Privyet, Mei Mei!

Christmas Present, Christmas Past and on to a Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Before this Christmas season quickly becomes a Christmas Past, I wanted to journal a few memories from this year and last. We officially have been Texans for one year now. Last year on December 29th, our moving truck made its way to Dallas for a new chapter in our lives to begin. Needless to say, last year was an unusual and hectic Christmas season; one I hope not to repeat too soon. Nonetheless, it was an exciting one. We left our home in San Francisco, and said adieu to all of our belongings on December 23rd and heading to our families homes to spend Christmas. Then, a few days after Christmas, we flew to Dallas just in time to end 2010 and begin 2011. With much help from my parents, we were pretty well settled in time to celebrate our New Year's baby's birthday. (Kensie was born on Jan 1)

This year was much more typical and much less stressful. It was filled with holiday dinners with friends, class parties, carriage rides to view Christmas lights, a downtown visit to see Santa at the quintessential Neiman Marcus, a trip to the Gaylord Texan to view the amazing and frigidly chilly ICE! display by Harbin ice artists, a special visit from a special friend and a beautiful and memorable candlelight Christmas Eve church service. It has been a festive and enjoyable holiday season. Tomorrow we begin the New Year with a very special surprise for the birthday girl! I can't wait. Here are a few snapshots of our Christmas Past and our Christmas Present:

Before the stress of a cross country move during Christmas hit full throttle, we managed to enjoy a few treats. Our good friends came for a last SF visit to enjoy the city holiday festivities

Ice Skating Union Square December 2010

We even got away to the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay for an early Christmas present

Teddy Bear Tea

Then the fun was over. . .

3 days before Christmas

This takes holiday stress to an all new level

But all was calm and bright come Christmas day :)

And we couldn't miss Christmas Eve bowling with Auntie Jean

Fast forward on year to Christmas Present:

A visit from a special friend. Shrek the Halls at ICE! at the Gaylord Texan. A frigid 9 degrees!!!

The Downtown Neiman Marcus interactive Christmas windows

They are actually in the windows

A Christmas Eve bowling tradition

On our way to Christmas Eve church services

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" . . .

The magic of Christmas morning

Papa Santa bearing gifts

Thank you Santa!!!

The end of another blessed Christmas season. And onto the blessings of 2012 that God has in store for each and everyone of us. Happy New Year!

Octoberfest

2011-10-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

October has been quite a month for our family. We've had school carnivals, school spirit days, Sloan's 9th birthday and numerous Halloween parties. It seems as if it has been one big party; an entire month of celebrations and festivities. Here are a few highlights I want to remember. . .

First the carnival. . .

Kensie on the Euro Bungie

Sloan's less than 8 second ride on the mechanical bull

Kensie on a Segway

Then on to the DIS Spirit Rally

K getting into the spirit

Then onto Sloan's 9th Birthday!!!!!

Can he really be half-way to adulthood?!?!

He scored a hoop for his big day

A bowling party that was a blast. . .

Then onto Trunk or Treat. . .

A Maverick and a mermaid. :)

Some fantastic and creative "trunks"

And tonight we're off to the traditional trick or treat. Our mermaid and Maverick will be at it again. I hope that you have a Happy Halloween and that your October has been filled with fun festivities.

A Big 'OLTexas Roundup

2011-08-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

I know that time flies but has it really been six months since my last post!?!?! Not to mention the fact that I've still got that whole cable car theme going. I need me some longhorns or something. ;) LOL Since the whole point of this blog is to scrapbook our family memories, it's about time that I got to scrap booking; thus a gargantuan Texas Roundup of a post of our last six months.

All in all our adjustment to Dallas has been great. We LOVE both kids' schools and have made some good friends. We quickly found a church to call home and have felt God's peace about this move ever since we got here. It was definitely the right move for our family at this point in our lives. Dallas has a swagger about it that is fun. It is a big city with lots to offer, but still feels very familial. It is the antithesis of San Francisco. We can actually take our children into a nice restaurant without feeling like we have three heads and are bringing in two small trolls. Ha! Not to begrudge the City by the Bay. It is still one of our favorite places; just not the best environment to raise a family, at least not for us.

It hasn't all been about Dallas though. In March the kids and I took our first trip back to California. It is strange to return to a place as visitors that for so long was home. Then in April we celebrated my birthday in the Riviera Maya. July took us to Palm Beach to celebrate the 4th and Chad's big 4-0, followed by a whirlwind 16 day trip to California literally from one end of the state to the other to visit family and friends. The end of our summer vacation was capped off by a tympanoplasty(ear drum reconstruction surgery) for our sweet Sloan.

All of this leads to today: Sloan's FIRST day of THIRD grade!!! I just realized this is his THIRD first day at three different schools in three consequetive years. That kid is one heck of a gamer. Sloan, you are a champ! Tomorrow Miss Kensie will have her first day. It's her third year of preschool. Seems like she has been going to preschool forever. We met all SIX of her teachers last week: English, English Asst., French, French Asst., Spanish and French Art. Whew! Kensie, you are a champ too! If you can just remember all of their names, I'll be impressed!

Oh, and remember that snow I last blogged about? That is a distant dream! They weren't lying about that Texas heat! I wouldn't mind a few snow flurries about now.

Here is a few highlights of our last six months . . .

Our first Easter in Dallas at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel

The Easter Bunny brought us the best treat of all: a visit from Gammy and Papa

Chad and I on our way to the Dallas International School Russia Gala

A Spring getaway to the Riviera Maya. Here at the Mayan ruins in Tulum

The obligatory beach photo shoot.

Meanwhile back at the ranch. Sloan feeling groovy at this Spring Musical Show featuring Hair.

Celebrating Russia at Dallas International School. Each year a different country is chosen and every student pre-k through 12th grade studies the particular country in depth. This last year was our beloved Russia. :)

Sloan with his incredible teacher on his last day of second grade.

Kensie's last day of preschool or as the French classify it, her last day of maternelle one.

Checking out the Dallas polo scene

Kensie at Mandarin camp

Celebrating our nation's birthday at The Breakers in Palm Beach

We celebrated another important bday while we were there. Chad turned the big 4-0!

Going back to Cali . . .

Back "home" with Gammy and Papa

From North to South. Back in San Diego with friends.

The Del Mar Horse Races with a dear friend on her bday

Beach fun with best friends!

A great end to a great summer

One precious patient before surgery

And just one week later on his first day of THIRD grade!

And Miss K meeting one of her plethora of teachers. :)

Whew, that was quite a whallop! You know what they say, "everything is bigger in Texas." ;) I'm not going to promise but I'll try to do better, ya'll. Wink, wink.

That was nothing! A real Winter Wallop!

2011-02-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

We are getting a fast initiation into what Mother Nature can whiz up here in North Texas. We thought the ice and snow from earlier this week were impressive. Well that was nothing compared to this bonafied winter wallop! I know that many Northerners and Midwesterners are chuckling, but we are so not used to this! Almost an entire week without school! At least today, with a fresh dusting of 6 inches of snow, we were able to get out without fear of slipping and falling on our keesters. ;) I just had to share pictures of our Dallas Winter Wonderland!

Snowboarding down the driveway.

Our neighborhood transformed into a winter wonderland; just beautiful!

What snow day would be complete without snow angels, snow balls, and snowmen!

"Don't Mess with Texas" sun or snow! :)

My First Post from Texas during a Texas-Size Storm!!!

2011-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, we made it! We have been here in Dallas for a month now. I won't even recall the move; the memories are just too raw and painful! ;) LOL. I hope to NEVER make a move half-way across the country during the Christmas holidays AGAIN!

So far, things couldn't be better. We all love Dallas; we love our new home; both kids LOVE their new schools; we found a new church that we love; and we have met some wonderful new friends. That's a whole lotta love, isn't it! In all seriousness, we are confident that we are in the center of God's will for our family because everything has come together for us so seamlessly and effortlessly! We are beyond thankful for our blessings!

I had all but decided to stop blogging. I have been doing it so infrequently and quite frankly, didn't know what was the point. I have heard recently, however, that several people whom I wasn't even aware, keep up with our family through the blog. So, I've decided to continue, and I hope to update much more often. I don't think the cable car theme is going to work though. :)

Today we woke up to a blanket of ice! All of the area schools are closed. It has been snowing lightly for the last several hours. This is completely foreign to us. With a sensory seeking, ADHD kiddo on my hands, I am praying that the schools aren't closed for long! Being cooped up indoors is NOT our strong suit. It is going to get down to 10 degrees tonight with a wind chill of minus 3!! This California girl is NOT used to this! I must admit that it is nice looking at the white backdrop from the comfort of our nice warm, cozy home.

SO much has transpired in our lives over the last several months. If only for record-keeping sake, I hope to write about it over time before the memories become too faint. Until my next post, I hope your hearts and homes are warm wherever you are!

Here is what we woke up to this morning!!

Care for a dip?

Toto, we're not in California anymore!

To my Cali friends, those are icesicles hanging from my car!!!!

Hot tub anyone?

Indoor wrestling to get our energy out!

Who says girls can't wrestle too!

Much more like it! Stay warm wherever you are. :)

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

Here is one of our Christmas card pictures and virtual message to our friends and family:

Around 18 months ago, I began to pray that God would take our family on an adventure that we never dreamed or expected. Since that time God has lead us on an adventure that has involved living in San Diego for a short time, then moving to San Francisco and now relocating to Dallas, Texas. Needless to say, nothing that we had ever planned, dreamed or expected!

The reason for the seemingly constant mode of packing and unpacking of our lives, is the recent discovery of Sloan's unique learning differences. His unique gifts make it difficult to attend a traditional classroom. Fortunately, there are some wonderful schools for the learning different child that uncover their true potential and gifts that would remain hidden in the mainstream classroom. This discovery first lead us to living in San Francisco and is now taking us half way across the country to Dallas, Texas in a quest to not only find the very best school for Sloan, but to find the best lifestyle for our family, including our precious Kensington. We will begin the next phase of our adventure right after Christmas and will be in Dallas in time for the children to start their new schools after the New Year.

Since living in San Francisco, Kensie has attended a foreign language immersion preschool. She attends a Mandarin immersion program three days a week, and Spanish immersion two days a week. We just found out this week that she has been accepted into the Dallas International School where she will study French, English, Spanish and ultimately Mandarin. We are thrilled for our little budding linguist.

We have really enjoyed living in the heart of San Francisco most of this past year and our departure will be bittersweet. We have met many wonderful people and have been greatly blessed by the city's natural beauty and rich cultural diversity. Not to mention the restaurants! San Francisco has over 3000 of them and we've done our best to hit as many of them as we could cram! ;) On any given week we could be enjoying Vietnamese clay pot chicken, authentic Shanghai soup dumplings, Moroccan tajine chicken or Burmese tea leaf salad. We will be leaving our stomachs, not our hearts in San Francisco. :)

But now it is time for the "Big D" where new adventures await. We are excited and humbled to see the Lord answering our prayers. Many uncertainties still await and we would covet your prayers. The Lord never gives the full itinerary; but rather just enough information to take the next step. We know, however, that wherever this journey leads, it will surely be more than we could ever have dreamed or expected.

We pray that your family will be blessed by the Lord's goodness this new year. May He take YOU on a great adventure beyond your wildest dreams.

Love and Blessings,
Tisha, Chad, Sloan and Kensington

Please visit our Christmas site to see pictures of our family in 2010 at www.tinyprints.com/2010/sanfran10. This will be my last post until after our move.(Things are a wee bit hectic to say the least) Once settled, I will update on our Texas two-stepping adventures and recap a few highlights of our time in San Francisco. Until then, a VERY Merry Christmas!

A Quick Thanksgiving Update

2010-11-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems only fitting since my last post was the Fourth of July, that I update the blog by the time another National holiday rolls around. I have received many emails from blog friends who have been curious or concerned about our family. First, let me say, thank you!!!! Let's just say that life in the city with two kids is a bit busier than our former life. Here everything must be pre-calculated and planned; and then that doesn't always go smoothly. We are all doing well though and have thoroughly enjoyed our time getting to know this great city. We have had SO many city adventures and I will post a pictorial of our last few months in my next post. I promise it won't be four months from now. :)

I also have more surprises coming. Let's just say that change is on the march once again. . . Until then, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!!!

Bits of our Fourth of July Weekend

2010-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Our first Fourth of July in San Francisco in pictures. . .

Saturday. Sloan and Kensie playing baseball at Giant's Stadium and riding the slides at the Coca-Cola Fan Lot. A great (free) place to take kids when the Giants aren't playing at home. Baseball and Fourth of July; doesn't get much more American than that!

More rides. This time on the historic Yerba Buena Gardens' Merry-Go-Round

Catching a free circus in a park oasis in the middle of the city

A hot day in the city. But not to last. . .

Sunday. Fog rolling in. . .

Crossing the Golden Gate to visit an active lighthouse; Point Bonita.

First you have to go through this. . .

Then only two at time, you have to cross this. . .

Over this. . .

To reach this! Happy 4th of July!

Bits of My Weekend(s)

2010-06-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Where to begin?!?! I often have self-imposed guilt for not updating the blog more, but then I think to myself that my mom knows what we're doing anyway! Ha! ;) Then I remember the main reason I do this whole bloggy thing anyway is to preserve a family journal of sorts since I wasn't born with that whole Creative Memories gene. It is MUCH easier for me to cut and paste on the computer than with actual scissors and glue.

I recently came across a blog from a family who moved from suburbia to NYC. This blog resonated with me since we have recently gone from suburban life to a much more urban one. Her blog Six in the City is written with style and humor. She does a weekly blog series called "Bits of My Weekend." Since I haven't blogged in so long, I thought I would join in the fun as a way to update some of our own city adventures. So here's some bits of our last few weekends. . .

Some friends for a Memorial Day BBQ city style

Kensie's favorite guest

Last weekend my parents came for a visit and we saw the city as tourists. It was our kid's first time to Fisherman's Wharf. Here is Sloan and Papa chowing down on some cioppino.

Good thing I wore comfy shoes. Kensie would not rest until we found this man!

I often scoff at doing the tourist thing but there IS a reason why tourists like to see certain areas. We had fun!

And the fun was left all over her face!

Saturday breakfast at the Embarcadero

Heading to the Ferry Building for the Saturday Farmer's Market. This needs its very own post!

Gammy and Sloan at Union Square

And now to THIS weekend:

Saturday

Sloan posing with his new Star Wars bed and his new World Cup shirt. He personally picked out Mexico because he said "he loves to swim there." Now who can argue with that type of favortism?!

Celebrating at Kensie's end of the year picnic for her preschool

Then off to the SF Giant's County Fair. And yes, those ARE summer clothes we are wearing. SF is known to be foggy and cold during the summer months but Saturday it was H-O-T!

View from the top of the ferris wheel. I'll let you in on a secret. I go on all the rides with the kids. Chad makes sure the park benches get well used! ;)

And finally to this Sunday . . .

After church and brunch, the weather was still warm enough that some of our best friends had us to their building for some city swimming. Thanks Dan and Jen!

Hope the bits of your weekend were filled with fun and laughter!

It's the end of school already?!?!

2010-05-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Sloan and Papa at The Laurel School Spaghetti Bingo

First, I have badly neglected this blog. Fortunately, somehow the world is still turning without my posts. Hee hee. ;) I can't believe the school year is almost to an end. I guess that's what happens when you start a new school in March! Several people have kindly asked about Sloan's progress at The Laurel School and Brain Highways. First, The Laurel School. We couldn't be happier. I actually just posted my first ever review on Yelp regarding The Laurel School and gave it five stars. Here is what I wrote:
We recently relocated to San Francisco just for our son to attend The Laurel School. Our son is in first grade and was greatly struggling in his previous, private school. After thorough research, we visited The Laurel School and immediately knew it was the right fit. The classroom size ensures very individualized attention and the curriculum is tailored for each child. Having said that, this is not a watered-down curriculum. This is a school for bright children who simply learn differently. What a difference it makes to have knowledgeable staff who are trained in differentiated approaches to learning. Other bonuses: daily PE instruction from a PE teacher, weekly drama, music, dance and art from specialized instructors. Sometimes even yoga! My son has found an accepting environment where he is thriving! It is worth every penny!

That pretty much sums up our experience thus far. Chad was out of town over the weekend, and my dad accompanied Sloan and I to The Laurel School Spaghetti Bingo. (Thanks Gammy for watching Kensie) Although the price of Laurel is not for the faint of heart, this is not an elitist or pretentious group of families. My dad's observations at the bingo summed it up. This is an ordinary group of people who are making extraordinary sacrifices to help their children.

Now another guilty admission. We have not been following through with Brain Highways AT ALL! Ugggh! I am embarrassed to say this after I have advocated so strongly for it. I still believe in the program but now that Sloan is in school it is much harder to find the time. Also, I think because he is in an environment where he doesn't have to conform to the "norm", I find it less necessary for us. Still, I hope that we can find the time to follow through this summer. I have and will continue to refer families because I think it is helpful. They also have an online program now. One of Sloan's classmates here in SF is currently enrolled. If you are thinking of doing, it my advice would be to go for it! It can only help. Thank you for your concern for Sloan and our family!

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Kensie!

2010-05-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

If you know us, you know we love Mexico hence we love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. So here is a little Spanish song to commemorate the festivities that Kensie has learned in Spanish preschool. And here is Sloan's Cinco de Mayo video explaining the holiday's origins from last year. So go grab a taco tonight and celebrate; that's what we're having. :)

Welcome to our new City Home ( A long overdue update)

2010-05-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

A few people asked me to share some pictures of our new home. Well, it is definitely not new, but new to us. My father is a home builder and developer. Both my husband and I, at one time or another, have been involved in the family business. Because of my dad's background, I have always lived in new homes and have always lived in homes that we owned. So two big changes. Not only do we live in a home that is probably close to forty years old (purely a guess), but we are renting. New homes don't even exist in the city, only newly remodeled ones. Secondly, we had no idea in which neighborhood we wanted to be (still don't) so we knew we needed to rent until we know the city much better. Not to mention that San Francisco has some of the highest real estate prices in the country; minor details. ;)

This house was a God-send. Almost (almost being the operative word) all of our furniture fit. The color scheme was also a perfect fit. (No psychedelic orange walls to be found). Here are some of the positives. It has a large garage with tons of storage, something almost unheard of for here. We have a small yard (small also being the operative word). And oh the views. . . We have city skyline views from every window. Now some of the downsides. We live on a VERY steep hill. No skateboarding down our street! Our home has three stories with also very steep stairs. It is quite a trek from the bottom to the top floor. Come to think of it, that may be a positive; gym not needed! We have a small yard. (This one makes both lists). A seven-year-old boy who is a sensory seeker and small, urban yards are not a match made in heaven! And those views I mentioned, not a window covering in sight. And since I can make out the type of cereal my neighbor is having for breakfast, definitely no sashaying around the house in your underwear.

So will we be welcoming our grandchildren here one day, or will we be house hunting again in about 10 months when our lease is up? Who knows. What I do know is that for now, God has us exactly where he wants us. It really isn't a cliche after all. Home IS where the heart is!

P.S. I had some questions about how Sloan is doing in school and on Brain Highways. First I must say, thank you for your kind concern and I will post on this in a couple of days!

Welcome to our SF Home. The entry as you walk in. . .

The living room

Dining Room

Kitchen and nook

The "real" living room. We all four cram in here for tv watching. Cozy!

Sloan's room

The sum room turned office. Trying to type mid-day while sweltering with your sunglasses on can be challenging. Hmmm, didn't really think that one out too well.

Master bed

Master bath

Downstairs playroom

Guest room - To our friends and family who haven't been here yet, What are you waiting for?!

Kensie's room that we just look at because she is too afraid to stay down here by herself. I actually can't blame her!

Did I mention all of the stairs?!

I think I can . . .

I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

I think I can, I know I can! Whew! Workout for day, done!

Ni Hao! Kensie's First Day of Preschool, Again!

2010-04-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember that Kensie had a couple of "first" days of preschool. Well now it's first day, take three. This morning, Miss K started a Mandarin immersion preschool class. She is going to do Mandarin two mornings a week, and Spanish one afternoon a week. I wrote a post recently about why I think early foreign language immersion is important. Well, I am putting my money where my mouth is and Kensie is diving into language immersion. She has had some separation anxiety lately and never wants me to leave her. We went on Friday to the school for one hour and I stayed with her. But surprisingly today, she went in and sent me on my merry way with a kiss. That warms a mom's heart in any language.

Some of you have asked for some pics of our home here in SF. That will be my next post. Until then, adios and zaijian!

Kensie on her third, first day of preschool. She is all smiles with her teacher Wei Ping in her NiHao Kids class.

A short video of Kensie in her Hola Kids class

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Late Happy Easter greetings here. We obviously aren't in the City for Easter! ;) Here are some snapshots of our Easter day here in Punta Mita. We pray that you all have had as blessed of a day as we have celebrating our risen Savior! See you back in the City!

The Easter Egg Hunt

The "Goods"

Sack Hop on the beach

Water balloon volleyball

Fun on the beach

From our family to yours, Happy Easter!

Our New Life In The City

2010-03-26T08:19:00.001-07:00

We've now been settling into our new "city life" for almost four weeks. We exchanged a typical suburban lifestyle (where the living is very easy, I must say) to a most urban one. We live right IN the city; not outside of, not in a suburb, but smack dab in it. The adjustment has been surprisingly non-eventful. By that I mean, there hasn't been much of an adjustment at all. I am astonished by our children's ability to adapt to the most dramatic of environmental changes. As I type, I can see the skyline of the financial district and Union Square as well as the the morning commuters making their trek into downtown from Highway 101. I used to type with a view of our swimming pool, nestled into our cul-du-sac in our gated community. Now the only gate to be had, is the one that protects our front door from the possible non-desirable elements of the city. Yes, its different, but different can definitely be good!

Most of you know that the reason we moved was for Sloan to attend a school that specializes in teaching bright kids with learning differences. At his old school, he was being punitively sent to the office almost daily right before we pulled him out. They did not know how to approach his differences. At his new school, I get a daily progress report sent home on how he performed throughout each subject of the day. He gets a star in almost every subject, every day! What a contrast! With slight modifications, and teachers who are enlightened with differentiated approaches, all children can learn, succeed and reach their potential. I asked Sloan if he was homesick or if he wished we hadn't moved. He exclaimed, "No! I love it here! And I want to go to The Laurel School forever!" That one statement made it worth every step of this journey.

I had an epiphany or revelation the other day. Since I spent a semester in London in law school, I have always gravitated toward cities, and lamented the fact that I hadn't lived in one for longer. (Sorry Angelenos, L.A. doesn't count. ;) I thought that my time had passed since we had kids and families just don't live in big cities; or so I reasoned. Still, that yearning always remained. I realized just recently while navigating the busy streets of San Francisco, that it was God who gave me that desire. He gave me that desire though for a purpose. I hadn't moved to a city earlier just for self-serving purposes. He waited until their was a much greater purpose: Sloan needing THIS school, in THIS city, at THIS time. No wonder the transition has been so easy. God had been preparing our family for this all along. So follow us along on our new city adventures. Though the transition has been easy thus far, their are many potential obstacles and road bumps headed our way. So we'll all be holding onto the cable car for dear life.

Our new city views from our home

The Bay Bridge view from our kitchen and master bedroom

And a peek-a-boo of the Golden Gate; just the tops

Sloan's first day of school

Way to go Sloan. We knew you could do it!

Moving day. 22,000 lbs of "stuff" Yikes! Notice the hill. We're gonna be in shape!

Kensie and Chad in Chinatown

A beautiful day in a beautiful city!

Our "city kids" holding onto the cable car for dear life. (Even though this one isn't moving. ;)

We've moved and a winner!

2010-03-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

We made it! We are in our new home in our new city. Thanks for everyone who played along in the Giveaway. Speaking of which, so many of you guessed the right answer, I had to draw a winner for this cute book about our new, adopted city:

And the winner is . . . Diana! Congrats Diana and thanks for playing along. I love these books by M. Sasek, most of which were written in the 1960's. There are 17 other titles in this series, including "This is London" and "This is Hong Kong." I hope you enjoy, Diana. Apparently, I am not going to be hired as a riddle writer anytime soon. Good guessing!!!!

Sorry for the delay on this post. It was an exhausting, overwhelming week. But. We. Are. Here. I still don't have my computer set up; that is scheduled for tomorrow. I have to beg, borrow and steal Chad's laptop for a few minutes here and there. Thanks Mary McG in TN for your concern. We made it, BARELY, but made it nonetheless. The new blog design is almost done and I will share with you all of our moving adventures. Until then greetings from the City by the Bay; our new home, San Francisco!

The Farewell Tour (And My First Give-Away)

2010-02-26T05:26:00.000-08:00

(Check out the surprise Give-Away at the end of this LONG post)

First, let me say thank you for all of the encouraging, wonderful comments to my last post. The amazing prayers and support that were offered to my family was amazing! I want you all to know how much it meant to me!!! I have tried to visit blogs and leave personal thank you's but I've only gotten around to a few because we are moving tomorrow!!!!!!! Let me just say that it has happened F-A-S-T! Less than a month fast, and the moving truck will be here in the morning!

Needless to say that I will be absent for a couple of days. The moving truck comes tomorrow and we travel to our new city on Sunday; stay in a hotel Sunday night; get keys to new house Monday morning; take Sloan to first day of school; go back to new house and wait for movers; start unpacking; pick up Sloan from first day at new school; return to new home; repeat unpacking. It's going to be a tad bit crazy.

So first, we bid farewell to the place we have called home for the last five years. We have been blessed to have lived here and we will miss it. Here is the farewell home tour:

My BFF these last five years; my Miele coffee machine. If I could wrap my arms around her to hug her goodbye, I would. ;)

So for those who don't yet know where we are moving, I have a little surprise Give-Away. It is a beautiful, classic children's book on our new city. Anyway, the first person who guesses the riddle correctly and leaves the answer in the comment section wins, and I will mail the surprise whenever I can find it in one of the boxes. ;) If for some reason, several people guess correctly, I'll have a drawing.

Here it is: We are moving where giants find gold. Where are we moving?

Hugs to you all!!!!

Black and White Wednesday - End Of An Era

2010-02-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

This sight of our beautiful son on May 5, 2003 is what began a new chapter, a new era of our lives. Chad and I entered into the parenthood stage of life. We were blessed, stretched and challenged. This era has seen new homes, new careers, new friends, new places and new experiences. It has has seen new heartaches, new challenges, new trials and new tests.

Shortly after adopting Kensington in 2007, our marriage went through an almost unrecoverable challenge. But by God's grace our marriage was reconciled and our family restored. What seemed though as a singular test became a series of trials. Chad and his partner in business parted ways. He has spent the last several months seeking God's will and direction for his life in a struggling economy and job market. Shortly thereafter, we realized Sloan's learning differences and sensory integration issues precluded him from attending a traditional classroom and we began to homeschool. My family is in the home building and real estate development business. Painful layoffs of precious friends have been the damaging result of the housing market collapse. Like Job, we have learned in this era that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. It is our daily challenge to bless His name in the midst of it all.

Now it seems that the Lord is on the move and we are coming to an end of an era and the beginning of a new. A new career, a new school and a new city for just a start. I am having to take a giant gulp of faith and step through my fear to take hold of the new adventure in which we have been called. So as we end this chapter and turn the page, I will have a new blog for our new start. I hope that our friends and family will faithfully walk alongside us on this new journey. Though our geography and experiences will change, our hearts will always remain with those we love. So there are no good-byes only new beginnings. Come back and visit us soon in our new beginnings.

"Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

Foreign Language and Children - Why It Is So Important!

2010-01-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

I strongly believe in the importance and relevance of teaching children foreign language at a young age. I began taking Spanish in 7th grade and found that I excelled in this subject. (Wish that had been true about all subjects!) By high school, I passed the Advanced Placement Exam in Spanish and earned college credits even before graduating. Sadly, after a few college courses, I let my usage remain dormant until a few years ago when we began traveling frequently to Mexico. Though much of it has returned, I still am not where I was twenty years ago. My mastery is just not the same. I don't think the same would be true if it had been taught to me at a younger age. Not to mention, had my proclivity for foreign language been fostered at an early age, I might have learned other languages as well.

The optimum time for learning a second, third, fourth, etc. . . language is before the age of 12. In a cruel irony, most U.S. public schools do not even begin to offer foreign language until after that time. Study after study shows that children who learn a foreign language at an early age, do better across the board in other subjects. It also opens a child's mind and understanding of other peoples and other cultures. Further, unlike other activities like soccer, dance, karate etc. . . while all of these advantageous, few people will go on to do these activities as professionals or as adults. Alternatively, foreign language is something that a person can use for a lifetime. It can even open up doors of opportunity when they are ready to enter the work world. Years of soccer practice won't help in a job interview, ( although great for sportsmanship, competition and exercise) but speaking Chinese or Spanish could land a person a higher paying job, or opportunities with a multi-national company. A few years ago, I wanted to open a foreign language school for tots and children in our area. With the economic turn down, I didn't think it wise. I still advocate that our children need to be prepared for a global economy. Our world is shrinking at a rapid pace, and being able to speak with our foreign neighbors is the first step in understanding them and becoming friends. Can you imagine the impact we could have as Christians if we were able to share the Gospel to a person in their native tongue? Just think about how much easier it would be right now for the relief efforts in Haiti if more of the relief workers coming from the U.S. spoke French!

Yes, we are all different, but we have the same Creator and He has the same desire for His children all across the world: to know Him and to love one another.

Posted below is a link to an article in today's NY Times; the article that precipitated this post. Also, I have included links to several companies that offer foreign language classes to children. (These are just a few; there are many, many more!) Check them out and give your child the gift of foreign language. A gift that can help them academically, can increase their earning potential in the future, and could even have a lasting impact in eternity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/education/21chinese.html

http://www.languageworkshopforchildren.com/

http://www.professortoto.com/index.php

http://www.langokids.com

http://www.yakacademy.com

http://www.cais.org/

Our New Year's Baby Turned Three!

2010-01-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

When I first learned of Kensie's birthday falling on January 1st, I was ecstatic.I thought it was a special blessing since we had waited for her so long. My excitement waned though on her first birthday. Having a birthday on such a holiday definitely has its challenges. Kensie has yet to have a "real" birthday party. It isn't easy for your birthday to fall the day after the biggest party of the year, not to mention having to share the spotlight with sleeping late, parades and football. What is a girl to do?! Perhaps a pedi/mani?! It was literally the only thing that was open that I could think to do that she would enjoy. She is obsessed with polishing her nails and always notices when I get mine done. So much to my good friend Kristyn's dismay, I took her to get her nails done for her (almost can't say it) third birthday. She LOVED it! She sat still as a brick and took in every indulgent second. The owner of the salon and her two young children were there and they all sang "Happy Birthday." Later we had a small party at our house.

Above all, each day is a miracle with this precious child. Although we celebrate her birthday only once a year, we are thankful that the Lord chose us to be her family each and EVERY day! We love you, sweet Kensie girl!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas in January?

2010-01-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

I am almost embarrassed, correction, I AM embarrassed to post our holiday photos almost one complete month after Christmas. I drive around after January 1st acting like some type of holiday police and issue imaginary tickets for any trees, lights or wreaths that I see, and here I am with the holiday slide show and music. But as I have said several times before, this is a family scrap book and what type of scrap book would be complete without Christmas memories?!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My next post will be another catch -up. This time, Kensie's b-day. And then a Brain Highways update. I have received a couple of questions on how it is going. Thanks so much for asking and I will do a proper update! Until then, you can all issue me a ticket; any talk of Christmas on January 19th is definitely a violation!

Did Someone Say That It Was Cold?

2010-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

We are back in San Diego, and though I hate to brag, but while most of the country is in a deep freeze, we are experiencing an, umm, bit different climate here.

We'll just have to make do with sand sledding at the beach instead of snow, and eating snow cones instead of building snow men. Oh well, just one of the pitfalls of life in SoCal but we're managing. ;)

Next up: A LONG overdue holiday wrap up and our Kensie's 3rd b-day!

Stay warm where ever you are!

2009 Christmas Card Wishes to All of You!

2009-12-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here is our 2009 Christmas card that I am sending with love to all of you! It is a Holiday Minibook from Minted.com. Last year, I posted cards from Christmases past here. I want to take a moment and SINCERELY wish you all a Merry and Blessed Christmas day!

Home for Christmas!

2009-12-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

After almost six weeks away, we are home for Christmas! And talk about hitting the ground running! As soon as I walked through the door on Friday afternoon, I started addressing Christmas cards. (Crossing my fingers they all arrive in time). Two of my closest friends came by and brought appetizers and conversation. Thank you Kristyn and Katie for a lovely homecoming! By Friday night the house was completely decorated sans tree. Yesterday, the tree was trimmed and the last card mailed. Now for the shopping. . .

Even though I have been lamenting about my expedited Christmas season (I usually have the tree up and house decorated the day after Thanksgiving), it feels good to just appreciate the little things I have missed:

My bed and my pillows. . .

my bathtub. . .

last, but definitely not least, my love affair with my coffee machine

What I missed, really isn't an address, a floor plan, square footage, furniture or things. It is a feeling; a feeling of HOME. It's definitely not a coincidence that the one Christmas song I can't get out of my head this season is good ole' Bing Crosby's rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Fortunately for me, it's not just in my dreams.

Pondering the Pons (and a little fun too)

2009-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who posted such kind, encouraging, informative and inspiring comments! I am a bit emotional right now, and I think I cried over every one! I was so happy to learn that I have some people, whom I didn't know, following our blog since its inception. It is nice to "meet" you. ;) Also, there are some very sweet "friends" of this blog (thank you, Emily) whom always leave such sweet comments but I can't return the favor because they don't have their own blogs. I want you to know that I appreciate you all! And thanks Katie for being one of my closest sojourners in real life and now in blog life too!

We are now in week four of Brain Highways. We have been in San Diego for over a month. I met a father and son last week who are enrolled in the BH program who commute two hours ONE WAY twice a week to attend. We obviously aren't the only family who believes in this program. The part of the brain that we are in the process of "reorganinzing" is the pons. The pons is responsible for most of our automatic reflexes. This is also our "fight or flight" response system. This is how a baby survives. As a baby develops, if proper neurological work is done, the pons takes a back seat to the cortex, the part of the brain responsible for cognitive thinking. If our pons is underdeveloped, any "perceived" threat (a change in routine, transitions, homework, a math test etc. . .) can send a child into fight or flight. These fight or flight responses could result in tantrums, avoidance, unreasonable fears, excuses, etc. . . At BH, they refer to the pons as the "baby brain." As long as the "baby brain" is in charge, life will be much more difficult. It is almost impossible to reason with a "baby brain" no matter the person's chronological age.

To develop the pons, students spend LOTS of time on the floor, and specifically, on their bellies just like babies do or should do. The most important aspect of pons developement is called creeping. Students must creep on the floor using their arms and legs without lifting their chest or belly. I have tried it and it is hard work. Sloan is required to creep for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. When I get home and have all of my proper equipment, I'm going to post a video of him creeping. We try to incorporate fun, food and games to help the time go by. Some days, Sloan creep-creeps away. Other days, I want to pull my hair out because it is such a fight to get the creeping done. My poor friend, Katie came to visit and witnessed creeping on a very bad day. Today we played tic-tac-toe while he creeped and it went great. We have 20 minutes down and 10 more to go. After 12 hours of creeping, we do our first evaluation of any progress made. The pons is supposed to be developed after approximately 150-300 hours of creeping, depending on its underdevelopment. OUCH! Sloan is thought to have a very underdeveloped pons so we are in for a long haul. Double ouch!!

In between all of our creeping, here are a few fun things that we have done these couple of weeks:

A harbor cruise on the ole' Lord Hornblower

A quick, but cherished, visit from "Auntie" Katie

A delightful trip to the New Children's Museum. An urban museum with a complete hands-on approach to art. I took LOTS of pics. This is the "Rain House"

Kensie painting a large, metal whale

Bubbles of all shapes and sizes

Sloan trying out a local inventor's mobile invention

An art project at the musueum

Building. . .

Even rock climbing. What a wonderful experience entirely dedicated to children!
And the child in all of us. . . ;)

Studying marine life at Scripps Aquarium

Sloan modeling with the California Moray

And the reason why we get to have a little fun in between the hard work. Here is a picture of the infamous creeping:

As we ponder our pons, and have a little fun while we're at it, we hope you will join us in pondering our blessings this CHRISTmas season! Hope yours is off to a merry start!

Sensory Processing Disorder, Sloan and Sunny San Diego (My most important post)

2009-11-30T16:47:00.000-08:00

I have in previous posts made indirect references to some of Sloan's "uniqueness". I use this term because Sloan is made in God's image and God doesn't make mistakes. When Sloan was about 14-16 months, we noticed some of his uniqueness budding forth. Sloan was quickly becoming VERY active; not just the normal: "he's a toddler boy; boys will be boys; he's all boy" type of active. This was the type of active that actually caused conflict and tension between Chad and I. It was the type of behavior that made it difficult to parent and in some ways to have normal functioning. When Sloan was around two, we had a stranger come up to us in an airport offering to sell us something Chad termed as "snake oil" to help "cure" our son. Sloan was also not developing at a "normal" rate with his speech and language. So in all of my motherly wisdom, I turned to the Internet, of course! I challenge you to type in the search words "toddler" and "speech delay" and see what pops up. I spent the next several weeks trying to convince myself that Sloan did not have autism. Eventually I faced my fears and made an appointment with a speech therapist who then in turn referred us to an occupational therapist. It was there that Sloan was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction or Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD).

Sensory processing "refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate behavioral and motor responses." SPD exists "when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses." In Sloan's case he has a "hyposensitive" system to sensory intake and causes him to be a "sensory seeker." Everything Sloan does is BIG; that's how he is able to feel sensory stimulation. He loves to crash, jump, tackle, spin. He is often referred to as a dare devil. He needs constant movement. Kindergarten, although not perfect was manageable. It was a short day with lots of movement, music and play.

Enter first grade. Sloan was expected to sit at a small desk and stay on task, most often on independent study with only a break for recess and lunch. For a sensory seeker, it was a nightmare. We have learned that movement actually HELPS Sloan pay better attention and this is the exact behavior for which he was reprimanded. The more his sensory needs were deprived, the more he sought them out. This began to result in multiple visits to the office daily. I was accompanying Sloan to class almost every day as his shadow. To complicate matters, Sloan had a brand new teacher who was overwhelmed in her new assignment. We brought in our occupational and speech therapists to make recommendations but she was not properly equipped to implement these strategies. I began to do research and found that there are private schools that cater to students with SPD and other related disorders. These are schools for students who are very bright but have who have learning differences that traditional schools do not understand. We visited one such school in San Francisco, The Laurel School. Chad and I spent three hours of blissful enlightenment there. It was a light bulb moment when we absolutely knew that Sloan was not in the right environment, and a Laurel-type school was! We knew that his incredible potential could be absolutely realized there, and would be squelched where he was. As we contemplated what we would do on the drive home, I received a long email from his principal detailing his multiple visits to the office that day for things that we saw every child at The Laurel school doing, but there it was accepted and understood. I immediately emailed his principal and told her that Sloan would not be returning. Sloan never went back. His last day of school was at the end of September.

Since that time, I have done the "unthinkable" for me: homeschool. Our school is affectionately referred to as "The Sloan School." It is not my first preference, but it is much better than what we were experiencing. So, where does San Diego fit in all of this? (Great guess, Mrs. B) In one word: BRAIN HIGHWAYS. A superintendent of one of the San Diego School Districts is a friend of Chad's. He told us about this cutting-edge program that helps "reorganize" the brain. It only took one visit to their Encinitas-based center for us to know that we HAD to do this. We learned that although Sloan does have the diagnosis of "Sensory Processing Disorder" it is really irrelevant. The cause of this is incomplete neurological work that did not occur during the first year of life. There are incomplete "highways" that were not developed and it makes life SO much harder. The good news is that the brain CAN change, and we can go back and do patterns from the first year of life to help those highways develop. This is not occupational therapy. We have done that for over 5 years with little results. This is NEUROLOGICAL REORGANIZATION. So we packed up and have moved here for their first program that lasts about 10 weeks. We are living right on the beach in a gorgeous town in North County San Diego called Solana Beach. We are right near the world-famous Del Mar race track. It is an idyllic setting and lots of opportunities for wonderful "Sloan School" field trips.

It isn't just all sand and sunshine. The neurological patterning is hard work. A person's success is directly related to one's commitment and priority to the program. We are making it our NUMBER ONE priority. I urge anyone who has a child with autism, SPD, ADHD, etc. . . or who knows someone with a child with one of these disorders, to please visit their website www.brainhighways.com. There are six short videos on the homepage that are beyond informative. They have just launched an online program for the Spring. They have people from all over the world requesting their program. Many internationally adopted children have sensory issues. I pray that every family who has struggled like ours, can find hope in Brain Highways or a similar approach. We are praying and hoping for great things. I am going to post more often about our Brain Highways experience from this point on IN HOPES THAT SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO READ ABOUT THIS WILL FIND IT. Thank you Lord that you have lead us here. It was part of your plan all along.

On the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum

Sloan, we pray that all of your dreams take flight . . .

and SOAR!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from ??????????????

2009-11-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Can you guess where we are? My next post will (finally) be about where we are and what we are doing here.

I pray you all have a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends reflecting on God's goodness and the many blessings He has given us.
P.S. Thanks to some of my bloggy friends for your last posts. I have missed you!

Do you know where we are?

Fall in Review

2009-11-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to even acknowledge how I have once again failed to keep up with my best "blogging" intentions. How, yet again, I have failed to deliver on a promise to myself to not fall behind and to post more regularly. And I'm surely not going to waste time admitting that I have failed miserably in my self-proclaimed attempt to do a blog "catch-up". A wise person once said, "Actions speak louder than words." Another useful saying is that "A picture speaks a thousand words." So I will let the following pictures serve as several thousand words and "tell" of our family's happenings over this last fall season. Oh, and yes, I did mention some "changes" that have taken place. I'll get to that. . . eventually. :)

On September 17, we celebrated the second anniversary of Kensington becoming part of our family. The most joyous celebration of all!

We love you, beautiful Kensie!

Ready for her "princess" celebration

Celebrating family

Next on our fall happenings were the many celebrations of Sloan's birthday. There were almost as many as his number of years. The first one was a day trip to Great America with mom and dad and then. . .

Celebration number 2 at teppanyaki

On to celebration number 3 with Sloan's football team

"Happy Birthday" sung football-style

Can't forget about celebration number 3 with Sloan's class

And last but not least, the b-day costume party at Pump It Up

What fall season would be complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch?!

Kensie with the goldfish that Sloan won.

Kensie's first preschool celebration: Harvest Party and Costume Parade

Our "Halloween" ballerina

The "Little Lambs" getting ready to parade

Trick or Treat Time

Kensie definitely has a mind of her own. I was thinking adorable princess or pretty panda but Kensie wouldn't have anything to do with it. She wanted to be "Doo Doo", Scooby Doo!

Kensie with her best friend, Siena

Our gang of trick or treaters

One of my "bestest" friends, Jen visited with her husband Dan for Halloween and gave our pooped "Doo Doo" a lift.

Sloan with "the goods"

So far we have had a fabulous fall. We hope and pray yours has been as well. :)

Happy 7th Birthday Sloan!!!!!!!

2009-10-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

I know that I am supposed to be doing my blog "catch up" but I had to first wish my Sloanie a VERY HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Sloan, I pray that your every wish and dream comes true for you! If I searched the whole world over, I would never be able to find a better son! You are one-of-a kind, unique and special. Your joy for life is contagious. There is no one that I have ever met who is as happy and joyful as you are. You never leave your smile behind. My heart explodes with love every time I look into your handsome eyes. I am privileged and honored that God called me and chose me to be your mother. Happy Birthday!

Love,
Mom

Sloan on his first birthday

And Sloan near his 7th birthday. Happy Birthday, precious son!

Playing Blog Catch Up!

2009-10-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

Hello. My name is Tisha and I am a bad blogger. However, I do have some excuses as to my deviant behavior. Things at our household are changing at warp speed since my last post. I am just so thankful that God is in charge of all of these changes otherwise I would probably be a basket case. I am going to attempt to do a blog "catch up" in the next several days to get the blog up to speed. If you are curious as to what has been going on, just stayed tuned. I wouldn't have expected it either. . .

P.S. I am going to allow anonymous followers and comments now so some of my non-blogging friends (Katie that means you) and family can follow along and add a comment here or there. It will be an experiment. If I get any inappropriate postings, I'll go back to the way it was. Isn't it a shame that we have to worry about these things?! Thank you to my bloggy friends who have posted or e-mailed me. I appreciate your concern!

P.S.S. Check out the post BELOW for the newest "catch-up."

Mexico Part 2

2009-09-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

UPDATE - The following was written over a month ago but I hadn't downloaded the pictures yet. I finally just got around to doing it. Even though this has nothing to do with our recent turn of events, I thought I would post it nonetheless since I already started it.-

Ok, so we have been back from Mexico for well over a month, and I'm just getting around to my follow-up post and pictures. Frankly, I think the statute of limitations has run out on this one, but I want to preserve the real purpose of the blog: a family scrapbook and journal. I am not a "Creative Memories" type of person. I can't even cut in a very straight line. I am beyond blessed to have a good friend who is though, and she makes me the most beautiful scrapbook albums out of the goodness of her heart and love for our family. Thank you Auntie Jean!!!!! Each book you make for us is crafted with love and we LOVE you!

Now on to MY participation in the family memory preservation process. Luckily, I can download, copy and paste. The following pictures of our summer time in Mexico are of our family after the "boys" arrived. Now that we are back in the "routine" of life with small, school-aged children, these pictures are taking me back and giving me a vacation for my mind. Gracias, Mexico por todos los recuerdos (Thank you Mexico for all of the memories).

Kensie missed her Sloanie. Here at the airport as the boys arrive.

Los hermanos. Sloan and Kensie feeling very comfortable with the Latin culture.

Family fun, Mexico-style

Friends cross all cultural and language borders. These are the two daughters, Alexandra and Daniella of our dear friend Susana.

Sloan and Daniela. Would they make a cute couple in 20 years or what?!

Kensie checking out "Isa" the Iguana that Chad caught in our condo.

Surfer Sloan

My two favorite people in my favorite place.

First Day of School, Take Two!

2009-08-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

So in my last post, I went on and on trying to justify why we had decided to send Kensie to a non-Christian preschool. After just two days, I could no longer convince myself that we had made the right decision. I put in a call last Thursday to see if the preschool we had originally intended to send her and the preschool where Sloan attended for two years, might miracuolusly have a spot for Kensie. This is the same preschool where parents line up at 5:00am in the Spring to guarantee a spot. By His mercy and grace, they indeed had an opening for Kensie on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Apparently, several kiddos didn't get potty-trained on time. Today was Kensie's second, first day of school!

Kensington did brilliantly. Her teachers asked if she had been going to daycare. They were surprised to find that she had not. They said she immediately settled into their routine and schedule. She even got a little award for doing so well on her first day. Unfortunately, my Sloanie is having a bit more trouble adjusting to first grade. Today, I went and helped in his classroom. It's been a bit of a tumultuous start. It is a LONG day that is complicated by his sensory issues. I would appreciate any and all prayers as we help him make the necessary adjustments to make a productive and successful transition.

To end on a positive note, I asked Kensie if she prayed at school today. Tears welled in my eyes as she said, "Yes, Jesus loves me." This was absolute confirmation that after a brief detour, the Lord directed us back to Him. He was waiting for us, arms outstretched, all along.

First day, take two! :)

Kensie with her new classmates

All smiles at the end of the first day with Miss Catherine

All hugs for Miss Becca

Kensie in her Little Lambs class. Right where she belonged all along.

Look who else had her first day of school!!!!

2009-08-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

After weeks of indecision and anguish, I finally decided to send Kensie to preschool. Today was her first day of school! I went back and forth a thousand times and late yesterday it was a definitive no. By early morning though, it was a maybe. It didn't become a definitive yes until I drove into the preschool parking lot. Kensie was telling me that she didn't want to go to school, that she wanted to go home and watch t.p. (that is how she pronounces t.v.). I told Kensie that we would just go and try it. It first seemed an inevitable disaster. The teacher had to pry her away from me and she went into uncontrollable sobbing. Fortunately, we had forgotten her backpack and I had to go back to the car and get it. (It is so hard to see your children like that) When I returned she was no longer crying and within a few minutes she was seated with the other children painting. The school has a one-way window so I could observe her and she didn't even know that I was there. I watched her transition into circle time and I left when she was nodding her head in agreement and raising her hand. When I came back she was on the school train with her class having a grand time. She did great and seems eager to go back.

Part of my indecision is the fact that this is not a Christian preschool.The other part had to do with her young age and not quite sure if she was ready. Sloan went to Christian preschool and he is now in a Christian elementary school so that is all we have ever known. Honestly, the reason I sent Kensie to this particular school is because the facility is amazing. This is truly a state-of-the-art preschool. But, on the other hand, Sloan's K-2 campus is rather old and dingy, but it is filled with love and it is filled with Jesus. Just like the clothes don't make the man, the campus doesn't make the school. But for some reason, I still felt compelled to send Kensie here. I prayed about it and I think I may know what helped lead to my decision. If Sloan and Kensie are both going to Christian schools, then I may have a tendency to feel that they both receive adequate spiritual training/education at school and not do as much at home. Now, I will have to make sure that Kensie learns about Jesus, prays, knows her Bible stories, etc. . . all at HOME. Parents have the primary responsibility to train up their children in the way they should go, so when they are old they will not depart from it. I think it will be good for all of us. Plus, perhaps our family can be used to minister to non-Christian families at her school. We would be privilieged to be used by the Lord if He so chooses.

Dear Kensie,

I can't believe that you are a big-girl preschooler! I am so proud of you. I pray that you have a wonderful year learning how to count, your ABC's, how to share and how to be a friend. I pray that you continue to learn to love Jesus at home and at church. I pray that you will extend that love of Jesus to your friends at preschool.

Love,
Mom

Her clothes and things are all ready for preschool, but is Kensie?

Kensie getting her backpack ready for school just in case I decide to send her

Should I send her or not?!?! This dress is awfully cute, and it won't fit for the first day of school next year. If she doesn't go, maybe I could sell it on Ebay Hmmmmm. . .

WILL SHE OR WON'T SHE????????????????????????????????????????

She will and she did! All smiles at the end of the day. There are only photos though from the END of the day and not the beginning. The screaming fits are not exactly Kodak moments. ;)

Inside the choo-choo train at the end of the morning

The highlight of the day

Kensie with her teacher, Mrs. Lopez

Apples for every student at the end of the day. Kensie received an apple when we visited the school last spring. Since then, whenever the topic of school would arise, Kensie would always mention those apples.

A well-deserved apple for our budding preschooler

Kensie is happy with mom's FINAL decision. She knew it was the right one all along. :)

First Day of First Grade!

2009-08-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Sloan's first day of school. I can't believe that I am a mother of a first grader!!!! In classic Sloan style, even after all summer of vacation, he was more than up for the task and ready to go.

Sloan's school starts the first day of each school year with a convocation that is filled with praise, worship and prayer. It really sets the right tone to start the year on a hopeful and prayerful note. Then it's off to class. Sloan has a new teacher this year: Mrs. Lee. She is a lovely and loving woman. He likes her already. :) She got the first graders right to work. They all sat at their desks and had to write the beginning phrase of their first week's Bible verse: "In the beginning God. . . ". Then she had them review writing their numbers. Not one child made a peep but our Mr. Sloan. You could audibly hear him, "One, two, three. . . " I have prepared Mrs. Lee for our buddy Sloan. We had about a one hour meeting last week. When I saw her coming out of the class at the end of the day holding Sloan's hand, I realized the meeting may have not been preparation enough. ;) Needless to say, Mrs. Lee is in our prayers. :) I was impressed with her words in a letter she sent home at the end of the day: "I look forward to a great year as we partner together to educate and raise children who will love and serve the Lord Jesus!" Amen, Mrs. Lee!

Dear Sloan, I pray that you have a first grade year full of learning, fun and growth. I pray the Lord will use your joy and strengths to bless the others in your class. I pray that you will learn to love Mrs. Lee and she will leave an indelible mark on your life. Most of all, I pray you learn to love Jesus and become the little boy he designed you to be!

Love,
Mom

The night before. . . Backpack, check. New shirt and shorts, check. New shoes, check. Mommy ready for back to school, CHECK! ;)

Our handsome first grader. He is even getting a "big" tooth on top!

At the convocation with one of his best buddies, Tommy.

Silly, family self-portrait

Sloan with his first-grade teacher, Mrs. Lee

First, official assignment.

Sloan settling into his first grade class.

We're back/Mexico Part 1

2009-08-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

After two (extremely short) weeks, we've all safely returned home from Mexico. As I write this, tears are almost welling up in my eyes. (Sniff, sniff). Needless to say, I was NOT ready to leave. Mexico has become a part of me. Each time, reality beckons us home to "real" life, I leave a bit of my heart in Mexico. Punta Mita is truly a magical place that can not be described into words; it must be experienced. So, I will not serve an injustice by telling you about our trip. Instead I will try and let the pictures do more than words are able, and give bit a glimpse of the beauty and the magic of Punta Mita, Mexico.

Our first week was for "Girls Only".

Adios, Sloanie. This week is a trip for "chicas" only. :)

Arriving and reuniting with friends. This is Susana and part of her family. Susana was present with us when Kensie was placed in our arms in China. She will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Kensie ready for her first dip in the pool of the trip

The "other" girls of the trip. My good friends Kristyn and Katie

Dinner at sunset on the beach at Punta Mita

Katie and I in old town Puerto Vallarta

The following pics of Kensie were some of my favorites from girls week

Next post. . . the boys are allowed, um, I mean arrive. :)

Hasta Luego

2009-07-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, senorita Kensie and I are headed to our casa in Mexico. We are going to have a chicas trip whereas a couple of my girlfriends will join us. Later, the friends will move out and Chad and Sloan will move in, and we'll spend some time there together as a family. I had planned to bring Sloan as well, but Chad didn't want to stay home alone and doesn't want him to miss football. Sloan has started youth tackle football. Yes, you read that right. Our Russian powerhouse is playing in a K-2 tackle football league. Admittedly, I think he is awfully young, but I was out-voted on this one. These tikes have practice EVERY night from 6:00-8:30pm!!!!! But, if there was ever a six-year-old kid to have the temperment and energy for this, it is our Sloanie.

I won't have a laptop the first part of my trip, so I won't be able to post until Chad arrives. If anyone is wondering, I'm not worried about the Swine Flu (no documented cases in our area and it's already spread to most of the world); I'm not concerned about the drug wars (thousands of miles from us, and we're not drug dealers anyway (LOL)), and we never get sick (we have purified water). Mexico is such a beautiful, welcoming country and it is a shame that it has been batterd by such negative publicity. The paranoia that has been spread has really hurt the Mexican people. Here is a wonderful link that helps reveal the truth about Mexico and counters many of the false stereotypes and perceptions. So pack a bathing suit, dust off the old Spanish dictionary, and come to Mexico for a relaxing, cultural, and culinary experience. Mexico is open for business and bienvenidos (welcome)to all! Until next time, hasta luego!

Beautiful Mexican sunset

Our Girlie-Girl

2009-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Months ago I had this wonderful idea that I was going to reserve a day to blog about each child; their own special posts. Well, I think that I've only done about three posts total in this regard. I always have the most wonderful intentions but, alas, somehow my actions fall short. Well today, I will try to resurrect this idea and blog about my precious little girl. Warning: this may be a long post; I have a lot of ground to make up.

Kensie is now 2 1/2 and every bit of a spit-fire. She is strong willed and fiercely independent. This is tempered though by a sweet, loving nature as well. Her first (and most commonly used) two words were "I do." As her language skills have progressed, her new favorite phrase is "I do by myself." In close second for frequent use is "I need that." This phrase not only covers necessities, but desires, wants and anything Miss Kensie has in her sights. Let's just say that Kensie "needs" many, many things. ;) A probable tie for second is "How about me?" She uses this whenever she hears someone making plans or receiving something that does not include her. As you can see, our two year old is right on track for the "world revolves around me" phase of development.

Kensie just went through a little bit of a fearful stage. All of a sudden, she didn't want to be left with her babysitter, didn't want to go to Sunday School, didn't want to swim in the pool, etc. .. All these things she did and enjoyed before. But suddenly, it was all about "my mommy" and I mean all of the time!
Aside from Sunday School (still working on that one) the phase seems to have come and gone. You would not believe how high she jumps into the pool!

One of the most evident things about her right now is that she is a complete "girlie-girl." She must have her lipstick (or as she says it "ipstick")with her at ALL times. She applies multiple layers and refuses kisses because it might mess up her application. As I type, I have blue glitter nails and toes that Kensie painted for me last night. She currently is sporting about three different colors of polish herself. She would love to paint "her Sloanie's" nails as well, but since he is ALL boy, he won't let her touch his nails with a ten-foot pole. Everything is all about princesses. She must wear her princess underwear, eat with her princess spoon and fork, write with a princess pen, etc. . . etc. . . And our little girl would never even think about leaving the house without a bow in her hair. I'd be lying if I said I didn't just love it! :)

Notice the nail polishes. ;)

To my dear Kensie,
I love the little girl that you are becoming. God has given you such a sweet, feminine, yet independent spirit. I love the "girlie" times that we enjoy together. I pray for many more to come. Love, Mom

Our precious Mei-Mei

Thankful Thursday

2009-07-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for these two people in my life who teach me more about love each day. . .

"A new commandment I give to you, that you LOVE one another, even as I have LOVED you, that you also LOVE one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another." John 13:34-35.

Another thing that I am thankful for today is God's mercies; they are new every morning! I recently read somewhere that we desire mercy for ourselves but want justice for others. I pray that God would change my heart that I may be mindful that I deserve justice but instead I am undeservedly graced with God's mercy. May I also learn to desire mercy for those around me as much as I desire it for myself. A pint-size (but very strong-willed) two-year-old has been teaching me this lesson. Whenever we discipline Sloan, Kensie rushes to his defense and seeks to comfort him. In the following picture, Sloan was placed in time-out and she quickly sat in his lap, placed her arms around him and gave him the most endearing embrace. Altough, this was supposed to be a teaching moment for Sloan, I had to run and get my camera. Kensie's desire is that her brother be treated with mercy more than with justice. Thank you Lord, that even when I deserve condemnation and judgment, you administer grace and mercy in its stead.

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:36

Orphans Deserve Better

2009-07-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

On July 24, Warner Bros. is releasing a disturbing new movie titled "Orphan" about a diabolical young orphan girl who goes to live with a family and begins to terrorize their lives. I was sickened the first time that I saw a commercial for this film. I believe the negative, destructive stereotypes this film portrays harm both orphans and adoptive families alike. There are an estimated 145 million orphans in the world today, each of them created in God's image and everyone of them as loved as much as the rest of us. In fact, until we are graced with God's grace, we are all spiritual orphans who need to be adopted by our Abba, Father. Though, I have done no formal research on the matter, my instincts tell me that probably the greatest reason people do not adopt is out of fear. This movie does nothing more than fuel those fears even if it is purely "entertainment."

Lifesong for Orphans has created the Orphans Deserve Better campaign to counteract the negativity of this film. They have written a letter to the Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. expressing their concern and suggesting a countermessage at the end of the film, and urging them to donate a portion of the proceeds to help orphans around the world. They invite anyone to sign the petition that will be sent to the Warner Bros.' Chairman. Please consider stopping by and taking a couple of seconds to join this important message. Click here to visit the petition and sign.

Happy (6th) Adoption Day!!!!!

2009-07-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

On June 17, 2003 a bright-eyed Russian boy left behind the only home he had ever known in a Siberian orphanage and was united with a mother and father who somehow, inexplicably love him even more today than on the day we met him. Last week, we celebrated our sixth year as a forever family and the adoption of our precious son.

In Sloan's honor, we had beef stroganoff (admittedly the only Russian dinner that I know to prepare), and set the dining room table in all of our finest, complete with Russian decorations. I first made beef stroganoff a few weeks ago for Sloan and at first he wasn't too sure he would like it. After some persuasion, he tried it then proceeded to clear his plate and ask for seconds. Half way through the meal, he proclaimed, "Ummm, this Russian food is good." :)

I end this post with a quote from one of the first books that I ever bought for Sloan called, "Happy Adoption Day" by John McCutcheon:

Oh, who would have guessed, who could have seen
Who could have possibly known
All these roads we have traveled, the places we've been
Would have finally taken us home

Chorus:
So here's to you, and three cheers to you
Let's shout it, "Hip, hip, hip, hooray!"
For, out of a world so tattered and torn,
You came to our house on that wonderful morn
And all of a sudden this family was born
Oh, Happy Adoption Day!

There are those who think families happen by chance
A mystery their whole life through
But we had a voice and we had a choice
We were working and waiting for you

Chorus

So no matter the name, no matter the age
No matter how you came to be
And no matter the skin, we are all of us kin
We are all of us one family

Chorus

Written by John McCutcheon (© 1992 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP))

Our Guest of Honor

Celebrating with a few of our Russian momentos

Our table set for a special meal

Mother and son

Dinner is served. As quoted by Sloan, "Ummm, this Russian food is good!"

Sloan on Adoption Day, 2003

Sloan on Adoption Day, 2009

Thanks be to God for entrusting us to raise this beautiful child of God! Happy Adoption Day, our dear son, Sloan!

Dad's Day Celebration

2009-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a nice day celebrating Father's Day with both my dad and Chad. The message from church was the importance of a father's role in the family and the wounds that can be caused when a father is absent either emotionally or physically. I had to stop and praise God because I couldn't have had a better father than my dad. He is a strong man of God who continues to faithfully lead and provide for his family with an abundance of unconditional love. Likewise, I praise God for the wonderful, loving father that my children have in Chad. Watching the excitment in my children as they run and jump into their father's arms at the end of each day is just priceless. I pray for every child who doesn't have the privilege of a loving father's arms. I pray that they will know and understand that they have the arms of a heavenly father who will never leave them or forsake them. Thank you Jesus for being our Abba, Father!

Father and son united for the first time, May 2003

Father and son, June 21, 2009

Father and daughter united for the first time, September 2007

Father and daugter, June 21,2009

Later in the day, my dad took Sloan and Chad golfing. Kensie came for a few shots on the driving range before the boys headed off. Thanks for the lesson Papa!

Sloan ready for the range

Kensie with golf balls in one hand and lipstick in the other

Sloan in the zone

Kensie giving it a "whack" :)

"Hey, I think it's more fun to throw it!"

Papa giving Sloan tips on his swing

A Happy Father's Day indeed!

Swinging into Summer

2009-06-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's not officially summer yet, but we have swung into summer nonetheless. Sloan has already been out of school for almost three weeks. Our first two weeks of vacation were a bit slow because public schools weren't out here yet. So you would think with all of that time on my hands, I would have had more time for blogging. The problem is that the more time I have, I find there is less to blog about. Otherwise, I might bore to tears the whole 10 followers that I have.(That probably includes the present post as well) And I want you to know how much I appreciate all 10 of you!!!! :)

But now, our summer routine has begun. Sloan started his first sports camp at our golf club. They do tennis, golf, fitness and swimming. He is loving every minute of it. It was hilarious for our six-year-old to be telling us about his yoga class. Next week, it will be Vacation Bible School.

Last Friday, we went with Chad to the Bay Area for a meeting and took the kids on BART. They loved it! Sloan kept referring to it as a "bullet train." Chad has clients here from the Dominican Republic and I will be leaving the kids for a couple of days and heading to San Francisco with him to help entertain them. Thank you Auntie Katie and Uncle Chris!!!

We hope this is just the beginning of many fun-filled summer days with family and friends.

On the adoption front, a BIG congrats to our friends Andrew and Jenn who just brought their son, Jeremy home from Haiti. He is an absolute doll! Though their wait for Jeremy was long, God was faithful! We are so happy for them. Another friend of mine from college is headed to Taiwan this week to bring home her precious baby daughter, and a blog friend Michelle and her husband are also headed to China to bring their precious 10 year-old daughter home as well. Please keep these families in your prayers. My heart just swells with joy when I think of God's great plans for these children and their new, forever families.

Here is a bit of what we've been up to:
A trip to the zoo

Kensie didn't mind posing with the giraffes. . .

But she was happy to let big brother do the feeding

A chilly day at the beach in Carmel

Kensie playing in the water

Going to work with dad on the "bullet train"

Then later at a high-powered "business" lunch with dad :)

After lunch with friends at the mall

And just hanging out at home and taking time to smell the flowers. . .

This last shot of Kensie was taken by "her" Sloanie. :) Maybe Sloan can help give me some "artistic direction" with my shots. ;) Good job Sloan!

Hope you all are having a good start to your "almost" summer!

Kindergarten Graduate!

2009-05-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today was Sloan's kindergarten graduation ceremony. Where did the year go? I have a feeling that we are going to turn around and be at his high school graduation before we know it. I can in all honesty say that I was more proud of Sloan today than I have ever been before. The progress, maturity, and development he has made is astounding! Sloan was awarded the Character Trait Award for Courtesy/Politeness. ( I guess my never ending "Sloan what do you say?" paid off. :) He also earned a certificate for memorizing all of his A-Z Bible verses throughout the year! Way to go Sloan! Though I don't want to be considered as bragging about my children, I want to make them feel good about themselves and celebrate with them their accomplishments. To bear witness to all of the delays and struggles Sloan has faced, and to see him today, is a testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness.

We truly had the BEST teacher this year. Sloan has been blessed beyond words to have been taught by this extraordinary woman of God. She has shown Sloan the love of Jesus! Thank you Mrs. Witters!!!!!!!!

I knew today would be cute and that there would be a few tears, but I did not expect for a group of kindergartners to minister to my heart. The love and exuberance these wee ones have for Jesus is heart-warming. They are not worried about tomorrow or regretful about yesterday. They simply savor the moment knowing they are taken care of. I realized that we are called to do the same. Even though we have many more challenges than a six-year-old (finances, recession, illnesses, marital problems, etc. . . ), the call to live for today and savor the moment knowing that God is taking care of us is still the same. Today reminded me of what is truly important in life; God and family. These children have learned to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. It really is true that everything we need to know, we learned in kindergarten. I pray that the Lord does amazing things with each of these special lives.

And now on to the show . . . (Warning! I have lots of videos and pictures but this is our family scrapbook :) Everyone told us that we have quite the performer on our hands. One grandmother came up to me and said that Sloan is ready for American Idol. :) I don't know if Simon Cowell will last that long.;)

This first video is actually an encore performance from earlier this year but too good to pass up. :)

Sloan with his Gammy and Papa

Sloan with his "Auntie Jean". Thanks Jean for loving Sloan and Kensie so much!

Sloan with Chad's mom, his grandmother

The graduate's mei mei. When do I get to steal the show?!

Here with my dear friend Kristyn. Sloan and her son are great buds. I think Kristyn and I had more fun this year in kindergarten than the boys did, but don't tell them. :)

The best one for last

Our graduate growing into a strong (little) man of God.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a festive Cinco de Mayo. I had planned on posting this much earlier but had computer download difficulties. Technically though, it is still Cinco de Mayo on the West Coast. :)

Have you ever wondered why Mexico celebrates this holiday and its significance? It is commonly mistaken for Mexican Independence Day but that holiday is September 16th. Here is the reason as told by our kindergartner who learned this in Spanish class today:

For a more detailed explanation click here. :)

Also an "hola" from our Kensie as well

Ahora vamos a celebrar! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Drumroll please. . .

2009-04-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

After almost six years, I've finally done it! I've made a short video of Sloan's adoption journey. I had been wanting to do this since we first came home, but somehow five plus years just flew by. Have I mentioned that I'm a serious procrastinator? Anyway, when I finally sat down to do it, I was quite surprised how easy it was. If only I knew then, what I know now. . .

This will probably look quite similar to other adoption videos you have seen: a photographic journey set to sentimental music. For us, it is the emotional, life-changing story of how God brought literal strangers living on opposite ends of the globe together and formed our family. I was looking at Sloan just yesterday and thought my heart would burst with love. Thank you Lord for this amazing child. Though I never delivered him through physical labor, our journey to Sloan was nonetheless an absolute labor of love!

A little this and that. . .

2009-04-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Easter celebration. The next morning, Chad flew to Charlotte, North Carolina for a meeting. Now he is headed to Las Vegas for a convention. I am flying out later today to join him. I want to say a BIG thank you to our dear friends Chris and Katie for watching our Sloan and Kensie. Thanks also to Auntie Jean for helping with the kids, as well, while we're gone. Chad and I haven't gotten away on our own for quite some time so it will be nice. Hopefully, there will be some time to mix business. Oh, of course there will; it's Vegas!!! Next week, I'm going to post a video I made of Sloan's adoption. I just finished it. It took me only about six years to get this done. Stay tuned. . .

I'm also going to attempt to be a more consistent blogger. I really enjoy blogging, especially the personal connections made with other bloggers. I haven't been blogging long and sporadically at best, but I have already had some wonderful interactions with some very lovely people. I also want to spend more time commenting because this helps cultivate further "blog friendships". I visit many blogs and always look forward to my favorites when there is a new post but I seem to always have to rush off before I can add a word of congratulations, support, encoragement, etc. . . Hopefully these intentions will not suffer a fate similar to New Year's resolutions.

I'll be back over the weekend. Until then, here are some pictures from Easter. Have a great week. Also, a BIG Happy Birthday to my mom! We love you, Mom!!!!!!!!!

Just before Easter. Warming up for the "real" thing. :)

Easter morning. Do you like my Easter dress?

The men of my life

Happy Birthday, Gammy!!!!!

Joy for the Resurrection!

Bunny Fun

2009-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today we went to our country club for their annual Easter Egg Hunt. It was a precursor to the "real" Easter egg hunt we will have tomorrow. ;) It was a colorful, fun, family event. Kensie had her face painted like a bunny rabbit. Everyone thought it was adorable except for big brother. Have I mentioned his fear of caricatures and costumes? He wouldn't hesitate to go bungee jumping off a cliff(if we allowed this), but won't go within 100 yards of the Easter Bunny. (He shows no prejudices though; he feels the same towards Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse, etc. . . ) He literally wouldn't even look at Kensie. Too funny!

Tomorrow we will celebrate the most holy day of the year. Two years ago at Sloan's preschool for Easter ,the kids dressed as "Good News" Bunnies (for some reason he wasn't afraid then). As the children paraded around the church lawn, their director would ask, "What's the good news?" The children then gleefully shouted, "Jesus is alive!" Simple. True. Powerful. The "good news" - our salvific faith- as shared from a four year-old bunny.

Happy Easter!

Our "Good News Bunny" two years ago. "Jesus is alive!"

And pictures from today. . .

Kensie finding a golden egg!

Who could be afraid of this face?

Apparently Sloan can! This is how he sat all throughout lunch, hiding his face from Kensie.

"Is she still there?"

Our family, Easter 2009

Play Ball!

2009-03-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Sloan had his opening day of T-ball. This is his first year of Little League Baseball. We have a very competetive and well-organized Little League program in our community. Today was Sloan's first full game; he is on the Orioles. He played 2nd base, outfield, catcher and pitcher. All of the kids did great! It doesn't get much more American than Little League. They even play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and the "Star-Spangled Banner" before the game. It got me in such a patriotic mood, I would have even had a hot dog if it hadn't been nine o'clock in the morning. ;)

Little Miss Kensie cheered for "her" Sloan. She affectionately refers to him as "my So". Speaking of Kensie, I haven't written much about her lately. I'm going to do my next post just on her. Sloan has so many activities right now and because of their age difference, the poor thing probably feels like a "tag-along." Don't worry Kensie; your time is coming soon, whether it be tutus, tumbling or t-ball. :) But for now, "Let's play ball"!

Opening Day Parade

Sloan with his good friend Tommy

Two generations of Little Leaguers. Over 50 years ago, Sloan's Papa played in the Little League World Series

Sloan's #1 fan!

Kensie wants to be the designated hitter

Sloan at bat

Sloan at pitcher, grounding a ball

Sloan gives his first game of t-ball a thumbs up!

Strong Man of God

2009-03-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

The other day as Chad was saying goodbye to Sloan to leave for work, the sweetest conversation took place. Chad and Sloan were talking about how when Sloan becomes an adult, he too will go to work. Then Sloan told him, "My teacher says that I'm going to grow up into a strong man of God." This caused me to stop and immediately thank God for his Christian education. The seeds ARE being planted. He IS listening. He IS learning. I told his teacher this and we both got tears in our eyes. She said that this is what makes teaching all worth it. We love you Mrs. Witters!

Growing into a "Strong Man of God"

~ Sloan had a big week at school. Friday was Dad's Day and Chad went to school with him all day. It was a very special time for the both of them. Chad texted while he was there and wrote, "This is just what I needed!" Also, this week, Sloan had his turn as "Smile Bringer". Mrs. Witters makes a crown for each child and they have their day when the children shout out what makes that particular child bring a smile to their face as Mrs. Witters writes the comments on their crown. Some of Sloan's comments from his classmates, that I found particularly endearing, were: "He is sooo cheerful"; "Me and Sloan are best buddies"; "He plays with everybody"; "He's a great hugger" and "He is growing in Jesus." The children just thrive from this affirmation. He thought that crown was made of gold and didn't even want to take it off so I could read the comments. It just goes to show how powerful our words are; either for good or for bad. It was a good reminder how I need to praise and affirm my children every day!

Chad and Sloan on Dad's Day
Our "Smile Bringer"

~ On a funny side note. Today as the kids were playing outside, Sloan deliberately threw his and Kensie's balls into the pool. As part dare/reprimand, Chad told Sloan he had to go in after them. In classic Sloan style, he ran into the house, changed into his swimsuit, and did a cannon-ball into the pool. Although it was a nice sunny day, the temperature was only in the low sixties. I can't even begin to imagine how cold that water felt. It is afterall, still winter. He didn't last too long and he was begging for a towel. That's our Sloanie.

I double-dog dare ya!

A little colder than it looked!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Influential Lives of Purpose

2009-02-27T06:48:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest returns on the time investment of blogging, has been the men and women I have met or read about leading such influential lives of purpose. These people cause me to pause and reflect on my own life; how I want to spend my time, my money, my abilities, and my heart for the kingdom of God. Joy Portis is one such woman. I asked her if I could share this amazing video she made about adoption. I pray that someone who sees this may feel challenged or lead, not only to consider adoption, but to step out in faith and do it. Please visit her blog and read about her extraordinary family. And, please pray for their oldest daughter who is recovering from a bad accident. Thank you Joy, for being an example of what God can do through a family who chooses to step out in faith, and is always ready to say, "yes", when God calls you to join Him.

President's, Points and Parades

2009-02-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

We had a great President's Day weekend. It all began last Friday with Sloan's kindergarten class' Red, White and Blue Revue in honor of our presidents. They all wore patriotic hats, recited American poetry, sang patriotic songs, and proudly waved Old Glory. You can bet there was a rendition of "It's a Grand Old Flag" involved. Then there was a brief intermission to prepare for the Valentine's party. Between the activity of the show, party and LOTS of candy, it was kindergarten stimulus overload. But, it was a great time! I almost didn't make it to any of it because Kensie and I had to make a detour to Urgent Care because she slipped coming out of the bath tub and split her chin open. Luckily, we were in and out of there in record time without having to have stitches; only dermabond. Poor baby!

On Saturday, we started our Valentine's Day with a basketball game. Sloan is in a little hoopster league. Out of all of the sports he has played thus far (flag football, soccer and basketball), this is by far his best sport. We thought his team may be in for a "Bad News Bear" season, but they turned things around on Saturday and won both of their games. Sloan scored 14 POINTS! His teammates really rely on him and he is a major force on the team. I am really proud of how he hustles for the ball and plays aggressive defense. And if he has the ball, rest assured, he's gonna shoot!! It truly is a hoot to watch. My eight years of cheerleading (high school and college) really come to the surface during these games. I admit I am becoming one of "those" parents. UGGGH, I'll try to work on it. ;)

After, a stellar basketball performance, we were off to our local Chinese New Year's parade. We marched in the parade with a local Families with Children from Asia adoption group. Hong Kong or San Francisco, this is not! But, the kids had fun and it was a great chance to bond with other adoptive families. About 40 of us then went and had dim sum after the parade. Oh yeah, it was Valentine's Day too; almost forgot.

I hope that everyone's Valentine's weekend was filled with the supreme, all-surpassing love of our Lord! His is the ultimate gift of love!

Our proud Russian-American

Pledge allegiance to the flag, the Christian flag and the Bible

You're a Grand Old Flag

Happy Valentine's Day too

My other little Valentine

Sloan at Little Hoopsters, inbounding the ball

Gimme and "S", gimme and "L", gimme and "O", oops, sorry. Getting a little carried away. ;)

Go defense!

Yes! We finally won one!

Official parade entrants

Our group's float
The star of the parade, in my unbiased opinion of course. ;)

Families with Children from Asia. Each child a unique blessing from God!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2009-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours, Happy Chinese New Year! The following pictures were taken in Changsha, China.

Mexico Part 2, Finally!

2009-01-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

We have been back from Mexico for almost two weeks and I am just getting around to posting pictures of the second half of our trip. I guess I'm not doing too well with some of my New Year's resolutions regarding procrastination. ;)

We had a fabulous trip. The first week was with our friends in Costa Careyes then we all headed down the Pacific Coast to Punta Mita for a week in our home. Then our dear friends, Jen and Dan, from San Francisco joined the fun. I admit I was a bit worried about spending two solid weeks with another family in the same quarters with five small children. But, honestly, I think we could have gone another week! Now, that is the sign of a great friendship!

Chad and I love Mexico. From time to time, we consider making it a permanent move. We love the climate, the cuisine, the language, the culture and the sincerity of the people. I truly believe that travel changes a person. We are blessed to have been changed by our experiences in the beautiful, rich country of Mexico. Mexico, te amos!

Chris, Katie, Chad and I on New Year's Eve

Picking up Jen and Dan in Puerto Vallarta

My two best friends!

Two other best friends!

Kensie with her other best friend, Sydney

Josh and Sloan having a blast!

Ahhhhh. . .

Sweet AND studly! :)

More fun times; heading for whale watching

Enjoying fish tacos in Sayulita

Chris and Chad playing polo in San Pancho

The cheering crowd

Kensie at the golf club

The beautiful new St. Regis Punta Mita at sunset

A perfect trip with beloved friends! We are SO blessed!

Note-After Christmas I had my original blog design reinstalled and there are a couple of quirks now. I hope to have it resolved soon.

Mexico Trip Part 1

2009-01-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hola again from Mexico. Last Sunday we left Careyes and now we are at our home in Punta Mita. We are having a wonderful time; good food, good conversations, good friends! Katie and Chris, our very good friends, generously hosted us for almost a week at their condo in Careyes. They were amazingly hospitable. We had an unbelieveable time, with many unbelieveable stories that I want to post about when I'm home and have more time. We return home on Sunday, and we will have a hard lesson in reality when we arrive to the fog and cold and straight back to our routine. But as Scarlett O'hara said, I won't think about that today. I've got three more days in paradise and I will savor each moment. Here are some of the memories we are making along the way. . .

Sloan on the mechanical bull at a children's New Year's party in Careyes

Kensie getting ready to release a baby sea turtle

Kensie and Auntie Katie

The release of these turtles is quite remarkable. As they are being released onto the sand into the water, the turtles track the beach. Scientist have studied these turtles and find that they can swim as far as Peru but will always come back to the exact beach in which they were released

Birthday Girl

An ice cream treat for the birthday girl

Kensie's Mexican shirt with a ladybug touch

This was as close to a birthday cake as we could find

Polo in Careyes

Future polo players

We miss our family and friends and we will see you all soon. Hasta luego!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday Kensie!!!!!

2009-01-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hola from Mexico. Feliz Ano Nuevo y Feliz Cumpleanos a Kensie!!!!! We are in Costa Careyes, Mexico with some of our closest friends celebrating the New Year, and celebrating our daughter´s second birthday. We are all having a wonderful time. I have so much to share, but do not have the time today. Today is a day to honor and celebrate Kensington Elizabeth Zhen.

I want to wish everyone a blessed, joyful, and healthy New Year! The Lord is good today, tomorrow, and everyday! May we face the uncertainties of 2009 with confidence that we are always in God´s perfect will. Happy New Year!

Our precious girl!!!! Happy Birthday, Kensington!

Our family in Mexico. Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Christmas Memories 2008

2008-12-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Saviour! We began our day with Sloan looking downstairs and shouting, "Santa came! He ate five cookies!" It makes my heart sing to watch my children, with innocence and awe, enjoying the magic of Christmas. My parents soon joined us for breakfast. I have a wonderful Christmas morning Russian coffee cake recipe that I make every year to incorporate a bit of Sloan's Russian heritage. It was soon time to head to my parents house for family lunch and then to Chad's mom's home for Christmas dinner. This was one of my favorite Christmases because Sloan is the perfect age to fully appreciate the day and all of its splendor. We ended our day by driving through a beautiful section of town with wonderful Christmas lights. As we were leaving, Sloan saw a manger scene and said, "Good bye, baby Jesus." Right on cue Kensie, said, "Bye bye, baby Jesus." What a perfect ending to a magical day!

Chad and Sloan playing tennis on Wii

May the force be with you

We knew "Kensie-Cat" would need the force with her as well

Having fun with Papa

Through many valiant efforts, we still could not get a good family Christmas picture

Chad with his nephew

Cousins

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Lanes

2008-12-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas Eve, we started a new tradition. Our friend "Auntie Jean" thought it would be fun to take the kids bowling on Christmas Eve. It was such a hit that we decided to try and make it an annual affair. Last year Kensie was only a bystander but this year, she was very much a part of the action. Another mutual friend of ours joined the fun as well. We had a fun afternoon after cooking and baking all day.(Thus why I look so bad in all of these pictures. I can't believe that I'm posting these. Just call it my haggard, holiday look ;)) Now we are settling in for a "long winter's nap." At least Sloan and Kensie are. There are a couple of elves in our house that will be up for quite awhile putting together Santa's gifts. I better go start the coffee. . . I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve!!!!!

Last year on Christmas Eve

With excitement like this, how could we not make it a tradition?!

Christmas Eve 2008

Just call him "Striker!" ;)

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!

Holiday Open House

2008-12-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

We open up our home and hearts to wish you all a very Merry CHRISTmas!

A Stroll Down Christmas Card Lane

2008-12-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

This post is really a preservation for me of our Christmas card memories.(I saw another blogger who had done this and loved the idea!) These are all of the cards we have sent since Chad and I have been married. We skipped one year because we spent the holidays in England and Scotland and I couldn't get my act together before we left to send them out. Some of the cards haven't fared too well over the years, as you will see, thus the need to scan them and preserve them before any more time passes. One of my favorite aspects of Christmas is the receipt of Christmas cards. I thouroughly enjoy and appreciate each one we receive. It enables us to connect with those we don't see often enough. A friend of mine gave me the most wonderful tradition enjoyed by her family. Each year during the holidays, they take a Christmas card they have received and pray over that family at their dinner table each night. I just love this! We hope to start this tradition as well.

Our first Christmas card sent in 2001

We missed 2002 because we spent Christmas here. One day we want to return and take our children. It was by far one of my favorite Christmas experiences.

Our first Christmas card with Sloan. He was about 13 months-old in this picture

2004 Christmas card. Photo was taken on the beach in Laguna Nigel by this wonderful photographer Check out his lifestyle portfolio. Some of his other images are a bit edgy for a family blog ;) Text of our card also included

2005 Christmas card. Here is a funny footnote on this card. I didn't have time to have professional photos taken, so I used a different shot from the same photo shoot the year before. We had on different clothes and were in front of a different setting. I looked at Sloan and thought that he hadn't changed too much, so we went for it! The text is also included.

2006 card as we waited for Kensie. The picture was taken the Christmas before where we spent the holidays at the Greenbrier Hotel; another one of my favorite Christmases. Text is below . . .

2007 - Last year I did a combo New Year's/Announcement card since Kensie was born on New Year's Day - This is the front

Above is the inside of the card and below was the insert

And this year's card. I went online for the first time. I used a company that has a unique option called a Yearline. Inside the card is a timeline with a description and picture of four events throughout the year. The scanning is HORRID. In person it turned out very cute! I also had to break the Yearline up because I couldn't get it all to fit. I had the hardest time scanning and sizing in general. I don't want to even admit how long all of this took. (And I still couldn't get the sizing right on anything!) I did NOT need to spend this much time during the busiest time of the year on this, but once I got started, I was committed to finish. Below is the inside. . .

Sorry to bore all of you with this but I really wanted to archive these keepsake memories. I pray you all have a festive weekend. Christmas cheers!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

A Somewhat White Christmas

2008-12-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Where we live in California, we don't get any snow. (Maybe once ever quarter century or so) In fact, we don't get much weather of any kind. So today, it was somewhat exciting when a thunderstorm rolled through and blanketed our yard with hail. Sloan was at school and Kensie was napping so I ran out and snapped a few shots to prove to them that it was really true. Now if you live in a very cold climate, please don't laugh. This was a big moment for me, or should I say moments. It stayed on the ground a whopping 5-10 minutes. Sadly, this is probably as white as our Christmas season is going to get.

If you get out your magnifying glass, and look really close, you can see white on the ground!

A few minutes later and this almost qualifies as a blizzard. I want to make a fire and hot chocolate just looking at this picture. ;)

Whether you are having a white or sunny Christmas season, I pray you are all enjoying the Reason for the Season!

Man on a Mission

2008-12-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

Chad just set off on a potentially dangerous mission. Yesterday we received inside information that a secret shipment of Wii game consoles would be arriving at a certain T*ys R *s at 0600 hours. Luckily he is prepared. Armed with his skull cap, ski jacket and rhinestoned coffee cup (that is an attempt to confuse the enemy, aka, other Wii shoppers), he braved the cold and darkness, determined to accomplish this almost mission impossible. He is a brave man!

Would you wanna mess with him?!

The secret weapon - As someone foolishly pauses to wonder, "Hey what's the big scary dude doing with the rhinestone mug," Chad will, alas, sneak in and grab the last remaining Wii. Victory is but assured. (Katie, don't be surprised if this secret weapon makes an encore appearance at your White Elephant dinner.) I will update the results of this precarious mission.

UPDATE - At 0720 hours, I received transmission that mission was accomplished. My hero is in route back to the base. I will have another cup of coffee awaiting him as a hard-earned reward. A bit of cream, one Equal, shaken not stirred.

Sacrificial Giving

2008-12-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

It is easy to give during times of sweltering prospertity. It is more difficult when faced with recession, financial uncertainty and volatile markets. But how much sweeter the gift, when given sacrifically! Sacrifice is at the heart of the Christian faith. And though our economy is not as healthy as it has been, most of us are still blessed with financial prosperity beyond measure. Most of us in the West do not know or cannot comprehend what it means to be without. Without food, without clothes, without education, without transportation, without vaccinations, without medicine, without clean water, without proper sanitation, without housing, without warmth, without a mother AND a father. So please, any friends or family who read this post and are inclined to give us something for Christmas this year, we kindly request that you do not. We have so much. Instead, please give to someone who is without.

Wonderful charities we proudly support:

Five for 50

Ministry supporting orphans in Africa

Half the Sky

Nurturing care for China's orphaned children

Saint's Coffee

Delicious coffee! Buy a pound of coffee, feed an orphan for a month!

Joe and Jennifer at myadoptionwebsite.com, the wonderful web hosts of our Journey to Kensington are doing a fabulous fundraiser to benefit the coats and cribs project of Love Without Boundaries. They are selling and auctioning new and slightly used baby and toddler clothes. Ms. Kensie has submitted a couple of outfits. Stop by and shop for a great cause! Scroll all the way to the bottom.

May we all love and give with a sacrifical offering this Christmas season!

All I want for Christmas. . .

2008-12-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight we are taking the kids to see Santa. Can you guess what Sloan will be asking for? And look for his updated version of the Christmas classic retitled, "All I Want for Christmas Is My THREE Front Teeth."

Dim Sum, Anyone?

2008-12-03T05:49:00.000-08:00

Chad and I spent the weekend in San Francisco with some of our best friends who live in the city. As always, it was a terrific weekend. Thank you Jen and Dan for your wonderful hospitality!

A picture-postcard day as we headed into the city

As we planned our weekend, I was on a dim sum mission. As many times as we have eaten Chinese food, neither Chad nor I had ever been to a traditional Dim Sum restaurant complete with the rolling carts. When we were in Hong Kong last year, Chad and I planned to go out for dinner without the kids and leave them with our babysitter, that we had brought on our trip, after Kensie had fallen asleep. I had asked our concierge to suggest a top dim sum restaurant for us and to make us a dinner reservation. This is when I got a little education on dim sum. The Chinese eat dim sum only for breakfast and lunch. Dim sum was invented by the traditional Chinese tea houses to give their patrons small snacks while they sipped their tea. These snacks soon became more popular than the tea, and dim sum was born. A loose translation of dim sum is "little bits of heart."

So what does every visitor do if they can't have dim sum in Hong Kong, they eat French food of course. ;) We ended up at the beautiful Intercontinental Hong Kong with arguably the best views of the harbour at Spoon by Alain Ducasse. Though the view was spectacular and the complimentary wine tasting of the evening's pairings before being seated was novel, the food did not live up to Mousseir Ducasse's reputation, nor the astronomical prices. Where was the jing cha siu bao (steamed pork bun) when we needed it?!

Since my dim sum mission was aborted in Hong Kong, I thought we would try this side of the Pacific. Due to my Zagat research and my friend's recommendation, we ended up at Yank Sing. We found that the best thing about dim sum restaurants is that if you are really hungry, this is the place. As soon as you are seated, a cart rolls by and you have food on your plate within seconds. By far our favorite were their famous Shanghai soup dumplings. Simply delectable. I also enjoyed the steamed pork bun and Chad loved the Peking Duck. The carts kept rolling and we kept eating. After about an hour of glutunous enjoyment, we finally had to rest our chopsticks in surrender. Even on a Saturday in the Financial District, this place was hopping. I was glad that I made a reservation. We will definitely be back next time we are in the city. Mission Accomplished.

Chad with the famous Shanghai dumplings. He was a real trooper because he was actually mortified that I wanted to take a picture of him with his lunch! ;)

One of the first books that I bought for Kensie during our long referral wait was this

It is a sweet, little book that is perfect for babies. It was here that I first learned about ha gau (steamed shrimp dumpling) and pork siu mai (basket shaped dumpling). Recently, I added this cute book to Kensington's library

We have another great book titled "Red is a Dragon" illustrated by the same author. Grace Lin has written or illustrated numerous books on Chinese culture for children that are perfect for an adoptive family's library.

Okay, now that I've made myself hungry, I better go grab a snack. Scallion pancake, anyone?!

NOTE - To watch the YouTube videos of Sloan it is best to scroll down to the Playlist on the right side bar and pause the music.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Today we reflect on God's goodness and we are thankful for His rich blessings in our lives.

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise him name. " Psalm 100:4

I just couldn't resist posting another clip from Sloan's Thanksgiving celebration. It is pure fun!

A "Show" of Thanks

2008-11-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned yesterday, Sloan had his kindergarten Thanksgiving program today. As a parent, I find not much else puts a smile on my face as bright as watching one of my children perform. Today was no exception. We couldn't be prouder of our "little Indian." I'm also proud that I was able to upload my video to YouTube to share with you all. It's the type of video, though, that only parents and grandparents can love. :)

The first video is of his class recital of Psalm 100. The second is just a short little clip of a whimsical Indian song. Mrs. Witters and all of her Witters' Critters did themselves proud!

Update - There was a problem viewing the YouTube videos. I hope I have fixed the problem.

Witter's Critters getting ready for the show

Sloan's grand entrance

Daddy, aka Big Chief and Kensie

After the show with Gammy, Papa and Auntie Jean

The other Big Chief and Little Indian

Our Little Picasso

2008-11-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

I don't think it gets much cuter than kindergarten. I thoroughly enjoy all of the precious art that Sloan brings home. It has been especially adorable during the Thanksgiving and Harvest holidays. I decided to forgo my usual formalness, and decorate the butler's pantry with my Little Picasso's Thanksgiving creations. Tomorrow is his school's Thanksgiving Celebration complete with songs and dance. Sloan's kindergarten class will be dressed as Indians. They have been practicing their songs and verses for weeks. We've had several private, sneak performances. ;) You can bet, I'll have all cameras flashing. Until then, have a great evening. . .

Our Picasso's Thanksgiving Collection

The homemade placemat is part of his future "Home Collection" ;)

My personal favorites of the collection: Mr. Scarecrow and Mr. Turkey

By far what I am most proud of! Sloan earned this certificate for memorizing ALL of Psalm 100. His class will recite it at their show tomorrow.

A Veteran's Day Salute

2008-11-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

As we collectively reflect on the great sacrifice of our brave, and selfless veterans today as a nation, I want to personally recognize the service of the two men in my life: my husband Chad, and my father, Gary. Chad served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, and then in the National Guard. Chad was part of the R.O.T.C. when we met in college. While other young college students were waking up midday after a late night frat party, my husband (boyfriend at the time) was waking up before dawn, dressing in his fatigues to report for a full weekend of Guard duty, loading weaponry on fighter jets, while carrying a full load in school and working part time. To this day, whenever we hear fighter jets, Chad always says, "That is the sound of freedom." It took great character and discipline on his part, of which I am very proud.

My father served in the United State's Navy for four years in a journey that took him from his small hometown in Florida across the country to California where he met my mother. Not only did he serve his country during his service but he also served his God by sharing the gospel and preaching the Good News.

To veterans everywhere, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. It is by their blood, sweat, tears and often, their very lives, that we may hear our freedom ring. And, to my veterans, I am proud to be a daughter and wife of a veteran. I salute you!

A salute to "my" Veterans. My dad and Chad, off duty of course. ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

We had some of our best friends in the world over for our annual Halloween soiree, followed by trick or treating. We live in a neighborhood that is gated and is a perfect place for trick or treating. I didn't think Kensie was going to keep her costume on at first, but I think she got distracted by all of the activity, that she forgot she had it on.:) She proved, once again, that she is "Miss Independent." At only 22 months, she ran up to each house and knew the whole "ring the door bell, say something that may resemble trick or treat, put her hand in the bowl, say something else that resembles thank you, turn around and run while trying not to fall down the front steps while heading back to the street", and collected quite an impressive stash. It didn't take her long to realize that this annual holiday activity is a keeper.

Awaiting our guests

Loading up on energy for the big trick or treat

Yummm, mummy dogs

The annual trick or treat gang

Runaway ladybugs

Superman is ready to go!

Kensie not sure if she likes her costume

A chauffeured wagon and a lolly pop; this is more like it.

The "prima donnas" being chauffeured last year

Running out of steam. Trick or treat until next year. . .

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T05:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from our family to yours. I pray everyone has a safe, fun family time today. Here are some pictures of our family from this Harvest Season.

The obligatory, annual family photo-op at the pumpkin patch. If you are tilting your head to see this picture, it's because we had the camera on timer,balancing on top of a pumpkin.

Same spot, one year ago. Kensie had only been with us a few weeks when this picture was taken.

Another then. . .

And now.

These pictures were taken at a different pumpkin patch on Sloan's kindergarten field trip.

And as I've mentioned, our "Kensie-Kat" must do whatever she sees her brother doing.

I've been tagged!

2008-10-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by my new friend Leslie. Leslie has two adorable girls from the Ukraine and China. Thanks, Leslie; I'm glad we are getting to know one another. :) You may be the only person interested in this, but here goes. . . ;)

1. I talk to my parents EVERY day, usually multiple times a day. (This usually includes travel as well. You should have seen our cell phone bill from Russia!) I am an only child and am very close to both of them, as you can tell.

2. I can't stand anything on my sandwiches or hamburgers except the meat, cheese and bread. If there is a drop of mustard, a single tomato seed, or a shred of lettuce, I'm out!

3. On our honeymoon in Italy, I accidentally brushed my teeth with hydrocortizone. We tried to call an Italian pharmacist to make sure I would live, but somehow the story didn't translate too well. I did survive, thankfully, and my teeth have never itched again. :)

4. I LOVE to travel!!!! My favorite magazines are travel magazines, and my favorite shows are all on the Travel Channel. Even one of Sloan's favorite shows is Bizzare Foods, which he affectionately refers to as "The Eater Guy." Even though I LOVE my country, I usually prefer to travel internationally. There is something about experiencing different cultures, languages, food and customs that ignites my soul. Somehow I don't get to travel right now as much as I would like. Can't imagine why?!?!?! :)

5. I am a city girl trapped in a suburbian girl's body. I LOVE big cities. I love the energy, the restaurants, the museums, the culture, and even the public transportation. I spent a semester in law school in London. When I first got there, I couldn't wait to leave. By the end of the semester, I didn't want to go home. London is one of my favorite places in the world! Other cities where I have been and would love to live in for a while are: New York, Prague, Paris, and Hong Kong.

6. I play polo. Correction. I TRY to play polo. And, yes, the kind on a horse. I have a polo pony, and I have learned to actually stay on the horse and occassionally make contact with the ball. ;)

7. We are proud, adoptive parents of two children from two different countries. It was always our intention to adopt. There was no medical reason for this (although a pregnacy for me would have been more complicated because I have Type One Diabetes). God simply put the call to adopt on both of our hearts. It has been the GREATEST privilege of our lives. Now we wait to see, if God gives us the call again. . . :)

Now some bad news. I have to be a "rule-breaker". Since I am a very new blogger (only a little over a month into this thing), I honestly don't think that I "know" seven people to tag who haven't been tagged already. I don't have a single "real-life" friend or aquaintance who blogs. I think they all think that I am "weird." And, I'm sure this post confirms it. ;)

A day well spent

2008-10-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend two of our best friends, Dan and Jen came into town. They stayed with two of our other very good friends, Tim and Kelle and their handsome little boys. Jen, Kelle and I were sorority sisters together and college roommates. Both of these special friends stood by my side when Chad and I married over eight years ago. Somehow, we all married men who get along and enjoy one another's company. The six of us do not get to spend enough time together so we when do, it is very special.

Tim and Kelle graciously invited us all over for breakfast on Sunday. Tim, you really put out quite a spread. :) We had a fantastic time! Breakfast then turned into lunch, and lunch then turned into dinner. Kel, I hope we didn't out stay our welcome!!!!! I guess that's what happens we you are sincerely enjoying oneself. Even though the entire day's plans were diverted, I can't think of a a better way to spend the day. It was definitely a day well spent. I love you guys and can't wait for our next crazy day together!

Still great friends all these years later

All of the hubbies and kiddos. . . An yes, that is Sloan without pants. Somehow he lost them after playing in the Spiderman costume. :)

Kensie warming up to Dan :)

Mad Science and Missions

2008-10-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

For Sloan's 6th birthday party, we went with a space/science theme and had a Mad Scientist, named Supersonic Scott, on hand to perform experiments and blast off a rocket. We invited his entire kindergarten class and the Lord blessed us with a beautiful, fall day with plentiful sunshine and near-perfect temperatures. Thanks to all of the Witters' Critters' families who helped us celebrate.

If anyone is looking for birthday party ideas, a Mad Science party is a great idea. I believe they have affiliates nationwide. It is fun, keeps the kids entertained AND is educational. Sloan's kindergarten teacher was asking lots of questions and I could tell was getting ideas for her class.

One of the things I did differently this year was to put "No gifts please" on the invitation. Since we invited his entire class and many of these children we have just met, I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to bring a gift. I was delighted to hear that many of the parents used this as a teaching opportunity for their children. One mom told me that their family was making a mission's donations in Sloan's name since they weren't allowed to bring a gift. I also explained to Sloan that his friends taking time out of their busy schedules to come and celebrate with him was the best present of all! Friendship in itself is one of God's greatest gifts. We recently went to a party where the family asked for the children to bring one non-perishable canned food item in lieu of a gift. The birthday girl was then going to take the collected cans to the food bank. What an awesome lesson that even on a child's most special day of the year, to be mindful of others. Sloan's kindergarten character trait this week is missions. I pray that he and his classmates will use lessons such as these to develop little missionary hearts.

Sloan with Supersonic Scott from Mad Science

Making spider webs out of styrofoam cups

Making slime

What boy wouldn't like this?!?

What party would be complete without a pinata?!

The candy rush!

Mom and Dad with birthday boy

Happy 6th Birthday Sloan!

2008-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Sloan's 6th birthday. It is a strange dichotomy of time: in one sense it seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating his first birthday, and in another sense it seems there hasn't been a moment where Sloan wasn't part of our lives. This afternoon we are having a birthday party where it will be all about cake, presents, games and fun. Before the hustle-bustle of the celebration begins, I want to take a prayerful moment to appreciate the wonder and miracle of his life. Especially on Sloan's birthday, I think about his birth-mother. I grieve for her that she can not see this breath-taking boy that is full of life and joy. I can only pray that the Lord has given her peace in her heart that Sloan is loved beyond measure.

In another strange dichotomy, I am always aware that Sloan is adopted, but also forgetful of this fact as well. He is mine; he is ours; he is God's privilege and gift to us. He is first, foremost, and always our SON. Happy Birthday my precious, Sloan. Your birth is a blessing to me every day of the year!

Here is a devotional that I wrote for Sloan near his first birthday. I will post all about the events of the festivity later.

A Mother's Devotion 2003

A few days ago I visited a friend in the hospital who had just delivered a beautiful baby girl. With Sloan’s birthday quickly approaching, I understandably had thoughts of his own birth on my mind. As I entered the elevator, armed with my pink-ribboned package, a wave of emotions overcame me.

When Sloan was born there were no celebrations. There was no pomp and circumstance. No cigars or balloons. No congratulatory back-slaps or phone calls. There were no visitors bringing tiny, blue bears and warm wishes. There wasn’t even a mother holding him close to her breast, gazing down tearfully, to admire her precious creation.

What somber, heart-breaking thoughts when not seen through the backdrop of God’s infinite love and wisdom. There is no need for tears or regrets that we were not there. There is no time to despair that we missed his momentous birth and his first few months of life. No, we need not grieve; Christ was there!

[El Roi], the God who sees, witnessed every minute of his delivery and birth. As Sloan left the warmth of the womb and entered the coldness of the world, the Lord held him close and kept him warm. [Jehovah-raah, the Lord is my shepherd.] Sloan was never abandoned nor forsaken, [Jehovah-shammah, the Lord is there.] He was always loved and protected. [El Shaddai, the all-sufficient one.] And on that day of his birth, the heavens rejoiced; the angels danced; and the Lord gazed down tearfully to admire His precious creation. [Elohim, God is creator.] Praise be to [El Elyon], the God Most High.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Sloan!

2008-10-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

I know that today isn't Sunday, but I couldn't wait to post a picture of our "Super Sloan." Today at Sloan's school all of the children dressed as their favorite literary characters.(I know Superman is pushing it a little bit, but he did start out in the comic books, right!?) Sloan attends a private-Christian school and this is their alternative to celebrating Halloween. I know I am a bit biased, but Clark Kent, move over; there is a new Superman in town!

Our "Kensie-Kat" doing her own Superman interpretation!

Sloan's sweet kindergarten class, aka, Mrs. Witters' Critters

Sloan with school friends

Our "Super-Sloan" :)

She's a ham!

2008-10-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

We have such a ham on our hands! Kensie absolutely LOVES to have her picture taken. She instinctively does the cutest poses. Since it's Kensie's "Mei Mei Monday", I'll keep it light and cute. I'll save the "HELP, what do I do with a strong-willed toddler who knows how to push my every button!?" post for another day. . . Until then, enjoy our "little ham."

Fair Fun

2008-10-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, last week I missed my first "Super-Sloan Sunday" so I have some making up to do. In order to give both kids "equal time", I decided to give each a designated blog day. I already blew it though on week one! So here goes Sloan's first ever "Super-Sloan Sunday" post.

Sloan had a great weekend. Yesterday was his second-ever soccer game. Unfortunately, I have had to miss both games and don't have any pictures to post. :( I plan on making up for it next week! I was getting regular text updates from Chad though and it sounded a wee-bit painful. Sloan's team got slaughtered, 20-1, but who's counting?! The kids had fun! Today, we went to the fair with our dear friend, "Auntie Jean" and we got a few pics of Sloan in his element. This kid is a DARE DEVIL from the word "go." There isn't a rollercoaster too fast, too tall, or too thrilling for him. The only problem is that our 4 ft. dynamo isn't tall enough for all of his ambitious pursuits. We inevitably have to pry his fingers away from the railing of the triple, upside down, loopdie-loop roller coaster, trying to explain that maybe next year he will be tall enough. The other problem is that I get stuck going on all of these rides with him because Sloan's daddy doesn't share his son's passion (or stomach) for all of these rides. I love going on all of the rides with him at Disneyland, but somehow the fair rides don't really "thrill" me. But, how can I say to no to my number one guy. :) Sloan, you bring an absolute thrill to our lives everyday!

Sloan with Auntie Jean

Our "Super-Sloan"

It's Finally Fall

2008-10-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! Today feels like the first day of Fall. There is a crisp nip in the air. Sloan wore pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt to school today. He probably hasn't worn pants since May or April. We have VERY long summers here and I am always ready for a respite from the draining, relentless heat. Fall is my favorite time of year. It makes me very nostalgic. I consider it the kick-off to the holiday season: Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas. So many wonderful memories of holidays past and so many more wonderful experiences to come! Have a wonder"fall" weekend. :)

Jeans and long sleeves! We almost forgot what they looked like!

All ready for a wonderFALL day at school!

Sloan looks ready to break some hearts OR break some rules at school, not sure which. I pray it's not the latter. :)

Saturday Snapshots

2008-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

I must say that I have been an avid blog reader for quite some time. One of the things that I really admire from so many of my favorite blogs is the great quality of photography by amateur photographer moms. This has inspired me to try and improve my picture taking abilities. I thought a good place to start might be the instruction manual! I am, by nature, a very impatient person and I never read guides or manuals; I simply try to learn by doing. So, a year and a half after purchasing my Nikon D80, I finally dusted off the manual and much to my surprise I learned something. I actually learned quite a bit. I also learned an important lesson: there isn't much point in buying nice things such as a digital SLR camera, if you aren't going to use and enjoy all of its features and capabilities. I also joined a blogsite called www.clickinmoms.com to learn more tips and get advice from those "in the know." Having said all of that, I did my first post-manual-reading "photo shoot." The subject matter isn't too exciting, just our yard, but I thought it would be a good reference point for improvement. I know that I have a LONG way to go, but you've got to start somewhere, right?! :)

Kensie's first haircut

2008-09-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Two days before turning 21-months-old, Kensie finally had enough hair for her "first haircut." It was getting just a bit shaggy so I took her in for a trim. It took the hairdresser about two minutes to get the job done. And good thing, because Kensie was not a happy camper. When we first got there, she was all smiles and giggles, wanting to sit in the firetruck chair while Sloan got his haircut. It didn't take her long to go running for the hills though when she realized that she would be next. I couldn't get a picture of the actual haircut because she was sitting in my lap giving me the "death grip." But, I did get some cute before and after shots.

Lately, most of my posts have been about Kensie because of our one year anniversary. In an effort to ensure "equal time", I have decided to dedicate Sunday blogs to "Super Sloan Sundays" where I will blog all about my number-one guy and post any new pics. Then, I will have "Mei Mei Mondays" for Kensie. This way, each kiddo has their own special day. So, even though today is technically Tuesday, the haircut was yesterday, so this is our first "Mei Mei Monday" post. :)

An unsuspecting smile

I think she's caught on

And after. . . a lollipop makes it all better!

Adult Assembly Required

2008-09-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

To me as a parent, three of the most dreaded words in the English language are: "Adult Assembly Required." I am convinced that the toy industry is inundated with some very sadistic individuals who are intent on causing maximum frustration to already maximumly frustrated parents. Why on earth do you need a screwdriver, scissors, AND pliers just to get a toy out of the box?!?!?! (I advocate for a one tool only rule!) Then, when you have already had to ask God for forgiveness for the few mild expletives (*@#%*) that accidentally slipped out while prying the toy free from the packaging, the real fun of assembly begins! This is after, of course, finding a towel to dry the sweat off of oneself and getting a drink of water to replenish the vital nutrients lost during this toy opening procedure, and combating a whining, impatient child who can't understand what is taking mommy and daddy SO LONG!

Knowing in advance the fun to be had, Chad finally put Kensie's doll set together that she got over a week ago. The set included a stroller, bassinet and carseat all in about 100 different parts. The job would have been challenging enough but we thought it would be much MORE fun if we threw away the instruction manual and put it together WITHOUT any clues to its proper assembly. AND to make it even more enjoyable, Chad had a five-year-old junior assistant to suggest where all of the numerous parts belonged. But the mission was accomplished, and as with all jobs as a parent, the end result is ALWAYS worth it!!! We better remind ourselves of that around midnight on Christmas Eve when Santa's elves are just getting started. ;)

This says it all!

Chad during the delicate procedure

And after. Worth every agonizing moment!

Party Girl

2008-09-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we had a small party to celebrate Kensie's Adoption Day. As you can tell, our little "Party Girl" had herself a good time! My dad and Chad's brother and family came, as did our closest friends. Kensie and her best buddy Siena are too cute together. Chad and I are the proud God-parents to this little beauty. Siena and Kensie really love each other and are best buds just like their moms. "Auntie Katie" is one of my very best friends and played a special part of Kensie's adoption. You can tell from the photos how close they are!

Adoption Day celebrations are just as important to our family as birthdays. This is when we celebrate the day that God ordained even before the beginning of time: the day He entrusted us with our children and the day we became a family. Thanks Papa, Uncle Chip, Aunt Robin, Colten, Zack, Auntie Jean, Uncle Chris, Auntie Katie, Sydney, Josh and Siena for coming. From our family to yours, WE LOVE YOU!

More of Kensington on Adoption Day and a Thank you!

2008-09-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

These are the last pictures that I will post of Kensie on Adoption Day, I promise! I can't help myself; I just love these pictures. I have been trying for three days to figure out how to make a mosaic like this for the blog. This blogging thing is tough! I have a new-found respect for all of the bloggers out there. There is a lot to figure out!

Thanks so much for all of my first-time posters. I didn't even think that anyone would look at our blog and I actually got POSTERS; wow, amazing! Thank you to everyone who introduced yourself and gave us such warm greetings. Is it then protocal if I want to respond to someone's comment to comment back in the same section? Can you tell that I am a TOTAL newbie?!?! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to seem like I am ignoring anyone who is kind enough to post. Thanks again and enjoy the pics.

Happy Adoption Day, Kensie!

2008-09-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Another shot of our beautiful Kensie on her special day!

One year ago

2008-09-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Kensie's referral picture
And, Kensie one year later. . . We love you, Kensie!

One year ago, a child that had been born in our hearts was finally placed in our arms, and our lives were changed forever. One year ago, a child that had begun her life abandoned on the steps of a government building wrapped in a flowered blanket, was now embraced by her family and wrapped in the arms of love. One year ago, a child named by an orphanage as Lin Yan Zhen became Kensington Elizabeth Zhen. One year ago, through the miracle of adoption, this precious child became our daughter. One year ago, a new chapter of our newly expanded family began, and the exciting journey continues. . . To our precious daughter Kensington, Happy Adoption Day!!!!!!!! You can read more thoughts on today and see more pictures at http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com/kensie/werehome091708.htm