Baseball

The boys had such a fun time!

Isaac had his shots for China so this was the bribery...

Star Wars Legos. He was so brave!

Happenings at our house

School, school, and more school. Doing science together at the table. I think we are finally adjusted... FINALLY!

Joy and Faith playing the piano together. This was one of those weeks for them that any constructive thing they did together was worth a picture if you know what I mean.

Clayton's birthday

My mom reading to Joshua. He LOVES books. Considering the fact that when he first came home he couldn't/ wouldn't listen to one page of a book we are grateful. He will sit and sit and sit and listen and listen, then bring more books!

I don't think I ever shared a lot about Both Hands on our blog. We are so grateful to get to do something different to fundraise for this adoption. This link takes you to a video that tells you all about Both Hands. You can click on Samuel's picture on the upper right of this page to help our Both Hands project.

Ransom

Saturday I read this post. The word ransom ran in my head all Saturday night.

Then Sunday morning in church we sang a song telling about Jesus paying our ransom. I am not only saved from the penalty of my sin. In saving me He fully paid my ransom.

So that led me to thinking about our soon to be son, Guan Zhi Zhou's, ransom. As far as we can tell right now after a few generous gifts and Clayton working some extra jobs his ransom is about $5,000 short.

Tonight at church, for the 1st time I felt doubt we'd get there. Yes, I know, real spiritual, at church nonetheless.

Then God showed me Joy worshipping the Jesus she had never heard of a year and a half ago. I vividly remember a Skype conversation with a friend in China as this Chinese believer told Joy what church is and how she had been ransomed from the consequences of her sin through Him.

Some look at adoption as some great humanitarian act but I see and know differently. We are not even remotely good or perfect parents, yet He has used us to introduce Joy and Joshua to the gospel message when otherwise they had not heard.

I also remembered Joy's near panic, incredibly bold conversations with her Nai Nai via Skype telling her about who Jesus is and what He has done for everyone.

So, God encouraged me in my unbelief and discouragement. Just like Him isn't it?!

If you'd like to help pay for Samuel's ransom please click on his photo to the right to make a tax deductible donation.

Thank you and I promise to share Samuel's God stories that you get to be a part of!

Here are some verses that encouraged my heart tonight:

Isaiah 50:2
"When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert: their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst."

1 Timothy 2:5,6
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men- the testimony given in its proper time."

Our Whale Mobiles

Friday was one of the days I was so glad I get to homeschool. I confess it was the first day in 3 weeks I was genuinely grateful. Let's just say homeshooling a middle schooler, an English learner, a beginning reader, and a speech delayed child at the same time has it's challenges. My 4th grader is the only one that has stayed about the same as last year as far as work load.

It's good, it has just taken some adjusting for us all. Them as much as me! Going from a totally relaxed, do whatever we want summer- to having our brains on from 7:30-1:30 or so took some getting used to.

Joy shared some experiences Friday from her school life in China that gave us yet another glimpse into her life before us. Getting to hear her work through some things/ differences in school from there to here was a blessing. And having Grace and Faith there too was good for them. We all had tears in our eyes by the end of the conversation.

I am loving using Apologia for science this year. Everyone gets to be involved. I'll have to get the boys with their mobiles soon. When I took the pictures they were playing Lego's and I didn't want to interrupt them.

Obviously from the bathing suits we are still loving the pool! Very nice break and reward for finishing school work!

The picture worth a thousand words....

Without asking we received an updated photo and info about little Samuel. I'm not complaining that's for sure!

What a total cutie!

Blue

This is the lizard that Joy found and caught for the boys. They named him Blue. He was on a strict catch and release program. These pictures we taken since there were a few tears when we insisted if he was going to survive he must be released.

 Isaac was SO diligent to look for food for him every morning. We are looking into getting Isaac a lizard for his birthday.

Are we crazy or what?!!

Girls Weekend

Grace, Faith, and I had a girls night this weekend. Joy and I are going to go in the fall/ winter. We did the whole growing up, turning in to a young woman talk. It went great!

 Can you guess what this is? It's in the bathroom of the American Girl store. We thought this was quite funny!

We spent time Friday afternoon at the American Doll store. We got to eat there and they had saved their money to buy a few things. Then we went back to the hotel and did a few lessons and swam. We really made some great memories together. The lessons I used were from Family Life, Passport 2 Purity. Highly recommend them!

Really Amazing!

I never really got to post about what happened last week with Joshua and I's trip to Boston. I mentioned that there was a mix up with scheduling. What I thought we were there for and what we should have been scheduled for did not happen. Now the Lord did allow us to get some information about what to do and not do for his teeth that wouldn't have happened if we would have done what we thought we were supposed to do.

Bottom line is I spent about 30 hours feeling well... just bummed. It was the struggle of trusting God that He knew what He was doing at making us pay for 2 trips up there, then probable surgery instead of 1 trip then surgery. My head knew He was faithful and trustworthy but my heart was having a REALLY hard time catching up. True to His nature He eventually helped me get there last Sunday.

On Monday I called Children's in Boston to get our next appointment time. God allowed me to talk to the coordinator that had messed things up.

She was actually very apologetic which I was not expecting... I mean really what doctor's office admits to messing up without you ever saying anything to them. The doctor realized it and had talked to her.

God had brought me to the point that all I cared about at this point was getting Joshua what he needed at the next appointment and a sweet trust in Him that even though I didn't understand it we had been there for reasons beyond my understanding. I was okay with not seeing the big picture like He does.

So we started the ball rolling for another appointment. She was trying to work out the details of all the tests the doctor (who we really like) had ordered for Joshua.

Then the most amazing thing happened. On Tuesday she called and wanted to reimburse us for our plane tickets. God is incredible isn't He?!! I was so amazed I was pretty much speechless!

So the bottom line is we go back October 16-19 to Boston for two days worth of appointments and tests for Dr. Meara to figure out what type of surgery will help Joshua's ears and palate the most. God is always faithful, even when we can't see what He is doing behind the scenes :)

Happy Birthday Samuel Zhi Zhou!

Can't wait till you can join this circus family!! We love you!

Our paperwork should be sent to China today. Pretty cool that it is Samuel's birthday!

First days of school

We started school last week. Overall, it is going well. This week I think we are all doing better being in the routine of school.

I didn't take a picture of Isaac or Josh doing school but here they are looking for food for the blue tailed skink Joy found for them yesterday. While we were trying to talk them into releasing the thing we actually saw him eat one of the bugs we fed him. Guess we are going to keep him for the moment.

Isaac is quite proud of himself as he is learning to read and Joshua likes working on his preschool things. 

Good news

First some really cute pictures of our few days. The plane ride...

 On the bus on the way to the doctor.

Public transportation isn't so bad after all!

 Lunch... noodles and fried rice for Josh!

 This is where I told Josh he can go to college, as long as he has a scholarship... Harvard Medical School.

My favorite Joshie comments from the past two days.

At Atlanta airport while we were eating supper he kept asking me what time it was. He was afraid we'd miss the plane. He said, "I'm so excited I'm just freaking out." AND he was!

Then when we landed in Boston he looked at me pointed to his mouth and said, "Do people here speak like we do?" I was a bit confused until I asked, "Do you mean, do the speak English?" To that he said, "Yes, because I don't speak Chinese." He is such a funny kid.

The doctor is confident he can help him with VPI (air escaping through his nose) and the fistulas (holes toward the beginning of his palate) causing air to escape and food to come out his nose. The hard thing is that in order to determine which surgeries to do we need to come back for testing in a month. Then he seems to think we can schedule surgery for one or two months after that.

We'll also do a nose revision in a year or so after Josh recovers from palate surgery. I was really impressed with some of his patients' noses I saw in the waiting room :)

I also met a family that has two children from Kunming, where Samuel is from so they were fun to talk to.

All in all, I didn't want to have yet another trip here without surgery but I'm glad I like the doctor and am glad something more can be done for Joshua. We still will have to get to the bottom of his ears on the next visit with tests also. Kind of bummed we couldn't do it all this trip but it is what it is so we'll just keep moving forward.

Romans 8:31, 32 "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us who can be against us. He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"

We are here!

Joshie and I arrived in Boston safely! Thanks for the prayers! I have some cute pictures of him SO excited on the plane but they'll have to wait for tomorrow.... headed to bed.

Being in a new city does have it's challenges... like the only time I've ever used public transportation is in China. Give me a cab or bus in China anyday over a bus in a U.S. city!

We might venture to China Town tomorrow (on a bus again) and walk around downtown a little before the 2:30 appointment. Hoping to sleep in though for now!

Obviously...

the blog was hijacked by my husband... thanks honey for the birthday wishes!

I am up late because I decided this would be a better time to study my Bible. It seems that no matter what time I get up, some little feet follow me!

Crazy enough, I sat down to read and Faith scared me near to death... having bad dreams. How do they know I'm up??!!

Joshua and I leave for Boston tomorrow and I needed some alone time. It's crazy that I wasn't the least bit nervous about traveling to China but I am to Boston. Maybe it's because I've never been there. Maybe it's the doctor's appointment I'm ready to get over with. Don't know but I did know who to go to about it. Some verses that are providing some strength and peace....

Colossians 3:1-3
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated a the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Colossians 1:16, 17
"For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or opwers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

And the verse that led us to Joshua...

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Praying for a great trip, no matter what comes out of it. Off to bed with God's promises ringing in my head instead of everything else going on :)

The Birthday Girl!

Thats right, Aug, 2nd was Angie's birthday.  The kids made her a cake and had a big party for her before we left to celebrate her birthday with her parents.   I love getting the chance to tell you how awsome my birthday girl is.  She is truly an exellent wife and mother.  She has an open hand to anyone in need and has such a servents heart.  I am so thankful for her and praise God for such a wonderful blessing.   Happy Birthday my love,
Clayton