron--but they have some new staff and they were VERY nice).

I must be getting old because I was completely spent for the rest of the day after that. ha. I just wanted to sit in a chair and not move. It WAS nice to have a clean house for a few hours. (Notice that I say only a few hours....)

Our paperwork is all done for Zoey's adoption, except our immigration approval. Ryan's girlfriend took this family picture for our dossier. Finally...a family picture...not exactly professional, but better than nothing.

Is it Spring yet?

Why is it that kids want to wear their swimming suits around the house in the dead of winter and dress up in their winter coats, mittens and boots in the summer? SaraGrace has been running around the house in her swimming suit for days!

Jake will not stop taking his diaper off during his nap or at night, so we have come up with a plan. Duct tape to the rescue! Really....what would the world do without duct tape? At night, we duct tape the top of his sleeper so that he can't unzip it. At naptime, I duct tape the front of his diaper. Ta-da! No more disgusting messes in his bed....

Who says duct tape can't be worn as a fashion accessory?

We are all longing for spring to break up the monotony of cold winter weather. The kids were back to tobogganing down the steps on the crib mattress again yesterday. This time they were charging admission. Not sure if they got any takers! Probably not, since the little guys have no money. haha

I started a new blog for Zoey with the few pictures that we have. I will not be posting there--just putting pictures into a slideshow as we get them. You have already seen what is there, but if you want to look again, here is the address: www.zoeyfaith.blogspot.com .

Re-Adoption Day!

Today we went to Court to have the six youngest kids' adoptions recognized in the United States, enabling them to get a US birth certificate. Little Jake came home on a different type of visa, so he still needs more paperwork filed with Immigration before he can become a citizen, rather than a resident alien. The other kids are citizens with no US birth certificates! It's not required to get them birth certificates, but it can save them a lot of headaches later.

We made the mistake of not explaining courtroom protocol before we took the kids to the hearing. What were we thinking?? They had NO CLUE that it was supposed to be very serious and they were embarrassed at being directly addressed by the judge. This combination made for a lot of giggling, acting goofy and twirling around in the swivel chairs. They acted like they had ants in their pants--still probably on a sugar high from all the candy Grandma gave them yesterday. ha. The fact that our hearing coincided with nap time didn't help either.

Thankfully, the judge was very gracious and was obviously enjoying the moment. She asked the kids if they knew what we were doing today...that it was very special. She told them that their names had been written down in China, but now they were going to be written down in a book in the United States. I immediately thought of how God writes our names in His Book of Life when we are adopted into His family.

The judge went one by one with each child, reading the legal words that made everything final, and after each child, we all clapped and cheered. SaraGrace started clapping for herself at the beginning of her turn with the judge. haha (I know...you're all shocked!)

At the end, the judge had a bag of goodies prepared and presented it to each child. It was quite touching. We were utterly shocked to be told that the local bank had given each of them a certificate for $100 to start a bank account! Wow... The bag also contained soft, spongy gavels. Within 2.5 seconds, the kids were konking each other on the head with them. So predictable.

The bailiff handed us a video at the end--they had taped the entire thing for us! It was a truly amazing afternoon--they were definitely happy about doing adoptions. The judge also told Ryan and Taylor that she was one of eight children and that they would come to love having so many siblings someday. It seems like we have had so many doctors, dentists, and others in our lives who are part of large families. It's very encouraging to hear them say how much they love it!

Daddy and Jordan waiting in the hall for our turn in the courtroom

Jake has a rare moment of stillness....

Sweet Zoey Faith

A traveling family was able to visit Zoey Faith's orphanage and take some pictures for us!




Zoey is being shown photos of her new family--in a photo album we sent for her.

We are anxious to go to China to bring her HOME!

Easter Pictures

EASTER AT GRANDMA AND GRANDPA'S HOUSE...Taylor and Aunt Kris get ready to watch the egg hunt

Ryan tapes the event

Ready...Set...GO!!!


Grandma and Jillian play with baby Hudson

Easter?

We woke up to THIS! ACK! A foot of snow! My girls are looking forward to wearing their fancy Easter dresses and sandals to church tomorrow. Hmmmm....I think they might have to wear boots instead.

Christ's death and resurrection are what this holiday is all about anyway. Sometimes when I do not understand the circumstances in my life, I remember how hopeless these days must have seemed to Jesus' disciples and friends. They surely were grieving and unable to make any sense out of His horrific death. They didn't know that this was THE PLAN...the only way of salvation for all of humanity. In a few days time, the PLAN was revealed and THEN...what JOY they must have felt when they began to realize that His plan was so much bigger than they could ever have imagined! He didn't come just to save a few--but to save all who would respond, for the rest of time.
Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing gift of salvation and for adopting us as daughters and sons of the King of Kings.

Time for tea

Yesterday, my Mom took my girls and I, along with my sister-in-law, Meredith and her daughter, Maddie, to tea. It was amazing! The girls' plates came and we oohhed and aahhed over how pretty the food looked. Molly has dubbed it 'the bestest tea party EVER.' They are all begging to go again!

Meat Pulverizer

Every family has at least one child who can't swallow meat. Some of us have more than one. Despite the fact that Baby Jake only has seven teeth and not a single molar, he can consume a plate of meat in minutes. Jordan on the other hand, chews laboriously with a full set of chompers. Tonight at dinner, I looked over to see that he had deposited several pulverized globs on his plate. Gross. No amount of explaining that he needed to take tiny bites proved helpful, so he posed for a squirrel-cheeked picture and scampered off to play. I DID let him spit the meat out before he ran off!


In other news, Jillian and Molly recently needed to get glasses. Our girls are getting so big! wah....


And last but not least, Ryan thinks it would be a good idea to wear this to prom:

We have enjoyed two spring days in a row--especially today. The kids were able to get out and get some sun on their faces. Hooray!


Now if I can only get Jake and Jordan to stop taking their diapers off during their naps, all will be right with the world. ha! Today, when I went in their room, they were both in Jake's bed. Jake was naked and Jordan had stripped down to his diaper (at least he kept his on this time!). Jake had thrown his dirty diaper over the rail and wiped the rest of what was sticking to his bottom, on his sheets. Gross. He looked up when I entered the room, and flashed me a big grin. Augh...the kid is irresistible! I can't get mad at him! I lifted him up and took him across the room to clean him off and put a new diaper on him. He looked up at me, gave me another mischievous smile, eyes twinkling, and said, 'Ba, ba, bone." (Translation, "Bad to the bone.") Of course, I cracked up even more, while big brother, Jordan, let out his breath in a sigh of relief that Mommy wasn't mad.

In Zoey Faith news, our agency received our approval from China in writing yesterday! Until then, our approval was only verbal. Relief....ahhh.... We sent our paperwork yesterday to USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services). We will be waiting for months for approval from them before our paperwork can go to China.

Girlfriend weekend and Steven Curtis Chapman roadie

YEP--We really did get to sit this close to the stage!


Several weeks ago, Steven Curtis Chapman's organization, "Shaohannah's Hope" emailed me about being a volunteer at one of his concerts. They needed adoptive parents to help at the information booths as SCC seeks to share the burden of God's heart for orphaned children. The concert was in a town where we used to live, but hours away from where we are now. I mentioned it to Jeff and he, being a very sweet guy, said, 'Why don't you go? You could spend the weekend with your friends and help out at the concert." WOOHOO!! :)

So, I was able to get away for a few days--all by myself! I saw old friends, went shopping with my girlfriends and had a blast! The 'Girlfriends" attended the concert with me--and we all ended up being able to be volunteers--and get free, matching t-shirts. Sadly, despite taking pictures of other friends, the Girlfriends forgot to get a picture taken with just us. DUH! I do have a few photos to share, though. I also had the fun of spending the evening volunteering with some of the couples who now run the Father's Heart Orphan ministry that Jeff and I were just starting when we had to move away. The families that are running it now are doing a great job and have taken it to levels that we couldn't have. I love how God uses different people to accomplish His purposes! The concert was great--our seats were great (like 30 feet from SCC), and the whole weekend was just a big hug from God. (I should give my friend, Brenda, credit for the great seats because the volunteers are just told they can sit wherever there is an empty spot. She spotted the seats way up in the front and dragged me up there!)

Friends who share the FATHER'S HEART for orphans in distress

"

I missed my kiddos quite terribly and they missed me. Jeff had them all lined up to welcome me home. It was soooo cute. They each had a sign with one word that they had colored themselves....

"WELCOME HOME, MOM, WE LOVE YOU!"

Yep, my husband is a great guy, and I am very blessed! He is even remarkably sane after spending three days alone with the kids! I'm told that they only crisis of the weekend was when Jordan wet through his diaper at church and soaked himself and Jeff.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Jordan!

Sweet Jordan turned three today. We celebrated a few days early at Grandma and Grandpa's because they and Jeff were going to be out of town today.

I brought his cake mix and frosting home from the grocery story on Saturday (go ahead and snicker that I don't make it all from scratch). When I told him it was his, he wanted to carry it around. It soon went into his already overflowing backpack, where it stayed until Monday when I had to bake it.

When he awoke from his nap, he came down and looked at his cake. His eyes grew round as saucers and he said, 'Mine? My birfday?" When asked what he wanted for presents, he always said, "Cars, cars!"

He got lots of cars--and Hot Wheel tracks--and we are all having fun playing with them. Ryan and Taylor had to put them together, but it's amazing how much fun some cheap plastic tracks and little cars can be!


This morning, he decided to commemorate the day by presenting himself in his birthday suit while still in his crib. Jillian and Molly had gone up to get the boys and came running back shouting, 'Jacob and Jordan are standing in their beds buck naked!" I was on the phone with our social worker about some of our adoption paperwork, so I waved them off. They apparently thought this was a pressing emergency, so they said it louder...and louder. No matter how many times I tell them that when I'm on the phone and wave them off, it means, "GO AWAY," they still don't get it! I soon excused myself from the phone call and went to check on the situation. Sure enough, they were standing in their cribs, naked as jay birds, grinning from ear to ear at their stunning accomplishment. Thankfully, they hadn't relieved themselves anywhere, but they had thrown their diapers over the side of their cribs in an apparent Boston Tea Party show of protest.

Relaxing on a Sunday Afternoon...

"AAHHHHHH....I have the Sunday paper all to myself..."


"Hey, Jordan, do you see any great bargains?"


"How about this one right here?"

Spoons

Yesterday, Jillian went to check on the boys. They had been napping and we thought they should have been awake. She came back down and said, 'Mom, it's so cute. Jacob climbed into Jordan's crib and they are sleeping next to each other with their heads together.' Of course, I grabbed the camera, but they had shifted a bit by the time I reached their cribs. My little guys were almost sleeping like spoons. Too cute!

Not the best photo, but it gives a general idea


Couldn't resist adding this photo

About yesterday's FAQ post...please do not feel bad if you have asked us one of those questions! I truly do not mind any questions we are asked, and only posted those to save you the trouble, since most of them are question we are asked fairly often!

FAQ and comments

1. Did you guys always want a large family? No!! We wanted two kids—a boy and girl. I never pictured myself with a large family. I never particularly liked kids! Ha! I always wanted to be a mom…but a large family? No! I had other plans for my life!
2. If you didn’t want a large family, why do you have one? And if ‘God called you to this,’ do you resent that?” Despite some hard days here and there, we LOVE our life! We have discovered that letting God choose our life path for us has been the most exciting thing we could have ever done. No, we wouldn’t have had the sense to choose this, but God did, and we so thankful that we didn’t miss it!!! He has given us joy, peace and fulfillment—plus, He does most of the work!
3. “Are you guys trying to save the world? You can’t adopt them all, you know.” This would be a funny question if not for the seriousness of the orphan crisis in the world today. There are 143 MILLION orphans in the world and the number is growing. No, we can’t save them all, but we are trying to make a difference for the ones God calls us to adopt. Want to help us?!! We can’t really make a dent in 143 million…. ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…’
4. “Do you ever feel like you’re going to lose it?” hahahahaha What is really funny is that I lost it a lot more often when we just had two kids, than I do now. I would say that is a HUGE testament to what God can do in our lives. We DO have a lot more noise and chaos, but overall, I would say that Jeff and I are both calmer, more patient parents than we used to be. Maybe that is just a survival technique!
5. “How do you do it all?” We don’t. We don’t have it all together. We do the best we can in God’s strength and trust Him to do the rest. We have watched Him meet our kids’ needs in amazing ways. Even our kids’ personalities have been formed that as they interact, they encourage growth in each other.
6. “Do you get burned out?” If I get really stressed, that is usually a big clue that I am trying to do too much, or am involved in too many activities. We scale back until we can live without that burned out feeling. We have stopped being involved in a lot of activities, but it’s only temporary until the kids are older. And of course, we pray for strength and help. Without God’s help, I could not do this job for even one hour without being a jerk!
7. Speaking of jerk—I can see this burning question on so many faces of people who are too polite to ask…How can you STAND having so many kids? This is a very fair question and the answer is that I truly don’t know!! Haha God has changed my heart to the point that I actually DELIGHT in them—most of the time.
8. “Are you guys rich or what? How do you afford all those kids? No, we’re not rich. I honestly don’t know how we afford the kids, but God always helps us. He keeps our cars running, our washer and drying running ( a lot!), etc. He gives Jeff raises when He thinks we need a bit more to make ends meet. He helps me find bargains at the store. There are countless ways He helps us—probably many that I am unaware of. He has proven Himself to be “Jehova Jirah—our Provider.”
9. “We would love to adopt but it’s just too expensive.” We can testify that we have never had the money to adopt either, but God has always provided. And hey….adoption costs less than a new car!
10. “How will you pay for college?” No clue…but since God has always provided, we trust He will help us and our kids when the time comes. I’m sure that given the choice, they would prefer a home and a family (without college paid for), then to stay in an orphanage.
11. “You’re never going to have any time for yourselves, or be able to retire. You’ll still have a house full of PMS’ing teenagers.” This cracks me up! I guess we’ll worry about that when the time comes, but I would probably be bored out of my mind with retirement anyway. Plus, the kids will give me something to talk to my friends about besides my aging body and all it’s aches and pains.
12. “How in the world do you have time to homeschool?” Again…I don’t. In all seriousness, it is easier to be on our own schedule than to be on the schedule of multiple teachers with multiple school projects. Not to mention needing to be sure that everyone has clean socks and underwear for school each day! (smile)
13. “What kind of car do you drive?” We still drive an 8-passenger mini-van because most of our driving is short errands without the whole family. We drive two cars to church and for any out of town trips. We have not wanted to buy a 15-passenger van because of the gas cost. This may have to change in the future. We do enjoy all the jokes about driving stuff like Prison Transport vehicles, school buses, and limo’s. heehee Ryan says he will not be seen with us if we drive any of those things.
14. “You guys are either saints or you’re crazy.” If we had to pick, I would say that crazy is the more likely of the two. Hehe We are certainly not saints.
15. “There are easier ways to serve the Lord.” This one puzzles me. We aren’t adopting as a publicity stunt, nor are we trying to impress God with our service. He has asked us to have a big family. No big deal… He gives us the strength we need and picks up the slack where we lack (which is a lot!). I think it would be harder to go to the mission field than do what we are doing.

If I haven't covered a burning question that you have, feel free to ask!
How could I resist these sweet little faces?

Our little boys

Jordan and Jacob have been cracking us up lately. We started to notice that all of the toys in the basket in the family room have been disappearing. No big deal--they didn't get played with all that much. (Cupboard contents, pieces of paper, and stray food particles prove to be far more facinating.) We did begin to notice though, that Jordan's backpack had become bulging and heavy. I opened it the other day and looked through some of his treasures. Jordan adopted a look of worried consternation as I pulled a few things out. Jillian watched and gasped, "Heyyyyyy, that's MINE! I've been looking for that!" Molly joined her and also let out a "heyyyyy.... that's MY toy." Jordan had apparently been scooping up every toy he saw on the floor and squirreling it away in his backpack. Since the girls had left their toys out and hadn't missed them much, I made them give the toys back to Jordan. His smile reappeared. I handed him his sack-0-stuff and off he went. I don't know how he carries it around--it weighs a ton! He also has a second bag of stuff that won't fit in the backpack. He does share his loot when we tell him he has to--as long as we allow him to dole out what he wants to share.
Jordan's Backpack Contents

This morning, when I walked into their bedroom, Jake was in Jordan's crib!! I knew it was only a matter of time before this would happen because they both delight in showing me how they can climb on top of their railing. I only hope that they stay near the wall so they don't topple out on their heads. Since I don't want them roaming the halls at night while we sleep, I still think they are safer in cribs, so they are not getting big boy beds yet. Jordan is also starting to undress himself in his bed--so far only his shirts or taking his pajamas down to his waist. Here's hoping he doesn't start taking his diaper off--or teaching Jake to do that! Just hangin' out in my big brother's bed!

Zoey picture

Here's our girl!

Zoey Faith's Story

Almost two years ago, God gave me the impression that we would adopt a little girl after Jacob. Since that time, I have kind of been on the look-out for her. At one point, we thought we had found her in Vietnam…a little one with a heart condition, named Sinh. We were not able to bring her home, however, because she was too sick to be moved from Vietnam. Her name, Sinh, meant ‘Life,” a meaning which later, took on more significance. At that time, God gave me a verse, “He takes away the first to establish the second.”

I often look at waiting lists of children, and contrary to the popular belief of Jeff and Ryan, I do NOT fall in love with every child I see!! Haha! Late last summer, I was looking at an agency’s new waiting child list. As I looked at the children’s files, a little one caught my eye. Her special need was a ‘little foot’ that was almost identical to our Chloe’s. She also had a leg issue that was somewhat hard to discern, but didn’t look too serious.

I mentioned her to Jeff and he said, ‘Maybe we should adopt her.” I laughed, thinking that this sweet child wouldn’t be waiting for more than two days. She was young, beautiful, and her special need wasn’t serious. Besides, we had only been home a few months with baby Jake, and I didn’t think an agency would be willing to work with us.

A few months later, I checked the list again and this little peanut was STILL waiting for a family! I couldn’t believe it. I mentioned her again to Jeff. Again he said, “Maybe we should adopt her.” I laughed… Awhile later, I asked him, ‘Were you serious about adopting her?” He said he was open to it, so I called the agency to ask about her. I was told that another family was reviewing her file, so we needed to wait and see what their decision was.

Since we know what Chloe may be facing in the future with her leg (possible surgery to make her legs the same length), we had no problem with this child’s special need. As we prayed about her, we felt at peace about pursuing her adoption. I told the agency we wanted her if the other family did not. A few days later, they called to say the other family had decided not to pursue, but we still had to wait for their committee to meet and decide if they were comfortable with our family.

During the wait, I looked at her picture and asked God what name He had chosen for her. Instantly, it came…. “Faith.” I also prayed that God would give Jeff her first name, and several days later, during a family discussion on names, Jeff and Taylor came up with the name, “Zoey.” I looked up the name, Zoey, and read that it means, “LIFE!” God never ceases to amaze me! He HAD taken away the first (Sinh) to establish the second (Zoey).

A few days later, we got the call that the committee Okayed us!

Our Letter of Intent went to China and we waited for a response. A month later, China contacted our agency and wanted to know where the rest of our income was! Our income was under the amount required to adopt from China. Well…hmmm….we couldn’t just magically make more income appear in our bank account. We prayed again…and God gave Jeff the idea to ask his boss about his bonus level. Jeff had just been given a lot more responsibility at work, and he thought that MAYBE it had pushed him into a higher bonus level. It took a few long weeks to get an answer, but in the end…YES…he was bumped into a higher bonus level. It pushed us just barely over the amount required by China! God is amazing!

We thought we would then be approved quickly, but a month went by….then another, and another. During that time, we were told that China was concerned about the number of young children we had. We continued to pray that if God wanted Yong Qing in our family, He would make sure we were approved. Yong Qing needed a family and we prayed that God would rescue her.

Finally, at the end of February, the call came! We had been approved!!

So here we are, about to embark on the lovely paperchase again! Our social worker is coming on Wednesday, and we will begin the process to bring Zoey Faith home.

The day after we got approval, my devotional was titled, “Lifted to Safety.” The verse that went with it was: ….God…does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number…Those who mourn are lifted to safety.” Job 5:9,11

In my mind, I picture sweet Zoey, being lifted to safety and brought home to her family.