Madison sang in the "Mystery of the Manger"

Madison joined choir this year. She reluctantly joined because she had NO choice! She found she actually enjoyed learning the songs and motions for the musical. My shy girl is branching out and perhaps next year she will even try out for a solo?!

First Snow Ever!

Alex got to experience his first snow ever...at least to my knowledge. The night before he watched out the window with glee. He happily shoveled the driveway until Madison and Nathan called him over to learn snow angels. He seems to be adjusting to the colder weather. There was no complaining until I called them all inside.

Merry Christmas to All!

Our Fun Trip to the Dentist

Alex had 3 teeth extracted this week. This was very traumatic! He cried for 15 minutes which should really be classified as heavy sobbing. He has always fought tears so I know this was very upsetting. Even Madison cried because she felt bad for him. How is that for compassion?

Unfortunately, this is not the end of his dental troubles. He's having caps put on his teeth Dec. 17. The pediatric dentist said to expect another 3 or 4 visits the next few months to get everything done. Please keep him in your prayers!

Welcome to America Party

Our church Sunday School class gave our family a "shower" to welcome Alex to our home, church, and country. He received many cool gifts with Spiderman or Thomas the Tank Engine. He loved the gifts but was a bit shy at all the attention. There were games for the kids including a pinata. He loved swinging the bat but was confused by the mad grab for candy. It must look strange to someone unfamiliar with the process.

We are very thankful for all the people who lifted up the adoption process in prayer. Alex is a wonderful boy and we are so happy to have him join our family.

AWANA Grand Prix

Pumpkin Carving

The kids took a more active role in the pumpkin carving activities. I got a break from scooping out the goo...at least most of it. Madison chose a howling wolf, Nathan drew his own design, and Alex picked a face pattern. Chris had to carve Alex' pumpkin with a drill because the regular tools were too wimpy to get through the hard shell. I took the helm at pumpkin seed sorting. Since I'm the only one who eats the seeds I guess that is fair. If only they knew what they were missing!

Pumpkin Patch

We took a trip to a local pumpkin farm to choose our pumpkins. We strayed from standard orange and bought a white, a blue, one shaped like Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, another shaped like a turk's turban, and a few gourds. I never imagined we'd spend that much money...oops! The kids took a trip on a "hay" wagon while I(mom) examined the pumpkins. I was followed around by a worker at the farm. I'm not sure if he was on commission or if he thought I was a potential thief. I suppose he could have been overly friendly, but that's not the impression I received. Very strange indeed!

Happy Birthday Madison!!!!

(Pictures: the blob in front of Madison is fruity and cocoa pebble rice crispies stacked on a plate)

Madison turned 9 today. I can't believe it! I can remember when she was running around our townhouse shouting her first word "fan". Now she runs around the house shouting "MOMMMMMMMM!"

Nickname: Madi

Words that best describe her: helpful, creative, active

Favorites:

color-pink

drink-cream soda

meal-Chinese, sesame chicken

snack-ice cream, pound cake, or brownies

outdoor activity-scooter or chalk

indoor activity-computer and TV

school subject-reading

toy-Littlest Pet Shop (digi pets)

game-Life

animal-unicorns, pegasus, horses

memory-when I lost my first tooth

song-"Like a Wise Man", a song from the Christmas musical "Mystery of the Manger"

What she wants to be in adulthood-a veterinarian or an artist

What kind of pet she'd like to have-kitty cat

Where she'd like to live-Near Six Flags Great America

Where she'd like to vacation-Disney World

Favorite verse- Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (NASB ©1995)

Airport Pictures

A New Beginning

Several people have asked for updates, or should I say have complained (:-0) about the lack of updates?! We are recovering from a 13 hour time change and adjusting to several shifts in our family dynamics. So my brain has been relatively tired, along with the rest of me.

Alex is doing a wonderful job adjusting from what I can see. He loves to play with Thomas the tank engine, cars, baseball/catch, blocks, and kitchen set. He enjoyed the outdoors until the temperature plunged 30 degrees. His fatless body can't handle the cold. He likes to be held by me (mom) and he'll twirl my hair in his fingers. He likes to wrestle with dad, be swung around, or tickled. He'd play with Nathan non-stop if Nathan could handle it. He likes Madison too but doesn't interact a lot with her.

Our bedtime routine is improving...hooray! He has slept through two nights in a row. He's going to bed at the same time as the other kids and waking around 9am. He's learning to stay in his bed and has found comfort in a huge Pooh Bear.

Chris will officially return to work tomorrow and I will start my normal home schooling routine on Monday. I am very thankful for this relaxing week. Having Chris home meant an easier time getting over jet lag (a.k.a. naps taken). Several families from church have brought us meals this week. We have been pampered and have enjoyed it to the fullest. Real life begins Monday. Now that's the update you should look forward too!

Thursday & Friday

Yesterday we picked up Alex's passport and then headed to Taipei 101. It was a rainy day so the views weren't all that great. There is a mall on the lower floors with high-end designer stores. We didn't shop there but did check out the huge food court in the basement. I was tired of experimenting with food and went for the KFC option. Chris had sushi. There was a huge store called Jason's Market. It had imported food from all over. It was fun to peruse the shelves.

Today we are taking another trip to the Handicraft promotion center to get a few items. We also have to pack our bags because our plane leaves this evening. We are ready to come home and reunite with our other children. Taiwan is a beautiful country and we hope to return in 5 yrs. or so.

Thank you for keeping up with our journey and praying for us. Now on to the next chapter of our lives!

Wednesday, Oct. 3 - AIT

Today was our AIT appointment. AIT stands for American Institute of Taiwan. It is the equivalent of an American Embassy but can’t be called such as Taiwan is not recognized as an independent country. We met our Cathwel social worker, Ann, at AIT. We turned in our I600 form which names Alex as the child we are adopting. We answered a few questions and then were asked to sit down and wait. We were called to a different window and were asked a few more questions by another man. Then we were free to leave. We will return to AIT on Thursday to pick up Alex’s passport.

After AIT, we took a walk to Da’an Park. Alex played on the playground. We took the MRT back to the main station and checked out the underground mall. We ate lunch and returned to the hotel for a leisurely afternoon.

Alex interacts with both of us but he really enjoys his ba ba (daddy). He loves to be silly and giggles often. When he plays by himself he sings with a joyful heart. I see areas of common interest to Madison and Nathan. I’m thinking they will get along well.

Tuesday, Oct. 2 - Zoo & Gondolas

Today we went to the Taipei Zoo. We used the public transportation, the MRT. Once we figured out how to pay and how to read the maps, it was quite easy. Most things are labeled in English. This has become our preferred method of transportation. Alex likes it too!

Back to the zoo; it is the largest zoo in Asia. If you go, prepare for a lot of walking and sweating! Sunglasses and a hat or visor are a must. It was also inexpensive. I think we paid only $2 US per adult and Alex was free. The grounds were beautiful. The animals were active. I saw lions chasing each other and hippos playing in the water. I found this quite surprising since animals at Brookfield Zoo seem to sleep during the hottest part of the day.

Next we left the zoo and walked a few blocks to the Maokong gondolas. These trams just opened in July of this year. They take you from 90m to almost 300m to the city of Maokong where the tea houses are. The guidebook says “the Maokong Gondola lifts you into a world of emerald hills and breathtaking views of Taipei’s urban skyline”. I would agree.

We were hoping to find the government run tea promotion center but we were unsuccessful. It was too hot for us to enjoy hot tea so we mainly admired the scenery before taking the gondola back down.

We walked back to the MRT station for the return trip to our hotel. We were traveling during rush hour. Boy do the trains get packed! If you don’t know where you are going it would be easy to get in everyone’s way. Alex had to be carried when we walked so we could keep pace and not lose him.

Alex was a trooper with all the walking we did today. He didn’t seem particularly interested in any of the animals but he loved the gondola and train rides.

Monday's Pictures

Monday, Oct. 1 - Our First Meeting

Today was the big day! We took a 20 min. taxi ride to Cathwel Service. We rang the doorbell and asked for Penny Wu. We waited in the lobby for a few minutes and were greeted by a very pleasant and cordial Penny. She took us directly to the second floor where we were met by Alex and his caretaker. He was so afraid and shy. He clung to his caretaker’s leg. They were speaking to him in Mandarin but I could tell they were encouraging him to greet his ma ma and ba ba. They had us remove our shoes and we went into the play area directly off the hallway. We all sat on the floor; Penny, Ann the social worker, the caretaker, Shao-Chun, and us. He sat like a wet noodle in his caretaker’s lap. He didn’t cry but he didn’t want to acknowledge us in any way.

So we talked a little about the paperwork and items that Shao-Chun would be bringing home. They took out his remote control car and he started playing. We took out the camera and began taking photos and showing them to him. What child doesn’t like to see their picture? It became a little easier at this point. They had me put his socks and shoes on and we went to see his room. The other children were off to school so we only saw where he slept. They had me help him with opening a liquid yogurt for him to drink. I believe these tasks were meant to help break the ice. Then we put our shoes on and returned to the lobby. As we waited for the taxi he returned to his shell. He wouldn’t look at anyone or even speak to anyone. It was a very quiet ride back to the hotel.

Once we were in our hotel room I brought out some toys. I brought out a Thomas the Tank Engine puzzle. This was a very good thing! He loves Thomas and he loves puzzles. We worked on the puzzle together. He is a very bright boy! Within 15 minutes we were all being silly and giggling. It was wonderful to see him relax and smile.

We took a trip to McDonald’s for lunch. He ate almost everything. We returned to our room and spent the rest of our day getting to know each other. He normally would take an afternoon nap but he didn’t seem interested. By the time 8pm came along, we were all exhausted. He fell asleep right away.

So overall, I’d say the first day went very well. I am very thankful. Please continue to pray for us.



P.S. We have been pronouncing his Chinese name wrong all this time. I had a feeling that might be the case.

Yeliou Geopark

Sunday, Sept 30

Today we hired a driver, Nick Lee, to show us around Taiwan. We didn’t have specific locations we wanted to see, instead we allowed him to make recommendations. He took us to a coastal town called Keelung which is also his home town. We began at the Yeliou Geopark. The sand stones have been shaped by the salt water and weather. The resulting shapes are like mushrooms, honeycomb, and candles. It was beautiful! This was my absolute favorite spot of the day. Upon exiting we entered a “gauntlet” of stalls selling seafood and trinkets. There were many vats of a powdery substance. Nick explained that it was dried fish that had been pulverized. Then he had us taste it. He said “It’s good, yes?” I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. I held the rest in my hand until I could reach the restroom and dispose of the rest. This is where I had my second surprise of the day, squat toilets. I’ll spare you the details.

He then asked to take us to Dharma Drum Mountain which is a Buddhist temple and monastery. I had prayed about whether or not to attend these places ahead of time. We decided to go to see what these people do and hear what they believe. There was a meditation courtyard with a reflection pool. There were two separate halls with different gods. It seems that one Buddha can’t do it all. There are different kinds for different purposes. There was a tree where you write down your wish on a leaf and hope that it will be answered. Nick explained a few other beliefs, but it’s sufficient to say these people need to hear there is one true God who can be their ALL in all!

Our next stop was for lunch for shabu shabu or Japanese hot pot. You sit at a table and you each have a pot of broth. Each person controls their own pot’s temperature and what they add. We were given a starter plate of cabbage, greens, tofu, shrimp, tempura, pork ball, fish ball, and what we later found out was a fish egg pouch. Nick ordered additional plates of thinly sliced beef, pork, and a seafood sampler. We each created our own dipping sauce made from soy sauce, onions, garlic, peanut powder and something else I couldn’t identify. Tracey actually tried squid! Chris ate shrimp, oysters, clams, and a variety of ocean fish. Normally this restaurant puts LIVE shrimp on your plates because they believe in utmost freshness but realized this may be alarming to us foreigners.

Nick took us shoe shopping. We had asked Cathwel if they needed any donations. They suggested shoes for the 4-6 yr. olds. He even bargained on our behalf. Then he stopped and picked up some pineapple cake from the Lee Hu Cake shop. I guess it’s well known.

We then visited Jhongjheng Park. There is a temple and museum for the Ghost Festival. There is a Buddha who “chose” to go to hell to help those in hell try to get to heaven. I got to share how the Bible teaches that once we die, heaven or hell has been determined and can not be changed. There was another section in the park with a huge female Buddha statue, another temple, and a mini family fun park with children’s games and rides. Everything is entrenched with these Buddhist beliefs. The final stop within this park was a military stronghold. It shows how the Taiwanese held off the British and Dutch attempts to takeover Taiwan. The Taiwanese defended the port from the hilltop using cannons.

I think Nick was ready to keep going, but we were exhausted and asked to be driven back to our hotel. Our legs truly had a workout. I still feel the burn! We fell asleep around 7 pm and now we are wide awake at 2am. Somehow I don’t think this will be very helpful later on today! AND we get to finally pick up our son!!!! Today at 10am. Please pray that all will go well.

Saturday, September 29

Just a few pictures to get you acquainted with our surroundings. We have the Caesar Park hotel room, Peace Park, and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial and surrounding garden.

We started the day with a wonderful breakfast that could be likened to an American brunch buffet. They offered Western items such as cereal, pastries, fruit, omelettes, bacon and eggs. But we also got to experiment with sweetened black beans, rice pouridge, duck, spicey cabbage, beef noodles, cooked garlic cherry tomatoes, a white fruit with black seeds (??), and others. This was a lot of fun!

After breakfast we exchanged currency at the hotel lobby. Then we just started walking toward the CKS Memorial and took in all the sights and sounds and smells of Taipei. Near our hotel there are many food stalls/stores. They are actually part of the buildings but the store fronts are open - no glass windows or front wall. We stopped at Peace Park and found a kids' playground that will come in handy once Alex joins us. The park was beautiful and clean. We walked another 10 minutes to the memorial and took many photos. Then we rested near the pond with the white bridge. On our walk back to the hotel we stopped at the Taiwan Handicraft Mart. This is a 3 story building that sells any and all things made in Taiwan. We saw jewelry, paintings, wood carvings, pottery, sculptures, etc. Chris picked out a set of chopsticks with resting trays. This can be our new family tradition for when we eat chinese food.

Once we were within a block of our hotel we found a Dunkin Donuts. Nathan(ds) would be so happy! We could move to Taiwan and he wouldn't have to give up his favorite snack. There are also many 7/11's, Starbucks, and McDonalds.

The people here are very friendly and polite. The maps are easy to follow and the people generally know enough English to help us with our questions. I really wish I knew more Mandarin. My goal for tomorrow is to at least speak in Madarin for the basics (hello, thank you, please).

Zai jian

An interesting start to our trip

We are so thankful to all of you who are lifting us up in prayer over the next week. Before we left, Chris and I turned it all over to the Lord. We had an immediate chance to rest in his plan. The limo driver did not show up at our scheduled 9:30a.m. pickup from the house. Chris called only to find out they had mistakenly put us down for Friday, not Thursday and there weren't any drivers available. The owner's wife (of the limo service) graciously offered to pick us up. She arrived at the house at 10:45 and we made it to the airport by 11:45. This left us 45 minutes to check our bags (internationally), make it through security, and get to United's (ORD) concourse C. It took us almost the entire 45 minutes to make it through security. We were like the OJ Simpson/Hertz commercial running through the airport. We didn't have to hurdle anyone or anything though! Thankfully, my FIL John was working (at United) that morning. He told the gate agents we were coming. We were 2 of the last 3 to make it on the plane. We found our seats and the plane backed out of the gate. The adrenalin was pumping and I hope to never experience that again! And though it all goes against my natural reactions, God gave me a great sense of peace. Thank you God!

(Just About) Ready for Takeoff

We leave in 3 days! I can not believe how much preparation has gone into this trip. I have to pack for the trip to Taiwan, pack the kids to go to Aunt Kim's, situate the cats for the pet sitter. This is insane. All the while I'm home schooling, doing work for our church's women's retreat, having birthday parties for the kids, squeezing in all those last minute doctor's appointments (5 this month alone), and moving "stuff" around the house to prepare for Alex. I can't imagine life after we return. The past year and a half has all been directed toward this goal. I can understand why some women experience post adoption blues. Of course my first year home with Alex will probably be filled with adjustments and bonding issues. So I don't have to worry about being bored! :)

Anyway, we leave Thursday, meet Alex on Monday, have a Visa appointment on Wednesday, and fly back home the next Friday. We're trying to schedule a day of touring with a driver. I hope we hear back from him before we leave.

August Update

Alex has started taking English classes. I wonder how much he has learned in one short month. I know my Mandarin hasn't gotten very far. I can say yes, no, thank you, please, and I am your mother. That will be a short conversation!

The social worker meets with him on a regular basis to prepare him for adoption and moving to the USA. I think he's just starting to understand that this will mean leaving Cathwel and the caretaker he has come to love. He told the caretaker "then I won't see you!". He knows he's going to the USA but he wants to go with another boy that is leaving in September. I guess it's less intimidating that way. Please pray for him as this will be scary and intimidating. He may also be unaware of the language barrier and the frustration that will bring.

We have our airplane tickets and hotel reservations. We are leaving on Thursday, Sept. 27. We get to meet him on Monday morning and bring him back to the hotel with us. It's very difficult to think of how we'll spend our days. Will we stay in the hotel room? Should we risk venturing out? At the very least, we can walk to one of the local parks and get some exercise. We will return to IL late Friday, Oct. 5.

It is finally happening and I am so excited. I still have much packing to do!

July Update & Taitung Field Trip

Wow! July's Update included lots of photos of a trip to Taitung. Taitung is a resort town on the east coast of Taiwan. The kids got to ride horses, swim in the pool, play at the park, and eat a wide assortment of seafood. How cool is that meal served in a ship?!

We got the call to travel today. We can leave as early as September 16. What??? I wasn't expecting to travel until mid to late October! I'm experiencing a sudden sense of panic! What about that office I'm trying to organize, the living room in need of paint, and the home school plans I need to put into action? I guess it all doesn't really matter. The fact is, my son is ready to come home!

I called Chris to give him the good travel news. Now guess who is in a panic? People always become indispensable when they're going to leave work for two weeks! Now I have to see how flexible the Taiwan courts can be with our appointments. Chris and his employer have decided that the first week of October will work better.

Thank goodness I have a God who cares and knows all the little details. We'll just pray about it and see what happens.