Glimpse of the Future

These pictures give me a little peek at what Joseph will look like as a big boy. He's growing up!




(Although the majority of people tell me that Joseph looks just like me, some think he looks like Larry. These pictures are a good chance to really compare. Personally, I see more of me in him, but maybe I'm biased!)

Mid Autumn Festival

This year, Mid Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, fell on October 3rd. There are many traditions and stories surrounding the festival, some of which you can read about here if you're interested. It is a special time for families to gather together if possible, and also a time to think about those who are far away. For us, that includes our extended family here in the US and also our daughters' birth families in China. We went outside and admired the full moon and talked a little bit about our unique family scattered about the globe. This got me to singing a song from one of our children's CDs. I believe it is actually a combination of two songs. It goes like this:

I see the moon and the moon sees me;
God bless the moon and God bless me.
Please let the light that shines on me,
Shine on the one I love.

It's a simple refrain, but it captures the essence of what was going through my heart and mind as I stood under the full moon with my precious girls. Right now they are too young to ponder these things deeply, but the time will come quickly when they will. Next year, I'd also like to gather some children's books about the moon and Moon Festival to read outside by flashlight. I'd also like to light some colorful lanterns and pray together for all of our special family members. Finally, I'd like it to be a time of thanks to God, who made the moon and all of us under it, and whose glory is unmistakable in the luminous fullness of the harvest moon.

Here are our yummy Mooncakes that we picked up at an Asian market:


And here is the beautiful full moon and our beautiful girls!

This is the best shot we could get with all three kids.

And finally, a Moon Festival poem:

Enjoy your families, everyone!

In Search Of

Okay my bargain hunter friends, I know that some of you are really good at ferreting out deals and I could use your help. We here in circus-land love this product and use it for every nap and night time. In the summer I used the cotton version and now I am using the microfleece. I was able to get a few off of Craigslist and now we are borrowing one from our friends (it's pink and oh-so-cute on my little boy!). At night it keeps him nice and toasty when layered with his snugly PJs (thank you Chris and Pat!). So why am I writing this? Well, you might notice that they cost about $20 a piece, gulp. I'd currently love to get my hands on one fleece size medium and two fleece size large. Come spring I'm sure I'll be looking for cotton ones too. All of that could easily total $100, which just isn't possible right now. Soooo, if any of you have one of these you'd like to sell, or if you see a great deal somewhere, please let me know! I'd be ever so appreciative! Thanks :)

Waiting

Larry is finally home from his interview trip. It was a loooong 5 days without him, made even longer by sickness, extreme sleeplessness and one busted lip for my little climber boy. We are so glad to have Daddy back! The trip went well, we think. Larry was told he would hear back in about 2 weeks, after all the interviews are completed. So now it's time to wait and pray.

In other news, Julie's kindergarten school picture came and I think it is really good, other than the fact that she looks about 13! Where did my baby go?


One last thing...if you think of it, please pray for Julie. She is scheduled to have surgery again in November and I am already all torn up inside for her. Both her ENT and her plastic surgeon will perform procedures during the same operating session - one to put a new prosthesis in her left ear and the other to completely re-do her cleft lip repair from scratch. My poor baby is going to be one hurting girl. :(

Is It Just Me?

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a germophobe. I wasn't always, but having children changed me. In particular, Julie has a tendency to have a hard time kicking illnesses that other kids get over quickly, making me pretty paranoid about her catching any kind of cold. So, imagine my reaction when we went to the grocery store yesterday and the cashier was coughing without covering her mouth, blowing her nose without washing her hands, handling our food and giving my children stickers. (She also made some very loud remarks about adoption, meant positively, but that's another story.) I was seriously tempted to call the grocery store when I got home to ask if they have any policies about sick employees. I know I can't avoid sick customers, but sick employees? Okay, fast forward to today. We had an appointment with the girls' cleft surgeon this afternoon. After waiting the usual hour, we got into a room and waited a bit more. I could hear a bunch of coughing down the hall, but I didn't find out it was the doctor until he came to see us. He coughed all the way through the appointment and was clearly stuffed up pretty badly. All of this while examining my girls' mouths and noses. To his credit, he washed his hands and tried to cover all his coughs, but still. I feel like we're pretty much doomed to get hit with some nasty stuff after all of this, right when Larry is going away. I'm praying that if sickness is coming that it could at least hold off until he is back. So, is it just me or do others of you find it irritating when sick employees don't stay home? I realize that people have to work and earn a living, but at the expense of my family's health? It can't be just me, right?

Hello World!

Happy Birthday Melody!

Melody turned 3 at the end of September, as impossible as that seems to me. She was Joseph's current age when we adopted her, a tiny, adorable baby. Now she is a capable, loving, spunky, stubborn 3-year-old who fills our days with exuberance. We love you, sweet girl!

Welcome to the Circus!

Life is very much like a circus with my little boy. I have never known a child so active and adventurous. I gave up bringing a blanket outside for him months ago. There's no point. Even on soggy ground (like today), I put him down and off he goes. He crawls through wet leaves, wood chips, mulch, grass, mud, dirt, sticks and who knows what else, all in the name of exploration. He stops briefly to greet each plant and tree that he meets, reaching out to touch it and discover whether it is prickly or friendly. He especially adores our neighbor's garden ornaments and visits them over and over again. Inside he fights being restrained for any reason, including sitting in his high chair for meals. As soon as I unbuckle him, he stands up in the chair then climbs onto the tray and right onto our kitchen table. I wonder where he'd go from there? He has taught himself to turn around and go feet-first down stairs and other heights, but a table would be another matter. An open dishwasher door, however, is no problem. He screamed mightily when I tried to close it up after loading it this evening. How dare I close up his current scene of exploration?! At bath time I ended up bathing him standing up because he just would NOT sit. I even have a bath chair to buckle him in but he can wiggle out. So, I held onto him while he stood and explored the faucet, somehow managing to get him clean with my free hand. Then it was Melody's turn and Joseph stayed to watch. The next thing I know, he's leaning over the edge of the tub, up on his toes, then throwing his weight over the top and heading toward the water headfirst! Thankfully I was right there and caught him, but gee whiz! I can barely keep up with the kid! What ever am I going to do in the winter when we can't get outside? Maybe we'll go to the library and let him climb the shelves, ha! What an amazing miracle it has been to watch this boy grow from a helpless newborn to an obstinate 9-almost-10-month-old. Even as he wears me out, I love him every second. Thank you, Lord, for my boy!

Nervous

The latest news in our house is that Larry has a pretty important job interview coming up. He had one interview on the phone and now he has a second interview. The job is not nearby, so they offered to interview via video conference, but Larry thinks it is important to go in person. So, we will be without him for 5 days as he travels. In addition to the interview, he's going to spend a few days exploring the area, attempting to learn as much as he can about things that matter to our family (churches, medical specialists, school services, etc.). I am super nervous about the whole thing...nervous about being without Larry for 5 days, nervous about the prospect of moving, nervous about all the transitions we would face, nervous for Larry and the interview itself...ahhh! But, then I think of this:

Acts 17:25-27
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

I am so grateful for the truth of God's word and it's power to counteract my nerves. One step at a time, His plan will unfold. I'll keep you posted!