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Awesome weekend

I'm a little late with this update, but as they say, better late than never! I wanted to write about the fun weekend I had two weekends ago. It started on Saturday when I was given the opportunity to go to a Father/Daughter dance at school with Sydney. She picked out my tie and was kind enough to pick race cars (my favorite!) and she wore her Easter dress so that she was extra fancy. Julie, always thinking ahead, had bought a bracelet for me to give her to remember the night. She's so good at stuff like that - don't know why that kind of stuff never occurs to me. I'm a guy - go figure. We drove Donatella which was a treat for Sydney and she commented that nobody else drove a sports car to the dance. :) We arrived at the school right on time and walked into the cafeteria/commons area that was being used for the dance. We walked in on a red carpet and had paparazzi taking pictures of us as we walked in and then stopped at "security" before we were let inside the velvet rope. They took a picture of us that they gave to Sydney as a magnet later in the week. We had a good time doing the loco-motion, Chicken Dance and having fun in general. The organizers did a great job and it made for a nice evening with Sydney. She was pretty tired and it was a pretty quiet drive home.
The next day Max and I went to the Cub Scout camp and had a good time doing archery and BB guns. Max likes archery the best but they had new targets that were made of really hard foam and most of the time everyone's arrows didn't stick. It is already a nervous affair - 1st through 4th graders with bows and arrows and guns, add in bouncing arrows and that just kicks it up a notch. We really stress the safety aspect but also allow the boys to have fun. Max was able to start on archery and then shoot BB guns for a bit and then back to archery before it was time to call it a day. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend the weekend - hopefully the kids enjoyed it, too.

Care Packages and answers to questions

Here are the two care packages we have sent to Lil' Bubba. We actually ordered them through Angela at http://www.ladybugsnlove.com/ She is very sweet and has been wonderful to work with. We tell her what we would like to send (such as a toy for a toddler boy) from a list of items and she does the shopping and shipping.

April 26, 2010- first care package


May 17, 2010- second care package

Then on May 20, 2010 we received a wonderful email from Angela containing the answers to the questions we had sent the orphanage in our first letter. Yippee! It is great to learn a little more about our son.

- Does he have a nickname that he likes to be called?
Yes. Hua Shan or Shan Shan.
- What is his personality like?
He is quiet.
- Does he sleep in a crib or toddler bed?
He used to sleep in a crib, now he is sleeping in toddler bed.
- Does he wake during the night?
Sometimes he wakes up.
- Is he potty trained? Does he wear diapers?
He is not fully potty trained. He is wearing diaper.
- How many teeth does he have?
14.
- How do you comfort him when he is upset?
Put him back to his own bed or give him some food.
- How does he comfort himself?
He likes to amuse himself. He likes to play alone or play with Wei Zhong Cun.
- What is his favorite food?
Formula and crackers.
- Does he have any known allergies?
No.
- Does he drink cow's milk?
No, he drinks formula.
- Has he ever eaten any nuts?
No.
- Has he ever eaten fish or other seafood?
No.
- Did he come with a finding note or anything else?
No.
- Has he been baptized? Does he have a certificate?
No.
- Has he ever had any illness? chickenpox?
He caught cold. No chickenpox.
- Is he attached to a particular person? caregiver? friend?
Yes, he has a special friend whose name is Wei Zhong Cun.
- Is he attached to a particular toy? stuffed animal? blanket? clothing?
No.
- Does he have a favorite color?
No.
- Does he like animals? Has he ever been around any animals?
He is a little afraid. He has never been around animals.
- Has he ever lived with a foster family?
No.

Now, we just need some updated pics. Even better, we need him to come home!

Necklace Charm Giveaway

Hey Everyone-

My blogger friend, Kelly, is giving away a hand cut silver charm on her website. They are beautiful! I am hoping to win the one that says "mama" in Chinese characters. You should go check out her site at http://raudenbushfamily.blogspot.com/2010/05/giveaway-jiayin-designs.html for your own chance to win one. Also, be sure to check out the web site for the charms at http://www.jiayindesigns.com/JiayinDesigns/Home.html On this site's home page you will see 3 adorable kiddos. Lydia is Kelly's daughter and Jake is my blogger friend Heather's son. I am not sure who the other cutie is. Aren't they so sweet?! Have a great day!



Julie :)

Sunday Snapshot- Sunday: a day of rest...

NOT!!!!


Here is the whole crew out helping rake the yard...some more than others. :)


Just a reminder you can go out to our blog @ http://lilbubbamakesfour.blogspot.com/ if you want to actually see the pics we post. We know several of you just receive the e-mails, which is fine too.

The boys are gathering the piles.



Mom is raking away.

Sydney is helping Mommy...until she gets tired and wanders off to play. :)

Veronica decided she was done early on. :)



Zeus the dog enjoys having everyone outside with him.

Here are the piles. These are only some of the ones out front, not to mention all of them in the back and on the sides. Ugg! We are paying for all that rain we had recently.

I heard about Sunday Snapshot @ http://cornbreadandchopsticks.blogspot.com/.

I then went out to http://www.nihaoyall.com/2009/10/sunday-snapshot-overview.html to find out more. I hope you will too!

Now, off to take a nap. After all, it is Sunday!

Ron

I just want to say that I have been blessed with a wonderful hubby!!!! The other day he sent me an e-mail and told me to open the door if someone came to our house. He knows that I do not answer it. There are too many strange people out in the world. He would not tell me why though. My big worry was whether I needed to get decent clothes and make-up on. You should never just drop by our house. You might be surprised as to what you will find. Hee, hee! Pj's or old sweats are usually the attire of choice for me. The kids, however, tend to prefer even less than that for themselves. :) So, anyways, this is what my loving husband sent me...

Isn't that just beautiful?! I cannot thank him enough for making my day!!!! I love surprises like that. :)

Mom's Day (from a mommy's point-of-view)

I love Mother's Day! I love how the kiddos make stuff and hide it around the house so that I do not see them until the "big day". I love their excitement about the things that they made for me. I love how they practically burst at the seam wanting to tell, but yet not wanting to in order to keep the suspense going for me.

Max made a beautiful vase at school for me. In the days leading up to Mother's Day, I heard things such as "I made something out of clay for you.", "I painted your present today.", and "I threw your present up in the air and caught it.". That last one worried me a bit! He kept his gifts in his back pack until Sunday morning when he quickly gave it to me as soon as he could.

Sydney made a card for me and "hid" it in our living room behind a decoration. I ran across it while dusting. Max just happened to be in the room at the time. I said something like, "Oops, bet I am not suppose to see that!" and quickly hid it again.

Veronica told me that she made a card for me and that she had hidden it under my bed. I was instructed not to look at it though.

My family means the world to me and I am very blessed. I will always treasure my cards and gifts because they were made with love from our little ones. So sweet!!!!

Mom's Day (from a daughter's point-of-view)

I know...I know, I am a little late for Mother's Day. However, it is always good to show our gratitude for our moms, right? First, I want to thank my mom for always being there for me. She is a wonderful mom and grandma. Now that I am a mom myself, I have so much appreciation and gratitude for all that she did for us as we were growing up (and now too) and I am so sorry for all the times that Janet and I fought and misbehaved. Again, as a mom myself, I really feel bad for all those times. I have to laugh though because I think one of her favorite stories to tell is how Janet and I would fight and fight until Mom lost it. Then, Janet and I would go off to play as if nothing ever happened. Now, I know why she would be so grouchy.

I, also, have a new appreciation for secret pleasures. Mom told me once that when she was out and about by herself she would sneak an ice cream cone and how nice it was to have that on her own and not have to share or buy anyone else one. WHAT? (as Veronica would say...ha!) I felt so betrayed years ago when she told me that. How could that make her happy? I just did not understand. Oh, boy! Now, I get it. Trust me...there are goodies hidden in our house now that are just for Mommy. :)

Another fun story to tell is the time that my mom jumped into a dumpster for me. Who else would do that for me? Okay, so Ron has dug through a dumpster for me too. (This says something...something not so good...about me, I guess. Oh, well. Ha!) Same reason...years apart. Both times I had lost my ring. With Mom, (long story short) I had lost my engagement ring. All we could figure out was that I had lost it in the trash at the school I was teaching at the time. God bless my mom as she hopped right in the dumpster at the school and started going bag by bag to find the ones that would have been from my class. No ring. We found it though. Wanna know where it was? At home, on a shelf in my bathroom. Oops! At some point, I had taken it off. In my defense, I was not feeling well at the time. Yep, my wonderful mom had gone into the dumpster for no reason. Sorry Mom!!!!

(Ron's experience was very similar. My ring flew off into a recycling bin when we were trying to do good by our earth. He dug around for awhile and found it close to the opening. Thank God! Also, thank God, he did not have to climb in! Sorry Ron!!!!)

I have a wonderful mother-in-law too. She is always there for us and always eager to help out as needed. I thank her for her part in making Ron the wonderful man that he is. She is a terrific "Ma" to our kiddos too.

Thank you to these two beautiful women who are such an inspiration to us.

My Sister

I have so much that I want to write about; but, today I am going to write about my sister, Janet. I want to write about the wonderful person that she is. She is my baby sister...seven years younger than I am. I have always adored her and now I am proud of the beautiful adult she has become and all that she has accomplished.

Yesterday, she graduated with a double major in Business Administration and Business Forensics. She kept the fact that she was graduating with honors a surprise for us. We were so proud to see her have that honor cord around her. We knew there was one class that was either going to make or break this honor for her. SHE DID IT and we couldn't be more proud of her.

Although she is my younger sister, I certainly look up to her. She has had a lot of ups and downs in life; but, she is a fighter. She joined the Air National Guard after 9-11 because she wanted to make this world a safer place for her nephew- Max was only about 6 1/2 months on that horrible day. More recently, she has been working full time and then some, bought a condo on her own, a brand new car, etc. all on top of going to college too.

Janet- Congratulations!!!! You are an amazing woman!!!!

(P.S. Does this make up for the time when I dressed you up like Boy George when we were younger? or the time that I got the curling iron stuck in your hair and we had to cut it out? or the times I locked you in the closet and the wooden box? Hee, hee! Love you!)

Kisses in the Wind

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullaby)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--- © Pamela Durkota

My blogger friend, Sheri, had this on her website, http://happyhainfamily.blogspot.com/ Sheri and her family are pretty much at the same point we are in the process. They have had a minor setback. Please keep them in your prayers.

My Wonderful Family

My weekend started out very well thanks to my wonderful family. Ron was willing to get up with our littlest early bird when she woke up. However, she would have nothing to do with leaving Mommy. I convinced her to cuddle in bed with me for a little while. She got bored with that and left. I eventually fell back to sleep and had a beautiful dream about Lil' Bubba. (One of these days I will have to blog about all the dreams our family has been having about him. They will be fun for him to see later down the road.) Anyways, next thing I know Veronica is beside the bed again wanting me to get up. I agreed as I had already slept in longer than I probably should have. While I was preparing to go downstairs, I hear the rest of the family coming up the stairs. They were bringing me breakfast in bed!!!! Aren't they the best?! They had made scrambled eggs, cinnamon sugar toast and coffee. Yummy!!!! We got a chuckle out of the fact that Veronica got me out of bed just when they were ready to bring the food to me in bed. It all turned out just fine because I ended up eating with them at the kitchen table instead. Ron said that it was Sydney's idea to make Mommy breakfast. Princess- thank you so much for thinking of me! Ron- thank you for making her wish a reality. Max- thank you for not spilling the coffee as you ever so carefully carried it up to me. Veronica- thank you for making me feel so needed. You guys are the greatest!!!! You are all so special to me and I love you all more each day.