It started last week when I took Jesi on her Mommy Date. We rented a movie from Redbox, went to dinner, and then went to Kohl’s to exchange sizes on a cute birthday gift she’d been given. While in Kohl’s, my eyes wandered over to the little girls’ section, and I thought, “Oh, I want to buy something for Lexi and Sophi!” I haven’t as yet purchased anything for either of them. I think in the back of my mind I had just kept thinking that we have most things we’ll need, since we’ve already had girls their sizes.
As I looked around trying to decide what to get, I all of a sudden began to panic. I was realizing that I am completely unprepared for these two sweet girls! Yes, I do have a few hand-me-downs left for Sophi, though we have given away most clothes in her size, and Lexi will be the same size as Elli—but that doesn’t mean that we are at all ready! Jammies, jackets, coats, shoes, socks, shirts, pants, dresses, bedding, diapers, strollers, toys, AGH… I left Kohl’s feeling very overwhelmed and carrying one jacket and one outfit. (And also wondering, by the way, if I should be cutting out the sleeves and sewing them shut for Sophi to keep her warm in the winter-- any thoughts?)
Since that night I have awoken every day in a state of panic. Seriously, my heart at times begins to beat out of my chest. I think that I had just been so excited to hold my newest little girls that I hadn’t really faced reality.
Don’t worry—I am facing it now.
I am going through all the things that I need to do before we travel to China. I am thinking of all the deep cleaning that I should do to get ready. I am thinking of all the things that I need to purchase and the money it will cost. I am realizing that we need to really get hunting for our 12-15 passenger van. I am trying to figure out where to put everyone and where to hang everyone’s clothes and how to make it all work. I am contemplating all of the medical appointments and adjusting and sleeplessness that we will soon be facing. I am coming to grips with the fact that Christmas is coming soon and that I need to get my shopping done before China. And that I will be shopping for EIGHT kids.
I am feeling like I need to throw-up.
So it came as a sweet and much needed surprise when my sweet neighbor called today and asked if she could give me a shower for our newest additions! Somehow it seemed to take a huge load off my chest—just knowing that there are friends out there willing to help and support and celebrate with us. I mean, of course I knew that—I have the sweetest friends and family—but it just reminded me of it at the perfect time. And it makes me so excited to think of having a few new things to dress the girlies in without the guilt of spending money while trying to get a new (used) van and contemplating travel expenses.
So, today I just wanted to express my gratitude for thoughtful friends and a loving Heavenly Father who reminded me that I’m not in this alone.
I will try not to panic anymore…
Deep breath…
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Some Random Thoughts...
YOU'RE WELCOME...
So you all are going to owe me one after today's post. Why? Because I'm going to give you the recipe for Taco Soup! This is the easiest dinner you've ever made, and yet it tastes like you put quite a bit of time into a delicious meal. This dinner is so easy, I can make it!!!
1 can of corn
1 can of beans (kidney or white northern)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of chicken
1 packet of taco seasoning
Put all of the ingredients into a large pot. (This includes the liquid from each can of food--do not drain them). Add one can full of water. Stir and heat until hot. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Enjoy!!!
RECYCLING...
As I was making the taco soup for dinner tonight, I put all of the can lids into the empty cans, squeezed the cans closed (so the lids can't come out and so the cans take up less space in the garbage). I asked Christi, "Do you ever feel guilty for not cleaning out the cans, taking of the paper labels, flattening them and putting them in the recycling bin?" "No," she answered, "but I do think of your dad every time I put them in the garbage." I had to laugh, because I, too, think of my dad every time I do not recycle something that could be recycled. My dad is perhaps the world's best recycler. He meticulously prepares items for the recycling bin with more love and effort than anyone else I know. In the days when you had to separate your cardboard from your plastic from you metal, no one had a more organized system for doing so than Allen Green. Thanks for your great example, Dad. Someday I may follow it. For now, Christi and I just feel good that the kids were fed tonight:)
JESSICA...
Queen of the pouters. The Guilt Trip princess. It's not fair! Wow does our little blondie love to speak her mind. This afternoon, Christi and I took a LONG Sunday nap. It felt great. At about 5:45, four of the kids came in and: showered us with their love/attacked us with knees and elbows digging in to various body parts. (Sometimes we wonder how we're going to survive all of the love we receive from EIGHT children:) After enjoying a quarter of an hour of love from our kids, we asked them to go out for a few minutes and let us finish a conversation we were having. Graci, Parker and Xander obediently left the room. Little Miss Independent gave us her, "I'm very upset with you" look. She folded her arms, put on her pouty face, and said "It's not very fair! You and Daddy have a lot of alone time! It makes me feel like you don't love me!" Then she put her arms down at her sides and gave us her mad face. I wish I had a picture or, better yet, video of her mad face. In fact, one of these days, I may purposely aggravate her and have Christi standing by with the camcorder:) Anyway, she has the most hilarious "mad face" of all time. And she threatens you with it, as in, "If you don't do it my way, I'll show you my mad face!" We try to help her preserve her dignity by not cracking up in hysterics when she puts it on display:)
THANKS, T...
Taylor: "Dad, do you have a widow's peak?"
Me: "No, Tay, I don't think I do."
Taylor: "Oh. I just thought maybe you did."
ORPHANS
We are almost finished with Anne of Green Gables. We have one more chapter to read. The last portion of the book has made me feel particularly endeared to our sweet little Graci, who, despite her jet-black hair, has much in common with that little Anne girl. One passage in particular encapsulated very well my own feelings about our oldest daughter:
"As Marilla watched Anne's bright, animated face and graceful motions her thoughts went back to the evening Anne had arrived at Green Gables, and memory recalled a vivid picture of the odd, frightened child in her preposterous yellowish-brown wincey dress, the heartbreak looking out of her tearful eyes. Something in the memory brought tears to Marilla's eyes.
"I declare, my recitation has made you cry, Marilla," said Anne gaily, stooping over Marilla's chair to drop a butterfly kiss on that lady's cheek. "Now, I call that a positive triumph."
"No, I wasn't crying over your piece," said Marilla, who would have scorned to be betrayed into such weakness by any"poetry stuff." "I just couldn't help thinking of the little girl you used to be, Anne. And I was wishing you could have stayed a little girl, even with all your queer ways. You've grown up now and you're going away; and you look so tall and stylish and so--so--different altogether in that dress--as if you didn't belong in Avonlea at all--and I just got lonesome thinking it all over."
My how our Graci has changed and grown up in three short years! How I love her. How she has grown to be such an important and irreplaceable part of our family. Tonight she said something that made my heart sing. After we read, I hugged her close and talked to her alone for a few minutes. I started out by telling her how sorry I was that she had endured such painful trials in her life. I told her I was sorry that she had lost her parents at such a young age. Then she said these sweetest of words: "Oh. I forgot I was adopted until you said that." What a neat thing for her and for us. She feels completely a part of our family. Of course she knows she was adopted, but it isn't an overriding fact of her life at this point. She knows she has a family that loves her and she feels comfortable as an integral part of that family. What a joy!
Jer
PS. Tonight was the first time I have ever made taco soup. As I was making a double batch for our dinner tonight, I seriously thought, "This stuff is so easy, even I can't mess it up." As we started to eat, Parker mentioned that it tasted a bit stronger than usual. Suddenly I remembered that I had failed to add the called for cans of water...
PPS. This is Christi-- I have to give credit to my friend Heather for the taco soup. She made it for us years ago for a Halloween party and we've been eating it often ever since!
So you all are going to owe me one after today's post. Why? Because I'm going to give you the recipe for Taco Soup! This is the easiest dinner you've ever made, and yet it tastes like you put quite a bit of time into a delicious meal. This dinner is so easy, I can make it!!!
1 can of corn
1 can of beans (kidney or white northern)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 large can of chicken
1 packet of taco seasoning
Put all of the ingredients into a large pot. (This includes the liquid from each can of food--do not drain them). Add one can full of water. Stir and heat until hot. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Enjoy!!!
RECYCLING...
As I was making the taco soup for dinner tonight, I put all of the can lids into the empty cans, squeezed the cans closed (so the lids can't come out and so the cans take up less space in the garbage). I asked Christi, "Do you ever feel guilty for not cleaning out the cans, taking of the paper labels, flattening them and putting them in the recycling bin?" "No," she answered, "but I do think of your dad every time I put them in the garbage." I had to laugh, because I, too, think of my dad every time I do not recycle something that could be recycled. My dad is perhaps the world's best recycler. He meticulously prepares items for the recycling bin with more love and effort than anyone else I know. In the days when you had to separate your cardboard from your plastic from you metal, no one had a more organized system for doing so than Allen Green. Thanks for your great example, Dad. Someday I may follow it. For now, Christi and I just feel good that the kids were fed tonight:)
JESSICA...
Queen of the pouters. The Guilt Trip princess. It's not fair! Wow does our little blondie love to speak her mind. This afternoon, Christi and I took a LONG Sunday nap. It felt great. At about 5:45, four of the kids came in and: showered us with their love/attacked us with knees and elbows digging in to various body parts. (Sometimes we wonder how we're going to survive all of the love we receive from EIGHT children:) After enjoying a quarter of an hour of love from our kids, we asked them to go out for a few minutes and let us finish a conversation we were having. Graci, Parker and Xander obediently left the room. Little Miss Independent gave us her, "I'm very upset with you" look. She folded her arms, put on her pouty face, and said "It's not very fair! You and Daddy have a lot of alone time! It makes me feel like you don't love me!" Then she put her arms down at her sides and gave us her mad face. I wish I had a picture or, better yet, video of her mad face. In fact, one of these days, I may purposely aggravate her and have Christi standing by with the camcorder:) Anyway, she has the most hilarious "mad face" of all time. And she threatens you with it, as in, "If you don't do it my way, I'll show you my mad face!" We try to help her preserve her dignity by not cracking up in hysterics when she puts it on display:)
THANKS, T...
Taylor: "Dad, do you have a widow's peak?"
Me: "No, Tay, I don't think I do."
Taylor: "Oh. I just thought maybe you did."
ORPHANS
We are almost finished with Anne of Green Gables. We have one more chapter to read. The last portion of the book has made me feel particularly endeared to our sweet little Graci, who, despite her jet-black hair, has much in common with that little Anne girl. One passage in particular encapsulated very well my own feelings about our oldest daughter:
"As Marilla watched Anne's bright, animated face and graceful motions her thoughts went back to the evening Anne had arrived at Green Gables, and memory recalled a vivid picture of the odd, frightened child in her preposterous yellowish-brown wincey dress, the heartbreak looking out of her tearful eyes. Something in the memory brought tears to Marilla's eyes.
"I declare, my recitation has made you cry, Marilla," said Anne gaily, stooping over Marilla's chair to drop a butterfly kiss on that lady's cheek. "Now, I call that a positive triumph."
"No, I wasn't crying over your piece," said Marilla, who would have scorned to be betrayed into such weakness by any"poetry stuff." "I just couldn't help thinking of the little girl you used to be, Anne. And I was wishing you could have stayed a little girl, even with all your queer ways. You've grown up now and you're going away; and you look so tall and stylish and so--so--different altogether in that dress--as if you didn't belong in Avonlea at all--and I just got lonesome thinking it all over."
My how our Graci has changed and grown up in three short years! How I love her. How she has grown to be such an important and irreplaceable part of our family. Tonight she said something that made my heart sing. After we read, I hugged her close and talked to her alone for a few minutes. I started out by telling her how sorry I was that she had endured such painful trials in her life. I told her I was sorry that she had lost her parents at such a young age. Then she said these sweetest of words: "Oh. I forgot I was adopted until you said that." What a neat thing for her and for us. She feels completely a part of our family. Of course she knows she was adopted, but it isn't an overriding fact of her life at this point. She knows she has a family that loves her and she feels comfortable as an integral part of that family. What a joy!
Jer
PS. Tonight was the first time I have ever made taco soup. As I was making a double batch for our dinner tonight, I seriously thought, "This stuff is so easy, even I can't mess it up." As we started to eat, Parker mentioned that it tasted a bit stronger than usual. Suddenly I remembered that I had failed to add the called for cans of water...
PPS. This is Christi-- I have to give credit to my friend Heather for the taco soup. She made it for us years ago for a Halloween party and we've been eating it often ever since!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Happy Anniversary to us!
This is a bit late, but I’m just realizing that I never blogged about our wonderful anniversary celebration. It was just 12 years ago that Jer and I were sealed together as an eternal family. And here we are now with six precious kids. Eight if you count Lexi & Sophi. Ten if you count Jacob and Emily. And, we of course do count them all! I never would have imagined this crazy life that is mine, and yet it is so good. (:
Several weeks ago we received a sweet invitation in the mail. It invited us to an anniversary party at 6:00 on August 11. It told us that we needed to be out of the house 90 minutes beforehand for “prep-time.” (: I was also given a grocery shopping list that included balloons, root beer, and fruit. So cute.
We couldn’t wait!!
During “prep-time,” Jeremy and I took off to the Parade of Homes. We had a great time! We visited four homes and had so much fun talking about what we would do if we were able to build our dream home. One home even had a kitchen with a bar big enough for all our kids-- it was huge!! I wouldn't need that, but it would be nice to have a kitchen where we could all fit around the table! So fun to dream...
When we pulled back into the driveway, we were greeted with this:
Can it get any more precious? I mean, really-- we had just seen all these beautiful homes-- but nothing beats what we have right here! Xander was wearing one of Parker’s old suits since they couldn’t find his. Graci made her debut in her Make-a-Wish dress. They all looked great!
Jesi thought of little details like this:
We were first sent on a treasure hunt. Twelve clues led us around the yard and to a gift for each of us, including these flowers for me:
I asked them where they had gotten the flowers, and apparently they had called grandma several weeks before and asked her to send them. (: I had wondered what that box was addressed to the kids and saying “private.” LOL
The last clue led us to the front porch where the boys were standing. They “opened” their scooters to allow us inside.
Arrows led us to our room, where we were told to change. Jesi and Graci had picked out my clothes and jewelry. (:
We were then led downstairs to the guest room. The kids had hauled our backyard table and chairs into the room so we would have a place to eat.
We were given a menu, and Parker took our order.
We both chose spaghetti, smoothies, and ice-cream with chocolate sauce. Yummy!!
While the dinner was getting ready, Taylor and Parker serenaded us with “Fireflies.” I actually cried. It was just so sweet—the whole thing they were doing. I was overcome with gratitude for such good children.
Dinner was great—and we had the cutest little waitress...
After dinner we were told that we had 30 minutes of “alone time.” I think this is where they ate their own dinner. We were then brought out of the room and into the family room for more entertainment. The girls sang, “Love Story,” and the boys sang “Fireflies” again. Then they put on music so that we could dance. While we were dancing, Jeremy beckoned Taylor over and taught him how to “cut in.” After that, someone was cutting in every 10 seconds and we were all having a ball dancing. It was such a fun memory!!
Several songs later, we were sent back to our room. The kids told us that they would get themselves and Elli to bed and that we were supposed to sleep in the following morning.
Awesome.
You know, we have always thought it would be fun to go somewhere exotic for anniversary. But I can say with all honesty of heart that I wouldn’t have traded this evening for one in Hawaii.
It was perfect. (:
Thank-you, my sweet kids!
--Christianne
Several weeks ago we received a sweet invitation in the mail. It invited us to an anniversary party at 6:00 on August 11. It told us that we needed to be out of the house 90 minutes beforehand for “prep-time.” (: I was also given a grocery shopping list that included balloons, root beer, and fruit. So cute.
We couldn’t wait!!
During “prep-time,” Jeremy and I took off to the Parade of Homes. We had a great time! We visited four homes and had so much fun talking about what we would do if we were able to build our dream home. One home even had a kitchen with a bar big enough for all our kids-- it was huge!! I wouldn't need that, but it would be nice to have a kitchen where we could all fit around the table! So fun to dream...
When we pulled back into the driveway, we were greeted with this:
Can it get any more precious? I mean, really-- we had just seen all these beautiful homes-- but nothing beats what we have right here! Xander was wearing one of Parker’s old suits since they couldn’t find his. Graci made her debut in her Make-a-Wish dress. They all looked great!
Jesi thought of little details like this:
We were first sent on a treasure hunt. Twelve clues led us around the yard and to a gift for each of us, including these flowers for me:
I asked them where they had gotten the flowers, and apparently they had called grandma several weeks before and asked her to send them. (: I had wondered what that box was addressed to the kids and saying “private.” LOL
The last clue led us to the front porch where the boys were standing. They “opened” their scooters to allow us inside.
Arrows led us to our room, where we were told to change. Jesi and Graci had picked out my clothes and jewelry. (:
We were then led downstairs to the guest room. The kids had hauled our backyard table and chairs into the room so we would have a place to eat.
We were given a menu, and Parker took our order.
We both chose spaghetti, smoothies, and ice-cream with chocolate sauce. Yummy!!
While the dinner was getting ready, Taylor and Parker serenaded us with “Fireflies.” I actually cried. It was just so sweet—the whole thing they were doing. I was overcome with gratitude for such good children.
Dinner was great—and we had the cutest little waitress...
After dinner we were told that we had 30 minutes of “alone time.” I think this is where they ate their own dinner. We were then brought out of the room and into the family room for more entertainment. The girls sang, “Love Story,” and the boys sang “Fireflies” again. Then they put on music so that we could dance. While we were dancing, Jeremy beckoned Taylor over and taught him how to “cut in.” After that, someone was cutting in every 10 seconds and we were all having a ball dancing. It was such a fun memory!!
Several songs later, we were sent back to our room. The kids told us that they would get themselves and Elli to bed and that we were supposed to sleep in the following morning.
Awesome.
You know, we have always thought it would be fun to go somewhere exotic for anniversary. But I can say with all honesty of heart that I wouldn’t have traded this evening for one in Hawaii.
It was perfect. (:
Thank-you, my sweet kids!
--Christianne
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
August 31, 2010
Dear 6:30 a.m.,
You came too soon. It was such a good dream…
Love,
A girl who loves her bed
Dear 8:00 a.m.,
Lunches packed—check.
Folders signed—check.
Backpacks ready-check.
Hair braided—check.
Kids looking spiffy—check.
Breakfast fed—check.
Prayers said-check.
Myself looking presentable for carpool—
Looks like you came too early as well.
Love,
One scary looking mom
Dear mothers of kindergarteners,
When you sign up to make playdough for the class, be sure to have your husband around. You’ll need the extra help stirring the big pot of dough as it starts to thicken and your arm starts to fall off. Also, add the food coloring BEFORE the dough thickens. That way it won’t be all streaky and weird-looking and you won’t feel embarrassed when you drop it off to the teacher.
Love,
A fellow mother
Dear kindergarten class,
Thank-you for letting me visit today. You were so quiet and good as I read the story about things that make us unique and special. I love that you smiled and oohed and ahhed when I brought Xander up to show his “muscles” off. I love that when he showed his “peace toes,” several of you said, “COOL!” I loved how you nodded your heads solemnly when I asked if you would stick up for Xander if anyone ever teased him about his legs or his special stockings. I am so glad for sweet kids like you!
Love,
A grateful mommy
Dear Dr. Daynes,
You are my favorite pediatrician. You always make me feel like you really do care about my family. Because of your son’s autism, you can relate to us in ways that other doctors cannot. I am grateful for that! Thank you for being so patient with Elli during her kindergarten check-up. Thanks for being so kind when I had to run home and get Elli’s Chinese immunization card and took forever finding it. Thanks for knowing that it would take three nurses to hold Elli down for her shots—and for being so kind and understanding about her screams. You do not have my permission to move. Ever.
Love,
A happy patient
Dear CCAI,
We were so thrilled to receive our LOA for Dang Qing Yin today!!! Woo-hoo!!!! You have been tremendous throughout this whole process. Thank you for always making us feel like you are cheering for us!!
Love,
A family very excited to go back to China!
Dear Elli,
Next time you tell me you want a frosty, and I drive all the way to Wendy's to get you one, maybe you should eat it instead of throwing it. And maybe tomorrow we could work on eating lunch in less than an hour. Just a thought.
Love,
Mommy
Dear Garden,
You are providing us with lots of yummy food!!! I especially loved the potatoes, carrots and onions we ate yesterday—mmmmm!! You’ve been patient with our lack of weeding. I had planned to fix that today but was only able to spend approximately 3.5 minutes with you before getting an urgent call that I needed to overnight a check for our adoption. Luckily, my kids took over—and you are looking spiffy.
Love,
A veggie-lover
Dear US Department of Homeland Security,
Are you kidding me? An extra $670 because we are adopting two at once? Hello?!!! We’re already approved for two—and I know that there isn’t all kinds of extra work involved for you. I mean, really, how much can one more sheet of paper cost?
Apparently, $670.
Sincerely (not love),
Fed-up with our government’s role in making adoption cost so much and take so long
Dear UPS Store,
When you advertise that the pick-up time for overnight delivery is 5:30, you should abide by it. That way, when a customer shows up at 5:23 and you tell them that the truck left 10 minutes ago, they won’t feel like screaming. Or crying. And telling them that there is another store just 25 minutes away that has pick-up at 6:00 probably won’t make them feel better, because HOW ARE THEY TO TRUST THAT THAT PICK-UP WASN’T EARLY TOO?
I’m thinking that maybe you ought to pay for the dinner I ended up buying my family after getting stuck in rush hour traffic while driving to a fed-ex location across the valley. And the clothes I ended up buying at Seagull Book while I waited for my dinner order to be ready. After all, if you had really had a pick-up at 5:30 like you said, we would be almost $100 richer!
Ok, I’m just kidding. Kind-of.
Love,
Someone who just wants to bring her kiddos home
Dear Jeremy,
This is the first time you’re hearing about the clothes from Seagull Book. Try to love me anyway.
Love,
A girl who loves a cute skirt!
P.S. Before you get after me, you should know that in my bag of clothes is a Utah Toffee Truffle just for you! (:
P.P.S. Thank-you for taking all three older kids to the orthodontist today. You are such a good man!
Dear Taylor,
You were a champ for taking care of Elli’s diaper today. I had no idea that when Parker said she had leaked that it meant what it meant. I’m not sure how you stood the smell. I thought I was going to pass out when I came in the house. You scored extra points with me!
Love,
Mom
Dear Massaman Curry,
I think you may be my favorite food EVER! I think you were worth the whole mailing-hassle. Especially when you add in the cute skirt.
Love,
A fan
Dear Graci, Taylor, Parker, Jesi, Xander, and Elli,
I am so proud of you! I couldn’t ask for better children. I love that you belong to ME!
Love,
Mom
Dear Dang Ling You and Dang Qing Yin,
We are itching to get you in our arms!! We feel so much closer now that we have that second LOA. It’s looking like we might be spending Thanksgiving with you in China! Oh, and guess what-- we have finally decided on your American names!! We hope that you will love them. They are:
Alexis Li and Sophia Breanne
Beautiful names for beautiful girls. We can’t wait to meet you!
Love,
Your new family
Dear self,
Next time when you fold a big load of laundry in the hallway, try not to become distracted before it is put away. That way, you will avoid folding it twice.
Love,
The voice of reason
Dear commenters,
Thank you for your sweet thoughts about my post on Elli's blog. It's always hard to open up and share personal things and you make me glad that I do.
Love,
The author
Dear kitchen floor,
What is making you sooo sticky?! And why do I hate to mop so much??!!
Wah!
Love,
I just want a maid!
And finally,
Dear 10:30 p.m.
You will be here in fourteen minutes! That means I will soon be cuddled up with my sweetie watching a rerun of Dick Van Dyke and settling into a peaceful night’s sleep.
Well, until one of the kids wakes up.
I love you!
Love,
A girl who loves her bed
Oh, and I'm adding just one more!
Dear Readers,
Please consider going to this site: http://beadingtochina.blogspot.com/
and bidding on some items to help my amazing friend, Holly, adopt her little girl.
Love,
Someone who knows how expensive adoption is
You came too soon. It was such a good dream…
Love,
A girl who loves her bed
Dear 8:00 a.m.,
Lunches packed—check.
Folders signed—check.
Backpacks ready-check.
Hair braided—check.
Kids looking spiffy—check.
Breakfast fed—check.
Prayers said-check.
Myself looking presentable for carpool—
Looks like you came too early as well.
Love,
One scary looking mom
Dear mothers of kindergarteners,
When you sign up to make playdough for the class, be sure to have your husband around. You’ll need the extra help stirring the big pot of dough as it starts to thicken and your arm starts to fall off. Also, add the food coloring BEFORE the dough thickens. That way it won’t be all streaky and weird-looking and you won’t feel embarrassed when you drop it off to the teacher.
Love,
A fellow mother
Dear kindergarten class,
Thank-you for letting me visit today. You were so quiet and good as I read the story about things that make us unique and special. I love that you smiled and oohed and ahhed when I brought Xander up to show his “muscles” off. I love that when he showed his “peace toes,” several of you said, “COOL!” I loved how you nodded your heads solemnly when I asked if you would stick up for Xander if anyone ever teased him about his legs or his special stockings. I am so glad for sweet kids like you!
Love,
A grateful mommy
Dear Dr. Daynes,
You are my favorite pediatrician. You always make me feel like you really do care about my family. Because of your son’s autism, you can relate to us in ways that other doctors cannot. I am grateful for that! Thank you for being so patient with Elli during her kindergarten check-up. Thanks for being so kind when I had to run home and get Elli’s Chinese immunization card and took forever finding it. Thanks for knowing that it would take three nurses to hold Elli down for her shots—and for being so kind and understanding about her screams. You do not have my permission to move. Ever.
Love,
A happy patient
Dear CCAI,
We were so thrilled to receive our LOA for Dang Qing Yin today!!! Woo-hoo!!!! You have been tremendous throughout this whole process. Thank you for always making us feel like you are cheering for us!!
Love,
A family very excited to go back to China!
Dear Elli,
Next time you tell me you want a frosty, and I drive all the way to Wendy's to get you one, maybe you should eat it instead of throwing it. And maybe tomorrow we could work on eating lunch in less than an hour. Just a thought.
Love,
Mommy
Dear Garden,
You are providing us with lots of yummy food!!! I especially loved the potatoes, carrots and onions we ate yesterday—mmmmm!! You’ve been patient with our lack of weeding. I had planned to fix that today but was only able to spend approximately 3.5 minutes with you before getting an urgent call that I needed to overnight a check for our adoption. Luckily, my kids took over—and you are looking spiffy.
Love,
A veggie-lover
Dear US Department of Homeland Security,
Are you kidding me? An extra $670 because we are adopting two at once? Hello?!!! We’re already approved for two—and I know that there isn’t all kinds of extra work involved for you. I mean, really, how much can one more sheet of paper cost?
Apparently, $670.
Sincerely (not love),
Fed-up with our government’s role in making adoption cost so much and take so long
Dear UPS Store,
When you advertise that the pick-up time for overnight delivery is 5:30, you should abide by it. That way, when a customer shows up at 5:23 and you tell them that the truck left 10 minutes ago, they won’t feel like screaming. Or crying. And telling them that there is another store just 25 minutes away that has pick-up at 6:00 probably won’t make them feel better, because HOW ARE THEY TO TRUST THAT THAT PICK-UP WASN’T EARLY TOO?
I’m thinking that maybe you ought to pay for the dinner I ended up buying my family after getting stuck in rush hour traffic while driving to a fed-ex location across the valley. And the clothes I ended up buying at Seagull Book while I waited for my dinner order to be ready. After all, if you had really had a pick-up at 5:30 like you said, we would be almost $100 richer!
Ok, I’m just kidding. Kind-of.
Love,
Someone who just wants to bring her kiddos home
Dear Jeremy,
This is the first time you’re hearing about the clothes from Seagull Book. Try to love me anyway.
Love,
A girl who loves a cute skirt!
P.S. Before you get after me, you should know that in my bag of clothes is a Utah Toffee Truffle just for you! (:
P.P.S. Thank-you for taking all three older kids to the orthodontist today. You are such a good man!
Dear Taylor,
You were a champ for taking care of Elli’s diaper today. I had no idea that when Parker said she had leaked that it meant what it meant. I’m not sure how you stood the smell. I thought I was going to pass out when I came in the house. You scored extra points with me!
Love,
Mom
Dear Massaman Curry,
I think you may be my favorite food EVER! I think you were worth the whole mailing-hassle. Especially when you add in the cute skirt.
Love,
A fan
Dear Graci, Taylor, Parker, Jesi, Xander, and Elli,
I am so proud of you! I couldn’t ask for better children. I love that you belong to ME!
Love,
Mom
Dear Dang Ling You and Dang Qing Yin,
We are itching to get you in our arms!! We feel so much closer now that we have that second LOA. It’s looking like we might be spending Thanksgiving with you in China! Oh, and guess what-- we have finally decided on your American names!! We hope that you will love them. They are:
Alexis Li and Sophia Breanne
Beautiful names for beautiful girls. We can’t wait to meet you!
Love,
Your new family
Dear self,
Next time when you fold a big load of laundry in the hallway, try not to become distracted before it is put away. That way, you will avoid folding it twice.
Love,
The voice of reason
Dear commenters,
Thank you for your sweet thoughts about my post on Elli's blog. It's always hard to open up and share personal things and you make me glad that I do.
Love,
The author
Dear kitchen floor,
What is making you sooo sticky?! And why do I hate to mop so much??!!
Wah!
Love,
I just want a maid!
And finally,
Dear 10:30 p.m.
You will be here in fourteen minutes! That means I will soon be cuddled up with my sweetie watching a rerun of Dick Van Dyke and settling into a peaceful night’s sleep.
Well, until one of the kids wakes up.
I love you!
Love,
A girl who loves her bed
Oh, and I'm adding just one more!
Dear Readers,
Please consider going to this site: http://beadingtochina.blogspot.com/
and bidding on some items to help my amazing friend, Holly, adopt her little girl.
Love,
Someone who knows how expensive adoption is
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Elli and Graci update
I finally put a new post up on Elli's website: www.miraclesforelli.blogspot.com
Also, I promised to write about Graci's cardiology appointment. Her ECHO showed some improvement in one area, but mostly looked about the same. Her cardiologist consulted with other doctors on her "team" and they decided to start her on a new blood pressure medication. They were worried about some side effects and were struggling a bit as to whether the benefits outweighed the risks, but she began it today and seemed to tolerate it well. So that's good! She will go back in six weeks for another ECHO and EKG and he will decide whether or not to "allow" her to go to China. That's where we stand...
-Christianne
Also, I promised to write about Graci's cardiology appointment. Her ECHO showed some improvement in one area, but mostly looked about the same. Her cardiologist consulted with other doctors on her "team" and they decided to start her on a new blood pressure medication. They were worried about some side effects and were struggling a bit as to whether the benefits outweighed the risks, but she began it today and seemed to tolerate it well. So that's good! She will go back in six weeks for another ECHO and EKG and he will decide whether or not to "allow" her to go to China. That's where we stand...
-Christianne
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I smell good!
Parker and Taylor are now old enough to wear deodorant. They have for some time now. Parker is particularly fascinated with this concept. He often pulls out his shirt neckline so he can smell himself...for better or for worse. Today he came in and said, "I love musk! And sports talc! (Which, by the way, Taylor pronounces "Sports Talk":) Do you like Musk? Here, smell me." And of course he pulled out his neckline so I could bask in his glorious scent. Then he asked, "Do you like fresh?" "I don't know, I guess I'm ok with most deodorants." So he ran into his room and came back with the "Fresh" scented deodorant and shoved it in my face for me to judge for myself.
I guess these smells are better than the ones that Elli sometimes shares with us...:)
Jer
I guess these smells are better than the ones that Elli sometimes shares with us...:)
Jer
Monday, August 23, 2010
Quote of the day
After Xander complained to me that Jesi wasn't being nice, I called her in to ask what was going on. She replied, "Mom, it's nothing to worry about. It was just a little mistake. You see, I just forgot to use my brain for a second."
Don't we all...
Don't we all...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Rewards of Fatherhood
Today was crazy. It ended with a 7:00pm block party with the neighborhood. We visited with the adults and the kids played with each other. It was quite fun. We all got back to our home at different times. About 10:30pm I decided it was time to help Jesi get to bed. She was downstairs watching TV and usually I would just call down for her to come up. But I felt prompted to go down and talk to her in person instead. What a rewarding experience!
She was just finishing up an episode of Dragon Tails. I scooped her up in my arms and sat down with her to watch the end of the episode. When it was finished, we turned off the TV and I held her close and talked to her. I told her how wonderful she was and how much I loved her. I told her how important she was to our family. I was pretty much done, but she looked up into my eyes and said, "Is there anything else you want to talk about?" If you know our family very well, you know that Jessica has me pretty well wrapped around her little finger. So of course we continued our talk for quite some time. I told her how important she was to me and how I would be lost without her. I again told her how important she was to our family, and she asked for specifics. I enumerated many of the ways she blesses our lives. The whole time she was just soaking it all up.
We talked about the new school year (she starts 1st grade on Monday). We talked about how much fun it will be. She wanted to know why she couldn't sit with her siblings at lunch, and I explained it was just the rules at Providence Hall. She looked at me and said, "And if you don't follow the rules, you have to go to (the rest was whispered very quietly) Mr. Johnson's office." Mr. Johnson is the principle, and she has obviously learned that it is not a good thing to be sent to his office! I asked her if she knew anyone who had been sent to Mr. Johnson's office. She said, "Joe (name changed:) got sent to (whispering again) Mr. Johnson's office." Regular voice: "Don't worry, I NEVER get sent to (whispers) Mr. Johnson's office!" Good for you, Jesi:) By the way, Mr. Johnson happens to be the nicest, sweetest principal ever, making her comments even more funny.
At one point in our conversation she told me: "Dad, you have no idea how much I love you. My heart would break if I didn't have my Daddy." AWWWWW. Come on, it doesn't get much sweeter than that.
Every night before bed we have family prayer and scriptures. Each child has one day a week during which they say all of the prayers and are in charge of family scriptures. Saturday is Xander's day. Tonight for scriptures he chose the story of Noah and the ark. The little kids love this scripture story because of how we tell it. When we talk about having two of each animal on the ark, each family member gets to choose one animal that Noah would have taken, and then all of us act like that animal. Graci always chooses Tiger (born in the year of the Tiger). Taylor usually chooses cougar (BYU mascot). Other favorites are cow, monkey, frog, cat, dog, etc. At the end of the scripture story, the person who's day it is gets to share their testimony of the Gospel. Tonight, Xander's testimony was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. He had a hard time starting out, so I helped him with his first sentence. Then, on his own, he said, in his sweet little voice, "I know Jesus loves us. I know Jesus will come down to earth. I know our family can be together." As he said these three beautiful truths, his little eyes started to fill with tears. I picked him up and him gave me the longest, most heartfelt embrace. With tears streaming down his face, he did the same to Christi. He is such a sensitive little guy. It is a great thing to witness your children feeling the spirit and responding to it.
Jer
She was just finishing up an episode of Dragon Tails. I scooped her up in my arms and sat down with her to watch the end of the episode. When it was finished, we turned off the TV and I held her close and talked to her. I told her how wonderful she was and how much I loved her. I told her how important she was to our family. I was pretty much done, but she looked up into my eyes and said, "Is there anything else you want to talk about?" If you know our family very well, you know that Jessica has me pretty well wrapped around her little finger. So of course we continued our talk for quite some time. I told her how important she was to me and how I would be lost without her. I again told her how important she was to our family, and she asked for specifics. I enumerated many of the ways she blesses our lives. The whole time she was just soaking it all up.
We talked about the new school year (she starts 1st grade on Monday). We talked about how much fun it will be. She wanted to know why she couldn't sit with her siblings at lunch, and I explained it was just the rules at Providence Hall. She looked at me and said, "And if you don't follow the rules, you have to go to (the rest was whispered very quietly) Mr. Johnson's office." Mr. Johnson is the principle, and she has obviously learned that it is not a good thing to be sent to his office! I asked her if she knew anyone who had been sent to Mr. Johnson's office. She said, "Joe (name changed:) got sent to (whispering again) Mr. Johnson's office." Regular voice: "Don't worry, I NEVER get sent to (whispers) Mr. Johnson's office!" Good for you, Jesi:) By the way, Mr. Johnson happens to be the nicest, sweetest principal ever, making her comments even more funny.
At one point in our conversation she told me: "Dad, you have no idea how much I love you. My heart would break if I didn't have my Daddy." AWWWWW. Come on, it doesn't get much sweeter than that.
Every night before bed we have family prayer and scriptures. Each child has one day a week during which they say all of the prayers and are in charge of family scriptures. Saturday is Xander's day. Tonight for scriptures he chose the story of Noah and the ark. The little kids love this scripture story because of how we tell it. When we talk about having two of each animal on the ark, each family member gets to choose one animal that Noah would have taken, and then all of us act like that animal. Graci always chooses Tiger (born in the year of the Tiger). Taylor usually chooses cougar (BYU mascot). Other favorites are cow, monkey, frog, cat, dog, etc. At the end of the scripture story, the person who's day it is gets to share their testimony of the Gospel. Tonight, Xander's testimony was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. He had a hard time starting out, so I helped him with his first sentence. Then, on his own, he said, in his sweet little voice, "I know Jesus loves us. I know Jesus will come down to earth. I know our family can be together." As he said these three beautiful truths, his little eyes started to fill with tears. I picked him up and him gave me the longest, most heartfelt embrace. With tears streaming down his face, he did the same to Christi. He is such a sensitive little guy. It is a great thing to witness your children feeling the spirit and responding to it.
Jer
Friday, August 20, 2010
Caribbean continued... otherwise entitled "The Longest Post Ever"
Dear Jeremy,
You asked me to take over writing about the rest of our trip. I hope it’s ok that I’m doing it in letters. I’m just kind of in the mood.
Love,
Your honey
P.S. You need to get that Harley out of your sweet little head.
Dear Teresa,
When we came into your store to get the alterations done for Graci’s dress, Grace couldn’t keep her eyes off the sparkling tiaras. You must have noticed because you brought Graci one that had been slightly broken and told her that we could take it to a jeweler to get fixed and she could have it! I thought it was so sweet of you, but didn’t realize until later that it was a $250 tiara! WOW. That was so extremely generous of you. You should know that when we took it to get fixed and they heard Graci’s story that they did it for free. People are so good. I also want you to know that Graci LOVED wearing it, and it set off her dress perfectly. The night that she wore it to dinner, I heard more than one little girl exclaim, “Look, it’s another princess!”
Love,
A grateful mom
Dear Snow White,
We are convinced you are the real thing! Your voice, your charm, your mannerisms—you were perfect! And we found it very “princessy” that you would take time to visit the kid’s club and teach the children to do-si-do. Jessica especially loved that. And you are now Xander’s #1 top favorite princess—pretty cool!
Love,
A family who adores you
Dear Tiana,
You are my Graci’s new favorite princess. Thank you for taking so much time to talk to her. Thank-you for remembering her each time she came back to see you. You will be happy to know that she now has a porcelin replica of you sitting on her dresser (from her sweet Daddy). (:
Love,
Someone who needs to go out and see your movie
Dear Cinderella,
I am so sorry that Xander experienced stage fright and couldn’t make himself get down on one knee. It would have been a perfect photo-op, but I still think the one we got was pretty darn cute.
Love,
The mother of a prince
Dear Belle,
You are beautiful! We loved hearing you sing in the musical. I want your dress.
Love,
A princess wannabe
Dear Nassau,
I would love to spend a week getting to know you a bit better. As it is, I fell in love with your charm and beauty. Loved your people. Loved your beaches. Didn’t love your heat and humidity. (Just look what happened when we pulled the camera out of the bag!) I definitely want to visit you again, but next time I’ll try to come when it’s a bit cooler.
Love,
A fan
Dear Atlantis Aquarium,
Thank-you for giving us a discount upon finding out we were a Make-a-Wish family! We LOVED visiting you! We were fascinated with the variety of fish and sea creatures on display. We will definitely send friends and family your way!
Love,
A happy family
Dear Sawtooth shark,
I can’t decide if I think you are beautiful or one of the ugliest creatures ever. You fascinated me and my children. Are you for real?
Love,
Can’t decide if I’m a fan
Dear readers,
You are about to see approximately 5,000 pictures of us parasailing. Just so you know, it was every bit as cool as it looks. You should definitely include it on your list of things to do someday. It only cost (gulp) $420 for the seven of us to go. Thank-you, Make-a-Wish, for giving us an allowance that allowed us to do it! This will go down as one of our favorite family memories ever. We absolutely loved every second of it.
Love,
The newest parasailing fans!
Dear Toy Story, The Musical,
WOW, WOW, WOW! We were in AWE the entire show! The costumes, the special effects, the music—it was every bit on par with Broadway. Jeremy and I kept exchanging looks of amazement throughout the production and our kids were riveted. I am uber-impressed!
Love,
A girl in love
Dear Alex,
I think you are my favorite person from the trip. I don’t know that I have ever met a sweeter and more humble man. Your smile and gracious ways just made our day. Thank you for cleaning up all of our messes each day, preparing our beds each night, leaving us fun “animals” and chocolates. and for being attentive to our every need. We both so wish we had taken a picture with you.
Love,
Jeremy and Christianne
Dear Disney,
WE LOVE YOU! We love everything Disney! You plan out everything to the very last detail and somehow manage to make every minute magical. You are the best ever!
Love,
A Disney family
Dear Castaway Cay,
You are paradise! What other place on earth can you snorkel, ride bikes, eat all the food you want, go on waterslides into the ocean, have a dance party with Stitch, and leave the little ones to play in their own private “club” making sandcastles and going on treasure hunts while you enjoy relaxing on a beautiful beach?
Love,
A girl who could go there every day
(Again, what the humidity does to the camera!)
Dear Colin,
Thank you for everything you did to make Graci feel special throughout the cruise. From the plates of treats left on her pillow to the special notes on her door each day to arranging a special “party” just for Make-a-Wish families to meet with Captain Mickey, to giving us snorkel and tube equipment for FREE, you went above and beyond in making our wish girl feel special.
Love,
Two grateful parents
Dear cast and crew of “Dreams,”
This was one of the most amazing productions ever. We loved every single second. You had both of us in tears thinking of our Graci’s dream coming true and also of all the children out there who aren’t as fortunate. The show was fantastic on every level. I just wish that every child in the world was able to be there.
Love,
Parents of kids who love to dream
Dear Violeta and Andy,
You were the best. Thank-you for paying attention to every detail and making each of us feel special and important. We loved your magic tricks and your accents and the way you didn’t even blink when Taylor would order THREE entrees at once. You were super cool.
Love,
Table 28
Dear Pirate Deck Party,
I’m not sure why you kept zoning in on OUR children and OUR family and putting our images up on the big screen, but it sure made the kids happy!! They loved watching themselves dance and smile and they loved seeing all of the characters in their pirate gear. We also thought it pretty sweet that you served another ENTIRE dinner just three hours after eating our FIRST dinner. Awesome. Jeremy was especially thrilled to find turkey legs (his favorite part about Disneyland) and I loved the warm crepes with ice-cream and topping—yummy! You put on a great party!
Love,
The fam
Dear Jesi and Xander,
You were SO MUCH FUN to have on this trip! I loved watching the wonder in your eyes as you saw and experienced things for the first time. I loved that you dared to go parasailing, I loved watching you in the ocean, I loved seeing your faces as you met your favorite characters, I loved the looks on your faces when we said “yes” to almost anything you wanted to do or see or eat! I loved that you were confident enough to walk into the kids club and not look back, and I loved spying on you and watching you enjoy the amazing activities they had planned for you. I love that you are such dear friends. I love YOU!
Love,
Mommy
Dear Parker and Taylor,
I LOVED watching you enjoy your independence throughout the cruise. From watching movies on the main deck while enjoying the swimming pool to having fun at the arcades to playing in the oceaneer lab to ordering room service after midnight—you two really played it up! I am glad that we are able to trust you and that you had so much fun making your own decisions about what to do and where to hang out. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed not having a curfew for a few days, because it will be awhile before that happens again! I’m so glad you are such good friends and made so many great memories together.
Love,
Mom
Dear Deck 4,
Because of you, we discovered a new family favorite-- shuffleboard! I am now convinced that if we ever are able to build a new home, it must have a long enough deck to accommodate this game! We loved the views as we played and we loved staring off at the beautiful sunsets. We're so glad not many families discovered your charm!
Love,
the Greens
Dear self,
In the future, try not to get in any pictures right after you have gone swimming. Unless you remember to wear waterproof mascara. Also, just because all of the food was free didn't mean you needed to eat all of it.
Love,
The voice of reason
Dear cruise packages everywhere,
Don’t you feel just a bit like you’re cheating when you call it a “five day cruise” but require that everyone be off the ship by 9:00 a.m. on the fifth “day?” I’m just sayin’…
Love,
A girl who didn’t want to leave
Dear Gatorland,
When we found ourselves at the airport with several hours to spare before our flight home, we decided to pay you a visit. We were thrilled upon arriving to find that Make-a-Wish families get in free. Thank-you!! Just thinking about you now makes me smile. You were a cross between a small-town county fair (minus the rides) and a zoo (minus almost all of the animals). We loved watching the alligators “jump” for food. We loved seeing the white alligators and found them quite beautiful. We loved people watching. We loved the rootbeer floats. We loved leaving. (Did I just say that?)
Love,
Gator fans
P.S. To be fair, I think we would have loved leaving less if it hadn’t felt like 110 degrees outside and if we wouldn’t have been exhausted from the few hours of sleep we had gotten on the last night of the cruise. And I think everyone should have the chance to visit Gatorland. Once.
Dear Gator wrestler,
You are OUT OF YOUR MIND.
Love,
Someone who tries to stay away from large teeth
Dear Mom and Dad,
Words can never express our gratitude for your willingness to watch Elli. Though we missed her, we were soooooooo glad that we didn’t bring her along. She would not have enjoyed the cruise, and we would have enjoyed it 1,000 x less if she had been there. You are amazing and we love you!
Love,
All of us
Dear Kent and Terri,
How sweet of you to be there with a sign to welcome us home at the airport! We had no idea that you would be there, but should have—knowing how thoughtful you have been through this whole process. Once again, thank-you for EVERYTHING. It truly was magic. We are so so grateful.
Love,
Our family
Dear Graci,
Oh how I love you! I hope that the Disney Cruise was everything you ever dreamed of. I loved watching you throughout the trip. I loved watching you with the princesses, and I hope you know that you are the prettiest one of all! I loved seeing your face each time something special happened just for you. I loved that you were so enamoured with the characters and that you would spend so much of your time taking pictures with them. I loved giving you the freedom to do almost anything you wanted over the course of the cruise. I loved shopping with you. I loved seeing your fuzzy pants and sandals under your “poofy dress” as you walked down the stairs. I love you so much, my sweet Graci. I am so grateful for the memories you have made and for the magic you experienced. I hope you will always remember that it is because YOU ARE LOVED by so many people.
Love,
Mom
And finally, Dear Elli,
It was SO GOOD to see you again!!
Love,
Us
You asked me to take over writing about the rest of our trip. I hope it’s ok that I’m doing it in letters. I’m just kind of in the mood.
Love,
Your honey
P.S. You need to get that Harley out of your sweet little head.
Dear Teresa,
When we came into your store to get the alterations done for Graci’s dress, Grace couldn’t keep her eyes off the sparkling tiaras. You must have noticed because you brought Graci one that had been slightly broken and told her that we could take it to a jeweler to get fixed and she could have it! I thought it was so sweet of you, but didn’t realize until later that it was a $250 tiara! WOW. That was so extremely generous of you. You should know that when we took it to get fixed and they heard Graci’s story that they did it for free. People are so good. I also want you to know that Graci LOVED wearing it, and it set off her dress perfectly. The night that she wore it to dinner, I heard more than one little girl exclaim, “Look, it’s another princess!”
Love,
A grateful mom
Dear Snow White,
We are convinced you are the real thing! Your voice, your charm, your mannerisms—you were perfect! And we found it very “princessy” that you would take time to visit the kid’s club and teach the children to do-si-do. Jessica especially loved that. And you are now Xander’s #1 top favorite princess—pretty cool!
Love,
A family who adores you
Dear Tiana,
You are my Graci’s new favorite princess. Thank you for taking so much time to talk to her. Thank-you for remembering her each time she came back to see you. You will be happy to know that she now has a porcelin replica of you sitting on her dresser (from her sweet Daddy). (:
Love,
Someone who needs to go out and see your movie
Dear Cinderella,
I am so sorry that Xander experienced stage fright and couldn’t make himself get down on one knee. It would have been a perfect photo-op, but I still think the one we got was pretty darn cute.
Love,
The mother of a prince
Dear Belle,
You are beautiful! We loved hearing you sing in the musical. I want your dress.
Love,
A princess wannabe
Dear Nassau,
I would love to spend a week getting to know you a bit better. As it is, I fell in love with your charm and beauty. Loved your people. Loved your beaches. Didn’t love your heat and humidity. (Just look what happened when we pulled the camera out of the bag!) I definitely want to visit you again, but next time I’ll try to come when it’s a bit cooler.
Love,
A fan
Dear Atlantis Aquarium,
Thank-you for giving us a discount upon finding out we were a Make-a-Wish family! We LOVED visiting you! We were fascinated with the variety of fish and sea creatures on display. We will definitely send friends and family your way!
Love,
A happy family
Dear Sawtooth shark,
I can’t decide if I think you are beautiful or one of the ugliest creatures ever. You fascinated me and my children. Are you for real?
Love,
Can’t decide if I’m a fan
Dear readers,
You are about to see approximately 5,000 pictures of us parasailing. Just so you know, it was every bit as cool as it looks. You should definitely include it on your list of things to do someday. It only cost (gulp) $420 for the seven of us to go. Thank-you, Make-a-Wish, for giving us an allowance that allowed us to do it! This will go down as one of our favorite family memories ever. We absolutely loved every second of it.
Love,
The newest parasailing fans!
Dear Toy Story, The Musical,
WOW, WOW, WOW! We were in AWE the entire show! The costumes, the special effects, the music—it was every bit on par with Broadway. Jeremy and I kept exchanging looks of amazement throughout the production and our kids were riveted. I am uber-impressed!
Love,
A girl in love
Dear Alex,
I think you are my favorite person from the trip. I don’t know that I have ever met a sweeter and more humble man. Your smile and gracious ways just made our day. Thank you for cleaning up all of our messes each day, preparing our beds each night, leaving us fun “animals” and chocolates. and for being attentive to our every need. We both so wish we had taken a picture with you.
Love,
Jeremy and Christianne
Dear Disney,
WE LOVE YOU! We love everything Disney! You plan out everything to the very last detail and somehow manage to make every minute magical. You are the best ever!
Love,
A Disney family
Dear Castaway Cay,
You are paradise! What other place on earth can you snorkel, ride bikes, eat all the food you want, go on waterslides into the ocean, have a dance party with Stitch, and leave the little ones to play in their own private “club” making sandcastles and going on treasure hunts while you enjoy relaxing on a beautiful beach?
Love,
A girl who could go there every day
(Again, what the humidity does to the camera!)
Dear Colin,
Thank you for everything you did to make Graci feel special throughout the cruise. From the plates of treats left on her pillow to the special notes on her door each day to arranging a special “party” just for Make-a-Wish families to meet with Captain Mickey, to giving us snorkel and tube equipment for FREE, you went above and beyond in making our wish girl feel special.
Love,
Two grateful parents
Dear cast and crew of “Dreams,”
This was one of the most amazing productions ever. We loved every single second. You had both of us in tears thinking of our Graci’s dream coming true and also of all the children out there who aren’t as fortunate. The show was fantastic on every level. I just wish that every child in the world was able to be there.
Love,
Parents of kids who love to dream
Dear Violeta and Andy,
You were the best. Thank-you for paying attention to every detail and making each of us feel special and important. We loved your magic tricks and your accents and the way you didn’t even blink when Taylor would order THREE entrees at once. You were super cool.
Love,
Table 28
Dear Pirate Deck Party,
I’m not sure why you kept zoning in on OUR children and OUR family and putting our images up on the big screen, but it sure made the kids happy!! They loved watching themselves dance and smile and they loved seeing all of the characters in their pirate gear. We also thought it pretty sweet that you served another ENTIRE dinner just three hours after eating our FIRST dinner. Awesome. Jeremy was especially thrilled to find turkey legs (his favorite part about Disneyland) and I loved the warm crepes with ice-cream and topping—yummy! You put on a great party!
Love,
The fam
Dear Jesi and Xander,
You were SO MUCH FUN to have on this trip! I loved watching the wonder in your eyes as you saw and experienced things for the first time. I loved that you dared to go parasailing, I loved watching you in the ocean, I loved seeing your faces as you met your favorite characters, I loved the looks on your faces when we said “yes” to almost anything you wanted to do or see or eat! I loved that you were confident enough to walk into the kids club and not look back, and I loved spying on you and watching you enjoy the amazing activities they had planned for you. I love that you are such dear friends. I love YOU!
Love,
Mommy
Dear Parker and Taylor,
I LOVED watching you enjoy your independence throughout the cruise. From watching movies on the main deck while enjoying the swimming pool to having fun at the arcades to playing in the oceaneer lab to ordering room service after midnight—you two really played it up! I am glad that we are able to trust you and that you had so much fun making your own decisions about what to do and where to hang out. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed not having a curfew for a few days, because it will be awhile before that happens again! I’m so glad you are such good friends and made so many great memories together.
Love,
Mom
Dear Deck 4,
Because of you, we discovered a new family favorite-- shuffleboard! I am now convinced that if we ever are able to build a new home, it must have a long enough deck to accommodate this game! We loved the views as we played and we loved staring off at the beautiful sunsets. We're so glad not many families discovered your charm!
Love,
the Greens
Dear self,
In the future, try not to get in any pictures right after you have gone swimming. Unless you remember to wear waterproof mascara. Also, just because all of the food was free didn't mean you needed to eat all of it.
Love,
The voice of reason
Dear cruise packages everywhere,
Don’t you feel just a bit like you’re cheating when you call it a “five day cruise” but require that everyone be off the ship by 9:00 a.m. on the fifth “day?” I’m just sayin’…
Love,
A girl who didn’t want to leave
Dear Gatorland,
When we found ourselves at the airport with several hours to spare before our flight home, we decided to pay you a visit. We were thrilled upon arriving to find that Make-a-Wish families get in free. Thank-you!! Just thinking about you now makes me smile. You were a cross between a small-town county fair (minus the rides) and a zoo (minus almost all of the animals). We loved watching the alligators “jump” for food. We loved seeing the white alligators and found them quite beautiful. We loved people watching. We loved the rootbeer floats. We loved leaving. (Did I just say that?)
Love,
Gator fans
P.S. To be fair, I think we would have loved leaving less if it hadn’t felt like 110 degrees outside and if we wouldn’t have been exhausted from the few hours of sleep we had gotten on the last night of the cruise. And I think everyone should have the chance to visit Gatorland. Once.
Dear Gator wrestler,
You are OUT OF YOUR MIND.
Love,
Someone who tries to stay away from large teeth
Dear Mom and Dad,
Words can never express our gratitude for your willingness to watch Elli. Though we missed her, we were soooooooo glad that we didn’t bring her along. She would not have enjoyed the cruise, and we would have enjoyed it 1,000 x less if she had been there. You are amazing and we love you!
Love,
All of us
Dear Kent and Terri,
How sweet of you to be there with a sign to welcome us home at the airport! We had no idea that you would be there, but should have—knowing how thoughtful you have been through this whole process. Once again, thank-you for EVERYTHING. It truly was magic. We are so so grateful.
Love,
Our family
Dear Graci,
Oh how I love you! I hope that the Disney Cruise was everything you ever dreamed of. I loved watching you throughout the trip. I loved watching you with the princesses, and I hope you know that you are the prettiest one of all! I loved seeing your face each time something special happened just for you. I loved that you were so enamoured with the characters and that you would spend so much of your time taking pictures with them. I loved giving you the freedom to do almost anything you wanted over the course of the cruise. I loved shopping with you. I loved seeing your fuzzy pants and sandals under your “poofy dress” as you walked down the stairs. I love you so much, my sweet Graci. I am so grateful for the memories you have made and for the magic you experienced. I hope you will always remember that it is because YOU ARE LOVED by so many people.
Love,
Mom
And finally, Dear Elli,
It was SO GOOD to see you again!!
Love,
Us
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
