The Coston Clan

A.MAZ.ING Love

2012-02-05T00:29:00.002-06:00

Tonight, the most amazing thing happened! Excuse the weaving around on the highway through town, as I had my arm wrapped around the seat, firmly holding Dex's hand, tears streaming down my face so hard I could barely see the lines on the road.
Two weeks ago, Dex initiated a hug with me for the first time. For several months, he has been okay with me hugging or kissing him if I approach him, but he had never been the one to ask for a hug. Before that, he would pull away or become rigid when I was affectionate with him.
Tonight, driving down the road, his sweet little voice said, "Hold hand, Momma?" I could hardly believe it ... he had asked to connect with me, when we weren't face-to-face or having a transition of any kind ... just because he wanted to. After fifteen months, he wants to hold his Momma's hand.
Amazing. Love. Joy.

Our Merry Christmas Letter

2011-12-24T00:28:00.001-06:00

The Coston family has been blessed beyond measure this year. It has been a year full of change, chaos, adjustment but, above all, blessing.
We’ve celebrated birthdays, our first forever family anniversary with Dex, lost teeth, a year in business, deaths into heaven, brokenness and healing, friendship, new schools and teachers, scrapes and scraps on and between kids, answered prayers, and lots of love. Each of the children has grown and changed immeasurably this year, each growing more distinctly individual. Abi is thriving in school, definitely academically-oriented, loving reading and writing, the monkey bars,
and children’s choir. Brandon loves to build and invent things, mostly from cardboard and tape, is in love with his kindergarten teacher, and is becoming more of a rough-and-tumble little boy every day. Camryn is our spicy, spirited little preschooler who loves to learn, coerce others, be in-charge, melt into a puddle when things don’t go her way, and make us melt into a puddle with her beauty and sweetness. Dex is becoming confident in our love, confident enough to be completely “two,” and loves to blow bubbles, play outside, color, sing and dance, eat candy, and kiss Momma. Each of our babies is such a blessing and opportunity to see what we’re truly made of each and every day.

Our vet clinic has been open almost a year now, and there have certainly been bumps along the way as we’ve learned. But, as we say daily, we haven’t starved to death yet, and it is an honor to serve our community in this way. Mischelle started working in the clinic full-time in April, which has meant significant adjustments for the whole family, but we’ve survived the transition. We work together and play together.

Our days are gloriously filled with rocks in the dryer, learning to spell “big” 10-letter-long words, booger emergencies, potty-training, lost coats, applying God’s Word to our family, fixing puppies
and kitties, a messy house, lots of noise, more new tennis shoes and blue jeans, scooter rides, board games, sidewalk chalk, spankings and kisses, discussions and decisions, snuggles, and “I love you’s.”

And we are blessed.

Love,
The Coston Clan

Is it or Ain't It?

2011-12-18T21:49:00.001-06:00

Great line of questioning, drawing a parallel between the two . . . there's no middle ground. Either abortion is or isn't right. Watch with an open mind.

Cloudy Day ....

2011-11-12T14:45:00.002-06:00

Today, my mood just matches the weather. Cloudy.

I have so much to be thankful for - I certainly haven't lost sight of that. Just a bit gloomy.

I was told by an elderly man today, who had just come within 2 inches of plowing over my cart full of children groceries in the crosswalk, that his time (all 20 extra seconds it would have taken him to stop and let us pass had he chosen to do so) was more valuable than the four precious faces in my cart. I generally ram my cart into the fenders of said crosswalk offenders, but I had exercised self-control, much to my chagrin now. Just kidding. Kind of.

I put away the highchair for the fourth and final time.

There are home repair projects that desperately need to be done, but I can't do it myself (enter the sobbing when I came home to discover my 85-year-old neighbor brushhogging our pasture because it's embarrasingly overgrown).

We have this puppy that I really like but can't seem to fully housebreak, and even I am tired of steam cleaning.

Dexter won't quit vocalizing through his nose - think nails on a chalkboard.

Remission is no longer a likely outcome for Nick's grandfather.

I have become a last-minute, procrastinator out of necessity.

My momma doesn't feel good lately.

Everyone's bedsheets need to be changed.

I miss my best friend.

There's a 6-inch hole in my living room carpet - let me tell you that cleared a room when this Momma discovered that!

I have gained 5 pounds and haven't exercised in weeks, unless you count holding down a 100-pound obnoxious puppy yesterday.

My kitchen is still half-painted.

Despite 3 hours in town this morning, I still have a list of errands a mile long.

I haven't vacuumed along my baseboards in months, and my plants are droopy and begging for a drink.

My first-ever Smartphone just died. So much for technology.

I have a massage gift certificate that I haven't used in almost 2 years. Thankfully, it has no expiration date.

I just feel gloomy, and then I feel guilty and ashamed for letting these things, most of which are horribly insignificant, bug me.

Attitude is a choice, and I will smile.

No Whining

2011-11-06T21:39:00.006-06:00

As I grew up and envisioned my life, my visions of family portraits certainly didn't include a fiesty little Asian man. In retrospect, I'm not quite sure how our life journey wound up here, but I'm so thankfult that it has.

I've always been a "suck it up; get up and get moving; get tough" kind of gal. I run a wee bit short on mercy and find it difficult to coddle those whose only affliction is apathy or laziness. However, orphans don't fit in that category and somehow God has used that small loophole in my "No whining, Git'r'Done" edict to bring a little compassion and Dexter into my life. I don't think there's any question that as Christians, we all share a role in the plight of orphans.

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

Scripture doesn't have any qualifiers on this passage .... those are action verbs (learn, seek, defend, take up). They require action. Not everyone is called to be an adoptive parent. I didn't think I was. But, you can help support orphans and foster/adoptive families in so many other ways.

It was a year ago Friday that we returned home with Dex. I think it's really neat that our coming home date will always coincide with National Orphan Sunday. The National Christian Alliance has marked the first Sunday of November "Orphan Sunday" (visit orphansunday.org for more information). Now that I'm beginning to have my feet under me as an adoptive mom, I'd like to start planning for a local event for next year to raise awareness for the need for adoptive and foster parents for the world's 140 MILLION children without families. I encourage you to take action for an orphan somehow, in some way.

Tomorrow Will Be Very Boring!

2011-10-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow will be very boring compared to October 20th of last year!

We are not boarding a plane to travel to the other side of the globe. We will not be having a day that lasts 37 hours. We will not be stranded in an airport where no one speaks the same language as we do. We will not be with people who would understand why the t-shirt "I'm huge in China" is hysterical. We will not be eating something unidentifiable, but with a strong similarity to fish, at 33,000 feet altitude. We will not be trying to get through each airport security checkpoint without our around-the-waist money pouches looking obvious because we didn't want to try to explain to Chinese-speaking guards why we have $10,000 in US currency strapped to our bodies. We will not be squatting over a porcelain-lined hole in the ground to urinate. We will not be nauseous from the anticipation of meeting our 4th child for the first time, as well as leaving our other three children 6000 miles behind. Going to work in Greenwood, AR, and eating leftovers for dinner seems relatively boring, in comparison.

I cannot believe that it's been a year since we left for China. Sigh. Smile. Cry. Sob. Smile.

Happy Birthday, Dexter!

2011-09-22T23:35:00.002-05:00

In just a few minutes, our littlest man will be 2 -- on this side of the globe, anyway. On the other side, in China, he's already 2.
So many emotions fill my heart in anticipation of his birthday. I am so grateful to be with him this year. Happy tears overflowed tonight when I laid out his clothes to wear tomorrow, which included the "Birthday Boy" shirt I bought last year just before his first birthday, when it had become obvious that we were not going to get clearance to travel to be with him on his birthday. I had what I call an "ugly cry" in the middle of JCPenney's, looking at the shirts and wanting to be with him so badly. I am sorrowful for what I know must lurk in his "tummy mommy's" heart on this day, when she relives the birth of a precious little boy that she could not keep. I am ecstatic that he is happy and healthy and loved. I am melancholy that in 16 minutes, when he turns 2, I will never, ever again have a 1-year-old child in my home. I always longed to be a mom, dreaming of having squirmy babies and rambunctious toddlers in my arms and home. Now that phase of life is quickly fading into something equally wonderful but maturely different. I am forever changed by the things he's taught me and the love I've experienced.
Happy Birthday, Dex!
Love,
Mom

First Day of School

2011-08-17T21:57:00.003-05:00

This year, the first day of school was twice as much fun in the Coston house! Abi is a second grader, and Brandon is a kindergartener! Brandon was so excited about school - he's been ready since the day he turned 5 to go to school (slight misunderstanding about my statement that, "You will get to go to school when you turn 5.")Brandon wasn't the tiniest bit hesitant about school. He threw on that backpack and took off down the trail we were walking to school .... tomorrow is what he's really been waiting for, though, when he gets to ride the bus! He was eager to get past the picture taking with Mrs. Sosebee and get on with recess!
Abi was excited about second grade, but she said she knew she wouldn't learn much the first few weeks because "you never do" (she's such an expert at this school thing now!)

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T22:40:00.004-05:00

Mr. America's first Independence Day!Freedom is currently defined by Dex as "being out of any buckles, restraints, strollers, or other cruel, spirit-smashing devices" ... he enjoyed some freedom at Greenwood's FreedomFest tonight.Mr. America will likely not be joining the local fire department when he grows up ... not a fan of the firetruck!

We're so grateful that Dex is part of our family. We are so grateful to live in America! Happy 4th of July to our Chinese-American son!

Summer

2011-06-26T22:08:00.005-05:00

So many summer fun times .... so many picture-worthy moments!Playing at the parkBubbles

Sisters - My beautiful daughters

Bicycle washings

Preparing for the assault

Bike rides

Sleepovers in siblings' rooms.

Baseball games.

The results of eating of dishwashing detergent . . . a whole new meaning to having your mouth washed out (by tears and Electrosol)!

Swinging Naps

Sunday morning doughnut breakfasts at the "gas station"

One More Milestone

2011-04-06T22:34:00.003-05:00

We are officially bottle-free in our house . . . 6 nights with no nighttime bottle and 2 days with no naptime bottle (they may hate me at Mother's Day Out tomorrow when naptime rolls around!) Dex is doing amazingly well, crying pretty hard for a few minutes at bedtime and rarely even fussing during the night. A milestone that came on very quickly for me. Sigh. Maybe too quickly. We will never have bottles in our house again. That cabinet that was one of the first ones set up when we moved into this house - the one that has all of the little cups and bottles in it - it will seem kind of empty now. I longed for so many years to be at the point that we could enter the baby years, and those years are so quickly fleeting now. Sigh. Again.

Will I Be Able to Do It?

2011-04-02T23:46:00.002-05:00

As I get ready to call it a night, I'm summoning up all of my gumption for later . . . I'm gonna need it. Last night, I was at the clinic late, and Nick ended up bringing Dex home and putting him to bed. Fortunately, although at the time it seemed quite unfortunate to Nick, I'm sure, the milk I'd bought earlier in the day was still at the clinic. So, Dex went to bed with a cup of juice instead, which instantly hit the floor in disgust. He cried and then went to sleep and did not have a bottle in the middle of the night. There was a little crying in the middle of the night, but he always went back to sleep before I caved in and warmed any milk. Can it be that my baby boy has had his last nighttime bottle. Like so many other "lasts," I didn't see it coming. Have I rocked him at night with his "bah-be" for the last time? I remember wanting to really soak up the last time Brandon nursed because I knew he was losing interest and eating mostly solid foods, so I was all prepared for the next night being "it." The little stinker wouldn't even latch on the next night. That last had come and gone. I'm super sentimental about these things, and I think God just rips the band-aid off, so to speak, and puts me out of my misery.
I just hope that I don't cave in tonight, in the wee hours of the morning, when I know a bottle will make the crying stop, and I can sink back into my warm covers . . . Gumption.

5 Star Living

2011-03-29T22:54:00.002-05:00

Turn-down Service ... Pashaw!
Room Service ... Phooey!
Laundry Service ... Blah!
Those 5-Star hotels don't have anything compared to the Coston Home. We have TP Service. There's always a pile of toilet paper, already unrolled, right beside the toilet when you need it.

I am a blessed woman.

Cami is 3

2011-03-26T22:24:00.002-05:00

I like to let the birthday kid decide what they want to do on their special day. When I asked Camryn what she wanted to do, she said that she wanted to go the park, go to Abi's school playground, paint her fingernails, and buy cupcakes. Well, the weather didn't cooperate with the Cami's outdoor plans, but we came up with a satisfactory alternative.
I think what the child chooses to do when they can do anything they want to do for the day tells a lot about what is important to them! Camryn's day involved a lot of play and junk food:
* pigtails
* a poptart at the gas station
* playing at Monkey house in the bounce-arounds
* Strawberry Shortcake movie
* pizza for lunch
* fingernail painting with purple sparkly nail polish
* princess cupcakes
* dinner and play at McDonald's
* another princess cupcake

And Now, Little Dex, You Can Pay Taxes!

2011-03-19T21:40:00.001-05:00

Our entire journey to Dex has been marked by a series of envelopes bringing news and necessary documents. Today, the final envelope arrived: his Social Security card. Everything is official with both the Chinese and U.S. governments!

A Breakfast Tune

2011-02-28T23:34:00.002-06:00

The family discussion about where to eat dinner when we eat out is generally fraught with frustration and dissension -- and everyone swearing that Dex votes for whatever their vote is for. Makes me want to go home and have bologna sandwiches -- and, if you know how I feel about bologna, you'd know how frustrating this decision really is.

Saturday night started out with the same yin/yang approach .... until Brandon suddenly had a unique idea: "Let's have smiley face pancakes at ipod!" To which everyone under 7 joins in shouting, "Yeah! Ipod! Pancakes! Ipod!"

I think my kids are as technologically gifted as I am! But we all love pancakes, especially with smiley faces and lots of syrup!

Miss Independence

2011-02-17T20:34:00.002-06:00

The conversation this morning went something like this:
Me: Cami ... time to wake up.
Cam: Sits upright in bed immediately
Me: (Thinking: something is very wrong here - she never stays upright within the first 5 minutes of being awake.) What's wrong, Cam?
Cam: I have to pee-pee!
Me: Great! Let's go to the bathroom.
Cam: No, nevermind, my bed is all wet.
Me: (Stupidly sticking my hand under her bottom.) Oh, wow, why did your diaper overflow so much?
Cam: I don't have on a diaper.
Me: What happened to your diaper last night.
Cam: Well, I took it off when I got up in the middle of the night to go poop on the potty. Don't worry, Mommy, I put it in the trashcan.
Me: (Shocked!) Did you wipe?
Cam: Yeeeeesss! (Eyeroll)
Me: (Rushing to the bathroom to check out the situation). Thank you, Cami, for putting your diaper in the trashcan -- and half a roll of toilet paper in the toilet with the little terdies you didn't flush. (Gag!)

I'm feeling the independence coming on -- no more nighttime diapers! That would mean we're back to only ONE KID IN DIAPERS! YeeHow!

Weeks in Photos

2011-02-10T23:23:00.004-06:00

I've gotten so behind on blogging .... too overwhelming to try to catch up.

So, a photo montage it is!

B loves his Papa Elton and his dog!

Brothers!Look at that little stinker,
poised and ready to smack me in the back of the head with a snowball!Both sets of cheeks were pink and cold!Nothing better for a little boy than an empty box and a sheet of bubble wrap!

Merry Christmas Season!

2010-12-15T23:07:00.006-06:00

Life is so crazy busy for us right now, with four kids and all that is required to get this clinic up and running, but I'm determined to enjoy the Christmas season with the kiddos!

Brandon and Camryn enjoyed "Polar Express" day at Mother's Day Out, cozy in their pajamas with lots of yummy snacks to munch on.

We debated even putting up a tree this year, out of fear that Dex would have it on top of him. I decided we'd risk it since he has such a hard head and we have three other kids who were very disappointed at the idea of not having a tree. So far, he's hardly even noticed the tree. So, I'm very glad we put it up this year. A few pictures in front of the tree ...One of our favorite traditions is going to ride the train at Creekmore Park. With the wintry air, all the Christmas lights, and music playing, it's such a fun time! This year, it was even warm enough that the kids could play on the playground equipment without freezing. Cam thought it was really cool that she got to play in the dark?!The girls on the train.The boys on the train.They were handing out candy canes while you waited to ride. Dexter devoured his and then begged his brother and sisters to share theirs with him!Every year, the regular gals from the gym get together and have dinner together for Christmas. We had a great time this year at Olive Garden. Look at those hot Mommas!We took the kids to visit Santa when he was here in town ... much better than the mall Santa experience because there are no lines and you can take photos. Brandon was bold and stepped right up to be the first to sit in Santa's lap. Dex did better than we expected, but he was definitely not a fan of Santa.

Breakfast Drama!

2010-12-07T12:03:00.002-06:00

High drama in our house starts early, especially with Camryn. I asked her what she wanted for breakfast this morning and she replied, "Cereal. With milk." Easy enough. No.
I put the cereal in the bowl and started to pour the milk over it, and the shrieking began!
It took awhile for the Drama Princess to calm down enough for me to understand that she was saying, "Put the milk on bottom! I want the milk on bottom of my cereal!"

So, we scooped the cereal to the side of the bowl, poured the milk in, and let the cereal go back on top of the milk! Lesson learned: Camryn is not content with letting gravity do its job with her milk! Milk must go in before cereal!

Brandon is going to Kindergarten

2010-12-01T21:19:00.002-06:00

. . . just a few months later than he thought.

We were in Wal-Mart Monday, picking out some supplies for Brandon's birthday in January. He was beyond excited and kept telling me, "Mommy, I'm going to be 5 in five weeks!" Then, he got very serious and said, "I need to start making your presents." I asked him why he would be making me presents for his birthday, and he said, "You know, presents for when I go on the bus. 'Cuz I go to kindergarten when I'm five, and you'll miss me during the day when I'm at school!"

"Heartbroken" doesn't even begin to describe that little man when I explained that he wouldn't be going to school until after the summer.

Work-n-Play

2010-11-29T15:36:00.006-06:00

Dex knows that it's "work first, then play." That's why he started the day doing laundry. He just got the sink and the toilet mixed up -- something must have been lost in translation.
Nick worked on the Christmas lights. Great Job again this year, Dad!Abi forgot she was supposed to be picking the blocks up -- talk about sitting down on the job!
On to a little play . . .

Christmas Cinquain

2010-11-28T22:16:00.002-06:00

We were reading a Junie B. Jones book in which that darling little first-grader with the most horrible grammar (does the author understand at all that there should be an -ly at the end of adverbs?!) wrote a cinquian. The three little Costons were napping, so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to help Abi explore her poetic side. Here is her Christmas cinquain:

Christmas
Twinkly, Decorated
Baking, Giving, Singing
Sweet time with family
Holiday.

Deep Breath

2010-11-22T18:57:00.003-06:00

This weekend we were able to just hang out together as a family and take a deep breath. It seems like it's been forever since we've been able to do that. Since we got back from China, it's been non-stop catch up. There are so many details to be working on with the clinic, Thanksgiving and Christmas plans, normal life, and home repairs for whatever Dexter manages to disassemble that day.
So, we were long overdue for a deep breath, family-style.
We spent a while outside hopscotch jumping, bike riding, slide climbing, and rock throwing.

Folded In

2010-11-14T16:41:00.003-06:00

Just like God's recipe said, "Fold small Chinese boy into American family of 5," we have folded Dex right into our family over the past week. And just like a recipe, when properly folded in, all of the ingredients have blended into one perfectly yummy concoction!It's like he's been part of our family for a long time. He adores his brother and sister, enjoys playing whatever they convince him to play, and is becoming very attached to Momma and Dada! A friend asked me a few days ago if it's weird to look at him and think that he's my son now. I was glad she asked me because it made me really realize just how natural it really does seem.
A couple of days after we met him, I felt pretty fearful and anxious as the reality set in that we now had another child. I remember feeling a bit like that a few days after being home with each of the others -- but I was especially anxious with him, I think, because it's such a different start to parenting, I realized that so much of his personality had already been established, and that there is so much about him that we didn't know. As I was falling asleep that night, I just prayed that God would take away my fear, anxiety and doubts because I knew that He had called us to adopt and that He had picked the perfect child for us. So, knowing that and trusting Him, I just wanted the anxiety to pass so I could enjoy being a mom to this precious little boy. When I woke up the next morning, I felt so refreshed and light-hearted. It felt perfectly natural to call myself "Momma" to him, where before it had felt a bit forced. When I woke up that morning, I was truly his Momma! So, no, it's not weird or unnatural feeling to have Dex as my son.
It's as sweet as that sucker he's eating!

There's No Place Like Home!

2010-11-09T11:22:00.006-06:00

We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! We had such a wonderful homecoming! It was so good to see familiar faces and hug my kids again!
Brandon saw us coming through the airport, and he came running toward us with his sign, yelling, "Momma! Dexter! Momma! Dexter!" Brandon is such a precious boy, and I enjoy watching our boyS play together. Brandon couldn't stop touching Dex.

The trip home actually went better than I'd expected. There were definitely times that I thought someone on the plane might push us out the door at 33,000 feet. But, overall, Dex did very well. It was tough to find things to entertain him, and we were counting down minute-by-minute at times. It was a very early start at 4:30 a.m. to make it to the airport for our flight. We had a very quick breakfast in the airport. I felt a little melancholy about leaving China with Dex. I want him to learn about his Chinese heritage and culture. I know he'll have so many more opportunities in America with our family, but I learned to appreciate the Chinese culture so much more during our time there, and I want Dex to know about that, too.

It's really hard to wrap your mind around the concept of flying halfway around the world. We saw some amazing things on the flight home. When we first took off in Beijing, I saw huge, sharp-peaked mountains and was in awe of those ... and then we saw the Great Wall running along the ridge of one of the mountains! We saw the mountains of Siberia, the sunrise over the Arctic Ocean, and huge chunks of ice floating in the ocean.
We saw the sun rise again over Canada, north of the Hudson Bay.

Yes, I'm crying as we're about to touchdown in Chicago, knowing our little man was about to become a citizen of the United States, which would be the final step in his adoption into our family.

Guangzhou 2010

2010-11-03T09:05:00.001-05:00

The entire city has been gearing up for the 16th Annual Asian Games, to be held in Guangzhou. The Asian Games are huge -- held every four years, much like the Olympics. Tonight was the parade of boats, I suppose, along the River. We happened to be eating on the patio of a restaurant on the river and saw the light show, boat parade, dancers on the mainland shore ... beautiful. I'm also including a few more shots of the beautiful island here, which is especially decked out because of the upcoming Asian games.
I was finally able to get a shot of the ever-popular split pants without being totally rude in taking the picture. It's hard to find pants for boys aged 12 months-4 years that have a backside in them. Split pants are popular for toilet training and easy diaper changing. The funniest part to me is that they make split pant snowsuits. The rest of the kid is bundled up and sweating in the 80-degree weather, but their butts are hanging out!
We also took "red couch" photos this morning. It's a tradition among adoptive families to take pictures of their adopted children on this red couch in the hotel. Our friends Wendy and her daughter Mikaylah are in the photo with us. Wendy and Joel are the friends we met prior to traveling who live in southwest Missouri, very near to where we lived when Abi was little. We hope Dex and Mikaylah can be friends growing up, and we're grateful to have another family to have shared this journey with who live so nearby.

People Watching Mecca

2010-11-02T08:56:00.002-05:00

We've spent the last several days in Guangzhou, a southern China port city, along the Pearl River. The area of the city where we are staying is a beautiful, peaceful part called Shamain Island. It's connected to the mainland by a bridges and pedestrian walkways. It's development has been heavily influenced by European culture, since it's historically a trade city. The architecture is beautiful, with huge banyan trees everywhere. When you leave the Shamian Island area of Guangzhou, though, it's full-on China again! People, noise, foreign smells, more people, more noise, honking, staring ... we ventured out to a modern local shopping area today, not so much for the shopping but for some serious people watching. You will see it all here! We saw old men in their underwear at the edge of the river, washing their clothes, people doing Tai Chi in the middle of the sidewalk, street after street of vendors selling traditional Chinese medicines, streets of pets of every kind for sale ... We went to Carrefour, a supermarket kind of like Wal-Mart today to get diapers, formula, and chocolate chip cookies (Dex likes them!) Real estate is limited, so new things build up. There were four levels to this supermarket, and you just took your buggy on a flat escalator. Interesting. When we went to the the pedestrian shopping market this evening, we went to a place that sells only jewelry -- a huge building that's six stories tall of jewelry. They ship it out all over the world, so everyone was packaging things up to be shipped all over the world, as well as selling it retail at the counters. Crazy! There were some shops that sell high-quality jade, pearls, and other precious and semi-precious stones, but most of it was just costume jewelry.
Dex is enjoying exploring the city with us in his borrowed stroller. All of the shops here on Shamian Island will lend you strollers to use while you're here, in hopes of getting you to buy more stuff when you bring the stroller back. All adoptive parents have to come to Guangzhou because that's where the U.S. Consulate's office is, and most stay on Shamian Island because it is more Western, many people speak English, and it is very safe and quiet. So, all of the shops nearby capitalize on that by doing laundry (it's near the end of everyone's China journey and clean clothes are limited), lending strollers, and selling baby items. Dex is great at riding in the stroller, which is surprising, considering how much he likes to move! The hotel we're staying in has a playroom for the kids, so we take him down there a couple times of day to let him run. H'e met several new "friends" there, and especially liked playing with a couple of 3-year-old boys tonight. I think he's gonna fit right in at home!

It's nearly home-coming time! We've very much enjoyed our time in China. I'm very glad we got to experience the Chinese culture, learn a little about the language, history, and traditions; however, I will be so glad to be home and back to "normal." We will leave for our flight to Beijing at 5:30 Thursday morning, stay overnight in Beijing, and fly out of Beijing at 8 a.m. Friday. After the longest, most torturous day of our lives, we will be in Ft.Smith at 3 p.m. Friday! Please pray for safe travels for us and for Dex to be manageable on the flights. I can't even imagine what that will be like after the 1 1/2 hour flight from Fuzhou to Guangzhou! I'm thinking Divine Intervention and an overdose of Benedryl are our only two options.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T18:10:00.002-05:00

I've heard our candy bags are full and much fun has been had by these three little people!

P.S.

2010-10-30T03:21:00.002-05:00

Nick and I have been looking Dex's mouth with a flashlight whenever we're tickling him and have been unable to see any hole in his palate (roof of his mouth). When we went to the medical exam today, he went in the ear, nose, throat exam, and they officially said he has no cleft palate! He does have the cleft gum, but no hole in his mouth! We are excited because this likely means he will not have to have surgery!

Goodbye Fuzhou, Hello Guangzhou

2010-10-30T03:15:00.000-05:00

We spent our last day in Fuzhou strolling through a beautiful city park near our hotel, blowing bubbles, and posing for photos from curious onlookers. Dex had a great time with the bubbles and crawling in the grass. It was a beautiful day, and I anticipate getting him home and playing outside with him more. I think he's gonna love all the wheeled things, grass, and playset at home! We played in the hotel room, and Dex finished exploring every inch of the place, including under and in all furniture, and finished packing our luggage.
We had a late flight into Guangzhou, which was made even later by a flight delay. Ahh! So, we didn't get to our hotel and in bed until after midnight. We had an appointment to have Dex's Visa photo taken this morning at 8 -- in a couple of days, he'll have his passport Visa stamped to enter the U.S.! Yay! Then, we had his official government medical exam at 9. I'd heard those appointments were chaotic and traumatic for the children. Boy, was that an understatement! There were probably 60-70 adoptive families, plus Chinese locals who were there for medical care, crammed in this clinic, in lines that snaked on forever. Dex was looked over, measured, and checked out. Then, it was time for the dreaded immunization line. The U.S. government requires all adopted children have certain vaccinations prior to entry to the States, which I understand, but some of them are repetitive. Dex ended up having 7 separate shots! He was not a happy little man! He's taking a good nap this afternoon after his late night, early morning, and shots! I had to go out to make some photo copies and exchange money while he and dad are napping and did a little shopping in some of the shops near to the hotel. There are some cute little places here. I think there will be much more to do in Guangzhou than in Fuzhou, and the weather is beautiful here! It is much more Western-influenced, so it's easier to function here so far! We even had lunch at Subway - similar to at home! Tomorrow evening we're taking a river cruise on the Pearl River, which I think will be a lot of fun. Guangzhou is a beautiful city, with a neat mix of Chinese and European flair.

Go Easy on Me!

2010-10-28T19:52:00.002-05:00

Girls, I just wanted to show you what I have to work with here in the 5-star Chinese hotel ..... and why my hair is such a disaster every day!
220 volts of pure pitiful blow dryer!

Orphanage Visit

2010-10-28T07:30:00.001-05:00

This morning we visited the orphanage where Dex stayed before he was placed in foster care around the time he had his lip repair surgery. We were able to tour the infant and toddler area as well as an area for older, disabled children. There were several tiny infants who had been found abandoned just today that we saw. One of the caregivers who was helping with the newest children in the orphanage remembered Dex. She was excited to see him, commented on how he still has big ears, and promptly stuck a bottle in his mouth (I think she enjoyed feeding him again). It was incredibly sad to see all the babies and wonder what kind of future they have. There were several premature babies and a few babies with liver or kidney problems that were obviously very ill but were in little cribs just like the healthier babies. It made me sad, and I feel for the women who care for them everyday. They did seem very kind, though. We toured an area for disabled children and visited a room where they have the older boys doing counted cross-stitch. They are very good at it, and one boy was very taken with Nick. He took Nick's hands and made him pull the needle through the holes after he had it started each time. He was very proud to show off his work! Now, I expect Nick to finish those cross-stitch stockings I have started but not finished! :) We got to see the children's play areas and the physical/recreational therapy areas. They do have a very good children's therapy program, and children come from other orphanages to be treated there. We got to see some older children doing their therapy sessions.
Dex's foster mom chose not to see us, which I understand. However, the assistant director of the orphanage did give us his email address and said we could send updates to him that he could get to the foster mom. If I were her, I'd wonder how he's doing, so we'll certainly send her pictures occasionally.

Next, we visited the Love Without Boundaries Healing Home that just opened yesterday. Love Without Boundaries is an organization based out of Oklahoma City that has built several "healing homes" around China for children with heart conditions and cleft lip/palate. They take in the children who are not likely to thrive in the orphanages to try to get them the surgeries they need and special attention like longer opportunities to eat and more attentive medical care. The woman, Helen, who has been our guide while in Fuzhou works for Love Without Boundaries also and has been working hard to get the Healing Home open in Fuzhou. They opened yesterday and accepted their first two babies last night. We got to tor the entire facility, and it is truly a happy-feeling place.

We took our daily walk to McDonald's and Trust-Mart (a tiny version of Wal-Mart) about 25-30 minutes away. It's multi-tasking ... carrying Dex that far and back is a great workout! Dex loves to watch the buses and cars go by on the busy streets. We spent the evening playing in our room and getting some of our stuff packed up. We are flying late tomorrow afternoon to Guangzhou, where we will meet with the U.S. Consulate office for Dex's immigration oath (I'm sure he'll say every word!) and to get his passport Visa stamped to return to the U.S. We'll be there from Friday night until next Thursday. We'll return next Thursday to Beijing to be able to fly out of China next Friday morning at 8 a.m. We'll arrive in Chicago at 7:30 a.m. the same morning (30 minutes earlier than we left China!) where Dex will officially become a U.S. citizen! I am dreading that looong plane ride like nothing ever before! He is so active. The flight over was actually about 2 hours shorter than our return flight, and it seemed to last forever without a busy infant in my lap!

Pandas 'n Pizza

2010-10-27T23:41:00.002-05:00

I'm trying a post I originally tried to post on Tuesday .... let's see if it works this time.
Today, we started the day at Giant Panda World here in Fuzhou City. They have seven giant panda bears and about 40 red pandas, which are similar to red raccoons. We were treated to a performance by a red panda, flipping on bars, walking on its hind legs up stairs, and swinging on a swing.
Then, we visited the birthplace of an important historical figure from this province who lived in the 1800's. We went to a tea party, literally, and learned the proper way to prepare Chinese tea. We were able to taste four different types of tea that are grown in the Fuijian province and the proper way to drink the tea. We asked the driver and guide to drop us off in an area of town not too far from our hotel and we had lunch at Pizza Hut. We opted for the very-American supreme pizza, but there were very-Chinese options that I'll not describe for your benefit. However, I was ready for something substantial and familiar. :o) We walked down the street to a mall-type building that had a Trust-Mart in the basement. I'd seen on a sign that they carried Great Value brand, so I suspected it was something like Wal-Mart. It was similar and was fun to wander and see the different things available. We walked back to our hotel, where we all took a little nap. We're now just trying to corral Dex in the hotel room -- he's veeery active --- and waiting to hear from our other kiddos when they get up in a few hours. We were supposed to Skype with them this morning (their evening time), but the internet in the hotel was down. We are very excited to let them "meet" Dex finally.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

2010-10-25T07:38:00.002-05:00

Dex is now officially a Coston! His adoption was finalized today! He was so excited that he continued his afternoon nap right through it!
Lots of milestones today:
* First poop in the tub
* First time to sit in a highchair -- we learned the word "sit" tonight!
* First fit during a meal -- think highchair!
* Said "cat" after me when we were reading a book together.
* First fall and bump on the head since with us.
* First time to try prunes baby food -- that was before the poop in the tub.
* First time to give me a kiss when I asked for it -- several of them actually!

We have been able to Skype and talk with several friends and family from home today -- what a blessing to hear familiar voices!

Things seem to be going so well so far! We have been very careful about what we eat and drink and have managed to escape the sickness that often befalls travelers to Asia ... so far. Things with Dex have been going so well -- almost too well. He's just such a normal little guy for his age. His foster mother has done an amazing job in the past few months. He's meeting most of the developmental milestones for his age and is such a fun, loving little guy! He eats well, sleeps soundly, plays ferociously, and is very affectionate toward us. He obviously feels safe enough with us already to throw tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants and seeks us out to play and hold him.
Please keep praying for us -- for wellness and for Dex to continue doing so well. Please pray for his foster mom, also. Our guide says she is kind of having a hard time with Dex being gone from her home. We will be able to visit the orphanage later this week and had hoped to meet his foster mom, but our guide said that she will ask again but so far has been told no.

More Pictures of the Dex Man

2010-10-24T20:39:00.001-05:00

It's a Boy!

2010-10-24T20:37:00.002-05:00

We met Dex last night as soon as we got to the hotel in Fuzhou. He was sound asleep when we got here, and we had a great time when he woke up. He is quite the curious daredevil! He enjoys playing with cars and anything loud. He knows what he wants and expresses his desires very clearly. He has a hysterical laugh. He loves bathtime and dislikes McDonald's french fries. He went to bed well and slept all night and loves watermelon. He is walking precariously now -- we got to watch him take 3-4 steps at a time last night.

We'll go this afternoon and complete the final adoption paperwork to become a family of 6!

Color test

2010-10-23T20:34:00.001-05:00

I am trying to see if I can change the color of the text on the blog through our "backdoor approach."
Someone let me know if it works!

Today is the Day!

2010-10-23T20:26:00.002-05:00

Today is the day that You have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I won't worry about tomorrow - I'm trusting in what You say! Today is the day!

One of mine and Abi's favorite songs for this special day!
Despite a typhoon that just hit the province Dex lives in yesterday, I believe we are still on track for flying into Fuzhou City and meeting him this evening!

Yesterday was an awesome day! We did so much!
* We climbed the Great Wall of China!
* We watched people make ancient art called Cloisonne, a type of pottery made on copper.
* We figured out why people in Beijing pick their noses so much - smog boogers.
* We watched an unbelievable Chinese flying acrobat show.
* We sat in Beijing traffic jams for hours.
* We ate another authentic Chinese meal.
* We ate at McDonald's (the fries are exactly the same!)
* We navigated crosswalks in Beijing without losing our lives!
* I finally mastered the "squatty potty" without peeing on my pants leg.
I am so glad we get to learn more about Dex's culture and experience the people and country he's from. We are so excited to meet him this evening. I have snacks, a blankie, and a few toys in our carry-on for him. It won't be long now!

Wow! Beijing!

2010-10-22T07:15:00.002-05:00

What a day! I'm having a really hard time taking it all in!

We started the day with a tour of Tiennamen Square and Forbidden City, the ancient city walls and palace of the emperor. It was unbelievably ornate and huge, stretching for hundreds of acres. We learned a lot of very interesting history about the Dynasties in China and the traditional beliefs and customs. I told Nick that it's like visiting the zoo -- very fascinating but also very sad. It blows my mind just how much effort the Chinese people have (and do) invest in trying to please "the gods". It is just so sad that their whole earthly lives are spent in futility, regarding their eternal lives.
One of the most eye-opening experiences was in the public restroom at the Forbidden City. There were literally hundreds of women crammed together in a bathroom with about 40 stalls (not Western style stalls either!), and they were all pushing and yelling to get to a stall. I figured out very quickly that, first of all, you don't wait until you really have to go or by the time you get to a stall it will be too late, and, secondly, that if I was ever going to get a stall, I had to start shoving, too! Then, when I got to the stall, I was appalled to say the least!
We also took a rickshaw tour (cart pulled behind a very strong-legged man) of an area of Beijing where the people live in a more traditional way, in small flats, often in only 1-2 rooms for the entire family. It certainly reminded me how fortunate we are to live where we do! We even got to tour the home of a local family to see "normal" living conditions. Wow!
We ate at a "real" Chinese restaurant. We ordered four different dishes and shared with another couple. Again, very interesting. We did stick to some mainstream things, except the shark fin soup our friend ordered. I was shocked to see what all they routinely eat, especially the meats. Let's just say that they don't waste any part of any animal, both walking and swimming! We toured the local supermarket and took a taxi to a large shopping market. The Chinese expect you to bargain with them, and the are very aggressive about selling you their wares. I did find some good things, but was reminded that a hard bargain-driver I am not! :o) We followed shopping with a trip to KFC. They don't value just plain white chicken breast here in China (remember the meat issues at the first restaurant!) ... but the fries were the same. We tried to take a taxi back to the hotel, but none of the drivers could read the small characters for our hotel that we had on a sheet of paper with us, which concerns me. If their vision is that poor, should they really be driving in the crazy Beijing traffic?! So, against all logic, we took a bike taxi back to our hotel. That really gives you perspective on Beijing traffic! Whew! We made it back alive to the hotel, and that's not an experience that really needs repeating for me.

Tomorrow is our tour of the Great Wall and the acrobatic show.

And the following day, we will fly to Fuzhou City, and we will get to meet Dex! We didn't know if we would meet him that day or the next since we don't arrive in Fuzhou City until late in the afternoon. We were told today, however, that we will. Excited!

We can see comments on our blog because they forward to my yahoo email account, so please feel free to comment. I appreciate the encouragement and knowing you all are following our journey and praying for us. These first few days are designed by our agency to be able to adjust to the time change and to learn a little about the Chinese culture before meeting our son. But, that's constantly in the back of my mind, knowing that time is soon approaching. I am both very excited and very nervous.

We're not in Kansas Anymore!

2010-10-21T18:33:00.002-05:00

Or even Arkansas for that matter! We are definitely the minority right now! Gives you a little perspective to look around and not see any faces that look like yours! A good experience to remember from Dex's perspective!

We just woke up from our first night in Beijing after a day and a half of travel to get here. Very exhausting, but we saw some really neat things in the plane, including flying over the Rocky Mountains and the Great Salt Lake (who knew it was red?!) I also had my first experience with a Chinese-style, non-Western toilet. We arrived in Tokyo, and I raced into the bathroom after standing way too long in line for inspection. I was met by the squatter. I about had a heart-attack! Thankfully, I turned around and saw a stall with a Western toilet. Whew! Too bad the reports I'd heard about the Chinese beds were not at all exaggerated! They really are a piece of plywood with a thin piece of fabric stretched over them! I suppose you can sleep on anything when you're tired enough -- which we are. :o)

We are looking forward to our first Chinese breakfast buffet, a tour of the Forbidden City, and a rickshaw tour of Beijing today, followed by a long nap in the afternoon!
Tomorrow will be the Great Wall and an acrobatic show. Then, we'll be leaving Beijing, headed to Fuzhou City to meet our Dex-Man!

I'm posting these blogs through a backdoor approach, since Blogspot (and all Google apps) are blocked in China. So, someone please send me an email and let me know if they aren't posting properly, because I can't actually look at the blog.

Over the Top

2010-10-17T23:20:00.003-05:00

Over the top of the world, that is, to get to the other side. A fellow adoptive parent who we'll see again on the other side of this globe in only 3 DAYS sent us a neato link to see our flight path. We will leave Ft. Smith, fly to Dallas, Chicago and then Beijing for a total of 7608 miles one way!

But, like I've told Abi, we'll be looking at the same moon, the same stars, and the same sun. Just pure Amazing. The topic of our pastor's sermon this morning was "worship." When I think about how big this world really is and what a small part of the entire universe our planet is, I can't help but be in awe and worship God the Creator!

A Few Camryn Moments from our Hike

2010-10-11T17:01:00.002-05:00

This was Camryn after she'd spent a good part of the hike in the hip carrier!

Fun Times

2010-10-11T12:24:00.006-05:00

Lots of stuff going on in life right now!

The clinic construction is over 70% complete, and last Wednesday, we got the color board for the interior colors we chose. Some of these things might be going in place by the time we get back from China! The siding and drywall are starting today!Abi lost her first tooth Friday morning while I was brushing her teeth. The tooth fairy didn't come until Sunday night, though, because we were out very late Friday night getting to know a family from southwest Missouri who we'll be traveling with to China next week (Did I just type "next week"?!) Then, Saturday night, I won mom-of-the-year award and fell asleep before putting on my fairy skirt, but I did play tooth fairy on Sunday night and paid up big since it was her first tooth and because I'm such a lame fairy apparently!Abi's little tooth pillow that she's been waiting a very long time to use!

After letting the little ones sleep in a little on Saturday morning, we headed to Petit Jean State Park. We did the long hike down to the waterfall, which was just about too much for little legs to finish. But, they've said over and over since then that it was worth it. We climbed all around, over, and through the Bear Cave rocks after our hike. The kids miraculously found more energy after the hike when they saw those rocks!These silly faces show just how tired they were by this point.
Our closet floor has become a minefield, covered with half-filled suitcases. I can't believe we're to the point that I'm finalizing shopping and packing lists, charging camera batteries, and stocking the pantry up for Grandma and the kids while we're gone. I am very excited about the trip, but obviously a bit anxious, as well. I just can't wait to meet Dex! I know the kids will be in good hands here at home, and statistics say that flying in an airplane is safer than driving a car. And, although communist, China is generally a safe tourist location for Americans. However .... lots of "howevers" in my head!

We are so thankful to have all of these crazy opportunities that have converged all at once ... building the clinic, adopting Dex, enjoying the chaos of the other three kids and all the things they bring to the calendar, my job, our church commitments ... just a lot to juggle at times. We are thankful for the prayers and support of our friends, family, and church family!

He can say "Mama"

2010-09-30T06:44:00.004-05:00

That's when my heart melted!
We got an update on Dex and new pictures in the middle of the night last night!
He is precious ... and apparently will sleep about anywhere!His update said he is "a very healthy and happy boy. He uses diaper. He is not picky. He likes salty food. He is not allergic to any food so far. He is doing very well with other kids. He sleeps good in the night. Sometimes he is awake in the midnight for awhile. He is very easy to take care of. He is a little scared of strangers. he can understand what people say to him. He can say Mama!"

Happy 1st Birthday, Dex!!

2010-09-23T21:03:00.003-05:00

Our little Dex man turned "1" today!

We so wish we could be with him to celebrate! One of those milestones that you don't anticipate missing with any of your children. I've been pretty emotional about it, not just because it's a particular day but mostly because I know we're missing out on so much with him. His first birthday is just a symbolic marker of how time is passing -- time that we can never get back with him.
I am also very touched by what his birth mom must have been feeling in the days leading up to his birthday, also the anniversary of the day she had to leave her child. While I am eagerly anticipating bringing him home, into our family, she is mourning the loss of her child. She obviously had to make an impossible decision, based on cultural standards that I can't even imagine living under. I can't fathom being a mom who has to decide not only to put her child up for adoption but to leave him alone somewhere, with the hope that someone would find him. I can't imagine being a mom who has no idea where her child is, if he's even alive, or if he's well cared for. I pray peace for her and wish she could know that he is well and will be part of a family who will love him very much and who will always honor the role she played in his life.

We did order a cake and a disposable camera to be delivered on his birthday. We are hoping the camera will be returned to us when we meet him, so he'll have pictures of his first birthday and know that we were thinking of him. We also had a little celebration at home for him.

Happy Birthday, D-Man!

End-of-Summer Fun

2010-09-12T21:23:00.003-05:00

This weekend has been full of end-of-summer fun. It hasn't been terribly hot, so we've been able to enjoy playing on the playset, blowing bubbles, climbing trees, playing in mud puddles, hitting the t-ball, drawing with sidewalk chalks, and driving/riding all things with wheels. I love watching them just be kids!
To finish off the wonderful weekend, Grandpa came for a visit (to fix our air conditioner -- thank goodness for Grandpa!!) And he bought Abi and Brandon new bikes! Abi has just learned to ride her smaller bike without training wheels but had obviously outgrown the bike. So, she and Brandon both got to pick out a new bike at the store, ride it out to the car, and haven't stopped riding them since! They rode their bikes all afternoon at home, with their friends Courtney and Lindsey in their neighborhood, and even in the parking lot of the clinic when we went to do treatments tonight. Brandon has already said that he doesn't want to brush his teeth or eat breakfast in the morning ... he just wants to ride his bike! Abi was a little wobbly at first on the bigger bike with no training wheels, but by evening, she was riding like a pro!

Their new bikes

Cam playing in a puddle -- safety style. Brandon made her wear a helmet, "in case you slip down in the slick mud!"

My two big monkeys in a tree!Abi got to try out Lindsey's new four-wheeler tonight, too!

Do They Have Candy Corn in China?

2010-09-10T21:28:00.002-05:00

I'm gonna find out because it looks like ...
WE'LL BE THERE IN OCTOBER!
We got the message today that we have officially been issued a travel invitation to China. We'll get our specific travel arrangements on Monday, but we were told by the adoption agency that we would likely leave on October 20th and return on November 4th.
We are obviously beyond excited - ready to be over with our "paper pregnancy" and move on to being a family!

Sibling LOVE

2010-09-03T14:28:00.002-05:00

I just saw some of the most remarkable behaviors from my children .... it didn't involve arguing, name-calling, hitting, pinching, hair-pulling, or yelling! I'm still feeling numb with shock!

Brandon, Camryn, and I went to Abi's class to take popsicles for their reading kickoff celebration. While we were waiting for Abi's class to be ready to go outside, Brandon pulled up a chair for himself and for Camryn to sit patiently. Camryn suddenly announced while holding herself and dancing on her toes, that she had to go to the potty. Abi volunteered to take her to the bathroom and even helped her wash her hands. When Abi's class went outside, Brandon, of course, wanted to go with them. He bravely asked Mrs. Hansen if he and Camryn could go, too. On the way out, both Brandon and Camryn walked down the hall in perfect "traveling position," which was extremely cute. Once outside, Brandon helped Camryn open her popsicle, and Abi helped Brandon across the monkey bars, pushed him on the swings, and held hands with him while they walked around the playground.

Why in the world can we not get a little more love at home? :o) It sure was heart-warming to watch!

Chubby Little Coston

2010-08-30T19:59:00.002-05:00

We got an update on Dex today!
At his medical exam yesterday, he was noted as being "a happy boy" who "can sit and stand very well." Yay! Not only does he seem to be pretty on track developmentally, he is quite the goliath little Chinese man! He is over the 80th percentile for weight and over the 70th for height. His feet are almost 4 1/2 inches long, and his head is almost as big around as Brandon's (he's gonna fit right into this big-headed family!)
I was very relieved to have some idea how he's doing health-wise and developmentally.

Trial Run

2010-08-26T15:07:00.002-05:00

I have been reading a couple of discussion boards for parents adopting from China throughout our process. I have learned so much about the paperwork process, emotional/social issues for adoptive families and children, and travel tips.

One thing we definitely want to be able to do while we're in China is to post our journey online. Because so many things are blocked in China, travelers often have to resort to less direct methods of blog access. I'm trying one of those now that I learned about on the discussion board. Let's see if this works . . .

Double Happiness

2010-08-22T22:20:00.006-05:00

Double Happiness and Overwhelming Gratitude ... what I'm feeling tonight!

Four of my sweet, sweet friends threw a baby shower for Dex this afternoon. Not just any shower, but an amazingly beautiful, unbelievably adorable shower. I am so blessed by my friends' generosity and love. What a great afternoon, surrounded by the love of family and friends, a little boy so far away, yet so near to my heart already!

This journey to our precious boy has not been traditional, nor always easy. But we've had the support and love of friends, family, and church family. We are so delighted to be welcoming Dex into our family sooner rather than later at this point ... and I'm feeling Double Happiness.Heart-warming Invitation!Beautiful hostesses, Katie, Erin, Sherry, and Sharon A beautiful banner with his name in Oriental font and Chinese paper lanterns.A beautiful hand-painted canvas for Dex's room, made by a fellow adoptive mom, with the most fitting Bible verse (Jeremiah 29:11), all fashioned to resemble the Chinese flag, surrounded by personalized, mini "take-out"boxes of red and yellow M&M's, fortune cookies, egg rolls, and chopsticks.

Perfectly planned, down to the cupcake toppers with the Chinese symbols for "Double Happiness" on them.Me and Grandma (Yet Again) Fryar

Puttin' on the Pout!

2010-08-22T00:42:00.002-05:00

Boy, can she put on the pout!

Aren't those chubby little arms and fingers adorable?!

"Oh, I'm supposed to be paying attention to the pouting part? That's right. Silly Me!"

Abi G., First Grader

2010-08-20T18:12:00.005-05:00

A bit sassier than kindergarten!

Just what does she think they'll do without her "mothering" during the school year?!

Her backpack doesn't look so big on her as it did last year!Mommy didn't cry this year! But Brandon and Camryn did! Here's Abi trying to escape Brandon's tearful embrace.

Jeggings ... really?!

2010-08-18T23:25:00.002-05:00

I am horrified by what I just saw on Yahoo! Not only are skinny jeans back "in" (which, by the way, didn't make me look skinny 30 pounds and 20 years ago when they were "in" the last time, so they certainly won't be found on my body this season or ever!), but so are "jeggings."

The most horrible name for the most horrible fashion statement. It's the worst combination possible of skinny jeans, leggings, and acid wash one could imagine.

I guess I won't be "cool" agaaaiin this season!

Gassy Baby

2010-08-15T22:30:00.001-05:00

Is it weird to kinda smile about feeling a gas bubble move in my colon at night because it reminds me of a baby squirming around in my tummy? Then, I'm weird.

Dear DHS Worker

2010-08-10T23:04:00.002-05:00

I write this letter to beg you to believe me that all of the apparent traumas caused to my children are not by my hand! Most assuredly they did all of that to themselves! Really.

Yes, I do want you to believe that in one day my oldest daughter was, in fact, pushed off of a bed by her younger brother, tripped over a toy broom and centered her precious little face on an open closet door, and crashed her scooter on the asphalt, re-splitting her lip, gashing her knee, and embedding gravel in her hand. Really. It did happen. All in one day.

Her younger brother, perhaps from the Karma of pushing his sister off of the bed earlier in the day, tripped on toys in the playroom, planting his only remaining front tooth squarely on a windowsill, jamming it further up in his head (it did improve the appearance since the loose, grayish tooth is no longer jutting a quarter of an inch below the surrounding upper teeth) and splitting his lip! Really.

The baby just has a bit of diaper rash after pooping her panties in the middle of a very deep slumber at naptime. She had just left a man-sized poop in the toilet at Chuck E. Cheese a few hours before. Really. Relatively unscathed she is.

So, please believe me when I tell you that I couldn't think up such horrible things to do to my children as what they do to themselves. Really.

Sincerely,
Mischelle Coston,
Mom and First Aid Pro

I Love Checklists

2010-08-08T23:02:00.003-05:00

I love the feeling of making a neat list and checking things off, one-by-one ... especially when it's the checklist of steps to bringing Dex home. Just since we received our match with him, this is what my checklist has looked like:

Referral DONE
Letter of Intent (LOI) DONE
Letter of Acceptance (LOA) DONE
I-800 Supplement 3 DONE
I-800 DONE
National Visa Center letter DONE
Article 5
Get travel dates and consulate appointment date
Board a Plane!

Just waiting for that one last piece of paperwork before we get our travel dates! Still praying for late September!

Explain Yourself!

2010-08-02T23:07:00.001-05:00

"Live life so it demands an explanation!"
Galatians 6:9-10
Powerful Sermon about Powerful Love!

Who Knew?!

2010-07-29T16:29:00.002-05:00

Who knew one piece of paper could make me so happy?!
Today in the mail, I received the notice that we have received final approval from the U.S. government to bring Dex into the country. There are still a few more steps in the process, but we've cleared a major hurdle!

Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

2010-07-22T23:13:00.002-05:00

I think what I had to do tonight trumps all of the terribly awful hard things I've ever had to do as a mom!
Brandon behaved absolutely deplorably at the gym tonight for the childcare worker. And when I say deplorably, I mean deplorably! In a completely un-Brandon manner, but unacceptable nonetheless. So, in addition to apologizing to the worker and getting a spanking before leaving the gym, I also told him that he would come home, eat his dinner, get a quick scrubbing in the bathtub, and go straight to bed tonight. Then, as we pulled into the driveway, my heart sank for the little man.
Nick had unexpectedly put up the tent in the front yard, with the intention of "camping out" with Abi and Brandon, which Brandon has been begging to do for quite a while. Unfortunately, Brandon had decided to be a stinker on the wrong day. Needless to say, only Nick and Abi are sleeping in the tent tonight, and there is one very sad little boy in his own bed tonight.
Bless his little heart.
Bet he'll behave a little more gentlemanly in the near future.
Hard to be the mom tonight.

Refreshing

2010-07-22T14:06:00.006-05:00

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Proverbs 25:25

God gave me this verse a couple of weeks ago during my quiet time, and it was the perfect encouragement to me. I've been frustrated, of course, with the snail's pace of all the paperwork involved in getting our little man home. I was just wanting to see him and hold him, and we hadn't received any feedback from the orphanage on the questions we'd submitted through the adoption agency. Then, I read this verse, and I felt refreshed and hopeful again. So, we've still been waiting to hear any word on him.

Today, finally, we got a little information about him. Below are the questions I asked of the orphanage caretakers that they answered.
* Have either his cleft lip or cleft palate been repaired? If so, when was the surgery done? If no surgery has been completed, can we wait and have the surgery done upon arriving home in the United States ?
His cleft lip was repaired on 6/16/2010. His cleft palate has not been repaired.
* How is he fed his milk (by bottle or cup)? If by bottle, what kind does he use?
He drinks milk with ordinary bottle.
* What do you do that soothes him?
We hold him and pat him.
* What kind of foods is he eating now?
He eats congee, milk, noodles, egg cake, rice cereal, fish, fruits, etc.
* Does he have any problems eating or require any special methods of feeding?
Yes, sometime he will get choked if he eats fast because his cleft palate has not been repaired.
* What makes him upset or angry?
If you do not pick him up quickly.
* Has he had any health problems or allergies?
Not so far.
* Was a note or other momento found with him?
No.
* What are his sleeping habits?
He gets up at 6 am, nap from 9-10 a.m., and 12:-15 am. He goes to bed at 11 p.m.
* What is his favorite food?
He likes food with strong flavor, e.t. steamed fish with soy source.
* Do you have his finding ad? Can we have a copy of his finding ad?
Yes. a copy when you come to adopt him.
* How would you describe his personality?
He is active and outgoing.

WooHoo! Poo #2

2010-07-19T23:31:00.002-05:00

Cam is now telling us when she needs to go to the bathroom, rather than me having to remind her every 30 minutes ... and she went poo in the potty for the second time! We went on an hour and a half drive yesterday with no accident. She woke up during her nap today and went pee-pee (and then went back to sleep)! I think we're well on our way! This is almost too easy! (spoken in a hushed tone)
She's now sleeping in her big girl bed, went to bed tonight with no milk baba (and never even mentioned it), and is doing great in her potty training! Wow! Big changes in the past 2.5 weeks!

Not for the Faint of Heart

2010-07-15T15:46:00.004-05:00

We had a major milestone in Cam's potty training today -- her first poop in the potty!! She's been holding out since Sunday night.
I always take a picture of the kids and their first potty poopy -- Gross, I know! When Abi saw Cam's picture, she asked to see her first poopy picture. So ... here they all are.There was no smiling on Camryn's part (probably because she's been holding out for four days), so no pre-poopy smiley photo!

1.5 gallons

2010-07-13T11:45:00.002-05:00

That is how much pee is now filling Camryn's carseat! Ahhh!

She was chatty Cam in the car until about 1/4 mile before we got home, and she got really quiet. I asked her if her panties were dry, and she just smiled that Camryn smile. So, I thought, I'll get her out really quickly and put her on the potty we now carry around in our car and let her finish ..... no need. She had peed out everything she's drank for the past four days! Yuck! Filled the carseat, run through the cracks onto the seat protector, run over the sides of the seat protector and onto my seat! I just had that kid on the pot 15 minutes earlier.

I hate!! taking a carseat apart and putting it back together. I have seriously considered tying her wet little butt to the top of the car and driving to Wal-mart to just buy a new seat. I'm not sure this one is salvageable!

Flat Ice Cream

2010-07-13T08:13:00.005-05:00

How did B's ice cream cone get flat on one side?

Oops!
No worries! He scooped it right up and continued on eating it!
Eeew!

What a Difference a Day Makes

2010-07-08T13:08:00.002-05:00

Brandon was so excited yesterday when he saw the bulldozer working at the clinic site, so I thought we'd go check out the progress early this morning and let Brandon watch the bulldozer in action for awhile. A lot has happened since lunchtime yesterday!Brandon had the best time watching the bulldozer, backhoe and dump truck this morning and has already asked if we can go back after naptime and watch some more. When the dump truck had to leave and dump its load, Brandon said, "Momma! I could help them with my dump truck and scoop!"I think he would have watched from his little perch all day!

Hallelujah!

2010-07-07T14:08:00.002-05:00

Yes-sir-ee! That is a bulldozer you see working on our clinic lot!

The dream Nick's had since we were teenagers is finally happening!

Holding it Together

2010-07-05T17:48:00.001-05:00

I think the dirt I just steam cleaned out of the car was what was holding the whole thing together -- there was certainly enough of it to cement it all together ...... the Proof!Now, that's just nasty!

Cam is so BIG

2010-07-03T16:17:00.004-05:00

Today, we changed Cam's bed from a crib into a toddler bed. She loved sleeping in the toddler bed at Grandma's house, and we're trying to make some of these transitions before Dex comes home. So, since it was a rainy Saturday morning and we couldn't go to FreedomFest like we'd had planned, we decided it was a good day to do it .... my tears could just blend in with the raindrops. :o( Camryn loved it, and is napping in there right now!

"How many times have we done this now?" asks Dad.Camryn thinks she's so big lately since she's wearing panties (still often wet panties) and dressing herself. She even thinks she can dress other people!

Camryn loves music, and loves singing songs for us. Her favorites right now are "ABCD's, Jesus Loves Me, B-I-B-L-E, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

Let My House Be Built Out of Wisdom

2010-07-02T18:21:00.001-05:00

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:2-4

Almost 32

2010-07-01T13:48:00.005-05:00

Not my age anymore, unfortunately, but our status toward our goal for Dex's orphanage!

31.5%

Yippee!

We want to be able to raise $5,000 to deliver to Dex's orphanage when we're in China to bring him home. I know how far they are able to stretch the money in caring for the kiddos there, and I am so glad we'll be able to play a part in making their lives better while they wait for their forever families.

So, thank you to all of our friends, family, and church family who have contributed to his orphanage fund already!!
If you haven't contributed but would like to, you can use the secure Chip In button on the blog or send your donation to our home address. I can't wait to be able to share how your generosity has made a difference in the lives of these precious children! Any amount, added with the dollars of others, will make a difference for the children -- and the workers, called ayis. I can't imagine trying to care for kids every day without having enough of what they need, without having enough help because of fund shortages, without having the funds available for medical procedures the children need to thrive or even survive. Talk about going to work at a tough job!

I've done some background research on the orphanage he's lived in since he was a day old. It's the Fuzhou City Social Welfare Institute, located in Fuzhou City, the capital city of the Fujian Province in southeast China. The orphanage is in the GuLou district of Fuzhou, very near to the shores of the East China Sea. It is a humid, tropical-feeling location with long, hot summers and short, mild, dry winters.
The orphanage is home to about 300 orphans at a time, most of whom have some kind of identified special need, physical or cognitive. Below are some pictures of the "social welfare institute" that I found online.We can't wait to be there in person, seeing our little man's first world, his life before us.

Love in a Box

2010-06-28T18:45:00.003-05:00

Today, we mailed a care package to Dex -- a little bit of love in a box.

A friend of mine was so sweet to make Dex a super-soft blankie, which I've been sleeping with for several weeks so he'll know what his momma smells like. We also sent a photo book with pictures of his family with Chinese labels so his caregivers can tell him who we are (like the one in the picture with Camryn). We sent a disposable camera, in hopes of getting some pictures of him in the orphanage, with his caregivers and friends, to share with him when he's older. We sent him an outfit, a stuffed animal, and some puff snacks. We were also able to send a letter to be translated for his orphanage director, in hopes of getting some questions answered that might help with his transition into our family.
Finally, we sent his caregivers some M&M's -- we've been told that they especially love American candies. So, I threw in an extra box at the last minute, in hopes they might pass along some of that sweetness and give him an extra squeeze. :o)

Things I Love

2010-06-27T23:34:00.003-05:00

I love that Brandon is a saver -- he saves candy "for later," his favorite food on his plate for last, and his money for Buzz.I love that Cam loves the idea of wearing panties and going in the "little potty" -- even if it's in a parking lot by the van -- but just isn't quite ready to really go full-time pee-pee in the potty.I love that Abi can read and that she loves to read to her brother and sister.I love that Nick is the fabulous father that he is and that he strives to be a better, more Godly husband and father each day.

Introducing . . .

2010-06-25T16:28:00.002-05:00

Dexter Li Coston

These are the pictures we received when we were matched with him. We were not allowed to post them publicly online until we received a certain piece of paperwork from China that makes our match official. We got that paperwork today, so not only are we one step closer to bringing him home, we can also share our precious boy with everyone. We love his chubbiness -- and the fact that he's certainly not cold during the winter (nor can he bend in the middle with all those layers on!) :o)
Obviously, these are photos of him without any corrective surgery and were taken at the end of the winter. We are unsure if he's had any corrective procedures done in China or not and have been trying to find that out. We're also hoping to get some updated photos in the next week or two.

Random Fun

2010-06-18T14:58:00.003-05:00

Just a few random pictures from the past couple of weeks. Summer has been very busy, so far, but the kids are loving all being together again, with no one leaving for school every day.

Abi waiting her turn at swim lessons.

One of Brandon's "shows." It's a variety show, generally. I get a little singing, a little gymnastics, and a little dancing.

One of the things I love about Brandon is his gusto about doing something as well as he can. I asked him to go dust his room, and when I opened the door, this is what I found. He was dusting everywhere in his room.

Silly Cam! What a personality!

Brandon is teaching Camryn to blow bubbles in the tub, like at swim lessons -- because he's the star student and all. Ha!

Sigh ...

2010-06-17T08:05:00.002-05:00

It's 9 p.m. "Dex's Time." I know my little boy is alone in a crib in a hot orphanage in southeast China, and I'm just plain bummed about it this morning.
I know there are millions of kids alone, hungry, lonely, sad around the world, and that's one reason we are honored to be able to bring one child into our family to love on. But, once I've seen his face, it becomes so much more real to me. It's not a faceless, far-away issue anymore.
One morning this week, the kids were all fussing about who wanted what for breakfast, and I couldn't help but think about the disparity between the three of them here not being able to choose oatmeal, cold cereal, or a fruit bar and wondering if Dex has even eaten today. As I brushed Abi's hair this morning, I wondered if anyone had held my little boy today at all, stroked his head or kissed his cheek.
I want so badly to hold him and show him a mother's love. Soon, I suppose. Just not soon enough.

It's Like Being a Kid Again

2010-06-08T22:11:00.002-05:00

Only my nerd friends will be able to identify with this ... do you remember how excited you were to get your first library card? It was more exciting than my first credit card! Do you remember sitting on the cool concrete floors of the library on hot summer days, lost in a Nancy Drew mystery? I love to just fan the pages of old, stale books -- just for that smell I loved as a kid!
Today, Abi had her first major rite of passage ... her first library card!

Deep Thoughts for Today

2010-06-02T14:41:00.002-05:00

* I had forgotten how much more often you have to scrub the kids' bathtub in the summer.

* If even the (very real) threat of a snake getting into the house won't make the kids remember to close the door behind themselves, then nothing ever will. I can just give that up.

* You cannot trust a man with landscaping and a large pair of clippers. He will shock you every time.

* God's timing is perfect -- I was not born before the invention of air conditioning.

* Having ceramic tile the color of dirt, instead of white, would make my life so much easier.

* Nothing is more adorable or frustrating than a two-year-old.

* A little boy and a dump truck together is a fun thing to watch.

* There is a little boy on the other side of the world who is soundly sleeping right now who I can't wait to gaze upon as he sleeps under our roof.

* Are there really holes in the foundation or walls that would permit that ginormous snake I saw in the garage yesterday to enter my house?!

Another Year Come & Gone

2010-06-01T22:24:00.004-05:00

This year has seemed to fly by! Amazing the difference a year makes. Abi is a fluent reader. Cam has enough hair for pigtails. Brandon is so much taller and has overcome most of his speech issues. Cami is speaking in complex sentences. Abi is so independent and able to care for herself so well. Brandon has taken on the role of big-brother-in-charge so eagerly in Abi's absence. Cam is enjoying a lot of imaginative play. Brandon has become so much more "boy"! Cami has lost much of the baby chub on her legs and belly. Brandon has become much more coordinated and athletic. Abi has become more confident in groups of her peers.

Abi's 1st day of kindergarten

Abi's last day of kindergartenCamryn and Brandon's 1st day of mother's day outCamryn and Brandon's last day of mother's day out

D...

2010-05-26T19:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks for all the opinions on Facebook and here on the blog. After much deliberation and changing our minds countless times, the name on Little D's paperwork is ...
Dexter Li Coston (aka "Dex")!

Can't wait to squeeze him!

A...B...C...D

2010-05-25T12:24:00.003-05:00

Alrighty, the paperwork has to be over-nighted today. The only blank we have on his paperwork is the name blank!

Our other children's names have started the alphabet ... A ... B ... C ... why break with the pattern now? We all know how I like symmetry and patterns. :o) So, it's either a "D" name for our little guy or skip straight to "Z." But, then, that seems so final?
Anyway ... our top two choices this hour are Drew Garrett Coston and Dexter Li Coston. I like Drew Garrett just because I like it. I also like Dexter "Dex" Li because my brother, grandfather, and other men in past generations on that side of the family carry the middle name "Lee." "Li" captures that and still maintains a bit of his Chinese heritage. "Li" is a uni-sex name meaning "strength, beauty.
"
What's your vote?

Digging to China

2010-05-23T15:16:00.003-05:00

We have dug through a mound of paperwork and appointments and evaluations for the past year -- enough to make it to China -- and have found the treasure! A little guy named Min Yi Liu who is waiting to join our family. He will be 1-year-old on September 23rd, and we anticipate being able to have him home by his first birthday!
Nick and I have felt a desire to adopt since even before Abi was born. We just never felt like it was the right time. However, last May we both knew it was time to start on the journey of adoption. While the prospect of adding another child to our family is both terrifying and exciting, we know it's what we've been called to do and wouldn't miss the opportunity of loving him for anything.
We'll share more details of our journey soon, and when the appropriate paperwork is final with China, we'll be able to share pictures of his chubby little cheeks and spiky fuzz of hair.

Livin' on Tulsa Time

2010-05-18T22:21:00.006-05:00

This weekend, we made a trip to Tulsa. Despite not being able to find a radio station that played "Livin' on Tulsa Time" all the time like Nick wanted, we did find a lot of things to enjoy as a family: the zoo, the aquarium, the Kaleidoscope Museum, and the Leapin' Louie's Lagoon in the hotel.

Petting stingrays and baby sharks

Brandon was perfectly happy there was a "one-finger" rule when petting the aquatic life!Cami enjoyed "doctoring" Daddy in the doctor's office in the Kaleidoscope town. And checking groceries. And playing dress-up on-stage.I need one of these jail cells at home!Postman B stayed busy delivering packages all around Kaleidoscope.And I got to enjoy a hairwashing at the salon.

The kids could have spent all day at Leapin' Louie's!

The zoo wore everyone out!

My little icicles at the snowhouse.

They got to "pet" lots of dead things at the zoo.

He Knows Me Well

2010-05-06T20:39:00.002-05:00

Precious, lump-headed Brandon made a Mother's Day gift book for me at Mother's Day Out today. He answered questions about me, proving just how well my sensitive little man knows me.

"My mom's favorite color is ... purple."

"My mom looks very pretty when she ... goes to church." About the only time I'm not in stinky workout clothes. :o)

"I like it when my mom ... puts me to bed." Such a sweet snuggle time with him!

"My mom makes me laugh when she ... hits Daddy's head." Don't know about this one! Swear!

"My mom's favorite thing to do is ... clean up the carpet!" I love that kid!

All Since 7:45 p.m.!

2010-05-04T21:17:00.004-05:00

How and why do these things happen to that boy?!
Brandon is now sporting a jumbo egg-sized knot on his head. Nick surprised us with a picnic dinner at the park to watch the sun set and play on the playground. I was looking at the kids, including Brandon, thinking, "What a delightful bunch, munching on their dinner, making small talk." All of a sudden, Brandon simply disappears from the picnic table! Sounded like a watermelon cracking when his head hit the concrete! How?! Why?! Because these things happen so often, I've taken to carrying several instant cold packs in the car.
We're getting the kids ready for bath, while repeatedly promising Brandon "I won't wash your bump!" and we find a tick on his "weenie." After much struggling, Nick was able to remove the tick, and a conversation then begun about "what are those things with round balls in them under my weenie? Does Abi have those? Why not?"
All in one night.

Be Still My Heart

2010-05-03T07:09:00.003-05:00

I think I'm in love!

My steam cleaner died a few weeks ago, and I can't go very long without one. A dog, a cat, and three kids necessitate at least weekly quick clean-ups. So, since the Bissell and Hoover models don't seem to last very long, I decided to look at the next step up. I googled "steam cleaners," and a link to the commercial-grade Rug Doctor came up. My heart skipped a beat, my pupils dilated, and my palms started sweating .... I was in love! Then, I found it at Kohls.com for 33% off, added an online promotional code for another 15% off, collected enough Kohl's bucks to buy the kids jeans for next fall ... and set off on the inaugural cleaning. At risk of embarrassing myself, here are the fruits of my labor -- from about 25 square feet of carpet!!

Choo Choo!

2010-04-26T21:30:00.003-05:00

Saturday night, Brandon dreamed about being in a magic train that could fly over the tops of the trees ... "just like we did on the train today, Momma!"We rode the passenger train out of Van Buren, and Brandon's favorite part was driving on the tall trestles, literally taller than the forest around us. However, we couldn't get Brandon to understand that we were still on tracks. He was absolutely convinced we were flying -- the blending of his two favorite things, trains and planes.
Abi's favorite part was the bathroom with the foot pedal flusher and miniature-sized sink. She spent a large part of the trip in the bathroom!
Camryn's favorite part was the goldfish crackers MeeMaw Sandy brought along.Cami giving sweet kisses before we boarded the train!

Complex Little Camryn

2010-04-16T23:38:00.004-05:00

This photo is so "Camryn" -- nails freshly polished and a scrape on her knee! She's so full of opposing characteristics, idiosyncrasies.

The girls enjoyed a mommy-manicure this afternoon. Abi painted her own fingers, I mean nails, bright red. After a few Q-tips soaked in polish remover, her fingers no longer look like they're bleeding!

Camryn's manicure started off a little rough, because she mistakenly thought that she would be painting her own nails. We had a bit of a struggle before she finally relented to a "little help" from Mom. She is so headstrong! She did love her "pink thingers" (aka pink fingers), in the end. She loved the princess nail dryer -- too much -- she and Abi ended up in a scuffle over the diva dryer. Sisters!Don't miss the Super Woman tattoo on the bicep!

Camryn has been asking to wear "pannies" lately, so I decided we'd just try and see what happened. She lasted about 20 minutes in the first pair, after emphatic promises that she would not pee-pee on Dora. I discovered her leakiness by stepping in the pee puddle. So, with a fresh pair of panties, we ventured out of the house, only to soak her panties, pants, shoes, wicker chair, and floor underneath at the local Mexican restaurant. I was fully expecting that to happen, so I had a diaper in tow. I think she likes the idea of wearing "pannies" but lacks the focus just yet. Got a cute picture out of it, though!

Really?

2010-04-12T16:43:00.003-05:00

Has it really been four years?

It was a day just like today -- kinda warm, breezy, sunny -- I wish I had it recorded in a way that I could show others what I see in my mind. For some reason, God made me notice the smallest details about that day, vividly. I wish I had a picture to share of Abi standing on the side of the livestock trailer, looking at "her" new cows, the smell of cow wafting in the breeze, her curls blowing in the wind. I wish I had a photo of Brandon's tiny fingers reaching out for the leaves, shining in the sunlight as they flitted in the wind, held up to the tree by the loving arms of his grandfather. I wish I had a way of sharing the smell of deviled eggs and sandwich meats from the last meal we shared together. I wish I could perfectly reproduce the clanging of the post driver I heard as they built a fence for the cows. I wish we could have that day one more time.

We love you and miss you terribly, Papa Ray! We miss you as our father, our grandfather, our friend.

Big Birthday Girl!

2010-04-10T17:08:00.006-05:00

Abi decided that she wanted to take a few friends to Chuck E. Cheese's, rather than having the frog-themed birthday party with a bigger group of friends that she had originally planned. So, we picked up a few friends after school, hit Happy Hour, headed to Creekmore Park for some fun in the sun, played games and ate pizza at Chuck E. Cheese's, went to the mall for a cookie from the Cookie Company, and watched a movie in the car on the way home.

What I learned from Abi's big girl birthday: we need a 15-passenger van to hold all the giggles of sweet little girls, Brandon is going to suffer greatly at the hands of her sisters and her friends, and kids either love or hate the mouse man at Chuck E. Cheese's and no amount of soothing talk will change that!

Abi and Paige after school.The Happy Hour GirlsYes, that's blood on Cam's shirt. It was our only blood-incident -- at least it was my kid and it didn't involve a loss of teeth!

Mexican Food Poisoning

2010-04-07T21:37:00.004-05:00

At this time six years ago, I still carried my firstborn in my womb ... I had just enjoyed a delicious meal on the outdoor patio of my favorite Mexican restaurant, a long walk in the park by our house, a foot rub with a yummy peppermint lotion by my mom, and was relaxing comfortably, chatting on the phone with a teaching colleague. I was anticipating an early bedtime, knowing I would have a long day the next day, supervising the senior class trip to a Cardinals baseball game in St. Louis. It was my due date, and Nick was still trying to talk me out of riding the bus to the game and to ride in the car instead.
At 11 p.m., exactly one hour after going to bed, I awoke to the most horrible back pain I've ever felt -- well, I'd felt it one other time a month earlier. And after embarrassing myself by going to the hospital and being sent home when the pain stopped upon arriving at the hospital, I assumed that it was, again, muscle spasms in my back. I couldn't lie still, so I went downstairs so I wouldn't wake Nick up. As soon as I got downstairs, the onslaught of diarrhea began -- I was cussing the nice Hispanic gentlemen who worked at El Maguey, certain they'd given me food poisoning. I tried several times to crawl up the stairs on my hands and knees, only to be quickly relegated back to the downstairs bathroom for another "episode." For over half an hour, I was loudly calling, "Nick! Mom! Help me!" Nothing. Except a battle of snoring from upstairs.

Finally, I made it back up the stairs and caught my mom in a lighter sleep cycle, I suppose, because she finally came to. She sprayed warm water on my back for about an hour in the shower, but when the pain didn't stop, she said to Nick, "I think you need to get your clothes on. We're going to the hospital." I will never forget his face.
I tried to talk them out of it because it was the same pain I felt the month before, and I didn't want to get the "You're a first-time mom" treatment again. It certainly never crossed my mind that I was in labor. Wow!
After standing outside of the garage in a very cool April night for almost half an hour, Nick comes out and says, "Well, there's been a change of plans." Finally, he believes me that I don't really need to go to the hospital, just a dose of anti-diarrhea medicine. No, the hospital was full. Nick had called ahead, and they sent us to another hospital because there wasn't one single bed for me. They said I'd have to have the baby in the lobby if we showed up there. But, I wasn't having a baby yet, so it really didn't matter. I just needed to satisfy Nick and my mom, get a muscle relaxer for my back, get back home and get some sleep before tomorrow morning.

After running a stop light, a stop sign, and missing the entrance to the hospital, we arrived at the hospital. The nurse was giving me that pursed lip, you're-wasting-my-time look because I said I didn't need a wheelchair in the elevator up to L&D. Now, didn't her face change when she checked me and said that I was 9 cm and that I should not, no matter what, push!

Just a short bit later, my precious Abigayle Grace was born! What a beauty! My first thought about her was that her lips looked like a perfectly shaped heart. I still love to kiss those little lips! Those long, dark eyelashes! And those fat little thighs! And that round, bald head!

TLC, Here I Come

2010-04-06T21:21:00.002-05:00

Today was a mixture of self-loathing and deep despair ... I think it's beginning to sink in that I will likely never have a baby in my womb or a newborn in my house again. I have been realizing that I need to begin letting go of some of my babies' stuff, considering there are Rubbermaid containers stacked over my head in the attic, safely holding my babies' precious things, as if they were a mother's arms rocking things that once touched one or more of my children's skin. Does that sound like the overly emotional ramblings of a crazy woman? I think so ... a crazy, maternal hoarder! I can easily sell or toss pretty much anything -- except my kids' things. It seems like virtually every item recalls some memory, however vague, mundane, or unimportant, a memory nonetheless, of my babies' childhood. I found myself disgusted with myself when I snapped to, in realization that I was really going through socks Brandon wore when he was two, deciding which pair I could let go of and which ones I "had" to keep. I felt like a woman on "Hoarders," trying to rationalize keeping some of the most ridiculous things.
So, I now have a quite impressive pile of clothes that I likely wouldn't dress my next child in anyway, if the occasion arose. There's also a pile of compromises, ones that I think I'll be able to let go of after taking a picture of them. But, then again, what if the house were to burn down and I lost the pictures of those things ... wait, then I'd lose all the stuff still in the attic. Maybe I should build an underground vault in the yard for their things ... can you say, "crazy, maternal hoarder?!"

The Birthday Chick

2010-03-26T22:53:00.003-05:00

Who's Two?

2010-03-25T21:25:00.003-05:00

CAMI!
I can't believe that it has been a full two years since that precious little bundle was in my tummy!
I remember that day like it were yesterday. My doctor told me that since I was 2 weeks overdue, I had to be induced the next day. So, at about this time, I went to bed knowing that I was likely experiencing my last hours ever being pregnant. I so enjoyed feeling my babies kick and turn inside me, relishing those months that I could give them the best start at life, holding them close and safe. Wondering what they would look like and what their little cries would sound like. While I always wanted my births to be spontaneous, it looked like little Miss had her own ideas about how things would go -- should've been my first indication about her personality! Thankfully, all the doctor had to do was break my water, and without further interventions, my precious baby girl was born 6 hours later . . . one of the three most amazing days of my life. Such a beautiful experience to watch your babies take their first breaths and meet them face-t0-face for the first time!And so beautiful to see your children meet each other!Camryn: free spirit, stubborn, smart, wiley, enthusiastic, energetic, fast, loud, sweet, cunning, beautiful, radiant, independent!

orders "cheek-un, feench fyes, and diet coke" at Braum's
counts out loud to 10 playing hide-n-go-seek
says "scuz me" when she poots
constantly says "Me do!"
Very bossy! Often puts older kids in their place!
loves to do flips with Brother, play with stickers, sing with Mommy, eat guacamole, blueberries, and anything made mostly of sugar, read books, and play babies
puts herself in the naughty chair when she's having a fit
loves to sit on the potty but rarely produces any results

I love you, my precious girl!

Cami Chaos

2010-03-15T20:09:00.002-05:00

Camryn loves nothing more than to irritate her big brother! She's a constant whirlwind of chaos, especially where Brandon is concerned. Whatever it takes to make him whine ...

Ordinary

2010-03-10T22:02:00.002-06:00

Bliss

2010-03-09T22:41:00.002-06:00

There's nothing more blissful than snuggling with your sleeping babies, deep in dreamland, breathing matched to theirs, warm breaths on your cheek, soft hands in your own . . . a mother's heart lives for this!

Keeping Your Marriage Growing

2010-02-15T15:34:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day . . . a day late, but it's the sentiment not the day, right?! :o)

I thought I'd share the bullet points from our pastor's sermon yesterday, titled "Keeping Your Marriage Growing," in celebration of this amorous holiday.

Philippians 1:9 "This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love."

1. Keep on Paying Attention
"Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." James 1:19

2. Keep on Making Adjustments
"We should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring." 1 John 3:18

3. Keep on Showing Affection
"Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other." Romans 12:10

4. Keep on Giving Affirmation
"Encourage each other every day while it is 'today'." Hebrews 3:13

5. Keep on Following Jesus
"As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in Him." Colossians 2:6

Snowtime Adventures

2010-01-30T23:58:00.004-06:00

We have been severely disappointed by winter weather predictions so far this winter - predictions of snow that completely missed the mark. However, this weekend's winter storm was even better than expected. We had a minimum of ice, no power outage, and 7" of snow!

I love playing in the snow in the dark, which we were able to do Friday night as it started to accumulate. Brandon is not a cold-hardy little man; he lasted about 10 minutes before he headed inside and warmed himself in his underwear by the fire. Camryn was a little overwhelmed but seemed to enjoy the "suh-no," and Abi absolutely couldn't get enough of it! Even Bella seemed to enjoy the snow, although 7" is a little deep for her to navigate easily. We headed in to thaw out, decorate some warm cupcakes, drink some hot chocolate, and watch a little "Tom & Jerry" by the fire. Who could ask for a more perfect wintry Friday night?!

We headed out again this morning to play again - just glad Nick didn't require a trip to the ER to repair a damaged tongue. :o)

Not the most flattering picture of me --- but I looove Cam's face in this one!