We've had a birthday!!

February 2nd 2008.  That is the day that our precious baby boy was born.  Each year, the day that we celebrate his birthday.  On every one of the kid's birthdays there is the inevitable telling of the birth story.  Each of the kids has their special claim to fame - Kasey gets the wild ride to the hospital while Mom banged on the window, and dad losing his glasses lens in the nighttime grass and having to crawl around to find them before we even got in the car.  DJ gets the almost-C section and the special blessing that seemed to speed up labor so that he speedily made his entrance before his heartbeat dropped any further.  Karly was the tiny baby whose entrance was bumped up by a few weeks as she was not getting adequate nourishment - faulty umbilical cord.  Preston forced his poor mother to be on bed rest for 2 weeks, (I know, just terrible...) because he was supposedly not thriving like his sister, but after coming two weeks early he turned out to be a burly (and mightily displeased young lad), but he seemed to get over it eventually.  Now we have another birth story, but this one is very different.  We don't know this story, and more than likely never will, at least not in this life.  I like to think that he was anticipated with great joy, and that for those few weeks that he was with his first family, that he was also welcomed with love, though also, with sorrow.  My heart cracks whenever I think of his birth mother and the process that led to her realization that her baby could only get the necessary medical care he needed if she gave him up.  In China there is no medical safety net, and Mason's feet and legs needed interventions that were out of reach for any but the wealthiest of people to undertake. I hope she was able to store up some memories and impressions for those precious few days that she had this beautiful infant.  I also hope someday that I can thank her - and tell her that - oh my goodness - he has been loved.  I want them to know that I think of their sacrifice every single day, and am grateful for the privilege I have had to welcome their little bundle.  The bundle that was placed in the safest of spots - a police station - where he would be immediately found and cared for.  The doctor that checked him over decided he looked like a wise young man, and named him Wen Sai, apparently a famous Chinese scientist.  Our birth story is a little longer for this child.  Our insistent and subtle tugs that there was a member of the family missing, and that member of the family was, inexplicably, in China.  Our journey through red tape, and interviews, and at the end of it all, a plane ride, and later a bus ride through a smoggy city where we would finally, at long last, get to meet our son.  It's a great story.  It didn't happen on his birthday, but it's our story nonetheless.  My heart will always ache a little every February 2nd, for my son, that he doesn't know any of the circumstances around his birth, no funny stories or anecdotes about a wild ride to the hospital or anything at all really.  I will always think of those parents, who are not celebrating that day like we do, with presents, and cake and games and lots of love, and for the story that is all theirs, that we don't share with them. For now, our story will have to do - I think it will do.          

The peace after the storm

It is 11:43 am on a Thursday morning, the kids are finally back in school, I don't have to work today, and the peace and quiet that I so love has finally descended.  I even put the dog in her crate just to ensure a completely interruption-free interlude.  (The cat, however, is always welcome, he is our dear old gentleman and I would never deny him a welcome, as he always knows how to be a low-impact companion.  Plus he's super soft and purrs a lot.)  Though the cold here is nothing like Minnesota, especially now - when schools there are closing for -45 degree weather (yes, that's a minus!!!), it has been uncharacteristically cold here, and school has been cancelled outright, and a 2-hr late start today.  But now - at last - silence.  Though Mason did miss the bus, (it came way early!!), and I had to drive him, and he said he hates school, and he said couldn't put on his seatbelt because it was 'too cold', and the van broke down IN THE DRIVEWAY, and the dog ran over to the neighbors' and I had to chase him in my pajamas and Jim's gigantic parka, (though to the neighbor's credit, they did help me chase the dog, and didn't laugh at my ridiculous zigzagging technique to try and catch the dog, yes, my dignity is gone by the way) and, and, and, it is now recharge time.  Don't get me wrong - Christmas was just SOOO nice.  Everyone was home, games were played, laughter was frequent, food was plentiful, and yes, tears were shed when everyone left, but still, I'm not gonna lie, I love a quiet morning when I am the sole occupant of the house.  The question is, what to do with that time.  I have already eaten a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers, (I'm not proud of it, but they were open and took the least amount of effort to grab), and had a Diet Coke, (non-negotiable).  There are many tasks that are on my list, (Laundry, cleaning, organizing, figuring out my new sewing machine!!), but really, I think Netflix is going to win this battle.  Now, deciding which new series to commit too - a big decision, very big.  Wish me luck.  Later on I just might go to yoga.  Namaste.      

Moving Day approaches

I probably have about zero to no followers at this point, and I originally started this blog so I could chronicle the lives of the kids as they grow up - so I will just resume this blog again - writing is something I love to do, and I want a record of these people I can look back on, and remember, and hopefully learn from as I go along.
No pictures today - but I promise to post them as I go, I need to update!!  The movers are here today - they are busy packing and working so hard to safeguard and move our belongings, and I am somewhat guility skulking in a corner on my computer.  I always feel a little guilty as movers pack up our stuff, guilty and grateful as well.  This will be a busy and emotional week, culminating in an airplane ride to Reagan National, and an hour long ride to our rental house near Fredericksburg Virginia, and living in the same house as my husband again after a two-month separation.  I feel like I can't ever complain though, he is not deployed or in harm's way - just starting a new job and waiting for us to follow. 
Karly is distraught and beside herself, but I don't seem to have any words of comfort, beyond the idea that everything will turn out all right.  That doesn't seem to cut it for a 17-yr-old leaving behind all she holds dear to spend her Senior year in a strange place.  It 's is a dirty trick and I feel terrible about it, and yet, I think it will be all right.  I hope. 
Yesterday I was released from my calling.  Bittersweet.  I have had the privilege of working with some of the most wonderful people on the planet, people that I admire, and will miss terribly.  Mostly I will miss the most wonderful youth on the planet, those in the Lakeville Stake, specifically the Young Women.  I can't even type that without getting choked up.  Or write more about them.  I love them, I love the other leaders I have worked with, I will miss them. 
It has been a strange parade of emotions over the last week.  After two years of blood, sweat and tears I finished my masters degree.  Weird.  It is very odd to not have some paper or exam or studying hanging over my head with doom written all over it.  I am trying to adjust to the newness of being master of my time again, that combined with moving has thrown me for a bit of a loop, but as always, everything will come out OK in the end. 
Off to write a letter to our missionary.  And buy lunch for the movers.  They deserve it.    

The catch-all post with accompanying picture dump!

Kasey and Mason at the zoo a few months ago



Staring at the buffalo




riding the turtles!



Karly was in the play Bye-Bye Birdie and we were good parents and gave her flowers, she sang and danced up a storm!

OK, so this is Karly's first date, which also happened to be prom.  DJ wasn't letting a golden chance like this pass him by, so we were hard-pressed to get pics of just the happy couple, though we did finally manage one or two.  Karly later forbid DJ from making an appearance at her official birthday party - "Mom, he has to be the center of attention and that should be me at my party!"  True enough, he was banned.



Just cute!




The happy couple




OK, so this is just precious - Karly sprained her ankle at girls' camp and was icing it.  Mason just had to have an owie to ice just like Karly.  He likes his Karly, and somewhat distubingly, loves her shoes.  Jim tries to ignore the shoe tendencies - although it is only Karly's shoes, so there is still hope.




Happy Birthday!!!  She was home for a week before going back to school.  We did lots of shopping, it's her birthday, right??





Mason has started playing with his little ball and bat, which unfortunately requires that someone throw the ball to him to hit for hours daily.  He is getting pretty darn good, which is a relief....see caption above about shoes.




Preston had to go and Karly wasn't ready for 'first day of school pictures'.  Too bad, if you look closely you will see that she has no makeup on - horrors!!!



A little better, a seventh grader and a junior!!

Riding his spiffy brand new bike to school early in order to gethis locker in order, let's hope this lasts!



OK, now she's happy!




Off to preschool/daycare and loving his new sweatshirt.




Ummm....cute or what?



Summertime comes to a close

I had dreams of being a world-class blogger when I started this blog, chronicling my children's lives and the ups and downs of our family, but I have turned into a blog-reader instead.  I lurk and read about other families instead of writing about mine, which is a little sad, so I will try to do better, though the picture downloading thing still freaks me out a little; pathetic, I know.  This has been quite the summer, sending off our precious and funny DJ to the MTC and now to Mexico, where apparently the mosquitoes love his fresh gringo blood, and the language is starting to make sense to his previously Spanish-averse brain.  It probably helps that his companions speaks no English, and that no one in a several mile radius speaks much English either - necessity tends to get things done, and in this case, get the Spanish words and conjugations settling in his brain!  We miss him, but are so excited always for the experiences he is having, and for the wonderful man that he is becoming. 
Girls' Camp in Nauvoo was just...awesome.  I can't think of a better word.  My throat ached the whole time with unshed tears as I watched the wonderful girls of the Lakeville Stake learn about the Nauvoo Saints, the history of what took place there in Nauvoo, and to have experiences like a real handcart trek (yeah, it was real, my pants were muddy up to my knees!), do baptisms at the Nauvoo temple, visit Carthage jail, and experience all that Nauvoo had to offer.  The first two days were record-setting hot, and the suffering was real, but the last 3 days were milder, and much more bearable.  I hated for it to be over, and also that I had to miss the first two days because of class.....
Speaking of school, I survived the summer semester, and came out of it with decent grades to boot.  Not a day went by when I didn't ask myself yet again, why I was putting myself through this ordeal, but, it will all be worth it in the end.  I stayed home all by myself for a whole week while Jim (the trooper) took the kids to the family reunion in Island Park.  This with a brand-new knee to boot, he did great, he even had to cook breakfast for 40 all by himself when it was our turn to make a meal.  I prepared and sent him off with as much help as I could, and they all had a great time with family, with the instances of vomit and sickness kept to a bare minimum, since this is us we are talking about, those things are a non-negotiable part of any vacation or trip.  While they were gone I went to class, took two written exams, studied like crazy and passed a practical exam that I was so nervous for I was physically ill, and just generally had one of quietest weeks of my life!!  I also got more sleep than I've had since I started back to school!  I was sure glad to see them all arrive home however, and hated missing the family reunion, though next year sounds even better than ever. 
Karly got a job working at Wendy's, while DJ worked installing insulation or some yucky job like that for the month that he was home before his mission.  We got to meet his girlfriend (with strict instructions to 'be normal' while she was here), and were so glad that she came and spent time with us (well, mostly DJ) before he left.  Preston has outgrown every pair of pants that I bought him last spring, and later today I will take him school shopping in order to be presentable for 7th grade - where did the time go???  Kasey came home from her job in Missouri to visit us and go to DJ's farewell, and then I got to drive back with her to Provo and help her get settled in her new apartment.  Why is an 18 hour drive such a nightmare in a  van with 5 people, and so fun in a little car with just two people.  Curious.  I visited with my sisters for a few days, and got to see the rest of the family too....nice house big brother!!!!!  I even had the thought that maybe possibly I could come back to the area to live, but let's not get crazy here; it was mostly because the very best chiropractor in the world lives near my sister and he came into the office on a Saturday just to adjust my neck.  This alleviated a horrible headache that I had had for days.  Thoughts of marriage did cross my mind; too bad I am already hitched to my true love, because this guy would be a contender.  Really.
This will be Kasey's last year, and the last drive back to Provo in the fall, an era is ending.  I can't wait to see what her future will bring her.  As always, there is our incomparable little Mason....he is the fun little machine that keeps our family smiling.  I truly don't know what we would do without him.  The kid has ruined me, I cry every time I think about how we got him, and what a miracle it is that he is a part of our family.  Sigh.....we just needed that extra little link at the end our family chain I guess. 
OK, since Kasey borrowed my camera and now I can't find it I have no pics to download - BORING!!  Oh well, I will find my camera and download next time, or a miracle could happen and I could figure out how to download from my phone.  Who knows.  After a 2-week break for me, we all start school on Tuesday, fun for everyone!!          

It's late and I'm tired but.....

It has been so long since I posted, and I realized how much I like having a little record of our goings on around here, so I decided to take a minute to update so that someday my posterity will have one less reason to go to counseling as a result of being raised by yours truly.  Our cool DJ is leaving on his mission to Villahermosa Mexico in a little over a week.  It is hard to believe my little silly boy is so grown up.  He went through the temple today and it was just so cool to see him there.  It was very low-key, we drove up, just Jim and DJ and I, went through our session and stopped and got a Subway sandwich on the way home and kind of tried to be chill about the whole thing.  I remember when I went through it was actually kind of traumatic.  I wa getting married in just a few short days (terrifying!!), and the whole extended family came to go through with me, then we all went out to dinner.  Everyone kept asking me what I thought and how it was, and I was just so overwhelmed by everything that was going on that I just couldn't take it all in.  DJ is pretty chill anyway, (where did that come from) so it was just a nice low-stress day.  Kids these days.....they are so much more prepared for life. 

Karly turned 16 (gasp) which ended a nearly two-year countdown to dating and driving, but unfortunately culminated in the non-passing of the driving test at the DMV.  All of us mothers were in the waiting area watching our kids drive through the testing range.  Karly completely backed over a cone and I knew it was over.  If a kid flunks they stay in the car while the tester gets out to come talk to the parent.  It was a very long walk to the truck for me.  Very long.  I opened the door and the keys came flying out.  Strike one.  I got in and the tears and sobbing commenced.  Strike two.  On the drive home it was determined that the result of the test was completely my fault because I hadn't taught her how to avoid backing over cones.  Strike three.  Bad day.  Upon arriving home Karly collapsed face-down on the beanbag chair and didn't move for quite some time.  Jim finally made her get up and go to school...but man!!!  What a drama queen!!  The next Friday the driving test was successfully passed, this time with dad in attendance.  Whew......life can continue now.

Preston is currently convinced that life is over because of the mandatory attendance of summer school for him.  That is what happens when you FLUNK MATH!!!  Life is tough, but Jim finally told him if he didn't stop complaining that he would lose all TV and video game privileges FOREVER.  Every once in a while dad really means what he says, and as a result Preston has been his usual cheerful self - even with the dreaded purgatory of summer school looming. 

Mason of course is the icing on the cake for all of us, he just couldn't be any cuter.  He also couldn't be any more rotten, but we take the whole package......the kid can turn on the charm like no other, but man can he throw a fit.  After 4 previous accomplished fit throwers though, I am truly immune to it.  Unless we are in a public place I don't even bat an eye, it is actually kind of fun to ignore a 3-year-old meltdown - it sure does make life easier.  One thing I have learned is that if throwing a fit doesn't get a reaction that eventually he will stop - I'm hoping that holds true for this little guy.  His new favorite saying is "What the heck??"  It is so cute, if he is feeling ignored or can't find a toy or something similar he throws that phrase out and it always makes us smile.  DJ took him to Kung Fu Panda 2 the day it came out, the first one is his favorite movie (weird!) but in this one Po finds out he's adopted!!  I can't wait to see it with our little Po.  It's funny he also loves Tarzan, another adoption story.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about how grateful I am for adoption and what a blessing it is for us - I still firmly believe that this tiny little boy that was born in Baoji City China was somehow destined to end up in Lakeville Minnesota - the Lord truly works in mysterious ways. 

OK, I've done my schoolwork for the day, and must get to bed to make it to a ward conference in the morning....poor Jim, another Sunday on his own.  He can whip up a Sunday dinner now with the best of them, and get the dishes done too.... what a guy.  I do miss them when I go to ward conferences however, some of them are a long ways away and I am gone all day.  Next time I will post some pictures as my camera is completely full and I need to download them!!!  

     

Two weeks of mom-hood

Right now I am on a two-week break from school.....it is heaven.  I am going to enjoy every minute.  Yesterday was a visit to Shriner's with Mason, and it went so well.  Every time I go there I am reminded how grateful I am that Mason is so functional, and that his little orthopedic problem is so slight, especially considering what the doctors told us at first.  My heart is always bursting when we go to Shriner's and see all the wonderful kids that struggle with such serious disabilities.  I love the way everyone is treated at Shriner's, it is so kid-centered and such a happy place.  Anyway, the doctor said that as long as we keep encouraging Mason to utilize his left leg fully, and keep him active that we are accomplishing as much or more that physical therapy or even surgery could do.  We are in a big "left, right, left, right" campaign to get him to use both legs going up and down the stairs, or any other climbing and it is working.  His left leg is getting bigger and more muscular, and he seems to be developing the habit of using it instead of favoring it so much.  Next is to get him to ride his little trike, that will do wonders for his left leg.  After Shriner's I took him to McDonald's and he went nuts playing and climbing.  He got a bloody nose however and by the time I got him to come out of the tunnels he looked like he had been in a slaughterhouse.  Gross.  He had fun though, the little girls he was playing with were pretty grossed out, but they seemed to forgive him after we cleaned him up as good as we could. 
I am waiting anxiously for my big kids to come home and visit for a while.  Kasey will come home for a week and will see Karly's play - Bye Bye Birdie.  Karly does a lot of dancing and singing and her claim to fame is her one line..... something about boats, I can't quite remember.  DJ will be home for over a month before his mission and I can't wait for him to be home.  He will get to spend lots of quality time with Dad as he is officially getting his OTHER knee replaced in May.  Bummer, but a good thing because he is in pain all the time, and a little cranky.  With DJ here he can entertain and keep Dad company some of the time, though we did play some decent Scrabble games during his recuperation from the last knee replacement.  I swore I would go to the gym every day during break, so it is off to yoga class for me........