July Recap

According to Jay, my Adoring Fan's have been missing my updates and are starting to wonder if something's wrong on the homefront. Rest assured, we're all doing well here, but I'm in a pretty sad state of needing some serious R & R after summer "vacation"! July was so busy my schedule was fairly busting at the seams, and now that we're in August I'm trying to get my brain wrapped around a new routine. So I'm taking the next few minutes to finally sit down and try to fill you in on the happenin's around here.

First of all, just so you know, we did it all in this kind of weather:
This is no picnic when you have to sit around for one and a half hours outside while your kids are in swim lessons, playing soccer, or begging you to let them go in the pool. Our swimming pool water is HOT; it's about the same temp I like for taking a bath. That's not very refreshing when you really want to cool off. And the sun is HOT, so just sitting outside keeping tabs on the kids while they enjoy the bathwater is also no joyride. For those of you tempted to be envious of your neighbors with swimming pools, just know that on July and August days, the pool is one of the last places I want to be!

Speaking of swimming pools, one of my little tasks that I rather enjoy is my morning role of wild life scout. I've gotten pretty good at identifying creatures in the pool by their ripple patterns in the still water first thing in the morning. Most mornings it's just a very slight ripple from one corner and I know it's a cricket or beetle. Other mornings it's a significant, intermittent ripple and I know it's one of the tree frogs (which, by the way, are designed to stick to vertical surfaces, not swim). I try to hurry up and get those little guys because they don't last long in chlorinated water. Once every couple of weeks there is a more violent ripple and I pretty much know it's a big, fat toad. Those bad boys are just obnoxious. I love 'em, but dang it! they're dumb as...well, toads. They don't have webbed feet like frogs, yet when I try to scoop them out they immediately dive downward where I can't reach them. And apparently they aren't designed to hold their breath for long, because after a few dives they exhale underwater, lose their buoyancy, and sink to the bottom. Now at 7 am, I have no inclination to dive in to rescue them, nor do I care to dash in the house, change into my swimsuit and dive in to save them. Thus, if they choose not to allow me the pleasure of scooping them up with my net, they're at the mercy of God Almighty. As you can guess, we get our fair share of dead toads in the skimmer....

Anyway, this is a photo of the kids looking at the shrew I saved from certain death earlier in July. I thought it was a vole at first, since I don't know my backyard rodent species too well. However, after an internet search which taught me that voles pretty much look like mice (wonder how many creatures I thought were field mice were actually voles?), I found that what I had saved, and even been bitten by, was indeed a shrew. And wanna know what was really interesting to learn? The danged things are venomous. Glad the little stinker didn't break the skin when he bit me. No, I didn't let the kids hold him. Once I knew he'd bite, I didn't let them touch him. He was a cutie, though, and we all enjoyed checking him out before releasing him way far off in the back yard. Far from the pool.

The highlight of our month included a visit from my nephew. I'll do a separate post on that visit since he'd probably like to see lots of the photos from the time he was here. But part of that visit included a trip to the Flint RiverQuarium. As you already know, we really like our little trips to the zoo and aquarium, so how could we resist taking Cousin Patrick with us for a very nicely air-conditioned day among the fishes?

Katie Mei was particularly interested in the size of this fish.

And Merrilee enjoyed the baby turtles in the aquarium's nursery.

And speaking of nursery, the aquarium has a little aviary section with birds who have come in for emergency help. Most of them are rescues and are not able to go back into the wild. In July the wood ducks and the quail hatched babies. We were delighted to see the new additions up close!

Here's one of those forced photos where Aunt Petrie, aka Mommy, makes everyone sit down and act like they're happy to be there!

We also had to get a forced photo in front of one of the many painted turtle statues around downtown Albany. I don't know the whole story behind them, but just like the painted bird statues around our previous town in MD, there are turtles around Albany, all painted by local artists. This one is the Beer turtle, made to look like an eagle. I cannot actually remember if it represents the Anheuser Busch company with the eagle mascot, or more likely the Miller Coors company which has a bottling plant here, but in any case, it's located right next to the Turtle Grove Playground and has "Drink Responsibly" printed across the bottom. I'm not quite sure what message the city is trying to get across with this particular turtle....

My parents came to pick up my nephew on my birthday, and we had a little celebration. It's been a long time since Jay has been home on my actual birthday, and it's been an even longer time since my parents were able to celebrate with me. So this one was special! Even my nephew was there!

Merrilee probably enjoyed the occasion more than anyone. She had been eyeballing a little glass treasure at Cracker Barrel restaurant for some time and had her heart set on giving it to me as a gift. She told me over and over "If I had enough money I'd love to buy that for you!" Well, she had done a lot of chores and worked hard to earn money prior to my birthday, and when Daddy came home from a business trip the first thing she asked him was if he'd take her to Cracker Barrel to buy the gift for me. So after my birthday dinner at Blackbeard's Restaurant, we swung by CB so she could run in and get the gift. She was elated to have earned the money, saved it, and made the purchase, and giving me that precious glass butterfly had her on cloud nine!

Here's the crowd, minus Jay who was taking photos. I was so happy to have family with me for that day!

You can't really tell by Katie Mei's expression, but the cake Mom brought was absolutely delicious! Fudge frosting on chocolate cake...ahhhhhhh!

Now something else that made July kind of busy: Kitties! Dusty is somethin' else! He's a ball of muscular energy. But he's also a lover and has been so good with the kids. Katie Mei keeps her distance from our sometimes snappy Siamese, Linus, but as you can see she loves on Dusty. He's just such a sweetie that it's hard not to love on him. And when he's not dashing around chasing toy mice or swatting at Linus's tail, he's actually game for a few choky kisses.

And here's the busy part: the new baby kitten with no name yet. We've had her for almost two weeks now, and I still haven't come up with a name. She's quite tiny, and we've had to keep her away from Dusty unless they're well supervised. He has turned his attention away from Linus's tail and has taken on the duty of toughening up the kitten. If we aren't paying attention Dusty will pin her down and start chomping on her. She's a screamer, so we spend quite a bit of time scampering around trying to get her out from under furniture after a Dusty attack to put her back in the bedroom for some time out. It's like having a toddler beating up on a baby around here!

She is quite the ball of energy, though, and she's just one more reason we love kitties!

And, swim lessons. The long-awaited swim lessons. Last year the kids were in swim lessons in MD and attended four times a week for four weeks. They made great progress and I thoroughly enjoyed having them in the American Red Cross program. But that was where we had a kiddie pool for Katie Mei to play in during the lessons, and Jacob and Merrilee were both in the pool at the same time. But it didn't work out that way down here. Class was twice a week for half an hour, and wasn't as structured as before. We had to arrive at the pool on base, a 40-minute drive from our house, by 9:30 am, and each kid had separate lessons. There was no pool for Katie Mei to play in while she and I waited, so she had to find something to occupy herself for the hour+ wait. Needless to say, she got pretty good at some of the games on Merrilee's Leapster. I, on the other hand, just felt like I might get heat stroke.

Jacob had his lesson first. He was in the "aqua kids" class. Unfortunately, this was not an American Red Cross class, so the kids didn't accomplish the same things I would have liked them to learn, and they didn't move up in any of the ARC levels. Instead they just polished some of the strokes and skills they already had.

Merrilee was in "super swimmers" and got to do some diving. Again, she didn't learn anything new, but did get to hone her skills. The lessons were twice a week for four weeks, and after eight lessons, I didn't feel we were any better off than we were before. I don't think we'll be doing swim lessons on base here again.

Finally, the biggest busy-maker of my whole summer: Gymnastics. As you may recall, Merrilee was selected to be on the gymnastics team in May. We gave it the good, ol' college try, but this Momma had to call it a day. With Jay's upcoming extended travel and my obligation to care for two other kids while Merrilee is in the gym, as well as when she's required to go to competitions requiring over night stays; not to mention the fact that there is no time left in the schedule for Jacob or Katie Mei to enjoy any extra-curricular activities such as Pioneer Clubs at church or soccer at the YMCA; we've had to cut the gymnastics from our lives for now. It was costing us twelve hours per week, and making family meals a difficult task. There are just some things in life that our family cherishes too much to let go, and the family meal is a big one. I'm not that soccer mom, or gymnastics mom, that can let family time slide by the wayside. I know there will come a time in the future when the kids will start to scatter for their own independent activities, but at the ages of seven and under, it's just too early for me. So goodbye, gymnastics.

It broke my heart to have to discuss this with Merrilee, but she showed extraordinary maturity and understanding in her response. Instead, I will enroll her in the YMCA's homeschool PE program where she'll get a broader experience in sports for now. And next year, when Jacob is also seven years old, he can join as well. Who knows, she might really like badminton and never look back....

So that's my story. July was a pain in the butt very hectic, but we survived. Next year we're going to do things differently (I say that now...), and try to really enjoy the summer without clogging it full of things to do.

Now we're gearing up for the school year. I've signed the kids up for Elementary Spanish, The Presidents, Girl's club (for Merrilee), Show and Tell (for Jacob), and Preschool (for Katie Mei) in Friday classes. And I've volunteered to teach the Keeper's of the Faith class (Girl's club) myself. I also volunteered to teach Pioneer Clubs at church on Wednesday nights. I don't know if that means the rest of the school year is going to be as crazy as July was, but at least we'll all be doing something educational, fun, and God-glorifying at the same time, and there won't be anyone in the family sitting in a lobby waiting. And more importantly, dinners will be more relaxed and we'll all be together. That's what counts!

I will try to update the blog again soon, and will include the fun visit with Patrick! Thanks to all my Adoring Fans for the hints, reminders, and inquiries as to why I hadn't updated in awhile. It's nice to know I was missed!

Love,
Petrie

Go, Therefore, and Make Disciples

"It's showing on the outside what's happened on the inside."

This is what Merrilee told our pastor when he asked her what she understood Holy Baptism to be. He spent about an hour with her a couple weeks ago in order to get to know her better and talk to her about her desire to be baptized.

The past two churches in which Jay and I have had membership practice infant baptism. Jay and I do not discount the validity of infant baptism, but our desire is that each of our children will make his or her own decision to place Christ in a position of Lordship over their lives, and will feel the call to public baptism according to the tradition of John who baptized Jesus. In many churches this form of baptism is called baptism "by profession of faith", as opposed to "infant baptism". In none of the churches we've ever attended has either form of baptism ever been a means of salvation; salvation comes through Christ alone. Baptism is not required nor necessary for eternal life, and nowhere in the Bible is the opposite ever true. Baptism by profession of faith is, however, the public proclaimation that one has acknowledged his sinful nature and recognizes his need for the saving grace that only comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus--the only One who can redeem us from our sins and make us righteous in the eyes of God. This is the Baptism we desire for our children; a profession of faith in Jesus before the church and the world.



Merrilee made a genuine decision to accept Christ as her Savior when she was four years old. I remember that precious evening when it happened, and I have never doubted her faith since then. If anything, she has grown stronger and more deliberate in her growth as a Christian. Unfortunately, she was not able to be baptized in our previous church at such a young age outside of infant baptism, so we chose to wait until we were members of a church which would allow her to be baptized by profession of faith. Today we were blessed to have our first child take part in this beautiful and holy sacrament.

As she waited for Mr. Mike to introduce her, she very excitedly grinned and wiggled. I don't think I've ever seen her so, well, wiggly! I whispered to her, asking if she was nervous, and she replied "No, I'm just so excited!" And she truly was; she had been waiting for this day for two and a half years. Then Mr. Mike asked her some standard questions prior to baptizing her. The two of them had discussed the questions earlier, and Merrilee knew she was to answer the questions with a loud "Yes" so the congregation could hear. When Mr. Mike came to the question "Will you live your life in a way that is becoming of a follower of Christ?" (in other words, will you behave as a Christian should behave), she boldly and honestly proclaimed "I will try my very best!" I was so proud of her honesty and candor at that moment. Even the pastor was touched and repeated her answer loudly so the congregation could hear. None of us can truly answer "yes" to such a question, but I would certainly hope each of us would try our very best. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

We look forward to Merrilee's continued sanctification as she grows in her relationship with the Lord. And I eagerly await the day she, herself, shares the Gospel and disciples others in the Faith. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Working Vacation

Jay had to take a trip to Florida again for work, so the kids and I once again followed along and got to enjoy staying at the Navy Lodge at Mayport. I really do love going there, even though there's nothing fancy about the rooms or the base. It's just so convenient to the beach and the cost is minimal.

We were not able to get a single room with two beds this time, so we had to get two rooms. The girls and boys split up, which made for a couple of late nights of snacking in bed, and watching and laughing at some horrible performances on America's Got Talent. The girls and I enjoy little sleepovers like this once in awhile!

Katie Mei got her first real taste of swimming in the ocean. She had put her feet in the water before, but that was back in January when it was way too cold to do much more. This time she got to experience wading out to her waist and feel the waves knock her about. She wasn't impressed at first, and just begged to be held. She'd tolerate the waves, letting me lift her over them, and then she'd ask to go back onto the sand to play. But more and more frequently she'd come back to the water and ask me to help her stand in it. By our second day there, she was willing to stand on her own two feet with me only holding one hand, and she'd try to jump over the waves herself. It was fun to see her start to enjoy it. I have always loved the beach, and I really do want my kids to enjoy it as much as I do.





Jacob and Merrilee have never had the chance to use the kickboard in moving water before, so learning to "surf" the waves was a new experience for them. Now Merrilee wants a full-size Boogie Board for Christmas! I'd better plan on buying one before summer is over because I'm pretty sure they're not going to be at Wal-Mart in December.









Jacob never really got the hang of body surfing. He always seemed to miss the wave by going too early or too late.

Merrilee figured out how to "catch the wave" right away. She usually had some great rides!

Mind you, I said "usually"!

Katie Mei just enjoyed making castles in the sand.

For some reason, the girls' room was the gathering place when we had some down time. Maybe it was because the snacks managed to find their way into our room instead of the guys' room.

The girls and I enjoyed our breakfast cereal and coffee out on the porch, while Jay went for an early morning run and Jacob hung out watching morning TV. Yes, Katie Mei has a little cup of coffee, too. She likes very sweet, milky coffee now and then. It figures it would be my heart baby who likes caffiene. She only gets a tiny bit of coffee in the milk, and we only give it to her once in a blue moon. But she really enjoys it, much to the amazement of Merrilee who abhors the taste of coffee.

It's already July and I'm supposed to be thinking about ordering textbooks for a few of our classes that I haven't taken care of yet. But honestly, I'm still enjoying summer break too much to think about it. I hope we get the opportunity to get back to the beach at least one more time before September; I still have some energy left for a little more wave jumping!

Cure for a Fever?

Someone in our family came down with a fever yesterday. We've had a summer cold running through the house since VBS last week, and I even had a mild fever when my turn came to be sick. But a certain someone had a fever of over 103 yesterday and we had to stay home from church today. Fortunately a regular dose of Tylenol is keeping the fever under control, though I think we're still going to have to make a visit to the doctor's office tomorrow.

So in the meantime, Katie Mei and I decided to whip up a little curative for the summer heat and high fever. Not only is Katie Mei fun to cook with, she's really got some great control that I've never seen in a three year old. I didn't even have to help her with pouring full quarts of milk into the cannister.

We used up all the ice from our really full ice maker because it was so hot outside that it melted very quickly. The kids were enthralled by the freezing process, and it took our little sick somebody's mind off being sick. It took about 25 minutes of churning to freeze Katie Mei's concoction.

We waited...

and waited...

and waited....

And finally we were rewarded with our first batch of homemade ice cream! What a treat for sore throats, fevers, and hungry bellies!

Between the two quarts of half and half, and the 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream, it was quite a filling snack!

You'd never know the sicko is the one on the left. If you think about it, please keep her in prayer for a quick recovery. She's so stoic about being sick, and just won't complain. Quite the trooper, but she also pushes herself too far. Hope you get well soon, Sweet Girl!

High Seas Expedition!

It is once again that time of year where church upon church offers VBS to eager little kids clamoring for something fun to do during the summer. It's a great way to feed little minds with the love of Christ, and at the same time witness to their families by ministering to the children. We love VBS, and I usually take part in helping with it by teaching or serving in some way. However I decided not to do it this year, and really felt it was going to be too difficult to get our kids shuffled between soccer camp, gymnastics and evening VBS all in one week--one week in which Jay would be out of town.

But at the last minute I changed my mind and we decided to go. The sanctuary of our church was transformed by a beautiful ship display that some very artistic people put together. There was no way not to be impressed by this lovely setting. Even the steering wheel was handmade and worked (quite a distraction to little kids who couldn't resist playing with it!)

In true United Methodist fashion, each evening began with a meal. The kids ate pizza, chicken, corn dogs, and all sorts of other delights throughout the week, and moms got a great break from having to cook!

There were around 70 kids in attendance each night! Quite a bunch to feed, corral, and move from class to class. But the teachers pulled it off beautifully and we didn't lose anyone in the shuffle.

Katie Mei took a huge step, and I do mean huge, in finally allowing us to leave her in the care of Miss Michelle ("My'shell" as she affectionately came to be called by Katie Mei). I took a big chance in asking Katie Mei if she'd like to go to the VBS 2 & 3 year old class, and when she said "yes", My'shell soon became one of Katie Mei's dearest friends. I was absolutely overjoyed that Katie Mei finally showed some trust and maturity in separating from me while being in the midst of a loud, busy class of other little kids. This has just not happened in the 17 months we've had her. I was very proud of her going back night after night to her class and not once changing her mind!

Merrilee and Jacob enjoyed arts and crafts, Bible stories, and lots of music. I was very happy to have VBS over so I would no longer have to hear the same theme song over and over again day after day! It was one of those melodies that starts to grate on your nerves after awhile, and of course, both Merrilee and Jacob loved singing it anytime they could!

The last day of VBS the kids performed their songs in front of parents and then got their certificates of participation. Katie Mei didn't mind being up front in the church as long as she had My'shell by her side.

Jacob is a natural when it comes to the performing arts, and he sang enthusiastically, enjoying every minute of it. He's got a great smile, and confident stage presence. And when he wasn't fiddling with the communion table or alter, he was singing his little heart out!

Merrilee loved singing, too, but I didn't get many photos of her. Unfortunately one of the things she often does is stand behind other kids where I can't get a good picture of her. Just to get this one, I had to crawl across the floor of the church and sit up front with the music director. When it came time to get her certificate, Merrilee turned her back to me and hid behind someone else. I had to wait until she sat back down on the dais before I could snap a picture of her.

Jacob had no problem making sure we got a photo of him after he got his certificate. Ham!

And Katie Mei was super-pleased with her accomplishments! What a trooper!

All the kids did a wonderful job, and I was so glad I had changed my mind and took them. It was a harried week between all our crazy activities, but we really did have fun. Sometimes I surprise myself that I can actually manage this, but I'm glad I don't have to do it on a regular basis. I'd rather leave the Soccer Mom Super Woman titles to someone else. My little world is big enough just as it is. I really don't need any big Expeditions to keep me on my toes.

Publishing my blog

Just to answer Jocelyn's question regarding publishing my blog.... I was very happy with Blog2print.com . They give plenty of options regarding book design; the font and page set-up were very professional; and you can choose whether to include all your posts, comments, dates, etc. The book is bound quite sturdily in a nice hardback cover. You can also just buy a CD-ROM of the blog as well, if you prefer, and print it out on your own paper.

Here are some photos of my book. The total cost of this book (about 160 pages, hardcover), was about $63 when I ordered it during a special discount offer. The regular price would have been about $74. Shipping was free. Printing and delivery took about two weeks.

I am very happy with the printed book, and plan to do the same thing for my other two kids' adoption trips once I get my journaled work into blog form. Since their books will only cover the weeks leading up to the trip to China and a little of the weeks following our return home, the books will be much shorter than Katie Mei's, and therefore cost me quite a bit less.

Another site that I've heard good things about is picaboo.com . I believe prices are similar.

Merrilee's Special Day!

Today is the sixth anniversary of the day I became a Mother, and it's a very special day in our house. Merrilee came to us as a 14-month old toddler, and has brought more joy to my life than I ever imagined. She is dear to my heart, and my best friend.

I have been working on transferring my posts from our original Yahoo group for Merrilee's and Jacob's adoptions to a new blog for her. I'm doing this so I can get a book published as I have with Katie Mei's blog (I use blog2print.com) .

If you'd like to relive Merrilee's adoption day, you can go to http://treasuresfromchina.blogspot.com/ to read the post from that special day and see the photos.

Love you, Merrilee!
Mama