The Tree Must Go, But The Joy Stays!

We won't let Christmas go! We're holding on for another day of fun and family. Jay is with us for a few more days and the kids are still playing with the toys from yesterday. First thing this morning Jacob asked if he could ride his bike. The temperature outside was only 29 degrees, so we made him stay inside and eat some breakfast first. He'll be out there later, though. Both kids are now romping around the house in their new cowboy boots from Aunt Paige and Uncle Allan. They really are the coolest boots, and the kids have taken a liking to them like I never expected. We're going to have to find a pair for Katie Mei once she gets here.

Now, for a recap of yesterday. Merrilee and Daddy got up and made blueberry muffins for the family while we waited for Jacob to wake up. Then we moved to the living room where the past several weeks of secret keeping was unveiled. The kids opened their stockings with their annual nutcracker dolls (I collect one for each child every year), and Jacob got the first glimpse of his new bike. He's been wanting a two-wheeler since Merrilee quit using training wheels in October. He watched with amazement as she took to new heights of speed and freedom, and now he's wanting it for himself. So good-bye Big Wheel, hello bruises!

Before Christmas Merrilee was determined she wanted to get her dad a trophy for Christmas. She went to the hardware store and asked the salesman to tell her where the trophies for dad's were. The poor man had to admit that they didn't sell trophies, but he did talk her into a multi-purpose screwdriver and a key ring that said "World's Greatest Dad" on it. She made her purchases, but still came home wanting a trophy for him. So we got out the play-doh and she sculpted one herself. I hot-glued the pieces together after they dried, and she lovingly painted it gold. I'm not sure Daddy understands how much love really went into that trophy. I hope he does.

After the piles of wrapping paper were removed, the official gluttony photos were taken. I do this every year. I guess it just helps us keep track of how old their toys are, and what not to buy them again if they never play with it.

The turkey was stuffed, and the casseroles were prepared, so it was time to head out for a long walk in the much missed sunshine. We've had cold and rain here seemingly endlessly for two months, so it was pure joy to go to St. Mary's City for a family walk and bike ride for an hour or two. The kids loved it, and it was refreshing to get out of the house. I haven't been on a walk since I was in the hospital, so I revelled in the exercise and fresh air. I also got to play with my new camera and try out some of its features. It's definitely a keeper!

When we came home, Merrilee and I both were wiped out. She's had a bit of a cold for the past week, so after a dose of medicine, she was zonked. I tried to nap, but someone was upstairs stomping around in his cowboy boots and riding his hobby horse, so I had to forgo the nap. I just babysat the turkey and got stuff ready for dinner. We ate and finished the evening with two tired little kids who didn't want to go to bed.

And so here we are today, the day after Christmas. I had cold turkey and reheated broccoli casserole for breakfast, followed by a piece of pecan pie. I was thinking about that casserole all night and couldn't wait to eat it again! Wonder what I'll have for lunch. We did the unthinkable and took our Christmas tree down today. I know, how sacrelige. Well, let me tell you, that tree was awful. I couldn't keep up with its water demands, and it was a DEMANDING tree. I watered it every day, but it just got drier and drier. So Jay has been vacuuming up needles since he got home last Friday. As you recall, I skimped on decorating it this year, not knowing if we'd be leaving for China anytime soon. So it was no trouble at all to take the kids' decorations off quickly and remove the lights. Once that thing was out of my living room, my house felt so much cleaner. It took a good 45 minutes to sweep and vacuum the remaining needles, and I still have a couple throw rugs that have needles threaded through them. I think we're going to be finding pine needles until next July.

So on that note, we're off to the dump to dispose of the trash (Exactly how much packing material does one Littlest Pet Shop Clubhouse need these days??? Is seven pieces of plastic, sixteen rubber bands, a carboard box, a cardboard frame, and cellophane really necessary for a clubhouse, two tiny animals, and four tinier accessories?). We'll chow down on turkey and mayo sandwiches and cranberry jello, and then we're off to the store to buy a memory card for my camera. I'm going to need it!

Love to all,

Petrie and the gang

Wishes for a Merry Christmas

God Bless Us, Everyone!

We hope you are all enjoying your Christmas Day. We sure are! We opened presents, started the turkey, went for a long walk/bike ride in St. Mary's City, and are now in napping mode. Jacob got a new bike and has reveled in his new freedom. The kids loved the long bike ride with Mom and Dad walking along, and we explored some parts of St. Mary's City which we hadn't been through before. The day was beautiful and I loved trying out my new camera.

More photos will follow, but for now we send our love and Christmas wishes to you.

Love,

Jay, Pet, and the kids

Leaving in three weeks!

We got our call from the adoption agency and our travel approval came in today. We are scheduled to leave for China on Thursday, January 8th. Our agency is now making a consulate appointment for us. I can now officially start packing.

Petrie

'Tis the Season for a Tree

Saturday Jay was home and we took the kids to the tree farm. Jay loves to get a fresh-cut tree, and I love that about him. I get so frustrated with the mess and the bugs in the house that every year I say I'm ready for a fake tree, but every year we get a fresh tree and I love it. And yes, the cat has already toppled the tree...the first night it was in the house. He seems to do that every year. I've learned to wait a couple nights before putting on the good glass ornaments because he's going to do whatever he does in the wee hours of the night, and cleaning up the tree water from the carpet is enough work...I don't want to clean up glass, too. Anyway, Jay was up early on Sunday morning to find the tree lying on its side, and he graciously cleaned up the mess. Thanks, Hon!

I decided not to get out all the fancy ornaments this year, since we'll probaby have to take the tree down in a couple weeks anyway. Each child has a box of personal ornaments, either those handmade ones from preschool or ones that were received as gifts. So I let the children decorate the tree with their own ornaments, put on a little garland and lights, added a handful of candy canes, and it was done. It's not a beauty this year, but we still enjoy basking in the glow of this Advent season and the lights just seem to set the mood.

Best Wishes,
Petrie

Update on our stuff

So far not much change for me. I went to the cardiologist's office today and was fitted with the Holter monitor for 24-hours. Not very comfortable, but livable. I return it to the office tomorrow and a technician and the cardiologist will review it and let me know what's next. I'm hoping to get an appointment with the Dr. before we leave for China.

Jay's dad was released from the hospital today. We are thankful for that, and hope he continues to recover.

Thank you all for your prayer coverage during this time. We really appreciate the calls, emails, meals (Thanks, Lisa!--it was marvelous!), and kindnesses offered. We are truly blessed to have you as friends.

Love,
Petrie

I've got two Five year olds now

Today was Jacob's fifth birthday. Here are just a few scenes from the occasion. Jacob wasn't on his best behavior today, so we had tears, and of course he wouldn't smile for the official photo with the cake. This was not my favorite birthday day. But the kids had fun once the presents were opened and all the misery was forgotten (except mine...I feel like I need a good shoulder to cry on today. Ugh.)

Since Jacob opened his presents one hour ago, he has proceeded to break two of them. One was the backdrop for his Playmobil pirates and the other was a homemade gift Merrilee made for him. He makes me nuts the way he just destoys stuff. He also broke a toy car I bought for him this spring. He doesn't care...just nonchalantly throws it in the trash when its broken. Sure wish I knew how to make him care more about his (and other people's) stuff.

I do have to say, I'm rather pleased with the cake. I wasn't able to buy one this year because I was in the hospital, so I had to wing it and make one myself. It turned out better than I expected. Wish I had done it on a piece of cardboard rather than kept it in the pan, but the pan is great because it comes with a lid to keep the cake fresh. Kids don't care if the cake is in a pan or not, right?

So today is over and I've got virtual twins for the next five months. So funny when people ask me how old my kids are and I tell them. Then they ask if they're twins and I say "no". I've seen a lot of confused looks and it's always enjoyable. And now when I holler at the kids "Stop it! You're acting like a coupla five year olds!" I'll really mean it.

Petrie

Requesting prayer for our family

**UPDATE**

Jay called yesterday and said his father was doing better. The coughing seems to be more under control, and he's breathing better. Thus, Jay decided to beat the weather and head back to NC. I don't know how much longer his dad will be in the hospital, but hopefully he'll be back at the VA home soon.

I am doing okay today, but had a rough day yesterday. I think my water intake has a great affect on how I feel each day. I'm going to have to get in the habit of drinking a lot more water daily, I think. The medications I'm taking are not holding out for the full 24 hours, so I'll talk to the cardiologist about this when I see him next.

Thanks to all of you who are keeping us in prayer. We truly appreciate it, and give God all the credit for pulling us throught his difficult week.

Love,
Petrie
--------------------------

We seem to be going through a trial and we know God is still in control, but we would appreciate your prayers. Last Sunday I had to make a trip to the ER because my heart was racing and I was not feeling at all well. I was admitting Sunday evening and was diagnosed with SVT. Not life threatening, but very uncomfortable and I've not felt normal at all. Jay came home Sunday night and has kept things in order for me. I was discharged on Wednesday evening with some medication, but my heart still pounds, albeit at a slower rate. I've gone down from about 186 to 72...much better.

Late last night we got a call from the Indiana Veteran's Home that Jay's dad was being taken to the hospital for breathing difficulty. We got a call early this morning that he has pneumonia. Since then the doctor has called and said Jay's dad is unresponsive and has a rattle in his chest from probably aspirating food or water.

Please pray for Jay during this difficult time. He is naturally torn between staying home with me to help out, or going to Indiana to see his dad. We both know that God loves us and is fully aware of our situation, and we want to do what is in His will. Pray for clarity for Jay as he seeks to do what God would want him to do. And pray for his father, that he would heal and become responsive.

Thanks,
Petrie

Losing a Tooth

I first noticed the tooth was loose on the Saturday before Columbus day. It was our first loose tooth as parents, but I don't think Jay found it to be quite the memorable occasion I did. My FIRST kid's FIRST loose tooth! I thought back to my loose teeth and couldn't remember anything. I remember breaking a molar while eating a Necco wafer while walking home from the post office when I was about 11 or 12, but that's all. So I couldn't recall how long it took for a loose tooth to be set free.

We wiggled the tooth and waited. I checked it every few days to see if we were making progress, and Merrilee proudly showed it off to friends, grandparents, Sunday school classmates, and everyone else who was willing to acknowledge her magnificent milestone.

After five and a half weeks, I called the dentists office to see if there was something I didn't know. I sure didn't think any of my loose teeth took THAT long to come out when I was a kid, but I was reassured that it can take a long time and that I didn't need to worry unless she was in real pain. She wasn't, except for the time or two she ate an apple and really smashed down on the tooth. But that pain subsided quick enough and she was back to just a loose tooth.

I will have to admit one cowardly act. Merrilee really wanted that tooth to come out earlier this week, and I let her have a tissue to pull on it a few times. After the first try I got the heebie jeebies so badly that I told her to do it somewhere else. I'm a bit of a freak that way. I can handle bloody noses, and all manner of other nasty kid stuff, but things that make creepy noises just whack me. And the popping sound of a kid trying to pull out a tooth is one of them. So I did the unthinkable. I told Merrilee about the "old fashioned" method of tying a string on the tooth and pulling it. She was all for it, but little did she know I didn't have the stomach or nerve to pull the string myself. (I know my parents are probably laughing at me as they read this. They're shaking their heads saying "We knew she wouldn't be able to handle that." I have a history of being a pansy when it comes to the "little things". They know me well.) But I had a plan. I tied the string on and handed the other end of it to Jacob. As you can imagine, he had no problem with assisting in this very delicate medical maneuver. Merrilee, on the other hand, had the look of terror on her face as she realized I had betrayed her into the hands of her little brother. I reassured her he knew what he was doing (Okay, who are we kidding? He didn't know a thing, except that this could produce a tooth on a string with lots of excitement. He was all in!). Well, we tried it about four times, but with no luck. The tooth was in for another night. Thus, Jacob's moment in the spotlight was over and Merrilee breathed a sigh of relief.

Last night at about 9:45 pm, at the age of five years, seven months, and 20 days, after six weeks of wiggling it, she lost that first tooth. It was her lower left incisor. She had her friend Annalee spending the night and she was awake playing with her tooth after Annalee fell asleep. She came running out of her bedroom to tell me she “almost” pulled it out, as blood was dribbling down her lower lip. I took her to the bathroom and gave her a tissue to do a bit more of a professional job at pulling. After two lousy tries I told her to yank upward and Pop! Out it came. She was ecstatic! I haven’t seen her this excited even at her birthday parties. After we stopped the blood, she wanted to call Daddy. He asked her to save it for him to see, and she said she wanted to show it to Annalee and Jacob in the morning, and then she wanted to keep it for a few days, and then she’d mail it to him but he could only keep it for a week. She also informed me that she didn’t want to put it under her pillow because she didn’t want the tooth fairy (whom she knows is me) to take it away. She wants to wait a few days. So we had to go get a special little box out of my jewelry drawer for her to put her treasure in. She also requested we have a tea party the next day to celebrate. She went back to bed and I kept hearing her talking to herself and giggling. This is one of the singular most delightful moments of her little life. What a joy to share it with her! And to add to her delight, when I wiggled the lower right tooth as I tucked her it, I noticed it was loose too.

There Are No Accidents

Well, today I spent hours doing paperwork for our adoption. I got all the travel documents completed and faxed to our agency by 4:30, one day ahead of the deadline. My hand is cramped from filling out 11 pages of Chinese Visa applications and travel information/release forms. Made me think about how I took dozens of pages of notes in college and never had a hand cramp, but now in the internet age I rarely use a pen. I don't even have that humongous callous on one of the fingers of my right hand that I had for years through high school, college, and grad school. Amazing. So anyway, I got it all done.

Now here's the stupid part. I'm doing all this while juggling with the consequences of my little, uh, fender bender yesterday. Yep, I messed up. I had the luxury of going to a ladies event at church yesterday evening because a friend graciously arranged babysitting for me with a teen from church. So the sitter arrived, I finished up last minute details like giving the kids dessert after their dinner, changed my clothes quickly, and dashed out to the car. I got in and backed out of the garage. And, being totally unused to having any other car in my driveway because I can count the times I've had babysitters on one hand, I backed right into her car which was in the turn around.

Bit of trivia for you: In a contest between the back end of a Honda Odyssey and a Jeep (Liberty or Patriot, I think) with a spare tire on the back, the Jeep wins.


Yep, my Odyssey's back end was smashed, and the lights were smithereens. Can you say "scrrrrruuuuuunch"?



And guess how much damage there was on the Jeep? Notta. Nuthin'. Twasn't the tiniest scratch to her car. I took photos just for the record. But mostly I am so thankful because I love this family from our church and didn't want to ever cause them any trouble. I am praising God that he let me get all the damage for my own idiocy.

I'm also thankful that he is an all-knowing God who kindly let Jay take the Jaguar back to NC this week, leaving the truck in our garage. Thus, I have alternate transportation for myself and the kids while the van is recovering. I know there are some people out there who would say "Well, if God is smart enough to know you'd crash your car and he made Jay leave the truck, why did he even bother to let you crash your car in the first place? Why didn't he just stick his hand out and stop you?" I have a very good answer for that, and I'll share it.

I have a problem with grace. You may remember reading that on this blog. I tend to react to situations in a selfish way, and most often overreact when disciplining my children or confronting others. I am not willing to let things go without letting the other person know how they've put me out, wronged me, or otherwised acted foolishly and blown it. I don't extend grace to others as Christ has extended it to me. For those of you who don't really understand what grace is, it's something that we don't deserve at all, but we all desperately need. Like being loved in the midst of screwing up, or being forgiven when we've really done something unforgiveable. I am the Queen of dishing out what-for.


So here I am, so humbled by a friend who knew my need for a night out and arranged a babysitter as a gift for me (this is grace--I didn't deserve an evening out, but needed it), and in the middle of feeling grateful for her kindness, I smashed up my car. Of course, I had to call Jay and I knew he wouldn't be happy (I just made a huge payment to our adoption agency, Christmas is on the way, and all that other great stuff that looks like $$$). He isn't one to yell, but I knew I had let him down. And when I told him what I had done, he said "Well, take the truck." That's what he said. He told me he'd take care of calling the insurance company; he said he'd arrange everything. And he did. He just wanted me to go out and have a nice evening and don't worry about it. This is grace--I didn't deserve him caring about my evening out with the girls, but I needed it, because all I could do was feel bad about what I had done.



I thought about this a lot all the way to church and all the way back home. What beautiful examples of grace were right in front of me. Then I reflected on two incidents that morning. In the first Jacob got me out of the shower to tell me he spilled his bowl of milk at breakfast. I was ticked off, to say the least. I didn't yell at him, but I got dressed and coldly went downstairs to clean up the mess. I didn't smile at him and tell him it was okay. I didn't offer him more milk, or even offer to let him help clean up. I just put on my best "p.o.'d Momma" face and took care of the mess myself. Then later, after lunch, I noticed the kids had left a huge span of sandwich crumbs under the table, across the kitchen floor, and all over their chairs. I had vacuumed the entire downstairs, including the kitchen, just 20 minutes before. Do you think I was going to just sweep up the crumbs and let it go? Oh no. There would be Justice! I called the kids in, yelled, and ambushed them with a verbal form of chemical warfare. After the raid, I sent them upstairs, showed them the yet unvacuumed carpet, and made them spend the next half hour picking up every tiny speck.

I reflected on these things while driving home last night and was acutely aware of why God let me have my little car crash. I needed to see the stark difference in the way I was treated, with the way I treated others. If I needed to see grace in action, there it was. I immediately thought of the scripture of Psalm 103:10-12 "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

He got my attention, and that's all he wanted. Psalm 15:17 says The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Our car can be fixed, but how often can I truly say my heart is fixed? Honestly, I'm very thankful I blew it. Some lessons just require more home work than others.

So, in the midst of all the adoption paperwork, we're dealing with an insurance claim, towing, repair, and the worst of it, a deductible. Not much fun when the Visa applications themselves are running over $600. Let's just say, I might need to start selling plasma pretty soon.

Love,
Petrie

A note about our other blog

Just a reminder to those of you "in the know" (this would be family and very close friends). If you were invited to be a member of our private blog for our trip to China you will need to create a google account and password to view that blog. I want to maintain privacy regarding our new daughter and her adoption/medical issues, so I won't be posting much of our trip to China on this blog. When she gets home and undergoes surgery, updates will also be on the private blog. Of course, I will include some information on this blog, but it will be of a more general nature.

It's possible I missed people whom I love very much and would want to include in the more private areas of our lives, so if you didn't get an invitation and wonder why, it's probably my fault. Please email me and ask to be included. If you have a google or yahoo ID and it doesn't easily identify you, you'll need to let me know who you really are. Someone who's ID is "Snagglepuss" could be someone I adore, but if I don't put your name and face to your ID, I might deny you. Wouldn't want that to happen! So for all our family members, dear friends, and church family, please let me know if you need to be on the list of members.

Love,

Petrie

May I Introduce Our Daughter?

We received the joyful news today that our referal approval arrived at the adoption agency! They are sending it to us via overnight FedEx and we have to sign the papers and get it back to them by Monday. If all goes as planned, we are expected to leave for China late December or early January. Since we have now received the full approval to adopt her, I can share her photos. So with no further ado, I present to you Caroline Mei HuiQi.

Hui Qi at about 12 months old (around March of this year)

Hui Qi this summer with her hair shaved. Short hair sure does age her, doesn't it?

Now we have to jump through the hoops of getting Chinese Visas for the four of us, as well as decide what we need to pack, collect paperwork, and all the other fun stuff that comes six weeks before travel. I'm quite excited and can't think of anything I'd rather be planning to do for the holidays!

Love,

Petrie

Road Trip!

The kids and I travelled down south to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and then I headed up the road to meet Jay for the Marine Corps Ball last weekend. The kids had a great time meeting the new Granddog, Cody, and enjoyed spending Halloween with G & G while I was with Jay. It was the first time we've left my parents at the mercy of the children, and no one seemed the worse for the wear. The kids had a great time and enjoyed going to the Fire Museum, the county fair, a movie, and trick-or-treating. Grandma helped them carve pumpkins, and as is always the case, Grandma's don't get quite as worked up over the mess left behind. My poor kids have to carve pumpkins outside at my house.

Jay and I enjoyed two lovely nights without the children, one of which was spent attending the MC Ball and staying at the Hilton for the night. Jay is now the CO of his unit, so he had the honor of cutting the Marine Corps birthday cake and serving it to the guest of honor, the oldest Marine present, and the youngest Marine present, an annual tradition carried out at Marine Birthday celebrations all over the world.

After six days of visits and running up and down the highway, my parents brought the kids back up to meet us, and on Monday we kissed Daddy goodbye and headed home. We were so blessed to have beautiful weather, gorgeous fall colors, and delightful memories of the week. Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for caring for Merrilee and Jacob and for all the fun things you did with them. They're still talking about it!

Love,

Petrie