...and am pledging to be better at keeping it up. (:
(As Jennifer put it well, Elli may not be forsaken, but her blog is!)
Click HERE to read.
Also, being Memorial Day weekend, we are of course thinking of our sweet, amazing loved ones who have passed on. We are especially missing those we have lost in the last few years:
Tiffany Rose (Jeremy's darling little sister-- died at age 22 in a car accident)
Grandpa Larsen (my grandfather-- a WWII veteran and amazing man)
Grandpa Green (Jeremy's grandfather-- a hard worker with a quick wit)
Grandma Nelson (my grandmother and one of my most treasured friends)
Keltson Blackburn (our sweet neighbor and Taylor's primary teacher)
and of course our darling Jacob and Emily.
We love you.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Falling in love all over again!
I got the most amazing phone call on Monday, and it has had me smiling ever since. Let me start at the beginning. A few weeks ago, I was just DYING for some new info on our sweet little Chu Chu. Anything. Updated measurements, a picture, word that he was doing well-- I just needed something. It is so difficult to be waiting for someone we already love so much and have so little information on how he is. Well, I googled his orphanage, to see if I could possibly find a picture of it. What I found, is that there is an American adoption agency that has volunteers there in his city! I emailed them, praying that they might know something about our son. Well, on Monday I got a call from a very sweet lady, who after verifying that we were indeed talking about the same boy, told me that YES, she did know him. In fact, she has HELD him! She was there last summer and she KNEW OUR BOY!
My heart was swelling as she told me how much their staff loves our little guy. She said that there was something very special about him, and that they had prayed over him while there at his orphanage, and have continued to since coming home. Not only that, but she contacted the staff there, and they took pictures and gave us updated measurements. So these pictures were actually taken THIS WEEK! Imagine that! What a blessing to a mom just dying for a shred of news. She told me she would email me the pictures, and I was a mess for the next little while as I waited for them.
It was worth it.
Are you ready to see the sweetest little smile in the world???
You can click on the picture to make it big! (;
I cannot look at these sweet pictures without smiling myself. He has my heart. I love every square inch of him! I just want to eat him up!!!!!
Just when I thought I was on top of the world with these brand new fun photos, I got another email from the same woman, who told me that one of her coworkers has VIDEO of our boy! Imagine that! I have contacted him and am anxiously awaiting seeing sweet Chu Chu in action.
I am so grateful and indebted to these wonderful people who have done so much for our son. Because of them, Chu Chu is in a situation where he is in a foster care setting much of the time. He has been loved and prayed over for some time now. It is such a good feeling to know that there are others out there who are watching over him when I cannot. What an amazing blessing from a loving Father in Heaven.
P.S. As far as names go, I think I have lost the "Thomas" battle. We are now toying with the name Alexander Chase Green. It has been so difficult to come up with something that everybody likes, and this may be it! We could call him either Alex or Xander, or most likely, both. I personally like Xander, as it would fit with Taylor and Parker, and I think it's unique and fun! Also, his Chinese name, Xu Chu, and American name would be kind of similar-- Xu Chu and Xander Chase. I love Alex too. What do you think? (:
My heart was swelling as she told me how much their staff loves our little guy. She said that there was something very special about him, and that they had prayed over him while there at his orphanage, and have continued to since coming home. Not only that, but she contacted the staff there, and they took pictures and gave us updated measurements. So these pictures were actually taken THIS WEEK! Imagine that! What a blessing to a mom just dying for a shred of news. She told me she would email me the pictures, and I was a mess for the next little while as I waited for them.
It was worth it.
Are you ready to see the sweetest little smile in the world???
You can click on the picture to make it big! (;
I cannot look at these sweet pictures without smiling myself. He has my heart. I love every square inch of him! I just want to eat him up!!!!!
Just when I thought I was on top of the world with these brand new fun photos, I got another email from the same woman, who told me that one of her coworkers has VIDEO of our boy! Imagine that! I have contacted him and am anxiously awaiting seeing sweet Chu Chu in action.
I am so grateful and indebted to these wonderful people who have done so much for our son. Because of them, Chu Chu is in a situation where he is in a foster care setting much of the time. He has been loved and prayed over for some time now. It is such a good feeling to know that there are others out there who are watching over him when I cannot. What an amazing blessing from a loving Father in Heaven.
P.S. As far as names go, I think I have lost the "Thomas" battle. We are now toying with the name Alexander Chase Green. It has been so difficult to come up with something that everybody likes, and this may be it! We could call him either Alex or Xander, or most likely, both. I personally like Xander, as it would fit with Taylor and Parker, and I think it's unique and fun! Also, his Chinese name, Xu Chu, and American name would be kind of similar-- Xu Chu and Xander Chase. I love Alex too. What do you think? (:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mother's Day
We had a good Mother's Day:) Christi got breakfast in bed-eggs, bacon, lemon poppy seed muffins, and orange juice. She got the usual conglomeration of homemade kid presents. I won some points with my gift this year. About six years ago, Christi vacuumed up her wedding ring. We were able to get it out of the vacuum bag, but it had been severely disfigured. Since then, Christi has purchased a $7.00 crummy junk ring at Walmart about every 2 months. These rings turned green or brown or some other ugly color long before she would replace them. (Side note: One time Christi was talking to a friend while wearing one of her discolored Walmart rings. The friend glanced at Christi's hand and commented-Wow! A two-tone wedding ring! How cool! We laughed at the prestige to be found with this dime-store special:) Anyway, for Mother's Day I secretly took her original wedding ring to a jeweler and had it fixed. She is still smiling to have a real ring on her finger. I copped out with a Stouffer's lasagna for dinner, but it was delicious. I did make one of Christi's favorite desserts: Thai sticky rice with Mangos. The sticky rice is sweetened with coconut milk. It's delicious! So Mother's Day was good.
On Mother's Day morning, the ring got us into some conversations with the kids about our dating life. They were fascinated! It was so cute. They were particularly drawn to three stories:
1. Our first kiss. Christi and I hadn't technically been on a date yet. We were both counselors for a youth camp at Brigham Young University called Especially for Youth. (It is an AWESOME program, if you ever get a chance to send your teenage kids!) As a counselor you have virtually no free time during the week. It's a blast and you get to meet a lot of other college kids who are also counselors, but you have no unstructured time to just hang out. Saturday night is the only night you can do your own thing. So one Saturday night, a bunch of us decided to go to a country dance. Christi and I had flirted some, but nothing serious. (Besides, she had just volunteered to serve a year-and-a-half long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I didn't figure there was much use in my pursuing anything with her.) Whenever we discuss this particular dance, Christi reminds me that I didn't ask her to slow dance even once. We danced a few fast dances, but nothing slow. I did, however, ask Christi's close friend to slow dance a couple of times. Oops! Another friend drove us back to BYU campus, where all of the counselors were staying in the dorms. During the ride, Christi and I got talking some more and I started becoming more and more interested in this attractive, fun girl. So when we got back on campus, I chivalrously offered to walk her back to her dorm. Before she went inside, we sat outside and talked. And talked. And talked. And I realized what a gem Christianne truly was and is. So at one point I said to her: "I'll bet you a quarter I can kiss you without touching your lips." Christi, thinking "How cute, he's going to kiss me on the cheek," said "OK." I told her to close her eyes. She complied, and I planted a kiss right on her lips. I said "I lose. Here's your quarter.:)" She was pretty surprised, but let's just say she earned a few bucks that night.:) The boys couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces as they heard this story, and are determined to use that line at some point in their future.
2. Christi's decision to marry me (vs. her high-school sweetheart). Christi had dated a really great guy all through high school and had fallen in love with him. The two of them (and most of their small town) were sure that they would get married after he returned from serving his two-year mission. I met Christi the last week of June, 1997. Her high school sweetheart was coming home from his mission in September of 1997. Even with limited math skills, I was able to see that I basically had 2 months to make this girl fall in love with me and forget him. Man, I did everything I could to win her over. I gave her so many flowers (including one week where she received some every day). I called her. I sang to her. I played guitar for her. But in spite of my best efforts and her growing feelings for me, she made it very clear that I was NOT to propose to her until after her missionary returned. YEAH, RIGHT!!! Here's the girl of my dreams, ("She's almost perfect" my future mother-in-law informed me the first time I was introduced to Christi's family-and she is!) and she expects me to sit around and wait for this other guy to come back and remind her of why she loved him??? NO WAY! I proposed to Christi the night before her missionary returned from Italy. (I planned a GREAT proposal date, if I do say myself, but that's a story for another entry.) Anyway, toward the end of a perfect evening, I got down on one knee, and, with my hand shaking visibly, held out the ring and asked, "Sweetheart, will you marry me?" Her response? "Did you ask my dad?" ??? Did you ask my dad??? Fortunately, I was able to answer, "Yes." (Yet another story. Yes, I had asked her dad. I had driven the 2 hours to Ferron, UT. Her family already knew that I had chronic problems with punctuality. I had called Dean ahead of time and asked if I could come and talk to him. I'm sure he knew what was coming. He agreed to meet me at the end of his work day outside the school where he teaches. So, as usual, I had timed things to the last second. I would have been on time if there had been no complications. I really would have! To get to Christi's home town, you have to drive through a 60-mile long canyon which for the most part is one lane in each direction. This is the truth: A semi-truck had crashed in the canyon, spilling huge amounts of re-bar all over the highway. Traffic was stopped for a long time. I was terribly late to an appointment to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Not only that, but there was no way to call and let him know. There was also nothing for him to do but wait for me. We had agreed to meet outside the school. So when I finally showed up at least an hour late, poor Dean was still sitting sitting on the curb in the hot summer sun, waiting for me. It's a wonder he didn't just scowl and say "Get out of here and leave my daughter alone!" Instead, he completely cemented himself in the position of the world's most wonderful father-in-law (no offense Dad, you're awesome too.:). We went into the school, sat down at a couple of students' desks, and talked for a little while. Small talk at first, then, the question. "Dean, I would like to ask for your permission to ask your daughter to marry me." "Got it!" he instantly replied. No questions about how I was going to support his daughter. No lectures about how I had better treat her perfectly. He knew me well enough by then to know he would say yes. And instead of making me sweat it out, he made me feel like he was lucky to have me for a son-in-law. (And believe me, I'm sure he had MANY concerns and questions about my capabilities. I really can't express in words how grateful I am for Dean and LaRita. They have been amazing to me. I hope I can be the same for my kids-in-law.) So I answered Christi: "Yes, I asked your dad." She put the ring on that night, but never did say yes. She also told me she was going to the airport with her missionary's family the next day to pick him up. She took the ring off to do that. This was, of course, very fair, given that I had proposed when she had prohibited me from doing so. She spent a rough next couple of days deciding what she was going to do. Then she told a very disheartened young man that she had decided to marry me. After relating this story, our kids were fascinated by the concept that it had been such a hard choice at the time. They kept asking things like "Are you glad you married dad?" "Did you make the right choice?" "Did your missionary marry someone else?" She answered yes to all of them. What a lucky guy I am!!!
3. Christi got asked out on a date after we were married with four kids. She was at Walmart in Tennessee with just Jessica. With still years to go before I would fix her wedding ring, her hand was bare. She noticed that a particular guy always seemed to be near, no matter what part of the store she was in. At one point, Christi asked a Walmart employee where she could find a particular tool that I had asked her to purchase. The employee wasn't sure where or what the tool was. Enter the date-asker. The guy who was always near approached Christi and helped her find what she needed. Then he somewhat awkwardly said: "You may have noticed me nearby today. I've been trying to get up the guts to ask you something. I know it's a bit strange since you don't know me, but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner sometime." Christi was very flattered! She answered "Oh, that's so sweet of you, but I'm married with three more kids at home!" The guy was embarrassed, but it wasn't too bad. When we told the kids this story, they, the boys in particular, were so worried about this guy. They kept asking, "Do you think he found someone to marry?" "Do you think he's married now?" Do you think he's happy?" They asked these questions over and over during the course of the day. Their empathy and concern was so cute:)
Well, this entry turned out much longer than I had anticipated. But the bottom line? I'm married to the most wonderful girl and the best mother in the world and we have the most wonderful kids in the world. (Isn't it great that for me they absolutely are the best, and yet for you, your family is the best? God is good!)
Jeremy
On Mother's Day morning, the ring got us into some conversations with the kids about our dating life. They were fascinated! It was so cute. They were particularly drawn to three stories:
1. Our first kiss. Christi and I hadn't technically been on a date yet. We were both counselors for a youth camp at Brigham Young University called Especially for Youth. (It is an AWESOME program, if you ever get a chance to send your teenage kids!) As a counselor you have virtually no free time during the week. It's a blast and you get to meet a lot of other college kids who are also counselors, but you have no unstructured time to just hang out. Saturday night is the only night you can do your own thing. So one Saturday night, a bunch of us decided to go to a country dance. Christi and I had flirted some, but nothing serious. (Besides, she had just volunteered to serve a year-and-a-half long mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so I didn't figure there was much use in my pursuing anything with her.) Whenever we discuss this particular dance, Christi reminds me that I didn't ask her to slow dance even once. We danced a few fast dances, but nothing slow. I did, however, ask Christi's close friend to slow dance a couple of times. Oops! Another friend drove us back to BYU campus, where all of the counselors were staying in the dorms. During the ride, Christi and I got talking some more and I started becoming more and more interested in this attractive, fun girl. So when we got back on campus, I chivalrously offered to walk her back to her dorm. Before she went inside, we sat outside and talked. And talked. And talked. And I realized what a gem Christianne truly was and is. So at one point I said to her: "I'll bet you a quarter I can kiss you without touching your lips." Christi, thinking "How cute, he's going to kiss me on the cheek," said "OK." I told her to close her eyes. She complied, and I planted a kiss right on her lips. I said "I lose. Here's your quarter.:)" She was pretty surprised, but let's just say she earned a few bucks that night.:) The boys couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces as they heard this story, and are determined to use that line at some point in their future.
2. Christi's decision to marry me (vs. her high-school sweetheart). Christi had dated a really great guy all through high school and had fallen in love with him. The two of them (and most of their small town) were sure that they would get married after he returned from serving his two-year mission. I met Christi the last week of June, 1997. Her high school sweetheart was coming home from his mission in September of 1997. Even with limited math skills, I was able to see that I basically had 2 months to make this girl fall in love with me and forget him. Man, I did everything I could to win her over. I gave her so many flowers (including one week where she received some every day). I called her. I sang to her. I played guitar for her. But in spite of my best efforts and her growing feelings for me, she made it very clear that I was NOT to propose to her until after her missionary returned. YEAH, RIGHT!!! Here's the girl of my dreams, ("She's almost perfect" my future mother-in-law informed me the first time I was introduced to Christi's family-and she is!) and she expects me to sit around and wait for this other guy to come back and remind her of why she loved him??? NO WAY! I proposed to Christi the night before her missionary returned from Italy. (I planned a GREAT proposal date, if I do say myself, but that's a story for another entry.) Anyway, toward the end of a perfect evening, I got down on one knee, and, with my hand shaking visibly, held out the ring and asked, "Sweetheart, will you marry me?" Her response? "Did you ask my dad?" ??? Did you ask my dad??? Fortunately, I was able to answer, "Yes." (Yet another story. Yes, I had asked her dad. I had driven the 2 hours to Ferron, UT. Her family already knew that I had chronic problems with punctuality. I had called Dean ahead of time and asked if I could come and talk to him. I'm sure he knew what was coming. He agreed to meet me at the end of his work day outside the school where he teaches. So, as usual, I had timed things to the last second. I would have been on time if there had been no complications. I really would have! To get to Christi's home town, you have to drive through a 60-mile long canyon which for the most part is one lane in each direction. This is the truth: A semi-truck had crashed in the canyon, spilling huge amounts of re-bar all over the highway. Traffic was stopped for a long time. I was terribly late to an appointment to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Not only that, but there was no way to call and let him know. There was also nothing for him to do but wait for me. We had agreed to meet outside the school. So when I finally showed up at least an hour late, poor Dean was still sitting sitting on the curb in the hot summer sun, waiting for me. It's a wonder he didn't just scowl and say "Get out of here and leave my daughter alone!" Instead, he completely cemented himself in the position of the world's most wonderful father-in-law (no offense Dad, you're awesome too.:). We went into the school, sat down at a couple of students' desks, and talked for a little while. Small talk at first, then, the question. "Dean, I would like to ask for your permission to ask your daughter to marry me." "Got it!" he instantly replied. No questions about how I was going to support his daughter. No lectures about how I had better treat her perfectly. He knew me well enough by then to know he would say yes. And instead of making me sweat it out, he made me feel like he was lucky to have me for a son-in-law. (And believe me, I'm sure he had MANY concerns and questions about my capabilities. I really can't express in words how grateful I am for Dean and LaRita. They have been amazing to me. I hope I can be the same for my kids-in-law.) So I answered Christi: "Yes, I asked your dad." She put the ring on that night, but never did say yes. She also told me she was going to the airport with her missionary's family the next day to pick him up. She took the ring off to do that. This was, of course, very fair, given that I had proposed when she had prohibited me from doing so. She spent a rough next couple of days deciding what she was going to do. Then she told a very disheartened young man that she had decided to marry me. After relating this story, our kids were fascinated by the concept that it had been such a hard choice at the time. They kept asking things like "Are you glad you married dad?" "Did you make the right choice?" "Did your missionary marry someone else?" She answered yes to all of them. What a lucky guy I am!!!
3. Christi got asked out on a date after we were married with four kids. She was at Walmart in Tennessee with just Jessica. With still years to go before I would fix her wedding ring, her hand was bare. She noticed that a particular guy always seemed to be near, no matter what part of the store she was in. At one point, Christi asked a Walmart employee where she could find a particular tool that I had asked her to purchase. The employee wasn't sure where or what the tool was. Enter the date-asker. The guy who was always near approached Christi and helped her find what she needed. Then he somewhat awkwardly said: "You may have noticed me nearby today. I've been trying to get up the guts to ask you something. I know it's a bit strange since you don't know me, but I was wondering if you would like to have dinner sometime." Christi was very flattered! She answered "Oh, that's so sweet of you, but I'm married with three more kids at home!" The guy was embarrassed, but it wasn't too bad. When we told the kids this story, they, the boys in particular, were so worried about this guy. They kept asking, "Do you think he found someone to marry?" "Do you think he's married now?" Do you think he's happy?" They asked these questions over and over during the course of the day. Their empathy and concern was so cute:)
Well, this entry turned out much longer than I had anticipated. But the bottom line? I'm married to the most wonderful girl and the best mother in the world and we have the most wonderful kids in the world. (Isn't it great that for me they absolutely are the best, and yet for you, your family is the best? God is good!)
Jeremy
Thursday, April 30, 2009
I'm What?
This morning I came upstairs looking for Christi. I walked into our bedroom where she was taking care of Elli. I started talking to Christi and after a few minutes Jesi came in and said, looking intently at me, "Dad, you're bugging me over!" "I'm what?" I asked. "You're bugging me over!" "What does that mean?" "It means, you're making me not concentrate on my TV!"-followed by a big, heartfelt sigh of despair. Apparently I talk too loud...:)
A couple of days ago one of Christi's friends posted a comment to our "Home Alone" post. In the comment she said "Jeremy-nobody does superdad like you do..." Christi was standing next to me as I read it, and I turned to her and said, "Lucky she doesn't know how much I stink as a dad sometimes!" Then, sweet little Jesi, who was also in the room, very seriously said: "Dad, you don't stink! You're so handsome!" Then she gave me a big hug. Made my day. Jesi does that often. Several times a day, she'll see me and excitedly say, "Daaaaddddyyyy!", then rush to me and give me a huge bear hug. It doesn't get any better than that:)
Last week Christi was very creative for our family home evening treat and toasted marshmallows in the oven. With ONE marshmallow, Jesi created this mess:
Gotta love kids!
Jeremy
A couple of days ago one of Christi's friends posted a comment to our "Home Alone" post. In the comment she said "Jeremy-nobody does superdad like you do..." Christi was standing next to me as I read it, and I turned to her and said, "Lucky she doesn't know how much I stink as a dad sometimes!" Then, sweet little Jesi, who was also in the room, very seriously said: "Dad, you don't stink! You're so handsome!" Then she gave me a big hug. Made my day. Jesi does that often. Several times a day, she'll see me and excitedly say, "Daaaaddddyyyy!", then rush to me and give me a huge bear hug. It doesn't get any better than that:)
Last week Christi was very creative for our family home evening treat and toasted marshmallows in the oven. With ONE marshmallow, Jesi created this mess:
Gotta love kids!
Jeremy
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Spring is in the air!
I thought I would surprise Jeremy by taking some pics of his beautiful spring flowers so I could post them and brag about what a wonderful husband I have! Then as I looked at the pictures, I realized the lawn needed mowing (which he is usually VERY good about keeping up with) and so he might not like the pictures. Nevertheless, I am posting them, because I think they are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you, Jeremy, for taking the time to plant these last fall!!! (: Also, as I was uploading these photos I found another interesting photo that I hadn't seen for awhile. This is from our sweet Taylor, who loves to chew on everything and once in awhile, accidentally swallows random objects-- you know, like screws and such. (:
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Home Alone
Well, not exactly alone. I'm home with five ragamuffins but no wife. One can feel rather alone under those circumstances. Christi left last night and will be home tomorrow morning. Her mom is in charge of a spiritual/motivational conference for women in their area, and Christi was asked to give a 50-minute presentation. So I don't envy her the task of preparing for or giving the presentation. But now the conference is over, and Christi is relaxing at her parents home with no kids to take care of. I am a bit envious of that.
The morning started out with a bang. Elli went to the bathroom in the bathtub. (Sidenote: I am so proud of Jessica right now! She is sitting in my lap as I type this. She commented on how quickly I was typing. Then, just after I typed Elli's name, she said, "Why are you putting Elli up there?" WOW! I can't believe she was able to recognize Elli's name so quickly and so well. Cool:) Anyway, I discovered Elli's treat for me when I asked Jesi to look in on Elli in the tub. Jesi called out to me: "Daddy, the water is all brown!" Ah, the joys of parenthood. Everything has been cleaned up now, and the kids are doing pretty well.
For part of Christi's presentation, she put together a slide show of pictures about Elli. Here it is:
Have a great weekend!
Jeremy
The morning started out with a bang. Elli went to the bathroom in the bathtub. (Sidenote: I am so proud of Jessica right now! She is sitting in my lap as I type this. She commented on how quickly I was typing. Then, just after I typed Elli's name, she said, "Why are you putting Elli up there?" WOW! I can't believe she was able to recognize Elli's name so quickly and so well. Cool:) Anyway, I discovered Elli's treat for me when I asked Jesi to look in on Elli in the tub. Jesi called out to me: "Daddy, the water is all brown!" Ah, the joys of parenthood. Everything has been cleaned up now, and the kids are doing pretty well.
For part of Christi's presentation, she put together a slide show of pictures about Elli. Here it is:
Have a great weekend!
Jeremy
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
No Stopping Ellie
No, I didn't misspell our daughter's name. I just had to post this poignant and heart-warming video from CNN. There is so much good that can be done in the world. So many opportunities to serve and help. I am determined to spend less time focused on myself and more time focused on helping others.
Jeremy
Jeremy
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Faces, Followers and Flash Mobs
Some of you know that I'm a songwriter at heart. (Unfortunately, no one in Nashville who could do anything about it seemed to share that opinion. But I digress...) Anyway, as a songwriter, I adore alliteration. I'm particularly pleased when I can craft a clever catch-phrase as the preface to a post. But I must admit, I stretched it a bit today. All of the titular tie-ins work, but they're not as natural as the ones I usually use, if you get where I'm going:) By the way, a few of you have said you enjoy my posts on this blog. I really must throw a shout out to my little sister, Jen, who is an inspiration to me in many ways, not the least of which is her tremendous talent for turning a phrase!
Faces: (Well, I guess it's really just "face".)
The other day I was practicing baseball with Taylor. That kid is very determined when he puts his mind to something. He's played first base for several years, but his coaches this year haven't had the chance to see how well he can play that position. So he's playing in the outfield for the first time ever. The younger you are, the more boring the outfield positions are. In his 9-10 year-old league, there is beginning to be some action out there, but it's still a bit of a disappointment for him. Anyway, he wanted to practice playing outfield. I stood at home plate and he ran out to center field. I then began to hit grounders, line-drives, and fly balls to him. On the very first hit, the ball came at Taylor hard, and took a crazy bounce just as it reached him. It jumped up and hit him full on the chin. Taylor dropped to the ground in tears. I ran out to him and held him for a few minutes. I asked if we should just quit for the day, but that determined little man stayed out there for another 45 minutes. And he worked HARD! I'm extremely proud of him. He is going to accomplish great things in life:)
As a testament to the pain he suffered, I present the following photo:
See that half circle of little red dots to the right of his lips and chin? Those are the marks the stitches on the baseball left when it hit him!
Followers:
So this one was the stretch. I looked at a thesaurus to try and find a word that meant "imitate" and started with an "f." Follower was the only one. So Jesi is really more of an "imitator" than a "follower," but then we'd be absent the alliteration, now, wouldn't we:) Jesi LOVES Graci. ADORES her. Wants to be just like her. So tonight, they decided that Jesi would BE Graci. They dressed in jammies that were alike. Both wore bathrobes. Both wore glasses. They were both "Graci." Jesi demanded that we call her "Graci." Here are the cute pictures:
What, you may ask, is that black thing on Jesi's head? That is a pair of tights with a pony-tail in it. That was their way of making Jesi have black hair, just like Graci! Pretty clever-- especially to have come up with it all by themselves!
Flash Mobs:
For those of you who are not familiar with flash mobs, here is the wikipedia defenition:
A flash mob (or flashmob[1]) is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse. The term flash mob is generally applied only to gatherings organized via social media or viral emails, rather than those organized by public relations firms or for a publicity stunt.
This is a hilarious, recent phenomenon. If you waste much time browsing the internet anyway, you-tube videos of various flash mobs are as good a waste of time as any:) Here is one of the best I've seen. Remember, the people who aren't part of the group have no idea what's going on. (I recommend double clicking on the video clip, so it opens in its own window. Then blow the you-tube video up to full-screen.)
Well, I hope you've enjoyed my awful attempts at alliteration. I hope you've found the photos to your fancy. And if you ever find yourself forming a flash mob, feel free to phone me!
Jeremy
Faces: (Well, I guess it's really just "face".)
The other day I was practicing baseball with Taylor. That kid is very determined when he puts his mind to something. He's played first base for several years, but his coaches this year haven't had the chance to see how well he can play that position. So he's playing in the outfield for the first time ever. The younger you are, the more boring the outfield positions are. In his 9-10 year-old league, there is beginning to be some action out there, but it's still a bit of a disappointment for him. Anyway, he wanted to practice playing outfield. I stood at home plate and he ran out to center field. I then began to hit grounders, line-drives, and fly balls to him. On the very first hit, the ball came at Taylor hard, and took a crazy bounce just as it reached him. It jumped up and hit him full on the chin. Taylor dropped to the ground in tears. I ran out to him and held him for a few minutes. I asked if we should just quit for the day, but that determined little man stayed out there for another 45 minutes. And he worked HARD! I'm extremely proud of him. He is going to accomplish great things in life:)
As a testament to the pain he suffered, I present the following photo:
See that half circle of little red dots to the right of his lips and chin? Those are the marks the stitches on the baseball left when it hit him!
Followers:
So this one was the stretch. I looked at a thesaurus to try and find a word that meant "imitate" and started with an "f." Follower was the only one. So Jesi is really more of an "imitator" than a "follower," but then we'd be absent the alliteration, now, wouldn't we:) Jesi LOVES Graci. ADORES her. Wants to be just like her. So tonight, they decided that Jesi would BE Graci. They dressed in jammies that were alike. Both wore bathrobes. Both wore glasses. They were both "Graci." Jesi demanded that we call her "Graci." Here are the cute pictures:
What, you may ask, is that black thing on Jesi's head? That is a pair of tights with a pony-tail in it. That was their way of making Jesi have black hair, just like Graci! Pretty clever-- especially to have come up with it all by themselves!
Flash Mobs:
For those of you who are not familiar with flash mobs, here is the wikipedia defenition:
A flash mob (or flashmob[1]) is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse. The term flash mob is generally applied only to gatherings organized via social media or viral emails, rather than those organized by public relations firms or for a publicity stunt.
This is a hilarious, recent phenomenon. If you waste much time browsing the internet anyway, you-tube videos of various flash mobs are as good a waste of time as any:) Here is one of the best I've seen. Remember, the people who aren't part of the group have no idea what's going on. (I recommend double clicking on the video clip, so it opens in its own window. Then blow the you-tube video up to full-screen.)
Well, I hope you've enjoyed my awful attempts at alliteration. I hope you've found the photos to your fancy. And if you ever find yourself forming a flash mob, feel free to phone me!
Jeremy
Sunday, April 5, 2009
We'll miss them when they're gone...
One of the favorite posts I've ever read was written by my friend Teri. It was a picture of an apple core sitting in her bathroom sink, entitled "I'll miss her when she's gone." I thought it was the most perfect caption for such a picture, and immediately looked around at all the crazy things in my house that I would someday miss. Well, the other day, I grabbed my camera and went through the house. I didn't pose anything-- just took pictures of some of the things I would truly miss when they are gone!
Elli obviously gets a little carried away in her rocking chair!
Jesi's dress-up closet
game shelf
this wasn't staged (:
I had spent forever earlier that day looking for the syrup and finally making homemade!
Half of our blinds look like this, thanks to Elli...
What?
Our bedroom wall
Our boys have had these out in our kitchen for the last five years-- they save 10% of their money for their "Missionary Fund." Every time it gets filled up, we match it and put it in the bank. They are so proud of all they have saved!
Sign on the girls' door
The bunk bed ladder
Graci's "kiddos" make it hard for her to find room to sleep, but she will NOT get rid of any of them
Graci is GREAT at cleaning her room, but insists on keeping her vanity like this!
Jessica's dresser-- YIKES!!!
Last week, Parker was apparently having a bad day. I came into the kitchen, where Taylor and Graci were making him a "treasure hunt" to cheer him up. They even provided the treasure-- $3.00 and two pieces of gum. (:
boys' dresser-- need I say more?
Taylor's bed-- Spidey, Doggie, and Wooly. Sigh.
I told Parker to find a special place for his Wolf Cub Scout book so he wouldn't lose it. I guess I should have paid attention to the banging going on in his room... He does get points for creativity!
This is a picture of the contents of ONE of Taylor's pair of pants! The boy's pockets are like this EVERY DAY-- he has been like this since he was a toddler!
And I just HAD to add this one!
Oh how we will miss our precious children! WE LOVE YOU!
Elli obviously gets a little carried away in her rocking chair!
Jesi's dress-up closet
game shelf
this wasn't staged (:
I had spent forever earlier that day looking for the syrup and finally making homemade!
Half of our blinds look like this, thanks to Elli...
What?
Our bedroom wall
Our boys have had these out in our kitchen for the last five years-- they save 10% of their money for their "Missionary Fund." Every time it gets filled up, we match it and put it in the bank. They are so proud of all they have saved!
Sign on the girls' door
The bunk bed ladder
Graci's "kiddos" make it hard for her to find room to sleep, but she will NOT get rid of any of them
Graci is GREAT at cleaning her room, but insists on keeping her vanity like this!
Jessica's dresser-- YIKES!!!
Last week, Parker was apparently having a bad day. I came into the kitchen, where Taylor and Graci were making him a "treasure hunt" to cheer him up. They even provided the treasure-- $3.00 and two pieces of gum. (:
boys' dresser-- need I say more?
Taylor's bed-- Spidey, Doggie, and Wooly. Sigh.
I told Parker to find a special place for his Wolf Cub Scout book so he wouldn't lose it. I guess I should have paid attention to the banging going on in his room... He does get points for creativity!
This is a picture of the contents of ONE of Taylor's pair of pants! The boy's pockets are like this EVERY DAY-- he has been like this since he was a toddler!
And I just HAD to add this one!
Oh how we will miss our precious children! WE LOVE YOU!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
My New Boyfriend
Parker and Taylor have lately found great amusement and hilarity in leaving phone messages on our cell phones. Yesterday I got the following one from Parker:
"You're one HOT MAMA! Have I ever told you how much I LOVE you and how CUTE you are? And one more thing, will you go to the prom with me? (giggle giggle)"
Oh, the humor of an 8-year-old. (:
By the way, click on over to Elli's blog to see how well she is coming along!
"You're one HOT MAMA! Have I ever told you how much I LOVE you and how CUTE you are? And one more thing, will you go to the prom with me? (giggle giggle)"
Oh, the humor of an 8-year-old. (:
By the way, click on over to Elli's blog to see how well she is coming along!
More "Jesi-isms"
While reading a book about animal mothers and babies, I pointed to the pictures and said,
"pig...piglet"
"cat...kitten"
horse...foal"
cow...calf"
And then thinking that Jessica surely knew the answer to the next one, said, "Dog..."
She looked up at me with big eyes and a triumphant grin and answered, "doglet!"
..........................
After telling Jesi that yes, I would help her fix her hair, she replied,
"You will?! Oh, Mommy, you make Heavenly Father so happy! And you are such a kind, nice, beautiful person."
..........................
"Mom, I know how to shake my hips really good, huh? Do you just love it when I shake my hips?"
"pig...piglet"
"cat...kitten"
horse...foal"
cow...calf"
And then thinking that Jessica surely knew the answer to the next one, said, "Dog..."
She looked up at me with big eyes and a triumphant grin and answered, "doglet!"
..........................
After telling Jesi that yes, I would help her fix her hair, she replied,
"You will?! Oh, Mommy, you make Heavenly Father so happy! And you are such a kind, nice, beautiful person."
..........................
"Mom, I know how to shake my hips really good, huh? Do you just love it when I shake my hips?"
Monday, March 30, 2009
Just for fun:)
I forgot to put the following video with yesterday's post. I told you I was able to get a job pretty quickly. Well, this is how:
I also came across a rather hilarious ad starring 4 future hall of fame basketball coaches. Enjoy:)
I also came across a rather hilarious ad starring 4 future hall of fame basketball coaches. Enjoy:)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Beyond Blessed
So I've been waiting quite awhile to write this entry. With the pending adoption of Chu Chu, I was a little hesitant to follow up on my post of January 27. Since you probably don't remember, I was awake in the wee hours of the morning that day, nervous about the upcoming phone call that would let me know if I was to be one of the Pfizer employees who would be laid off. Well, I got the call, and I was laid off. It was an extremely humbling experience for me. First of all, I realized how very expendable I was. Secondly, I realized how quickly my employer could pull the proverbial rug out from under my family and me. We were going along with a comfortable income and lifestyle when all of the sudden they took that away from us. (To be fair, it was anything but all of the sudden. We knew layoffs were coming for at least a couple of months. Then, when I did get laid off, the severance package was ridiculously amazing. But in this economy, who knew when I would be able to get another job!) On top of the stress of wondering what I would do to support my family was added the uncertainty of how this might impact our adoption process with our new little guy.
A few months ago, Christi was reading in the scriptures and was pondering on the concept of "where much is given, much is required." It occurred to her at that time that the concept was also valid in reverse: "where much is required, much is given." Through the blessings that we call Taylor, Parker, Jesi, Elizabeth, Graci, and now Chu Chu, we have been given so much. But there are also certain unique things that are required of us. This is not to say that we have any more requirements or challenges than any other family. Yet the financial needs that come with adoption and a family of six children are not light. While we always felt that the Lord would take care of us, it was a bit scary not having a long-term source of income. Where much is required, much is given. Less than two months after I received my pink slip, I started another job. I am now employed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. I am doing virtually the same job. I didn't miss a single day of payroll, and I am receiving a substantial severance from Pfizer. Truly, we were blessed at this point. But here is where it gets ridiculous.
When I was first laid off, Christi and I were looking at our financial picture. Pfizer's severance would ensure that we would be OK for several months. However, the severance would be effectively decreased by $10,000. This is because Pfizer has an adoption assistance program which reimburses adoptive parents $10,000 once the adoption is final. Since our adoption of Chu Chu will not be final until long after my last day with Pfizer, they will no longer reimburse me for those expenses. We had obviously been planning on that $10,000 as a way to offset our adoptions costs, but it would no longer be available to us. Of course I was disappointed in this development, but had resigned myself to losing this reimbursement. Christi on the other hand, thought about things and said "Why don't you write an email to the CEO of Pfizer and ask if he will help with the adoption anyway. After all, we made all of our plans for financing this addition to our family while counting on this financial help and while you were still employed." OK. Sure. I'll just whip off an email to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company (#47 in 2008) and ask him for $10,000. I'm sure he'll have the time to read it. And once he picks himself up off the floor from the fit of incredulous laughter, I'm sure he'll make the effort to respond to me. And then I'm sure he'll say, "yeah, the check's in the mail...and Elvis is delivering it!" But...I was once taught by a church leader to listen to my wife, since she's usually more in tune with the spirit than I am. (TRUE! TRUE! TRUE!) So I humbly followed Christi's counsel and wrote a letter to the CEO of Pfizer, Inc.
About two weeks later, I received the following reply:
Jeremy:
Thank you for your note—and no need to call me Mr. Kindler, please call me Jeff.
It is very heartening to learn about your wonderful family. I have asked that we extend to you the $10,000 that is the maximum benefit under the policy so that your family can complete the adoption of Dang Xu Chu. You will be hearing from someone in HR soon.
Please accept my sincere thanks for your nine years of service to our company. I wish you and your family the very best.
Jeff
So it was me who had to pick myself up off the floor. I was absolutely shocked. We of course sent a reply with our deep gratitude. Shortly after my last day at Pfizer, I received the money (unfortunately, no Elvis). Mr. Kindler had not only extended this incredible gift to our family, he actually grossed the check up-he paid our taxes on it! This was worth over $1000 more! How can I begin to express how grateful we are for these tremendous blessings? Indeed, we are truly Beyond Blessed.
We are also so blessed through the wonderful family and friends that we have. So many prayers have been and continue to be offered up on our behalf. We have felt the blessings from those prayers! Thank you, thank you, thank you. A couple of days ago, a very dear friend called me out of the blue. This is a guy I knew when I was a missionary in Thailand. We don't talk often enough. But it's the kind of friendship that doesn't require frequent communication. Whenever we do get in touch, we just pick up right where we left off. Anyway, his main purpose in calling was see if we needed any help with the adoption costs! I was so humbled that he would think of that, of us. He and his wife are not currently in a situation to adopt right now. But after reading our blog over the past several months and knowing I had been laid off, he called to see if they could help us. Again, what great friends and family we have!
One reason I have been hesitant to share this story is because I am a bit worried that the following message might be communicated: If our family is blessed because we received this financial help, then those who do not receive financial help are not blessed. THIS IS NOT TRUE! There are so many ways in which our Father in Heaven can bless His children. There are so many ways each of us are challenged and given opportunities to grow. What I do believe, even know, is that the challenges each of us receive are tailored to us. Each persons specific challenges will help them grow in the areas the Lord knows they need to grow. Although it is not easy to overcome our adversities, we will not be given more than we can handle. And as we work through whatever comes our way, we will become the individuals He wants us to become.
A few months ago, Christi was reading in the scriptures and was pondering on the concept of "where much is given, much is required." It occurred to her at that time that the concept was also valid in reverse: "where much is required, much is given." Through the blessings that we call Taylor, Parker, Jesi, Elizabeth, Graci, and now Chu Chu, we have been given so much. But there are also certain unique things that are required of us. This is not to say that we have any more requirements or challenges than any other family. Yet the financial needs that come with adoption and a family of six children are not light. While we always felt that the Lord would take care of us, it was a bit scary not having a long-term source of income. Where much is required, much is given. Less than two months after I received my pink slip, I started another job. I am now employed by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. I am doing virtually the same job. I didn't miss a single day of payroll, and I am receiving a substantial severance from Pfizer. Truly, we were blessed at this point. But here is where it gets ridiculous.
When I was first laid off, Christi and I were looking at our financial picture. Pfizer's severance would ensure that we would be OK for several months. However, the severance would be effectively decreased by $10,000. This is because Pfizer has an adoption assistance program which reimburses adoptive parents $10,000 once the adoption is final. Since our adoption of Chu Chu will not be final until long after my last day with Pfizer, they will no longer reimburse me for those expenses. We had obviously been planning on that $10,000 as a way to offset our adoptions costs, but it would no longer be available to us. Of course I was disappointed in this development, but had resigned myself to losing this reimbursement. Christi on the other hand, thought about things and said "Why don't you write an email to the CEO of Pfizer and ask if he will help with the adoption anyway. After all, we made all of our plans for financing this addition to our family while counting on this financial help and while you were still employed." OK. Sure. I'll just whip off an email to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company (#47 in 2008) and ask him for $10,000. I'm sure he'll have the time to read it. And once he picks himself up off the floor from the fit of incredulous laughter, I'm sure he'll make the effort to respond to me. And then I'm sure he'll say, "yeah, the check's in the mail...and Elvis is delivering it!" But...I was once taught by a church leader to listen to my wife, since she's usually more in tune with the spirit than I am. (TRUE! TRUE! TRUE!) So I humbly followed Christi's counsel and wrote a letter to the CEO of Pfizer, Inc.
About two weeks later, I received the following reply:
Jeremy:
Thank you for your note—and no need to call me Mr. Kindler, please call me Jeff.
It is very heartening to learn about your wonderful family. I have asked that we extend to you the $10,000 that is the maximum benefit under the policy so that your family can complete the adoption of Dang Xu Chu. You will be hearing from someone in HR soon.
Please accept my sincere thanks for your nine years of service to our company. I wish you and your family the very best.
Jeff
So it was me who had to pick myself up off the floor. I was absolutely shocked. We of course sent a reply with our deep gratitude. Shortly after my last day at Pfizer, I received the money (unfortunately, no Elvis). Mr. Kindler had not only extended this incredible gift to our family, he actually grossed the check up-he paid our taxes on it! This was worth over $1000 more! How can I begin to express how grateful we are for these tremendous blessings? Indeed, we are truly Beyond Blessed.
We are also so blessed through the wonderful family and friends that we have. So many prayers have been and continue to be offered up on our behalf. We have felt the blessings from those prayers! Thank you, thank you, thank you. A couple of days ago, a very dear friend called me out of the blue. This is a guy I knew when I was a missionary in Thailand. We don't talk often enough. But it's the kind of friendship that doesn't require frequent communication. Whenever we do get in touch, we just pick up right where we left off. Anyway, his main purpose in calling was see if we needed any help with the adoption costs! I was so humbled that he would think of that, of us. He and his wife are not currently in a situation to adopt right now. But after reading our blog over the past several months and knowing I had been laid off, he called to see if they could help us. Again, what great friends and family we have!
One reason I have been hesitant to share this story is because I am a bit worried that the following message might be communicated: If our family is blessed because we received this financial help, then those who do not receive financial help are not blessed. THIS IS NOT TRUE! There are so many ways in which our Father in Heaven can bless His children. There are so many ways each of us are challenged and given opportunities to grow. What I do believe, even know, is that the challenges each of us receive are tailored to us. Each persons specific challenges will help them grow in the areas the Lord knows they need to grow. Although it is not easy to overcome our adversities, we will not be given more than we can handle. And as we work through whatever comes our way, we will become the individuals He wants us to become.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Happy Birthday, sweet Chu Chu!
Today our little guy turned FOUR YEARS OLD! How we wish we could be with him, spoiling him rotten and eating lots of cake and ice-cream. It does make me feel better to know that our package likely arrived sometime this week-- possibly even today! I'm pretty sure that finding out you were getting a family would be a fun birthday surprise! (:(:(:(:
We do have some good news, too! Today our dossier was finally sent to CHINA! For those of you unfamiliar with the adoption process, this is a BIG STEP. We will be finding our LID (login date) soon, and then we can start the countdown to LOA (letter of acceptance) and TA (travel approval). Right now, the average wait time from LID to TA is 4-5 months. This is TOO LONG for our liking, so we are praying for it to go faster! Once you receive your TA, you usually travel within 2 weeks. We are REALLY wanting to travel this summer, so my parents can watch Elli and the boys (Graci and Jesi are going with us). My parents are both teachers, and it would be easier for them, and for my kids, if we could get back before school started in late August. Of course, more importantly than the convenience of summer travel is that our little guy is waiting for us and we are DYING to bring him home! It has been six months since we first saw his sweet little face on the waiting child list, and we don't want to wait another six!! So we're praying that the 4-5 months will be more like 2-3 months, and we know it can happen if it is His will.
So, our darling son,
Next year on this day you will wake up with your favorite breakfast brought to you in bed. The birthday song will be sung by your five adoring siblings, and your two very grateful parents. You will have gifts and cake and balloons. You will have a house full of friends at whatever kind of party you choose. You will smile and giggle and be hugged ferociously. You will be spoiled by grandparents, and high-fived by neighbors. But know, dear Chu Chu, you will not be loved any more then than you are right now by me. You may not be in our home yet, but you are in our hearts. Tonight I trust that our Heavenly Father will hold you, and stroke your cheek for me. That He will speak peace to your heart, and put a smile on your face. I pray He will give you dreams of this new family that will soon be yours. We miss you, we pray for you, and we love you.
Happy 4th Birthday-- your last one alone!
Love,
Your mommy
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Fashion Show
Graci and Jesi are both in dance and will be in a recital in a couple of months. They just got their costumes for the performance. They both had photo sessions with their dance groups in the last two days. They got dolled up in make-up and curls. Wow are they beautiful! The photographers could not believe how gorgeous Graci is. Unfortunately, we forgot to take any of our own pics of Graci in her outfit, but we did get a few of Jess. What a doll!:) (And of course, when we started taking pictures of Jesi, Graci had to get in on the action, at least a little bit!)
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