Grateful = Hard

 I just finished a book that had been on my shelf for about a year on being grateful! It had me thinking and evaluating my own heart which by nature seems to be one that is pessimistic and looks at the glass half empty rather than half full. Ugh!! I have found myself grumbling about the weather around here lately. I'm not a lover of the cold! God is in the process of helping me find what I can be thankful for...like even though it's bitterly cold today the sun is shining which brings my heart great joy! I have so far to grow but am hopeful that He will transform my thinking and perspective!

I admit I had a hard week not whining about being at the doctor's office several times this week! Sweet Ava has had a time getting rid of a nasty cold/sinus junk which has led to double ear infections for the second time this month. Anybody else have more snot at their house than they care to see?? Hudson thankfully had a vision and hearing screening and both found some issues....a mild hearing loss due to fluid on both ears that more than likely will be corrected and a need for glasses! Oh my...at 22 months! We've been practicing around here:) Don't worry the real ones aren't neon green with a unibrow!

I am thankful for Coop playing basketball this year! It's a first for him and he is loving it! He had his first game today:) It is comical at times and fun to watch them all learning! I think this might be a sport he sticks with? Matt is his assistant coach and they are doing a great job making it fun but yet instructional! This has been a great outlet for the winter blues!!

Can it be??

Can it really be that we have had 4 full nights of sleep in a row??? I am loving this!!! Thank you for praying for us!! After jet lag seemed to be over for Matt and I Hudson continued to have a hard time sleeping. Some one said it may take a child up to 3 weeks for them to get over jet lag - wow!! I think part of it for him has been jet lag but also just needing to feel safe and secure after so so much change in the past month for him.

Let's see...these are a few of the things we've done since being home and I can only imagine how Hudson is experiencing some of this craziness:)

We celebrated Christmas here in Xenia! I love the tradition of going to our church on Christmas Eve and worshipping Jesus together! We made a day trip over to Indiana to my parents and Hudson met his aunt and uncle and cousins and great-grandma! The kids had so much fun...Hudson was literally asleep the moment we put him in the carseat to drive home.

We celebrated more when Matt's family from Illinois came for a visit. Hudson met another great-grandparent, Matt's grandpa and his Nana and Papa and aunt and uncle and cousins!! We had so much fun, Hudson did great and Ava and Coop were very very sad to see them all leave.

We played and played and played and played some more! It's so exciting watching Hudson explore and learn whether it's the freshly fallen snow, a toy dinosaur that moves and makes noises or learning new words like "bye-bye" and "night-night" and "more" and "please."

 
There was also a very big birthday celebrated in our family! Ava turned 7 years old on December 23rd! Where has the time gone?? I remember that day so vividly in my mind meeting this baby that we had prayed for for what seemed like so long. She is a precious gift to me and it was a delight to celebrate her! She has a sweet tender heart and has grown leaps in having courage this year. I'm a proud momma! She really wanted a Build A Bear party this year so that seemed to make so much sense to me...let's see...I don't have to plan anything(it sneaks up on me every year), lead any game, entertain anyone, put together any goodie bag:) It was a big win for her and me as well. The kids had fun together and all went home with a cute fuzzy bear.

Hudson had a ball going from one side of the store to the other picking cute things off the shelves and putting them on another shelf....Matt was a busy dad following and retracing his little footsteps!

In Case You Were Wondering

We are HOME!!! Thank you for praying for our flights back! They went very well and Hudson did great! We figured out that our travel day was about 27 hours!!! And it was our anniversary so we joked it was the longest celebration of our 11 years and we just hoped we were still talking to each other by the time we got off the last plane:) 

We were welcomed at the airport by Ava and Cooper and my parents! It was so so good to see them and hug them and kiss them and introduce them to their brother! They had been working so hard to make our return so special...there was a sign, balloons, cards and presents!!

We have had a rough start to our week home....just in the sense of getting little sleep due to jet lag and Hudson crying at night time. So if you read this before bed tonight...please pray we would turn a corner soon! We are a needy bunch right now!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being on this journey with us! We have sensed your prayers and have experienced God's faithfulness and grace for each moment! We are excited to introduce Hudson to each of you very soon!

Consulate Appointment - Check!

 

Here is the view out of our window...I have been overwhelmed at how big each city has been we've been in and how many people, markets, restaurants, vendors and stores there are here! It really seems the city never sleeps. The people have been very friendly and very curious as we are out as to why and how we have a Chinese son. There have been lots of pictures taken from the curious onlookers. 

We had our Consulate Appointment this morning and everything went well. The appointment was basically a group of about 15 adoptive families taking an oath saying we have been honest about all the information we have given and then giving our paperwork over to be checked and stamped which then allows Hudson his visa which we should get tomorrow afternoon. 

We had a low key day after that because Matt woke up feeling sick to his stomach which he still has. Prayers appreciated that in the morning he will feel much better. 

Tomorrow night will be our last evening here. The hotel lobby has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland and there will be caroling, the lighting of the tree, food, and even a Santa appearance tomorrow evening. It should be a good send off! 

We are hearing rumors of snow and ice heading our way back home?? Is that true?? How much and when?? We really really really do not want any delays in our return home Saturday evening!!!

Waiting

So if you are like me you may be wondering why do we have to stay around so long this week?? It is mostly a week of waiting. We are waiting a couple of things...waiting on Hudson medical evaluation which we received today and waiting on our consulate appointment which is tomorrow and then finally waiting on Hudson's visa which allows him to come home!! It certainly feels like lots of waiting which can be hard at times but we are trying to enjoy these moment with him here! We certainly are feeling ready to be home and to give hugs and kisses to Ava and Cooper though too!
In our waiting we have gotten to do a bit of sightseeing. We've gone to a couple of different parks, to the zoo, on a river boat cruise and most recently to the circus!

This wasn't just your regular old circus let me tell you...it was more like cirque de solei...not sure if I'm spelling that right. There were certainly all the circus animals and clowns but so much acrobatics and an amazing show with snow, rain, fire, lights...an amazing production. I looked at Matt and said "I wonder if Hudson will have nightmares?" His eyes took it all in, pointing at everything...it may have been a bit of overstimulation after spending most of his little life in his stark white walled home. Thankfully he slept great!!

It has been so hard getting him to take naps but I'm thrilled right now that I'm sitting in a cute little cafe writing this while he and Matt are upstairs...Hudson is napping and I think Matt is enjoying catching up on some sports scores. Please pray we would wait well these next few days. 

Hudson's home for the last 18 months of his life

Here is the entrance gate to the orphanage where Hudson was abandoned and left wrapped in a blanket with a note from his parents.

We asked if we could visit where the kids played and this is where we were taken. My eyes filled with tears as I entered. No toys to speak of, a TV blaring with non-kid friendly shows and this sweet girl who has down syndrome. She was precious. As I reached for her hand she took it and just begin to swing it back and forth with a wonderful smile. My heart aches.

The foremost crib was Hudson's. And these are 4 out of the 8 children besides Hudson that were in the same room together. They lit up as we came into the room to talk with them and play with them for a bit. There is no heat in the building which is common in this region so that is why they are bundled up. The boy with the red, black and teddy bear jacket and the boy in the brown coat are set to be adopted in the next couple of months!!!

We are now in Guangzhou where the US Consulate is and where we will receive Hudson's visa to come home! We have done more paperwork as well as his medical exam. He was a rock star during that!! Today we went to a park and a shopping market area and then had the afternoon and evening to relax! It was so fun just to hang around our room and see Hudson in his element. He loves to walk all over freely and explore what he can find. It's really as if he is in love with the freedom to roam and be curious! He has definitely been wanting me mostly to hold him but today he warmed up even more to his dada. Would you pray for Matt...he has a cold/sinus infection and hasn't had great energy. Thanks!!

Thank-Full

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our hearts are certainly full of thanks in so many ways as we continue here in China! We celebrated with our dear friends, Bryan and Cheryl and their two boys, who came to visit us. It wasn't a traditional day by any means but it was super special. We actually ate at a Tibetan place and ate yak!, beef/potato/curry, bread with soup and milk tea.

It has been a full few days with lots of bonding with Hudson and sightseeing with our friends. Hudson has been doing fairly well as far as we can tell. We have had a couple of break down moments which I know are to be expected. One was on our paperwork day...he had just said goodbye to the orphanage director and another girl from the orphanage they called his "sister" and we were suppose to take a family picture for the some kind of paperwork. He cried for about 45 minutes straight and the lady taking the photo wanted it to be perfect. So we waited and waited with lots of strangers coming up to us offering their "help." That was hard because I think he was sad to be leaving those who had loved him most of his life. I just wanted to scream and say, "Don't you realize you can't make a toddler smile for a picture!" The other break down was tonight....we just got off a plane and got settled in our new hotel and he cried for about an hour as we were trying to lay him down to bed. I don't know if it was another new place that sent him over the edge or what but it made me really sad....so Matt had a crying wife and son:)

We did get to visit his orphanage and take formula to give and interact with some of the kids on Thanksgiving which is another reason it was so special. My heart broke to see his "bedmates" and meet his nannies and see what his life was. I am so grateful for God's grace in the moment and will have it etched in my mind forever. We also received a copy of the birth note which is the letter that was left with him by his parents when they abandoned him....ugh...so moving...it begins as a note directly to him saying...to my cute baby....

We are in our last week and are looking forward to this new city and meeting several other families who had their Gotcha Day last week as well. We are so thankful for your prayers...they mean the world to us!

We were able to see the Panda's in Chengdu! Ava and Cooper would have loved this! They were really fun to see and were very up close!

Experiencing Hot Pot....really yummy!