Like Kids in a Candy Shop :)

One of the most difficult features of our current home is our kitchen. The narrowest spot is so tight that opening the refrigerator (and this is a center open fridge) completely blocks the passage between the kitchen and the dining area. The floor space in the kitchen is way too small to accommodate even half of us as we try to clean the dinner dishes, so each night one big kid, one medium kid (Jess or Xander) and one parent is assigned to KP. And as you know from our Dynamite video, we don't fit very well around our table, although this situation is vastly improved since a kind neighbor gave us a beautiful Pottery Barn table with benches instead of chairs.

So you can imagine how Christi's eyes lit up today when we went in to pick out our cabinets. She walked up to one of their display kitchens and went into a sort of stupor...glazed eyes, goofy grin on her face, tongue lolling slightly out of the corner of her mouth. The beautiful, three-and-one-half-foot deep island counter top kept her transfixed. The four-foot-wide walkway between the island and the wall counters had her mesmerized. It was all we could do to get her to come over to the desk and decide on specific layouts, woods and colors for the cabinets throughout our home. I must admit it was REALLY fun. I'm so excited for all of you to come see it!!!

And sweetheart, admit it. In spite of how worried you were, I really was easy to work with. Right? I mean, I was, wasn't I?

Jer

The foundation is in!

I seriously have to keep pinching myself.  What wasn't even a consideration a year ago has gone from seeming impossible to improbable to unlikely to impossible to maybe to no-way-on-earth to this-might-really-happen to Holy-Cow-There's-A-Massive-Hole-In-The-Ground!!!  Last Wednesday they began excavation.  Footers were laid on Thursday.  Today they poured the foundation.  I really can't express how unbelievable this entire project is.  We are SOOO grateful and excited and bouncing off the walls around here.  We go visit the property multiple times a day.  I really can't tell you all what this means to our family!

Thank you for all you have done!

-Jeremy

They had to perform a water-pressure test at the nearest fire hydrant...

And so it begins!

I'm a construction novice, so this seemed like the coolest thing ever!

Pictures

This is a repeat of a post from January.  This particular post was getting so many anonymous "check out my blog" comments that we deleted the original and reposted it here:)


First of all, I want to say that I had a very good reason for not writing last night.  I'll leave it at that!  But because I promised 50 posts in 50 days, I plan on doubling up one day--- sound ok?  (:

I've realized that we never did post the rest of our pictures from China.  As you may recall, we had a lousy internet connection there and had a super difficult time posting pictures.  So... this is a catch-up post to satisfy the grandmas' desires to see more China pics!

Us with Graci's "China Mama" and "China Baba" (foster parents for four years-- we LOVE them!)

Jesi holding Ling Long (Graci's "neice")  Notice the spread on the table-- this wasn't the kitchen table, just the table in the living room.  It was ALWAYS filled with all kinds of food that they were constantly offering us.  Such AMAZING hostesses!

China Mama and Baba and aunt and uncle-- taken in the aunt and uncle's home

Jesi and Ling Long-- they referred to Jes as Ling Long's "Auntie Jessica" (;  and as you may recall, they refer to us as Ling Long's "America Grandma and Grandpa"  Ha!  I didn't think I would be ready to be called "Grandma," but honestly, I loved it!  It was so much fun to hold her and realize that many of our own grandchildren could look so much like her!

Jesi was seriously like a rock star at Graci's former school.  The kids would touch her hand and then sway dramatically as if they had just touched the hand of Taylor Swift.  As you can imagine, Jesi ate it up.

"China Brother" holding Grace and Bei Bei (Graci's friend)

At a zoo in Hangzhou-- they don't exactly have the same safety precautions there as in America.

Feeding carrots to the bears!

One of my all-time favorite pics of one of my all-time favorite people-- Graci's "China Grandma"

Saying goodbye at the airport is always so hard, especially for China Mama.

Our "guide" turned friend, Sara, is on the left.  We LOVE her, and she has become part of Graci's China family since our initial adoption trip to get Graci.  They have taken her in as one of their own--  she was even there for the birth of Ling Long.

Gotcha Day-- taken moments after seeing Cali for the first time.  Such a beautiful moment.

Taken right after Cali was saying her goodbyes to her house mama, top left.  Lots of tears.  Such a brave little girl.  It broke my heart to watch her sadness-- I can hardly bear to look at the picture even now.

Taken the day after Gotcha Day, when we returned to the Civil Affairs office to make it all official!

Cali signing the papers saying she wished to join our family.  I believe Jeremy blogged about how special this was to watch...

Beautiful handwriting!

Ok, I just LOVED this family!  They were from Spain and they were seriously one of the cutest couples I have ever met!  This is their second day being parents-- beautiful!

We were given this gift of calligraphy by one of the officials to celebrate the finalization

Meeting Cali's biological relatives.  Above right is her grandmother.  Between Jeremy and myself is her auntie, and the man is the auntie's husband (whom she doesn't really refer to as "uncle")

Cali and auntie

Cali and granma

Saying goodbye.  I am happy to say that it wasn't really hard for Cali-- as Duna (far right) said, she was already much more comfortable and happy with our family at that point.  We were so grateful for the opportunity to meet them, but Cali isn't really interested in keeping up a strong relationship at this point, which of course, we honor.

Xi'an smog-- ugh! 

Cali's scarf was given to her as a going away gift from her house mama, and she wore it all the time.  (:

Ok, this doesn't even begin to do it justice, but this is a pic of the Terracotta Warriors.  One of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.  This is just one building out of three.

The girls (especially Cali) thought it was extremely funny to have me be their "dog."  The lady in the pink coat was our guide.

It was soooo cold and we had been walking a long time.  Cali was so sweet to offer to let Jesi ride with her.

Out of the cold into beautiful Guangzhou

Pedal boats

 

We always get such a kick out of the English translations on signs!

Signing out!