Journey to Oakley

Keeneland's Breakfast with the Works

2010-10-19T19:09:00.021-05:00

I love Keeneland. It's arguably the most beautiful race track in the country. They host a very popular Breakfast with the Works program every Saturday morning during their spring and fall meets. This year, for the first time, we took advantage of it. I can't BELIEVE it's taken me this long to attend!

We joined Melissa and Sophie early Saturday morning to take it all in.

Sophie is one of Oakley's dearest friends. They get along beautifully and they have so much in common. Not only are they the same age, they are both from China, and they resided in the same welfare institute. We have photos of them taken together when they were just babies -- sitting in their little bamboo chairs in Zhangzhou.

I cherish their friendship and the bond they are creating. I also cherish my friendship with Melissa, Sophie's Mom. She's not only a great parent, she's a great friend, she's funny, and she's witty! We always seem to have a good time when we're together! So we planned a morning at the track. 7am came early ... and it was still dark outside! But it was so worth it to get to experience the sunrise, sights and sounds of Keeneland at Breakfast with the Works.

We watched world-famous Thoroughbreds workout in preparation for their next big race, listened to trackside commentary, enjoyed a delicious breakfast and the girls got to participate in free children's activities.

Thanks to Melissa and Sophie for rising so early to join us. We had a FABULOUS time!

World Equestrian Games

2010-10-13T18:50:00.005-05:00

Lexington was proud to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Attendance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games topped half a million. We had the honor of being the first city outside of Europe to ever host these prestigious world championships.

A record twenty-seven teams competed in eight disciplines. Fifty-eight countries were represented with 632 athletes and 752 horses.

We were fortunate to get to spend the a day at the park and we had a wonderful time. We attended the Individual Vaulting Event, marveled at the horses, the competitors, the beautiful grounds, the exhibits and vendors and all the languages being spoken.

What a fantastic event -- makes me proud to be a Kentuckian!

Two Years Ago Today, I Met My Daughter

2009-05-27T19:06:00.013-05:00

Two short years ago, I met my daughter in a Civil Affairs office in Fuzhou, China.

My daughter.

On this day, I celebrate her and her loving, generous, sweet, sweet spirit. There are so many reasons to love this girl -- here are just a few.

She sings ALL the time -- everything from Jesus Loves Me to The Killers' Indie Rock & Roll (seriously, word-for-word)
When I pick her up from school and ask about her day, I get a detailed account - every friend she played with, every snack consumed, every song sung and every art project completed
I get LOTS of artwork - a new work each and every day. And she always puts her name, my name, and Mom on it, lest I get confused for whom she created her masterpiece
She was relentless in learning how to snap her fingers and now snaps better than any of her brothers
She still tells me daily that she missed me when she was in China
She completed a Mother's Day questionnaire at school and told her teacher and all her classmates that I'm 22:)!
She asks me every night to carry her like a baby when it's time for bed
She loves to have her toenails painted, preferably with a pink flower on her big toe
She often completes my sentences for me
She's mine

Happy Gotcha Day, Oakley!!

I love you to the moon and back my sweet girl.

Mother's Day and Mayfest

2009-05-11T19:21:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I awoke to the sound of sweet voices wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. I ventured downstairs to find a BEAUTIFUL hand-rubbed teak bench in our foyer (thank you Michael - I LOVE IT). It was a complete surprise, although he knows I've wanted one since we moved in. I've been searching for one for a while, but hadn't found the perfect fit. He did.

On the bench was a display of some very special handmade cards. Sullivan's actually brought me to tears as he declared me "The Best Mom Ever" for the following reasons:

You make the best chocolate chip cookies
You take me to the zoo
You take me to the pool
You stay home with me when I'm sick
You love Easter and Christmas
You love and care for me

How sweet is that?!?

In the afternoon, while Michael worked in the yard and the boys played outside, Oakley and I attended Mayfest -- a local arts festival in a historic park and on the campus of one of our universities. It's a beautiful setting and the weather was perfect.

She got her face painted, and together we danced the Maypole and snacked on kettle corn amidst artists, fountains, flowers, strolling performers and gypsy dancers.

They even had a small petting zoo this year and Oakley loved feeding the sheep, although she was more than ready to wash the slobber off when she was finished.

She kept saying, "This is so much fun, Mommy. Just me and you and you and me."

It was a perfect day in every way. Happy Mother's Day to you all!!

Garden Girl Rock Star

2009-04-19T11:36:00.013-05:00

Oakley and I stayed home the Monday after Easter. She complained of a sore throat and told me she "might not feel good, and that she might need to stay home".

We spent the day in our pajamas -- coloring, reading, and watching movies. At one point she went up to her room to get her baby doll and came back down like this.

"Look, Mommy! I'm a garden girl rock star!" she exclaimed happily.

Easter Highlights

2009-04-13T18:30:00.020-05:00

He is risen!! And what a glorious day we had celebrating with family and friends. Sullivan actually set his alarm and woke us up at 7am. After a little convincing, he agreed to go back to bed until 7:30. At 7:30am on the dot, he rallied his siblings and they bounded down the steps to see what the Easter Bunny had left them. Well, some of them bounded down. Sawyer actually dragged himself up the steps, but he was a good sport about rising early.

Mike's Dad is in the hospital recovering from hip surgery, so he took the boys to visit him early in the day and Oakley and I stayed home. We watched Mary Poppins and prepared food for an early evening cookout. Oakley LOVES to help out in the kitchen! We made an Asian Salad, a salad with Mandarin Oranges and Carmelized Almonds, a Strawberry-Pretzel Salad (more like a dessert), Broccoli Casserole and Corn Pudding. When coupled with the steaks we grilled (not your traditional Easter fare), we had ourselves a little feast!

Nicole and her family joined us mid-afternoon for an egg hunt (several hunts, actually) and the boys spent the afternoon playing frisbee and flying kites. We LOVE their beautiful girls (and Mom and Dad) and I'm so glad we got to spend some time with them yesterday.

Some of my family joined us later for the cookout -- the first of many we hope to host in our new home. We spent the evening watching The Masters, catching up with family and friends, and enjoying the day together.

Life is good!

A Typical Kentucky Spring

2009-04-07T19:32:00.015-05:00

Today it snowed. SNOWED?!?! We awoke to freezing temperatures, great big flakes, and the ground blanketed in white powder. It's April 7 .... just a typical Kentucky spring. My Mom has always told me never, never, never put out plants prior to Derby Day. And she's right, although I do recall a white Derby in my past, too. It may be 70 degrees one day and 20 degrees the next. And although those 70 degree days tempt us into believing it's spring, we all know better.

Not that we don't take advantage of those warm days!! Last week the kids were out of school on Spring Break and Wednesday was beautiful. I took the day off and before I even woke up, Sullivan had already researched the forecast, printed it off the computer, and had it waiting for me on the kitchen counter. Sunny skies, warm temps ... a perfect day for the zoo.

So Hagan, Sullivan, Oakley and I loaded up and headed north toward the Cincinnati Zoo. We tried to coax Sawyer out of bed to go with us, but he chose to sleep in.

We were pleasantly surprised to find no crowds and because it was such a nice day, most of the animals were really active - ready to welcome the warmer days.

The gardens were beautiful, and the tulips, my very favorite flower, were in full bloom.

The boys were a little disappointed that some of the animals hadn't been moved yet to their outdoor habitats because the weather was still a little cool for them. We'd much rather see the monkeys hanging from trees than behind glass cages. I understand the importance of zoos but it's always been a little depressing for me too.

We spent the longest time at the Gorilla exhibit. They are SO AMAZING to me. Last year we were enthralled with the Momma Gorilla and her new baby, but this year, it was this large male that drew us in. He stood up and walked around like a man ... for a long time. Incredible!

Regardless, we all had a great time and it was the highlight of our week!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year

2009-01-03T23:22:00.006-05:00

Look who's back!! Will wonders never cease .....

It's been so long since I posted that I don't even know where to begin. I'd like to say that I'll catch up on the past several months (which would be really helpful to me when I scrapbook my photos), but I seriously doubt that will happen.

We're doing great, but have just been really busy. Starting a new job and simultaneously building a house can be all-consuming and I just haven't had the energy to devote to my blog. But hopefully, we'll be settled in our new home sometime next month, and I'm going to do my best to post more often.

So I'll start off the New Year with an Oakley story! Last weekend the family went out to dinner, and Oakley, in her true fashion, sang all the way there and all the way through dinner. Seriously, she may someday be an Idol contender. She sings ALL THE TIME and we've pretty much learned to tune it out and carry on a conversation despite her melodic voice. But this night, something caught our ears and we all stopped mid-conversation.

Here's her rendition of Old McDonald Had a Farm .....

"Old McDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on that farm he had a -- Please press an animal to continue singing -- PIG!! E-I-E-I-O."

What?!?! Please press an animal to continue singing? Sullivan just shook his head in dismay.

"She thinks that's part of the song," he said. "We need to take the V-Tech away."

I've Been Tagged!

2008-10-26T15:09:00.005-05:00

I've been tagged by Maureen, so here goes:

Seven Things:

1. I am one of six children (three boys and three girls). Growing up, we shared one bathroom. It CAN be done. I'm married to Michael, who also happens to be one of six children (three boys and three girls).

2. There are only two things I cannot (or will not) eat: mayonnaise and canteloupe.

3. I was born in Vilsek, Germany. Yup, I'm an Army brat.

4. We are in the midst of building our home (this is a first for us). I quickly discovered that I have champagne taste. And a beer budget.

5. My labor with my second son was 50 minutes, start to finish. SCARY because we almost didn't make it to the hospital. And on the mad rush to get there, as my husband was begging me not to push, he ran over a opposum.

6. I've never liked opposums.

7. There's no sweeter sound than that of children singing. It always makes me cry.

I am tagging:

Karen
Cynthia
Sara
Leslie
Angie
Leslie
Krista

That's My Princess

2008-10-12T18:02:00.019-05:00

We recently visited Dr. Taylor for Oakley's four-year-old check-up. Oakley loves Dr. Taylor, despite the fact the since she's had to endure many immunization shots while in her office.

After her physical exam, Dr. Taylor began to question Oakley about many things in order to determine if she is developmentally on target, which she so is! She had her count to 10 and in her excitement, Oakley forgot to stop at 10 and counted all the way to 40. She tested her on all of her colors and her shapes, and I think she was pleasantly surprised when Oakley correctly identified the diamond and oval along with all the other shapes. She asked about her favorite foods (thank goodness my girl threw in some fruits and vegetables along with McDonald's), and her favorite things to play.

Then the conversation took a turn ....

Dr. Taylor: Oakley, what do you always ride in while you're in the car?

Oakley: I ride in my car seat, with my buckles.

Dr. Taylor: Can you ride a bicycle?

Oakley: No, I'm still little. But I can ride a tricycle. It has three wheels.

Dr. Taylor: What do you always wear when you ride a tricycle?

Oakley glances at me for a little help.

Dr. Taylor: Oakley, don't look at your Mommy. Look at me. What do you always wear when you ride a tricycle.

Oh ... this is really a test for me. To see if I'm being a responsible parent.

Oakley: Ummm. Ummmmm. A tiara?

I just failed my responsible parent test.

Dr. Taylor: (trying really hard not to smile) "No, Oakley, that's not the right answer. A tiara won't protect your head."

Oakley: "Oh! A helmet!"

That's my girl.

Dr. Taylor: "That's right, Oakley. You should always wear a helmet when you ride your tricycle or a bicycle."

Oakley: "And a tiara."

That's my princess.

FOUR ... Fabulous Four!

2008-08-20T20:39:00.025-05:00

Guess who turned four today?!?! That's right -- my sweet girl is now four years old!

She's grown up so much in the past year, it's really hard to believe all that she's learned, accomplished, discovered and braved. We celebrated pretty low-key today ... actually, REALLY low key.

Our lives have been topsy-turvy this past month. In a matter of one week, I was offered a position with a great company and accepted it, I resigned from my old position, we got a contract on our house, and we signed a contract with a builder on a new house. Yes, we're building and I hope our marriage survives it (just kidding). Actually, Michael and I are celebrating (again, think low-key) our 20th wedding anniversary today!!

So, in the past month, I've had a yard sale, we closed on our house and are in the midst of packing (we'll have to move into rental property while our new home is being built -- ugghh), the boys started school, my youngest changed districts and schools, and all three boys started their soccer seasons, complete with weekend out-of-town tournaments. My head has been spinning, and I told Michael I just didn't think I could handle another change.

Then lo and behold ... Sawyer got his driver's license.

And totaled my 4-Runner just two weeks later.

Miraculously, he walked away from a really bad accident unscathed with the exception of some burns on his arm and places on the inside of his mouth from the airbags. He most definitely had an angel on his shoulder. I chalk it up to inexperience (and most likely, excessive speed), but he was coming home from work on the interstate, was in the passing lane, and the car to his right veered into his lane. Sawyer over-corrected and hit the concrete barrier. He lost control, skidded across three lanes of interstate traffic (without coming into contact with another vehicle), slid off the road, down into a deep ravine, and into a tree. Truly, God spared his life that night and I thank God he is alive.

Subsequently, I had to get a new vehicle, which I just purchased two weeks ago. Then last Tuesday night, while in the Cracker Barrel parking lot, an older gentleman backed into my passenger door. And I still have temporary tags!! Just a small dent, but I took it for estimates and they're going to have to keep it for a couple of days while repairs are being made.

And I couldn't even be upset with the man that hit me. First, it was an accident. And second, he's 85 years old, meanders up to me, and says, "Well, did you ever see such a thing? I try not to do stupid things, but every once in a while, one will sneak up on me." I felt so badly for him. I kept apologizing to him!"

More info that you wanted to know, I'm sure. I haven't had a minute to think, much less blog, and I guess I'm documenting all of my whoas to try to justify to myself why Oakley didn't get a big birthday bash this year.

She was more than content with a few presents and her immediate family joining her this evening for birthday cake (not even ice cream). She got to wear a birthday crown during preschool this morning and I picked her up early today from school.

She joined me on a visit to Sullivan's elementary school this afternoon. A week or so ago, Sullivan's third grade teacher called and asked me to come and talk to the classroom about our travels to China and how our cultures differ. She is devoting this semester to studying the Olympics and all that it encompasses. She asked me to bring photos and anything we picked up in China that might be of interest (chopsticks, Chinese silks, currency, artwork, etc.) As I was gathering things together last night in preparation, Sullivan asked me if we could bring Oakley. I explained to him that she would miss her naptime and that it probably wasn't a great idea because she would then be grumpy on her birthday.

"But Mom, " he implored. "She's the best thing we got in China!"

You can't really argue with logic like that.

So I picked Oakley up after lunch today and she accompanied me to Sullivan's school. This was such a special visit for us all. I think Oakley felt really special as we talked about her homeland, about what a beautiful country China is, and about how warm her people are. She even taught the class how to say hello and thank you in Mandarin. Sullivan was so proud of her and he beamed throughout my entire presentation. I love talking about China and why we love it so much!!

All of Sullivan's classmates kept wishing Oakley a very Happy Birthday, and she practically waltzed out of the classroom when it was time for us to go.

So after soccer (surprise, surprise) this evening, we all gathered in the dining room and celebrated our little girl. After we sang Happy Birthday and she blew out her candles, she opened her gifts. She loved her Mary Poppins movie, her new pajamas, her Ariel bathtime doll and her new Candyland game.

But she was most excited about opening the gift from her best friend Caeleigh!! It's a precious "O" peg rack, and she absolutely loves it! Thank you, Caeleigh. Oakley loves you and misses you so very much!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Oakley, who thanked me this evening as I was tucking her in, for singing Happy Birthday to her and for getting her a cake with green and pink polka dots.

And thank you to her birth mom, whom I know is dreaming tonight of the baby girl she held in her arms four short years ago. Please know that your precious girl is everything you want her to be -- well-loved, cherished, and so very happy.

Oakley's Been Tagged!

2008-07-21T20:57:00.032-05:00

Oakley was tagged by her blogging buddy, Flower. I followed Flower's journey home to her family and have kept up with her because she's just too precious and her family is way too cool. Check out their vacation escapades -- never a dull moment!! Sawyer LOVES their VW bus!!

Anyway, Oakley and I sat down this afternoon and she provided all the answers to the questions. You'll see for yourself that I didn't edit these.

Name: Oakley Xinxiang Curd

Age: I'm three years old. I'm almost 4.

Favorite Activities: I like to paint. I like to color. I draw pictures and play in my room. I like to get messy. I play outside and ride my bicycle.

Favorite Foods: corn, muffins, yogurt, pineapple

Least Favorite Foods: I don't like snakes. But I like cheeseburgers. Sometimes I don't like mustard.

Favorite Music: ABC's, God Bless America, I am 16 ... going on 17 (from Sound of Music), and I like Mary Poppins

Favorite Toys: my dollhouse, puzzles, games and Hungry Hippo, Hi Ho Cheerio, my bitty baby and her stroller -- she's so cute

Favorite Books: Fancy Nancy, Goodnight Moon, Popcorn, and that Polar Bear book

Favorite Items of Clothing: my princess shirt, my princess dress, my princess slipper shoes (are you beginning to see the pattern?)

What Makes Me Happy: dancing, books, Mommy, Sullivan, Hagan, Daddy, stinky dog Scrabble (insert giggle), my brother Sawyer

What Makes Me Sad: when my belly hurts, when I miss Mommy (be still my heart)

I TAG: Claire, Emery, Caeleigh, and Lily

And on a side, note, these photos are for you, Lynn. Oakley is modeling an original Livi Lu creation and we LOVE IT!! This may be THE cutest top I've ever seen and Lynn, you need to send some business cards my way so I can pass them out for you. You are, oh, so talented!

Favorite Photo Friday

2008-07-11T20:42:00.001-05:00

Hagan and Oakley
July 4, 2008

A Brother's Love

2008-07-07T23:31:00.013-05:00

Precious brother
can you see
What the Lord has given you and me?
The chance to grow
and find our way;
But, still we cannot
stay away.

Not just a name
upon a tree.
The Lord has made us
family.
To share our lives
both good and bad,
To come together
happy or sad.

A helping hand
within our grasp,
A friendship that you know
will last.
Not just a name
upon a tree;
The Lord has made us
family.

Thankful I shall always be,
The Lord has made you
brother to me.

--Brenda Darlene Kijowki

Patriotic Concert

2008-07-04T10:20:00.024-05:00

Last night we joined family and friends at a Patriotic Concert on the beautiful grounds of Transylvania University and Gratz Park. This annual event is one of our favorites -- a time for picnicking, playing in the fountains, enjoying the music of the Lexington Philharmonic and Lexington singers, and participating in some Grand Ole' Flag waving.

My good friend, Sherry, and her beautiful family were in from Utah and we really enjoyed spending the evening with them. Sawyer and her oldest son, Adam, have been friends since they were preschoolers.

After they moved to Utah, Sawyer and Adam maintained a special friendship and bond, with the ability to "pick up right where they left off," even after spending time apart for months- on-end. Adam vacationed with us many summers, and Sawyer vacationed with them on many occasions. These boys have grown into young adults right before our eyes, and I'm so proud of who they've become.

Sawyer and Adam decided last night to run in the Bluegrass 10,000 footrace this morning -- this annual event is part of our community's Fourth of July Celebration, and most of the runners train for months in preparation. Adam didn't even bring running shoes, so he and Sawyer left the concert early to purchase shoes at a local sporting goods store. Sawyer spent the night with him last night and they headed down bright and early for the race, which began at 7:30am. Once there, they decided they were really too tired to run because they stayed up all night talking and catching up.

So instead of running, they headed to the Krispy Kreme store and munched on donuts while watching the runners round the first mile-marker. Teenagers!

Happy Fourth of July
to you and your family.

God Bless America!!

Favorite Photo Friday

2008-07-04T08:54:00.001-05:00

On the dock at Dale Hollow Lake.

"THAT would not be great!"

2008-06-28T21:40:00.009-05:00

Oakley is such a little creature of habit. She thrives on routine and she likes things orderly. She ALWAYS sleeps with the same teddy bear, rabbit and her pink blanket. She has to have all closet doors, dresser drawers and night stand drawers shut tightly before she can go to sleep. She says her blessing before EVERY meal, whether at home or dining out. And without fail, she washes her hands after going potty.

So imagine her surprise, when I suggested she go potty in the middle of the lake. Four adults and eight kids had pulled into a beautiful little cove to swim and play in the water. Oakley told me, rather discreetly, that she had to go pee in the potty. I explained that it was a long way to the bathroom at the marina and told her it was okay to go in the lake.

"THAT would not be great!" she exclaimed in horror.

After a little prompting and reassuring, however, she did manage to go.

Fast forward to the next morning as we were loading the boat with our cooler, floats and towels for our day excursion. She told me that she had to go potty so I took her hand and we headed down the dock toward the bathroom at the marina.

"I don't want to go to that potty," she said with disappointment in her voice.

"I like to pee in the lake!"

Time with Friends

2008-06-28T19:08:00.031-05:00

We just got home from a fabulous week at Dale Hollow Lake! We vacationed with some of our closest friends, Joe and Nicole, and their four precious girls. It was a week of boating, swimming, campfires, roasting marshmallows, fishing, cliff jumping, tubing and skiing. The weather was perfect, the company was great and we all had a wonderful time!

The kids all got along so well and I think they really enjoyed each other -- I know mine did!! I've heard from all the boys that we need to spend more time together (and we do). Hagan is already plotting a get-together at a water park next week.

I love this family dearly, cherish their friendship and respect their values. It was so great to finally get to spend some quality time together. Our schedules are so busy that Nicole and I usually manage just a phone call every week or so, and then, it's just the basics. Although we've been friends for ages, and we don't live THAT far away from each other, this is the first time we've been able to spend this much time together in a LONG time, and it was great getting to know each of their girls even better.

We spent the week at a cabin on one of the most beautiful lakes ever! We were out of cell phone range, and didn't have access to the internet, so I spent much of today catching up on emails and some of my favorite blogs . . . in between doing loads of laundry.

Although we had the best time, it was good to get home. Oakley didn't take a nap at all during our vacation because we spent all day on the water and she didn't want to miss a thing.

She caught up on some much needed sleep and took a 3 1/2 hour nap this afternoon while I uploaded over 350 photos (be prepared for more posts:)! She was content to stay in her pajamas all day and while eating lunch this afternoon, she commented, "I'm so happy to be at my home!"

How sweet is that?!?

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T18:52:00.011-05:00

The Little Chap Who Follows Me

A careful man I want to be;
A little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he'll go the self same way.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do, he tries.
Like me he says he's going to be;
The little chap who follows me.

He thinks that I'm so very fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see;
The little chap who follows me.

I must remember as I go
Through summer's sun and winter's snow,
I'm building for the years to be;
The little chap who follows me.

A Royal Ball

2008-06-14T21:31:00.020-05:00

The Princesses are hosting

a delightful Royal Ball ...
and this proclamation is being sent,
inviting ONE AND ALL!

Last Saturday Oakley attended a fancy Royal Ball, hosted by the Disney Princesses in honor of her friend Bianca's birthday. All the attendees were invited to dress in their favorite princess (or prince/pirate) attire.

I immediately called upon Oakley's cousin Spencer, to see if she had something princess-worthy that Oakley could borrow. Spencer's formal-wear wardrobe can rival that of any royalty. She graciously gave Oakley a beautiful purple dress that she had worn as a flower girl, and loaned her a very sweet tiara. Thank you Spencer!!

So Oakley dressed in grandeur, deemed herself Princess Xinxiang, and joined Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle and a band of little pirates for a wonderful birthday party in honor of her school friend.

She was so proud of her dress and twirled around for at least 15 minutes before we ever left the house.

Upon arriving, we found that the party was being held in Bianca's backyard, which was beautifully decorated. There was a huge Princess bouncy castle, a princess pinata, and a castle birthday cake.

It was in the upper 80's that day, so by the end of the party, Princess Xinxiang was melting. When it's hot outside, her head gets SO SWEATY and she was literally dripping toward the end of the party.

When we left, I stripped her down before I put her in her carseat. So she rode home wearing just her polka dot panties, her tiara, and a huge smile.

For This Child I Have Prayed - Gotcha Day Anniversary

2008-05-28T15:44:00.026-05:00

One year ago today, our daughter came into our life. Actually, this raven-haired beauty captured our hearts long before then, but one year ago today Oakley Xinxiang physically became a part of our family. I’ve written this post a thousand times in my head and I can never seem to do it justice.

I love reliving Gotcha Day -- walking into that office and seeing those scared, soulful little eyes looking up at us. Knowing that she was my daughter and that her whole world -- and our whole world -- was about to change. But words evade me when I try to recap all that Oakley means to me and to our family.

I simply wonder time and time again … what if …

what if ... we hadn’t listened to God’s voice telling us that our little girl was waiting for us in China.

what if ... we hadn’t followed our hearts.

what if ... we had given into the fears of treading those unknown waters, of not being able to financially afford to grow our family through adoption, of not being able to meet her needs.

what if …

I praise God for his unending faithfulness and for the blessings he has bestowed upon our family. Oakley has blessed us in ways unimaginable. She is pure joy, uncontained, with such a zest for life. She finds excitement in the mundane and she is THE most loving child I have ever met.

She has allowed our boys to unabashedly show their tender side. They love her, adore her, watch out for her, and are so proud of her. Sawyer will forever hold a special place in her heart, and her in his. Their relationship is too precious for words. She referred to him as Ge-Ge (older brother) in China, and she still reserves this title for him alone.

But she loves Hagan and Sullivan mightily too and calls them her brudders. I met with Sullivan’s second grade teacher this afternoon and she informed me that Sullivan has become quite the advocate for adoption. During a recent SHARE time at school, he informed his classmates that when he grows up he plans to have a large family … probably four children, and he wants to adopt at least two of them. My eight-year-old then proceeded to tell his classmates that maybe they should adopt too, because it’s a great thing. LOVE this boy!!

Michael and I love our girl unconditionally and with all of our being. It’s so hard for me to put into words all that I feel. I cannot begin to comprehend life without her.

Before travelling, I read all the material I could get my hands on regarding adopting a toddler. A lot of it was scary stuff and I had mentally prepared myself for the worst. But our own experience was just the opposite.

Oakley came to us not only deserving of a family of her own, but needing and wanting a family of her own. She was receptive to our love and reciprocated almost immediately. She thrived on our love and attention, blossomed and transformed in front of our eyes.

We met with the social worker last week for our final post placement meeting and Stacie asked if she ever went through a grieving process. And she honestly didn’t. I’m not so naïve as to believe there won’t be rough times ahead … difficult questions, a longing to know “why”, and quite possibly some grieving. But we are fully prepared to see her through it and we will do our best to help her heal.

Today, Oakley is a beautiful, talented, spirited and FUNNY three-and-a-half year old!! She loves to draw and color, she sings to her heart’s content, she talks non-stop, and she loves to play dress-up, tea party, dollhouse, puzzles and games. She’s also partial to lipstick and asks for it every morning before heading off to school.

She’s incredibly smart, knows each letter of the alphabet, can spell, write and sign her name, can spell a few words (STOP being one of them), can recite the Pledge of Allegiance and knows the words to many, many songs. I sometimes joke that we have a Child Wonder on our hands. She picked up the language at such record speed, it astounded us and all of our family and friends. She’s also really great at remembering names, even if she’s only met you once, and she loves to use adjectives like disgusting, obnoxious and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful (always said three times in succession.)

She still speaks of China often … she talks about her best friend Caeleigh, her blue bed, her little round bathtub, the playground, and Ayi. And every times she sees a plane, she shouts excitedly, “I ride on a plane! Mommy and Papa and Ge-Ge come to China and bring me home!” She always follows that up by telling me that she missed me when she was in China. She also tells me two or three times a week that she missed me when I was in Louisville (for a scrapbook retreat last January) and that she missed me when I was at the phone store (getting a new cell last month).

I pray that she will maintain a fondness for her birth country and we will do everything in our power to make sure she is proud of her heritage. I’m not sure how much she remembers about her homeland and how much she is remembering through the photos we took while there and through the scrapbook pages I have completed. I do know that she’s lost the ability to speak any of her local dialect with the exception of a few words, and that she can no longer remember all the words to the little nursery rhyme song she used to sing soon after we arrived home. This makes me sad, but I know it’s natural given her age and her desire to move forward.

The first year with our girl has been incredible. We are blessed and very fortunate to have been given the responsibility of raising her, loving her, and watching her grow as a child of God.

“For this child I have prayed,
and the Lord has granted me what I have asked of him.”
1 Samuel 1:27

What a Doll Baby

2008-05-24T19:13:00.011-05:00

I love that Oakley loves her baby dolls, especially her Bitty Baby doll. She likes pushing her around in her stroller, feeding her in her highchair and playing tea party with her. She also puts her to bed each night and covers her up (head and all) before she climbs into her own bed.

Bitty Baby joins us at church frequently and Oakley always puts this little gown on her -- I guess it's her "Sunday Best!"

Don't get me wrong, she also loves trains, Matchbox cars, and soccer ... and she can hold her own in a wrestling match with any of her brothers.

But when I see her playing with her dolls ... the way she caresses their faces, gazes into their eyes, and loves them tenderly ... it melts my heart.

My baby girl has a heart full of love and compassion.

Rest in Peace Sweet Baby Girl

2008-05-22T18:33:00.003-05:00

The Chapman family needs our prayers.

I am at a loss for words as I try to express my grief and sorrow over their loss. I have a little girl and I have a teenage son. I can't imagine.

Yesterday I wrote that life is fragile. It truly, truly is.

I pray that God will heal their broken hearts and that they find some comfort in the arms of family and friends. They have blessed so many lives in the adoption community and they have made so many dreams come true. What generous souls and gentle spirits.

please pray

WOW! What a Weekend! (i'm glad it's over)

2008-05-21T18:32:00.016-05:00

This past weekend I hosted a National Scrapbook Day Retreat at my house. I love this annual event because I get to spend time with some of my best clients, who just so happen to be some of my closest friends and favorite people. I cherish their company and we spend the entire weekend working on our album projects, sharing photos and stories, enjoying some serious girl-talk and feasting!

Michael volunteered to keep the kids all weekend and we had multiple soccer games scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. Well, all was going splendidly when I got a frantic call from him late Saturday afternoon asking me to meet him at the hospital.

My heart stopped.

Sawyer was playing in the Bluegrass Invitational Tournament and was injured during the game. From all accounts, he and an opposing player were running full-speed, side-by-side when they got tangled up. Sawyer went flying through the air and came down on his shoulder, arm tucked beneath him, where he proceeded to do somewhat of a somersault. He bounced back up, recovered the ball and completed the play.

Then he asked to be taken out of the game.

Which he never does.

The game was almost over at this point and at the conclusion (we won!), the coach sent him over to Michael. He had a lot of stomach pain, was having trouble breathing, and at the urging of some of the other parents, Michael took him to the hospital.

Thank God!

I left my scrapbooking buddies to fend for themselves and met Michael at the hospital to pick up Oakley and Sullivan. Michael said it would be several hours before they had the results of the tests and that he'd call as soon as he knew more. I took the kids home, got them settled and ready for bed, and joined my ever-supportive friends while I awaited more news.

After a CAT-scan and a lot of blood work, Sawyer was diagnosed with a lacerated spleen and some internal bleeding. The doctors say that his spleen was twice the size of a normal spleen in a "child" Sawyer's age, but not having a baseline to which they could compare it, they weren't sure how much of that was caused by the injury.

He was transported by ambulance to the UK Medical Center for further testing and monitoring. They wanted him to have access to the trauma unit in case his spleen ruptured. He endured more tests, and thankfully, the bleeding eventually subsided on its own. He spent the next 72 hours in the hospital and Michael and I took turns staying with him. He had lots of visitors, including some of his soccer teammates. His team won the final game of the BIT on Sunday and his buddies came to visit and brought along the team trophy! They are a great group of kids.

He was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon and is now at home. He's on the mend, although he's still in a lot of pain. He's been restricted from any physical activity until at least June 10, when he returns to the doctor for another CAT-scan and an evaluation. He's so disappointed about missing the rest of the soccer season. The State Cup Tournament begins this weekend and he'll be cheering on his teammates from the sidelines.

However, I am just thankful that time will heal him and that his spleen did not rupture. I know we're lucky that his injury wasn't worse. Despite how strong and fit are children may be, they are fragile.

He's 16-years-old, he stands a full-head taller than me, but he's still my baby boy.

He always will be.

Impersonations and Props

2008-05-03T13:08:00.006-05:00

One of Oakley's favorite things to do is role-play, and her favorite person to role play is her Aunt Lori, my sister, who just so happens to be one of Oakley's all-time favorite people. and mine, too

In the past week or so, she's started adding props, and this is what Lori looks like each and every time she plays her. Notice the reading glasses. Lori comes over often to scrapbook with me and when she does, she always wears her readers, so Oakley apparently identifies her this way.

"Look, Mom, I'm Lori," she says.

And from then on, I have to address her as Lori, and I must always say her name when speaking to her.

For instance, if I say "Hello", she reminds me (rather impatiently) to say "Hello, Lori."

And so the game begins.

"How are you today, Lori?"

"I'm fine, Jana."

"You look really nice, Lori."

"Thank you. I like your pink lipstick, Jana."

"Do you want to go to the grocery store with me, Lori?"

"Yes, Jana. I want to get some milk and some raisins, Jana."

We have great conversations, Oakley, aka Lori, and I.

Celebrating First Communion

2008-04-27T13:19:00.031-05:00

Yesterday was a very special day. After months of preparation, classes, and First Reconciliation, Sullivan received First Communion at a special Mass at our church at 4 p.m.

The First Communion Class actively participated in the Mass, and the children were responsible for the welcome, the First and Second Readings, and the Responsorial Psalm. Sullivan was responsible for the Presentation of Gifts, and he dutifully carried the wine -- the blood of Christ.

The class also sang "God's Circle of Love," and dedicated it to their parents. I never fail to get emotional when I hear the beautiful voices of children singing God's praise. After the song, each child was called to the front of the church and the parents joined them, carrying the banner we made last week at retreat. Sullivan presented me with a rose and we took our place along the outer aisle to hang his banner.

It was a very sweet Mass and I am so proud of Sullivan and his commitment to grow in his faith.

I pray that as he makes his journey in this world he will remember that his relationship with God is most important.

In celebration, after the Mass we joined family for dinner. Sullivan got to choose the location and despite his brother's plea for an alternate location, we dined at the infamous "Golden Corral," an
all-you-can-eat buffet complete with a dessert bar and ice cream station.

Golden Corrall is a long-time favorite of Sullivan's and he used to pronounce it Golden Carafe. Thanks to Sullivan, our family still calls it this today, just as Cracker Barrell is known as Crackel Berry, Chick-Fil-A will forever be Chick-A-Lay, and Target is Kro-get (a cross between Kroger and Target). These are just a few of my favorite Sullivan-isms.

He is a child of God.

That Was Chinese

2008-04-24T19:40:00.028-05:00

So tonight we're sitting on the bleachers at Hagan's soccer game and Oakley is in a silly mood.

Ballgame concession stands seem to affect her that way -- she gets all giddy. Pizza, hot dogs and M&Ms send her right over the edge.

She starts some nonsense talk ...

"Chinme mwaha nenochu. Manemane
shupe."

"What did you say?" I asked. "I can't understand you."

"You can't?" she asks (all serious-like).

"No, I can't," I said.

She smiles up at me and quips, "That was Chinese."

funny girl

Photo Shoot

2008-04-21T14:49:00.017-05:00

I took Oakley on Saturday to have her first professional photos made. We talked about it all morning and she was so excited! Maybe she was just excited to be wearing her new dress, because when we got there, she was less than joyful.

She did smile for the camera, but it was not her normal happy smile -- it was her I'm anxious, embarrassed, and completely out of my comfort zone (when can we go home?) smile. Still cute, but I was hoping to capture her true personality.

In the beginning, she stood nervously with one hand behind her head. The photographer snapped away and then asked her if she could lower her hand and show her the pretty dress she was wearing.

"No thank you," Oakley replied. I was trying to stay out of the way but had to intervene and tell Oakley to put her hand down.

The photographer continued to snap away. Then she asked Oakley if she could sit down on the pretty white clouds.

Oakley again replied with a "No thank you." So I stepped in and encouraged her to sit down so we could get some photos with her toes peeking out beneath her dress.

The photo shoot continued and Oakley would not lighten up. However, I am really happy with some of the more serious shots we got -- they show off her beautiful eyes and gorgeous lips.

When we got home, we ventured out to the front yard so we could have our own little photo shoot. Here are some of my favorites. This last one cracks me up because she reminds me so much of a little monkey running down the sidewalk:)!

You can see the proofs from our professional photo shoot at http://www.carlisle-photography.com/. Just scroll down and click on "Proofs." Click on Curd and type in our password, which is rugby. There are 40 images. I've begun to narrow down my favorites. Please let me know if you have a top pick!

Spring Break

2008-04-06T18:42:00.016-05:00

What a week!! After days of torrential rains and flooding, we FINALLY saw the sun shine brightly today -- the weather was glorious.

Oakley and I worked in the yard early this afternoon and as I pulled weeds, she gathered them all up in a bag. She followed me all around the flower beds and was diligent in her work -- she LOVES helping!!

As a reward, she and I took a long walk this afternoon throughout the neighborhood. We both walked in our pajamas (sad, but true). Oakley was a little more presentable than me; she threw on a necklace, her butterfly wings and a tutu before we headed out. You know, so I could see her fly.

She was so funny as we walked, and she stopped to gather purple clover, dandelions and some other white flowering weed. She chattered about the birds flying overhead, her butterfly wings, and her legs being strong because she drinks all of her milk at school. Then she looked up at me nonchalantly, and said, "This is precious." That's her new favorite adjective and she uses it sometimes appropriately, and sometimes not. But in my humble and unbiased opinion, it's precious when she says it!

It's amazing how a little sunshine can brighten the soul!

And best of all, Hagan returned home (looking all tanned) this afternoon from vacationing in Destin, Florida! He was there all week enjoying spring break with his best friend, Seth, and his family. We all missed him and Oakley was especially happy to have him home.

We decided to bake homemade chocolate chip cookies in celebration, and once again, she was eager to help.

She loves pouring the ingredients into the bowl, and she runs to grab her little footstool every time I start baking so she can be front and center.

But her very favorite part is licking the beater and she always asks to sit on the counter to enjoy her treat.

All in all, a VERY GOOD Sunday!

Cotton

2008-04-03T18:12:00.013-05:00

Sullivan and I have shared a long-time "joke" since he was just a few years old. When teasing one another, we will say,

"Have you lost your cotton-pickin', ever-lovin' mind?"

It's usually said in mock horror.

Like in response to me asking for a kiss, or to him, when he asks for a softdrink in the middle of the afternoon.

When he was little, before he could say the entire sentence, our exchange would go something like this:

Mom: "Have you lost your ..."

Sullivan: "cotton"

Mom: "pickin"

Sullivan: "ever"

Mom: "lovin'"

Sullivan: "MIND?!?"

I'm not really sure how this exchange first originated, but it's been carried out through many a year -- he is EIGHT, afterall.

And it never fails to bring some giggles on his part, and a big smile on mine.

Well, not to be outdone, Oakley has apparently decided that she wants in on the inside joke.

I was placing her in her car seat this morning and noted to her that we're going to have to ask Daddy to raise the straps on her seat.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," I said, "they're getting too tight."

"They're not too tight." she responded.

"Well, they're a little bit too tight, because you've grown so much taller," I said.

Her response:

"Have you lost your mind? Or cotton?"

Precious Little Parts

2008-03-31T16:18:00.008-05:00

This precious, sweet and radiant smile

will help her go the extra mile.

And deep inside, a soul and heart,

destined to special from the start.

America the Beautiful

2008-03-24T20:04:00.010-05:00

My patriotic little girl knows the Pledge of Allegiance and when reciting it, she insists that everyone within hearing range place their hands over their hearts.

This evening, she followed it up with her own rendition of America the Beautiful.

In perfect pitch, she sang ...

"America, America, God shed His FACE on ME.

And crown THE good with brotherhood, from sea to shining SNEEZE."

Love this girl!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T19:24:00.032-05:00

The weather may not have cooperated, and it wasn't the picture-perfect Easter I was hoping for, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. I had envisioned getting some great pictures of Oakley at her first Easter egg hunt, amidst the daffodils and budding trees, but it didn't happen this year. Easter came so early (MARCH?!?!) and we're still feeling the effects of winter weather around here.

Oakley actually got to participate in an egg hunt at school last week, and the weather just happened to be glorious that day. Unfortunately, it was one of the few occasions that I didn't have my camera in tow. She came home with lots of brightly colored Easter eggs, too much candy, and a chocolate smile a mile-wide!! My girl loves her chocolate!

We missed the neighborhood egg hunt yesterday because Sawyer had a soccer game in Louisville and Hagan had two games. Since Michael and I were forced to divide and conquer, Oakley went with me and Sawyer to Louisville and Mike took Hagan and Sullivan.

After the game we spent a little time at the mall in search of something new for Sawyer to wear to church today, and I honestly believe Oakley had more fun there than she would have had hunting eggs in thirty degree weather at 9:30am. After all, she lunched at Chick-Fil-A and she got to shop.

Along with chocolate, Chick-Fil-A and shopping at the mall are among her favorite things.

The kids all woke up this morning at about 8:30 (a nice reprieve) and bounded down the steps in search of their Easter baskets. The bunny was good to Oakley this year and she received a pink tiara and wand, some bubbles, the movie Enchanted, some bath toys, a sweet little bunny rabbit (that she's carried around all day), and more candy than she possibly needs.

The boys were just as thrilled with their finds and Sullivan (my sweet-tooth boy) has organized all of his candy in baggies! He takes his candy seriously, and he even wrote Oakley's name on her Peeps this afternoon just in case her brothers might mistake them for their own.

Our Easter service at church was wonderful and Oakley was a gem. She sings every song and when she doesn't know the words, she just makes them up. I loved seeing all the children dressed in the Easter finery and Oakley was excited to wear her new dress. After church we came home, had lunch, and Oakley and I both fell asleep watching Enchanted. I woke up feeling refreshed and Mike and I prepared Easter dinner together.

We had a wonderful Easter and we're all really looking forward to warmer weather!

Is There a Doctor in the House?

2008-03-03T20:27:00.016-05:00

On a recent trip to the Explorium, our local children's museum, Oakley happened upon the nursery area, complete with a baby doll, a scale and a big black doctor's bag!! And there she remained ... for a long time.

She put on her lab coat, hung the stethoscope around her neck, and she went to work.

I guess she thought that baby doll was due for a thorough exam. That poor baby was prodded, bathed, weighed, and given multiple vaccinations. Then she had her ears examined repeatedly and her heartbeat checked over and over and over again.
Oakley LOVED that doctor bag. She also really likes band-aids and she can see non-existent boo boos that need to be tended. And if she catches anyone in the house taking medicine, she immediately claims to be sick and insists that she needs some too.

I like to think that maybe she has a future in the medical profession.

But I guess she could just be a hypochondriac.

Chinese Silks

2008-02-23T13:30:00.012-05:00

Can you tell she was feeling pretty good about getting to wear her Chinese silks?

These photos were taken before one of the Chinese New Year celebrations we attended this year. I'm really regretting not purchasing more silks when we were in China. More of everything, really.

After seeing how excited she was to put them on, how very PROUD she was to wear them out, I wish I had purchased silks in every size. I'm sure I can order them online, but it just doesn't seem to carry the same weight to me.

I look forward to celebrating special times in Oakley's life, being able to offer her meaningful little gifts from her birth country. And scouring the shops for the "perfect" gifts for her was one of my favorite pastimes in Guangzhou.

I just wish I had splurged a little more.

A Sweetheart of a Day

2008-02-20T19:29:00.010-05:00

First and foremost, thank you to Danielle for my blog makeover!! I'm so excited about the new look and it's exactly what I had envisioned. The "my girl" that she incorporated in the header holds special meaning for me and Oakley.

"You're my girl, Mama."

I honestly hear those words out of Oakley's mouth at least 50 times a day. And she loves to hear me tell her that she's my favorite girl.

I know lots of folks believe Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark holiday and that it's been blown WAY out of proportion. I agree to some extent, but I must admit that I LOVE it nonetheless!

Oakley was just as excited about this holiday as she was about Christmas. I thinking painting her fingernails bright pink for her Valentine Party really helped get her in the spirit. We painted them after her bath the night before the big event, and the next morning she came down the stairs in her pajamas, tousled hair, holding her fingernails straight out in front of her so as not to muss them!

She loved her beautifully decorated shoebox full of little cards and when I picked her up from school she couldn't stop talking about her "Balenties". She wanted to get them all out in the truck but I persuaded her to wait until she got home and promised her that she and Sullivan could each dump them out on the floor and look through them all.

"Yes, Yes, YES MAM!" she cried happily.

And as soon as they hit the door, she and Sullivan threw backpacks aside, dumped out their Valentines and began trading -- Sullivan received all of her Batman cards and she scored his Strawberry Shortcake cards. It reminded me of me and my little sister sorting through our Halloween candy and trading Smarties for Milk Duds. And those little cards with candy attached to the envelopes ... Oakley was in HEAVEN! She's definitely a chocolate kind of girl and can smell M&Ms a mile away.

The older boys arrived home from school in great moods, and once Michael got home from work, we gathered to exchange our own Valentine cards and gifts. The boys all made cards for one another, for me and Mike, and for Oakley ... and they were SOOO sweet!! It's amazing how some cardstock, colorful markers and heartfelt sentiments can create such goodwill. We ended the evening at a family-owned restaurant in our little downtown. The perfect way to cap off a perfect day!!

Cutie Pie

2008-02-14T20:49:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

SNOW Day!!

2008-02-13T17:25:00.006-05:00

FINALLY, a snow day where the kids actually got to play in the snow. They were out yesterday because it snowed about four inches Tuesday evening. But by morning, rain had set in and it poured all day long. Sullivan was devastated because he had banked on sledding all day and it was a mushy, gushy, icy mixture. NOT a day for playing outside.

The temperatures dropped last night and all that rain froze. The roads were icy and treacherous this morning, thus schools were closed again today. I had planned on going in to work, but Oakley woke up with a low grade fever, a cough, and a nasty nose. I decided to stay home today with all the kids, and much to our surprise, it snowed pretty much all day long.

The boys were elated and as they began to get their snow gear on, Oakley begged to join them. I promised her we'd go out for one run down the hill and when I brought her little brown snow pants out (still with the tags on), she was thrilled!

"I SO HAPPY for my snow pants!" she shouted.

The boys were out for hours, but Oakley and I only lasted about 30 minutes. She rode the saucers down the hill with me and her brothers several times, and she was such a trooper!! It's pretty steep and I thought she'd be terrified, but she laughed like crazy. It's quite a hike back up the hill and after a few runs, she complained that her legs were tired. I don't think she was feeling all that well either, because on the way back to the house, without any prompting, she informed me that she was a little bit tired.

So we had lunch and she went down for her nap. The boys came in later, soaking wet, faces red, and grinning ear-to-ear. They were all ready for some hot chocolate and warm clothes.

We've been praying for a big snow fall all winter long, and although we didn't get a lot of accumulation, at least we got the chance to enjoy it for the day!

For God So Loved the World

2008-02-05T20:09:00.001-05:00

This beautiful book was a gift to Oakley from sweet Esther Strand, one of her Zhangzhou sisters. It quickly became one of Oakley's favorites. She has it memorized and will "read" along with me. There is nothing sweeter than hearing her say, "For God So Loved the World," as she turns each page. The book is a work of art, beautifully written and illustrated -- the words For God So Loved the World appear in different languages on each spread. And it has such special meaning for us, not just because it's a wonderful reminder of God's love for all the world, but because it was given to us by such a special family.

The Strand Family traveled to China in November 2006 to bring home their baby girl, Esther. While there, they took time to photograph all the children and posted them on our Zhangzhou yahoo group's website for the waiting families. These photos were priceless to me -- you can read about it here.

In addition, this precious family took some amazing video of their visit to the orphanage and Oakley and her friend Caeleigh are in several of the frames. They posted the video on their website and we viewed it over and over and over again ... freezing the frame on Oakley -- studying her every expression, her every movement ... looking for reassurance that she was okay.

In November 2007, we received a package in the mail from the Strand Family. It contained this beautiful book, written by Dandi Daley Mackall, and a copy of the orphanage visit video. What a treasured gift!! The first time we viewed it in it's entirety, I was flooded with emotions. We are so BLESSED to have this baby girl, to have traveled to the other side of the world to bring her home.

On a day-to-day basis, it's easy to forget that she had a life before us -- it's hard for me to accept sometimes that I wasn't there for her when she needed me most. We allowed Oakley to watch the video with us and she was entranced. She alternated back and forth throughout the video from talking animatedly about it, to becoming very solemn and quiet -- almost reflective. She asked to watch it again as soon as it was over, and we did. Then she smiled broadly, ran upstairs to her room to play dress up, and she hasn't asked about it again.

We placed the video in Oakley's Life Chest, along with her Finding Day clothes, her Gotcha Day clothes, and the beautiful locket given to her by the orphanage staff. These items will one day help fill in the missing pieces in her early life and I have no doubt that they will mean the world to her.

So ... a belated thank you to the Strand Family and to sweet Esther Li Lyn. You hold a very special place in our hearts and we are forever grateful to you.

Turning Eight is Great!

2008-01-28T19:48:00.000-05:00

My baby boy, Sullivan, turned EIGHT last week. That sounds so much older to me than seven, but it's STILL not old enough to be dating!

I picked him up from school this afternoon and following is our conversation:

"Hey, babe. How was your day?" I inquired.

"Good. Some girl in second grade asked me out today," he replied.

"She WHAT?!?!" I cried. And yes, I'm sure my voice did take on that maternal shrill tone.

"She asked me out," he replied nonchalantly.

"What did you say to her?" I asked. Please, God, please don't let him already be interested in girls, I pleaded silently.

"Well, I never talked to her because she sent one of her sidekicks to do her dirty work. Her sidekicks are always chasing me and Wyn around on the playground and we have to hide from them at lunch," he answered. And yes, he really used the word sidekick to describe this smitten little girl's faithful friend.

"But," he continued, "I told her no."

"And that was it?" I asked.

"Yes, Mom, I'm too young to date. I'm only eight," he answered.

Amen, baby boy, amen.

Little Miss Sassy

2008-01-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

As reported by her preschool teacher ....

Oakley was sitting up on her cot last week during nap time. After she attempted to wake up one of her little friends for an impromptu conversation. During nap time when all the other children were sleeping soundly. This has been an ongoing problem at school. She never has a problem napping at home, but will resist it at school at all costs.

And she still REALLY needs her nap. On days that she refuses to nap at school, she looks drugged when I pick her up. And she's whiny. And she will totally meltdown if one of her brothers looks at her wrong. Or if she can't find her bunny. Or for no reason at all.

Anyway ... her beloved teacher, Ms. Kuk, told Oakley that she needed to lie back down on her cot and take her nap.

"I WILL ..... in a minute!" replied little Miss Sassy. (She might as well have thrown her hand on her hip.)

And although it may sound funny coming out of a three-year-old's mouth once, it won't be cute for long. So we had a discussion on the way home about being respectful to Ms. Kuk and remembering to say "Yes Mam," when she's directed to do something. And I remind her every morning that I expect her to take a nap when all the other children do, and to NOT wake up her friends.

So, while I'm not thrilled with her sassy mouth, I LOVE her sassy new haircut!

She's really proud of it and I think it looks adorable on her. Her hair is so thick and straight. We're going for a little swing bob that's stacked in the back.

I'm trying hard to let her bangs grow out, so we still have to pull them up in a bow, and the sides still have a lot of layers to grow out, but it's starting to take shape!

Bathing Beauty

2008-01-18T18:30:00.001-05:00

Amazing that this little girl has developed such a fondness for her bath.

I recall in vivid detail the first time I placed her in a tub in our hotel room in China. She sat shivering, looking up at me with those dark, soulful eyes. She didn't know how to play with the stacking cups I placed in the tub, and although she didn't protest me soaping her up, she didn't enjoy it either.

After I bathed her, she stood immediately to get out and when I tried to coax her into playing with her toys, she just stared at me like I had lost my mind.

My, how times have changed!

Bath time now is all about:

trying out crazy new hair styles

blowing bubbles

making fish faces

swimming

playing toys

getting slobbery kisses from Scrabble

and staying in the water so long that her little toes wrinkle like raisins

Oakley loves her bath and her night-time ritual -- take a bath, brush your teeth, get your pajamas on, gather your blanket and your bunny, read a book (Huggle Buggle Bear is her latest favorite), say your prayers, and then its hugs and kisses galore.

"I need to kiss your cheek."

" I need to kiss your eyes."

" I need to kiss your lips."

" I need to kiss your head."

Yes, I'm well aware that it's a stalling tactic, but it's sweet nonetheless!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a blessed, peaceful and prosperous 2008!

Oakley and Sullivan were both up early this morning, even though Sullivan managed to stay awake to ring in the New Year. Michael worked all day yesterday but was able to get home late last night ... with just 5 seconds to spare until the big ball dropped. We celebrated in true family-fashion by getting a couple of movies and watching the neighborhood fireworks show at 12:01am. We intended to rent a few movies, but pulled into Blockbuster just as they were closing (early, in celebration of New Years). We ended up having to purchase a couple of movies from that Big Box Store that NEVER closes.

We had a wonderful 2007 and the highlight was most definitely bringing our sweet baby girl home! Here's wishing us all a wonderful 2008. May God grant us peace and continue to place in our hearts the spirit of giving throughout the year!

On that note, one of my favorite organizations - Love Without Boundaries - needs your help.

Love Without Boundaries is a worldwide group of volunteers who have realized that people with a pure love for helping children can truly make a difference. They donate their time and resources in an attempt to brighten the lives of orphaned children in China.

There is a new giving challenge on Facebook being sponsored by the Case Foundation. The charity that gets the most unique donors each day wins $1000, and the charity that has most unique donors total by February 1st wins Fifty Thousand Dollars. Yes, FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS! Your $10 contribution could have a HUGE impact on these children. Please give to LWB and help them continue their work to help children in urgent care. Help them win $50,000 to help meet the needs of orphans in China.

Happy New Year!!

O' Christmas Tree

2007-12-16T18:55:00.000-05:00

I'm late, I'm late and Christmas is just 9 days away!! I'm behind this year, but I'm making progress. Our Christmas cards are made, but not addressed; shopping is still incomplete, although I did put a big dent in it this weekend; the dreaded Christmas card photo shoot took place this afternoon; I'm just about finished decorating; and the pecans for my Bourbon Balls are marinating as I type.

We FINALLY got our Christmas tree Friday night and decorated it on Saturday. So there IS light at the end of the tunnel. And the light in Oakley's eye's speaks volumes.

She is overjoyed with our tree and I think she's already memorized every ornament. She goes round and round the tree as she repeats, "Don't touch it .... just look." Last year we celebrated Christmas without Oakley, knowing that she was halfway around the world, without her family, and without knowing what a very special day it was. It was a difficult holiday for us, but we found comfort in knowing it would be the last Christmas she would ever spend alone. Words can't describe how wonderful it is to have her home with us this year.

I must admit that adding another child to the mix made our annual Christmas card photo shoot a little more interesting. Oakley was dressed and ready long before any of the boys, so I positioned her in front of the tree to get some solo shots. By the time her brothers were ready, she was done with the photo shoot and more than ready to move on to something else ... lunch, in particular.

Bless her heart, I bribed her with a sandwich and chips, and she managed to find a few more smiles. Amazingly, I was able to get a few photos with everyone's eyes open, and everyone smiling (albeit some of the smiles were obviously forced!)

I haven't decided which shot we'll use yet, but I need to get busy if I want to get them in the mail before Christmas!! Care to let me know your favorite?

Next year I vow to have a professional photographer take our Christmas card photo. I don't think I've used a professional photographer since Sullivan was just a baby! It's about time.

When Bad Hair Happens to Good People

2007-12-13T23:42:00.001-05:00

We were preparing to head out to dinner and I asked Sawyer to go upstairs with Oakley and fetch a bow for her hair. They were gone for a while and this is how she looked when she returned.

Sawyer, of course, was all smiles. He's no stylist, but you've got to admit, he's got flare:).

Oakley LOVED her new look and was more than happy to pose for some photos.

Yup, Sawyer continues to be her hero!! When we pick him up from school each day, she greets him with a smile and a "Hello! You're my friend." And she never fails to ask him how his day was.

I love looking back in my rear view mirror to see them holding hands -- their mutual affection is so evident.

Ahhh ... it melts a Mother's heart!

Thankful

2007-12-11T21:21:00.002-05:00

I'm a slacker. I can't believe I let an entire month escape me with no post!! I missed Thanksgiving and our 6-month GOTCHA anniversary. We've been crazy busy, but I apologize for not posting an update last month. I'd be remiss, however, if I didn't take time to share how THANKFUL we are to have our sweet girl home.

Thanksgiving took on a whole new meaning this year and it often overwhelms me just to look at Oakley. She is absolutely amazing in every way and as I experience each holiday and each event through her eyes, I count my blessings. She reminds me daily to remember what's really important -- the love of family, the grace of God, and the tenderness of a child's heart.

She's so appreciative of all the little things and she was beyond excited as I decorated the Thanksgiving table in anticipation of sharing a wonderful meal with our immediate and extended family members.

I LOVE Thanksgiving. I love our family traditions -- watching the Macy's Day Parade in our pajamas and cooking our favorite dishes with the sound of football games in the background. I love that Sullivan ventures out mid-morning to find the brightest red leaves to adorn our table, and I love spending time with family. It's low-pressure and lots of fun. And this year, Oakley's excitement was icing on the cake, or whipped cream on the pumpkin pie! Yes, she really loves all the hoopla surrounding each holiday, not to mention the food. The girl still REALLY loves to eat!

"Soooo pretty, Mama. It's gonna be FUN!" she exclaimed repeatedly as she helped me set the table.

And with Christmas just around the corner, you can only imagine how she reacts to all the Christmas lights, the holiday music, and the general hustle and bustle. She knows Jingle Bells by heart and sings it non-stop .... non-stop. Michael decorated the front of the house with wreaths on the windows and twinkly lights on the landscape shrubs. She tells him daily what a good job he did.

We visited the mall, and much to my amazement, she climbed right up on Santa's lap, gave him a big hug, and asked him for a baby doll. She was thrilled with the little coloring book he gave her. She talks about him like he's a long-lost friend. And I guess he is.

As we prepare this season to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I thank Him for His presence in our lives, I thank Him for my wonderful husband, my beautiful boys, and my precious little girl.

Raggedy Ann says HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2007-10-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

Raggedy Ann wishes you a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

To say that Oakley was thrilled with her costume is an understatement. She could barely contain her excitement last Friday as she prepared to attend her first Halloween Party/Birthday Boo Bash for Bella, one of her best friends from school.

Just look at how happy she is ... and this was before the sugar-high!

Big Brown Eyes and Little Brown Boots

2007-10-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

We were getting ready to head out to the pumpkin patch last Saturday and Oakley was so thrilled with her new boots that I had to get some photos before we even left the house. She was ready to pose!

"CUUUTE boots," she exclaimed happily as she zipped up her boots. She had a little extra kick in her step as she sashayed through the house that morning.

Cute just happens to be one of her favorite adjectives right now and she uses it to describe her daddy's tie, her brother's artwork, my purse, and anything else that catches her fancy.

All day long she'd look down at her feet and let me know just how much she appreciated her new boots.

"I like a boots, Mama,".

I know, baby girl.

I'm so glad that a pair of little brown boots can light up your day.

Pony Tails and Panties

2007-10-15T17:49:00.000-05:00

Funny story.

I normally take Oakley to school each morning on my way to work. A few weeks ago, I had an early morning (6:45 am) meeting, so Mike agreed to take Oakley in for me. I laid out an outfit for her to wear, complete with a coordinating bow, so at least I knew she'd be matching when I picked her up from school.

She's all about "poatie tails" right now, and even though her hair is still pretty short, she begs for one each morning. She looks a little like Pebbles from the Flinstones, because the only place I can get enough hair for a pony tail is right up front!

After my meeting, I called Michael to see how Oakley fared without me. He said she was a little on edge all morning and went from room to room calling for me. She was really upset at first, but he was able to calm her down and get her dressed.

His biggest struggle that morning seemed to be getting "that useless pony tail holder to stay in her hair. They're too small for normal fingers to maneuver." He tried his best to convince Oakley that she just needed a bow, but she wasn't going for it.

It's hard to resist an adorable three-year-old pleading for a "poatie tail."

When I picked her up that afternoon, that pitiful little pony tail was the first thing I noticed. Honestly, there were probably only 5-6 hairs in it and it laid straight down on her forehead. But something else was askew as well. Her cute little Hanna Andersson dress that I snatched off ebay for pocket change, didn't look quite right. Now admittedly, it was a little too big, and with her matching leggings, she looked a tad too Granny Clampett-ish.

But, why was the neck pulled up so high?

And, why did the back drape so much?

Why, oh, why? Because her dress was on BACKWARD, that's why! And she'd apparently worn it like that all day.

"Ummm ..." I questioned her teacher. "Is that how she came dressed to school this morning?"

"Yes," she answered meekly.

"Her dress is on backward," I noted.

"Yes," she agreed, nodding her head. "I thought maybe that's how her daddy wanted it."

Who can argue with that?

And Mike's response to my discovery .... "I thought the buttons always go in the back!" Well, honey, not always. Not when there's a big fat tag in the front.

Fast forward to last week.

I picked Oakley up from school and her teacher casually mentioned to me that after Oakley had gone potty that morning, she came out of the bathroom and asked where her panties were. The teacher thought maybe they were caught in her shorts, and she wasn't able to get them both up at the same time. After a quick but thorough search, they discovered there were no panties to be found.

YES, I sent my three-year-old daughter to preschool commando. Wearing a cute top, a pair of short shorts and no panties. But her pony tail looked fantastic.

Thank goodness there was a spare pair of panties in her cubby.

Paybacks are hell.

Number One Fan

2007-09-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

All three of my boys play soccer, so Oakley spends a LOT of time at the soccer field. Seriously, we have soccer at least six days out of seven, and generally we're shuffling around to multiple games and practice sessions. Oakley doesn't seem to mind (yet) and she's certainly the boys' Number One Fan.

She cheers for them throughout the game, even during half-time, and even if they don't happen to actually be IN the game.

"Go, Sawyer!"

"Woo Hoo, Hagan!"

"Good Job, Sullivan!"

Her repertoire is somewhat limited, but very spirited and very heartfelt.

It's been 90 degrees plus at most every game, so she's generally a sweaty mess. She has a great time, however. Especially if the concession stand is open. And especially if there's pizza.

Sawyer plays varsity for his high school team and she knows most all of his teammates by name. They ALL know her; she's somewhat become the team mascot. And I will admit, she's already a little partial to the dark-headed boys and she calls out to them long after they're out of hearing range.The boys are all looking forward to the day that she puts on her own uniform and scores her first goal. They are ASSUMING she's going to play soccer. I've tried to tell them she may prefer dance or gymnastics. They're not going for it.

Sweet Sophie

2007-09-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

During our long wait for Oakley, I felt blessed to have the support of the members of my Yahoo Group - families who have all adopted, or are in the process of adopting, from the Zhangzhou Social Welfare Institute in the Fujian Province. It was through this group that I learned the most about Oakley's province, what to expect when we travel, and all about the best places to stay, dine, shop and visit as we soaked in our baby girl's homeland.

It was also here that I was able to secure photos from Oakley at varying stages of her life in the orphanage. Families who traveled before us often took photos of the children and posted them on our Yahoo site for the waiting families to see. These photos are treasures to me, and will one day be treasures for Oakley, too. Someday she will yearn to know all the details of her first 2 1/2 years of life. It pains me that I won't be able to recall for her the early milestones -- her first smile, her first words, her first steps. But thanks to this blessed community, I will be able to share with her photos of her first friends.

One of these first friends is sweet Sophie, seen in the above photo taken in March 2005. Sophie is the second sweetheart from the right in the first row (chubby cheeks)! Oakley is the second from the left in the second row. Sophie's grandmother, Yvonne, was a huge inspiration to me throughout our journey. She was the first to congratulate me when I posted good news, the first to encourage me when I began to lament the wait, and she followed our journey to China and rejoiced with us when I finally held Oakley in my arms.It turns out that Sophie, her Mom Melissa, and her grandmother, Yvonne, live in a neighboring county - YEAH! They came to visit us in late July. Sophie is absolutely precious, beautiful beyond words, sweet and kind. I look forward to these girls being able to rekindle their friendship and I have no doubt that Sophie can teach Oakley all about Disney princesses. She's quite the expert, especially where Cinderella is concerned.

Sophie brought a little basket of toys to share with Oakley and Oakley LOVED the Fisher-Price Snap 'n Style Dolls!

Imagine our surprise when we found a gift at our front door on Oakley's birthday! Sweet Sophie gave Oakley her own set of Snap 'n Style Dolls.

Thank you Melissa, Sophie, and Yvonne, from the bottom of our hearts!! We can't wait to set-up another play date!!

Look At Me! I Just Turned Three!!

2007-08-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

Oakley's first birthday celebration -- I wanted it to be special for her, but not overwhelming. We decided to keep the festivities small and just invite our extended families over for ice cream and cake. Those of you who know us realize that it's never a small occasion when our families get together. Mike and I both have lots of siblings. And collectively, they have lots of kids. So there really is no such thing as a small family gathering, but rather a boisterous bunch, which suits us just fine. It seems to have suited Oakley just fine, too, and I have no doubt that she knew she was surrounded on her very special day by those who love her the most.

We talked for days before her party about her birthday -- the words cake, ice cream and balloons caught her attention quickly. Mention cake and ice cream, and this little girl is ready to party! Let it suffice to say that she was excited about the prospect, even though she couldn't yet grasp the concept of a day dedicated to celebrate her birth.

We gathered around the table as Oakley prepared to blow out candles on her very first birthday cake. As we sang Happy Birthday to You, she gave us a "look of disgust". I know this to be her nervous, embarrassed face. I've seen this look several times, but not many other people have witnessed it before. It is hysterical, and just to make sure I captured it on film, we belted out another rendition so she would do it again. So here it is, for all to see. Honestly, the singing wasn't that bad! And yes, she made this face through the entire song. Twice.

She thoroughly enjoyed blowing out her candles (so much so that we had to do it twice, too).

Every child deserves to be celebrated, and although I was not there for Oakley's birth, I celebrate her life every day. I am thankful and honored that I was chosen to be her Mama', and that I will be the one to love and cherish her, encourage and comfort her, teach and guide her.

I pray that I can provide her the love and security she needs in order to grow and find her wings. And I pray that her birth mother, whom I know is loving her from afar and praying for her well-being, has peace in her heart. Her decision to give this little girl life is our greatest gift.

Our baby girl is officially three years old, which she will show you as she holds up both hands and displays three fingers on each.

She was thrilled to discover (on her own, I might add), that three fingers also closely resemble the letter "W", which just so happens to be her favorite letter.

i have no idea why.

She is obsessed with the letter "W" and searches for it everywhere -- on road signs, correspondence, magazines, books, cereal boxes -- everywhere. I digress. I suppose Oakley's obsession with the letter "W" deserves a post of its own, so look for that later:).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BABY GIRL!

Best Friends Reunited

2007-08-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Two beautiful little girls once shared their daily lives in an orphanage in China. Just a month apart in age, they lived in the same social welfare institute and according to their nannies, they became best friends.

As fate would have it, at the age of 2 1/2 they would both be adopted, within months of each other, by American families using the same agency -- one living in Iowa and the other living in Kentucky. Caeleigh was adopted in March and we received Oakley in May. While I celebrated Caeleigh's Gotcha Day with her forever family from afar, I mourned Oakley's loss of her best friend as she waited a few more months for our arrival.

Yesterday these two little girls were reunited! The Whitts were in town visiting family and they set aside some time to come and visit us. What a wonderful day it was! Oakley and Caeleigh share a very special bond. I thank God that they had each other in China, that He orchestrated our paths crossing, and that as parents, we recognize the need for them to maintain their relationship.

I told Oakley Friday evening that Caeleigh was coming to visit, and I honestly think she understood. She ran to retrieve her photo album, opened the page to Caeleigh's picture, and said, "Ku Xinke, Oakley's room, play tea." She was so excited yesterday morning and when Hagan announced that they were here, she ran to the window to peer out.

And oh, the joy in their little faces!! Oakley radiated with happiness and she repeatedly said to me throughout the visit, "Mama, Ku Xinke," as if she just couldn't really believe she was here! It was an emotional reunion for me, although I hadn't expected it to be. It's so amazing to know that just a short period of time ago they were living in an orphanage together, and now they are living with their respective forever families and are both loved and adored!

They held hands, hugged, kissed, played dolls, had a tea party, and celebrated their reunion with lunch, cake and ice cream. Thanks, Karen and Jeff, for bringing the cake -- what a sweet (and delicious) and thoughtful gesture, which was much enjoyed by all!!

I love these little girls and I love the friendship they share. Thank you to the Whitts for making time to come and visit. I feel such a kinship with this family -- our girls, are in fact, sisters in heart, and I look forward to them growing up together. So much of their past is lost to us, and to them, but they will always have each other -- best friends.

The Greatest Call Ever Answered

2007-07-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

When at first I saw Oakley's photo, she was not quite two years old. I gazed into her eyes and saw an old soul .. a baby who had endured too much, laughed too little, and waited too long for the unconditional love of her family.

We answered a call and I praise God every day for whispering to our hearts. She is happy, she is loved, she is ours, she is needed. We needed Oakley as much she needed us.

Sheer joy that cannot be contained!

We've Come A Long Way, Baby

2007-07-25T13:57:00.002-05:00

If you'll remember, Oakley was TERRIFIED of Scrabble, our Springer Spaniel, when she first met him. He was very patient, well-behaved, and never tried to approach her. After three days of screaming, shaking, climbing the walls, and what can pretty accurately be described as sheer pandemonium whenever in his presence, she began to calm down. She watched him wearily from afar, and then gradually, a little closer. Within a week, she actually stroked him, if ever so briefly, on her own accord.

Well, now, she adores Scrabble, whom she affectionately calls "Kraggle." She still doesn't like him kissing her and if his tongue should happen to brush her arm even slightly, it sends her flying to me to be wiped down, then kissed. Only then does she deem his minor infraction, "all better."

It's so funny to hear her commanding him to his kennel when I announce that we are ready to leave the house to go bye-bye. "Nennel, Kraggle, nennel!" (aka, Kennel, Scrabble, kennel!). She then runs around the house gathering all of his toys and will carry them by the very edge (hence to avoid any and all contact with dog slobber) and places them in his kennel.

I took these photos last Sunday while they were playing in the front yard. Oakley and Kraggle ... a little girl and her dog!

Six SHORT Weeks

2007-07-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

Today marks Oakley's sixth week being home. Home, where she has three adoring brothers and constant companions; home, where she is safe, loved and cherished; home, where she is growing, learning and thriving every day.

We are SO BLESSED. I know I sound repetitive sometimes, but when I reflect on our experience there is no other word that can adequately describe it. I love this little girl with all my heart and being, and she is grounded already so deeply in our family -- I cannot begin to imagine life without her.

She's smart, smart, smart and is picking up the English language at record speed; she's already putting together three word combinations with great animation. She's funny and playful and shares her sense of humor readily. She loves music, blocks, books, bracelets, baths, hair bows, shoes, her tea set and her Barbie Jeep (THANK YOU SPENCER!).

Her manners have improved greatly and she now covers her mouth when she sneezes or coughs, uses "excuse me" and "I'm sorry" appropriately, and will fetch a tissue BEFORE she begins to blow her nose.

Everything she does, she does with great exuberance. She seldom just walks through the house; she usually skips, jumps, hops and sashays! She's affectionate and she loves to cuddle, hold hands, hug and kiss and she's very compassionate and considerate of other's feelings. She's the first to comfort Sullivan if he's feeling sad or upset.

She's a champion eater (seriously) and goes to bed easily for naps and nighttime. With only a prayer, hugs, kisses, an I love you, a goodnight and a see-you-later (repeated in succession even as I am exiting her room) she sleeps soundly with her little blanket tucked beside her face. She loves playing with her dolls but refuses to allow them or her teddy bear to sleep in her bed. She's funny!

She still won't come out of her room when she awakens in the morning, but she now opens her door and waits for me to come up and get her. I'm generally up before she is and I listen for her to arise. She greets me every single morning with arms open wide, a huge smile and an I Love You. Her transition has been remarkable.

This week we had our follow-up appointment with her pediatrician and discovered that she's gained 2 pounds since our first meeting with her. She's more than doubled her vocabulary, has just about mastered the ABC song, can count to 7, knows her colors and her body parts, and recognizes and repeats the letter "O" for Oakley!

Unfortunately, we are having to repeat most all of her vaccinations because despite the records we have from China, her blood work labs did not show antibodies for the majority of her immunizations. She left her appointment on Wednesday with a band-aid on her arm and four on her little legs. She cried briefly (but mightily) until I assured her that we were "all done." She left the office pitifully muttering "all done, all done," but stopped on the way out to say thank you to the nurse who inflicted the harm. She has a heart of gold, I tell you. It was a long afternoon of sympathetic "I knows", and she limped around the house stiff-legged all afternoon like a little 90-year-old woman. But after a dose of Motrin, a nap, and an afternoon snack, she was as good as new!

I love this little girl ... love, love, love her!! And it makes my heart sing when we pull up to our neighborhood and she shouts happily, "We're home!"

The Zoo Crew

2007-07-13T12:51:00.001-05:00

We made plans with some friends of ours to visit the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden yesterday. The weather was beautiful -- sunny, low humidity (comparatively speaking) and a little cooler than it has been. I loaded up the kids (everyone but Sawyer, who chose to remain at home, in bed, when he found out that we were leaving at 8 am) and we headed out for a day with the animals!!

The kids all had a great time, and although it was crowded, it wasn't unBEARable (yes, my feeble attempt at a joke). We really enjoyed getting to spend time with Sherry, my friend from Salt Lake City, and her beautiful family, and my friend Michelle and her two adorable girls. Here's a picture of all the kids, minus Harper, who opted out -- appropriately deemed the ZOO CREW. It really WAS a zoo trying to keep up with all these little monkeys!

This wasn't our first visit to a zoo with Oakley. We actually toured the zoo in Fuzhou, the capital of her province, in China. I can't say, however, that we enjoyed that visit. The animals were living in squalid conditions -- tiny, overcrowded, filthy quarters. The majority of them looked sick and the smell was so awful that it was difficult to breathe. There were also large (LARGE) rats running all over the place. We left there feeling really sad, depressed, and thankful for the zoos in the USA.

We really enjoyed our visit yesterday to the Cincinnati Zoo.

Oakley loved seeing all the animals and the monkeys were, by far, her favorite. Actually, I think they were the favorite among all of my family. Oakley spent all afternoon shouting, "Oo, Oo, Ah, Ah," the call of the monkey.

We spent a lot of time in Gorilla World watching the baby gorilla being taken care of by its Mama and the big silverback. They were amazing, and with my zoom lens I was able to capture some great shots.

I love the one of the Mama gorilla holding the baby to her chest -- it looks like she's smiling. Just another proud Mama!

Oakley was just as enamored with the ducks and turtles as she was with the big tigers and the elephants. The only things she was a little leery of were the giant cockroaches and centipedes in Insect World, and the blind pygmy moles. And really, who can blame her? They made me shudder, too!

Celebrating Independence Day

2007-07-06T12:49:00.001-05:00

Oakley celebrated her first Fourth of July with a trip to the lake for an afternoon of boating, swimming, and her very favorite thing ... eating!!

She was so much more comfortable on the boat this time and she'd even sit next to me (as long as my arm was wrapped securely around her) while we travelled fast. The last time we were on the boat, she'd sit on my lap with her face buried in my chest.

She spent more time in the water this trip, although she still won't let anyone but me hold onto her. I'm so glad that she feels safe in my arms; it's just a matter of time before she feels just as secure in Michael's.

We were able to spend time with Nicole and her family, which made for a very special day. The kids had a great time tubing and jumping in off the boat, impressing us all with their daredevil moves.

The sun shone bright all afternoon at the lake, but we drove home through some monsoon-like weather conditions.

Although we intended on attending our county's fireworks show that evening, we decided to stay home so Sullivan could play with all the neighborhood children. We had our own little party right here on our street and the kids had a wonderful time running around with sparklers as some of the parents set off some REALLY BIG fireworks.

Oakley wasn't scared at all and she'd wave her little arms in circular motions and then raise them to the sky as she shouted, "Boom!"

It was almost 11 p.m. before we got her in bed and she was completely wiped out. For the last 30 minutes or so of the show, she'd alternately clap and cheer and then lay her head on my chest and ask, "Night Night?" This little girl likes her sleep almost as she does her food!

A girl after my own heart ....

Wei?

2007-07-05T15:21:00.000-05:00

Oakley spends a lot of time talking to her family and friends on her Princess cell phone ... a gift from her Mamaw. She LOVES her phone and her conversations, although one-sided, are hilarious! They tend to go something like this ....

"Wei?" (the traditional Chinese phone greeting, meaning hello)

"Howww yewww?" (said with a very southern accent)

"Yeah."

"Yeah." (she sometimes throws in an obligatory chuckle)

"Okay."

"I luh you."

"Bye. Bye."

And then it all begins again ... over ... and over ... and over ...

Blessed Day

2007-07-02T19:20:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful, special, emotional, blessed day. Yesterday at the 11:30 am mass, with Father Nick Pagano presiding, we celebrated Sawyer's Confirmation of faith and Oakley's baptism. We stood in front of our church community and our family and friends, and witnessed God's grace. I have never felt more in awe of His love and His guiding hand, knowing fully that He completely orchestrated our journey's timeline and understanding so well how meaningful the day's events were for us all.

Sawyer was unable to be confirmed last month along with all of his classmates because he was in China, on a journey to bring home his little sister. Michael and I actually contemplated delaying our departure date so he could complete Confirmation along with the other candidates. Along with Sawyer, we ultimately decided that the arrival of our TA was God's timing, and with our church's blessing, decided that he would be confirmed by himself upon our return. His classmates stood in as proxy for his sponsor, his cousin Shelby, who is now in South Carolina, completing boot camp for the U.S. Marines.

I have no doubt that Sawyer grew in faith while on our journey. It's hard to experience the miracle of adoption and not grow in faith. I feel blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to spend some truly quality time with him in China and I saw clearly, time and time again, the man that he is becoming. He is patient, kind, helpful, charming, bright, personable and funny; and he welcomed Oakley into our family with loving arms and a loving heart. He is her biggest fan and her biggest brother. They share a very special bond and it seemed only fitting when he asked to be her Godfather.

Her Godmother, Nicole Maher, is one of my oldest and dearest friends. She is a woman of great faith, unconditional love, wonderful family values, and she has the most caring and giving spirit. She celebrated every milestone of our adoption journey with us and she supported and encouraged us all the way. She has a loving husband and four beautiful daughters. She is a devoted mother and I am honored that she is Oakley's Godmother. I know that she will be there for our little girl throughout her life, to support her in love and faith.

The Mass was amazing - the readings, the music, the sacraments, and Oakley, our little trooper, just took the day in stride in true Oakley-fashion! We walked down the aisle at the beginning of the service as members of the congregation signed the cross on her forehead. She was a willing participant and solemnly took it all in. She stood before the church, she sang, she knelt, she gave a big shout-out to my sister Lori and her Mamaw whom she spotted in the pews, and finally, she was baptized.

As the first cup of water was poured on her head, she shouted "water" and smiled up at me. As the second cup was poured on her head, she shouted "coolllddd!" and smiled up at me with a little shudder. After the final cup was poured, Nicole dried her off and she resumed her spot at the front of the church to be anointed with the holy oil.

Yesterday Father Nick celebrated his last mass at St. Peter. He has only been there for a year but we will miss him greatly, not only for his gentle nature and his ability to speak from the heart, but for his innate understanding of our desire to adopt and for his desire to be a part of our celebration.

During the Litany of Saints, I was overcome with emotion. God was there with us, leading and guiding Sawyer toward manhood and the path that he is to follow, and welcoming Oakley into His house and into a life of grace. With her little arms wrapped around my neck and her spirit so full of love and trust, I thanked God for His abundant blessings.

Five weeks ago to the day of her baptism, we received Oakley in China. We promised to love, cherish and educate her, and to never abandon her. She has experienced too much abandonment in her short life already, but oh, how she has blossomed in the love of her family. I find peace and comfort in the fact that God remained faithful to her in her time of need and kept her safe until she was placed in our arms. I thank him for opening her heart to us, for allowing her to place her trust in us so quickly. After her baptism we all sang "This Little Light of Mine -- I'm Going to Let It Shine." There truly is no song more fitting for this little girl. Her light shines for the world to see and she sings this song from the top of her lungs, shouting the words Mine and Shine with all of her two-year-old might!

I am honored and humbled to parent Sawyer, Hagan, Sullivan and Oakley. I pray that I can be the kind of mother that they deserve, the kind of mother that God wants me to be.

Look Mom ... No Cavities!

2007-06-25T21:18:00.001-05:00

This afternoon Oakley visited Dr. Lange for her very first dental appointment. She acted like an old pro, despite the fact that I don't think her teeth had ever even been brushed before Gotcha Day. She had lots of tarter build-up, lots of staining and some discoloration. But she climbed up in the chair, donned her little "Finding Nemo" apron, opened her mouth wide like a champ, and let the hygienist scrape and polish her teeth til the sparkle! She didn't even resist the fluoride treatment, which I personally detest!

She is so proud of her pearly whites and I'm amazed at how great her teeth look now. And best of all ... no cavities!! Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to take my camera, so I only have a Polaroid to capture her first dental appointment. But man, what a sweet smile my little girl has. It lights up our world!

And I asked Dr. Lange if I need to try to deter the finger-sucking at night and he said not to worry about it for the time being. I told him I'd be sending him her orthodontist bill.

Water Baby

2007-06-23T12:27:00.001-05:00

Oakley has taken to water like a little fish. Not only do we have to coax her out of the bathtub now, but we've been swimming several times and we even took her boating last weekend. I was afraid she'd throw a fit over the lifejacket because they aren't the most comfortable thing to wear, but she was SO PROUD of it! The boys love to tube and she cheered them on with a happy "Woo Hoo!" She wasn't crazy about going fast. She didn't cry, but she did sit in my lap with her head on my chest and hold on for dear life.

We pulled into a cove and had a picnic lunch and then the boys jumped in to swim. It was SO HOT and although I hadn't planned on getting in, I threw on a safety belt and jumped in just to cool off. Well, that's all it took. Oakley decided she wanted to join me and she held out her arms and came right in with me. Although she had her lifejacket on, she didn't want me to let go. As long as I held her with both arms, she was one happy camper. Brave, I tell you, this little girl is brave.

We don't have a pool at home and it's been so hot lately! Last week Mike set up the sprinkler in the front yard for the kids. Sullivan and Hagan played in it and chased each other around with water balloons. Oakley, however, wasn't crazy about the sprinkler, so we dragged out one of the snow saucers from the garage and filled it up with water. She was happy as a clam. She played contentedly for about an hour in that little saucer with the garden hose and a few stacking cups.

Maybe it's time to invest in a little (bigger) plastic pool ......

I know. I know.

2007-06-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

We visited The International Adoption Clinic this week for Oakley's first appointment with her pediatrician. She was a real trooper, despite the fact that we were there three hours and they had to draw a lot of blood. They intended to draw eight vials, but only got four before they blew veins in both of her little arms. She cried, but not too hard, and she never fought their efforts. She just buried her head in my chest and kept crying "All done? All done?"

After the fact, she was all smiles, although she would occasionally point to her arms, rattle off something in Chinese or gibberish and I would sympathize with an "I know, baby, I know." Now she points to her arms anytime she wants some attention, and sadly says, "I know. I know." Pitiful, but adorable.

Dr. Shawn Taylor was impressed (her words, not mine) with Oakley's communication skills and with all that she has learned in such a short period of time. She conducted a thorough exam and spent a lot of time learning all about Oakley. She's 37" tall and weighs 30.5 pounds. On the American charts, that places her in the 50th percentile in weight and in the 75th percentile in height. If she doesn't hit puberty early (which is apparently common in institutionalized children due to the stress they've endured), she could be 5'8" or 5'9". She really WILL be taller than anyone in our family. How awesome that she's so healthy, developmentally on target ... and cute, to boot!

Finding Her Way

2007-06-15T07:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a little over a week since we introduced Oakley to her forever home and family and we are all adjusting really well. We had a few bumpy days - really bumpy days. She was initially jealous of Sullivan (and mean to him), which I totally didn't expect, and she was TERRIFIED of Scrabble, our springer spaniel.

I thought she'd bond with Sullivan really quickly since he's the closest in age to her, but I think she was threatened by him. She was so mean to him at first -- she wouldn't say his name although she said it readily in China, wouldn't look at him, wouldn't answer him when he asked her questions, and essentially, tried to act like he didn't exist. When he and I would cuddle, or he'd just sit next to me on the couch, she would cover her eyes with her hands and sob, and she even tried to push him away a couple of times. It was HEARTBREAKING for me to watch, and although I knew where she was coming from, I felt so sorry for Sullivan. He was trying very hard to be patient and to be a good big brother. As his eyes filled with tears at her rejection, I couldn't help but feel angry at her. And then I felt guilty for feeling angry. And then I felt like, what the heck have we done?!? Then I felt guilty again for even thinking that. Those emotions, coupled with severe jet lag, were hard to handle and I'm thankful those days were short-lived.

This was the first issue we worked on. We firmly told her "no" when she was not being nice to Sullivan and then lavished some love and attention on him. We played ring-around-the-rosie together, he played blocks with her and let her knock over his towers, he took a bubble bath with her and I sat with them while Sullivan read her bedtime story. He's now her best buddy and she gleefully shouts "Sunninan!" whenever he enters the room. She also gives him lots of spontaneous hugs and will place her little hand in his own as they sit side-by-side in the backseat of the car.

Finally, I clearly see the relationship that has blossomed and will continue to develop between them. I know they will someday argue like brother and sister and I will cherish those days too, (okay, maybe not cherish, but I'll accept them), knowing that they are finally comfortable with their new roles in this crazy thing we call family.

As for Scrabble, he came home Sunday evening, looking freshly bathed and groomed (thank you Lori!). He was beyond happy to see his boys! He sensed right away that Oakley was terrified of him and he kept his distance, never once approaching her, jumping on her, trying to kiss her, or even investigate. Despite his impeccable manners, she screamed bloody murder, hoisted her legs up as far as possible and squeezed her eyes shut every time she saw him. I know that at the orphanage she had no exposure to animals and I knew that she was scared of dogs because she cried in China the few times we happened upon one. But I had no idea she would react to Scrabble this way. She shook uncontrollably and was genuinely terrified. She did this for a few days, but after repeated assurance, after seeing the boys play with him, after hearing us all tell her what a good dog he was, she finally began to watch him wearily without shuddering or screaming. She whimpered for days anytime he came near her, but even that, too, has pretty much subsided. And this morning, she actually reached out and petted him (ever so briefly) on her own initiative -- great strides for one brave little girl.

I guess I owe Hagan $5. He bet me that she would be okay with Scrabble by the end of the week. I should have had more faith in our little girl -- I've seen first-hand the obstacles she has already overcome. I will continue to claim that jetlag temporarily skewed my reasoning. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Oakley is finding her way in our family dynamic and finding her way into the hearts of everyone who meets her. We love this little girl, who now taps her chest and smiles as she proudly exclaims, "Oakley Xinxiang!"

There's No Place Like Home

2007-06-07T22:28:00.001-05:00

Our journey home began at 5:30am in Guangzhou China and ended a mere 29 hours later -- home at last. We flew from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, to Newark, to New Albany, to Cleveland and finally, home to Lexington -- that's a lot of airplanes, a lot of cramped quarters, a lot of bad food, a lot of trips to a bathroom the size of my right thigh, and a lot of flying time. Oakley did remarkably well with only a few meltdowns. Believe me, if I thought it might have helped us get home any quicker, I would have had a few myself. It was an exhausting day for us all, but oh, so worth it. When we finally reached Lexington I was literally shaking with anticipation .... I couldn't wait to see my boys and our family there waiting for us. What a homecoming!!

Out of respect for Oakley, our family waited eagerly at arms length to see how she would react. She was amazing -- smiling -- naming familiar faces from her photo album. I think you could have picked my dear Mom up off the floor when she pointed to her and said "Mamaw." How could one little girl leave the only home she's ever known and in just two weeks time lovingly embrace her new family? This is truly God's hand at work. I prayed throughout this journey that Oakley's heart would be open to us and my prayers have been answered tenfold. She spontaneously give hugs and kisses and already adores all THREE of her brothers, though I think Sawyer will always hold a very special place in her heart. He was, after all, the very first to interact with her China. And I know she holds a special place in his. This child could not be more loved and cherished.

We are all feeling remarkably well, were able to sleep last night and napped again today. I was the last to go to sleep because I decided to check the blog before retiring. Not only could I not view the blog in China, but we probably only received about one-fourth of the comments left. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who followed our journey, kept us in your prayers, and left comments for us. I cried until about 3am, marvelling at our blessings and the loyal following that this sweet little girl has developed. Truly, your comments and emails will be preserved for her in a special album that chronicles her journey to her family. We are so thankful for your support and your ability to love and accept.

We came home to a refrigerator full of food, gifts for Oakley, and a clean and brightly lit dwelling. A special thanks to my family for making sure that our homecoming was warm and welcoming. We very much appreciate everyone's efforts and I will forever be grateful to Marla for taking care of our home and boys in our absence, and to Lori for taking care of Scrabble, our springer spaniel. He'll be coming home on Sunday and he's going to throw Oakley into a tailspin because she's terrified of dogs. I have no doubt, however, that he'll win her over quickly.

Oakley slept in her bed last night from about midnight until 7:30am and napped this afternoon in her bed from 11:30am until 4pm; I guess she has some catching up to do. She had a full day today playing with her brothers and they are completely taken with her. Sullivan adores her smile and Hagan loves the way she sings, dances, talks, squeals ... you name it, he loves it. She had cheerios and bananas for breakfast, watermelon (thank you, Marla), cheese and more cheerios for lunch and fried rice for dinner. She tried peanut butter and jelly for lunch, but wasn't crazy about it (Jennifer, have you been talking to her?). Peanut butter ... it's a staple food in our family. We have discovered that we can't offer watermelon WITH her entree, because then it's the ONLY thing she will eat. From here on, it's going to have to be a dessert for sweet Oakley.

After dinner we took a brief walk in the neighborhood and returned for a bath, which she loves. The first time I bathed her in China I gave her a set of stacking cups to play with and she had no idea what to do with them. She stood up to get out immediately after I washed her and we literally had to teach her how to play in the bath tub. Now it's one of her very favorite things to do and she was thrilled to play with a whole new set of toys! After her bath, she had a quick tea party with Papa'. Notice how daintily she pours the tea, and then tilts her head back and chugs it! Then we got in bed, read a book, turned the lights out, and she was asleep within minutes.

Thank you to everyone for following us halfway around the world. It's been the most amazing journey and it's only just begun! I will continue to update the blog with Oakley's escapades.

p.s. Our luggage is still somewhere out there, trying to find it's way home. We carried on all of her adoption documents and the camera, but would love to have our clothes, toiletries, souvenirs and gifts home soon. I am kicking myself for not carrying on her "finding outfit" and the disposable camera that was given to us by the orphanage staff. Maybe tomorrow we'll hear good news!

Riverboat Cruise on the Pearl River

2007-06-05T01:25:00.001-05:00

Last night we joined our guide, David, for a riverboat cruise on the Pearl River. The Pearl River is the third largest river in China. The legend is that when it flows past Guangzhou city, it encounters a big stone island in the river, which is as smooth and round as a pearl. Hence, the name the Pearl River. It was a wonderful way to see Guanghzou's city skyline and Oakley thoroughly enjoyed going under the many bridges. David offered to order us a pizza to take aboard, but we decided to try the Chinese fare buffet and we all found something on there we could eat. Oakley was a happy camper because they had watermelon!!

We completed our final adoption business this afternoon when we travelled by bus to the US consulate to take the oath. We were there with 35 other families. I had heard that the oath is just a formality and so I wasn't expecting to get emotional, but I think Michael and I both felt such a sense of "family" -- it's really difficult to describe the wave of emotions that has overcome us these last two weeks. We received her visa following the oath, clearing her to travel home. Once she goes through immigration in Newark, Oakley is officially a US citizen!!

Tonight we are packing; our bags have to be ready and outside our door at 5:30 am. Our flight from Guangzhou departs at 8:30 and we travel to Hong Kong where we only have one hour to make our connection to Newark. We are SO READY to come home and begin our life as a family of six!! We've had a wonderful time here in China and are so thankful for our many blessings and for this precious gift that this country has bestowed upon us. But we are ready to reunite with family and friends, enjoy the comforts of western civilization and have a bowl of cereal in the morning with COLD milk.

Many thanks to all of you who have followed our journey, left comments and sent emails with words of congratulations and encouragement.

We love you all!

Farewell from China. A new journey awaits us at home!

Sullivan and Hagan:

We cannot wait to see you tomorrow night!! We love you both so very much and we hope you are waiting at the airport to greet us. Please remember that although Oakley looks really happy and well adjusted in the photos we've posted, it still takes her a long time to warm up to people and she still gets scared easily. She'll recognize you from the pictures and she will know that you are her brothers, but you're going to have to be patient and give her time to get to know and love you. Also, because we haven't yet started to call her Oakley, you might want to address her as Xinxiang (pronounced Shin- Shee-yong).

We'll call you when we get to Newark! Please pray that all of our flights are on time and that Oakley travels well. She's going to be exhausted when we get home.

LOVE YOU!!

Mom

Come On In! The Water's Fine.

2007-06-04T07:51:00.000-05:00

Jesus Loves Me

2007-06-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

Sorry we couldn't post yesterday .... we were experiencing technical difficulties.

We had another great day in Guangzhou and the highlight of the day was worshipping with the local Chinese people!! We attended a church service at 11am and I was moved to tears more than once. It began with a children's choir singing Jesus Loves Me in Chinese. Many more songs were sung throughout the service, about half in English and half in Chinese. The sermon was translated, and although it was difficult to understand, and quite lengthy (2 hours!), it was an experience I will never forget. It was so wonderful to be here and know that despite the language barrier and despite the cultural differences, we worship the same God. I sat holding Oakley, knowing that He is the one that brought us together, knowing that He knew her name long before we did, and that He had a divine plan for her before she was ever conceived. We have an awesome God!!

The remainder of the day was spent playing with our silly girl, completing some more paperwork, and shopping. I finally found one shop that had shoes to fit Oakley and she was as thrilled with the find as I was. Mike took a swim in one of the beautiful pools here at the White Swan while Oakley napped. We suited her up and brought her down later that evening for her first experience in the pool, only to hear thunder as we arrived. They had to close the pool -- we'll try again today.

We took Oakley out with us yesterday afternoon to have lunch and pick up our laundry, and left Sawyer at the hotel for some much-needed alone time. He ordered Papa John's pizza and feasted while watching Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on HBO. He's been so accommodating on this trip and he's been a HUGE HELP to me and Michael. He's having a great time but I know he's ready to come home. He's missing soccer, his brothers, his friends, and having his own space, I'm sure.

Many thanks to everyone who is leaving comments for us!! It's hard to be this far away from home for so long and we are so happy to hear from you! We'll share all the comments with Oakley when she's older so she knows just how many people followed her journey and loved her before they even knew her.

Sullivan and Hagan:

We'll be home in just a few days!! Tonight we are taking a river boat cruise and we're all looking forward to that. Our guide told us yesterday about a DVD store off the island that has really cheap movies so we're going to take a taxi there today and see what we can find for you. We are so ready to come home!! I'm posting some pictures of Oakley looking at the goldfish in the hotel -- they are HUGE!! I hope we can get her in the pool today and I hope that she likes it since I know you two are probably reading to go swimming when we get home!! She had her first taste of ice cream yesterday and she loved it, but when she eats anything cold, I think it hurts her teeth. We'll have to go see Dr. Lange when we get home and make sure she doesn't have any cavities. I don't think her teeth were ever brushed in the orphanage, but she LOVES brushing them now! She hasn't learned to spit the toothpaste out yet very well, and she usually swallows it and THEN spits!

I love you soooooo much!!

Mom

Lovin' Life in Guangzhou

2007-06-02T01:09:00.000-05:00

WOW! What a night! Our guide dropped us off at the airport in Fuzhou and all was well. We got our boarding passes, made it through check-in, and arrived at the gate with an hour to spare -- enough time to get a snack and relax. Then we found out our flight was delayed. It was delayed REPEATEDLY and we were stuck in the airport for FOUR hours .... four long hours! Oakley and I made at least 50 trips up the escalator and back down the steps, which she absolutely loved. She was REALLY good even though she was exhausted.

The airline served dinner to everyone at the gate at about 8pm and she chowed down. We had white rice, a three-layer entree consisting of a fried egg, green beans and squid, a chicken drumstick and a fish cake. She ate everything but the squid .... I told you she was smart! They also served us a paper cup with a packet of what Michael thought was a seasoning mix. He debated stirring it into his rice until we saw our fellow passengers adding boiling water to it -- it was TEA!!

We finally boarded the plane at 9:20pm, almost an hour an a half past Oakley's bedtime. She sat between me and Sawyer with her blanket in her lap. She was wide-eyed during take-off and kept looking up at us with a doe-eyed stare, but she never uttered a sound. We continue to be astounded at her adaptability. Having spent the last 33 months in a very structured environment, she has responded so well to new routines, sights and experiences and seems to take it all in stride. She was sound asleep two minutes into the flight and didn't wake up until we landed and I carried her off the plane.

We met our trusty guide, David, who is ABSOLUTELY wonderful -- we adore him! She was really scared when we got to the hotel and I can't imagine what she must have thought. The White Swan Hotel is gorgeous and the view from our room overlooks the Pearl River. Luckily, our room has a similar floor plan as our hotel in Fuzhou, so we set up her little toy area again and she seemed to feel more comfortable. We all slept soundly last night and woke up this morning happy to be here.

After breakfast, we met David and walked to a little shop to have Oakley's photo made for her visa. We then walked a few blocks (and man, is it HOT and HUMID here) for her medical exam. They listened to her heart and chest, looked in her ears, squeaked a toy horn to test her hearing, and weighed her. It was all over in a matter of minutes and they sent us on our way with a stamp of approval. We brought her back to the hotel, worked through a myriad of paperwork, and returned to our room to put her down for an early nap. In the room, she was thrilled to find a Barbie, compliments of the white Swan Hotel. And not just any ordinary Barbie, but a Barbie holding a little Chinese baby:). I can't say I see the resemblance in Oakley and the baby, but Mike says I'm a dead-ringer for Barbie (HA HA! Maybe a middle-aged overweight Barbie!)

After lunch at the infamous Lucy's, we walked the streets and did a little shopping. I bought two adorable outfits for Oakley for $6 each -- they are too cute. I also purchased a silk Chinese outfit for her for $4 and will take her picture on the White Swan's red couch - a tradition for adoptive families who visit the hotel. We LOVE Guangzhou!! The shopkeepers come out on the streets to greet us and congratulate us. We realize a lot of their friendliness may be a sales tactic, but I don't care .... it's so refreshing to receive such a warm welcome and it's fun to barter for the goods they are selling. It's amazing to see all the families in the hotel getting to know their new babies. I will admit that Oakley is by far the brightest of the bunch! People continue to be amazed at how much English she knows already and all the Chinese people remark at how clever she is ... and how big!

Sullivan and Hagan:

We picked up some souvenirs for you today at some of the little shops. Oakley is learning your names and she also points to Mamaw's picture and says Mamaw. She can speak some words so clearly, one of them being banana. You'd love the view from our hotel room. We see lots of boats and we're going to take a river boat cruise later this week. We are missing you more and more every day and although I'm not looking forward to the plane ride home, I can't wait to give you both big hugs. This is too long to be away from two of my favorite guys. Sullivan, be a good boy for Lori and have fun with Spencer. And Hagan, let us know how the party was! Here's a photo of some of the seafood you can choose to put in your dinner -- eel. They have it in big buckets in front of the restaurants along with turtles, frogs, crabs and big worm looking things. I think we actually ate some of these, unknowingly, in Beijing --- ugghhhh!

We'll see you soon!!

Love, Mom

We're Heading to Guangzhou!!

2007-05-31T21:36:00.000-05:00

Farewell from Fuzhou

2007-05-31T21:16:00.001-05:00

Keep in mind that these photos were taken while strolling the park, after breakfast, but before a shower, and BEFORE make-up!! Oakley was still in her pajamas. There is a beautiful park across the street from our hotel -- it's huge, peaceful and serene with waterfalls, bonsai trees and trails lined with bamboo. I'd love to post pictures for you but I've been threatened with my life if I post photos of scenery instead of Oakley:)! We intended to take a short walk, but ending up touring the park for hours!

In the morning, the park is full of people exercising, dancing, and singing. The locals are very curious and some will approach us and try to ask us questions. The children seem to love trying their English out and most will greet us with a "hello".

We are packing this morning to head to Guangzhou. We are excited to be preparing for the last leg of our journey, but it's bittersweet. We'll be taking Oakley from her province, from the only home she's ever known, and from the land of her birth mother. We vow to love and cherish this little girl forever -- she is our own.

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel by plane with Oakley. We have no idea what to expect for this two-hour flight and we hope it goes well.

Sullivan and Hagan:

Hey guys, Oakley let me give her a bath today. A huge step toward her and I bonding. Oh...did I mention that I fed her Smarties through the process? We must do what we must to make things work. I am really missing both of you very much and I can not wait to get home to see you. Maybe we can head to the lake next weekend if the weather permits. Sawyer sends his hello as well. I think he is getting anxious to get back home and we are tired of eating mystery meals. I also think he is missing his late night conversations with Molly. We do know that our dinner last night included frog and probably the entire frog. Sawyer and I know that we will be stronger through all of this. Sullivan, the next time you are offered an opportunity to send us a message you better take advantage of it. We need to hear from you like we are hearing from Hagan. See you guys soon.

Love, Dad

Orphanage Visit

2007-05-31T00:57:00.000-05:00

I'm so sorry I didn't post yesterday, and I thank everyone who emailed me to express their concern! Michael and Sawyer took the camera and visited the Zhangzhou Welfare Institute, the orphanage where Oakley spent the first 33 months of her life. Our guide helped us arrange the visit, which was not scheduled prior to this week. I'm thankful that the director granted our request because it's so important to us that we see Oakley's first "home."

I had intended all along to take her back to visit, but Michael and Sawyer were both really concerned that she would regress. She's doing so remarkably well -- we didn't want to chance a setback. After much prayer and soul-searching, I decided to remain at the hotel with Oakley. I hope I don't live to regret the decision -- I'm so torn on whether or not it might have provided a sense of closure for her.

Michael and Sawyer both feel good about the decision made. They returned late yesterday afternoon (it was an eight-hour round-trip venture) physically and emotionally exhausted. There are not many children left in the orphanage. I think it was really difficult for both of them to see the conditions where she spent her most formative years. Michael marvels at how she survived that experience and how she still managed to develop such a radiant personality. They were not able to visit her finding spot because it was much further out in the rural county. However, we did receive her "finding outfit" on Gotcha Day, along with the first photo ever taken of her and the disposable camera we sent in her care package.

Upon arrival, they were well-received by the orphanage staff and invited to take photos. They were able to get a photo of her crib and the director gave us the identification tag off of it. They also took a photo of her favorite piece of playground equipment and it looks something like a stairstepper. We took photos of all the children in the orphanage, but out of respect for them and their waiting families, we will not post individual photos publicly. I have shared them on our Zhangzhou Welfare Institute yahoo group so the families waiting can see their beautiful babies.

During the visit, they found out that Oakley attended kindergarten (pre-school) six days a week and she cried on Sundays when the school was closed. I'm sure it was a great relief to her to be mentally stimulated and challenged and we clearly see her love of learning. Not only has she picked up quite an english vocabulary already, but she's teaching us some Chinese as well. Our guide thinks she speaks the local dialect and not mandarin. I do know that when we're out and Chinese people approach her and start firing questions at her, she shuts down and refuses to respond. I catch the word "Mama" a lot, so maybe they're asking her if she's been abducted or if this strange looking American is her Mama. Last night we had dinner in town and a Chinese man said hello to her in english and she responded with "Ni Hao," so she does know some Mandarin.

She continues to amaze us and I thank God for uniting us with her. She blossoms more each day and I pray for every child still remaining in orphanage care to receive a forever family. They so desperately need the love, care, and nurturing that only family can provide. This afternoon I compared photos of Oakley at the Civil Affairs office on Gotcha Day, one of her three hours after we got her, and one of her three days after we got her.

A child transformed by love.

Sullivan and Hagan:

School is over -- woo hoo -- and summer break is here! We can't wait to get home and start our summer vacation. It's going to be so wonderful to have our family all together and I think Oakley is going to love going out on the boat. We have a lake right across from our hotel and she points to it now and says "water". Hagan, I know you were worried about how we were going to communicate with her, but I'm telling you, she gets her point across and she learns so quickly. Start choosing some books for her with easy pictures because it's a great way for her to learn to associate words and objects. We're still working on her manners and she's come along way. She doesn't say thank you very much but she'll remind you to say it, and she reminds you in Chinese and in English.

We love and miss you guys SOOOO much!!

Mom and Dad, Sawyer and Oakley

Xinxiang (Oakley) and Her Umbrellas

2007-05-29T08:34:00.001-05:00

Need I say more?

Touring Fuzhou

2007-05-29T06:39:00.000-05:00

Isabel, our trusty guide, picked us up at 9:30 this morning and we headed to the zoo. I have mixed feelings about zoos in general, but the conditions here were really sad. I don't want to say too much, but let it suffice that we all left feeling pretty depressed. Sawyer noted that Hagan would not have been able to take it -- he's got such a tender heart where animals are concerned, and we're glad he wasn't there to witness the things we saw.

On the upside, we did see a really great seal show that we all really enjoyed. Oakley was in a fantastic mood and she was content to walk hand-in-hand most of the day. She was such a trooper, despite the 90 degree temperature and high humidity.

She wanted to carry her backpack today and she calls it Be Bo. It's now her new favorite obsession. She loves anything that it is her own and she packs it as full as she can with all of her toys, her sippy cup, her books, her photo album and her baby. She had it so full this afternoon that she could barely walk without falling over backward. She loves to get things in and out of it and she always knows exactly what's in it and what's missing.

After the zoo we toured a Buddhist Temple, built in 867. The grounds were breathtaking and we were in awe of the architecture. I think this was Sawyer's favorite tour thus far. We walked through the oldest temple in the world; it was huge, housing 5,000 monks at one time. It was so peaceful and serene. Their were many people there worshipping Buddha and although I respect their beliefs, I walked through the grounds thanking God for his blessings: for the little girl walking beside me, for Michael and Sawyer for experiencing this journey with me; for my boys at home waiting patiently for us to return with their little sister, and for my family and friends who have been cheering us on every step of the way.

When playing in the hotel room, Oakley puts all of her things away on the little counter we've set aside for her belongings. She stacks her books, sits her bear up, stacks her movies, and has a special spot for her Cheerios container (which she loves), her radio and her coloring book and crayons. She's a neat freak - YEAHHHH!! I realize this may be short-lived, but while living in such tight quarters, it's been quite a treat.

She also loves to have a hair barrette in her hair, although at present, only the alligator clip kind will stay in. She missed her nap this afternoon and she was so tired this evening that she kind of shut down on us. She had her little ladybug nightgown on and insisted on wearing her shoes, her backpack and her barrette, and she walked around in a daze carrying her sippy cup. She was a sight!

Mike and Sawyer took a taxi to McDonald's (yes, we were ready for some western fare -- what a relief to know what we were eating) to pick-up dinner. I kept her awake until I could get her fed and she about fell asleep standing up. After dinner we turned the lights down and she fell asleep in my arms (not a good habit, I know) in just a matter of minutes. I feel like she deserves the chance to fall asleep in her Mama's arms and I love watching her drift off to sleep.

God has certainly answered our prayers and we are already beginning to see a different look in this beautiful baby girl's eyes. I wish she could know how much we love and cherish her. I am so very thankful that God opened her heart to us and that she is letting us shower her with kisses, hugs and attention. Sometimes I look at her and just can't believe that she is ours -- what a precious gift!

Hagan and Sullivan:

Don't let everyone know, but although your little sister is great, she does have some bad habits that we are working on. She will blow her nose whether or not you have a tissue ready -- yuck! She will also spit food out if she doesn't like it or if she sees something else that she'd rather have. And yesterday, while sitting on the potty, she leaned over and spit on the floor!! We have taught her to cover her mouth when she coughs (most of the time), and we'll work on the other things. Today I let go of her hand so Dad could take a picture of me and Sawyer in front of a huge temple and she got so angry that she threw her backpack on the ground! She does have a little temper, but I guess we all do at times. And I'm sure she's still trying to figure everything out. For the most part she is sweet, loving, and REALLY funny!! She loves to act like she's scared of her teddy bear of little stuffed dog and she'll back away saying something in Chinese, and then laugh and laugh. She's going to love having two more brothers to play with!

we love you!!

Mom and Dad

Dancing to Her Own Beat

2007-05-29T04:46:00.001-05:00

She LOVES her Fisher Price "radio" and she's actually learned some of the words to Wheels on the Bus, Patty Cake, and If Your Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands. But the funniest thing we've ever heard is her trying to sing This Little Piggy Went to Market because she shouts, "wing, wing, wing" all the way home.

She has choreographed her own dance moves and Sawyer has become her favorite audience and cheerleader -- he laughs at everything she does and she is thriving with all the attention. She's so silly and she has a great sense of humor.

You may think the photo of her hugging the teddy bear is sweet, but she actually bit his nose and then laughed hysterically before tossing him to the floor.

We fall more and more in love with her each day, if that's possible.

This Is How We Spent Our Day with Oakley

2007-05-28T06:48:00.000-05:00

I was worried that when Oakley woke up this morning she'd be terrified, or angry, or sad, or all of the aforementioned combined. She was quiet, but smiled readily and she eased into the day with bravery. She's become somewhat of a "velcro baby," and if we venture out anywhere, I have to be holding her or she falls to pieces. She's great in the room and will walk around on her own, exploring her toys and bringing Sawyer books to read, but the moment we head out, she holds her arms up to be held and if I try to put her down to hold her hand, she gets hysterical, cries and does this floppy arm dance thing. She won't let Michael or Sawyer hold her yet if we're out of the room, but she's interacting really well with them both and will let them blow her nose (which we do A LOT), feed her, play with her, help her with her shoes, etc. We took a walk this evening and tried the stroller but she was having none of that. We would have probably gone farther, but my arm was ready to fall off and I didn't have the hip hammock with us. Lesson learned.

We had an appointment with the notary this morning, and promised once again, to take care of her, never abandon her, educate her and make sure she receives medical attention. It only lasted a few moments and then we did a little shopping. Michael tried to take pictures in Wal-Mart, but security came after him and the camera was quickly put away. It's SO VERY different from any Wal-Mart in the states and it's four stories tall. You have to see it to believe it, especially the meat and seafood departments. We bought Oakley a new pair of shoes but she still wants to keep her other ones on at all times -- ALL TIMES. She finally took them off on her own this evening right before she fell asleep in my arms.

She has a bad cough (mostly at night), some funky green snot, and yesterday she had a fever. We started her on antiobiotics immediately and she seems to be improving. She's a champ about taking her medicine and brushing her teeth, which I suspect hasn't happened too often in the past. Her teeth are not in really bad shape but she has some dark spots on the front top two. As you can see, she also have somewhat of an overbite and I'm guessing that's because she sucks her pointer finger to fall asleep. She turns her hand palm up when she does it and thus, pushes outward on her teeth. We know when she's getting sleepy because her finger stays in her mouth. She kept it there pretty much all day yesterday (I'm sure she was comforting herself), but much less today. She's a doll baby and we are totally smitten with her.

We are doing great and it's hard to believe we've had her less than 36 hours. Her personality is shining through and she's pretty silly. She LOVES to read books and I wish we'd brought more. Sawyer is teaching her all the body parts and she will readily say nose, ears, eyes, hair, lips, teeth and hands. She also knows baby and bye-bye (complete with a wave) and uses them appropriately. She's AMAZING!! We met a couple from Switzerland this evening in the hotel lobby and they just received their beautiful 9-month-old baby girl yesterday. Oakley completely turned on for them and they were astounded by what she can do and say. I know I sound like a bragging Mom, but my gosh, she learns so quickly.

I've posted some photos that show her pointing out her body parts to Sawyer ... too cute. If the photos are out of whack it's because I haven't been able to view our blog all day. I'm not sure what's up, but I hope I can at least get this to post.

Can't wait to see what's in store for us tomorrow!! Love to you all, and many thanks for the comments. It's wonderful to know that so many people are following our journey and rejoicing with us in our blessings!!

Love from Fuzhou!

Sullivan and Hagan:

You better get ready, because your little sister is too funny! Tonight she finished a bowl of dry cheerios, then put the little bowl on her head, walked to the mirror to see herself, and busted out laughing. She still gets really sad sometimes, but overall, she's doing really, really well. Sullivan, they had a bunch of fish tanks in Wal-Mart with fish as big as your leg! They also had cow stomach, dried fish heads, and lots of things we couldn't recognize. Hagan, we sure miss you and I hope you had a wonderful time on the boat and were successful in your fishing expedition. I'm sure you didn't catch anything as big as the fish we saw in Wal-Mart today -- that was CRAZY!! We miss you both so much and can't wait for you to see your little sister in person.

GOTCHA DAY!!

2007-05-27T04:26:00.000-05:00

It was the MOST surreal experience of my life.
We met Isabel, our guide, in the lobby a little before 11am and she told me she needed to speak with me. Seems there had been a change of plans, and we were not only going to sign the Authorized Guardian Agreement on Harmonization Period, but we were going to actually finalize the adoption procedure this morning. That meant we needed to have our gifts ready for the orphanage staff and the civil affairs official, and we needed to have our donation ready and the registration fee ready. Luckily, I had prepared the gifts last night and we had the donation money ready. However, we quickly scrambled to convert the registration fees from US to RMB. I know you all aren't really interested in all this, but it helps me to lay the groundwork and keep track of everything:).

After that was taken care of, we left for the Civil Affairs office, which was just at 10-minute drive from the hotel. Sawyer couldn't quit smiling, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, and Michael was being his usual supportive self. When we arrived we were ushered into a small room and Oakley was sitting on a couch with two of the nannies. Mike said it was like they had plucked her from one of the photos we have and sat her before us. UNREAL!! I sat down beside her and the nanny told her I was her Mama, which Oakley repeated. She had the little photo album in her hand and as the nanny would flip the pages, Oakley would say Mama, Papa, GeGe (big brother), etc.

Michael and I were quickly asked to sit at the desk to complete the paperwork with Jack, director of the Fujian International Adoption Service Center. He was WONDERFUL and both Michael and I liked him immediately. It was really hard for me to concentrate on what he was saying and the process was moving so fast. I kept turning around to see Oakley and she was interacting so well with Sawyer. He was taking photos for us and had given her the new photo album we had prepared. She called out each of our names, smiling each time, and was SO HAPPY to see the new photos of Caeleigh. Her little face would shine each time she shouted out her own name and Caeleigh's name. It was REALLY hard for me to focus on the formal proceedings when all I wanted to do was scoop her up in my arms. They gave us her finding ad and a little gold bag containing a beautiful silver locket necklace that stands for Security, Prosperity and Longevity. Inside the locket is a little scroll with her birth date, Gotcha date, and the orphanage's email address. It is a beautiful gift and we will treasure it forever.

We were asked why we wanted to adopt a baby from China, what kind of education she would receive, if she would receive medical care when needed and if we would promise to never abandon her and love her like our own. ABSOLUTELY!! He asked if we were comfortable signing the registration papers even though we didn't have the customary harmonization period. ABSOLUTELY. Nothing could ever make us change our minds -- she is our daughter!! our daughter .......

She cried only for a moment when I tried to pick her up to leave. We were driven to another office to take the family photo and I felt really sad that she wasn't able to say goodbye to her nannies. I'm sure they ushered us out so quickly to prevent a scene, but it breaks my heart because I know she was loved deeply there and I know they must be grieving her loss, just as she is grieving for them.

That being said, it has been so much more wonderful than I ever imagined. I truly had prepared myself for the worst, and it has been the best!! She sat in my lap on the way back to the hotel with her arm around my shoulder. I don't want to make you think that all is wonderful with her because there are long periods of melancholy and vacant looks. But she smiled for us immediately and is responding well to all three of us. And she is BEAUTIFUL and so very smart!! I could go on and on, but I'll try to keep this brief. Sawyer has been looking at books with her and she will repeat every word he says -- baby, truck, ball, bird, etc., and will point to the picture as she says it. I read I Love You Like Crazy Cakes to her and I would point to the Mama's nose, and say nose. She would repeat the word nose and point to her own nose, then smile so proudly. Smart, I tell you. And did I mention that she's beautiful?

She has danced for us, has eaten well (loves Goldfish and watermelon), and is drinking well. And Carter, one of the sippy cups you gave her has become her security blanket. You can see it in most every photo and she fell asleep with it at naptime today, refusing to give it up. She's napping now on the bed and she sucks her finger when she sleeps. She is completely potty trained and hasn't had an accident yet. She knows to wash her hands after she potties and she LOVES it, smiling each time we make a trip to the sink.

She's had her first bath and although she didn't play, she didn't make a fuss, even when I washed her hair. I had to post photos of the shirt and shoes she came to us in. Sawyer got a big kick out of the shirt -- I'm not sure what to think of it. The shoes are brand new and really cute. She's wearing the 3T clothes we brought and they fit her perfectly.

Sawyer is enamored with her and she seems to adore him as well. She gives him a big smile after he takes the picture. We can't wait for her to meet her other brothers. I'm posting several photos from the day. You'll see for yourself the many expressions we have seen. I'm hoping that as she becomes more secure she'll lose those sad eyes. She is brave beyond words and has only cried briefly -- I know she is scared and I doubt that the grieving has even begun. We will love her through it and feel blessed beyond words to be able to parent this precious child.

Sullivan and Hagan:

You are going to LOVE her!! She loves books and she likes to play. I can't wait for her to have two big brothers to watch out for her. She will say both of your names when we point to the photos in her albums, although Sullivan sounds somewhat like "Shu-shin." We'll post more photos tomorrow. Just email me if you have any questions you want to ask. We're telling her all about you!!

We're in Fuzhou!

2007-05-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

We arrived this evening at 8:45, after a 2 1/2 flight from Beijing. Sawyer slept the ENTIRE way. I think he was exhausted because he climbed all the way to the top of the Great Wall this afternoon! Michael and I both wimped out (me before him), but Sawyer was determined. As I waited for them to come back down from the mountain I must have had my photo taken at least 10 times with various groups of people touring the wall. None of them spoke english, but they would just smile, take my arm and gather around while one of them took the photo. I can't imagine why they would want some stranger in their photos, but it was hysterical! It was an amazing view and we got some fantastic photos. Too bad I still can't upload any of them. I'm getting so frustrated -- it says it's uploading and it takes forever, then gives me an error message telling me to try again later. So, I'm not going to give up and I'll try again later. At least I can post now using English menu prompts. THANK YOU MARCY for taking the time to email us a solution!

We were scheduled to get Oakley tomorrow afternoon at 3:30pm, but our guide notified us when she picked us up at the airport that we'll be going to the Civil Affairs office at 11am to get her. My stomach is doing flip flips knowing that we'll have her in less than 12 hours!! We're staying at the Lakeside Hotel and our room is beautiful. I can't wait to see the area in daylight. It gets dark here at about 6pm, so we didn't get to see much on the drive in from the airport.

This has been such an amazing experience so far and we've loved every minute. Alison, our guide today, took us on a tour of Tian An Men Square and the Forbidden City. This country is steeped in history and we were soaking it in.

I'll do my very best to try and get some photos posted. I know you are as anxious to see them as we are to share them.

Thanks to everyone for the comments -- it makes us feel close to home while we're so far away and we are overwhelmed by the support and well wishes. I hope I can get some sleep tonight but my mind is racing with the thoughts of Oakley. This will be her last night in the orphanage ... the only "home" she's ever known. Please pray for us tomorrow as she meets her forever family for the first time.

Love to you from Fuzhou!