Let the Parties Continue!

We had our home fellowships all get together last night. Our group has grown and multiplied into three groups and we try to get the groups together every so often for fun and well...fellowship! It was a great opportunity to keep the partying up.

Little boy, big stick.

This is something he could get used to (not really sure why I put a candle in the cupcake again. You can't put a lit candle in front of a one year old! And the first thing he did was try to eat the candle).

The grown-ups had tiramisu cake to celebrate!

Our friend did a slideshow to share his medical mission to China. What an amazing time he had. It is so exciting to see what God is doing around the world. It was such a remote area and this team was such a blessing to so many who had no access to medical care. When I was in Bulgaria with YWAM I saw God's heart for the broken and hurting in a way I'll never forget. We were a team of twenty-somethings from all over the world. We worked with a pastor who had led an underground church for many years until the country finally opened up. One day he told us he had a special place he wanted to take us. We drove out of town and up a steep hill. Eventually our large bus could no longer get through the narrowing winding road and pulled over so we could walk the rest of the way up. At the top was a hospital. It was filled with all levels of needs and disabilities from rather minor to severe. Many there would have been able to live a much more independent life in America but had been sent off to this isolated place at young ages. We had an incredible time of laughing, singing, and sharing. Many of us had the opportunity to share how God loved them and how he had worked in our lives. As I stood looking out at the beautiful countryside and this group of hurting people shut out from their society, I thought this was God at work: taking a bunch of kids from all over the world to share his love with these wonderful people. Their society may have forgotten them, but God hadn't.

Fish Heads

Ryan loves to go to the Chinese market with his dad. I'm not really into watching someone take a fish and throw it on the floor to kill it, so I stayed home. Ryan was extra excited when he got home to tell me how the fish kept flopping around in the cart. Oh, the simple pleasures...

Someone likes watermelon!

I didn't finish posting last night because that same someone was conjested and was not interested in sleeping alone in the crib. Hopefully the pictures spoke for themselves!

Back in the Sand Again

Early Bird Has to Wait

It's always so weird to sit down to type and have this oversized-bandaged finger take over the keyboard. It is so in the way! Harvey spent a good part of the day working on the bathroom. I'd be totally excited except it's the bathroom that is in 'working order'. We're officially at two years since he gutted the master bath. Don't tell him I'm bringing it up! The shower has dripped for the last two weeks. The baby's room (where I sleep) is right next to the shower. Drip, drip, drip, drip...like Chinese water torture, which by the way, Harvey (Chinese) had never heard of! Hmmmm? Today was our first official photo shoot. Erik liked it better than the doctor's visit yesterday, but that entailed screaming and flashbacks from the four shots a few days earlier. Despite clinging to me and looking everywhere but at the camera, she got a few good ones. His foster mom picked out his special hanbok (Korean outfit for his one year birthday). Again, it's a no on the hat! If only it came with a fireman helmet instead. Might as well be honest here, I'm not an on-time gal. I've been quite proud that Ryan has been to school and picked up on time every day so far (okay, it's only been three days), nonetheless, that's good. So I was equally proud that the boys and I arrived at Penney's fifteen minutes early so I wasn't rushed and could do last minute finger-licking hair swipes. Too bad Penney's doesn't pride itself on opening early. The store didn't open until 10. So we got to stand by the door to get hot, sweaty, and grumpy for our pictures. Looking back, I would have used that time to print out the coupon, so we wouldn't be hot, sweaty, grumpy and have to drive home to print out the coupon! Of course on the way home after the photos Erik fell asleep. Fortunately, Harvey was home and took Ryan to Home Depot so I could take my coupon back to the store. Since Erik was sleeping, I decided to just hold him, because he is NOT a stroller guy and I was going to quickly pick some pictures and get out of there. WAIT...have I ever made a decision quickly? Why would I think that? So by the time I finally picked the pictures, I realized that Erik's diaper has leaked and my shirt was wet on the whole left side of me. Which kind of worked since there was already smeared biscuit on my left shoulder. By the time we got home it had been a two hour photo session. Couldn't have been happier that a dear friend came and picked up Ryan and had a playdate with her granddaughter and Ryan at her house. She brought him home a few hours later and the first thing he said was, "I want to go there again!" (Yeah!) Erik was a trooper for a few errands (I've got a birthday party to plan) and even took another nap for me. So that's my day. Have to go to bed earlier tonight...want to be on time for school you know!

A New Dog in the House

My parents came to meet Erik yesterday morning and brought him a new dog. He likes him!! We have noticed a big change this week with Erik. From the airport homecoming through the first two weeks Erik would reach out for people to hold him. He always wanted to come back to us after a few minutes, but seemed to like going to people. This week we've noticed that he doesn't reach out to people anymore and comes up to us more often to be held. He let my parents hold him, he is just sticking a little closer to us. That's great! He still wants to be walking, climbing, and snooping in Mommy's cupboards most of the time, but he is definitely showing very positive bonding.

Cuteness!

Correction: Erik won't let any hat within two feet, but will chase you down for a fireman helmet and wear it until you (Ryan) steal it from him.

These are the kind of photos I find on my camera when I leave it unattended.

Isn't he great?!!

I headed back to the hospital today. I had to have the orthopedic doctor check my finger. Good news: in and out in 20 min.! He said it looked like it should heal fine and gave me this new splint that is a thousand times better than the other one. I have to wear it for two weeks and then go back.

Ryan's Wisdom:

I was putting Ryan to bed and he was asking about my finger. He said, "Maybe Jesus can just walk down your arm (since he's already in my heart) and fix your finger." Aren't four year olds great?!!!

Party!!

Today we went to a birthday party and had a great time. Erik did really well with all of the new people wanting to meet him. It was great for Ryan to have time to play with lots of friends and jump out some of that energy. It was actually a 'two jumphouse day'.

Won't let a hat within two feet but loves the glasses!

Today was also our neighborhood block party. They had games, a jumphouse, the local firetruck came, it was fun for all!

First water balloon toss!