Asian Invasion

This is what happens at our house when you try to sneak away into your room and take a little rest:

Poor Daddy.  I think we need a little vacation sans kids.  (:

Dinosaur Daddy and the Party Pool

About once a month I have to take a road trip for my job.  It's about a four-hour drive through rural Utah and takes me to such metropli (metropoleis?, metropolises?) as Vernal and Roosevelt.  I stay overnight and then hit some other towns on the way back.  It's really quite a beautiful drive.  In February I pulled Jesi and Grace out of school so they could come with me.  They read, napped and iPod-ed in the car, and then enjoyed a dinner out with dad, time in the pool and a complimentary breakfast at the hotel.  Good times were had by all.

Yesterday was Taylor and Parker's turn.  We got up early and headed out.  The boys slept most of the 2.5 hours to my first stop.  We had lunch at KFC and then finished the driving and calls I had to make.  After I was done with work we took the opportunity visit Dinosaur National Monument, which is just outside of Vernal.  This is one of the most amazing sites in the world.  Truly.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit, it is worth the drive.  (Thanks Grandpa Nelson and Uncle Matthew for the tip!)  A bazillion years ago, when the dinosaurs were here, a large river ran through that area.  As dinosaurs died, their bodies were pushed along by the river until they hit the area that is currently Dinosaur National Monument.  Many of these dinos were deposited there, then covered by layer upon layer of silt, sand and mud.  The bones fossilized.  As the rocky mountains were formed, the ground was pushed upwards.  This layer of thousands of fossilized bones was no longer lying flat.  It was pushed up until it was pretty much vertical.  In the early 1900's the bones were discovered, and it became apparent what an incredible find it was.  They excavated quite a bit, but left over 1500 of these massive bones partially exposed in this wall.  Then a building was erected around it for protection from the elements.  Taylor, Parker and I were awed by the experience:

Those bones were just found there!  Thousands all together.  Very cool.  I feel very blessed to have boys who appreciate this type of beauty and grandeur.  They are my best buds!

The rest of our Vernal trip consisted of a dip in the hotel pool, a showing of Madagascar 3 and a visit to a pretty nice steak house.  The boys had never had really good steak before, and they can't stop talking about it.  (They are now trying to convince Christi to try medium rare, or at least medium, but "charcoal" is still her preparation of choice:)

While I was gone, Christi set up our new kiddie pool:)  It is 10 feet in diameter and 30 inches deep.  Xander went over to the neighbors and invited them to come see our 30-foot pool!  Even the dad came over, wondering what it took to install such a thing.  So while I was gone, Christi hosted 14 kids for a pool party.

When we got home today, Parker played with Elli in the pool.  She loves being squirted!:

Tonight, Christi returned the favor:)

She left to a church activity with Taylor and Graci.  Parker went to scouts.  "Oh, by the way hon, I promised Lexi and Sophi that they could go swimming tonight in the pool.  You might as well let the other kids go too.  And don't forget the sunscreen.  Love you!"  Once I got my head wrapped around it, I dove right in (pun intended:)  I really did decide to just have fun with it.  And, by the way, except for those of you in similar parenting situations (and there are a few) you have NO IDEA what kind of chaos our family can erupt into in no time flat.  OK.  Sunscreen.  Really?  We won't even get outside until 7:10.  And we need about a gallon of sunscreen to cover everyone.  Can't I skip it just this once?  The kids will be fine.  Well, I guess they say the exposure can be harmful, even if there's no sunburn.  I don't want to condemn my kids to skin cancer in their 60's.  All right.  I'll be a responsible father.  So I sunscreen all of the kids.  (As it turns out, I really didn't have a choice.  Sophi absolutely insisted on "sunscream" in addition to her "swim soup.")  Just as were about to go outside, the phone rings.  It's the neighbor dad from last night.  (I've mentioned this before and will say it again.  Many tears are going to be shed when this family moves next month!)  "Um, I just got home and Gracie, Annie, and Levi are telling me they're going over to the Greens to swim in the pool.  Was that the plan?"  "Well," I replied, "I don't think it was exactly 'the plan,' but I am just going out with our younger kids to play in the pool.  They're welcome to come over."  So all of a sudden I'm in charge of a gaggle of 8 kids in a pool.  As we step outside, the first thing I notice is that the pool is completely inside the only shadow on the lawn.  Our neighbor's tree is completely blocking out the sun from the pool.  In other words, no sunscreen needed.  Of course.

Everything is going along fine.  I get in and splash with them.  Everyone is having a fun time.  After 20 minutes, the kids are getting a little chilly and they start to get out.  Someone asks if we have popsicles, which we do.  Refreshing treats are passed around, and I think I'm about done with the pre-bedtime part of my evening.  But then Jesi gets this hankering to go back in the water.  I try to convince her otherwise, but she insists.  She eventually convinces everyone else to join her, and so everyone (including me!?!) ends up back in the pool.  This time they start running and jumping in.  It's really pretty cute:

Another 20 minutes.  I'm pretty cold.  I finally tell them we're going to go in after five more minutes.  Within seconds, two more of the neighbor kids come running around the side of the house with loaded squirt guns.  A huge water fight ensues.  I become the prime target.  We now have 10 kids in the back yard:

Christi is somewhere far away, sitting quietly and listening to a spiritually uplifting speaker.  I am soaked to the bone.  Actually, I would not have traded with her.  It was a great chance to spend time with the "littles."  It was about this time Elli decided she wanted to join in the party.  Earlier she had emphatically let me know that she did not want to go in the pool.  So I used rather poor judgement and dressed her in jeans and a shirt instead of her swimsuit.  Inappropriate apparel aside, she now decided that being in the pool was exactly what she wanted.  And so our lives go:)

With Father's Day around the corner, I can't think of a greater gift than the time these kids still love to spend with me.  I have eight wonderful blessings that I count every single day!

Smitten

Last night we were able to skype with Cali again.  Let me just tell you, I am in love.  This girl is so, so sweet.  And beautiful.  It has been such a blessing to be able to skype with her.  We've never had this opportunity with any of our other adoptions, and it has made a huge difference in how bonded we already feel.  Last night Jeremy asked Cali (all through a translator) if she was nervous about being adopted and she said that she wasn't.  The translator (her teacher) then explained that Cali had been very nervous prior to the first time we skyped with her, but after skyping told her that she knew that we loved her very much and that she wasn't nervous anymore.  What a blessing that she could spend the next several months being excited rather than scared, all because of skype!

Cali is just so sweet.  Have I mentioned that?  (:   You can sense that she has a very special spirit.  I am just dying to get her here with us-- we all are!  My heart was so full as we all sat on the bed skyping.  She simply belongs.

As a bonus, I received a few pictures of her celebrating Children's Day.  She was the emcee for a program put on by the orphanage.  Enjoy!

PS. Still no word on Conner, but we have no reason to think that there's anything wrong-- we've just been told that his paperwork will take quite some time to process.  Still praying!

Redheads Rock!

Last night I was reading through some old journals and came upon this conversation I had recorded in 2007, when Parker was 6 years old:

Parker: “Mom, do you think I’ll ever get married?”

Mom: “Of course.”

Parker: “My chances are much gooder because of my hair, right?”

Mom:  “Oh, yes, you have very nice hair.”

Parker: “Do you think it will change to your color when I get older, or will it stay nice and bright?”

Mom: “I don’t know.”

Parker: “I mean, I like yours best for you, I just like mine best for me.”

I thought it was cute and read it to Parker last night.  His response:

“I do agree this hair is gonna get me some ladies!” 

Our kids do not suffer from a lack of self esteem.  (:

Parker, age 6

 

How To Treat a Lady

After church today I had the delightful opportunity to do some puzzles with my sweet Jesi.  She is very into puzzling lately, and it's a great way to spend some time with her.  We have several 100 piece puzzles that are just the right level.  When I started working with her, I began to consult the picture on the front of the box.  I was quickly and somewhat sharply reprimanded.  "Don't look at the picture!  That's too easy!  We have to use the pictures on the pieces to figure it out.  It will help you to think better."  And the insights kept coming.  She gave me myriad instructions on how to treat ladies.  Here is a small example.  Something went wrong, and I said:

"My bad."

"Dad, you don't say 'my bad' to ladies.  You have to say something else."

"Like what.  Can you give me an example?"

"Like 'Sorry, ma'am' or something princely like that.  Dad, you really need to know these things, because you have a wife!"

"You're right."

"But it's ok.  But your mother should have taught you these things."

And on and on and on.  It was one of the cutest conversations I've ever had and it made for a fantastic afternoon:)

Happy Birthday, little Jacob!

Stillborn--
Born, still in the arms of God.
Born, still in the knowledge
Of His grace, and of His love.
Born, still to us
But alive to God!

Melt Your Heart

Just look into those smiling eyes!  This sweet little boy has been brought to my attention, and I feel privileged to advocate for him!  Like Sophi, he was born without arms.   And like us, you can be be beautifully blessed if you open your hearts and home to him!   We can't imagine not having Sophi in our lives-- she is magnificent and perfect in every way.  Don't be scared by missing limbs!

DOB: 09-2009 Gender: M Age: 2 years (exactly one year younger than Soph) Description: He has a neutral personality; he can be both introverted and extroverted. He has a quick reaction and is fond of listening to music. He is diagnosed with congenital absence of both upper limbs. He is able to hold things with his feet and play. He currently lives with a foster family and is attached to his care givers. He loves to be cuddled and his favorite toy to play with is a toy car.

If you find this little guy tugging at your hearts, please email my friend, Sonia at mommyof4jays@msn.com for more information.   (:

Random Tidbits

You have to look very closely to see the point of this picture.  Sophi was standing near our front door, observing as Christi was talking to some of the other kids.  I glanced at Sophi and noticed something I never really had before.  Because of her leg discrepancy, she has a very awkward time standing still.  She either has to be leaning to one side, or, like in the picture, she has to be on tip toe on her right foot.  How tiring that must be.  And yet she never complains about it.  In fact, she practically bounces with joy everywhere she goes.  (Except when she's in a bad mood, but that's prompted by other calamitous events, such as mom walking out of the room Sophi is in, etc.)  She is really a trooper.  Love that girl.

Jesi, Xander, Sophi and Erin C. put together a rock band.  Jesi's playing the badminton racquet.  Sophi is playing the guitar (you can almost miss her in the pics above).  Erin C. is on the plinkety piano.  And I haven't yet figured out what Xander was contributing.

Sophi loves to be scratched.  Back, legs, wherever.  She has very sensitive skin and obviously has a hard time scratching herself.  Last week at Grandma's house, she asked Lexi to scratch her back.  Lex really got into it.  (Notice the red marks:)

Monkey Boy to the Rescue

Taylor and Graci were at a church party celebrating the end of school.  While playing some kind of game involving a ball in the gym, the ball got stuck at the top of a large accordian-type sliding wall.  This put it probably 25 feet off of the floor.  Multiple attempts were made to throw other balls and other objects to jar the stuck ball loose.  Nothing worked until Monkey Boy shimmied his way up the to the top...:)

Dress Up Friends

Jesi and Xander have a wonderful little friend who lives across the street.  We love Annie!  One of their favorite things to do is to play dress up:

Annie

I didn't even TRY to count how many hair bows she had in...

Sadly, Annie's family is moving next month.  We are are all in tears about this:(

Elli's prayers

There aren't words in the English language to describe how much I love my Elli.  There is something uniquely special about children with cognitive disabilities such as autism.  She is easily my biggest challenge, and she is also easily amongst my greatest sources of joy.  I love her with all my heart.

Elli's language abilities are hard to explain.  She definitely knows a lot of words and many times uses them correctly-- usually when she wants something.  "I want treat please" is uttered probably 100 times a day.  She has her unique way of saying (or more commonly, yelling) it-- the words tend to run together and are in her own "Elli tone."  But we have learned to understand her quite well.  Most of the things she says are phrases that we've really worked on teaching her or that she has heard repeatedly, such as phrases that she hears her toys say.  In other words, she doesn't have a lot of spontaneous language where she expresses what is going on inside her head.  She is amazing at memorization and if she's in just the right mood, might wow you with an entire scripture that she has heard-- there are several that she knows word for word.  But having a conversation with her is at a VERY basic level.  It usually goes something like, "Elli, what do you want?"  "I want drink please." 

One of Elli's most common "words" is "Yeah, ok," with no break between the words.  This evolved from her first saying "yes" very clearly, to us teaching her to change it to "yes, please,"  then her changing it to, "Yes, please ok," (this after hearing us say "ok" after she said "yes, please,") and then her getting very lazy and changing it to a one word, "yeah-ok."  Her teachers have adopted this phrase and often answer each other with "yeah-ok" which we all find very humorous.

A few months ago, Elli started responding to a certain way of saying prayers.  In the past, we would say a phrase and if she were in the right mood (which was rarely) she might repeat it.  Once in awhile, she would say her "own" prayer, which was just phrases she had heard over and over.  It might go like this:  We would start by saying, "Dear Heavenly Father..." and wait for 20 seconds or so.  Then she might say, "Thank you for this day.  Please help us to have a good sleep.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."  Most often this wasn't said very clearly, but we understood it.


Now Elli will "fill in the blanks."  I will say, "Dear Heavenly Father.  Thank you for...."  and after a few minutes, she will say something.  We used to have to prod her with ideas, but she soon began doing it on her own.  The things she would list were ALWAYS food items.  A common prayer would be:


Me:  "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for..."


Elli:  "Tootsie rolls."


Me:   "Thank you for tootsie rolls.  Thank you for..."


Elli:  "Pumpkin pie."


Me:  "Thank you for pumpkin pie.  Thank you for..."


Elli:  "Bananas and peanut butter."


And so on.  A few weeks ago, I noticed that Elli was not always just listing random foods that she liked, but was actually listing the things she had eaten that day.  Then one night, she listed "cat piano" (one of her favorite toys.)  I was so excited that she was thinking of things other than food!  Though she still usually listed just food, in the last couple of weeks she would sometimes insert other items.


Last night, Elli said the sweetest prayer.  The very first "fill in the blank" was "home."  My heart just swelled!  I can't even tell you what a sweet thing it was to get inside her little head and know that she could be grateful for home and express it.  The next thing she listed was "Grandma and Grandpa's house."  Again, so darling!  After listing a few food items, she then said, "Penny."  Penny is the name of her teacher at school.  She followed that with "Paula" who is one of the aides.  This was the first time that Elli has listed a person in her prayers.  It was such a special, wonderful thing!  I was so excited to share that with Penny and Paula today, especially because it was her last day of school.  I thought that was a pretty good end-of-year present for her teachers, and they did too!!!


Tonight, my parents are in town.  They came to watch some baseball-- fun times!  As I tucked Elli in tonight, she added "Grandma" and "Grandpa" to her list.  Penny and Paula were still included (probably at least 4 times each).  One of these days she's going to say "Mommy"-- I just know it!  (;


I should also add that she listed some rather random phrases, such as "don't hit yourself!"  (LOL) and "You're so funny Elli!"  I'm pretty sure that's the first time ever that "Thank you for don't hit yourself," has been uttered in a prayer, and I'm also pretty sure that it made her Father in Heaven smile.  (:


I love you, dear Elli Mei.

 

Planting a Garden

We moved into our current home in September of 2007.  When we moved in there was a nice little garden plot that the previous owners had planted.  We were able to reap the benefits of their work that first fall, and we really quite enjoyed it.  We had never planted a garden before, but we have done so every year since then.  Two weeks ago was the day this year.  We were on a pretty tight time schedule that day and Christi was VERY sick, so I relied heavily on the older kids.  Taylor and Parker weeded the plot while I took Lexi, Elli and Sophi to Home Depot to get the seeds and starts that we needed along with some garden soil.  Once we got back Taylor and Xander helped me till the ground and add the new soil.  We all worked together to plant.  Parker planted a row of carrots on his own and worked with Lexi to plant a row of spinach.  Taylor planted radishes by himself, peas with Jesi and onions with Xander.  Graci , Xander and Jesi planted beets.  I worked with several of the kids to plant our tomato starts along with a couple of pepper plants and some basil.

Although it's a fair amount of work each year (and it would likely cost less money to just buy the produce at the store:), planting a garden has been a really rewarding experience for our family over the years.  The kids LOVE the fresh vegetables each summer and fall.  And it teaches good lessons about the value of work and the law of the harvest.  They all enjoy being a part of the planning process, deciding what will be planted.  Plus, we keep it small enough that they're not weeding all summer long:)

As a side note, the reason we were so rushed that day was because we had been invited to a cookout at the home of an old friend of mine.  As I mentioned above, Christi was under the weather.  So I took all the kids to the cookout by myself.  It went unbelievably well!  Without any prompting from me, the older kids really took it upon themselves to help me out since mom wasn't there.  They were so polite, so helpful with their younger siblings, and so good to volunteer help with clean up after the meal was done.  I was a proud papa!