Loving Our Way to Levi

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

2010-02-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Well, the big news in our lives is that we had about 8 inches of snow in Allen, Texas! The news channels reported 12 inches in Dallas. It was a record snowfall that we have been enjoying for 2 days! It is AWESOME!! This is REAL snow that you can build with....not just the usual Texas ice/snow stuff we usually get. Theo, Levi, and Ruthie have been hard at work building ice caves, igloos, and snowmen. We got to spend the day at a friend's house yesterday while playing in the snow and drinking cocoa and just visiting. It was a fun day for all! The kids enjoyed having snowball fights with each other and watching their friend's big dog frolic in the snow. The kids would like to sled, but we couldn't get our Rubbermaid lids to work on these hills. Daddy will have to figure that one out! ha! I took them to the park today across the street. It was like a winter wonderland. So beautiful and so much snow! Ruthie, now an expert snowball roller, built a trio of ice people and an igloo. Their daddy, Rich also showed them how to build ice bricks using my bread pans. :) They would stay outside all day if their little feet and hands would hold up under the cold temperatures. ha! They are inside now drinking cocoa and warming by the fireplace and having the time of their lives!

There is so much snow that the bush at our next door neighbor's house completely broke and fell over in between our houses. Our little bush/tree in our front yard also looks pretty bad. We will have to assess the damage once the snow has melted. I can't ever remember getting this much snow in Texas. It has been a really fun winter!

Colorado Trip

2009-09-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the highlights from our trip to Colorado this August. I still have more to upload and will do so later. Enjoy these for now. We had a fabulous time! The weather was perfect--it was even cooler than usual there!!

Fouth of July and Visit with G'Ma and G'Pa

2009-07-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

We all had a wonderful 4th of July with the grandparents and Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Chip, and all of the cousins. The kids created and participated in an Independence Day parade right in front of my sister's house while the adults sang and cheered them on. It was too precious! The kids blew giant bubbles, made pinwheels, ate homemade ice cream and hotdogs, swam in the pool, and fed the farm animals. It was an absolutely wonderful day! Our visit with the grandparents was full of fun as well. We visited the Bluebell Creamery and got a sample of their fresh ice cream. It was yummy! Later, we got to pet miniature horses at a local monastary. The land was beautiful with rolling hills! The only complaint was the scorching heat! UGH! The kids played in the sprinklers, ate popcicles, rode the Gator, and had fun walking on the trails G'Ma had prepared for them. Levi, who was scared of the Gator at our spring visit, was completely taken with it this trip. He drove that thing all over the place while Ruthie rode with him collecting rocks and sticks. They are a cute pair! Ruthie wanted G'Ma to blow dry her hair every night before bed while Levi curled up in bed with G'Pa to hear a bedtime story. Theo played computer games with G'Ma each night before bed, which they both thoroughly enjoyed. It was so much fun to watch them bond with their grandparents. We had a great vacation with lots of family fun!

BlueBell Creamery, Tearoom with the Grandparents

2009-07-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for ICE CREAM!!!

2009-06-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

Today, after taking the kids for an afternoon swim, we made homemade ice cream! Levi LOVED this activity. He enjoyed making the ice cream and turning the crank, but what he enjoyed most of all was EATING it!! You can see from the pictures that he literally LICKED the bowl clean. Boy was he happy. He even asked for a second bowl. That kid loves his ice cream! We will be doing this again many times this summer since the kids really get a kick out of making their own ice cream!

Summer fun!! Swimming and homemade ice cream. What can be better than that?

Theo and Ruthie have been taking swim lessons this past week and will continue for one more week. They are doing great! Both can jump in and swim under water. They also learned how to tread water and swim on their backs. This is the first year they have taken lessons, and I can't believe how well they are doing and how fast they are learning.

Well, after receiving "encouragement" from brother and sister, Levi decided that he wanted to try swimming in the big pool too. Rich and I took him swimming this weekend, and he did so well! We couldn't believe it was the same scared little boy. He jumped into our arms in the pool and even put his entire head under water. (He doesn't really like to get the water in his eyes, but he did it anyway). He had so much fun--all of his fears have seemed to melt away. We are so proud of him! Next summer, he will take lessons too. For now, he is just enjoying splashing around with his big brother and sister. I am so glad he "warmed up" to the pool. It makes things more fun for all of us. Plus, it is good therapy for his little arm.

We are looking forward to celebrating the Fourth of July next weekend with our extended family. More summer fun!!

Karate Kid Theo Earned His YELLOW Belt!!

2009-06-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Theo finished Karate Camp today. It was 5 days for 5 hours each day. He worked so hard and didn't even complain. What a trooper! Theo and his friend Benjamin had lots of fun, too! The kids "tested" today and earned their belts. Theo was very excited. He is now going to work hard to earn his orange belt. This process normally takes several months--not just a week. So, you can see that they worked at an accelerated pace! :) Congrats Theo!

Next week, we begin swim lessons! That should be a fun way to cool off during these hot summer afternoons!

We're having fun and keeping busy this summer. Ruthie had a 36 hour virus this week with a 101.3 degree temperature and vomiting. UGH! Thank goodness the sickness subsided quickly. So far the boys haven't succomb to the illness! ha!

Levi went to his first story time at the library this week. He had so much fun singing and listening to stories and puppet shows. He can't wait to go back to story time. He also enjoys checking out lots of books to read at home. We're going to make this a regular event since Levi loves it so much. It is so good for his English skills as well. Levi just loves to sing and dance. After attending story hour, he goes around singing, "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". Too cute!

Scottish Rite Hospital Update

2009-06-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

For all of my faithful blog readers....Here is the update for Levi's first visit to Scottish Rite Hospital today:

The doctor said there are 3 areas to focus on with Levi's brachial plexus injury on his right arm. Here are the things we discussed with the doctor today:

1. His wrist movement--which could be "fixed" later with minor surgery. She said that is not a decision we need to make now. She would like to wait until he develops more. No rush....

2. Levi needs to have his arm "straightened"--it bends at the elbow at the radial head. That bone is sticking out somewhat. So...Levi has to wear a "brace/splint" at night when he sleeps for about 6-9 months to correct this. Six to nine months is also when we need to go back for a follow-up visit at Scottish Rite.

3. Levi's shoulder is dislocated because of the the brachial plexus injury--it is a secondary result from the original injury. It cannot be fixed though like an adult's could be fixed. If you were to dislocated your shoulder, the doctor would just pop it back into place. Levi's had grown wrong because it was left untreated for so long. So, there is nothing to "pop" his shoulder bone back into. So, there is a surgery the doctor could do entailing cutting a part of his bone to make his arm turn more outward--but it won't fix the actual shoulder.....but she said that this could take away some of the strength and ability he has now. So, it is something we are opting not to do. We think he is just perfect the way he is. I don't want him to go through all that trauma and pain and wind up with a worse situation or at least different problems. No point in trading one problem for another.

4. There is nothing the doctor can do for lengthening Levi's limbs. She said limb stretching was not recommended for him and was even too risky. He may just have one arm an inch or two shorter than the other. Levi doesn't seem to mind. I was sharing with my parents a cute story about Levi.....A couple of months ago, the kids were playing with Mr. Potato Head. Levi chose a long arm and a short arm for his potato. Ruthie tried to explain to him that that was wrong and he needed his arms to be the same length. Levi insisted that it was right, and he liked it that way and refused to change it. This just goes to show you that he seems himself in a positive way. He doesn't know anything is "wrong" with his arm....and we plan to keep it that way. He is just the way he is supposed to be. :)

5. The good news is that he required no physical therapy of any kind. The doctor told me to keep him in Karate and let him just be a kid--ride bike, swing, swim, etc. All of those activities would strengthen his arm. Yeah!!

6. The doctor wants us to go see a facial-cranial specialist for Levi's head. They want to make sure the skull hasn't closed too much to inhibit continual brain growth. We have to make an appointment to go to Children's Medical Hospital in the next few weeks. We'll see how this turns out. Please pray for there to be no problems associated with his sweet little head. :) We're leaving this in God's hands.

That's all we know at this point. I think it was definitely a good news day overall. We are doing as much as we can do for Levi's arm and will just have to make sure his head is okay. The experience was wonderful at Scottish Rite. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. We didn't have to wait long and were well taken care of! It's a fun place for kids---lots of neat things to see and do.

My Karate Kids!

2009-06-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share these pictures of my adorable Karate Kids--Theo and Levi. They have made so much improvement in their coordination and confidence just in the month they have been attending karate class. This is particularly good for Levi since it forces him to use his right arm as much as possible while strengthening it as well. The teachers have been really good about working with him and helping him get as much as possible out of the class. We have his first doctor's appointment at Scottish Rite Hospital tomorrow--so we will ask the doctors if karate is indeed "good therapy" for his little arm. Both Theo and Levi really seem to enjoy karate. I like the structure and discipline that the class requires as well. Theo should be getting his next color belt--yellow after next week, so I will try to post some pictures of him doing a kick or something in his new belt! :)

Theo's Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Theo's completion of Kindergarten! Our little homeschool group and our families came together in fellowship to celebrate the achievements of our little 6-year old boys. We had a short ceremony, ate lots of yummy Mexican food and graduation cupcakes and then went swimming. What a special and fun day we had! One of the dads, "Mr. Bill" was the Master of Ceremonies. He did a fantastic job and made the ceremony very memorable and truly special! We are blessed beyond measure with these friends that God has sent into our lives!

Here is the poem that Mr. Bill read as part of his "Commencement Speech". :) It truly sums up our feelings today as we continue upon this journey of raising, educating, and unconditionally loving our precious children--gifts from God!

When You Dream Tonight
Remember when I was just a thought, a dream so far away.
You hoped and prayed that a miracle would bring me to you one day.

After my birth, time you'd spend waiting, no longer mattered at all.
In your arms, my gaze fixed on you, full of love from my eyes so small.

When you dream tonight, dream of me, a newborn babe so sweet.
I was a gift from God, knit just for you, who made your dreams complete.

Time marches on and I've grown since then. Look at me here today.
Completing another, step in my life; I'm changing day by day.

Reading and writing, science and math are things that I learned this year.
You taught me so much, I'm different now; but change isn't something to fear.

When you dream tonight, dream of me, your little child growing up fast.
I'm a gift from God, knit just for you. Remember today won't last.

In the blink of an eye, I'll be a teenager; everything will seem to have changed.
Dreams of my own, will take hold of my heart, and my life will seem misarranged.

But I'll hold fast to your love, and your steady support, as I grapple with my own heart.
And I'll emerge from it all, ready for life, because you obediently played your part.

When you dream tonight, dream of me, your teenager who's leaving home.
Your prayers and support have prepared me well, to face this life on my own.

Soon after today, God may bring, one who will hold my heart dear.
One to whom, I will bind myself, and with whom I'll pass the years.

And should we be blessed with babies of our own, we'll honor you every day.
For your God-given love will flow through us, to our children in every way.

So when you dream tonight, dream of me, and know that my love is true.
And rest assured, when I dream tonight, that I'll be dreaming of you.

BUTTERFLIES!!!

2009-05-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

All ten of our butterflies hatched!! Yea!! Their wings have dried, and they are flying around the tent excitedly. Butterflies are so beautiful and fun to watch!

Theo, Ruthie, and Levi REALLY enjoy getting into the tent and holding the butterflies. Theo even got a "butterfly kiss" on his cheek. It is precious to hear him giggle as the butterflies brush his face, land on his shoulder and in his little hand. The butterflies let all the children hold them, which of course is absolutely captivating to them all.

Theo was so appreciative that we bought the butterflies for him, and he's already asking when we can order them again. I guess this will be a yearly project. :) I have to admit that it is truly amazing to watch these little creatures on their journey to become such beautiful and sweet insects.

Theo placed orange slices and a pink carnation with sugar-water in a bowl for the butterflies to eat. He then carefully placed each butterfly on the flower and watched them uncurl their proboscis to suck up the sweet water (nectar). Theo was absolutely mezmorized! This is all he has talked about all day. What a fun learning experience for the whole family!

Race Cars, Ponies, Butterflies, OH MY!!

2009-05-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some of the fun activities we have been up to lately. We are really excited that it is Springtime and almost Summer! The children just love playing outside in God's beautiful creation.

For Mother's Day weekend, we took the kids to a race car park. I thought Levi would be scared of the fast cars, but he wasn't at all. He had an absolute blast riding next to his Daddy. I told Rich not to go too fast with Levi, but he said that Levi wanted to go faster and faster. He didn't even look scared. He is beginning to trust us and allow himself to have some fun. It was great to see him so happy. The kids asked to ride over and over again. Then, we all rode in bumper boats. Ruthie and I were in one boat and the boys in the other. We bumped into and squirted each other with water. We were all soaked, but we were laughing and having so much fun! It was a great Mother's Day seeing my children so happy and bonded as a family. After our racing adventure, Rich and the children took me out to eat on Saturday evening. What a nice relaxing time it was to spend with my best friend and my three sweet children.

Ruthie was invited to a pony birthday party for her two little friends, Olivia and Isabella. They both were adopted from China. In fact, Isabella has a brachial plexus injury just like Levi. We just love their family. They are so sweet and supportive! God has blessed us with wonderful friends. Ruthie had so much fun riding the ponies. In fact, one pony got scared and almost threw Ruthie. I was a little concerned, but Ruthie thought it was great. She thought she was a cowgirl riding a bronco! ha! She just smiled the entire time. She's our adventurous little girl!! :)

It is nice being outside these days. It has been very cool in the mornings this week. Theo and I got out and mowed the lawn today. On the weekends, Levi likes to help Daddy with yardwork. Theo mows and Levi rakes and scoops leaves. They are quite the team! Levi is such the little helper. Whenever there is a job to be done, he is the first to volunteer. If Mommy drops something on the floor, he is right there to pick it up for me without my even asking. He has such a servant's heart at such a young age. (Now if the other two will just pick up this trait too....ha!)

I just had to include a picture of little Levi sleeping. I caught this picture one day when he was napping. I have so many sleeping baby pictures of Theo and Ruthie that I just had to have some of little Levi. Isn't he absolutely adorable? So peaceful. He just loves his "Shumah Panda"! We sent this panda to him before we arrived in China. He sleeps with it every night.

After we came in from mowing, Theo came running up to me screaming, "They hatched!" Two of our butterflies came out of their chrysalises this morning. We are anxiously awaiting this afternoon when their wings will be dry and they can fly. There are still 7 more that need to hatch. It should be an exciting next few days around here! The butterflies are in a large tent so that when they all hatch, the children can go sit inside the tent one at a time and have the butterflies fly all around them and land on them. It should be fun. I will just have to supervise so that we don't have butterfly escapees around the house. ha! At least it is butterflies and not reptiles. I can handle sweet little butterflies! :)

This is Theo's last week of school for kindergarten. The hatching butterflies were the grand finale--the triumphant ending to a wonderful year! We finished our first official year of homeschooling! Yippee! It was such a successful and fun year with my sweet Theo! I just so enjoy watching him skip around and get genuinely excited about learning new things. He particularly enjoys science experiments and nature walks! We are going to have a small kindergarten graduation ceremony next week with our homeschool group to recognize the accomplishments of our children and to celebrate the first year! I will post pictures of Theo in his cap and gown. I can't wait. He will be so cute!! We are so proud of him! Congrats Theo! Buddy, you have one year down...16 more to go! ha! :)

Levi's First Trip to Grandma's and Grandpa's House and Baylor University!

2009-04-27T09:24:00.001-07:00

This weekend we visited the grandparents! (Natania's parents) Levi had never been to their house, but he had met them when he first came home from China. While there, Levi got to meet his Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Chip and six of his cousins--Timothy, Ben, Luke, Anna, Lydia, and Seth. Levi had the best time playing with his cousins. He played "peek-a-boo" with Timothy's Texas A&M hat and was cuddled and loved on by Anna and Lydia. They took such great care of him. It was nice to have "babysitters" while Mommy and Daddy visited with the adults. :)

The kids rode the toy John Deere Gator, bikes, plasma cars and ran around in G'ma and G'pa's big yard. We thought Levi would enjoy driving the gator, but he was scared and would only sit in the seat and honk the horn without the car moving. My mom reminded me that Theo was scared to ride in the big real Gator with G'Pa when he was younger. I bet Levi will be driving the little Gator in no time. :)

The kids also chased G'Ma's two cats--Boots and Miss Kitty. Before we left, Levi was able to pet Boots. The cat laid down on the grass and let Levi rub his tummy. It was so sweet. :)

Levi had no problem sleeping in a new house and new bed or meeting new family members. He just thorougly enjoyed the attention he recieved from everyone. He truly fit right in with our family. He even ate Mexican food--our family favorite! The family is amazed at how quickly he has picked up the language in just the 2 months we've been home. We even attended G'Pa and G'Ma's church, and Levi sat through the service like a little angel. He's such an amazing little guy!:)

Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Chip and the cousins brought adorable gifts for Levi, Theo, and Ruthie. Each child received an Aggie baseball cap. Levi looked especially cute in his! He looks good in maroon. Rich (teasingly) was not too sure about this Aggie stuff since we are both Baylor alumni. He was a trooper though, and let the kids proudly wear their new hats. Ha! :) On our way home, we HAD to stop at Baylor to introduce (encourage, indoctrinate??? ha!) Levi to the bears and all that is BAYLOR! Sic 'em Bears!! Levi really liked peaking into the bear cages and seeing the sleeping bear and running up and down the river banks and over the bridge and playing in the fountains. It was a fun experience for all. Plus, it was a good stopping point for 3 wiggly children on the 3.5 hour trip back to Dallas.

It was a fantastic weekend and a very special occasion to welcome Levi to the family. We are so thankful for our family and for their love for and acceptance of Levi. Uncle Chip even prayed a prayer of dedication for his new little nephew, which meant so much to us. Levi was exceedingly happy being surrounded by such a loving and caring group of people. We know he will grow to know and walk with the Lord because he has so many people praying and setting a good example for him.

Great memories were made for all of us....especially for little Levi. He is seeing himself in more and more family pictures which pleases him so much! :)
Welcome to the BIG family, Little Guy!
We love you so much!

Wiggly Worms!

2009-04-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

This week, we have been studying earthworms. The kids have enjoyed digging them up from the backyard. We even made a wormery in a 2-liter bottle with sand, soil and worms. The children are enjoying watching the worms wiggle their way into the soil and mix up the layers. When collecting the worms, Theo and Ruthie had no trouble diving right in and picking them up. Levi, however wanted nothing to do with the worms. He enjoyed watching them wiggle in the bucket but did not want to touch them. (I have to say that I am not fond of touching them either!) Levi kept saying, "Levi ladybug". He likes to hold ladybugs but not those slimy worms!

Today for fun, we did "Worm Art". We cooked spaghetti noodles and dyed them brown using food coloring. Theo, Ruthie, and Levi used tweezers to pick up the "worms" and arrange them on their paper plate to make an interesting picture. It was a good activity for fine motor skills. Plus we had fun! Boy, did those brown noodles look like worms. I think I'm going to have a hard time eating spaghetti now. ha!

For afternoon snack, we used Oreo cookies and chocolate pudding to make dirt/soil in a cup. The kids added gummy worms to their soil and ate them up! Levi loves chocolate but he didn't like this. I think it was because of the gummy worms inside. He ate some but not all of it. Theo gobbled his up, and Ruthie ate most of hers before her tummy got too full. :)

Back to more worm observations and activities....

Easter Fun 2009

2009-04-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

He is Risen! Levi's First Easter Celebration

2009-04-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing Easter weekend with Theo, Ruthie, and Levi. Theo and Ruthie had been explaining to Levi all week about searching for Easter eggs. Ruthie even cut out paper eggs and hid them around the house for a "practice run". ha! So, when Sunday morning came, Levi did not miss a beat. He collected as many eggs as his brother and sister. They had the best time searching for eggs and digging into their baskets. Theo was concerned that the Easter bunny had not come and that maybe his Mommy and Daddy had "filled in" for the EB since we had a stormy night. ha! He was fine either way--just as long as there were eggs to find. I don't think they even really care as much about the candy inside--it is just the thrill of the hunt! :)

After our traditional Easter breakfast of hot cross buns, boiled eggs, and sausage, we headed out to church. Theo attended a special service for K-6 grade where he was presented with the Easter story using "resurrection eggs". He got to come home with his very own special egg filled with tiny reminders of what Jesus did for us. Levi and Ruthie attended big church with Mommy and Daddy. They were so well behaved! Ruthie opened her Bible when the preacher asked us to. She asked me to help her find the Easter story in her Bible. It was precious. She also sang her little heart out! Then, they quietly colored and listened as best they could to the sermon. When we entered the church, the children got to put freshly cut flowers onto the cross. They enjoyed being part of this special tradition at our church. The cross looked beautiful with all of those brightly colored flowers. It was a nice contrast to the gloomy rainy weather outside! But...I have to say that later in the afternoon the sun came out to create a gorgeous Easter Sunday! God is good! He gave us the gloomy weather in the morning to remind us of Jesus' death on the cross (Good Friday) and then the sun later in the day to remind us of His resurrection! It made for a special and memorable Easter!

After church, we came home and ate a light snack while we all worked together as a family to prepare our Easter meal. We had fresh green beans which all of the children helped to snap. They really enjoyed this. Then, they made the resurrection rolls. We take a large marshmallow--which we say is Jesus wrapped in burial clothes--we dip the marshmallow in butter and then cinnamon and sugar. We tell the children this is how the women prepared Jesus' body for burial--with oils and spices. Then, we put "Jesus" (the marshmallow) in the tomb--(a Pillsbury crescent roll) and sealed the tomb. When these bake, the marshmallow melts and a hole is formed inside the roll--we then say, He is risen! The tomb is empty! The children really enjoyed making these as well as eating them! Although, Levi does not really like bread. He sure ate the green beans, though! ha! It was a precious time just being together and celebrating Jesus' love for us.

I looked over at Rich during our Easter meal and commented that I just couldn't believe Levi was really here with us celebrating Easter and learning about Jesus. Sometimes it still doesn't seem real. He is such a delightful and sweet child. We are so blessed!! Easter was even more special this year just because of Levi's presence.

On Saturday, the children dyed Easter eggs. Levi was quite the pro, which makes us wonder if he had done this before. :) There is a foster home in China that updates their website regularly and includes pictures of their children. They had their kids dye goose eggs so they would be easier to decorate and color for preschool hands. We don't know if they dyed eggs because it is something they do in China nowadays or if it is because this foster home is run by an American woman. My point is....maybe Levi has done this before--we aren't sure????? Maybe when he has fully learned English, he will be able to tell us. Another mystery yet to be solved.... :) Whatever his past experience, all 3 children enjoyed making their eggs coloring and sparkly. Daddy enjoyed it too! ha!

Levi is continuing to blossom. While there are some frustrating moments raising a 6-year old and two 4-year olds, our house is now filled with the sweet sounds of three precious children. My days are busier, but my life is also so much richer and even more fun. It is wonderful to see the three of them playing, celebrating, learning, and loving, and sharing together. Each day brings new and exciting possibilities and experiences! It is an ongoing adventure that Rich and I are priviledge to be a part of!!

We hope you had a blessed Easter and that you and your family celebrate Easter EVERYDAY of the year, remembering God's amazing love for us.

Nana Visits; Airplane Museum, Rainforest Cafe...

2009-03-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

We had a very exciting weekend because Rich's mom--"Nana" came to visit. Theo, Ruthie, and Levi were very excited to see her. Levi was particularly excited to meet this person we had been telling him about. He had a hard time distinguishing between the word "banana" and "nana". It was really funny, but now he gets the difference. So many English words sound alike, it gets really confusing, but he is doing very well learning his new language. He never gives up!! What a trooper!

On Saturday, we took the kids to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field. It was amazing! They currently have the Apollo 7 space shuttle and astronaut suit on display.The kids got to touch airplanes and look at them up close. They even got to sit in the pilot's emergency ejection seat. Levi was apprehensive about sitting in the regular airplane seats they had scattered around the museum. Theo and Ruthie sat in them and buckled up their seatbelts, but Levi refused to buckle his. I think he wasn't sure if he was on a real plane that was going to take off at any minute. I think he's had enough of flying on a plane for now. :) The last exhibit in the museum prior to exiting, was a Jay-Jay the Jet Plane play area. There was a bounce house, and play control tower, and a plane. The kids could board the plane and pretend to be pilots and then slide out the emergency exit in the back. It was just too cute to watch them play and pretend.

Nana wanted to take the kids somewhere special to eat, so we drove to the Rainforest Cafe in Grapevine. It was only a short 20 minute trip with the tollroad and no traffic. Well, it was worth the wait. The kids simply had a blast at this place. Levi was scared of the lively and noisy gorillas at first, but once we explained that they were not real, he was okay. Then, he started imitating their sounds and actions. It was absolutely hilarious to watch him. Nana commented that Levi was going to be an actor one day. :) He is quite the little showman!! They also enjoyed watching the elephants and butterflies and the frequent lightning and rainstorms. The entire jungle setting was fun. On top of all the entertainment, a man came to our table and made balloon animals for the kids. They loved this too! Theo kept telling Nana that she had picked a really great place to eat. Rich and I had fun, too. Great family memories and bonding!! :)

Levi loves to see himself in pictures of our family adventures--it truly makes him feel a part of the Cook Family. I don't think he understood why he wasn't in some of our early pictures before he came to live with us. When he looks at the pictures, he keeps asking, "Where Levi?" Now, he is in lots of pictures with his new brother, sister, Mommy, and Daddy. :)

Telling Stories...Dressing Up....Hugging and Kissing

2009-03-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

I quickly grabbed my camera (I pretty much carry it with me everywhere I go these days--ha!) when I saw these two--Levi and Ruthie sitting together in the beanbag chair. Ruthie was "reading" (actually making up a story) Levi a story. Levi meanwhile was adding the sound effects! It was so sweet to see the two of them together looking at a book.

A little while later, I grabbed my camera again because the two of them got into the dress-up trunk again. This time, Levi decided to get completely decked out. Rich might be a little concerned seeing his youngest boy in a princess dress--but it was just cute harmless fun! :) Ha! Theo and Ruthie put a bonnet on Levi and hugged and kissed on him. Then, we all danced around the house. Good excercise and lots of FUN!! He loved it! So precious!! Just had to share these adorable moments.

Chinese Noodles and Chopsticks!

2009-03-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today for lunch we ate Chinese noodles. I pulled out 3 sets of chopsticks we got from China, so Levi excitedly and willingly demonstrated how to use them for Theo and Ruthie. As you can see from the pictures, Theo picked up on this pretty quickly, but Ruthie had a little more difficulty. :) It was really funny to watch them try to eat. I have to say...they did a lot better than Mommy would have. :)

The Great Thing About a 4-year old Boy is....

2009-03-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the great thing about having a 4-year old boy... He can play good "guy/bad guy", ride bikes and plasma cars, dig in the dirt to find snails and worms, and run around like a maniac outside with his brother, Theo. BUT...he also equally enjoys playing inside with his 4-year old sister, Ruthie. Today, the two of them made pretend chocolate pudding in their play kitchen, brushed their dolly's hair, and then proceeded to put on dress up clothes. Levi did not get fully dressed up like Ruthie who went "all out" in her princess attire--but notice instead that he is talking on the cell phone while standing next to her. It is hilarious to listen to him speak in Chinese on the cell phone. He has the voice and stance down perfectly!! :) Such a little man!!

I am thrilled that Levi and Theo can be so versatile in their play because Ruthie sometimes feels a little frustrated being the only girl--and needs a friend who shares her same interests. Don't get me wrong, she can "hold her own" with the boys, but she needs some "girly" time too! ha! Ruthie and Levi were so sweet and cooperative while playing together this morning. Ruthie was smiling and having a ball!

I am in awe watching how God is bonding our family together. I am humbled that God would choose our family to become Levi's "forever family". What an answer to prayer!

Levi sings "The B-I-B-L-E"

2009-03-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share this adorable video with you of Levi singing "The B-I-B-L-E" song. He asks to sing it every night when we read our Bible story before going to bed. Enjoy! :) He's such a sweetie! I had to cut the video short during his "Jesus Loves Me" song because he kept walking towards the camera. He is such a ham!!

Wearing of the GREEN!

2009-03-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

We don't really celebrate this holiday much in our house, but with little children, it's something fun to do. The boys are all decked out in their green shirts today. Ruthie wore her yellow flower shirt that has a green stem on it. She wanted to coordinate but not clash with the boys. ha!! (Such a girl!!) The kids blew bubbles out of shamrock-shaped bottles that their Nana sent. Bubbles, of course are always a big hit!

We also took this opportunity to talk about St. Patrick who was from England and was a missionary in Ireland. He brought the message of Christianity to the Irish people. While the holiday message has been diluted quite a bit over the years, it is nice to focus on the true meaning and on the spreading the gospel. We learned that St. Patrick used the shamrock as an illustration of the Trinity--God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Knowing that, the shamrock becomes a much more precious symbol.

The kids enjoyed sorting Lucky Charms cereal for snack. They found Irish hats with shamrocks on them, rainbows, hearts, etc. This activity was a big hit since after they counted, they got to eat them!! Levi loves to sort and eat-two of his favorite activities combined! Oh boy!! :) FYI--We counted more shooting stars and rainbows than any other symbol.

Levi also took the opportunity today to get to know our dog, Gingerbread. He was afraid of her the first few days he was here at the house, but he has definitely warmed-up to her now. I think it helps that Theo and Ruthie pet her. Now, he pets her as well. She is such a good dog and doesn't seem bothered by the additional "loud" child that has joined our family. Ha!! The dog takes it all in stride. :) Levi played with Gingerbread today. It was really sweet to see them together. They were checking each other out. I think this is the first time Gingerbread has even sniffed Levi in the 3 weeks we've been home. :) She really does "go with the flow".

I included a sweet picture of the kids with their Daddy (Rich) that I took this weekend. They were all hugging on their daddy, so I grabbed the camera. It was so sweet to see them altogether--like they have always known each other as siblings. I am so thankful for the love that is shown between Theo, Ruthie, and Levi. Yes, they fight, tease, and have trouble sharing at times, but mostly they love, hug, and kiss on each other and play nicely all day long. What a blessing that they get along and truly love each other!! The fighting and teasing just reinforces the fact they are truly related, huh? :)

Back to the Dr. for Theo's Knee, Haircuts, Making Pizza

2009-03-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

After a dreary Wednesday, we have had a fun Thursday morning. The clouds are still hovering and there is a light drizzle, but we decided to have some fun despite the weather. First, we had to go back to the doctor to get Theo's stitches checked. (Okay, that wasn't too fun, but it had to be done.) The kids were well-behaved, and we didn't have to wait too long. Theo just has to stay off his knee as much as possible and try not to bend it. The nurse put an ace bandage on so he would be able to keep it straight. We don't want those stitches popping open! He has to go back in 10 days to get the stitches removed.

Next, we were off to get Ruthie's hair cut and to get Levi's first haircut in America!! Ruthie looks very cute and Levi looks very handsome! He absolutely did not want to get his haircut and started to cry, but using my international bribery methods, I offered him a piece of gum if he would get his haircut. He agreed and watched Ruthie go first. He decided it was actually pretty "cool" to get to sit in a car "beep! beep!" while getting his hair cut. He was as good as gold, and of course, the stylist went on and on about how cute he is! ha! :)

We came home and made homemade pizzas using refrigerator canned biscuit dough. The kids patted out their dough, added sauce and cheese, baked them and are now quietly eating every last morsel. Levi did not like the pizza in China that we had at Pizza Hut, but he sure likes the one he made! He asked for more. :)

Good News! I just got a call from our pediatrician. Levi's bloodwork came back totally normal with an immunity to all the vaccines we give in the U.S. except for Polio. He just has to catch up on that (which is thankfully not one of the "scary ones"). The orphanage in Beijing took great care of him in so many ways! We are so thankful to them and to God for taking care of our precious little boy!!

Fun times....
Time for nap!! Yeah!! :)

My Name is L-E-V-I !!!

2009-03-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

What a difference a couple of weeks makes! Today Theo forgot and called Levi by his Chinese name "Xiaolei". Well, Levi immediately corrected him and said "LEVI". He absolutely loves his new name and can even recognize it when it is written down. He goes around the house spelling "L-E-V-I". I am so thrilled he has accepted his name. This morning, he learned how to really color. Before he was just putting a few dots or stray marks on paper and then leaving the table and playing with something else. I took his left hand and showed him how to hold his paper in place. Then, I took his right hand and showed him how to color back and forth with the crayon or color-wonder marker. Now, he LOVES to color. He is coloring paper after paper while saying the word "color" over and over again. Too funny! He is such a fast learner! It is so exciting to see how much Levi is learning and how he enjoys the things we take for granted. He is a good example for Theo and Ruthie (and for all of us)to remember to appreciate all they(we)have. Well, yesterday was a "fun" day. (said sarcastically) ha! We ended up in the ER because Theo fell off his bike and really cut up his knee. It was a huge gash with skin tissue missing. Oh the blood! :) The cut required 8 stitches. YIKES!! He was a real trooper, though. I couldn't believe how brave he was. In fact, when I was trying to comfort him, he told me to not touch him. He is growing up way too fast. I have to remind him that he still needs his Mommy! :)We are thankful to God that the x-ray showed no broken or fractured bones. Ruthie and Levi were very good while waiting. Levi kept pointing to various people and saying "Doctor" or "Nurse". They all got a real kick out of him. I figured this was a great science lesson for Theo since he kept wanting to watch the doctor sew him up. He also got to help with the x-rays. He was so excited to have a picture of his bones taken! He even got to watch the doctor looking at the x-rays over the light. Theo was fascinated! Levi got a great vocabulary lesson--learning about visiting the doctor and getting shots. All in all, not such a bad experience. I am just glad Theo is okay. We are tired today and catching up around the house. It is a cold and rainy day, so we are just hanging out in the playroom coloring, playing with cars, and making ice cream from play-do. Ruthie and Levi have been playing "doctor" using their dolls and stuffed animals and doctor kit. It is so cute! The kids already miss being outside, but hot days will be here soon enough. :)

Bike Riding, Fingerpainting, Computer, Picnic, and Chocolate!

2009-03-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

After watching big brother and sister zoom around on their bikes, Levi has quickly figured out the pedal thing and he is off! He was moving those short little legs as fast as he could go up and down the sidewalk this morning. It is so cute to watch him go and try to keep up with his siblings. I am thrilled that he is trying new things, since he was very apprehensive at first. He also is sliding down the bigger slides at the park. He still won't let me swing him unless I sit on the swing and hold him in my lap. We'll get there. I am sure he just wasn't exposed to all these activities/toys at the orphanage.

I added some pictures of the kids fingerpainting. Levi loved it--althought at first he wasn't quite sure about getting his fingers messy! ha! He painted several pictures--one right after the other. Then, like a normal 4-year old, he was off to the next activity.

This past weekend, we cooked hotdogs on the outside grill and had a picnic on the patio. All of us had a blast. I am not sure that Levi really liked his hotdog, but he ate it, so he could have icecream for dessert. ha! The kid loves CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!! He loves anything CHOCOLATE! He truly is ours. :)

He is talking up a storm in English and Chinese. We are amazed at how much English he has learned in just a little over a week. He repeats everything we say and has great intonation! In fact, he not only repeats what I say--but the way I say it. It is really funny to see this Chinese child speaking with a Texas accent! LOL!! :)

Levi's brother, Theo taught him how to use the computer mouse. Once Levi practiced a few times with Theo's hand over his, he was off and running. Children are amazing with their technological abilities! He loves the software called Kid Pix, where he can move the mouse to "paint" beautiful pictures. He is really fascinated with the computer and watches us play and work on it all the time.

Well, Levi just woke up from his afternoon nap. We're off to check out a new park in our area.

Levi at Home

2009-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

Some dear friends have requested an update on Levi's progress...so I will happily blog some more.

Levi is doing extremely well! Rich, Levi, and I have experienced relatively few symptoms from jet lag. We are all on our regular schedule and feeling great. Levi only took 3 days to get onto our schedule of eating, napping, sleeping. It is great!

The first day the kids met each other, they held hands, walked to the playroom, started playing together and have never looked back. It is as if they have know each other all of their lives. It is precious to watch them interact. Levi is already learning English from Theo and Ruthie. I am certain he will be fluent in a couple of months. HA!! He is adjusting with no problems to his new life. He hasn't cried or seemed to miss the orphanage life. I think he does miss Chinese food; however, because he wrinkles his nose and shakes his head "no" when I serve him sandwiches for lunch. ha! I think he wants noodles. We will make a trip to the local Chinese market and stock up on some noodles to offer him some comfort food. He always eats everything on his plate and drinks all his milk, even if he is not fond of all of our unusual American foods. :)

The best thing for him has been to just be at his new home playing with his new sister and brother. He rarely fusses now. He goes to nap and bed without complaint on most days and is exceedingly happy to play outside. We have been going to the park to ride bikes, which he loves as well. He doesn't quite know how to ride a bike yet, but he loves riding Theo's plasma car. He says, "beep" "beep" as he pushes it along with his feet. Levi also is fond of riding in our van. Even if it is just a quick ride around the neighborhood, he thinks that is the greatest!! It is funny how the little things make him so happy. :)

We thought we were going to have to change his name because he told our Chinese guide in Guanghzou that he didn't like that name. BUT....after prayer and discussion, we decided that the name is different from the Chinese word Le-Why--which means "extra" in Chinese. We think that once he learns English and understands the difference in the two words, he will come to appreciate and like his name. We are just going to tell him how special his name is. The Levites were a tribe that God set apart and made into special priests to serve God. Plus, the meaning of Levi is "bonded or attached in unity". We called him Levi the other day, and he agreed to it. I think it helps that Ruthie and Theo call him that. Anything he was once apprehensive about seems to become acceptable if his brother and sister do it first. ha! He even went down the big slide at the park the other day with big brother Theo behind him holding onto him. Theo is really enjoying the big brother role. He is so sweet. He wanted Levi to use our motorcycle trike that makes sounds--but it was out of batteries. Theo didn't think we had batteries, so he went to get some out of one of his own toys to put into the trike for Levi. Isn't that so selfless? We couldn't believe what a sweet gesture that was. We are so proud of him.

I have added some pictures of the kids together here at home. The first day they were together, they stood over the trashcan in the kitchen eating mandarin oranges. In this picture, he is wearing his "Made in China" t-shirt. We thought this shirt was hilarious. We got a big kick out of it! Every morning, we do an art project, which Ruthie and Levi have really enjoyed. This gives Theo time to complete his spelling and handwriting lessons.

Levi is also learing Bible stories and how to pray. He asks me every night to read the "B-I-B-L-E". It is sweet how much he is learning and how fast he is picking up the language and customs of Americans.

We are HOME!!

2009-02-26T11:13:00.001-08:00

God truly answered all of our prayers above and beyond. We had a safe and pleasant trip home and were not sick at all while in China. We are recovering well--just very tired. Xiaolei was a trooper on the three planes and van we took to get from China to our house. He played, slept and was entertained by the flight attendants. The only time he fussed was when we had to put his seatbelt back on because of turbulence. We got great seats in the bulkhead where there was room for him to stretch out and do puzzles in front of our seats because no one was in front of us. We had the entire middle row to ourselves--5 seats because the plane was not very full.

Xiaolei is having a blast at his new home. When I gave him the tour, he just grinned when he saw his room and the backyard. He is having fun playing with all of the toys--especially the cars and trains. He also enjoys driving the Little Tikes coupe in the backyard.

We are waiting for my mom and dad to bring Theo and Ruthie here. We can't wait to see them. We also can't wait for them to meet Xiaolei. They are very excited as well. It has been a long 19 days away from my sweet babies. :) They had a wonderful time at their grandparent's and their Aunt Phyllis' house, though. It was like being a summer camp for them.

That's all for now. Just so thankful to be home and also thankful that God blessed us with such a sweet little boy as an addition to our family. We are very very blessed and happy.

God is good!!
Thank you for covering us with your prayers during this entire journey. We can't wait for all of you to meet Xiaolei (Levi).

Final Post From China

2009-02-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

Ni Hao, Ya'll!

Well, we are leaving for the American Consulate in 45 minutes for Levi to take his oath as an American citizen!! Yeah!! Then, we will be whisked off to the airport to catch our flight to Beijing. We will spend one night in Beijing, get up on Wednesday morning and head back to the airport to catch our international flight to San Fransisco and then on to Dallas. We are VERY excited to be heading back home. It has been a very pleasant experience being in China and getting to know our new son. He is an absolute delight! BUT.....we are ready to come home. ha! 19 days is a long time to be away from our other two cutie pies and our family and friends. :)

So, this is the final blog from China. We'll see you all in the good old USA very soon.
Please keep us in your prayers as we make this long journey home with a 4 year old. :) We ask that you pray specifically for safety and for us to make our connecting flight from SF to Dallas.

I added some more pictures--some are old from when we were in Beijing the first time. I forgot to post for a couple of days but wanted to show your our Great Wall and snow experience. Too much fun.

The red couch picture is in Guangzhou inside The White Swan Hotel. It has become a tradition for all adoptive families to dress their children in Chinese silk outfits and take pictures on the red couch. Levi is sitting with his friend who will live in San Antonio, Texas. He is a sweet boy named Thomas. Best wishes to them on their travels and homecoming. :)

Love to you all.
dsi jeeyen (Good bye in Chinese)

Hello Again! From Guangzhou

2009-02-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

For my faithful blog-readers (family and friends), I am sorry for not blogging the last couple of days. We left Beijing and are now in Guangzhou--near Hong Kong. Our hotel does not offer free internet access like in Beijing, so we had to figure out how much it would cost. We were able to purchase some online time for the last 2 days of our trip.

We arrived in Guangzhou late Friday night. We got up early Saturday morning to get Levi's Visa picture taken and to visit the doctor for his required medical checkup that is sent to the American Consulate. He did very well at the medical clinic--he only fussed once when he was scared. You would not believe the amount of people in the clinic. It was a mad house! We tried not to breathe in any sick germs! UGH!! Lots of hand sanitizer was used after that experience! :)

Guangzhou is really a very nice city--at least the part we are in surrounding the hotel. The hotel is about 45 minutes from the airport--so we saw the not-so-nice parts of the city at nighttime as well. When leaving the airport, this grungy looking Chinese man kept rubbing Levi's head. It drove me crazy, so of course, I had to bathe him as soon as we checked into our room. Rich was laughing at me. I have been pretty calm about the "germ thing" this whole trip, but that really got to me. The airport just seemed dirty, too. ha! The man told our guide that he didn't understand why we came all the way to China to adopt when there are children in America. I don't know what our guide told him--we were too tired for a lengthy discussion. The weather here is just like Texas--hot and humid! This is a big change for us, since we just left Beijing where it was snowing, We are at a 5-star hotel that is very fancy. Right outside the hotel doors are tons of little shops geared for the tourist and adoption crowd. All American families who adopt from China must go through this city to get their child's visa at the American Consulate. Because of this and the historical western influence, many people speak English here quite well. The architecture is totally different here than it was in Beijing. The buildings look more English. It reminds me of being in the deep south--like Georgia or one of the Carolinas. The streets are lined with very old southern style buildings and lots of beautiful trees. There is also a playground with a slide and see-saw that is within walking distance from the hotel. There was nowhere to take Levi to play in Beijing--so this is definitely a plus! The hotel also has an indoor playroom as well. They definitely cater to the children and their families here!

It is nice to be surrounded by American families again, since we were the only family in Beijing from our adoption agency. When we eat our breakfast buffet in the morning, we get to sit all around families who are here for the same reason. It is also nice to not be started at by the Chinese people like we were in Beijing. The people here are more accustomed to seeing American couples with Chinese children. All in all, it has been a pleasurable experience. We are just too tired and homesick to really enjoy it as much as we could. :) We have been in China now for 16 days and have 3 to go--including that very very long flight home with a 4-year old who has ants in his pants! ha! :) Speaking of flying, on the 3-hour flight from Beijing to Guangzhou, Levi did GREAT! He was so well-behaved and so excited to be in an airplane. We played and ate and listened to music. We were all out of activities to entertain him by the end of 3 hours, so I am not sure how we will manage a 12 hour flight from Beijing to San Francisco and then another 3-4 hours to Dallas. UGH!! Please keep us in your prayers. It will be hard on all of us to be on the plane that long especially since we are so ready to be home. Rich and I can't wait to give Theo and Ruthie a big hug and kiss and just hold them. We also can't wait for them to meet their new brother. Hopefully, the reunion will go well.

Today (Sunday), we visited an old temple that has been converted into a folk art museum. We got to see artists finger painting and carving and playing musical instruments. It was really fun! One man showed Levi how to play an instrument they call a Calabash Bamboo Flute, which makes beautiful Chinese-sounding tones. We also saw exquisite embroidery work and jade carvings. The Chinese people can carve elaborate designs into just about anything--including bones, small olive nuts, jade, wood, tile and more. We enjoyed talking to the artists and seeing their amazing talents. After the folk art museum, we toured a porcelain and jade factory. This was neat too, we were just not too "in-to" this since we are ready to be home and Xiaolei was ready to eat lunch and take a nap!

We have enjoyed visiting with other adoptive families while here. We also are enjoying eating at a local restaurant called Lucy's. At this eatery, they serve American food as well as Chinese food. So, we can have the best of both worlds!! :)

On Monday, we will be packing and getting ready to head back to the U.S. On Tuesday, we take the oath with Levi at the American Consulate offices and get his visa. We already got his passport in Beijing. Then, late Tuesday night, we fly to Beijing spend one night and get up early Wednesday morning and fly out to San Fransisco. We have about a hour lay-over there and then finally on to Dallas. We should be home in the late evening on Wednesday--American time. It will feel like Thursday--China time to us.

That is all for now. :)

Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beihai Park

2009-02-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City--the Emperors' and Empress' Palace. The weather was very cold and windy, so we were freezing. Plus, there were crowds of people visiting these famous tourist attractions, so it was not the best of circumstances; however, the Forbidden City was beautiful. It really was interesting to see such old and exquisitely decorated buildings still standing. Our guide told us that Forbidden City was built in the 1400s. It was incredible to think the Chinese had the ability to build such elaborate buildings that could last for so many hundreds, thousands of years. I was thinking that this was being built even before Columbus sailed to America. Pretty neat! Our guide told us many interesting stories about the emperors and empresses. My favorite part was the empress' building which was pink! I was laughing that even the females back then loved the color pink. Ruthie would have loved this palace! I also really liked the gardens behind the palace. The Chinese brought in these neat rocks that they stacked and made into caves to decorate the garden and to use as rooms. There were also many huge copper pots surrounding the palace area, which our guide told us they discovered and learned that they were filled with water to keep the wood palace from burning down. It was supposed to "protect" the building-but really it was just water to use in case there was a fire.:)

We REALLY had a great time at Beihai Park. This park was built right after the "new China" came into being with Chairman Mao. This is a beautiful park with a lake in the middle where the elderly people of China go each morning to exercise. They do Tai Chi, ribbon dancing, Chinese yo-yo, western-style dancing, singing and more. The people were so generous and nice. They wanted to know all about where we were from and why we had a Chinese boy with us. One elderly man had a silk dragonfly attached to a fishing pole and was flying it around. He told Levi and another little girl that if they sang loudly enough the dragonfly would come down and let the kids touch it. Levi started singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in Chinese. It was so cute to see him running around chasing the dragonfly and singing. Of course, this drew quite a crowd of people who asked many questions to our guide about us and about Xiaolei. One girl even kept taking pictures of Xiaolei and us. Our guide, Michelle told Levi he as a superstar!

Xiaolei and I really liked watching the women doing the ribbon dancing. It was beautiful! So, of course we joined in. Rich didn't want to join us, so he took pictures. :) Ribbon dancing is not as "manly" as climbing the Great Wall! Ha! (That's another blog entry.... ha!) It was very good exercise for the arms and really difficult to keep the ribbons off the ground. We had such a great time!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T01:10:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Valentine's Day here on Saturday. We discovered that Xiaolei loves chocolate--so this was the perfect holiday for him. :) We got him a heart-shaped box of chocolate, which he devoured. He was kind enough to share one or two with Mamma and Babba! We torn pieces of red tissue paper I had brought for gifts for the orphanage nannies and glued them onto large paper hearts. He loved this activity. He gave one heart to our guide, Michelle and the other heart to our driver. Using a sticker, we hung the other one in our hotel room window. He is very proud of his work. We discovered that he has great fine motor skills in his "good" hand. Levi cut a straight line while I held the paper for him. He has also been cutting up pieces of yellow paper into strips and putting them into our paper bowls with a spoon and having us pretend to eat Chinese noodles. It is so adorable how kids play the same types of game universally! It delights him when we say, "Yum!" and pretend to eat all of our noodles.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would post some things about Levi that we have learned after knowing him for only 9 days. Here is a list of his what he LOVES and what he DOESN’ＴLOVE：

Xiaolei LOVES:
chocolate and all sweets
hugs and kisses
ice cream
eating
taking a bath
playing with cars and his bus
riding in the adopting agency van and taxi
driving toy cars
McDonald's hamburgers, French Fries
talking to Michelle, our guide (he calls her "sister" in Chinese)
being tickled
having lots of attention by the Chinese girls
dancing--he does the cutest Chinese dance for us on the bed each night!!
Playing with balls, playdo, coloring
PB&J Sandwiches--Must be universal!! ha!
laughing
talking
singing--he sings all the time and has a song for every occasion--like when we were walking in the rain!

Xiaolei DOESN'T LOVE:
getting his hair and face wet
being told "no" (boo in Chinese)
hearing English spoken all the time
lots of noise--like the firecrackers
pizza--We found a Pizza Hut--he only ate a little bit of pizza.
eggs
when he doesn't get his way (throws a little tantrum! ha!)
long walks--asks Babba to carry him
being without food too long--when he is hungry, feed him quickly! ha!! (Another way he takes after Momma!!) LOL

That's all I can think of for now. I am sure the list will continue to grow as we get to know each day by day. He is quite a character and keeps us laughing with all of his antics!!

Traditional Chinese Restaurant, Silk Market, Pandas, Ocean Park Aquarium

2009-02-13T20:34:00.000-08:00

After the pearl market, our guide took us to a traditional Chinese Beijing Noodle restaurant. It was delicious! The waiters yelled, "Welcome" very loudly and called for you to come sit at their table. It was fun. It made you feel like an em porer when you walked in. Levi thought it was a little noisy. The noodles were great. We actually ate broccoli and fried bananas, too. They were so good. Levi loved the fried bananas especially the ones coated with sugar on top! HA! He posed with one of the waiters. You can see the picture I posted.

The next day, we ventured out to the Silk Market. It was really neat. The tour guide spoke English and was able to tell us and show us about how they make silk. We saw actual silk worms and got to touch their cocoons. We got to feel the silk after they wash it and also got to help the lady workers pull the silk across the stretching table. It was really fascinating to see how they make such beautiful things out of the silk. She told us that from one cocoon, they were able to make a couple of pairs of pajamas, and that real silk cannot be torn apart when pulled--it is very strong and durable. Michelle, our guide talked to Levi about the silk worms. He enjoyed seeing them as well. We bought Theo and Levi traditional silk clothes and Ruthie a beautiful silk dress. We thought we would have a picture taken of them in their traditional Chinese clothing when we return home. The ladies at the silk market totally dotted on Levi. They dressed him in silk outfits and posed for pictures with him. They called him the “Little Emperor.”

After the silk market, we went to the Beijing Zoo to see the famous panda bears. The Chinese word for panda is shoo-ma. Levi kept saying “shooma” over and over again, so at least we learned that new word! ha! The older panda bears just layed still. Levi told our guide that those bears were lazy! He wanted to see the younger ones. There were nine young pandas outside playing in the bamboo leaves. They were absolutely adorable. The pandas are really the highlight of the zoo, as there were not really many other animals. They did have an impressive collection of birds including the peacock. We got to see one with its feathes fanned open. It was simply breathtaking! The colors on this bird were brilliant. My pictures cannot do it justice. These peacocks were much bigger than any I have ever seen in the U.S.

Today is already Saturday for us. We took Xiaolei without our guide to the aquarium called Ocean Park. He really loves fish. There was a really long tube that you ride through on a flat escalator. You are surrounded by water, fish, coral, mermaids, divers, etc. It was beautiful and made you feel like you were underwater. I did not like being in this tube because I began to feel claustrophobic. The Chinese people like to crowd into very small places. I began to feel hot and uncomfortable and thought the tunnel ride would never end! ha!

Today we celebrate Valentine's Day—a day before you back in the States. So, in advance, we wish you a fun day full of love and blessings!

Our Chinese Shopping Experiences

2009-02-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

Well the day before yesterday, we ventured out on our own without our guide. We went shopping at the French version of Walmart called Carrefour. Rich described it as a combination of IKEA and Walmart-huge and EXTREMELY crowded. We were able to find some American type foods there, though. We bought peanut butter and jelly and bread. We just decided to make sandwiches in the room because our tummies and wallet can't handle eating out everyday 3 times a day for almost 3 weeks. We do have a western style breakfast buffet each morning included in our hotel cost. It is wonderful--a mixture of Chinese food and American foods like pancakes and bacon and eggs. Xiaolei eats everything. He loves watermelon, pears, and bread. He has eaten bacon and egg rolls for breakfast too. Since it is difficult for us to eat veggies the rest of the day, we get them at breakfast. Xiaolei likes the cabbage and carrots. He is used to eating con gee (watered down rice) in the orphanage--but now he would rather eat all the other foods. He saves his con gee for last. But--he does eat it. He doesn't waste one morsel. Too funny! He will eat just about anything. His little tummy has been holding up well.

Back to the Walmart store story...Rich and I just had to laugh our way through this one. It was so hot and crowded and simply overwhelming. Xiaolei was perfectly behaved and sat in the cart. When we entered the store, an elderly woman gave him a balloon. When we left the store, she was waiting for us and wanted to help us, but we didn't know what she was saying. Another Chinese woman came up and helped take Xiaolei out of the cart. It was very nice--just a little uncomfortable being surrounded by people you don't understand. ha! On the taxi ride home, the driver got into a standstill with 3 other cars when he was trying to turn into our hotel parking lot. All of the cars were jammed and no one would move. They all just sat there honking there horns and yelling at each other. Finally, a guard came over to remedy the situation. It was hilarious. They were so impatient and no one was willing to move first. :) We were able to purchase crayons, a ball, some very inexpensive blocks, and playdough for Levi to play with in the hotel room. He loves his blocks and crayons! He has a play a game with the ball where he tells us where to stand by tapping his foot on the floor. Then, he points to us telling us whose turn it is to throw the ball and which direction to through it in. He is bossy little thing! ha!!

Yesterday morning, our guide took us to the pearl market and then to eat at a local Chinese-Beijing noodle restaurant. We had a fantastic day. The pearl market was so much fun. All the people were yelling, "Hey Lady" as we walked buy their counters. They were telling us to buy their goods. You are supposed to bargain with them, so this was right up my alley! Rich just laughed at me. I told them too much and walked away, and then the price fell very dramatically! Ha! It was fun to watch the European businessmen haggle as well. They acted insulted until the price was low enough.:) We were able to buy Xiaolei a hand carved stamp with his Chinese and American name on it and some souvenir chopsticks. We also found Theo some really cool magnetic rocks that make a cricket sound when you throw them up and they click together. For Ruthie, we found a little Chinese tea set.

The people at the market were so sweet to Levi. The man who carved his stamp for him, gave him food to eat and and talked to Levi for a long time. Everywhere we go people give Levi things--balloons, food, etc. I posted pictures of Levi with the man who carved his stamp and with the lady at the pearl market.

Buddhist Temple and Park

2009-02-10T22:14:00.001-08:00

This morning we toured a Buddhist Temple. It was beautiful architecture and an important part of the Chinese culture, but I have to say that it was sad to see so many lost people bowing down at feet of Buddha instead of at the feet of Jesus. Our guide said that 80 percent of people in China are Buddhist. We saw the largest Buddha in China. It was huge! Levi told the guide that he was worried the statue would fall down. :)

Levi was very good at the temple. He walked along looking at everything and was quiet. Then, our guide took us to a children's park. Levi had a great time riding in the bumper cars with Daddy. It was hilarious to see Rich try to get in one of those cars. The adult Chinese people--like our guide--had no problem squeezing in--but us big Americans had a little more trouble. ha!! Rich looked like he was in a clown car. :) See pictures. Levi got on the trampoline, but was too scared to jump. He also rode a little train, but after going around and around several times, he began to panic and asked in a pleading voice to get him off. :) Thankfully our guide was with us to help us understand what he was saying. Although, I knew he wanted off the train. Some facial expressions are universal! :) The language barrier is at times very frustrating for us as well as for Levi. It is difficult to not understand him or to not be able to explain things to him. We use a lot of sign language and pantomime when talking. It is like playing charades some days. :)

Levi is taking a nap, so I am going to go rest as well.

More later.....

Fun Dazzle

2009-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

Today we had a change of plans. Instead of going shopping, we had to rush back to the Civil Affairs Office to finish up paperwork. Then, it was off to the Notarization Office to take Xiaolei's passport picture and apply for his passport. Now all of the paperwork is done for Beijing, so now we just wait for his passport for many days. Then, we fly to Guanghzou to do more paperwork at the American Consulate. Then, back to Beijing and onto Dallas!

Now the sightseeing tours begin. Beginning on Wednesday--today for our time, we will visit the usual tourist sites. I will send pictures and updates of where we go each day. :)

After the paperwork took all morning and Levi had a nap, we took him to a place called Fun Dazzle. It is a spot where locals take their children to play. It is kindof like a really big McDonalds or Chick-Fil-A indoor play area. Levi was apprehensive at first. I think he might have been a little overwhelmed with all the toys. He did not want to go down the slide, but then did eventually go down a little one later on. We realized today for the first time how some things will be more challenging for Levi. For example, he cannot pull up the slide or climb because he cannot use his right hand/arm to help him pull up. His right arm was almost limp, and he just kindof slid on his belly through the tunnels like a soldier in the trenches. He was very excited to play and didn't seem to be bothered about his lack of arm strength in the least little bit. His favorite toy was a little toy roller coaster that he had Babba-Rich put him on over and over and over again! He got excited and a little loud while playing. We had to tell him to "Shhh". :) He shared a ball with another boy. Levi gave the boy a ball and said something to which the boy threw the ball down the slide. They did it over and over again laughing. He really liked the other children--especially babies! He had a wonderful time. It was an adventure for us as well. We hailed a taxi on our own, showed the driver the translated card that told the driver where we wanted to go, and we survived the ride and actually ended up back at the hotel. It was really very easy. Levi did not want to get into the taxi at first. He was scared, as this is not the usual van we have been riding in each day provided by our adoption agency. We assured him he was safe (as safe as you can be in a taxi-ha!), he sat on my lap and was okay then.

When we went to eat dinner, Levi wanted to try getting on the escalator by himself. He had been scared and always asked Rich to hold him. He was brave and did it all by himself with a little support from Momma and Babba. He was thrilled. Now we know he isn't terrified of heights. He just didn't know about escalators.

At the Civil Affairs office this morning, Levi saw one of his little friends who was in the same group/class with him at the orphanage. She and apparently one other little girl were being adopted today as well. I think knowing this helped all of the children adjust better and be happy for each other. The children colored together while we signed and waited for paperwork. The little girl was very shy--not like Levi. Ha! He talks to everyone everywhere we go. We never know what he is saying. Most people smile, but some people give us weird looks. We wonder what he is saying. :) You never know with a 4-year old! ha!

We get many stares on the street because people are interested to know why an American family has a Chinese boy with them. Our guide gave us an explanation card written in Mandarin explaining that we had adopted Levi and that we love him and will take good care of him. We haven't had to show anyone yet. We do feel a little bit uncomfortable walking down the street with Levi in hand with all the stares, but we just smile back and they usually smile then too. I think the people are just curious.

Levi has figured out how to use the western potty. He even tells me "Momma potty" now when he has to go. He is very good about repeating words in English to us and trying to learn them. He likes to push the elevator button and knows exactly where our room is. We decided that he must think the hotel is his new home. Instead of the cute children's story "Eloise at the Plaza"--we say he is "Xiaolei at the Plaza" (We are in the Poly Plaza Hotel). We'll have to write a book about his adventures at the plaza when we come home. ha! He teases us by calling me "Babba" and Rich "Momma", which he just cracks up over. He thinks this is hysterically funny. He is so witty!

Xiaolei LOVES to sing. He sings all the time--while playing, walking (except when eating). He sings familiar songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". When we sang it back to him in English, he loved it. Now he says "twinkle, twinkle" and the rest of the song in Chinese. :)

At bedtime, he had us play our nightly game of cars and bus on the bed where he directed us on what to do. We figured the game out a little better tonight which made him happier. It is a sweet time playing with him each day. EVERY day is full of new discoveries for him, and it is so fun to watch and be a part of his new life.

We have been reading the children's Bible before bedtime and talking about Jesus. He is beginning to sing the "B-i-b-l-e" song with us. It is so cute. Last night I told him that Jesus loves Momma, Jesus loved Babba, and Jesus loves Xiaolei. He repeated me and grinned a huge grin. We are so happy that God found a forever family for this little boy. He is going to have a happy and successful life--but most importantly, we pray that he will come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

Day 2 with Xiaolei

2009-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to the Office of Civil Affairs to make the adoption final. Levi is officially ours!

Xiaolei made tremendous strides today--he took a nap after insisting that he didn't need one. Most importantly, he took a bath and let me dress him this morning and again before bedtime. He also is now taking off his shoes to sit on the bed. He even walked around in just socks tonight. Yesterday he absolutely refused to take off his shoes.

I am constantly amazed at the bravery of this little boy. He has not shed a tear yet--for what he left behind. He seems very comfortable and happy with us as his parents. We are enjoying a peaceful time of bonding. Tonight Rich, Levi, and I sat on the bed and played with his cars and bus. He was talking his little heart out trying to teach us how to play a game. We did our best but didn't understand much if any of what he was saying in Mandarin Chinese. :) He did not get frustrated with us--he just kept explaining it over and over again and laughed along the way. He told the guide that Ba-Ba is studying because Rich is always looking in his Chinese-English book for words and phrases. Levi laughs at his daddy and tries to help him learn some new Chinese words. He is so funny! He keeps us in stitches laughing all day long.

The driving in China is a little scary. The people are constantly honking at each other and driving in each other's lanes. They drive very close together and apparently pedestrians do not have the right-of-way here. ha!!

We tried some Chinese food today. It was very delicious. So far Rich and I have survived. Levi is eating every morsel put in front of him. He literally licks his plate clean. He doesn't talk when he eats--eating is very serious business. When he is finished eating, he is exceedingly happy! Boy do I relate to that! Again, another way he truly is our child! Ha!!:)

I posted a picture of him eating with his chopsticks. It is so cute. There is a picture of him taking his first bath tonight with his rubber duckies. He liked to put soap on the ducks and clean them.

If you were listening in to Beijing right now it would sound as if we were under attack---they have been shooting fireworks day and night for Chinese New Year. This is the last night they can shoot them off. It is soooooooo loud--at least we know Levi can sleep through thunderstorms now. HA! As I type, Levi is sound asleep in the bed. He went to bed without any problems tonight. He is such a sweet sweet child!!!

Gotta go get some sleep even if it is noisy outside our window with the fireworks.
Have a blessed day! God is so good!!!

GOTCHA DAY

2009-02-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

We have our son--Levi Xiaolei Cook! Sunday was his "Gotcha Day" where we went to the orphanage to pick him up. Everything went so smoothly! We could not have asked for a better transition. Levi is the sweetest and most well-behaved child! He immediately went to us saying "Ma-Ma" and "Ba-Ba" (for Daddy). The orphanage prepared him well--he knew all of the people in the photo album went sent him a few weeks ago. He pointed to Theo and Ruthie and said "Brother" and "Sister" in Chinese. He also knew Grandma and Grandpa. We sent him a picture of our backyard--he likes the slide. He can't wait to play there.

We call him Xiaolei for now, and he actually understands us when we say his name. He LOVES to sing and talk. He will really enjoy talking to Ruthie! HA! Those two will probably talk non-stop. On the ride back to the hotel, he was fascinated with the many buses and cars on the road. He had been on a bus once when the Nanny took him to the doctor. The bus number he rode on was 973--so EVERY bus he saw, he would yell out in Chinese "973!!". Too cute!

He also LOVES to eat. He ate up the Cheerios I brought for him. Plus, when we were getting our picture taken at the photo shop, he recognized ice cream on a stick across the street at a local vendor and wanted to go. We told him he could have ice cream after dinner. So, at 4:00 in the afternoon, he said he wanted to eat dinner. He figured out if he ate dinner now, he could have ice cream sooner. Boy, will he ever fit into our family well! God truly hand-picked this little boy to be our son. He ate an entire McDonald's hamburger, French Fries, and an entire bottle of water, cookies from the orphanage, Cheerios and ice cream. He was so happy after eating.

Rich and I played with Xiaolei in the hotel room until bedtime. We bought him a bus at the toy store. He loves his bus and the matchbox cars Theo sent for him. He also loves playing with stickers and paper airplanes made by Daddy. Our room has a great view of the city--so Xiaolei stands up on a chair and looks out talking about the cars and buses. He is also ticklish on his tummy and has a great belly laugh! He is truly a very happy and brave little boy. He does not fear us at all. The only thing that frightened his was the escalator. He is just like me--his Mommy and Grandma--we don't like those things either. Daddy "Ba-Ba" held him while on the escalator, and then it was okay.

The orphanage told us that he would go to bed when we told him. Well, it was not quite that simple . (It never is, is it? ha!) He refuses to take off his clothing or shoes. Finally our guide translated for him, and he took off his shoes and climbed into bed. He would not take a bath or take off those clothes. Our guide, Michelle, said this is very common. It will take him a few days to adjust. We may be wearing the same clothes for a few days--ha! :) Shoo-stinky!

We laid down with him, and eventually he went to sleep. No fussing. He tried to get out of bed and when I put him back down he tried to pinch me. I firmly told him,, "No" in English, and he got the message. He stayed in bed laying there smiling at me. He tossed and turned but mostly slept well for his first night. He sucks his first two fingers to settle himself down. It is so sweet. He obeys immediately. He is a good boy. The people at the orphanage said that he really listens to his Nannies and obeys. They kept telling me that he is a good boy. They really loved him and took good care of him at the orphanage.

I posted pictures of Levi Xiaolei.

Thank you for your prayers. God has heard and answered and has helped this little boy to not be as fearful as others. He is truly very brave and very special and sweet!! We are definitely smitten with our little guy. He is just so precious! We are thankful God led us to this sweet child.

We are in China!

2009-02-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

We are in our hotel room at the Poly Plaza in Beijing. We had a good flight. No problems only a minor detour to Chicago instead of San Francisco due to mechanical problems. We're glad God protected us from that flight! Chicago was beautiful with snow on the ground. We flew over the North Pole and back down to Beijing. It was an interesting route! You can tell the kids we waved at Santa! We arrived in China at 3:30 pm China time on Saturday. It is now Sunday morning in China. We are going to eat breakfast and then get ready to meet Levi this afternoon. Wow! Everything is moving so fast!
That's all for now. More later after we have what is known as "Gotcha Day!"--when we meet Levi. We sign paperwork on Monday.

Love to all.....

Our Bags Are Packed!

2009-02-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Our bags are packed, and we're ready to go! The kids safely made it to G'Ma and G'Pa's house. They are having a great time. Rich and I finished packing tonight. Now we are going to catch a few zzzzz's before our early wake up call to the airport.

We received our updated Itinerary today and learned that we will be arriving in Beijing on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday afternoon, we will go to the orphanage to meet Levi! SUNDAY!! Wow! We can't believe we will see our little guy on Sunday.

Please continue to pray for safe travels as we fly to Beijing and for a smooth first meeting with Levi (Xiaolei).

Next stop...Beijing! See you in China!!

We Leave on Friday!

2009-02-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it is official. We leave this Friday--February 6th! We spent much of the weekend cleaning and packing and preparing. We also took time to be with Theo and Ruthie. We slept in, had tickle-fights, and just laughed and talked together. Rich also took the time to take the kids on a bike ride.

Superbowl? What Superbowl? Ha! We didn't even realize this was Superbowl weekend; although Rich did turn on the TV for a few minutes just to check the score. :)

We decided that we would push ourselves to get everything done because we could sleep on the airplane for about oh....16 hours! I know Rich will sleep well....I hope I can too. I don't usually relax that well on airplanes. At least it will be a quiet and calm time of just sitting--something I don't get to experience very often with a 6-year old and a 4-year old!

Back to packing.....

Children's Welfare Institute in Beijing

2009-01-28T10:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we leave in 9 days! If everything gets scheduled tomorrow as planned, we'll leave next week. YIKES! There is so much to do.

I came across this picture on the Internet of the front of the orphanage where Levi is waiting for us to come get him. We just can't wait to meet this sweet little guy! Hopefully, the orphanage has prepared him, showed him our pictures, and given him the teddy bear we sent.

We pray for Levi every night. We ask for God's protection on him physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We ask that God will keep Levi in HIS care and that he will have a smooth transition and bonding time with his forever family!

Please join us in praying for our safe travels and for little Levi.
We appreciate and need your prayers.

We would also ask that you add to your prayers those children who are left at the orphanage--that they too will find their forever family very soon and that God will keep them in His care. It must be so difficult to watch your friends get adopted and to feel like it will never be your turn. My heart aches for these little ones.

That's all for now. Back to cleaning, packing, preparing for our journey ahead! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

I added a new picture today of Theo and Ruthie decorating our 2009 Confetti Cake. It is our tradition to bake and decorate this fun cake on each New Year's Day! I wanted to post it today as I was thinking about Levi waking up in Beijing this morning to the start of his Chinese New Year! I wonder what kind of celebrations he will get to take part in. We can't wait to learn about his Chinese traditions and to teach him about ours as well!

Well, that's all for today. HAPPY 2009! We're off to a very blessed beginning.

Monday, January 19, 2009 TRAVEL APPROVAL!

2009-01-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

We got our travel approval this past week- on Monday the 19th. This means that we are just waiting for the Consulate Appointment confirmation and then make travel arrangements. YIKES! There is so much to do. We don't know our dates yet--but we know we will travel in February. We just can't wait to meet our little guy.

We sent Levi a care package with a little bear, candies, and a disposable camera. We wrote a letter that was translated for us asking if the Nannies would take pictures of Levi and give us the camera when we come to pick him up. I know he will treasure these pictures later in his life as he looks back on his childhood and where he came from. We also sent him pictures of us, his new siblings, our house and backyard.

We painted the boy's room brown and did a sports theme. It looks too cute. We've still got to put the finishing touches on, but we're almost there. I think Levi and Theo will enjoy sharing such a fun room! They even have bunk beds! How much fun is that?

We've started packing. I raided the travel section at Target this week and got some items crossed off our packing list. Still...so much to do and so little time.

More later when we know our actual travel dates....

More Pictures of Levi at the Beijing Orphanage

2009-01-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have no news today. I am just thinking about Levi and wanting to bring him home as soon as possible. Ruthie, our 4-year old daughter, cut out pictures of Levi the other day and made a collage that says, "We love Levi!". It was so precious. It was completely her idea. Theo, our son, keeps talking about how he is going to teach Levi how to play soccer and t-ball. So cute. We are all anxious to have Levi here at home in our arms as an official member of our family.

I added more pictures of Levi that the orphanage sent with his file. Hopefully, I will have more pictures and news very soon. We are waiting for our Travel Approval (TA) which should arrive in about 2 weeks. (Hopefully before Chinese New Year vacation.)

More Later....

New Year's Surprise

2008-12-29T15:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first blog! I wanted to have a place where I could document and share the journey of adopting our 4-year old son from China.

Today, December 29, 2008, we received the official referral--the Letter Seeking Confirmation (LSC) from our adoption agency for our sweet little boy--Xiaolei. He is waiting for us in an orphanage in Beijing. We simply can't wait to meet him!

The adoption agency informed us that we should expect to travel in mid to late February! FEBRUARY!! WOW! There is so much to do to get ready! My birthday just happens to be in February, so I will receive perhaps the best birthday gift of all time--meeting our new son and holding him for the very first time!

We decided to call our little boy Levi because the name means "bonded and attached in harmony and unity". We pray that Levi will feel bonded and attached with his new family. He will not only gain 2 parents but also a big brother (Theo) who is 6 and a sister (Ruthie) who is also 4. In fact Levi's birthday is only 2 days after Ruthie's birthday. We are all very excited to welcome our new addition to the family!

We ask for your continued prayers as all of the details of finalizing the adoption proceed over the next 2 months.

I will try to update the blog often so you can know the latest details of our adoption journey to China!

Thanks for stopping by!