Wordless Wednesday

Well maybe a few words Just this first time- Apparently some people post a picture on Wednesday without writing anything about it. I guess it gives people a chance to blog something quick and easy. So here's my photo. Kaylee and I saw this at the Houston Zoo on a Girl Scout field trip. Every time the calf would try to get the milk (by what seemed like biting the mother) all the little girls would scream

ahhh.... she's back

It's funny how we are such creatures of habit. We know our routine and we stick to it. Well, with this move I have had just a few settling in problems. Nothing to be alarmed about but still until I can figure out the routine on some things it drives me NUTS! I'll name just a few, because I'm sure you don't want to be bothered with all of them.
#1 I can't figure out where to put my jewelry box. It was previously on top of my dresser. But we just got a new dresser and I don't want to put it up there. The dresser is so high already I wouldn't be able to see anything in it. The bathroom has a nice dressing area but I've always heard the humidity in the bathroom isn't good for jewelry.....

#2 (and equally as traumatizing.) I don't have a long rod to hang my damp laundry on. I usually dry clothes for only a few minutes and then hang them to dry the rest of the way. (thus preventing wrinkles and the need for the that four letter word IRON) David has installed a long rod in our other houses but this house has no good prospects of a spot to install the rod. (I am considering calling some engineer friends over to see if they can come up with some sort of contraption)

#3 This one my friends has a very good ending.... I have not been able to take a decent shower since we moved here. Apparently the previous owners were Low Flow. They had the Low Flow toilet systems, Low Wattage lighting, and Low Flow shower heads.(Anybody remember that Seinfeld epsiode?) So, I asked David to please retrieve the shower head from our old house. Because really, I was beginning to get bothered by this. (I have always thought that I could do the 30+ day stint on Survivor but this shower situation has made me think differently) Anyway, he changed the shower heads out last night and oh the difference a MOEN makes!!! (I may buy stock)

So if you have any suggestions on my dilemmas above feel free to let me know. Other than this the moving in is going Fabulously!!!

What do you do with extra Valentine Tattoos?

Apparently apply as many as possible to your face.
I'm still trying to figure out what Tattoos have to do with Valentine's Day. They were probably created by some person who didn't want there kid to have any more chocolate. Our kids just thought they were cool.

So, Kaylee gave the Puppy and Kitty ones, Zane gave Flames and weird hearts, Trent gave Spiderman ones, Mia's were princess of course. If you're wondering where Mia was, I think she was napping during this tattoo extravaganza!

Just a few more exciting details.

In all the excitement I forgot to add a few details about "ye ole Fantastic night"
***Attn: If you have not read the post about the concert below, stop now and read it first***

1. On the way to the concert David and I stopped for a quick dinner at Chipolte. When we got to the register the clerk asked if a debit card was the only form of payment I had. And I said "Yes" She said "Well then have a great evening and Happy Valentine's Day on us" Apparently the debit machine was off-line. Free Dinner - It was just a premonition of things to come.

2. At the concert I stood next to a young man at the door. He was about 11 years old. (pic below) He had the best smile and would just grin and laugh at everything I said to him. Later in the evening David informed me that he was just adopted a month ago from Ethiopia and didn't speak a lick of English!!! So much for my conversation skills, eh?

Anyway, David had been standing near the boy's Dad and this man was a pastor at a local church. He told David that about 30 orphan kids from Ethiopia had visited their area last summer. Well, through their congregation nearly all the children had been adopted. So now they all go to church together and will eventually attend school together. How cool is that?

3. Now this is not exciting, but I feel the need to explain my outfit on the night of the concert. I wore a navy sweater because it was cold. Knowing full well that we would be receiving a black T-shirt to wear for the concert. I intended to change into the T-shirt. But considering the sub-zero temperatures inside the event I opted not to take the sweater off. I had full knowledge that extra bulk around the midriff is never in my favor but sometimes the ability to not shiver wins out!!

And last but not least, if you've been hiding under a rock you may not know who Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman are. He of course is a Christian Contemporary Musician. You've probably sang many of his songs before. But their amazing journey began several years ago when after having three biological children they felt the Lord calling them to adopt from China. They have adopted three girls from China. They have done lots of work opening the eyes of Christians to the need of families for all the 140 million orphans in this world.
So you can see why it was such an honor for David and I to get to meet this wonderful couple.

OH! What a night......

The excitement... Oh the excitement.....

David and I signed up to volunteer at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert last night. We were part of a group of volunteers to help with the Show Hope campaign for Shaohannah's Hope.

At each of the concerts on this tour they have collected change. That change is then given to a local family that has applied for an adoption Grant through Shaohannah's Hope. They grant up to 7,000 per family on an as needed basis. Here is a little glimpse of SOME of the change that was collected.

It was our job to collect the money and then count it up. Well, there was SO much change that at 10:00 we ended up estimating the final change total. The bills and checks collected were over 10,000 and with the change it made the total well over $16,000. WoW!!! All from one audience. That's enough to give 4 families each a $4,000 grant. We were all in awe of how well the event turned out.

And THEN!!!! Guess who I got meet?(yeah David too) BUT I got to meet Steven AND Mary Beth Chapman.

I quickly told her that I read her blog faithfully. She turned to her friend that was standing there and said "See, people do read it" Oh Yes Mam I do.

So, I asked her how the kids were doing and if everyone was better, because when we had the flu, so did they!

She is such a real, genuine person. Humble and so friendly. It was great. She commented on our buttons that we wore with the kids pictures. We talked about how smart Mia is. That Mia is a Lefty because Steven and Mary Beth are both lefties. ( I really didn't just lead in with that, it just kind of came up in conversation) Yes, there was conversation, it wasn't just me blurting out random things at her.

And a little later Steven came over. We all got to visit with the MAN!!!

David shared with Steven about how Shaohannah's Hope has affected our life. Because when we began the process to adopt Mia, one of the things we were banking on was the hopes that we might be awarded one of the grants his foundation gave out. Then within months of starting the adoption process God came through in a big way for us. He gave us the entire amount of the adoption in one fell swoop. So instead of applying for a grant we were able to make a donation!!!

Because that is the intention of the Foundation..... You take the first steps toward your adoption and then watch how God will work out the details (our miracles in our case)

Here we are....... Just the 4 of us!!! IT was a great Valentine's Day!!! One I will not soon forget!!!!

A finished Kitchen

So this is the kitchen that started the whole "project" When we bought the house the main goal was to remodel the kitchen so that we would have an open floor plan. Well the kitchen turned in to the family room, the dining room, the game room, kids rooms, kids bathroom, down the hall to the master bedroom, and master bath. Then of course new flooring throughout. The project itself was a lot more than we intended. At first we were going to hire someone to do all of the kitchen but as we began to get quotes we realized that we could do so much more by doing it ourself. Now, lots of it was hired out but by being the general contractor it saved us money. There were painters, tile guys, carpet guys, granite guys, cabinet guys, door guys, sheetrock guys #1, sheetrock guys #2(repaired sheetrock guys #1's work) So after the parade of guys was finished we have an almost complete house. There are just a few finishing touches left to be done. But now that we're in the house it makes accomplishing those tasks easier.

Remember what it looked like before?

Was it all worth it? YES!! (Thanks for asking me and not David, he still needs a few more weeks)

Birthday

Koon She Fa Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year!!! Today is a big day for the Chinese. It's very similar to our Christmas in the fact that it is a National Holiday, everyone decorates for it and people go home to visit familiy. In many cases businesses and schools will close for a week or two. Also, it is the day everyone turns a year older. Most older Chinese don't celebrate indivdual birthdays. So welcome to the Year of the Rat!! (I agree, I don't think I would want to be a rat either)

Also Today was the premiere of the new Nick Jr show Ni Hao Kai-Lan. Many people have compared her to a Chinese Dora. Mia has been so excited about this, she has talked about it all week. She couldn't wait to watch it. And it didn't disappoint. We learned how to say Hello, Good-bye, count to 3 and Grandpa all in Mandarin. I am hoping we can learn a lot more before our trip this summer.

Which brings me to my next item. I heard back from our adoption agency yesterday that our dossier (paperwork) is finally back from the Chinese Consulate here in the US and should be sent by DHL to China on Friday. A copy of it is already in China and is being translated. So, it looks like we should be logged in by Feb.14. It may have been sooner but due to CNY everything is closed. So, hold on Ty we're coming. (4 - 5 months from now)

Camera raffle

Ni Hao (that means Hello in Mandarin)
Somehow I came across this family's blog site. The title of the blog is Ni Hao Ya'll. It's called when east meets south. Funny Huh? It's a southern girl and texan boy who have adopted three times from China and are in the process again plus they have four biological children. (8 total)

Anyway, about the camera... As a fundraiser the Mamma is raffling off a Cannon digital rebel camera. You simply donate ($10 is suggested) and you're entered to win. Run over there and check it out. www.wheneastmeetssouth.blogspot.com And even if you don't want to do the raffle go look at the adorable header she has on her blog. I love all the little pictures.

WHEW!

We're in.....Not rain, nor flu, nor proscrastination would stop us. But all I can really say is that we're in. We've made the beds, located the toothbrushes and unpacked one box. It will be a few weeks before we're not living out of boxes any more. I am so overwhelmed by the amount of help we had today. To move an entire house in 4 hours is no small challenge. I'll post more later about that.

Just FYI if you need to reach us, call our cell phone. It will be few days before our phone is up and running.

Just when you think you have a plan....

The plan was for me have almost everything boxed up by Saturday morning. So that when the movers arrived on Saturday everything would be ready. But you know what they say about the best laid plans....

The plan worked until Tuesday morning when we discovered that Mia has the flu.... Then tuesday at noon I got the flu....Then Tuesday afternoon Trent got the flu....then Wednesday afternoon Kaylee got the flu.... We're dropping like flies over here. The bright side to all of this (if there is one) is that when Mom came over to help out, she took Mia to the doctor for me, because I myself was sitting in a doctor's office, Mia's doctor gave everyone in the house a perscription for TamiFlu. Which is not suppose to cure the flu or prevent you from getting it but if you do indeed contract it then the symptoms are much shorter and easier to handle. So, with one co-pay we are all taking it. Thank goodness I didn't have to pay for that many office visits when we found out each prescription is $60. But well worth it I believe.

It's beginning to look a lot like moving....

The boxing up has officialy begun. And as I sort through 7 years of clutter from this house I have learned a few things.
1. 12 loaf pans is entirley two many for one family to own. Granted some are metal, some are glass and then their are size differences. But TWELVE, I think they may have multiplied in there.

2. This house must be a paper magnet. With all the paperwork that comes through here we could save a tree a month but stopping it all. I went to the recycle bin at the kids school and dropped all of it off.(Maybe we can call ourselves green after this)

3. For some unknown reason I have enough black pepper to last until the year 3000. I found four huge cans hidden in the spices. And the ironic part is we never pepper our food after cooking it.

An intresting tidbit I learned about spices is that McCormick quit making spices in metal cans 15 years ago.(except for pepper) I'm certain I'm the only one with a 16 year old can of Nutmeg in my pantry. (well, not any more I threw it out today)

The packing is going well and the house is finishing up with all the little things. David's office is nearing completion. It is now painted and the tile will be laid tomorrow. The dumpster is gone, and it is starting to look a lot more like a home than a construction site.

This is the front door and step. Some might call it a porch but from a Southern perspective I call it a little more than a big step. To me porches are huge and can have a swing on them.

None the less here is the new front step. Complete with new pieces of hand picked slate. David and I sorted through several packs to pick just the right ones. It will look much better once the chocolate brown walls have been painted

Trent has always had the knack of being able to sleep anywhere.

All hope is gone

Well, if you happen to be standing in a check out line this week you may have noticed that Matthew McCounghey is going to be a father. Apparently his girlfriend is three months pregnant. (or at least that's what People magazine says)
So in my despair and unbelief I phoned Gayla to see if she had heard the news. While affirming that this is truth(she read the People magazine too), she helped me through the grief. Gayla assured me that surely if by chance we ever did actually meet and get married that I could in fact love his child as my own. I did point out that the 25 year old supermodel from Brazil may in fact get in the way of this(not to mention my own husband and 4 children) But again Gayla always sees the bigger picture, she said yes, But you can cook! Do you think any 25 year old supermodel can cook?
HA! Anyway, we have a lot of fun, and our dear friend Amy assures us that we probably wouldn't like him if we really knew him. Because in fact our friend Amy lived in the same small town as him and rode the bus with him for four years. Yes, he rode the bus to school. And apparently he knew he was all that and a bag of chips, which totally ruins any movie he's in for Amy. Conceit is a hard thing to get over.
And apparently I am very tired! Good night! Serious posts will resume tomorrow

Monkeys in a cage!

This is the beginning of what will become David's office in the garage. It will have two doors. One to the outside and one into the garage. This will make it so much easier on him when he sends and receives packages. Our neighbor the other day commented that they have renamed the UPS truck. At their house they call it David's truck. He is excited to have his own space that doesn't share a door to the kitchen inside the house. I'm excited that I don't have to look at all the boxes all the time.

Care package

The "wonderful" lady that was able to work her magic and get us updated photos of Ty, also sends care packages. She can call your child's orphange and see if they will accept a small gift for your child. So after we placed our order she went shopping and got all these things and mailed them to Ty from within China. It's cheaper and more reliable than sending it from the US.
So here's what Ty was sent:
A cute teddy bear
A photo album(winnie the pooh) with 10 photos of us in it. With translations underneath each picture.
A letter to the foster family - written by us- translated to Chinese.
And not one but TWO disposable cameras. Yes, I know it says he doesn't like the camera but I'm hoping he won't mind a yellow cardboard box. I'm hoping for as many photos as possible.
And last but not least this Winnie the Pooh car. I thought I was ordering a little hot wheel type car but this funny thing was what she bought. The lady told me it sings, makes noises and goes on it's on. She said, "it's very funny"

Mom and I have a joke about noisy toys. I always say those kinds of toys have to stay at Nana's house. So, when Nana saw this she said "that kind of toy might have to stay in China."

We'll have to see how really loud it is.

This is the American Girl doll that Nana&Paw Paw bought for Mia for Christmas. Her name is Ivy(in the catalog) but Mia named her Lilly.
And this is the new blue outfit that Mamie(Amy) bought for Lilly. I was trying to get a good picture of Lilly. So, I said, "Mia move her around to the front"

Mia said "Not right now Mom, she's a little shy"

A trip to the yard

David and I went in search of Granite for the kitchen countertops. Our contractor sent us to 3 different granite yards. The first was fancy with a nice showroom so we figured it would be pricey . Then the second, I think the train from Mexico off-loaded near where we parked our car. David was sure we were going to get a "deal" here. But as it turned out the price was higher than the first place. So, we just called the 3rd and then went back to the first place. These pictures are of the 1st place (is this beginning to sound like a who's on first conversation)

Anyway, here it is. 2 slabs of Gallo Ventiano, It's kind of neat to see the granite in the huge slab and then know that's what's going in your kitchen.

The Blue writing on the slab says "God Created" which is the name of the installer.

Here's your sign

A sign you've been living in construction to long.....
Mia - "Mommy, I'm hungry"
Me - "Yes, it's getting time to eat lunch"
Mia - "My tummy's really Grouting"