Sunday, November 13, 2011

Mia is three!

It's been a while so forgive me if I'm rusty. I've been in Florida now just about one month, working at my new, old job. I've been very busy trying to get the place back in the shape I left it in and am working some very long hours. I knew this would be the case when I took the job and I figured it was for the best that Madeline and the girls stayed back in TN until after school was over because I'd be at work more than home anyway. Mark this day down because something is about to happen that is as rare as Haley's Comet...I was wrong. I miss my girls too much! I miss having to get out of bed at 6AM on the weekends because no one else in the house can hear the dog whinning and barking for the past thirty minutes to go out. I miss stepping on an old happy meal toy left in the middle of the walk way even though we told the girls to cleanup before they went to bed. I miss that I can, not that I do, make breakfast for the girls on Sunday and Madeline doesn't even now it's daylight yet. I miss that more often than you care to know there are noises coming out of them that I always thought were reserved for boys. I miss them!
I talk to them daily and at least 4 or 5 times a week on the video phone. Not much has changed with them, Bella's still laughs at everything, funny or not. Sophia, it seems is looking at herself on the video phone more than me. Ava still constantly makes her goofy faces instead of talking and Mia makes the most of being on the bar chair and grabs everything within reach and inevitably hangs up the phone a time or two. Madeline is still as beautiful as the first day I met her although we rarely get to talk on the phone. Yeah, not much has changed about them.
Tonight Madeline and the girls are celebrating Mia's 3rd birthday with friends and family in TN. I'm sad that I am missing it because Mia will only turn three once. I bet the kids are all pretty much out of control. The house is probably a disaster by now and someone, somewhere is crying. It will most likely take Madeline all night to clean up the mess, though she'll probably clean it up in the morning because she has to get the girls in bed- school tomorrow. It's quiet here, REALLY quiet, like post-apocolypse quiet. I may watch a movie, read, or maybe just check out what's new on the web. Not sure what the night has in store for me but I can do whatever I want.
I'm pretty sure I said out loud that this would be much harder for Madeline, taking care of the girls all alone, like a single Mother. For me I thought it would be a piece of cake. Sure I'd miss them but I would see them once a month and with the phone calls that would be enough. I was wrong! When I do to talk to Madeline she is usually stressed out because someone "forgot" to take the dog out or this one is fighting with that one, and no one is listening to her at all. I'm also pretty sure was a little jealous that I was coming home to Florida because most of our childhood friends are still here. We've made some great friends in TN but there is something to be said for "coming home". I remember her asking me what I was going to do down here until she and the girls could join me..."whatever I want!", said with a grin. It's true, I can do whatever I want, but what do I want? I want them, here, now. I can hardly take the fact that we are apart. I miss the goofy jokes, innappropriate sounds, and wierd faces. I miss laying down at night and cuddling with Madeline even though she wants me stay in my own space. I miss them all running up to me with hugs when I walk in the door from work. I miss my Mia's beautiful little face with a smile so big it envelopes her eyes. I guess I never thought it would be harder on me than them. I'm very thankful God has blessed me with such a great family and countless blessings. I just wish they were here. Happy Birthday Mia Mei, I miss you so much!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Today :)

Our Mia Mei today...
... always with her foot in the picture :)




Sweet Daddy's Girl



Enjoying dinner and cake with the Aunt G & Uncle Stinky and boys :) Just like in China, loving her noodles, heehee! And, of course, a ladybug cake!


One year ago....

In the Jenfeng hotel in the city of Nanchang, in the Jiangxi province of China our four year journey to our daughter ended and our life as a family of six began!




Here is the photo taken when little Guo Dan Rui was handed to us. It is fitting that the picture is blurry. We were the last of the twelve families to receive our baby. Being last, at times, has it's benefits! We had the incredible opportunity to witness eleven other families welcome their little girls into their arms and hearts that day! It was amazing!!! But immediately after Mia was placed in our arms we were quickly hurried out of the meeting room to go feed the babies. They were so tired, hot and hungry from their day of traveling to us. Mia was so brave, she was inspecting us, taking it all in but finally began to cry out "ma ma, ma ma". It was so hard to see her hurting :( By the time we made it to our room she had stopped crying and was really checking us out :)






We fed her a bottle, which she would only take if it was practically boiling. She played on the bed for an hour or so and then fell asleep from exhaustion. We watched her sleep most of the night, in complete awe of her, our gift from God!!! Just as we had gazed at her three older sisters on their first night sleeping in a crib beside us :)


In an adoption story there are so many dates to celebrate, the day you start your paperwork, the day it was accepted in China, the first time you saw your child in a photo, the actual adoption day but for us the day we held her in our arms, August 2, 2009 was the day we hold most dear!!! This year has gone so fast. Mia has grown and changed so much but in the blink of an eye I can remember exactly what it felt like to hold her for the first time.


We celebrated today!!! We thanked God today! We remembered all of the people that helped us bring Mia home! Tonight we will pray for those in China that made it possible for her to find us, her forever family!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

God's blessings

Our house is normally pretty lively with our four girls and many times, a few more children. Although I got home tonight very early, all my girls were asleep. I went through the house checking on each one as I normally do and making sure everything was okay. Even though I always do this, tonight seemed a little different. As I checked on each of them it brought me back to when I was anxiously anticipating meeting each one, including Madeline. I can remember wondering what each one would look like, or smell like, sound like or even feel like, and what their personality would be like. What I realized is that after each one came into my life I could no longer remember my original image of them. You see, they were so much more perfect than I could have ever imagined! It is getting so close to our one year anniversary of holding Mia for the first time. As I remember all of the things we went through during our adoption process it all seems so long ago and very small. I guess if you are ever down or questioning the blessings that God has given you sometimes all you need to do is watch the loves of your life while they sleep (Lucy is still on the bubble). I'm not sure what I have done to deserve these blessings but I thank God each day for them and you should too. Good Night.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

June 22nd....

We can hardly believe that one year has passed since we first laid eyes on our Mia! After four long years of waiting - the phone rang, we answered, listened to information about our baby and gathered around the computer screen anxiously awaiting her photo! It was amazing, there she was - this little one was our daughter :)




We can hardly put into words how precious she is! She has grown so fast into the sweet and spunky little leader of the pack :)



God has blessed us with four wonderful girls and we thank him every day for the joy they bring to our hearts and our home!!!


June 22nd will forever be a VERY special day to us!!!! :)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Funny, Ingenious and just a little bit pathetic...

Oh how we miss Florida......

Their TN "pool" :}



For the record, this was ALL the girls idea!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Mia's "Face"

For a few months now Mia has been making this funny face. She pushes her lips to her nose, snorts a little and everyone laughs! So now the phrase, "Mia, Make Your Face" leads to this....



And then the older girls join in......






Ahhhh, FUN times 4 !!!!!