Prayer and Thanksgiving

After the news on Friday, I really just needed to let it all sink in and pray about it. Before I came to any conclusions I needed to really reflect. I am not one to express what I'm feeling very clearly when it come to complex issues as this one. I feel I do not know all the "politics" for lack of a better word involved. I do know that I have a tendency see things in grays so it is hard for me to totally take one side or the other because I feel the "whole truth" is usually in the middle somewhere. I just wish adoptions wouldn't have to shutdown. I wish the people who are involved in unethical practices would be stopped and ethical adoptions could continue so children who need families will still be placed in loving homes. I know things are usually never that simple.

I will say that I thank God for Jade. She is an absolute gift from God and no matter what happens I thank God for allowing me to be her mother. He is good!

Making a Mao Zhi

Jade has a new cartoon she loves on Nic*k Jr. and I have to admit it is pretty cool. I'm sure many of you have heard of Ni-h*ao Kai-La*n. It is somewhat like Dor*a except the main character is Chinese and teaches mandarin. Of course I love it and love for Jade to watch it and she has learned several words so far. Now they just need to come up with Chao anh Danh for my son and we would be set. I know I can order some stuff for both languages from Asia Ki*ds. Well we have been outside a lot lately because the weather has been great! Today Jade was saying, "Make a hat!" because on the show they make mao zhi (mandarin for hat) out of things in nature so here is a picture of Jade's mao zhi. She loved it and wore it for hours.

She is so excited to be outside and play. Here she is driving her car and filling it up with gasy. Why she puts a y on the end I don't know? I guess it makes words sound more fun.

Rollercoaster and pee pee pants

I have been so up and down in how I feel about the adoption of our son being completed from Vietnam. I feel good one day with news of referrals and I-600 approvals and feel all will work out. Then I hear yet another rumor about something else to happen (not good) and I get down right depressed. Do I want adoptions to be ethical ,well yeah ,of course. I think most adoptive parents do. I truly support all efforts to do so even if they are an "inconvenience" to our process. BUT if there is a shutdown (I fear to even write the word) what will happen to our son and all the other children waiting. They will still be in an orphanage not in a family. How is this ethical? I just wish we could get some kind of official news already. When I heard the latest no more referrals after June 1st rumor I think I went somewhat numb out of self protection because I feel like I just can't handle one more piece of unofficial negative information. I have always said I will just wait for official news but when will that be. The closer we get to referral the harder it gets because I feel like our son is probably born already. I know God has a plan for us and our children because of the miracle of our daughter. I just wish it wasn't so stinking stressful. I know when I hold my boy it will have been all worth it and I just try to meditate on that hope.

Okay so the pee pee pants part of the title. I will say I love to laugh and I'm glad God has surrounded me with family and friends with a good sense of humor. Anyway I did find some humor in this and luckily so did my dad. Jade has been learning to use the "big girl potty" and wearing "big girl underwear" during the day. She has done well and may have one or two pee pee accidents in a day. I teach the 2 and 3 year old Wednesday night class at church. Tonight I forgot to bring a change of pants in case Jade had an accident so of course she looked up at me and said, "I go potty." ( no the real phrase is I went potty) and yes she had had an accident. Oh well this happens right so she had to run around church in her new clean underwear and shirt only (thank God it us to be a dress so it was kinda long and I mean kinda) So after class we went down to my dad's office (he is a pastor) and all of a sudden I remembered that Jade had not sat on the potty in about an hour so I said to Jade, "Do you need to sit on the potty?" At that moment, as she is sitting on my dad's lap, he says, "Oh no what's that?" Sure enough she had peed on grandpa's lap. Big ol' wet spot too. So about that sense of humor thing, I'm glad we all had a good laugh at this and that it happened AFTER church was over. Maybe we still need the pullups on if we are out for more than a hour or bring extra clothes for everybody who holds Jade, hehe.

The weather has been great so Jade and I have been outside a lot lately. Warmth, sunshine and my kid just make me feel good!

Jade and her friend Millie at the park. Swinging and hugging.

Jade at the duck pond feeding the geese and ducks. She LOVED this!

Were going to the zoo zoo zoo.

Well it was pretty darn nice out today. Sunny low 60's so we decided to go to the zoo. I have been pretty stressed all week with all the Vietnam adoptions business lately. It was really nice to have a day to get out and enjoy the sunshine with my family. Jade is getting so big she was doing all kinds of things she didn't do last year at the zoo. Like walk the rope bridge all by herself.

Jade had so much fun feeding the goats and lambs. It was so cute she opened her mouth every time she feed one as to mimic then eating.

They also have this little town with olden day places.

Anyone want to buy some flour and apples?

Jade rode the train for the first time without mommy. What a big girl!

Jade saw this big slide and really wanted to go down it. This slide had a bump in the middle and she had not been on one like this before. So when she hit the bump she was not expecting it and she got some air and let go of the sides. This is daddy taking a picture while getting ready to catch her. Then we asked her if she wanted to go again and she said, "No, No." Little to intense I guess.