The Beresfords are in the Magic Kingdom!

After years of nighttime prayers and birthday wishes, Madeline and Charlotte made it to the Magic Kingdom and had a whole day to spend with the princesses!  This has been a day that all of us will remember forever.

Our morning started at 5:45AM.  That's an incredibly dangerous time of day to awaken a sleeping child, but to my amazement, the kids were all incredibly tame for the hour.  Even Elliott.  We ran late getting ready, in typical Beresford style, but were still the FIRST visitors in the parking lot.  (And that's one VERY BIG parking lot!) We were waiting at the gate to the Magic Kingdom a full 45 minutes before they opened.  We had brought along a bag with all of their dress-up items so that we could use that time to get them ready to go right before we went into the park, and not have to worry about wrinkled or missing items while getting into and out of the van.  Waiting is a hard thing to do when you're five or six, and "Breakfast with the Princesses" is awaiting you on the other side of the gate!

At long last, we were admitted into the park, and had this really quick opportunity to stop for pictures in front of the castle without any other park visitors around. 



My Mom and I, and the girls, had an 8:15am date with the Disney Princesses to have breakfast inside of Cinderella's castle.  For those of you who are reading this who are or will be planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom in the future, if you have a princess-crazy daughter or granddaughter this is one splurge you will NOT want to miss.  Yes, the cost of admission tickets is unbelievable.  Yes, the additional cost of a mediocre breakfast selection is not fun to indulge in, but for $45 a person you get this:

This is what pure joy looks like.

After Cinderella greeted us on the first floor...

The kids were so star-struck they couldn't utter a word when she bent down to talk with them.  After years of wishing to meet the 'real Cinderella' and watching the movie hundreds of times, neither one could speak.  They just stared up at her with smiling, blushing little faces.  So darn cute!

... we walked up the winding staircase with red carpet and through the castle to the dining room....

We were greeted at the top of the stairs and seated at one of the best tables, right by a stained glass window overlooking the Magic Kingdom to the southeast.

Our waiter, dressed in traditional European 17th century clothing, handed us menus and brought magic fairy wands and wishing stars over for the girls, then poured us coffee and orange juice.  The girls both had pre-determined meals (which I wasn't aware of, and included bacon and eggs, which my vegetarian kids won't eat, but did also include french toast) but Mom and I had seven menu items to choose from.  After giving us 60 seconds the waiter came back to take our order.  Aside from chewing the food for us, they do everything possible to keep get you in and get you out fast, so they can serve other customers.  With that said, that is my only complaint.  Everything else is fabulous.

After we ordered, our waiter returned and brought a delicious tray of baked biscuits and sweet goodies for us to enjoy.  Just as soon as Charlotte and Madeline had slid all of it from the serving tray onto their plates (they left Mom and I one biscuit to share!), trumpets blared and an announcement was made (in olde English) that the princesses were now arriving and were getting our of their carriages and were on their way up the castle stairs.  That was Charlotte's last bite of food for quite some time.  She was so excited she could barely breathe.

The first princess to come and visit was Snow White.

Star-struck once again, she complimented Madeline on her dress and all Maddie could do was give her the ga-gah eyes.  She was smiling so huge I thought her face was going to crack.

Not long after Snow White came by, Princess Aurora's arrival was announced.  We were sitting close by the princess entrance, so we were lucky in that the girls only had six tables or so of groups ahead of us before the princesses arrived at our table.  It's the only reason we didn't have to sit on top of them to keep them in their seats that long.

These princesses do not break out of their roles.  Princess Aurora was telling the girls about her ride in to the castle this morning with Prince Phillip, and asked them if they had heard about him before.  All the girls could do was nod with their smiles and huge, wide eyes.  They were still unable to utter a word.  Or eat.

Then came Ariel, Charlotte's favorite princess.  She just about fell out of her chair when Ariel arrived.

At this point, I was feeling kind of bad for the princesses, who were trying hard but having a hard time striking up a mutual conversation with my two little girls, who were obviously our of their mind with delight but not talking much.  So when the announcer indicated that the next princess to arrive was Belle, I suggested that they ask her what her favorite book was.  Reading is something that both of my kids enjoy, so I offered a suggestion that they use that to have a conversation with Belle.

Score one for Mommy, because it worked.  Madeline asked her what her favorite book was, and Belle told her that she was in the middle of a really good book about a boy named Jack who planted some magic beans and climbed a gigantic beanstalk up into the sky, and Madeline knew the story.  So Belle and Madeline had a little conversation about books while Charlotte stared and nodded. 

At this point Madeline was halfway done with her french toast sticks and Charlotte hadn't touched hers at all.  One bite at a time, I coached Charlotte through her breakfast and she ate all of it, talking a mile a minute about how pretty and how nice the princesses are.

After climbing back down the stairs to meet up with the boys, and while we were waiting for them to find us, guess who walked right by us?!?!



(pardon the sideways photo, there's a glitch and I can't rotate it)

At this point you could have knocked both girls over with a feather.  When the boys (Dad, Matt, and Elliott) found us a moment later, and as Charlotte and Madeline were telling them about breakfast, guess who else walked right by?

and

What I absolutely love about these Disney characters is that they really know how to play their roles.  These girls, especially, were hilarious.  Drizella saw that Charlotte was wearing a pearl and ribbon necklace, and insisted that it was really Anastasia's necklace.  Anastasia said no, it was a lot like hers but wasn't hers, and advised Charlotte to keep an eye on her necklace today because Cinderella had a way to stealing other people's things.  Madeline asked her why they didn't like Cinderella, and the stepmother's answer was "Who said we didn't like her?  She can do a lot of things, like sweep the floor and clean out the chimney and cook good food to eat.  What's not to like?".  What a hoot.  :o)

Random photo #1: banana tree.  The banana tree creates a red/pink dense flower bud below and grows the bananas in bunches above the hanging stem you see here.  The bananas actually point UP, not DOWN, during the growing season.

Sweet, isn't it? 

By this time we were ready to ride some rides.  We had used a couple of Magic Kingdom manuals (if you are going to travel and need recommendations, let me know and I will send you titles and authors) to guide us which really helped us have a good day.  We knew which rides were kid-friendly, which our kids would be interested in (Madeline loves rollercoasters, Charlotte likes things that spin) and what the 'peak' times were for most so we could avoid crowds as much as possible.  We used the FastPasses, too, which are a WONDERFUL idea.  We made most all of the 'to do' list, which was no small achievement.  Here are some of the highlights of our very LONG and HOT (90 degrees F) day:



Mama Squirrel and her three Nuts.....

HOT TIP: If you have naturally kinky, curly hair and are traveling to the Magic Kingdom, do NOT start your day on Splash Mountain, even if the line is short.  You will end up looking like a freak show and you may scare children.

Ice Cream for lunch?  Only at DisneyWorld!





Being able to see the castle spires from everywhere in the park makes it easier to navagate.



While Mom and Dad went to ride the "Haunted Mansion" (not a family-friendly ride, very scary) and Matt went to get something to drink, I sat with the kids by the Monsters, Inc. show and in the 10 minutes he was gone these two fell asleep in my arms.  We had been using a stroller but they couldn't get comfortable enough or get away from the chaos of the walkway enough to relax.  I sat like this for a full hour, while Matt took Madeline on the PeopleMover ride and Mom & Dad went to get lunch.  After an hour, not only was I bored out of my mind but hungry and I couldn't feel my legs after sitting on concrete and not moving. But I was thrilled at they were able to rest because that meant they'd have a better chance at maintaining a good attitude through the evening.  Elliott especially, who sometimes gets overstimulated easily and doesn't do well in large crowds.

 Stroller rental is quite expensive ($31.00) but worth every penny as a way to carry bags/lunches/merchandise and to cart slow-moving and tired kids around, especially as the day wears on and everyone is tired.  My advice is to get a double stroller, even for just one child.  Stroller parking is provided near every ride.  Make yours easy to find by tying a balloon or a brightly colored bandana to it.

Tinker Belle's Nook is a good way to meet the fairies in person.  This is 'Vidia', Madeline's favorite.

And no fairy visit is complete without Tinkerbell! (Charlotte's favorite)

There are LOTS of parades in the Magic Kingdom throughout the day.  I felt awful that we missed the 3:00 Princess Parade, but this one was really cool, about 5:00pm.  And the kids finally got to see Mickey Mouse!

Chip, Dale, and Minnie Mouse

Mr. Incredible (Elliott really got excited when he saw him!)

Donald Duck

Woody and Jessee

(Elliott was so cute screaming "Woo-dee!  Woo-dee!" and the girls were jumping and dancing to the music and totally lost in the moment.  It was so fun to watch!)

... and Balloo!

By now it was getting to be dinnertime, so we wound down with something to eat and rode a few more rides....

Then caught the 7:40 performance at the Castle by the Disney princesses, dancing to music Charlotte knows by heart.  Her smile was so huge.  She was really in her happy place.



After the dancing, Peter Pan came by to thwart Captain Hook's evil plan...

Maddie was totally into the storyline and forgot she was standing in a crowd of hundreds of people.  (I wish she had this kind of laser-like intensity with school work!)

Then, at the end, Maleficient appeared in a cloud of smoke to try to take away all of the dreams of all of the children in Wonderland, but good prevailed and, with the voices of all of the children in the audience, they banished Maleficient from the Magic Kingdom and sent her packing, but not without some impressive pyrotechnics.....

Aren't they cute?

My parents, married 40 years this next year....  :o)

After the sun set, the castle turns different colors.  Charlotte came unglued with excitement when she looked up and the castle was PINK!

The castle at night is totally breathtaking.

Then, at 9:15pm came the start of the Electric Parade.  This is a definitely DO NOT MISS.  It is by far the coolest, most unique parade we've ever seen.  Best viewed in Liberty Square, and get there early!  People were lining up at 7:00pm for good seats, which we just lucked into at the last second.

Disney's Electrial Parade steam engine

Cinderella in her glowing pumpkin coach

Wonderful wild delights: butterflies, mushrooms and spinning snails

Peter Pan and Captain Hook

Tinkerbell (on top of the hot air balloon, but I couldn't capture her on film..... so elusive!  :o)

Pete and his magic dragon, Elliott



Pinnochio

One of the biggest highlights from the parade was when Alice (from Alice in Wonderland) looked directly at Madeline and blew her a kiss, and when Tinkerbell looked right at Charlotte and waved to her.  It didn't take any words, but just one look at their faces at that moment to know that it was a big moment for each of them.  Elliott was up a full hour and a half past his bedtime but still awake and alive and waving to each and every person that walked by with a rather British sounding "Helloooo!" that I have no idea where he picked up.  That little boy makes me laugh.  He so thoroughly enjoyed this day.

The parade lasted about 30 minutes, and then everyone (us included) rushed up to the castle for a lights display and fireworks.  By now the kids were exhausted, and although they all enjoyed the lights display (seriously wonderful, a MUST SEE, and unlike anything you'll see ever again) they were all fast asleep in the 10 minute intermission before the fireworks began.  So we fought our way out of the massive crowds (picture thousands of people packed into a tiny little space, in the dark; kind of scary for kids and intimidating for even the adults.  Be prepared.) and enjoyed the fireworks as we slowly walked toward the exit and to the monorail trains that shuttled visitors to and from the parking lots.  As it turned out, and perfectly planned, we viewed the grand finale from the tops of the trees as the monorail pulled out of the station and began our journey back to the van.

We were home at midnight: sweaty, stinky, exhausted, and totally satisfied. 

Thank you, Disney, for delivering the perfect day.  It was everything we hoped it would be.

Then today we passed the time relaxing again, after sleeping in later than usual. 

Charlotte tries to be a 'Duck Mommy' to every "lost" duck we see here.

We're ready for another FUN day tomorrow: Disney's Animal Kingdom!

Family Fun, Florida style!

We've been brewing a little secret for months now.  Before she passed away in February, my Aunt Molly (and my dear Uncle Randy) set a week up for us at their condo in Orlando, Florida.  Without letting the kids know, we have been making plans and working on details for a week of fun and family bonding time, with my parents.  And now the time has arrived! 

Friday morning we got the kids up, got them dressed, and planned for any other 'normal' day.  We packed Madeline a lunch, helped her study her spelling words, and got everyone dressed and hair styled.  With some lame excuse why we had to stop by the library that morning, we got the kids all packed up, buckled up, and into the van.  (Matt and I had just almost pulled an all-nighter with packing and preparing to leave the farm behind and set up our 'farm sitters' for a successful week).  When we drove right past the school, Madeline was quite confused and thought maybe we forgot where we were going.  So we surprised her with a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the weekend.  They were so happy!  No school for Madeline, and all three were elated to be able to go see two of their favorite people in the world.  We arrived in Tecumseh and kept the kids distracted while we packed up G & G's bags, and then headed over to Dundee for lunch.  During lunch, we revealed to them that we were at the start of a little vacation - a trip to Tennessee to see the mountains and to finally show them where we (Matt and I) used to live.  (Charlotte has been curious lately and has been asking to go see Tennessee after we showed her some of our photo books.)  Madeline didn't buy into it right away; she had her heart set on swimming in G & G's neighbor's pool.  But she eventually gave in and we got back in the van and all settled into a movie and got on I-75 and started our big trip.

Ohio was long, and we napped.  Kentucky was more interesting (who doesn't love fields and fields of horses?!) and it was just about dusk when we arrived at the Kentucky/Tennessee border and saw the sign: "I-75 CLOSED AT JELLICO, FOLLOW DETOUR".  Oh, no!  We got online and quickly discovered that due to a 'bridge safety issue" the entire freeway was being closed and diverted from Jellico to LaFolette, through September 2012!  Instead of following the posted detour, which would put us about 30 miles off of our route to get us back to I-75, Matt found an alternate to the alternate route and guided us (I was driving at that point) away from the other cars exiting the freeway through three tiny little mountain villages, up and down two separate mountains with hair-pin curves with tiny little road rails to keep straying cars from falling off of cliffs. Did I mention at this point it was pitch black outside, too?  I think I just ran a qualifying time for Talladega Motor Speedway.  I'm waiting for NASCAR to call me.  I'm looking for sponsors right now.

Finally, we made it to LaFolette and back onto I-75 and we were in Knoxville by 11:15pm.  We got back online to look for the best deal on an available hotel room near our old house in Farragut, TN and as it turned out it was the Red Roof Inn off of Cedar Bluff Road just west of central Knoxville.  It was kind of sweet because that is where Matt and I stayed for nearly two weeks when had just arrived from San Diego and were trying to set up a home and jobs for ourselves and get me into nursing school.  We were all asleep within minutes.

The next morning, we ate a quick breakfast and drove up the familiar roads to the 'old' house on Black Road where we lived when we were first married....  My heart was smiling the whole time, remembering those GOOD years and finally being able to show it to the kids. 



Then it was back on the road again, I-75 through the rest of Tennessee and through Georgia.  As luck would have it, I drove most of Georgia while everyone else caught up on beauty sleep and that included Altlana.  Seven lanes in each direction, 70+ MPH, weaving this way and that.  Total crazyness. 

We stopped about 30 miles north of the Georgia/Florida border at a Subway for a late lunch/early dinner.  The kids were under the impression we were just about to Tecumseh and were making plans with each other to go swim in the neighbor's pool again, when we interrupted their conversation to hand them two white envelopes (Elliott was totally engrossed in playing with Grandpa, so we didn't interrupt him.) with pictures inside of them above text, in big black letters, saying "WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!"  At first they didn't understand that we were going now.  Maddie asked, "But WHEN, Mom!?" and when I told her "Now, honey!  Now!" it still took a minute to sink in.  Then she started running willy-nilly all over shouting "hooray!"  When I told Charlotte that she is FINALLY going to meet the 'real' princesses, and that we are actually going to have breakfast with them INSIDE of the castle on Monday, she was so happy she couldn't speak.  She just smiled, hugged her paper, looked at it again, then smiled some more. The kind of ear-to-ear smile I was hoping to see. The kind of smile you pay big bucks for.  The kind of smile you remember forever. 

Back in the van, one more movie, and we had arrived in the Ocala, Florida area.  I got to point out to the girls where I lived for a half year, but didn't get off of the freeway to show them the acutal house and they were Okay with that.  We arrived at our destination at 8pm, tired and hungry.  We threw our bags in the condo, changed into swimsuits,and grabbed a little dinner by the pool and swam from 9 to 10pm.  The kids were thrilled but exhausted, and were asleep within two minutes of laying in bed.

Today we just relaxed here and explored this great condo community - tennis, six pools, basketball, shuffle board, and so much more.  There is a big garden tub with jacuzzi jets that sits in the corner of the master bedroom and the kids just love it.  They've taken two baths already today!  Mom and I went grocery shopping and filled up the fridge and cupboards with goodies to sustain us for this week.  Madeline got to see her first wild lizard and Charlotte has been enamored with the variety of birds here (she has been quite intersted in bird watching lately).  Elliott has been trying hard to impress and entertain Grandma and Grandpa with his amazing tricks and truck noises, and I am so proud of how well he is listening to us and trying hard to behave.  He has come really far in conquering his fear of the water and even ventured out of my arms and walked across the baby pool by himself this afternoon.  That was a pretty big achievement.  He has been a little too friendly with strangers lately (something that adoptive parents know is a problem but unfortunately everyone around him thinks is cute) so we've been a little protective of him.  Handling his 'special need' in a totally different environment and while traveling on the road using rest stops has been easier than I was anticipating.  Madeline is in love with the pools here, and we just about had to fish her out of the water with a net this evening; after three hours of swimming she still didn't want to come out!  Charlotte has been practicing her swim strokes and is almost independant. 

We have been so blessed to have this week to bond and grow as a family.  I haven't had a full week to spend with my parents since I left home at age 21, and I am really enjoying this time with them.  As are Matt and the kids.  I hope that this week will be filled with great memories and strong family relationships.  We have surprises planned for the kids throughout the week, but this trip tomorrow to the Magic Kingdom is by far the biggest. 

In another completely unrelated topic, I received an email this week from another family who has recently adopted from Harbin.  They were going through about 80 photos they received of their daughter and came across two that had Elliott in them, too.  She recognized his face from posts here on my blog and took the time to contact me and send them to me.  What a WONDERFUL gift!  We have only four other photos of him from birth through his entrance into our family, and this is a treasure for all of us.  It's another little peek into his past life.  What made me sad was how his face, in neither photo, had any real emotion in it.  To look at his face today, and to see it in those photos, there's no other way to explain the difference.  It's the same face he had for the first month after coming to us.  Lost.  Shut-down.  Not the happy, energetic, fun little boy we know and love now.  Seeing those photos makes me realize more and more how much he has changed since then, since our first meeting day.  He's self-confident now, and happy.  And that makes us so very happy, too. 

Big day tomorrow!  Stay tuned! 

Time to play catch-up

So much has happened in the past three weeks my head is still spinning....  sometimes life just doesn't turn out the way you plan it to.

The evening before Elliott's birthday (after my previous post) I got an unexpected phone call.  It was my Dad on the phone, calling to tell me some really bad news.  My dear, sweet, very loved aunt Molly was in the hospital and was very ill.  I then adjusted our family schedule and Elliott's birthday celebration the next day so that I could drive to the other side of the state first thing in the morning to go see her.  On my way there, I was going to pick up my cousin who goes to college near us, and bring her to see her mom, too.  Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined that a few hours later we would be saying our goodbyes to someone we love so much.  Molly's diagnosis was a complete shock and total surprise, and after a fierce battle to hang on, we lost our beloved Molly just a few hours later.  So instead of spending the day with Elliott and celebrating his first birthday as a Beresford, I was having my heart broken by losing someone I love very much.  So suddenly.  It's still hard to really fully absorb that I don't get to see her again.   To hear her laugh or see her smile, or find cards or notes in the mail with her signature (BEAUTIFUL!) handwriting on them.  She leaves a wonderful legacy in her two wonderful daughters and in a loving husband of whom I intend to stay close.  Like I said, sometimes life just doesn't turn out the way you plan it to.  She was a wonderful woman that lived a lot of the values other that people only talk about.  I hope that I can live those same values and pass them along to my children.

Our birthday celebration for Elliott was unfortunately postponed a few days but he didn't seem to mind.  The girls were more upset than he was.  They had been eyeballing his birthday cake all day, and were really looking forward to swimming at the Holland Acquatic Center.  We celebrated his birthday with cake and ice cream the next day ......

.....and Elliott opened a few presents.....

... and he even got a visit from his Grandma and Grandpa Burbank, who baked him a Da-Chi (bus) cake especially for him!

The following weekend we finally made it to the Acquatic Center, with it's water slide, whirlpool, and children's play area.  The girls were elated, but Elliott didn't enjoy it like we had hoped.  He wouldn't let me set him down to play in the water, or walk with him in the deeper water the entire 90 minutes we were there.  So apparenly our little man still doesn't like to be in a pool.  Fun fact: we just signed him up for swimming lessons that start next week.  This ought to be interesting.....

On another happy note, our sweet Barney turned eleven this past week.  He is a wonderful companion, and has been my 'furry kid' from the day I first laid eyes on him at the animal shelter when he was just six months old.  I had been hoping so badly to adopt a dog and Matt brought him home to me after we got home from our wedding honeymoon.  He was with us from the first month of our marriage, and to think how life has changed over that decade and here we are now raising three young kids and he is still here with us.  He is my sidekick here on the farm, and I truely love this dog.  He is doing quite well for being eleven; he is losing a little weight and has some cataracts developing but will still engage in a chase-me play session at any given moment.  And he is so sweet and gentle with our kids.  Happy birthday, Doonie-B!

Tomorrow we are going back to my hometown to celebrate the birth of my brand new nephew, Grant William Hardy, and the wedding of Matt's sister, Tina, to her best friend and soul mate, Brian.  And as usual, I'll be toting my camera with me.  Stay tuned!  :o)

Happy Birthday Dear Elliott!

On this day in 2011, we said YES to this sweet face -

and we began the long journey that lead us to our son, on the other side of the globe.

On Elliott's second birthday, completely unknown to him, he got a family.  It would take us nearly eight excruciatingly long months to complete the necessary paperwork steps and finally get permission to go and get him.  That's a very long time to wait, knowing that every day that ticked by was another day we were missing out on spending with him.  But the day finally came, and now we're united as a family.  Forever!

And tomorrow, as we celebrate Elliott's third birthday, we also reflect on the long journey he has already had in his three short years.  

I've lamented before in blog posts about how sad I feel that Elliott will never know the identity of his birthparents.  I just  can't imagine the heartache of spending nine months growing a baby inside my womb, only to have to part with him just a week after he is born.  Feeling every kick, every hiccup, going through labor, and then having to say "goodbye".  I will never know the true circumstances of this separation, but I truely believe that she was forced for one reason or another to make that critical decision and she did the best for Elliott that she knew how given the circumstances surrounding adoption in China.  And it worked.  He found us.  And we will love and honor our sweet little boy for the rest of our lives.  He is our son and there is nothing I wouldn't do for my precious little man.  I pray time and time again words of gratitude.  Thank you, God, for completing our family!  I know that HE was meant to be ours!

But as we joyously celebrate his third year of life tomorrow, I am also wondering if there is a woman in China who is thinking about him as well.  Did she already know on his birth day that she would not be able to keep him?  Is she quietly remembering him today, and reflecting on their short time together?  Is she at peace with her decision?  I wish there was some way to reach out to her and assure her that yes, he is healthy and happy and so incredibly loved.  To give her that peace, and to thank her for giving Elliott life. 

So today we celebrate the day we were officially 'linked' together, and tomorrow we celebrate his birthday. 

Life is good!  More pictures to come!

新年快乐 (Happy New Year!)

Xīn nián kuàilè

It's the year of the dragon!

We celebrated by joining the Chinese Association of West Michigan (CAWM) this past weekend for a New Year's celebration.  There was food (oh, so much food!), dancing, singing, and a magician for entertainment (not Chinese, but entertaining nonetheless!).  I wasn't sure how Elliott was going to react, as this was the first time he has been immersed in Chinese culture since leaving China in October.  He did stare at first at everyone of Chinese descent, and I couldn't tell if he was just trying to look for familiar faces or if it was just a people-watching curiosity.  But once we filled our plates and sat down, that thirty pound child proceeded to eat his weight in rice, noodles, dumplings, vegetables, and dim sum.  He was so happy!  I was so thrilled to be eating REAL Chinese food again.  I could close my eyes and feel like I was in China again.  I loved every bit of it.

The kids and I all enjoyed the performances.

The crowd was pretty large, about 300 people I estimate, but we were able to find Yi Ling, who is my friend and also my Chinese tutor.  We love her!

Fun was had by all.

A dear friend of mine, Yen, first introduced me to Chinese New Year in first grade.  It is tradition on Chinese New Year to hand red envelopes filled with money to children for good luck.  Red is the color of fortune.  These small envelopes are called hong bao.  I remember getting red envelopes and eating LOTS of delicious Chinese food at her home each Chinese New Year.  It was a festivity I looked forward to all year and I was so honored to be included.  I would sit and eat for at least an hour, savoring every tasty morsel and enjoying the celebration.  So it was so fitting and so special for us that Yen sent the kids their first hong bao this year.  And true to her artistic roots, they were absolutely unique and really special. 

Xie Xie Yen!

So.... how have we been doing since the last blog post?  That answer is quite complicated. 

Elliott has been under the care of a urologist, a neurologist, and a physician specialist in spina bifida care in the past month.  He has had three outpatient visits to the hospital for special testing (translate: expensive).  After weeks of gathering information, we have a care plan for Elliott.  We started with virtually no information about his care in China, and just minimal information about his actual medical need.  So to pull this all together in just a couple of months has been no small feat.  I have spent most of my days off shuffling him from one medical appointment to another, and this has caused some stress for Charlotte, who feels a bit like an accessory.  I have had some great help from friends to schedule special playtime for Charlotte with her best little friends while Elliott and I run around, and this has been so appreciated. 

What we are looking at for Elliott is a bright future with minimal limitations (if any!).  But it is not going to be easy to assure this for him without a lot of effort on our part for the next few years.  We are having to do a procedure with him on an every-three-hours basis that is both unpleasant and uncomfortable for him.  It pains me to hear him cry and whimper, but as a nurse I know how severe the complications are if we don't adhere to this maintenance plan.  After about a week and a half of this new routine, things are getting easier but are not without struggle.  The medications, the medical supplies, the bills, the tests, and all of the appointments are on top of everything else in life that makes parenting an almost-three-year-old, an almost-five year old, and a six-year-old a busy time.  I feel like I am falling behind on a lot of things, but it has also provided me with a new perspective of what really matters (hint: it's not having a spotless kitchen floor!). 

Please keep us in your prayers as we try to find our new 'normal'.


So what else have we been up to this month?  Here are some photographic highlights!

Happy New Year, everybody!