Gracie Update

Gracie's behavior just keeps getting better and better! 

Gone is that scared, overwhelmed, angry, impatient little girl.

 Now we see sweetness, mild outbursts, and really wanting to be part of the family kind of behavior. 

 

There are days and times that she reverts back to what we call "orphanage behavior," but those times are less and less.

 

 

 

 

Several times a day we stand back and marvel at what God has already done in Grace's life and ours. 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I think that it isn't just the new child that changes so, but also it is that our hearts expand and grow. 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it's a little of both, really. 

 

 

 

 

 

Or a lot.  

Home a month now!

We cannot believe that our Gracie has been home for a month now!  That stressful, awful, wonderful time in China is becoming a distant memory - thanking God for that!! 

The Gracie we received and struggled with through our time in China is also becoming a distant memory.  She is blossoming before our very eyes, and we love the softness and gentleness we are seeing in her.  We love her so already!!

Everyone is settling down into a routine.  We are even able to venture out more and more and do more "normal" activities with our new little girl.  During her first couple of weeks at home, there was a time that I didn't think things would ever get any better.  Jet lag, exhaustion, and being overwhelmed with the transition can really play havoc on your emotional state!  Also, there is a certain letdown after you return home.  The high excitement of traveling and receiving your child has worn off, and the sheer amount of work in the transitioning stages tend to be a let down similar to the day after Christmas.  That is the only way I can explain it, and I am not meaning anything negative about our precious children and the gift they are to us.  I feel fairly certain that each new child we bring home feels the letdown for a bit as well.

Then we begin to move on through that stage, and suddenly you wake up one morning, and just like that, your new child feels like he or she has always been with the family.  Just like that the same new child begins to feel that he/she is finally home and that you are their family.  It is such a difficult process, but we are entering into that stage where we all are feeling like we belong to each other, and I have to say that we are "thrilled" to be out of that yucky "new at home" stage.  Even though we will still have rocky times, we know that mostly it will only get better and better. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How are we doing this far into the transition time?

Today, March 17th (St. Paddy's Day)

Gracie has been ours for one month!

 

 

Many people want to know how she is doing with the huge transition in her life. 

 

 

We have had a fair share of ups and downs, and Gracie (who came home so delayed) has a long road ahead of her,

 

 

But, this we know. . .

 

 

She loves sleeping in a comfy bed with lots of warm, soft blankets to cover her.  She loves having lots of good food to eat (and some junk food, too!)  She loves giggling and being silly.  She loves having toys with which to play, and she is beginning to love being in school at our home. 

 

 

But most of all, she loves belonging . . .

 

 

She loves having a family of her own! 

 

 

So amazing to see the early beginnings of our diamond in the rough starting to shine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Home and adjusting to a new normal

We arrived back home Wednesday night, February 26th, to a gathering of our loved ones welcoming us back. 

 

 

 

Happy to be heading home  

(our dear friend Deidra and my Sophia)

 

 

A homecoming at the airport

Gracie meeting her daddy and brothers for the first time

 

 

Looking a little travel weary, but so happy to be home

(Our first picture as a family of 7)

 

 

A little overwhelmed and getting a look at her new

bedroom for the first time

 

 

Beginning to play in her new home

 

 

Philip and Elijah sharing the moment with Gracie

 

 

 

Awww,

Home Sweet Home

 

 

 

 

 

 



Leaving on a jet plane . . .

The next time I post anything on this website, we will be home with our Gracie!!!

 

 

 

Can't believe it! 

 

 

 

We leave February 14th (Ted's birthday and Wendy's too)

 

 

 

Check out our adoption website:

 

 

myadoptionwebsite.com

 

 

Journey to Gracie

 

 



TA, CA, And Travel Dates - oh my!

Wow!  We received our Travel Approval and Consulate Appointment just a few days ago, and now we have our tickets in hand ready to travel!


I even have begun to pack!  Can't believe we are really this close to bringing our Gracie home!!!


Here are two pictures we just received from her orphanage showing Grace looking at the picture book we sent her of her family and her soon-to-be new life!  Priceless beyond belief! 

 

 

 

If you wish, you can follow our adoption journey at

 

myadoptionwebsite.com

Journey to Gracie

 

 

 

Christmas time 2013

This Christmas has been a new normal for my family and me.  With my mom's illness and passing in the summer, our hearts have been heavy with grief.  Then I became ill around Thanksgiving and just couldn't shake it for weeks which made preparing for the season even more difficult.

 

 

 

 

But God . . .

 

 

 

He makes all things new . . .

 

 

 

All four of our children were in a beautiful CHRISTmas musical at our church.  Even our littlest got in on the action and practiced his songs for all he was worth!  In the last few weeks leading up to the production, we spent a great deal of time and energy on the musical.  It was exhausting, but in a good way.  We were extremely busy, but ALL of the practices and preparation were centered on Christ.

 

 

That turned out to be an amazingly awesome thing!  Suddenly we found that JOY began to find a spot in our hearts where only deep sadness had been living.  Christ's birth, life, and resurrection certainly takes on new meaning whenever you lose a loved one.  Suddenly we could once again begin to experience that JOY and peace that really does pass all understanding.  

 

 

In fact, one morning Kevin and I realized that our children hadn't seen a smiling face from us in a long, long time.  Too long.  We were missing the treasure that they are to us and only focusing on our deep sadness over Mom's illness and death.  We stopped right then and there and prayed that God would return JOY to our hearts despite our immense grief. 

 

 

He did just that as we moved toward celebrating the Christmas holiday.  The musical began our change of heart, and it continued throughout the holiday.  Now, I am not saying our intense grief is gone.  There were moments in the past week where our grief brought us to our knees as we would remember all that we have lost (three of our four beloved parents/grandparents are no longer on earth).  But I am saying that JOY in Christ has come again, and we can rejoice in that even in the times of great sorrow. 

 

 

And looking back on all of the festivities of the last few weeks, our hearts can smile with the JOY that we experienced. 

 

 

The Christmas musical was truly breathtakingly beautiful in presenting the CHRISTmas story

 

 

 

 

Spending Christmas Eve at my brother's home has begun a new family tradition.  My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew worked so hard to make this a special time, incorporating so many special touches of Mom throughout the evening.  Even though each of our hearts was deeply longing to have Mom and Dad once again be with us for that special night, we were able to find JOY and happiness in the celebration of Christ and our love for each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas morning came, and our little family of six (plus cute puppy) thoroughly enJOYED our time of celebration with reading the CHRISTmas story and opening the special gifts we had picked out for each other.  We all are looking forward to Grace being a part of our Christmas next year!  There was even a gift for her that morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas evening was spent with our neighbor Dottie (who adopted us long ago as part of her family and vice versa for us) and Gram (Kevin's mom).  They came for dinner and for the annual decorating of the gingerbread houses with our family. 

 

Kevin and I have had our parents over for a special dinner for Christmas (not always on the day but close to it) since our early years of marriage.  The decorating of the gingerbread houses began four years ago.  We were so very blessed to once again have Carolyn (Gram) and Dottie join us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, we joined Kevin's family for another Christmas celebration the day after Christmas.  It was a sweet night and great way to end our Christmas holiday surrounded by so many people we love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before we knew it, Christmas had come and gone.  The holiday we had all been dreading going through without my mom had actually turned out to be filled with so much JOY that it left our hearts smiling long after the last bite of food, the last gift opened, the last Christmas song sung, and the last hug from our loved ones.  God was surely in the details of this season of REJOICING.