20
Dec
Dec
Memories of Great Grandma on Day 50
December 20, 2010
Days since our paperwork was given a date stamp at the C*C*A*A* in China. Chugging right along to our LSC….
We had the chance to watch Samuel see “Santa Claus” for the first time yesterday. I don’t think “Santa” knew Samuel was Skyping in the office when he came to retrieve the presents for the preschool party. They had to grab him real quick so he didn’t spin right off the office chair in his eagerness to turn around and see him! LOL
Needless to say we had a fairly short visit with him this Sunday, but it was so amazing to hear that he was going off to be a Shepherd in the Nativity story that they were putting on. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. is all I have to say.
Stephen’s grandma went to be with Jesus this weekend and so we will be participating in the funeral. When asked about our favourite memories of Grandma, Stephen remembered hanging around her house watching game shows with her (he didn’t have a t.v. at his house) and also how he could often score a cookie if he “helped out” in the kitchen while she worked on her baking. 🙂 My favourite memory was getting a phone call after we were engaged (at the Bible College – not easy for her to track me down) and asking me to come over for lunch. She taught me to bake buns and she and Grandpa visited with me over lunch. What a wonderful welcome into the family! We all remember her telling the egg story (Stephen as a little boy on the farm) at our wedding and playing many games of Mexican Train. Our oldest two kids remember her pouring milk and grape juice out of her glass pitchers and being allowed to sit up at the dining room table and use her pretty China dishes. As Faith put it, “I’m SOOO glad that Great Grandma is with Jesus!”
It’s good to be with family this Christmas and to know our little man is being taught the most important story of all time. My heart is very full.
Out of the many, MANY photos taken, this at least shows most everyone’s face on Stephen’s side of the family (When you have this many, sometimes that is all you can hope for! ha). With the exception, of course, of grandchild #12. 🙂
14
Dec
Dec
What we’ve been up to
December 14, 2010
A visit to Santa, some very attractive gingerbread houses built with the help of my niece and nephew fairly inedible as we had to use duct tape and hot glue to make them stay together!), buying presents for our local community toy drive, making gifts for our extended family, sending Christmas cards, finishing up our schoolwork for this calendar year, entertaining packing lists for China, singing carols, and checking our my e-mail neurotically for our approval letter from China (LSC).
It’s Day 44 today on the road to LOA… not that I’m counting.
16
Nov
Nov
One Year Later…
November 16, 2010
On November 16, 2009, one year ago today, we anxiously waited for our tour bus to crawl through rush hour traffic on its way to the Civil Affairs Office of Guangdong Province.
We nervously rode the slow elevator upstairs.
We shed our coats, readied our paperwork, prepped our cameras, held our breath.
And then there she was.
Entering the room timidly from behind a curtain.
Smile firmly attached to her face.
My heart stopped.
I could not catch my breath.
There she was.
I pulled her stiffened body towards me and embraced her gently.
She called us each by name.
We fumbled over hers.
She came to us bearing photos, gifts, memories of a life lived.
We spent many minutes poring over the photos.
She would chatter away and point with her long slender fingers.
I think we all fell into shock.
This was no apparition.
Here was our girl.
Our daughter.
Our sister.
Our granddaughter.
Her Mother.
Her Father.
Her siblings.
Her grandparents.
She was so beautiful and intelligent and confident.
She had so many who had invested in her.
Who cared about her.
And suddenly the real little girl was appearing before us.
The pre-drawn image fell away and the reality was there.
And again, it took our breath away.
The beginning had arrived.
We love you little Grace Qiao.
And so we need you to know…
We love that you are such a strong young lady.
We love your direct spirit, your willingness to probe until you understand.
We love your imaginative artistry, your ability to strive for accuracy and creativity in your play.
We love that you have a whole pile of people who stand behind your need to grow and love and be loved.
And nothing, not an ocean nor a fractured language can ever stop these people from caring for you Miss Grace.
Because we are so blessed to know you and to be known by you.
“Forever and ever?”, you say.
Yes, sweetheart.
Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever…..
With our whole hearts we promise.
Love,
Mom & Dad
12
Oct
Oct
Around our house
October 12, 2010
If you had come over to visit over the past few days you would’ve seen us:
preparing Samuel’s “Introducing Your Family” package.
(It only took about 5,000 tries to get this one!)
When I mailed it today, the postal worker at the mail counter asked me if I reeeeally wanted to send it. Surely it would be too costly (it was a lot!). I felt like saying, are you kidding me? This is for one priceless kiddo!
Garnet received this balloon from us for his birthday. For a whole week he asked if he could send it to Jesus in Heaven. Finally, before bed one night we sent it off into the night sky. I think his smile speaks volumes. This guy has a big heart for Jesus.
He is also really growing his range of vocabulary.
Lately we’ve caught him saying, “Yes, you may.”
Another time we heard him say, “The deal’s expired!”
(The deal, for those of you who don’t know, is that he told each of us that he doesn’t want kisses anymore <sob>, except on his birthday. You can guess the sheer volume of kissing that went on that day! The next morning? Apparently, the “deal” had expired.)
<chuckle>
10
Oct
Oct
Happy Happy Thanksgiving!
October 10, 2010
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada.
Normally we try and get together with family.
Or we pull together a meal with the usual Turkey or Ham and related trimmings.
But this year we decided to do something a bit different.
Sushi.
Seriously.
When you have a wife who hates touching that slimy, raw turkey carcass,
a husband who really doesn’t like turkey, and who ends up being the one to prep and cook said bird,
and children who chant “Sushi, sushi, sushi!”, every single time we offer them a choice of where to eat out,
you really have no choice, but to resort to this:
Thanks Mom and Dad for joining us and lending a bit of authenticity to our family celebration.
Happy Thanksgiving to all our loved ones!
18
Sep
Sep
And life moves on…
September 18, 2010
Well, after feeling like the wind got knocked out of us on Thursday, we carried on.
We continued on with our home improvements, carried on with business and connected with friends.
I also got back to settling into my school brain.
It’s a seldom talked about fact that it takes the homeschool parent just as long to get back into the swing of things as the students. I’m sure its across the board with all parents though.
Anyway, here’s my new favourite homeschool-help-type link:
Ministry to Children is an exciting new resource that I came across while looking for Bible story colouring pages awhile back. They have a whole variety of things there, my favourite being the list of easy to learn memory verses. We’ll be beginning our next week with Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God proves true.” Nice and simple for Grace to get her early English around and also simple enough for Garnet to say without stumbling over a tonne of syllables. Easy and simple. Works for me (and its not even Wednesday- ha)!