A New Year

I would like to start this post with a sincere apology to my friend Lori McCary for the lack of posts in the last two months.
Sorry, Lori.



Since it's 2 hours away from a new year and it's been 2 1/2 months since a post I figured now would be a good time to end 2011 with Christmas photos.

Christmas was good this year.  To ALL of us.  We had many "firsts" this Christmas and all were exciting.

It was Sophie and Hudson's first Christmas home.  And from the sound of things- their first Christmas celebration ever.  They had never received a Christmas present before.  But, most importantly, they know that Christmas is all about Jesus.

Two weeks ago all four kiddos sang in the Christmas program at church.  They did awesome and I was SO PROUD of them!!

We are half way done with our first year of homeschooling.  I am loving it- although there are moments in the day when I ask myself, "WHY DO I DO THIS??!!!!"

The kids are doing good.  There are still issues and struggles, but all in all it's going well.  In the next few days I will share about each one and how they are adjusting.  Yes....we are STILL adjusting and just might be for quite awhile.



These first three pictures are so funny!  During the program Hudson was trying to show Isabella where I was and she gave him the evil eye.  It was hilarious!!

Hudson telling Isabella, "There's Mom!"

I can only imagine what she is wanting to tell him.

And since she knows she can't say it- she's going to ignore him!

Sophie and Emma (on the right) were angels and had a special dance.

Best Buds

Christmas Eve

WAY too much loot!

The first two awake!

Sophie and Isabella had to be woken up.
This was how Sophie came downstairs.  

And this was Izzy!

The calm before the storm.

Hudson got a Tomahawk in his stocking and he was EXCITED to say the least.
I will have a post on this in the next couple of days.
It will be well worth the read!

The FAMILY

Tomorrow I have more FIRSTS!!
Very exciting firsts!

whew!

That last post was not me.

That would've been Trey.
I told him I would post his FB games- but I guess I just wasn't quick enough.
Hmmmmm......reminds me of his dad.

So much goes on around here that my head is spinning.
I feel I can barely read my email let alone find the time to actually take pictures, plug in my camera, find the White Horse Drive blog button and then actually think of something to type!!

But, it's time.
Time for an update into what it's like to go from 3 to 5 kids in just a couple of months.
I'm not sure I even get to count Wesley since he's hours away and I never get to see him- but he's still mine, so he goes into the barrel with the other monkey's.

Where to start.
It's not the number of kids that make this hard.
For me it's the adjustment period.
The rules, expectations from both them and me, language barrier, lack of education.  Learning things like basic hygiene, discipline, table manners, social rules, homeschool and a lot more that you would slowly and unconsciously teach your biological child from the ages of 0 on up.
Older child adoption is HARD!
The older the child the harder it is- at least in my case.

I say this not to be negative in any way- it's just the way it is.
I told God that if He wanted me to I would "do hard".  I've never been afraid of hard.  It's just not fun or easy.  Yes, there are issues.  But nothing major and nothing we can't handle at this point in time.
Who knows what the future will bring as healing begins for them.

Here are the positive things happening!

Trey is playing football and LOVES it!!  His big brother will got to watch him play 2 weeks ago for the first time and Trey was so excited!  He does an awesome job on the field.
Isabella is still the "love and joy" around here and can't wait to go upstairs everyday and have school!!  She gets so excited when she finds out she gets to "go to school"!!
Sophie is doing great with her English and is doing well with school.  It's not easy for her and she doesn't know much, but I can say with confidence that she is not slow- only uneducated and has no life experiences.
Hudson is sharp.  He amazes me at how quickly he learns.
And for the first time, on our one month home anniversary (September 20th, 2011), he told me he loved me.  Yes he did!!!  And I'm pretty sure he meant it, because he wouldn't say it before.  And like I said- he ain't no dummy!  That boy knows what love is.  He's had a lot of it in his short life by someone and my guess is his biological mommy.  Just a guess.

In the last month we have had a lot of football, started school, had two birthdays, learned to ride a bike, watch Disney movies in Chinese, been to AWANA, rode a horse, dedicated our dark haired children to the Lord, been to the dentist (that in itself is a post!), the hairdresser, the chiropractor, the audiologist, the ENT and the ZOO!

The dedication service at church.
Hudson was pouting because he wanted Johnnye!   There is something about her that he just loves!

The first touchdown of the season for the Junior Jays!!

I love the age where they still wave and say, "Hi Mom!"
Don't ever grow up!!

Yes.  He is one of the coaches.
Maybe this is why the kids like him so much!!

No words needed.

Football

This is trey playing football he plays tight end and scored the first TD of the season!!!

My Izzy,

...she makes me laugh every day.

Double Birthday!

Birthday pics from last night.
Isabella is 7 & Hudson is 8.

Short and sweet post, I know.
Who can find the time?!
Not me!  Not now!
Maybe in a few days.
I'm very boring right now.

First Day of School!!

In keeping with tradition I took first day of school pictures!

Here are my top students of the year.

Please pray for me.

We had a double birthday today!

It was a sweet day.

Pictures to come tomorrow.

Life at Home

I didn't mean to wait so long to post again.  I knew things would be busy, but I thought I'd have time at the end of the day!  Not so when I fall into bed at 11 or 11:30!  How does that happen when everyone is in bed by 8:30 or 9?

We left our hotel room in Guangzhou at 6:30am and when we found our hotel room in Hong Kong that afternoon I was exhausted!  Our room stunk so bad and I was so grumpy that I told the front desk I either wanted a different room or a big discount on my bill!  So, they moved us to the 8th floor and to top it off you had to pay for internet (which I didn't).
Up at 5am the next morning to get ready to leave for home!  We were all ready, especially Isabella.  For two days she had been telling me she missed her dad and brothers.
We flew to Tokyo and sat for a two hour layover.  Then it was on to America!  This was the only flight home that we all sat together.  It's so much easier when I have all the kids in one spot!!  It was long and boring.  There was only one movie they could watch on the plane and they each watched it about 5 times.  I have no idea what I did- I can't remember.
We finally landed in Salt Lake City and it was such a relief to be "home"!  Because anytime you are out of the country and you hit US soil- you are home.  No matter what state you are in!  We had another two hour layover and then a short one hour tiny plane ride home to Denver where Trent and Trey were waiting for us!!

Of course Sophie ran to "Father" (as she calls him) and much to my surprise Hudson gave Trent a big smile AND a hug!!  He's pretty shy so I wasn't sure what he'd do.  I KNOW he was so happy to see other guys!  He hasn't asked to sleep with Sophie or want to cling to her since we've been home.

We stayed the night in Denver and got home around noon on Sunday where Wesley and Kim and the rest of my family were waiting for us.  Kim got lots of hugs- we missed her so bad after she left us!

The kids checked out their rooms and played for awhile.
Honestly I can't remember what the rest of the day was like.  I tried to read a book to Isabella and I couldn't do it.  My words were slurring and I couldn't see straight.  I had to lay on the couch and take a nap.  :  )  I was so tired that I told Trent I didn't even care if we had McDonalds.

Miraculously, I have felt great everyday since then!  It is hard to get up in the mornings- but once I'm up I feel fine!  What a difference from the last time!!

For the last three days we have hung out and played in the mornings and when Trent comes home at noon we swim.  The kids are doing so much better in the water.  Hudson isn't afraid of anything and will soon be swimming without a life jacket.  Sophie is also doing better- but still chokes on the water alot.  She isn't afraid to try what the others are doing.

Trey is going through his adjustment period.  His honeymoon was very short lived.
Just yesterday he told me he wished it was just him and Isabella.  I remember when he told me he wished it was just him and Wesley when we got Isabella!  Now he loves her so much and he missed her a lot while she was gone.  As he was telling me how he was feeling he made a cute comment about Isabella.  He said, "Mom, Sophie acts like she's 6 years old."  I said I knew that and it's because sometimes that happens when you come from an orphanage.  He answered, "Ya, but Isabella came from an orphanage and she acts like she's 40!"   It was too funny.

Trey has started football.
Wesley was the same age was when they started this junior football league.  Sometimes I feel like I'm reliving Wesley's life through Trey.  It makes me wish I had done things a lot different back then.
Speaking of my sweet baby- he's 22 as of Wednesday the 24th.  How in the world does that happen?  Seriously!  I can't believe how old he is!  I love this boy with all my heart.  It's strange how much we are alike.
Happy Birthday Wesley!!  I love you more than life!!!

Our last day in Guangzhou we spent at the pool and packing our suitcases.  

This boy was never so glad to see another male!!

Poor Sophie.  She threw up 6 times on the 4 1/2 hour drive home.
I felt so bad for her!

Hudson LOVES watching Trey at FB practice and he gets as close as he can to the action.  

This is what we do every afternoon!
 It's wonderful to have Trent come home at noon and not only play with the kids, but relieve me just a little!