October

October has been busy, but uneventful. Mia is learning to talk... and I must say that she is going to have quite the southern drawl. It's funny to hear her new words... all of which are multi-syllabic.... :) dog: dawwwwwg, Cole: Toe, Nolan: Noh-nun, Garrett: Geeeee, Mama, Daaadaaa...Jack: ack (our neighbor's cat). The boys are doing well and are becoming pretty good baby-sitters. I am still trying to figure out how to cope with so much to do and so little time to do it. My sweet friend, KB, shared a great laundry idea and it is helping tremendously. Before, we just let it pile up until it looked like Mount Everest... now, we have baskets for each kid. Each boy was also issued a mesh laundry bag to put dirty clothes in. It is also their responsible for getting that bag to the laundry room every couple of days. Now we are seemingly staying more on top of the washing. Laundry is folded and placed in their baskets and the big boys are responsible for putting their clean clothes away. I am putting away Nolan's and Mia's. This one little organization idea is helping us tame the laundry beast. The next beast we must tame is housecleaning. I used to have a friend come to the house twice a month to help me clean. Once the adoption expenses began to rack up, we had to tighten the budgetary reigns, and unfortunately I had to give up this luxury. Now, I am finding very little time to do the housecleaning. I LOVE a clean house, many who know me probably will attest that it is a pet-peave of mine. I hate clutter, I hate dust, and I like for everything to smell fresh. So now I stay frustrated the majority of the time because my house looks like a member of the Al Queda just stopped by and left a nice bomb behind. My mom tried to encourage me that I just needed to begin trying to accept the mess... and I know she's right. But it's very hard to do when you are a neat-freak. There I said it, I admit it. I'm a freak... totally.

On to better topics... October brought better health my way. I seem to have made a full recovery from the September near-death experience. So many people were prayerful for us during that time and I know that God answered many, many petitions for my healing. I am so fortunate to have awesome friends and wonderful family.

Halloween was bittersweet for me this year. The sweet part first... I remember thinking last year and talking with the family about the fact that our sister from China would be with us next Halloween. At that time, we hadn't even been matched with our Mia. But we had the idea of her planted in our minds and we hoped for her then. Now, fast forward one year, and I'm dressing the cutest little ladybug you ever saw and I can't help but say "Thank you, Lord" for this little precious one. Again, a visible, living, breathing testament of answered prayers and miracles all wrapped up in our girl. Now on to the bitter part... every year I took my kids to my Aunt Ruby's house... she would always buy their favorite candy and she would let them get all they wanted. She loved seeing them and that made me happy. This year, Aunt Ruby was gone. She went to be with the Lord in January and I missed her so much this Halloween... I missed her standing at her door holding her little candy bowl with the Hershey bars spilling out. And then... Cole and Garrett declare that they are too old to dress up this year. So I am all the more aware that my babies are growing up and part of me is glad for that, and another part is sad. Thankfully, they still wanted to go trick-or-treating with Nolan and Mia and for that I was relieved.

I've been working on Mia's Gotcha Day video. I got one completely finished to later discover that it won't load to YouTube or to Facebook. Ughh.. So back to the drawing board, and now I'm learning to navigate another software called iMovie on my Mac. Hopefully, I will have it completed soon and ready to post.

Now on to a November...

Much love,
Ashley

Another little bit of Roll Tide...

Forgot this one... :)

Ashley

A Challenging September

September began with continued heat and FOOTBALL. Alabama football and Glencoe football. Cole is playing Jr. High football and is one of the managers for the Varsity team. Garrett is one of the managers of the Jr. High team. We spend two nights a week at the football field and then some Saturdays in Tuscaloosa if the Tide is playing at home. Many of you have been asking about photos of Mia and her Tide clothing... so enjoy... LOL... September was rolling along fairly well, until September 11. I came down with an acute case of bacterial colitis and spent the next nine days hospitalized for IV antibiotics and treatment for dehydration. This was definitely not a good time to be away from Mia and I have to admit that I was very discouraged about life in general. My job is in jeopardy as my company is planning for layoffs later this fall. I have no idea if I will keep the job, or if I will be laid off. So... how do I stay sane with all of this activity? I look at my precious family and I am thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I stand on the promise that "all things work for the good of those who love Him". God has proven to be faithful to us, through finances, through circumstances, through sickness, etc. I am relying on that. I am excited for what our future holds, what career changes may be in store for me, and for what the Lord wants to continue doing in our family. My pastor and I are in talks about beginning an orphan ministry in our church and I am super-excited about that. It would be pure joy to watch other orphaned children be united with loving, forever families. So, today, I am thankful for the assurance I have that God is in control. Mia is learning so much. She is beginning to say a few words like:
Ohhhhh (Cole), Da Da (Griff), Ack: (Jack, the cat), and she giggles a lot. She is a rambler and enjoys going through cabinet drawers. As of today, I have countless tubes of lipstick as well as a hairbrush that are missing. She is eating a little better and sleeps very well. She is struggling with seasonal allergies and has a perpetual runny nose. The most precious part of my day is when she and I snuggle up in my chair in my bedroom and she drinks her bottle and then sucks her thumb. I think about China then... about her life there, about her family who must wonder everyday what became of her, of the blessing that Mia is to our family. I am thankful for the opportunity to be her mom. September is gone and I'm looking forward to a beautiful fall season.

Much love,
Ashley

Wow... August went by fast...

Well, the month of August was a blur. My blogging took a hit, for sure. There has been very, very little spare time and I have been dealing with the shock and awe of parenting four children, varying in ages from teenager to toddler. Back to school went well. Nolan enjoys kindergarten so far and Garrett is really liking middle school. I can tell he is becoming a little man... he is much more self-sufficient, so I guess that's a sign he's growing up too. Cole is working hard at football and being the manager of the varsity football team. Mia is learning new things everyday. She is a master imitator and we crack up at how she copies everything we do. My mom witnessed her trying to make a key chain into an earring. Mom said that she must be watching me put on jewelry. Funny... She has a had a non-stop runny nose since early August and we discovered last week that she had an ear infection. Bummer... Anyway, the childcare situation was not working out, as Daddy couldn't work and entertain "Little Bee", so we ended up starting her in daycare three days a week. So far she is loving it. Her teacher is a God-send and is in love with Mia. Mia seems to really enjoy playing with the other little ones in her class, so for this I am happy. The other two days Mia is staying with my mom, so this is good too. All in all, we are settling in. We have bedtime routines in place and we are continuing to have family dinners, despite our busy schedules. Mia is learning to eat our food, but is still eating a lot of oatmeal, eggs, grits, yogurt, jello, etc. It is wonderful to finally have her at the table with us, as for so many months we prayed for her as we said grace over the meal. She is a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and a visual answered prayer. I will never be able to thank God for such a gift as Mia. The only sadness I have now is wishing that her birth mother could know where she is now, that she is so loved, that she is safe. I know that her mother probably wished all this for her and I really would love for her to know that her wish came true.
On August 12, we attended the Lifeline China Reunion in Birmingham. It was fun to finally meet a few families that I only have known via the internet. We got to meet another child that was in the same orphanage as Mia, and we know that she was with Mia at her first birthday party. She was adopted in February and Mia seemed happy to see her. We got to see Lily and Rebecca one last time. We really didn't get to say goodbye in China, so we were able to let them see our boys and get a photo of all of us together. God used these two women to unite us with our sweet girl and I will forever love them for that.
I still occasionally have to pinch myself to make sure that we really have made it through this process called adoption. I can't believe that the waiting is over and that she really is here at home with us. I used to lay down every night and think of her and looked forward to the day that she would be home. It is a feeling that words can't describe. I am perpetually exhausted, I look like a truck ran over me and then backed up and ran over me again, and I often have temporary lapses in self-control, but despite all of this I am grateful. Grateful that God saw us through such an amazing faith journey and is continuing to bless us.
August is over, but looking forward to what September brings.

Much love,
Ashley

One More First Day Pic...

Back to School

Today was the first day of school. My oldest, Cole, began the eighth grade. Garrett, our middle son, started fifth grade AND a new school. Nolan, my baby boy, went to kindergarten today. Ouch... I did pretty well until I ran into my mom this morning as she dropped off my niece, Molly. My mom took one look at Nolan in his big boy clothes and his backpack and she started crying. Then I started crying. It took me two hours to get control of myself. The beginning of kindergarten is a symbol of a lot of things. The main one to me is that he is growing up. He isn't a baby anymore. And I wanted him to stay my little baby. That probably sounds really silly to some of you, but you might as well ripped my heart out today as I walked him into that school. He was all smiles and I was a weeping fool. I'm crying right now just thinking about it. It must be exhaustion that is making me overly emotional. Another thing... I take an annual photo of my boys and now my boys and girl on the first day of school in the same glider on my deck. It is amazing to see the changes they make physically in a year. I look forward to this photo all year long. Well, Cole decided to have his dad buzz all of his hair off in preparation for the hot football practices that loom ahead. Nolan came running down the stairs as I fed Mia and shouted, "You gotta come up here! All of Cole's hair is layin' in the floor cause Dad just shaved it all off!" I went upstairs and I was sickened at what I saw. My boy's beautiful hair was all gone and all that was left was his little bitty head and his great big ears. He's my pride and joy... everybody knows it, but I must tell you it isn't a good look for him. So, I wasn't as pumped as I normally am to get that photo made. Luckily, his hair grows quickly and I know it will be cooler for football. Sigh... Mia is staying with my mom and dad in the mornings while I work. She did great today and took a long nap, which we are all glad of. She's been famous for the old-fashioned "cat nap" and I am welcoming more sleepy time for her, so I can get some of my mama time back. Right now, mama-time is non-existent. You know the old saying, that which does not kill us, makes us stronger. I am currently testing this saying to see if it's true. If I go missing, please look for me under the rubble of laundry. :)

Much love,
Ashley

Back to Life, Back to Reality...

I used to love this song, and I still sing it when I am trying to be joyful when I'm not feeling joyful. So, I went back to work Monday. I needed more time, more rest, more adjustment to my new life, but unfortunately I also need to get paid. How do all my friends take these long maternity leaves, these weeks/months of FMLA and still pay for their house, buy food, etc. etc.? That is the big question for me. Can you tell I'm just a tad resentful? Oh, well. It is what it is and we will make it. So, on to better topics. The family is doing well. Mia is adjusting well and is getting more and more comfortable with the new home, the new family, and our life. As I've said before, this is a marathon, not a sprint and we celebrate little successes because we know that family is a new concept for Mia. Last week, she had her appointment at the International Adoption Clinic in Birmingham. She checked out well and the social worker was pleased with the bond she said she could tell was forming between the two of us. She talked with me a good bit about the importance of the mother/child bond. This bond shapes who we are, who we will grow to be. This time in Mia's life is critical because she will learn to trust or mistrust. She will learn to accept love and reciprocate that love to others. She told me that my going back to work would be difficult and to expect some regression. She didn't beat me up because I was going back to work, but she did offer support and advice for the future. I appreciate that and her talking with me helped. The brothers... they love Mia. They play with her and tote her around like a sack of potatoes a lot of the time. I am embarrassed to admit that one of their all-time favorite movies is "Major Payne" and they respond to their dad's barking many times with "thur yeth thur", just like in the movie. I always giggle under my breath because I find their mocking hilarious, but I want to support the daddy too. Anyways, guess what the little sister's first American words were? "Thur yeth thur" ... I will video this for all of you to see. Unbelievable... I was expecting Mama or Dada... not an excerpt from a silly movie. Oh, well, even I can see the humor in this. What can I say? She's joining a family of all boys. We are learning that Mia had the nickname of "Little Bee" at her orphanage for a reason. She is into everything. She loves to open cabinets, plays in our dishwasher, feeds the dog snacks (who is highly food allergic I might add), and steals the remote to the TV every chance she gets. She is so, so funny. In China, I doubted that she could walk. Today, I watched her run as she chased Nolan and my niece Molly, in a game of hide-and-seek. So, in the big scheme of things, Mia is doing great. I am discovering that I am going to have to be a much better time-manager at home. The boys go back to school Monday, Cole is playing football, he is the waterboy for the Varsity team, and Garrett is the waterboy for the Jr. High team. We are about to shift into high gear and I'm going to have to get ultra-organized. I was thinking today that I probably ought to renew my Sam's Club membership, because these kids are eating like crazy. I am making a grocery store run every day. I am working on a new family blog, but that is a project that will wait for a little while longer. Until then, I will continue to post here. I am continually meeting people who have read our blog, or are familiar with our story. My cup runneth over...

Much love,
Ashley