Merry Christmas from Connecticut

December Fun

Like everyone, our December is FULL of times we treasure...

Christmas concerts

The annual retelling of the first Christmas...our angel

and our shepherds who take watching their sheep VERY seriously

Decorating our gingerbread house...and watching the candy mysteriously disappear

Reporting for cookie duty

Diligent homework efforts...ok so it's not a Christmas thing, but it's so RARE I just had to include it in our list of treasured moments. :-)

And lots of love...


Merry Christmas to all!

Birthday Fun

M's special day was just what a little girl of 5 can hope for.

Playtime with a favorite friend

a Tea Party

Cake and Presents

and a Matching Outfit for both her and her special Bitty Baby

And to think....Christmas is still coming!

Morning Exchange

A smiling seven year old greeted us in bed this AM, Christmas excitement bursting through otherwise tired eyelids.

Mom: So what are looking forward to?
G: Jesus' Birthday. Cinnamon rolls. And our cousins.
Mom is overcome by the sweetness of the answer. She asks what kind of cinnamon rolls we want this year and we unanimously say--hers! We discuss her amazing cinnamon rolls.
Dad: But that is a lot of work, isn't it?
Mom: Well, I could make them early and just warm them up on Christmas morning.
G: (Leans in close and says with passion) "We want 'em fresh!"

Happy Birthday, Miss M.!

Today is M.'s fifth birthday. We are sooo blessed to know her and have her in our family. She's a very excited little girl. She'll have special time with a friend today and her chosen dinner ("Tuna Noodle Casserole" ha!), cake and presents. I'm sure J. will get some pics up here and some of her own thoughts later, but I wanted to put up a quick note.

Today I'm thinking a lot about her biological parents. I wonder what her pregnancy was like. I wonder what her parents' relationship was/is like? I wonder what the circumstances were that moved her/them to not keep M. I wonder if they named M. anything themselves. I wonder if M. has bio siblings. I wonder if her parents think about her still and if they remember the day of her birth.

It can be tempting to romanticize her parents in my mind. To imagine they'd act and feel how I think I would. But we really have no idea what the circumstances and the motives were. Did they feel sorrow? Did they feel relief? Did they feel anything at all? We just don't know. All of these things are a mystery that we will likely never solve. So I grieve a little today. I grieve at the brokenness in our world that causes such circumstances. I grieve for the holes in M.'s short little life that not one of us can really fill. I grieve for her bio-parents whatever their circumstances.

But, of course, I also rejoice. I rejoice in this little girl who has brought so much joy and laughter into our home. I rejoice in her sweet smile and her infectious laugh. I rejoice in the love she shares with us all. I rejoice in the impact she makes on others. And above all, I rejoice in the God who gave her life and who has made her his own child in Baptism. I rejoice in the God who puts the lonely in families. I rejoice in the God who has so filled our lives with love and laughter.

Sometimes Life Stinks

It's been a month of major ups and downs here. We've enjoyed celebrating the story of Christmas through our church's Live Nativity, Christmas concerts for the kids (that would be 3 separate concerts), gingerbread house decorating, cookie dough baking, and on it goes...

But despite the joys of the season, real life goes on and sometimes it's hard.

A week ago, G was picked on in school by an older child. Called a name that will probably stay in his head forever because that's the way taunting works. It has left him a roller coaster of emotions. One moment he's sobbing, the next moment he's hiding, and then he's extrapolating to everyone in the world,

"I KNOW you all think I look stupid, too!"

"I KNOW you think I'm dumb. You just don't say it!"

"EVERYONE in my school thinks I'm an idiot. NO ONE likes me."

This is so not true. Just yesterday R dropped him off at school and watched as a little boy jumped out of his car yelling and screaming for G's attention. "Wait for me! G!" Together, they wrapped their arms around each other in a buddy embrace and walked into school chatting away.

But in G's world, everything is now suspect.

I hate how real life seeps in and steals the joy from kids' hearts. I hate when children lose their innocence. I hate that some kids are just plain mean.

So, what's a mom to do when things are rough? Hug and kiss...make a favorite dinner...and, of course, homemade cookies.

Good thing it's the season! Here's hoping the Christ child (and probably a little Santa magic) will warm his heart this Christmas.

Simply Stunning

My girlfriend Amy takes the most AMAZING pictures. No fancy dress needed.

Transfusion Day

Tough day for M. and J.

M. had a transfusion today. There were several disappointing things.
1) Her "ferritin levels" (the "marker" that is used to estimate how much excess iron is in her system) were up again, which means that,
2) They wonder if the exjade (oral chelation drug used to get excess iron from transfusions out of her system) is working. If it is determined that it is not, we'd have to go back to the nightly shots/pump of desforal.
3) For the first time in two years, M. got hives during the transfusion, indicating an allergic reaction. Apparently this is fairly common, but they have to stop the blood drip when it happens, and give her some benadryl before restarting the drip.
4) More hives showed up later on requiring them to stop the blood flow 20% less than she should have received. This should be OK, but it was disconcerting none-the-less. The whole ordeal made for an extra long day for J and M.

MEXICO

It's been a busy month around here! Sorry for the delay in posting. We've been busy preparing for and traveling to Mexico. Thanks to some very special and generous relatives, we were able to go to Mexico on a cruise for Thanksgiving!

Unfortunately, we didn't grab as many pictures as we would've liked since we were often by water and the two don't always go well together!

Here are a few of our favorite moments!

Some of us have NO problem getting into the vacation mode...

R and G spend a whole day together...seeing the Mayan ruins, finding spider monkeys in the trees, and rock climbing.



Our favorite part of each day was dressing for dinner.



Not the best shot, but we tried...


What do we wish we also caught on camera?

Swimming with dolphins
Parasailing
Snorkeling with sea turtles
Late night laughter
Early morning smiles

We were so blessed! Time with aunts and uncles and grandparents...and no dishes on Thanksgiving day! Wink Wink!

Raising Boys

We're trying to raise gentlemen here. TRYING. Most days it feels like a lost cause, but then we go out for a beautiful dinner on vacation and everything we've been teaching seems to be caught.

One thing we're currently working on is opening doors for ladies. Our front door often resembles a bit of a brawl when we're home from an outing, church, school, anywhere really.

Today as we walked in, I was thrilled to see the boys stop and say, "Ladies first," to Mia and myself. Then G entered. And there were the last two...waiting. Finally one says to the other with a grand bowing gesture, "No really....ladies first."

Boys.

Faith Like a Child

Tonight while making homemade pizza, G was talking about how great food is and where it comes from. He was having fun educating his little sister.

And then THIS came out of his mouth:

"You know, as soon as we make this pizza it belongs to God. Everything belongs to God! The Bible says 'The earth is the Lord's and everything in it.' That means that everything we have is really His. And we're His, too!"

Then he up and jumped away, off to another adventure.

What faith!

Seuss-in-it Up

The local High School is performing "Seussical the Musical," and three kids from each elementary school in town were selected to be the "little whos," including our son, J.

Here are some pics from opening night. He is too cute!

Growing Up

Today J hit a milestone. See his spiffy duds? He tied the tie himself. No joke. He came in the bedroom this morning showing it off. He literally WATCHED his dad do it once and tried it on his own neck and nailed it.

I, the sentimental mom, got mushy. I rushed him, blubbering sentiments about how he was not old enough to tie his own tie, how he needed to slow down this whole growing up thing....and I kissed him all over his little face.

He patiently endured my love fest until his little 10 year old manliness had had enough. "OK, MOM! Geesh! Enough with the kisses already!"

And THEN he walked over to his dad and quietly warned him man to man,

"Man! You gotta' be careful around her."

I'm still laughing.

Welcome to Our Yard

This week, I happened upon G in the yard...creating a gigantic hole. And I mean gigantic. He's been working on it for HOURS every day. Boys sometimes just NEED to dig. Something in the genes. But this time I just had to ask, "G why are you digging such a big hole?"

"Because, Mom, I'm digging a tunnel to China. I figure someday M is going to get lonely and want to visit her first home. Especially if she's hungry and wants some yummy noodles. Or if she wants to see her first friends."

How precious is that?! Suddenly the hole that looked an awful lot like a grave plot transcended into something beautiful.

That is until our 8th grader said, "G you know if you keep going you'll eventually hit molten rock and burn up."

Thank you, big brother. And thank you earth science class.

Fortunately (?), our 2nd grader is not so easily deterred.

"Well...I'll just make a turn when I get that far. I'm sure M won't mind."

And these, dear friends, are the discussions our dinner times are made of.

Girlfriend Getaway!

This weekend, I slipped away for a girlfriend reunion with three very special ladies. Roomates, bridesmaids, friends.

It's been more than 10 years since we've all been together, yet within moments it was as if a day hadn't passed.

We headed to the hills of Vermont for much needed late night talking, laughing, and sharing of secrets.

And despite the fabulous coffee from my Seattle girlfriend...

The oh so crusty bread from Baba Louis's bakery...

A little red love...

The fabulous VT scenery...

And lots of chocolate....oh wait! There was none left to photograph!

Despite these pleasures, the best parts of the weekend were in losing ourselves completely in the love of each other.



And in realizing that no matter how many miles separate us and how many children distract us, we share a friendship so rich and deep it can only be described as

Sisterhood.

Soccer Man!

This fall was G's first time playing a sport. Taking after Uncle Caleb and Auntie Gigi, G chose soccer. The boy is FAST and loved every minute of it. He smiled the ENTIRE time. His team was undefeated until the final game with a final record of 6-1. Go, Team England!

Day in the City

Last week, N's 8th grade classmates were on a field trip to Washington DC for a few days. We opted out of the trip when they shared the cost with us...$1,000! Too rich for our budget for a field trip. :-(

Instead, R took N into NYCity for the day and they had a blast. Went up the Empire State Building, toured the public library, saw the Hippodrome, and spent the afternoon at the Museum of Natural History. And let's not forget lunch at a great Indian restaurant. For our city-loving son, even the train and subway rides are "awesome!"

We actually heard our 13 year old say, "Hey dad...wouldn't it be cool to just come here and read a great history book here for the day?!" Um....excuse me?!

And now, this mom has a new favorite pix. Check it out!

Meet Grace!

Remember our good friends adopting from China?

They received their match! Woo-Hoo! And WAY earlier than expected! Meet Grace!

She is so stinking cute!

Being able to bring Grace home earlier than expected is fabulous news for their little one, but not fabulous news for their bank accounts! :-)

Let's help bring her home! Little Grace is waiting in Henan Province in China. International adoptions cost about $25,000. We consider it a ransom for a precious life. To raise some of the funds, our friends are hosting a puzzle fundraiser. And for just a $2 contribution, you can earn a chance at a $200 gift card to the store of your choice!

To learn more about Grace's story and how you can help, PLEASE visit our friends' blog at http://www.bygracewearesix.blogspot.com/

Can I just say how excited we are that our own precious M will have so many friends in her church that are adopted? Lots of families are looking like ours these days...black faces, white faces, Asian faces, Latvian faces....a little picture of heaven....LOVE IT!

Theological Ponderings among the Littles

While getting ready for the day, I found Miss M singing, "I'm giving Jesus my toothbrush, my toothbrush, my toothbrush. I'm giving Jesus my toothbrush today!"

Not sure I heard correctly, I asked Miss M to clarify.

"I'm giving God my toothbrush."

"Um....why?"

"Because he have a boy. His name is Jesus. And every boy needs a toothbrush."

Not quite sure how she's transporting the cleaning device. In fact, I think she's a bit stymied by that herself! She then asked WHERE Jesus brushed his teeth and before I could answer, she proudly informed me that she already knew where he showered. In waterfalls, of course. Because God is BIG!

Getting Down with the Hoe Down!

Today was our annual pilgrimage to VT to visit my aunt and uncle and attend their beautiful Hoe Down party. The theme was pretty obvious...Wild, Wild West!


The kids were completely into it. Even our 13 year old dressed in plaid. I learned a lesson today...if you want a family picture, better do it BEFORE arriving somewhere. Especially when there are other preteens present and your son is GONE before you close your van door. Your chance is already shot. :-)

G spent the ENTIRE time eating. I'm not even kidding. Ribs. Chicken. Biscuits. Applesauce. Crackers. Dessert. And to top it all off...ginger ale, which mom never allows!

J spent the entire time dancing and then in once last desperate search for food, filled a to go bag with biscuits that lasted him half of the ride home. He was dishing out grub like our van was a chuck wagon!

Miss M danced her heart out, stopping only to eat a very chocolaty chip cookie.

And N? Dancing with the ladies. Are WE in trouble...

Could it be?

During a stop at the grocery store this afternoon (how do the Duggars DO it?!), the kids said, "Mom, what ARE those?!" as they pointed to the little vending machines in the front of the store.

Seriously?! Could it be that I have NEVER given them 25 cents to purchase a gumball? Apparently so because once I explained what they held inside, M said, "What a gumdrop?"

This is important information. Everyone HAS to know what a gumball is. And a gumdrop for that matter.

After the checkout, we stopped to sample. They didn't even know how to turn the slots. As their little fingers touched the germ-infested slots I remembered why I have avoided them all these years. But you know what? My kids get sick every year even WITHOUT gumballs so....why not?!

We're living on the edge now. Watch out, Connecticut!

I know, I know. First candy slots in CT. Next it'll be slots in Vegas. :-)

It's Transfusion Day

And this, dear friends, is the face that comes home from transfusions. Thoroughly spent, M falls asleep in the car on the 1/2 hour drive home and is unable to cope with much of anything for an hour after her return. After some R & R and dinner, she perks back up and we head outside for REAL AIR.

And just to clarify, the transfusions aren't painful. Getting the iv inserted isn't fun, but it's exhausting to be in a hospital all day....tubes everywhere, being weighed and measured and having your temperature checked every 30 minutes, sick patients, different smells, fake lighting, and all the "extras" to keep kids entertained...art classes, dance time, clown visits. They are very helpful, but also overwhelming to someone as little as she is!

God continues to be merciful and we are so thankful for those who donate blood to keep our peanut healthy.