May fun

Lydia really loves the backyard. Her favorite thing to do is swing. But now that it's warmer, she also loves to sit at the picnic table for a little snack or "lay" in the hammock (she really tries to jump on it like a trampoline).





In this pic, she's enjoying a sunny afternoon snack. Surprisingly she sat at the little table for about 20 minutes, without getting up or standing on it!!! I think she was just enjoying a bit of peace and quiet (the boys were at school and Ben napping).












Also surprisingly, she is very content wearing a hat and will keep this huge thing on her head forever! What a sweet little face with rosy cheeks....

We enjoyed Jack's preschool program in May. (Ben, not so much so!) But, Lydia loved to watch the children do hand motions, and hear them sing. She stood on my lap most of the time and "sang" along and tried to do some "motions". Thankfully, she loves music and that kept her entertained throughout the program. Ben, on the other hand, had to be removed by the bouncer (Daddy) because of his rowdy behavior!

Cutie pics

Lydia having an excited squeal---lunch with Grandma at Red Robin. She is a great lunch date so far. Sits in her chair, doesn't want to run around the place, and eats her food (kind of!). Restaurant trips with the boys are quite different! As the boys were smaller, many times Jason and I never enjoyed our food due to several trips to the bathroom, boys running off, peering over booths, or scouring underneath the table (yuck!). Another fun reminder of the vast differences between boys and girls---it's great!!






Lydia's first trip to our pool...she absolutely LOVES the water! She loves to splash, of course, but more strangely, loves to go under! She comes up laughing and squealing with glee, while wiping the water from her eyes. I can see that she might be quite dangerous at the first swim meet coming up in June! Watching the boys swim will be quite a challenge while chasing her around.






Here is our sweet "bat girl"...
Although we have lots of pink and girlie stuff, she also loves her brother's light sabers and super hero masks! She will be quite well-rounded in her play skills---from taking care of dollies, to "saving the day"...all in a day's work for this little gal!





Here Lydia is "cheesing" at Ben's birthday party. She now knows that cameras are for smiling and saying "eeeee"






Below...Jack is learning to read and sat to read to his younger sibs. Yesterday I mentioned that he needs to be a good example because he's a big brother...his response "No I'm not! SAM is the big brother!" I don't know what he considers himself, but I tried to point out that he, also, is a big brother...alas, the challenge for the middle child---trying hard to understand 'who you are' and where you fit in the family.

Spring Pics

Some "firsts" for Lydia...


First piggy-tails and swinging in backyard. She LOVES to swing---and HIGH! She is a thrill-seeker for sure. And, Daddy loves her hair pulled back off her face in pigtails. In this pic (in March), her hair isn't quite long enough, but they are there!

Here is her first real shopping trip---helping Mommy look for a new suit for a job interview. After much searching (and using every item in my purse for entertainment!), we found the suit! The suit looked great, the interview went very well, AND I got the job!

This Fall, I will begin my first semester as a professor at the Univ. of Central Missouri, teaching Language Development and supervising student clinicians in the on-campus clinic. A new

and exciting venture for me, and also new adjustments for our family. It has been five years since I've been in private practice and the kids don't know what it's like for me to "go off to work." Thankfully, the faculty schedule is

flexible and the little ones (Ben and Lydia) will go with me to campus, as there is a childcare facility there. I can pop in anytime, eat lunch with them, take them for a walk, or bring them back to my office. Challenges are yet to come I'm sure, but we are used to working hard to overcome and make things okay.

Another "first"...my first Mother's Day with a little girl! It is such a joy to have her. Ruffled socks and panties, which bow to wear, painting tiny toenails, girlie emotional outbursts, a tiny high-pitched voice singing and trying new words, and sweet kisses are just a few of the things I'm loving! Lydia now has over 30 words that she uses regularly, and her favorites now are "spider" (with little arm motions) to indicate that she wants "Itsy Bitsy Spider", AND whenever she meets new people she says "mama" over and over while watching them carefully, hugging me, and nodding her head---almost as if to say "I know you are not my momma, SHE is..."

Easter pics

I just got a ton of pictures downloaded off of my camera (almost 500!) So, I'll include some here, even though several are from early Spring.



Here, Ben poses for a rare photo opp. He is hardly ever aggreeable to picture taking and thus it is difficult to get good photos of all of them in the same shot---what a stinker! Sam and Jack are shown attached at the hip as usual. They are such 'buds' (on most occassions). Here, they were finishing up an Easter egg hunt.




In early March, Lydia really began to show an interest in books---not just to tear them up, but to really sit and listen for a bit! Here we are reading "Moonbeams and Dragons Boats" (for about 20 seconds!), which is a great book that explains in kid-friendly language and illustrations, the wonderful holidays, traditions, and customs celebrated in China.


Here is our FIRST family photo! It was taken in late March on Easter---so it took us 3 months to get a decent picture taken!!! That's terrible. And, the only reason this happened, is because we were all dressed for church and my sister, Andrea, was available to take the pic.

More on Earthquake

Each time I see a photo or read a clip about the suffering in China, a stab of pain pierces my heart. Half the Sky Foundation has been posting updates regarding the condition of the orphanages---there are many damaged, but no injuries to the children. However, more children are now arriving at the orphanages because they have lost their parents, survived the quake, and are now orphans themselves.

There are no reports about Lydia's orphanage in Fuling. That indicates they don't have the info and they are most likely okay.

China Earthquake

I have been wanting to write since we heard of the tragic earthquake in China. Several people have asked about the location in relation to where we were. The epicenter was about 200 mi from Fuling---where Lydia was born and lived in the orphanage; and about about 250 mi from Chongqing (where we stayed five months ago). From what we have read, the orphanages in the area were not damaged and the children/babies are safe. However, many of the mountainous villages in the area were swiped away, as they are built into the hillsides that were shifting.

**Photos from our trip---the countryside between Fuling and Chongqing (approx. 200 mi from the earthquake epicenter)

Jason googled a bit today and the photos from the area are heartbreaking. Parents weeping over their lifeless child being pulled from the rubble---their ONLY child, because of China's policies. People devasted because their homes, often whole villages, are in ruins. Where will these people go? How will they rebuild their lives? They are the poorest ones already, only to meet more adversity. From what I have read though, about the people of China, is that they are a strong people; and that throughout history, they have repeatedly overcome sufferering and strife.





At times like this, we think of Lydia's birthparents---their whereabouts and safety. And, we get weepy about the thought of our sweet girl still being there, or if we were there picking her up during this time!





Pray for the people of China today...