Growing mold!!!

ARGHHHHH!!!!

It has been raining since Monday night down here. This has to be the longest tropical storm in history. Everything and everyone is totally water logged. And those poor people along the coast, they are just floating away with all of the flooding.

We are doing our best to avoid getting cabin fever. Heading out whenever there is a break in the weather. And enjoying the chance to stay up late, and over dose on the Olympics.

We weren't ready for school to start yet, so even though we are water logged...we are really thankful for these few extra days to just relax.

The kids are doing great, Logan LOVED his first day of school and is really excited to go back whenever they start school again. He just continues to amaze us with his strength to just go out and embrace all of these new life experiences.

As we settle into our new family dynamics a little more ever day, I can not imagine my life without these kids that God has given us. Not every day is great, some are just a matter of survival, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Love,
Claire

Bitter Sweet Day

I can't believe that our summer vacation is over. It went so fast, too fast.

And, I am having an even harder time believing that our first born went off to high school! It was 6:20 AM, and I am watching Mike walk down the street with his friends to catch the bus. It was surreal.



I can remember when these guys were 5 and 6 years old, and just learning to ride their bikes without training wheels on that same street.

Then, if that wasn't enough for one day....it was time to get Livy and Logan ready to go. Livy is in her second year of middle school, so it wasn't as psychologically damaging to me to have her head off. But I miss her a lot today.



Some how I managed to keep myself together long enough to take Logan to school for his first day of kindergarten in America. As usual, he was sooooooo brave on the outside, but there was that same look of uncertainty in his eyes that I saw when we were on the plane flying back to the states.




It was hard to watch them all head off today. I know they'll be home soon, but it is just another reminder of how fast life is going. And that I need to really do my best to cherish each day we have together as a family. And with that I need to go and snuggle with my baby girl, Mia.




Love,
Claire

Beautiful babies!!

Hey everyone!

Can I just take a moment and brag about how awesome these kids are!

Logan said his first multi-word prayer tonight at dinner. It was all I could do to not get choked up.
It went like this..." Tanks for Mama, Logan, Michael shopping shoes. Tanks for basketball! Ehh Mia, Sissy, Noni lots a ice cream. Ehh, Daddy home."

I had a great day with just my boys. We hit the mall and did some back to school shopping while my mom took the girls out for ice cream and girl time. Logan had a great time shopping for shoes, he would look at all of the shoes on the wall, and say" good girl or good boy." That means boy's or girl's. He feel in love with some black basketball shoes, which lead to buying a new basketball.

Yes, our tiny man loves to shoot hoops. And some how, some way...he actually makes some shots.

My other kiddos are doing their best to enjoy the last week of summer. A few more days of sleeping in then real life starts again. Mike will be off to high school and playing football, Livy will be in 7th and starting Lacrosse soon. Thankfully, I will still have my Mia at home. I'm sure that we will find a way to get into some trouble, I mean stay busy (:

Love,
Claire

Beach trip

We hit the beach with some friends for our annual end of the summer vacation camping trip.
I can't believe that the kids start school in just a week and a half.

The kids had a blast, well...all except for Mia. She isn't a beach babe. Thankfully there was a great pool where she could go to escape the sand, and all of the things that crawl in it.

All in all, it was a great trip, but ended to quickly. Thankfully.....we still have 3 more months of beach weather!

Love,
Claire and gang

Sun and surf

One month home!!

Sorry that it has taken me so long to post an update.I can't believe that we have been home a few days over a month, it already seems like the entire trip was a dream. I do feel like I left a little bit of my heart over in China, I really hope to be able to go back and do some missions trips in the next few years.

So, we are all home safe and sound. The flights home went well, and the cool thing was that we flew back to the states with a great couple who were bringing home their 4th kiddo from China. Their 8th total! NO!! We aren't going to try to keep up with them!

Ok, what has happened in a month? Great things! Logan is doing awesome. He is all boy, and spent his first few weeks dressed in various sizes of band-aides. He seems to like to live life on the edge. He is already a pro at swimming...without any floaties! Riding his bike, scooter and has conquered his fear of our dogs. We took a few day long beach trips to see how he would do when we head out for a week in August. Of course he loved it!

He is picking up English pretty fast, and absolutely loves to go clothes shopping. He gets really excited when we go out in the car. He rarely leaves the house without his hair gelled or a spray or 6 from Mike's cologne.

We are really amazed at how ready he is to be in our family. What a gift from God this little boy is. We have taken him to the doctor and still have some blood work to do, but he is healthy and actually on the growth chart for his age! All be it on the bottom line, but on it!

After some discussions with other families with older adopted kiddos, and our pediatrician...it looks like Logan will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I am not sure that I am ready to have him head of to school just yet, but we really believe that he is ready to go and begin his new life here.

As for the rest of us, we are doing great. Bart is catching up on work, Mia is almost out of denial that Logan is here to stay and we are just enjoying the summer....sleeping in and getting tan. I know, it's a rough life, but someone has to live it.

Hope all is well, here are a few pictures of what we've been up to.

Love,
Claire

Be home soon!

Hey everyone,

Had Mike do an entry for me just in case I couldn't get on before we head out.

But, everyone is finally asleep, and we are 99% packed to fly out early tomorrow morning.

Wow, what a journey this has been. I think it is going to take awhile for everything to really sink in. I am so ready to come home, but it is also bitter sweet. This is the birth place of 2 of our children. I wonder how things will go for Logan, new faces, smells, foods and language. I know that he will grieve for what he knew, but I also know what things will look like on the other side when he gets there.

All I have to do is look at Mia. She is so happy, healthy and secure with us. I know Logan will be too. He has an awesome life before him. Freedom to become a follower of Christ, unlimited educational choices, excellent health care, freedom from being stigmatized as an unwanted member of society. And, a family who knows that they have been blessed by God to have him as their son and brother.

And he is so blessed to have all of you in his life. Once he catches onto this concept of unconditional love, there will be no stopping this kid.

Today Logan became an American citizen, and will have legal status once he touches American soil in Detroit. As I looked around the consulate, I saw about 60 children who are about to begin a completely new life in the next few days. It was a very short swearing in ceremony, but a great one.

We have been asked by many if we will be back to do this again. I can honestly say that we have no plans to. We are very content with our family, it really feels right. But we have also learned that our plans are not Gods plans. I never thought I would be a mother of 4 children, much less of 2 born across the world. Pretty stinkin awesome!

Can't wait for ya'll to meet the little man, guard your hearts.....he is a real charmer. And no, ya'll can't have him either.

See ya soon!

Love,
Claire