THE COOK FAMILY ADVENTURES

Two Months at Home

2008-09-10T19:10:00.001-07:00

Two Months at Home!

2008-09-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

So, I've heard all of your cries for new photos and updates about our boys! :) We have been home a little over two months now. (Next week, it will be three months since we first met David - amazing!) Most days, we can barely remember our lives before David - he is so much a part of our family and our hearts. Other days, we think about the whirlwind that has been the last three months of our lives and wonder how on earth we are still standing! :) We know you all really just wanted to see how cute our sons are, but the proud Momma has to fill you in on all the details. So...here goes:

David is 11-1/2 months old this week - WOW! I can hardly believe that the tiny baby that I first held nearly three months ago will be one year old in a couple of weeks! He is hardly the same child that we first met, but I feel as though we are meeting the real David a little more each day. David has battled scabies in a mighty way this first year of his life. He also struggles with a severe form of eczema - a skin rash that breaks out periodically all over his little body. To put it simply, our sweet son itches. A lot. Almost all the time. Since we have been home, we have been for countless doctor visits and tried so many medications. It's been my full-time job the last couple of months to get him healthy. The good news is that he is definitely so much healthier than when we first met him. He is still a tiny guy, but not nearly as small as three months ago. He's gained about three pounds - might not seem like much, but to him, it's 20% of his total body weight! He eats like it too, with round-the-clock feedings about every 3 hours or so. Right now, I think he is taking about 40 oz. of formula a day, plus baby food! He had some catching up to do in the nourishment department, but I think he's definitely making a dent! Between the skin issues and the nighttime feedings, sleep has been a rare treat in our house since we've been home. (Thus, the very infrequent posts here - sorry!) I know though, it will only last for a season, and in time, David will be fully healthy and sleeping much better. Please forgive me, though, if it is a bleary-eyed season for me after close to three months of broken sleep! I'm taking the opportunity to blame all my typical craziness on lack of sleep right now - one of the benefits of being up at 2:00 a.m. on a regular basis!

So, aside from the health stuff, who is David? Well, he is such a tiny, feisty little fireplug! :) He is happy and smiling a lot of the time, and when he smiles, he really lights the place up! I finally caught a picture of him in the grass the other day that shows a glimpse of his real self. It's my favorite thus far. I'm pretty sure that he is going to be my mischief-maker, too, because there's always just a bit of a naughty twinkle in his eye! He is such a trooper, as he really fusses so little about his skin despite all the polka dots he continues to have. I think he learned early in life to find the bright side to his situation no matter what. Really, God has taught me a lot about my attitude from watching him. I wish that I could also be so constantly positive all the time! David is definitely a Momma's boy, and there is no place he would rather be than in my arms. I guess I won't complain too much about that one - my arms are a little tired occasionally, but my heart is full! :) He is still pretty uncertain around larger groups of people and with strangers. I am anxious for our friends and family to get to know the real David soon too, but I'm sure he's storing up plenty of mischief for them in years to come! :)

Will has been a great big brother so far. He started kindergarten in late-August. He goes half-days in the afternoons, so we still get to have some lazy-morning time with Mom and the boys. I'm really glad that Will isn't away full days yet. He has really gotten to know David better for being at home some. It also gives me a little more time to give him some extra attention, which I think is helping us through all the changes in our lives right now. When I stop to think about it, I am amazed at how Will has tolerated everything from Bill & I being away a whole month to having a new brother to starting school. Basically, his entire little world is different! Sure, we have had our days of tears and our days of testing behavior, but all in all, he has been a great kid, and I am so proud of him. He is a certainly a full-blown kid now - no more preschooler in him! He loves Legos, soccer, doing artwork, learning to read, and playing with his friends.

It's an unusual post for me to have so little news to report. Last year, not a month went by that we weren't travelling somewhere or going on some exciting adventure. This year, though, we've decided that our exciting adventure is right here under our roof! We've been to the zoo a couple of times, checked out a couple of baseball games, met up with our playgroup, hung out at the pool...all the basic everyday stuff. But, wow! Suddenly, with David in our lives, all the everyday stuff has become extraordinary! I think as a family, the four of us seem to all like it that way! :)

It hasn't always been easy since David's been home. I wanted to put in a special thank you to my lifelines, though. We have some dear, dear friends and family who have listened to me bellyache about tiredness, supported me through tears as we struggled to find a solution for David's skin, brought us dinners to our house when I was too exhausted to cook....the list of help just goes on and on. Our family, of course, tops that list, with their physical help when we first came home, and lately, the countless hours they've been available for phone chats. Our church group has also been so kind - both our Sunday School class and my Mom's Bible Study group. They have fed us physically and spiritually! :) My dear friend, Mai, is riding this journey of new babies with me, and I am so glad that we are taking this trip together! She's always there to cheer me up with a phone call, and her Mom has me hooked on Vietnamese Spring Rolls! Finally, there's my Adoptive Moms' group - Freshwater, as we call ourselves. They are a constant wealth of information, as many of them have been through these transitional times themselves. Most of all, they listen to me as I vent, encourage my heart, and pray for me regularly. I couldn't ask for more! :) If you are a part of this adoption experience, find a group of girls that can hold your hand and tell you that you are going to make it. You deserve it, and you will need it at some point. There are some special challenges to the adoption process. Don't miss out on the special blessings that include heart-friends like these!

For those of you blog-followers, I promise I won't be so long in posting next time! After all, we have a big birthday coming up soon! :) Keep in touch! For my dear blog-buddies still waiting to travel, I continue to pray for you regularly. You will make it, and it will be worth it in the end. "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy!" - Psalm 30:11. I am praying that you will all be dancing soon!

At Long Last.....Photos! :)

2008-07-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

Finding our Way to Normal!

2008-07-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Someone once said that "Normal is just a setting on my dryer!" I couldn't agree more! We are finding our way little by little towards the "NORMAL" setting in our lives...but we're not quite holding our breath for it yet! :) After a week of help and love from our extended family, we are now working on being just the four of us. In our lives, that includes:

anywhere from 6-9 bottles a day, mostly taken at night
sleeping in 2-3 hour increments (yes, for an entire month!)
countless diaper changes (you could count them, but why?)
loads of tiny, sweet laundry items to be washed
more smiles than we could ever have asked for from both of our boys

Yes, it's an adjustment getting used to having two sons in our household. No, we wouldn't have it any other way. Will has been a great big brother. He loves to play with David, and is never too busy to help. He even patted David's leg and told him how proud he was when David had to get his first shots this week. Will said, "David was such a trooper! He did really good at the doctor!" I'd say Will has been quite a trooper this summer as well, and we couldn't be more proud of him.

David continues to be a joy. His health is continuing to improve, and little by little, his scabies sores are disappearing. It's fun to see his little personality start to shine as he plays with his toys, crawls all over the house, and is starting to try his hardest to pull up! He LOVES being held, and would prefer life best if I held him 25 hours a day. Needless to say, my ability to get things done is drastically reduced, but then, my required "to do" list is pretty short too: 1) Hold David, and 2) Love on Will. So, perhaps the laundry will continue to pile up and the delivery menus will get a lot of use, but that's okay with us! :)

Today is the one-month anniversary of our G&R date. David has officially been our son for an entire month! Cupcakes for everyone!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-07-09T13:31:00.001-07:00

We arrived home the afternoon of July 3 to a great cheering crew at the OKC airport! Thanks to family, Clines, and Archers for a fun welcome! David did well....not so great on the flight from Hanoi to Tokyo, but then made up for it by being an absolute angel on the long leg from Tokyo to DFW. We were so, so glad to see friends and family and most of all, Will! :)

Sorry to be slow-on-the-post, so to speak, but the past few days have been a whirlwind of activities and emotions. We've had so much help from both sets of grandparents (Thanks, Everyone!) which we needed so much. I'll be honest, the jetlag is tough, and jetlag with a baby who wakes every two hours all night to eat is a bit of a challenge! We're definitely not feeling as young as when we stayed up all night in college, that's for sure. But, then, college was well, a LOT of years ago! :) I know this may rattle the adoption bonding cages a bit, but we recommend that those of you with babies soon to come home line up a little extra help the first couple of weeks that you are home. Sometimes it's just nice to have a home-cooked meal and clean laundry magically appear! Thanks again, Grandma and Gram!

David's been a charmer through all of the changes this past week. He's been to multiple doctors about his scabies. Please feel free to e-mail me privately if you have scabies in your world as well - we are learning how to deal with it, and thanks to a series of medications, he is much improved now. Overall, though, despite his skin woes, he is a surprisingly feisty little man - gaining nearly a pound in weight in three weeks (I guess those round-the-clock feedings are paying off!), crawling across the living room, playing toys with his new big brother. We still feel as though we need to pinch ourselves occasionally to prove that this is not just a dream and he is really ours! "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gifts!"

We have plenty of shameless pride photos of our two boys at home, but we haven't spent the time necessary fiddling with cameras and computers to get them in the blog. Check back soon, but don't hold your breath if it's a few days before you see them - we're just too busy loving our kids right now! :)

Don't just survive....THRIVE!

2008-07-02T03:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you who have sent your good wishes to us and followed our journey here in Vietnam. Based on the number of e-mails I’ve been receiving, many of you adoptive families yet to travel are interested in some of the practicalities of living life in Vietnam. So, after a month of experience, I am TOTALLY not qualified to answer! :) Still, I will try to give you a few of my thoughts on how to not just survive but THRIVE during your stay in Vietnam.

First of all, though, I have to be a bit preachy. You see, before you can begin to thrive in this country, you have to actually WANT to do so. I know that seems beyond obvious, but it is not necessarily the prevailing attitude that Americans seem to exhibit here. If you are only travelling to Vietnam to pick up your child and return home post haste, perhaps this post isn’t for you. But, if you want to fall in love with this country, its people and customs, and most of all, the special part of your new son or daughter that is and forever will be Vietnamese, then read on:

Find SOMETHING good to say about everything that you see or do. Instead of being scared of the hoards of scooters everywhere, play our game and try to pick out your favorite one each day. Bill and I have developed scooter preferences by paying attention to their details, which seem to be a way of expressing Vietnamese personality. Seriously, my friend Natasha gave one of the best pieces of advice on her blog that has helped us enormously during our time here: do NOT complain about things that you cannot control EVER. This rule includes heat, hunger, crying babies, surprise thunderstorms, spit-ups and full diapers, busy traffic….the list is endless. Just don’t complain. Period.
Find a way to eat Vietnamese food. Really. Now, I didn’t really care for much of the Vietnamese food that we had in the U.S. so this was a step of faith for me. The food here is just so much better, fresher, and more wonderful than anything I attempted at home. Here’s a list of some of the favorites that Bill and I have found: chicken with lemongrass and chili, stewed or braised pork in clay pot, chicken or pork with ginger sauce, five-spice rubbed beef or pork, fresh spring rolls, fried spring rolls (especially in the South – Can Tho is best), pho (especially in the North, although Pho 24 is just absolutely wonderful and inexpensive in both Hanoi and Saigon), anything served satay style – chicken, beef, pork, or meatball, anything served with cashews – they grow here and are so much nuttier than any in the U.S., braised chicken with ginger and lemon leaf (one of my absolute favorites).
I’m also going to list the foods that I have learned are also a big part of Vietnamese cuisine, even though they are not quintessentially Vietnamese. They include: croissants – any style, including plain, chocolate, ham and cheese stuffed, with nutella – they are soooo good any time of day, brick-oven pizza has been really tasty throughout the country, especially with fresh tomatoes, the French sandwiches and roasted tomato soup (again with those fresh tomatoes!), soda water with a squeeze of lime (very refreshing when it’s hot), the baguettes that are so soft, all sorts of beautiful pastries (our favorites are Opera cake, with chocolate and hazelnut fillings and the cheesecakes), and our all-time highlight of the trip, fresh coconut ice cream. Simply not to be missed.
Hire a tour guide. The guides are wonderful, friendly, and full of good information. We’ve learned more about the history and culture of this country in a couple of days with a good guide than we would have in a year without one. We’ll put in a plug for our travel agent, Tommy Nguyen, at Vietnam Luxury Travel (www.vietnamluxurytravel.com). His staff has been so helpful. We have been able to focus on enjoying the country rather than navigating the streets and buying the entrance tickets to sites, thanks to them. They also arrange everything from hotels to Ha Long Bay trips.
Don’t hide inside. I know it’s hard to get out with your new babies, but you’ll be glad you did. Even if you just do something simple like taking a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake or hiring a cyclo for an hour to see the Old Quarter, you’ll be so glad to have the memories. And of course, enjoy a bit of that great food while you’re out as well! :) It’s always better NOT eaten in a hotel room!
Enjoy the shopping here. The Vietnamese are so good with handmade items that we have focused there. The list of choices is endless – lacquerware, bambooware, embroidery, quilts, silk clothing and purses, paintings, just to name a few. Take some time away from the Tax Center in Saigon to browse the small shops and galleries on Dong Khoi – you won’t be disappointed. Make sure to enjoy the thrill of the hunt in the Old Quarter in Hanoi, whether your goal is to find the funniest t-shirt, the most beautiful purse, or the cheapest DVD. Don’t miss 44 Le Loi for smocking, embroidered children’s clothing and tablecloths in Saigon (less than 2 blocks from the Rex). Also, don’t miss the Vietnam Quilt Shop at 16 Hang Tre or the entire streets of Hang Be, Ma May and Ly Quoc Su in the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Take good care of yourself physically. This trip is tiring, no doubt about it, so treat yourself well and you’ll make it better. First, I would really recommend arriving a couple of days before you are supposed to travel to your child’s orphanage if you possibly can. Jet lag hit us the worst on Days 3 and 4, and I think it would be more special if you had passed that point prior to meeting your child and having your G&R. Also, eat well (again, see the list above – this one just isn’t so hard in Vietnam!) and stay well-hydrated. Finally, consider seriously whether or not you bring your other small children along on the trip. The tiredness, jetlag, and emotional changes of a whole new world with a brand new child are extreme for an adult, yet alone a youngster. Bill and I personally would not have had the physical strength to care for another child during this time. God has been gracious to us, allowing our 5-year-old back in the U.S. to have a wonderful bonding time with his grandparents. Even at his young age, he has learned so much about being thankful for the times we have with our family and the lesson that all good things require a little something sacrificial of us, including the great thing of having a new brother. Lessons I hope he will take with him beyond just this time while we are away.

I hope that this list has been helpful to you. I’m sure I’ve raised an eyebrow or two, but please remember that these are my own personal musings. You and your families may come up with other answers as to how to love your time here, and I wish you that blessing! As these are just personal opinions on my part, I am going to take the rare opportunity to close this blog to comments. Please take what good you gleam from this post, toss any bad that you find, and most of all, fall in love with Vietnam! :)

Saturdays in the Park!

2008-06-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

We've been back in Hanoi, enjoying a relaxing and quiet time with David this week. So what have we been doing to fill our days lately? Here's a list of some of the highlights:

Took a walk through the Old Quarter and a tour of a Hanoi tube house. It was so interesting to see the simple furnishings and kitchen that a family of six uses for their daily living. The house is at 87 Ma May Street, and admission is a whopping 5,000 dong (about 30 cents!) Go spend your wad and see it - we recommend it highly to better understand Vietnamese daily life.
Made a trip out for groceries and laundry. Grocery stores are not at every major intersection here in Hanoi the way they are at home, so it's a real excursion to get normal chores done. The laundry was sooooo worth it though - only $15 to wash and fold a large suitcase worth of stuff! Wish we could figure out how to import that one to the U.S. - I'd bring it just for you, Shelly and Sheila! :)
Took a long walk all the way around Hoan Kiem Lake on Saturday night. There were so many families out, eating ice cream, playing badminton, enjoying the cooler weather, as it had rained that afternoon. David slept peacefully in his carrier the entire time. What a beautiful evening!
Had a fantastic Italian dinner at Leone d'Oro's across from the Opera House, courtesy of the Clines' suggestion!
Enjoyed a night out for Bill to hear the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra at the Hanoi Opera House - my birthday gift to him! Besides, any time that you can hear the Symphony for $12/ticket, you just gotta go!
Took a long taxi ride around town to see some different parts of the city and to go to a very modern Hanoi shopping mall. We had a great time looking at all the clothing and fashion that is trendy here, but our very favorite part was the appliance store. Bill loved the big t.v.'s (of course, it's a guy thing) and Paula was amazed by the tiny kitchen appliances. Most Vietnamese do not have any refrigeration in their homes. The wealthiest have a fridge that is about 24" wide by about 4 feet tall. Most Vietnamese cook outdoors on a homemade stove/grill (made often from a large coffee can or a clay flower pot and fired with either wood kindling or charcoal). The wealthiest Vietnamese go to the appliance store and buy either a single flat hot plate or a small wok-style electric skillet and perhaps a rice cooker. That's about it! :) Definitely not the typical HGTV dream kitchen, but it seems to work amazingly well here!
Went for dinner with some new friends at the Green Tangerine Restaurant on Hang Be Street. Wonderful food, wonderful atmosphere, wonderful conversation! Thanks Heather and Paul for a great evening! By the way, their sweet Dylan is also from the Vinh Long orphanage, and they had their G&R just a few days after ours!

We've posted some more photo highlights below. Of course, our favorite times have been spent just playing with David and enjoying his happy smile. You may notice in the close-up photo that he has quite a little rash on his face right now. We saw a Western Doctor this week, and she believes it is a reaction to the strong medicine that we had to use to treat his scabies. He continues to amaze us, though, by smiling and cooing despite all the polka dots! :)

We'll be heading home in just two days! We have loved our time here in Vietnam, and now we are so excited and ready to introduce David to big brother Will and the rest of the family! Don't be surprised if we don't post again for a bit; we will be too busy just being a happy family having a Happy 4th of July at home!

Hanoi Highlights

2008-06-30T03:07:00.001-07:00

Visa - it's exactly where we want to be! :)

2008-06-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a really big day for us! We got ourselves all dressed up and went to the U.S. Embassy. We paid our fees and had a very cursory (like 2 minutes) interview with an Immigration Officer. Bill gave an official sworn statement as the primary petitioner that all the papers presented were true and correct to the best of his knowledge. The officer then stamped a little claim check, not at all unlike a car valet receipt, and told us that David's Visa would be ready any time after 4:30 p.m. Just like that, it was finished! The process of adopting is not a short trip, so it seems a little surreal to have David in hand, let alone all of his papers necessary to return to the U.S.

Now we get to sit back and relax - literally. On the wise counsel of our adoption agency, we had previously booked our return flight to leave on July 2 and land on July 3, allowing us plenty of time for any hiccups along the way. God has been so gracious that our entire process has been accomplished without any paperwork issues, so we are finished a few days early. We are not planning to change our flights though. Instead, we are going to take it easy and enjoy the beauty of Hanoi, the air-conditioning and great care of the Hilton, and get to know our son.

We're also going to let him get to know us. You see, his little world is one big ball of changes right now. After all, he had lived his entire young life in a kind and caring but very rural orphanage. Suddenly, these two smiling faces (a.k.a., Bill and me) pick him up and whisk him into a world of cities, scooters, sights and sounds. David has been an absolute trooper, hanging pretty tough despite all the changes. The extra few days of quiet will do him a lot of good though, before we ask a huge task of him as we load him onto an airplane for 8,600 miles and 12 time zones! (Hopefully, sitting close to us on the planes won't be a huge task for our fellow fliers!)

Thank you all for your prayers and support for us during this entire multi-year process. Please continue to pray us all the way home. We ask that you would pray for David's health right now - he has a nasty case of scabies that causes skin issues for him. He is also working hard to adjust to life on Western formula and baby food, so pray for his little tummy to stay well. Pray for wisdom for us as parents as we are trying to learn his schedule and world and to help him feel safe and secure with us.

I've posted some first-week highlight photos below. Sorry it took so long to get them on the blog. Our internet is much slower here, our eyes are a bit bleary from being awake nights with an infant, and our hands are more full taking care of our new son! Most of all, though, our hearts have grown to hold even more love for another sweet boy! :) Praise be to God, from Whom all blessings flow!

Meeting David!

2008-06-26T01:54:00.001-07:00

Back in Saigon with our Son!

2008-06-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

So sorry we have been blog-delinquent! You see, our lives changed dramatically on Thursday morning when David became our son! He's been our son in our hearts for so long, and now, our dream has come true and he is our son legally in the eyes of Vietnam.

How do you describe David? Words can hardly contain all the joy he is already bringing to us. If I were to sum it up in one phrase, he is a tiny little ball of happiness! Tiny definitely describes him physically; though almost 9 months old, he weighs 13.5 lb. He is wearing the 6-months clothes that I brought for him and they are about twice as big as he is! :) We're rolling sleeves and pantlegs bigtime! :) Although he is tiny, he is just about the happiest kid I've seen in awhile. He loves to be held and snuggled, and he already lights up like a Christmas Tree every time he sees Bill or me. Literally, this morning I was greeted like a soldier coming home from war after I returned from taking a 10-minute shower! :)

David's size doesn't in any way relate to his development either; though he's so tiny, he can roll over both directions, sit up, and crawl across the room. If his Momma wasn't dressing him in oversized clothes, he could crawl across the room in about 20 seconds, but the extra padding seems to slow him down a bit! :) He is also babbling a lot and seems to have some important things to tell us, judging by the way he raises his eyebrows and bobs his head when he talks. I hauled American toys 8,600 miles over here, and of course, his favorite things to play with are the cardboard boxes his bottles came in and the vinyl bag I use to store his bottles! :) Typical kid!

We are enjoying a quiet weekend here in Saigon now that all of our paperwork and doctor's visit are finished. What a blessing too - the paperwork in the U.S. was tedious, but it's a little exhausting with a baby in tow that wants to be held constantly! For you soon-to-travel families, make sure to bring a baby carrier - it's worth every penny you spend on it! :) David falls asleep well in his too, so it's a good way to start naptimes.

Monday afternoon, we will fly to Hanoi. We expect to be there a week, finishing David's paperwork at the U.S. Embassy and getting final approval to bring this boy home! If all goes well, David will be an American citizen when we land back in the U.S. just in time for the Fourth of July! :) Hot dogs, burgers, BBQ, ice cream, and apple pie for everyone, I say! (Can you tell we've eaten a lot of Vietnamese food this past month? I love the food here, but boy will my Dad's brisket be a treat as well! Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder!)

Will, we miss you, but are so, so glad that you are having fun in Oklahoma. Enjoy your trips to the pool and all the outings. Can't wait to see your Indiana Jones Legos! I know you will especially enjoy Grandparent Palooza next weekend - four grandparents (plus Ron & Gaile, almost surrogates as well!) and one kid! Let the spoiling begin! :)

Xin Chao from Saigon!

2008-06-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

"Xin Chao" is Vietnamese for "Hello", so Hello from Saigon! :) We are settled in at the Rex hotel now here in Saigon. The first part of our trip is finished, and now we begin the grand finale - meeting David and bringing him home!

The flight from Hoi An/Danang to Saigon is only one hour, but it feels as though you have travelled to a whole new world. Saigon feels like a very large American city, but Bill & I can't agree which one it is most like. Bill says Saigon reminds him of New York, with all the hustle and bustle and the fact that it never slows down much at night. I think of the Las Vegas strip a little here, with all the neon lights and a bit of glitz. Saigon is the most Western of all the cities in Vietnam, with a melting pot of architecture, restaurants, and people. We seemed to be the only Americans in the other parts of Vietnam. In Saigon, on the other hand, we are one of many, and we were able to have spaghetti, pizza, and Diet Coke today for lunch. I even bought Maybelline lipstick yesterday at the mall across the street from our hotel. Having experienced several parts of Vietnam, I have to say though, that what you gain in convenience in Saigon, you lose a bit in culture and charm. Saigon's new, it's modern, it's sleek - it's just a little low on history and beauty compared with other parts of the country.

On Saturday when we arrived here, we toured the downtown area a little bit and saw some of the beautiful buildings here. We went by the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post office, and the local market here. We had intended to tour Reunification Palace on Sunday, but it was closed due to the funeral of a previous Vietnamese Prime Minister. Instead, we went to Saigon's Chinatown and saw the throngs of cheap products that you can buy there. We also enjoyed wandering through some of the interesting shops and galleries in downtown. Sunday night, Bill & I had dinner on a boat cruise on the Saigon River, which runs adjacent to the downtown area. It was a great view of the lights of the city and a great way to finish our touring time.

Tomorrow, we will head down to Vinh Long and Can Tho. Vinh Long is a small, rural town without Western hotels or restaurants safe for the tummy, so we'll stay in Can Tho across the river. Can Tho is the fourth largest city in the country (after Saigon, Hanoi, and Danang). The other three adoption families here right now all have children at the Can Tho orphanage, so we'll be able to spend some of the evenings with them. We'll ferry back and forth across the river to visit the orphanage until David's G&R ceremony on Thursday morning. If all goes smoothly, we will travel back to Saigon with David on Thursday afternoon and fly to Hanoi on Monday, June 23.

Next post: David! :)

The Charm of Hoi An

2008-06-14T18:44:00.001-07:00

A View of Hue

2008-06-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

Hue and Hoi An - Part 2

2008-06-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hoi An
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Note to readers: I posted these blogs about Hue and Hoi An at the same time. Sorry for the delay, we have had limited internet access. Start with the one below about Hue, then move on to this one!
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We drove from Hue to Hoi An, crossing the mountains at Hai Van Pass – literally translated Pass of the Ocean Clouds. The road is the Vietnamese Route 1 – interestingly, the same as the other side of the Pacific along the California coastline. The road winds along the coast, through rice patties with views of the ocean and little fishing villages beyond. You pass the little town of Lang Co, where we stopped for a break and took pictures of the aquariums of fresh seafood where you can pick and eat! They have prawns here that are as long as from my hand to my elbow! Past Lang Co, we headed up the pass across the mountains. The road is lush and pretty, with greenery growing everywhere – very tropical. For those of you wondering, I did great despite my tendency towards carsickness, probably because you only drive about 20 mph max and because my Mom and Leigh B. have been praying for my tummy! J Seriously, the road is lovely and in good condition, although it is very steep (8% grade) and filled with switchbacks and hairpin curves. We enjoyed the drive during the day, but I kept thinking how scary it must’ve been for the U.S. military that defended it during the War – literally, every turn was a spot for ambush from the Viet Kong. Even today, it’s probably pretty hairy when it’s wet, as indicated by the number of altars along the way built to the god of not dying in a car crash!
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After the pass, we reached Danang – today a bustling industrial town and major seaport, during the War a large base for US operations and the well-known China Beach. If Hue is a picture of Vietnam’s past, Danang may be its future – tons of industrial factories making everything from LG washing machines to Crocs shoes. The beach is also a skyline of tower cranes right now, building resorts as far as you can see. Some of the travel magazines call Danang “the next Hawaii” and I understand why, because there are high-rise beachfront resorts and condos, as well as ultra-luxurious spa-type lush resorts being built everywhere. Twenty years ago, the land along the beachfront from Danang to Hoi An (about 20 miles) was so worthless that it was only used as cemeteries – nothing grew and everything flooded there. Now, it’s a tourism goldmine!
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There’s good reason for all the building, because the beach is gorgeous. It reminded Bill & me of the Florida panhandle – wide, white beaches, blue ocean with low surf great for swimming, jet-skiing and fishing. It is even better here, though, because there are mountain views as well. Amazingly pretty!
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Hoi An is charming. The people here are craftsmen – very talented at all sorts of handcrafts. We stopped at a marble factory, where they carve ornate marble and jade sculptures. We toured a ceramics village, where clay is still mixed by feet (stomping to soften and mix it, sort of like old-time wine production) and then pottery is formed and fired. Very pretty people, but very, very poor – the mechanized production of dishes and steel cookware has left them almost penniless, and it shows. A highlight for us was to stop at a silk factory, where we toured to see all the way from the silkworms through the production of the silk, the huge rooms of looms, and then the finished fabric. We splurged on some handmade, custom clothing there – Bill bought silk shirts and had a suit and a blazer made, I had two silk blouses and two skirts made. (The highest-quality, hand-made, silk blouse with gorgeous embroidery cost me $30 – what a deal!)
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Hoi An was an ancient seaport, and it feels like a melting pot here. We walked the town (no cars allowed in town) and saw a Japanese-style covered bridge, a Chinese clan meeting house, and a 400-year-old typical Hoi An Vietnamese home. Really neat! Just like in most of Vietnam, the front of each house is a shop or restaurant, selling anything from handmade jewelry to clothes to paintings. The back of the house and the second story are where the family lives. Most Vietnamese still sleep on a bamboo mat, although many put the mat on a solid wood bed frame now instead of on the ground – still not our cushy American beds! Most Vietnamese also still cook behind their homes unless it rains, often on a wood-fired small stove. Propane is available, but is still pretty expensive, so they try to save money and cook over wood fire instead.
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Even though the cooking is simple, the food is incredible – really the best we’ve had so far in Vietnam. Hoi An specializes in rice vermicelli noodles, often served stir-fried with a sauce of peanuts, lime juice, chilies, and soy sauce. They’re topped with pork or shrimp, bamboo sprouts, and lots of mint and cilantro. Tasty! My favorite here is the wontons – a large wonton (like 4-inches square) deep fried crispy and served with diced vegetables on top. So good! Will would love it here because they always serve the fried wontons with the meals – he calls them “Chinese Chips” when we order take-out at home, and they are his favorite part of the meal! The first night, we had dinner at a lovely restaurant on their outdoor patio under a bamboo-thatched roof. A few minutes into dinner, a huge thunderstorm came up, but we stayed totally dry, enjoying our dinner while listening to the rain on the roof and enjoying the coolness the rain brings – really a wonderful evening!
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We also went for a walk on the beach, Bill swam in the ocean just to say he’d done the beach on both sides of the Pacific, I sat under a bamboo-thatched umbrella and sipped fruit juice – all included with our hotel room! Like I said, it’s the next Hawaii! :) I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful the flowers are on our hotel grounds, so I’ll post pictures instead. Let’s just say, there are so many flowers here and they put them everywhere – on the bed, on the bathroom counter, even in the toilets! :)
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Later today, we will drive back to Danang and fly to Saigon. We will tour there for a couple of days, and then meet up with our Dillon group to go see David! :) We had a special surprise, as many of the Dillon families received their travel approvals this week, including our dear friends from OKC, Mai & Chad. They are meeting us Monday in Saigon, and we are thrilled! :) Their son is in Can Tho, where we will spend our nights, across the Mekong River from where David is in Vinh Long. My heart already races at the idea that we are maybe 4-5 days from meeting him for the first time!
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Off to catch our flight to Saigon! More to come soon!

Hue and Hoi An - Part 1

2008-06-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hue and Hoi An
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Hue and Hoi An are smaller Vietnamese cities, lying closer to the center of the country. Though they are only maybe 50-60 miles apart, they are almost two different worlds.
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Hue is the old imperial city, where the last kings of Vietnam lived. In the early-1800’s, the king of Vietnam moved the capital of the country from Hanoi to Hue, to a more central geography for better control of the entire country and to be farther away from the threat of Chinese invasion. The past still looms large in Hue, and most of the tourist sites relate to the king. We toured the remains of the imperial palace and stood on the top of the wall where the king would address all of the people. We also toured the tomb of Ming Mang – considered one of the fairest and best of the Vietnamese kings. It’s not a tomb in the way we think as Americans; rather, it is a beautiful acreage, with ornate gardens and several buildings all surrounded by a high stone wall. King Ming Mang was said to have had 500 wives and 142 children (at least, though with 500 wives, how could you really keep track!). When he died, all of his wives and children moved to the tomb site to live out the rest of their lives. Although one of his sons became the new king, keeping all the jealous brothers, sisters, and mothers nearby evidently was not an option!
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Hue is also linked to the past in another strong way. It is the closest significantly-sized city to the heart of the fighting of the Vietnam War. We took a boat ride a couple of miles up the river from Hue, and we were only maybe 20 miles from the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and could still see remnants of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the mountain in front of us. There are reminders of the war all around Hue – concrete bunkers, old military bunkhouses, and lots of stories of the war. It’s amazing how close we were to it all – only 15-20 miles from Quan Tri, maybe 50 miles from the border to Laos. Our guide was 8 years old when Saigon fell, and he remembers much about the war. Hue was strongly sympathetic to the South and very allied to the American forces there, so life was hard for them after the war ended. Although the area seems to have a good future with lots of industry and manufacturing building nearby and promising tourism with the Imperial and military sites, the past will always be near in Hue.
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The Hue festival was going on while we were in town. The city was at its prettiest, with silk lotus flowers and lanterns hung in all the trees. Hue is cut in half by the Perfume River, and the heart of town lies along its banks. There were huge silk lotus flowers (bigger than a boat) floating in the river that lit up at night. The bridges across the river were all lit up as well – really enchanting, especially looking down from our 12th floor hotel room. The festival was a week of music and dance troupes from around the world. There were also boat races during the day, where teams of paddlers (think crew in a Vietnamese bamboo boat!) would race on the river. Each village could submit one team to race, and the winners received $500 U.S. and a pig! There were lots of people sitting on the shore watching the races when we took our boat tour up the Perfume River.
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Hoi An is next!

Ha Long Bay!

2008-06-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

A view of Hanoi

2008-06-09T08:23:00.003-07:00

Ha Long Bay

2008-06-09T02:57:00.000-07:00

How do you describe Ha Long Bay? There just aren’t words. Now, keep in mind that Bill & I grew up in Colorado, hiking in the Rockies. We’ve travelled just about everywhere in the U.S. but there is nothing, nothing, nothing we’ve ever seen as beautiful as this place. The rocks, the greenery, the peaceful waters – it’s just indescribable.

We booked an overnight cruise on a boat in Ha Long Bay. We arrived about noon, boarded the boat, and were absolutely floored. It looked nice in the website pictures, but it is the most beautiful hotel we’ve ever stayed in. The floors are teak wood, the walls and ceilings paneled in bamboo. The dining room has silk tablecloths and hotel china. The staterooms are queen-sized beds with fluffy hotel linens and full-sized bathrooms and showers. So luxurious!

We had lunch on the boat while sailing to our first stop. First stop was an island with a beach and lookout tower. The tower was 400 VERY steep steps up, but really worth the climb. You could see the whole bay from up there! Okay, I admit, Bill made it to the top of the 400 steps – I stopped at an intermediate landing at 250 – still really great! :) He keeps telling me he’s one up on me though, at the top of the world!

We sailed on a bit more, and then anchored for the night. Bill & I had made arrangements for a two-person kayak. We kayaked for about an hour or so, through a couple of caves and to a hidden lake, completely surrounded by one of the Ha Long islands. It was just about the coolest thing we’ve ever done! We saw sea eagles swooping down over us to catch fish straight from the bay. One of the caves had a lot of bats too – yikes! Little mouse-sized ones, but still! Our guide went first and chased them out, but the bat-thought was definitely on my mind! :) When we got half-way inside, Bill says, “Boy, I bet there are a lot of snakes and spiders in here too!” just to be mean to me! No more Indiana Jones movies for him for awhile!

We swam a little, and then had a nice Vietnamese dinner of fresh fish and seafood on the boat. Prawns were the size of your hand, I swear! So good!

In the morning, we had coffee and croissants, and then went to tour another island to tour a really big cave there. It’s like 10,000 square meters – really big! We came back to a huge brunch on the boat and some free time to write this post while sailing back to Ha Long Town.

On the way to and from Ha Long Bay, we stopped at Dong Trieu ceramic and pottery village for some major shopping. This village is all staffed by disabled children and street children. The village supports them as well as trains them to the highest level in all sorts of Vietnamese handwork – jade carving, marble carving, jewelry making, embroidery, lacquer ware, silk-making and embroidery, and woodcarving. It is just literally room after room after room of beautiful, unusual things made by these kids. They are beyond talented. Suffice it say, we already have to buy a new suitcase! :) Please, please, please stop here though if you travel to Ha Long Bay! It’s so great because it provides for those who most need it and it is a quick and easy way to hit a lot of the highlights all at once. All prices are in US dollars, and you really don’t bargain here, which is great for me. I love this country so much, I keep wanting to pay more for what I buy, rather than less, so I stink at the bargaining!

Tonight we are off to Hoa Sua – a recommendation of the Clines, our resident Hanoi experts! :) It is a French restaurant that is also run as a training center for disadvantaged young people. Our tour guide said he thinks it is some of the best Western food in Hanoi as well. We’ll let ya know! :)

P.S. - I posted two posts at the same time, so read about Hanoi below, if you haven't done so yet!

Touring Hanoi

2008-06-09T02:56:00.000-07:00

I’m totally enchanted with Hanoi! It’s a mix of old and new everywhere – literally. On the same street, you can buy either a brand-new, state-of-the-art LG washing machine (your drooling, Shelly Cline!) or a freshly-butchered pig! There are thousands of little shops everywhere, each its own little Mom-&-Pop place with its own little niche. Usually they only sell one or two items in each place – might be copier paper, might be kites, might be shoes, and might be copper wire. But it’s their specialty, and they seem to make a happy living at it. All the shopkeepers sit on little plastic step stools in front of their shops, eating noodles, playing with their children, maybe shucking corn for tonight’s dinner, talking together. It’s really peaceful in the midst of the big-city chaos.

Because Hanoi is a really BIG city. It feels bigger here than Chicago to me. Not bigger as in skyscrapers, bigger as in waaaaay more people. There are people and motorscooters and cars everywhere. The streets are very, very full with everyone just living there lives – going to the market for food (so gorgeous, I think I may never shop at my sad little grocery store again!), running errands, delivering goods…you name it.

We spent the first half of our tour day in Hanoi visiting the major sites. We saw the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s house, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Hilton Prison (really creepy!), Hoan Kiem Lake, The Red Bridge and a Temple by the Lake. It sounds like a lot, but really everything is only packed into the downtown area – only about maybe one or two square miles, so you can get to all of it really quickly. (We also had a tour guide who knew where he was going to make it happen too!) I wish I could describe everything to you, but I just don’t have that much typing time! My general impression is that it is all beautiful, and it is so much better with a guide to tell you the stories behind the buildings. There is so much history, pride, and tradition here in Hanoi – it is reminded Bill & I constantly of how you feel when you visit Washington D.C.

Late in the afternoon, we went to the Water Puppet Theater. It’s neat to see – basically, the puppets are controlled with really long bamboo sticks submerged under a pool of water, so it looks like the puppets are floating on the pool. The puppet show is accompanied by traditional Vietnamese singers and musicians, playing instruments similar to an autoharp, a mandolin, and big kettle drums. They sing the stories that the puppets are acting out in Vietnamese, sort of like an opera. The sound is sort of beautiful and eerie all at the same time. It must be a tourist favorite, because there were a ton of charter buses parked in front, and we were NOT the only Americans there! :)

More to tell you later! Ha Long Bay is next!

Hello from Hanoi!

2008-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

We’ve made it to Hanoi! After a couple of long days on airplanes, we have arrived in Hanoi! We flew from OKC to Chicago, Chicago to Tokyo (12-hr flight), and then Tokyo to Hanoi (5-hr flight). Our flight from Chicago to Tokyo was a 777 – the biggest of the commercial airplanes, and every single seat was full. It is amazing to think that there are probably 500 people on your plane. The service was great, but there’s just no getting around the fact that 12 hours is a LONG time to be on the plane!

We’re settled for a couple of days here in Hanoi. Tomorrow, we are taking a tour of some of the major sites in the city – Ho Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh’s Masoleum, the Hanoi Hilton Prison Site, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature. We’ll round out the day with a ride in a cyclo (think peddle-cab or rickshaw on a bike) and a Water Puppet Theater show. Should be a whirlwind, but a good way to get to see the grandness of Old Hanoi.

Thanks for all your prayers for our flight and smooth arrival. All baggage arrived and cleared customs easily.

We’ll try to get some photos posted before we leave for Ha Long Bay if we can!

Hello from Chicago!

2008-06-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

So, we’re finally off! I’m writing this post from the airplane, somewhere between Oklahoma City and Chicago. We flew out this afternoon, will spend the night at the airport hotel in Chicago, and then, the real adventure begins! I admit to being a little misty-eyed when I said goodbye to Will today – it’s a big step to leave him for this long. My McDonald’s girls keep reminding me that it’s probably a bigger step for me than for him – he’ll love his Grandparent time, VBS, and T-Ball games. I know he’ll have a few hard days through at some point this month, but it was definitely the right choice for us that he stayed at home. I miss you, Buggy, but I hope you are having a great time! Have fun at the circus this weekend!
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A few thoughts after 5 SOLID days of packing for my adoption buddies still on the wait:

Really, really, really do EVERYTHING you can ahead of time! I know that we are flying out faster than many families, but the amount of work necessary to get everything together for two adults and a baby is gargantuan! Wow, we travel a lot in the States, so I know that planning is necessary, and I am really an organizer by nature, but I was a little overwhelmed by it all at times this past weekend.
Go through your travel documents and adoption papers BEFORE you get your I-600 pre-approval. I had procrastinated on this part, and once the adrenaline started to rush, I struggled to concentrate on all the forms and procedures.
Use PackMates/SpaceBags for your clothes, diapers, soft baby gear…anything squishy at all. I’ve never used them for our big trips here in the U.S. before, but I guarantee I will from now on. I bet they saved us at least 40% of the packing space. Translation: fewer suitcases to take, more opportunity to buy stuff to bring home!!! :) Thanks for the tip, Clines and Archers!
Make sure to compile all of your prescriptions and fill them early. I already had the prescriptions, but not the medicines. Some need to be taken a week before travel, and that was pretty hard for us to accomplish. I didn’t count on the local CVS needing several days to fill them, since they don’t exactly stock anti-typhoid meds on a regular basis!
If you carry gifts for the orphanage or adoption staff, buy things that are squishy and easy to pack. Sounds logical, but I purchased many small leather portfolios as gifts that were a bugger to get in the suitcases!
I ordered a Mei Tai Baby Carrier, and tried it out on little Kaden this past week. It was actually not uncomfortable, and I am NOT a baby-carrier person. (Happy Birthday, little Kaden, by the way!) An added bonus: with its baseball fabric, it’s actually pretty darn cute!It does take about 4 weeks to arrive though, so order early. You have my permission to shop!
Most of all, plan a little fun for yourselves along the way. We had a really special family time Saturday night when we took will to a fondue restaurant for the first time. He loved it, and it was a much-needed break from the packing and papers to spend a last, great evening just the three of us before we left.

Next post……Hanoi! Bill checked the weather there - it's 87 degrees today - feels like 103 with the humidity. Kinda like OKC in July! :)

Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

2008-06-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a whirlwind weekend, to say the least! Bill & I have officially taken the plunge and purchased a tour of Vietnam for the ten days leading up to the start of our adoption process. Translation: we leave on Wednesday night - June 4!!!!! Wednesday, as in 2 DAYS FROM NOW!

We are flying into Hanoi and will land there on Fri, 6/6. (Don't even get me going on trying to explain the travel times and time zone changes. Just know that we are the opposite of you - exactly 12 hours different when we are in Vietnam.)

We will be touring Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, and Saigon. In Hanoi, we will get a tour of the city and some of the tourist highlights in the Old Quarter for a couple of days. Then, we are both so excited to spend the night on a Vietnamese Junk boat (see the photo below) in Ha Long Bay and watch the sunrise over the ocean. We'll then fly to Hue, the original imperial city of Vietnam and see the beautiful architecture. Hue is the culinary capitol of the country, so I'm especially excited to try the food there. My travel books say the best chefs at the best restaurants in Hanoi and Saigon all trained in Hue - we'll let you know! :) We'll also take a boat ride up the Perfume River in Hue.

From Hue, we will drive over Hai Van Pass to Hoi An. The drive overlooks the China Sea - supposed to be beautiful and strikingly similar to Route 1 in California. We'll visit China Beach - a popular R&R spot for American soldiers during the Vietnam war. Hoi An is home to the silk and tailoring industry of Vietnam, and Bill is looking forward to having a suit or two custom made there for a fraction of U.S. costs. (Eat your heart out, Wade Speas - the man with the custom suits!!! :) ) I am personally going to shop shamelessly in Hoi An, as it is known for handcrafts, including embroidery, silk linens, and pottery. I've personally never met handmade pottery I didn't like, so I expect to enjoy Hoi An a lot!

Finally, we will fly to Saigon, where we will spend two days seeing the sights of the city. We'll meet up with our adoption group about 6/16 - 6/17 and get ready to meet David!

And now for the star attraction......David! :) We are scheduled for our Giving & Receiving Ceremony on 6/19. (For you non-adoption folks, the G&R is when we officially take possession of David - Vietnam gives him to us, and we receive him! From then on he is ours!!!) We'll probably be in David's province, Vinh Long, for a day or two before the G&R.

After G&R, we'll head back to Saigon for some adoption necessities (translation: more paperwork!). Then, we will fly to Hanoi to complete our final paperwork at the U.S. embassy before returning home. If everything goes smoothly, we would love to be home just in time for the Fourth of July, but don't be too surprised if we don't make it back until sometime the next week. After all, we know that everyone enjoys a vacation in July - including airline staff! :)

Check back often! We promise to try to update the blog with travel photos and stories when we're not out having the trip of a lifetime!

WE'RE GOING TO VIETNAM!!!!!

2008-05-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

By this time next week, this boat is where we'll be!!!!! We are going to Vietnam!!!!!

We received our I-600 approval this morning at 4:18 a.m. David, sweet boy, HERE COME MOM & DAD!!!!

Thanks be to God for opening the doors and offering us floodgates of blessing! Please continue to pray for all my friends of the heart, who are continuing to wait for their sweet children to come home. Our hearts are with you all!

Suddenly, there are only about 800 things running through my mind that need to be completed! I've never been so willing to be so busy in my life! :) Keep checking back - more information to come!

"I will thank You, God, forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim Your name, for it is good!!!!" - Psalm 52:9

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2008-05-10T17:34:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2008-05-10T17:00:00.001-07:00

We've already had a busy Mother's Day Weekend! Yesterday was a big day in our house, as Will officially graduated from Preschool! His class had a little choir concert and graduation ceremony - too cute! I still can't believe that he is old enough to be done with preschool, but now we have the diploma to prove it. Onward and upward to Kindergarten!

Will is playing soccer again this spring. Today was a special day for him, because he scored his first goal! I don't think you could put a bigger smile on a kid's face if you tried! We're so proud of him - he's learned so much, and most of all, had such a good time. He's been so encouraging and kind to all the kids on his team - what a fun, fun age!

Bill and Will gave me the best Mother's Day present this weekend - a finished baby's room! We spend all afternoon on Saturday completing the finishing touches on David's room. Thank you guys, for making me feel like we are really ready to welcome our little guy home! :) In my current nesting phase, it is really a load off of my mind to know that this project is complete. Now, we're just praying that USCIS will soon approve our I-600 application, and we'll be on to packing! :)

Enjoy the photos, everyone!

New Every Morning!

2008-04-13T18:00:00.001-07:00

What a blessing it was this week to receive a new photo of David! Just when I was feeling the most down, I opened my e-mail and found this smiling face that makes all the worries, frustration - yes, even dealing with USCIS - so worthwhile! He's six months old in this picture, and it has been so fun to see his smile and his bright eyes, to get a glimpse into his sweet personality! We also got a report that he is up to 12-1/2 lb now - growing healthy and strong. What more could a mama 8,602 miles away from her sweet boy want than to know that he is happy and healthy right now? :)

We still don't have any news to report about the new DNA requirements. We promise to let you know as soon as we know anything, if you promise to keep praying for everyone involved in the process. I can say that we have felt upheld by your prayers this week. Though we do not have any answers, God is providing the little bits of mercy we need when we need them - this new photo, a kind word from friends or family, a loving hug from my great husband, an e-mail from a fellow adoptive parent. I guess that's what God promises in Hebrews 4:16, when Paul writes, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." I'm not so sure I'm feeling the confidence thing yet, but we are finding the grace, little by little.

My favorite hymn of all time is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." It is based on Lamentations 3:22-24, which says,

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

Therefore, I will wait for Him."

One of the most interesting things about this beautiful promise is that it is stuck right in the middle of the book of Lamentations - five long chapters of weeping and wailing. The entire book is the cries and anguish - the Laments - of a man (Jeremiah) who feels he and his People have lost their Hope. And yet, in the middle of it all, there is this reminder that God is Faithful. Somehow, this week, God has been quietly reminding me in the midst of all of our chaos, He is Faithful. Each morning this week, I'm feeling new compassions - just right for that particular day. So, like Jeremiah, today I will say, "The LORD is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him."

Raining In My Heart

2008-04-06T18:41:00.001-07:00

We have had some scary news in Adoption World this past week. For reasons that I can't even begin to understand or explain, the U.S. Government has decided to require some potential adoptive families to provide DNA testing for their children and their children's known birthparents. In a practical matter, this means locating birthparents, convincing them to travel hours from their home to Saigon, be reunited with their child (whom they lovingly chose to give for adoption, and I can only imagine they ache for every second of the day.) These sweet people will likely be questioned and then will have to submit DNA to prove that they were in fact, this child's birthparent. As though the tears on their face and the anguish in their hearts wouldn't indicate that bond.

Intolerable. Shameful. Awful. There are not enough words to describe the horror we feel at our government subjecting these kind people to this sort of treatment. It will certainly slow down the adoption process for everyone. It may end the adoption process for some, if birthparents cannot be located or chose not to participate. It is just wrong.

Of course, there are the adoptive families - families just like us, who feel as though they have been hung upside down by their toenails emotionally. They wonder if this requirement will be possible, if they will ever be able to hold their children. We are most definitely in this category. Until this week, we only ever questioned "When" we might have David in our arms. Now we ache at the reality that we must wonder "If" we will ever have David in our arms.

No, we do not have any final confirmation from the U.S. government if they will require this test in our case. Cruel, crazy irony requires that we must wait to even know if we are a part of this wrong or not. Please, please pray. Pray for birthparents who are hurting, for adoptive parents who are hurting, for future siblings who are hurting - don't even get me started on my fears of explaining our situation to Will. Most of all, though, pray for the children, who are the ones hurt most of all.

Although I grew up in Colorado, my second home is Lubbock, Texas - the birthplace of legendary rock-and-roller Buddy Holly. His song, "Raining in My Heart" has been sticking in my head the past few days. Here's how it goes:

"The sun is out, the sky is blue,

There's not a cloud to spoil the view,

But it's raining.....Raining in my Heart.

The weatherman says clear today,

He doesn't know you've gone away,

And it's raining....Raining in my Heart."

Kind of corny, I know, but it's the best way to describe my zombie-lifestyle since we got this news. It's spring, the trees are all in bloom, and yet....it's raining for me. I get up in the morning, make my way through my routine, go to preschool and soccer games and Starbucks, and yet....it's raining for me. I try to pretend that this news is just another delay, just another pile of paperwork, and yet....it's raining for me.

Today I sat through church, smiled at folks in the halls, took Will to Sunday School, and yet....it was raining for me. That is, until our church choir sang an anthem today that was really a rearrangement of a simple little verse in Scripture:

"But Thou, O LORD art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter up of my head." - Psalm 3:3

Somehow, this one little verse just struck both Bill and me. God is our SHIELD - He protects us. God is our GLORY - He brings goodness and honor from the dishonorable. Most of all for me this week, God is the LIFTER OF MY HEAD. My head's been hanging pretty low this week. Please, LORD, I ask for you to lift it up.

Dear Friends and Family, please pray this verse for our family this week. Pray that God will be our shield and protect all of us - Bill, Will, and me in OKC, and David in Vinh Long. Pray that God will be our glory in this situation - that He will bring goodness from this misery. Pray that He will be the Lifter of our heads, when we feel down. For my dear adoption buddies, I will be praying this without ceasing this week for you too.

A new Dawn!

2008-03-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

I found this picture of a sunrise in the seaside town of Hoi An, Vietnam. I like the peacefulness, the hope, the promise that you can feel in this shot - like a new day is just arising, not yet filled with worries and frets, still crystal clear to become whatever we make of it.

Life's been feeling a bit like this picture the last couple of weeks. We are finally starting to make our way into the Spring - warmer weather, the end to the myriad of illnesses that we've seen this winter (we hope!) & the excitement of looking forward to travelling to get David soon. It's been a bit of a long Winter this year - perhaps that makes the Spring feel all the more promising, like a fresh page ready for a new story. David turned six months old this week, and the reality of his being a part of our family becomes more true each day. Each little milestone keeps reminding me of how excited I am to have him here soon - next Easter as he toddles through the grass, next baseball season, when we gather as a family of four to cheer on our Cubs, next Spring, when he tries out the new swingset we are building in the backyard.

It's amazing to think how much change will occur in our lives in the next few months! Next week, I will go to register my sweet, young Will for KINDERGARTEN! How can he possibly be old enough for real school already? I'm sure that he will do wonderfully - but his Mama may be a bit misty-eyed at the prospect of the end of his babyhood era. (I think his Daddy is a bit misty-eyed about that one too, by the way!) Still, the winds of change blow, and he keeps growing up. I even registered him for his first day-camp today. It's probably no big deal, just a half-a-day for two weeks at the zoo here in town - but STILL! It's Camp! No parents! Wow! His summer will be full of "little boy" stuff - the first T-ball team, swimming lessons, bible school, Redhawks games, soccer camp.

Amazing to think that Will is the same tiny one I bundled in my arms just five years ago. Perhaps some of my nostalgia comes from his asking to look at his baby pictures a lot lately in preparation for David's arrival. He asks me, "What did I look like when I was my brother's age?" at least every couple of weeks, and I go on the hunt for more photos, more computer files to show him. He climbs into my lap in front of the computer and we peek at all the baby pictures. He smiles and laughs at his roley-poley toes, his first Halloween costume, riding in his first wagon with Max the Dog. I smile and laugh as I remember all those little moments...and look forward to the ones to come.

You see, I am so blessed to have so many new memories ahead! As I look at photos of Will learning to crawl, my heart imagines the fun of experiencing it all over again with David. As I watch Will growing before my eyes, I think about the first time he will get a hit on the T-ball team, his smile so big his face can barely contain it. I picture the look on his Dad's face as he holds both sons in his lap, cheering on the football games this fall. I even look a bit forward to wiping away a few of the tears on that first day of kindergarten -- the few sad ones that come from the end of one era and the buckets of proud ones that come from the promise of a new one.

Kinda like that sunrise in Hoi An -- not yet full of worries and frets, still crystal clear to become whatever we make of it.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus....And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:3-6,9-11)

Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Happy New Year!)

2008-02-25T19:11:00.001-08:00

Catching up!

2008-02-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, I admit I've been neglecting my blogging duties lately. Unfortunately, it seems like the entire state of Oklahoma has been plagued by just about every really YUCKY illness this winter - and we've had our share of them in the Cook household. For the last four weeks, either Will or I have been sick every single week - bronchitis, laryngitis, stomach flu, cold, respiratory infection - UGH!!!!! At least no one in our household has had the flu yet - a major accomplishment, considering that it is just flying around town right now. We are really ready for Spring --- a chance to get out of the house, to get working in the yard, and most of all, to get everyone really well!

Illness aside, February hasn't been a total loss. We got to enjoy our first Tet celebrations this year. Tet is the major holiday in Vietnam celebrating the New Year. We've all loved learning more about the Vietnamese culture during this time, as well as getting to know some of the other Vietnamese adoption families here in OKC. We went to a party with lots of our adoption gang at our friends Kerrie & Joey's house. Kerrie did an amazing job of decorating their home for the party, complete with lanterns, New Year's activities for the kids, and even Year of the Rat cupcakes. We also got to enjoy a nice sampling of Vietnamese dishes - pho, grilled pork, traditional soups, spring rolls. You can see lots of fun photos from that party at their site: http://www.zakmakesthree.blogspot.com/. I'm a bit late with this post, so you'll have to scroll down to see the party pictures. Make sure and take some time to check out the pictures of Zak, Cole, and Dylan - three of the kiddos here in OKC that have been home about a year. When I close my eyes and imagine what our lives might be like in a year, I always seem to think about these three fun little boys and their families!

The highlight of our New Year's celebration was attending our first Vietnamese Dragon Dance. Our friends, Mai & Chad, live in our same subdivision and received a referral for their little boy the same day we received our referral of David. We are so excited to get to have an immediate Vietnamese buddy just a few blocks away! :) Mai is Vietnamese as well, so she has been such a fantastic resource for us - always full of patience to teach us about Vietnamese culture, food, lifestyle. We love the fact that the blessings of this adoption process continue to abound, as we not only get to add this beautiful baby to our home, but have added so many wonderful new friends to our lives as well.

So, Mai & Chad hosted us for a Dragon Dance at Mai's insurance office in the heart of the Vietnamese District of Oklahoma City. (By the way, the March issue of Southern Living magazine has a story about the VN District in OKC - worth a look!) A Dragon Dance is a tradition where dancers in dragon costume dance their way through a home or business to bring in good fortunes for the New Year. Will's buddies, Kiley & Kenna Cline, joined us to watch the dance & feed oranges to the dragon. We also experienced our first Vietnamese fireworks, which were quite honestly, the loudest thing I had ever heard in my life! Bill says that for those in the know, you could describe it as roughly 5,000 M-80's being lit off in very rapid progression. It was something to see and to hear! :) Mai also fed us fantastic Vietnamese pork sandwiches - think really tender roast pork with marinated cucumbers, carrots, and soy sauce all served on a french baguette - YUM! I'd definitely order them again in Vietnam. We got to try some Vietnamese sweets too - sesame candy, dried ginger, sweet potatoes, and coconut strings. All in all, a really great day. We can't wait for next year!

Finally, we got some great new news today about David. We received an update on his height and weight. On Feb. 14, he was 4-1/2 months old, 11-1/2 lb. and a whopping 25 inches long. It's so good to know that he is healthy and growing well right now as he is away from us. David turns five months old tomorrow - Happy 26th Day little man! Cupcakes for everyone!

More Milestones!

2008-01-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

We mailed off all of our acceptance papers this week for David's referral. We've filled out a LOT of papers and forms during this process, so it was great to do some paperwork that was actually enjoyable! :) Funny, what a difference that little guy's face makes in our outlook!

All of our paperwork should arrive with our agency on Monday, 1/28/08. In a slightly eerie coincidence, we mailed off our preliminary application to start our adoption process last year on 1/28/07. What a year it's been! It's fun to imagine what 1/28/09 might have to offer for us - hopefully, a totally normal, run-of-the-mill day at home with our two sons. Something to look forward to!

David's four-month birthday was also this weekend. I bet he is really starting to smile now. I hope so - I hope he is happy and content during this waiting time. Will's birthday is on Dec. 3, so when he was a baby, we celebrated Third Day every month. Nothing fancy, but some little treat just to mark the day - maybe an ice cream cone or a new pair of tiny shoes or a picnic in the park. So, I guess maybe we'll revive the tradition. David's birthday is the 26th, so Twenty-Sixth Day may become a regular occurrence in our house! This weekend, we all celebrated by sharing a big chocolate cupcake at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants - Will's choice. I imagine 26th Day will be popular with both of the boys!

Introducing Our Son!

2008-01-21T17:42:00.000-08:00

Introducing Our Son!

2008-01-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

We are so pleased to introduce you to our new son, David! He is 3-1/2 months old, and is located in Vinh Long, Vietnam right now. He was born a healthy 6.6 lbs and 19-1/2 inches long. We expect to travel to Vietnam to bring him home with us some time this summer.

How do you describe what it is like to see your child for the first time? Somehow words just don't really seem to really do it justice. Excited? Elated? Thrilled? Thankful? Yes, and yet so much more. I didn't know that it was actually physically possible to both laugh and cry at the same time, and yet, when we first heard about David, that is exactly what I did! We were so relieved to know that our hopes for this adoption would be fulfilled. We were so glad to be able to tell Will about his new brother. We are so thankful to God, from Whom all real blessings flow. Most of all, we are so exicted to have this little boy as our son!

The picture above was taken about a week after David was born. I'm sure that he has already grown and changed in the past few months. I can only imagine how he might look today. I wonder if he is starting to smile a bit. I dream about the sounds of his little coo first thing in the morning as he lies in bed. I think about his sweet little hands and feet, the smell of his hair. I wonder if he likes his bath or if he wails all the way through it.

Yet, I am at peace knowing that my God, who provided this amazing son for us, will count every hair on his head the next few months. My God, who has cared for me throughout my life, will tenderly care for David too. I thank God for blessing me with a peace that passes understanding on this one. I struggled the last few months wondering if our desire for another child would ever be filled. Now, I just thank the One who has filled that desire.

Play Day with Kiley & Kenna!

2008-01-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

My friend Shelly's girls came to our house this week for some play time! For you non-adoption folks out there, Shelly, David, and two of their daughters have been in Vietnam since Dec. 21. They hope to come home next week with their new son, Kaden. You can follow their trip at http://www.bringinghomebrother.blogspot.com/.

I figured that when we are half-way around the world, I will probably be dying for a glimpse of Will's face. I figured that Shelly & David are ready to see their biddies, even if it's just some quick snapshots. So, the pictures below are for you! :)

The kids had a great day! We did a craft project, ate PB&J, and played a lot of toys. Kenna and Will built with Legos for about an hour and a half in the afternoon - I even got to sit down and read a chapter in my new book! :) Both Kenna & Kiley played "flying to Vietnam" with the airplane and airport - and both of them acted out hugging their new little brother at the OKC airport. Too cute! Seriously, they are doing so great - Shelly's Mom is just a rockstar in my book for keeping all the balls in the air the last few weeks.

Can't wait to see you guys home safely in Oklahoma! Will says it's time for Kaden to get a Redhawks t-shirt!

Snapshots for Shelly!

2008-01-10T14:24:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to You!

2007-12-21T20:29:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2007-12-21T19:59:00.000-08:00

Before we head off for the holidays, we wanted to take a second to wish you a very Merry Christmas! We've posted a few of our favorite Christmas pictures for you above.

Santa brought Will's big gift a few days early this year, since it would be a little hard to ride a bike in the Colorado snow! (Yes, we are hoping for a White Christmas!) Will hopped right on it and began to ride like a pro around our kitchen - still wearing his jammies! He looked like such a big kid! I would have never imagined five years ago what a fun, loving kid he would become! What a joy!

We are still hoping for our second Christmas miracle to come soon! Keep checking back regularly - we're hoping that one day soon you'll find pictures of our newest son!

Again, Merry Christmas to all of you!
Bill, Paula, and Will

Christmas Gifts!

2007-12-18T07:39:00.001-08:00

Two of my good friends left today for Vietnam to pick up their babies! Congratulations Shelly and Leigh - have the trip of your lives! We are praying for you and your families every day. Can't wait to see the pictures of those sweet babies!

Congratulations also to all of the adoption gang that got some long-awaited good news this week. With the ice storm, no information was available at all last week. This week, a couple of families have received travel dates and many have received news of good progress towards their travel. We are thrilled for all of you! May you have even more good gifts this Christmas season! Merry Christmas to all of you!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful!

2007-12-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

I almost titled this post "Ice, Ice, Baby" but I realized that might qualify me yet again for my buddy Meredith's list of cheesy music. I definitely didn't think "Winter Wonderland" applied, because the Colorado of my childhood created some really gorgeous winters. This week in OKC doesn't qualify for pretty - just pretty yucky! I am not a blog-complainer by nature, but man, is it awful here! I took this picture yesterday from my front window, and the branches of the beautiful blooming crepe myrtle tree in the picture are now touching the ground. The branches of my neighbor's tree are on top of my roof - yikes! Thankfully, no real damage, I think, but does anyone know how exactly you get a tree off of your roof? Never done that one before!

Still, I'm trying to remember that we should be thankful. Will and I are tucked away in the house, and for us, "Inside, it's so delightful" needs to be our state of mind. We have had power, heat, water, and lights at our house throughout the storm. (Only about 250,000 of our neighbors here in OKC are without that luxury, so we do really have something to be thankful for!) We've spent most of the last three days baking cakes, making homemade candy, scrapbooking, playing games, watching Christmas movies on TV, eating homemade soup, and wrapping presents. Honestly, I'm trying to keep my chin up, but I'm feeling a little Martha Stewarted out! So, if anyone has any good suggestions for fun ways to entertain a 5-year-old for long periods of time, please leave me a comment! :) Bill has been out-of-town for work too, so I will cherish any conversations from people over three feet tall as well!

I hope that you are all safe and warm. Blessings to my buddies in OKC and Tulsa that are struggling with the mess just two weeks before Christmas. It is definitely putting a holiday blue on a lot of the festivities! Still, in the words of Elvis (another one for the Meredith list),

"Give thanks for all you've been blessed with,
And hold your loved ones tight,
For you know the Lord's been Good to you
On this Snowy Christmas Night!"

Christmas Questions!

2007-12-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

Some of my adoption buddies have been answering this fun Christmas survey this week. My answers follow. Several of you have e-mailed me with the Number One Question on your mind: Have we received a referral this week? Answer: No - not yet. Maybe a Christmas miracle yet to come......

Anyways, on with the show:

A 50 Question Christmas Survey Before Christmas

1. Does your family send out Christmas cards? Most years - a picture and a Christmas letter.
2. How soon do you start shopping? EARLY! I finished my shopping in early November! Hooray!
3. Who do you shop for? Family, close friends

Decorations
4. Do you put up a Christmas tree? Always, always, always!
5. If so, is it fake or real? It has ALWAYS been real til this year. I grew up in Colorado, and picking a Christmas tree was a HUGE Christmas memory for me. However, our tree experiences in OKC have been dismal (last year our tree HATCHED and we came home from visiting family to find small bugs about our great room - yikes!) so we gave up and bought a fake tree this year. At least it's a really big, beautiful, 9-footer with tons of lights - but it's still not like going to the tree lot in the snow.
6. Do you like tinsel? Didn't they stop making tinsel in 1976? :)
7. Do you use homeade or storebought ornaments? Purchased - we buy ornaments on many of our trips. Often they come from little hole-in-the-wall art galleries or tiny Mom-&-Pop gift shops. Now, 15 years and LOTS of airline miles later, we have some great, unusual ornaments from all over the country. Oh, and now, a new Will ornament for each year - this year is a soccer-playing Mickey Mouse!
8. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house? Always before OKC, we were in tiny apartments, so no. Then we moved here and thought it would be a great thing. Three weeks later, several precarious experiences with the roof and a 12-foot ladder, and arguements that nearly required serious marriage counselling, we finally finished the lights. This year, NO lights and a happier family!
9. Do you put lights on the tree? Bill threw them all out (along with the tree tree skirt, and tree stand!) last year due to the bug issue (See #5 above!) So sad! The fake tree came with lots of lights though!
10. How about popcorn and cranberries? Nope, but we hung them on the barn on my Grandpa's ranch when I was a kid!
11. Is there a wreath hanging on your door? Not yet, but Bill's been out of town for the better part of the last two weeks. It's on his honey-do list for this week. (Ya think it'll get done now that College Football is over?)

Christmas Eve
12. Do you celebrate it? You bet - a highlight! The church, the candles, the music! Our favorite part as adults!
13. Do you hang up your stocking? Yep - good things come in small packages, and we are ALL big-time Santa believers in our household!
14. Does your family read "Twas the night before Christmas?" Yep, yep, yep! Almost every night during December. Of course on Christmas Eve, right after the Christmas Story from the Bible.

Favorites
15. Christmas Movie - Funny one: Elf (It just makes me crack up when Will Farrell puts that syrup on his spaghetti!) Sappy one: The Charlie Brown Christmas Special - we could watch it a hundred times!
16. Character from any Christmas Movie - Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas
17. Christmas Song - Soooo hard to answer, because I love them all, but probably Joy to the World
18. Christmas Memory - I loved the Christmas seasons we spent in the city. Almost every night during the Christmas season, I'd walk down Michigan Avenue, eating chestnuts, seeing the store windows, humming Silver Bells, often with a light snow - fantastic! And oh, my goodness, for all of you post-Thanksgiving shoppers, you've never really experienced it until you've done it city-style! One Friday-after-Thanksgiving, we went to Michigan Avenue, with an estimated 500,000 other shoppers, wandered the big, brightly lit stores, ate dinner at the Marshall Field's Walnut Room, went to the Christmas parade that night, and watched fireworks over the Chicago river in the heart of downtown while it was snowing. Fireworks in the snow - just about the most magical thing I've ever seen. The fireworks all reflect in the windows of all the skyscrapers too, so it's like you have fireworks all around you. Really something. One of the things on my "Experience this Before I Die" list is to go to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, see the store windows in all their glory, and watch the lighting of the Rockefeller tree in person. I can only imagine how grand!

This or That
19. Give or Receive? Give, give, give some more, get in trouble with my husband for giving too much, give, give, give.......
20. Eggnog or Cider? Eggnog unless it's really cold outside. We always had cider when we went ice skating as kids
21. Red or Green? Beautiful Chrismas Red
22. Ham or Turkey? PRIME RIB! Yum, yum, yum, yum.....
23. Star or Angel? Angel
24. White Lights or Colored Lights? White
25. Blinking Lights or Still Lights? Still, but we had those bubble lights when we were kids and they were awesome! It's a wonder we didn't burn the house down 'cause they were so hot, they'd hurt your finger if you touch them, but man, were they great when I was eight!
26. Were you Naughty or Nice this year? Mostly nice, but, um, I have my moments! :)

Presents
27. What do you want for Christmas this year? Boy, I have to be honest and say a referral on this one! I told my husband, maybe a referral or a trip to Meredith's spa! :)
28. When do you open your gifts? We have an early Christmas for our family of three before we leave, then on Christmas morning this year with Bill's family, and a few days later with mine. I counted up, and by the time we make the full loop (it takes awhile to go to Denver, CO and then Lubbock, TX), we may actually be celebrating the twelve days of Christmas this year!
29. What's the best gift you've ever gotten? Bill gave me a year's worth of manicures and pedicures last year - that was pretty darn great.
30. What's the worst gift you've ever gotten? Wow, do I ever hate clothes for Christmas. Hated them as a kid, hate 'em now. When you are over 30, you just gotta pick out your own stuff!
31. Who gives you the most gifts? Bill & Will - they really spoil me! :)
32. Have you ever had a secret Santa? Not since I've been a stay-at-home momma! Hey, we should revive that tradition!
33. Do you like wrapping gifts? Yes - it's my artsy craftsy side. I love the look of really pretty presents under the tree. This year, almost every present travels, so they get a bunch of gift bags and tissue, and it's just not the same. No matter how cute of a bag I get, it's not like a beautiful, shiny ribbon bow on crisp wrapping paper!

Random
34. Do you put change in those red buckets? Yes - all of it! Will is a Salvation Army kettle junkie.
35. Do you burn a yule log? Nope, but we ate one several years - yummy!
36. Can you name all the reindeer? Yes, I can sing them too. Will's doing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in his preschool Christmas concert, so we sing it about 50 times a day.
37. Do you bake cookies? Yep - see previous reindeer blog post! My favorite Christmas treat though is candy-making! I love to make fudge, Martha Washingtons, Peanut Butter Buckeyes, english toffee, and I think I may try homemade caramels this year. (Shhhh, don't tell my family - it's a surprise for them!) Recipes to follow in future posts!
38. Have you ever seen your mommy kissing Santa Claus? Nope!
39. Have you ever gotten a kiss under the mistletoe? Yes!
40. Do you go caroling? No, but I sing like crazy every Sunday at church - and around the house too. I have a shameless collection of Christmas CD's, and they live in all the cars and at the house, so we sung this week with both the King's College Choir and Alvin & the Chipmunks!
41. Do you drive around and look at the Christmas lights? yes - and take the Bricktown boatride!
42. Have you ever left Santa cookies? every year
43. Have you ever sat on Santa's lap? As a kid
44. Who do you celebrate Christmas with? Everyone
45. Where do you celebrate Christmas? Everywhere
46. Have you ever had a white Christmas? Oh, those white Colorado Christmases! So grand!
47. What part of Christmas do you look most foward to? Christmas Eve service - doing the candles and singing Silent Night with Bill & Will
48. Have you ever had your picture taken with Santa? Pictures of Will
49. Does your family always take a picture at Christmas? No
50. Have you ever heard the song "Thank God For Kids" by The Oakridge Boys? Yes, but I didn't realize this was a Christmas song! My parents were big Oakridge Boys fans in the early '80s - sooooooo corny! :)

Standing on the Promises!

2007-11-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

So, it’s time for a little honesty on my part. The waiting and wondering about our adoption process has been hard lately. Once again, we are in the place where we have to honestly say that we just don’t know what our family’s future will hold. You’d think after all the years of infertility, not to mention our failed domestic adoption experience, that I would be better at this waiting game. I don’t know if you ever get very good at feeling this sort of yearning in your heart – or I really don’t want to go through what’s necessary to get good at it!

Still, I’m realizing that I have learned a few things in the past 14 years of marriage, and I have been feeling convicted that now is the time when I’d better put them into practice. For me, my best, most effective, never-lets-me-down method of coping with the waiting is Scripture. In fact, I think that might even be Scriptural, as in “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

I have been trying lately to stand on God’s promises, and I thought I might share some of the ones that have spoken to me lately. Please, please, please leave a comment here with the Scriptures that God has been using to encourage you right now. If you are here looking for some good encouragement, don’t forget to click on the comments button at the bottom of this post. I know my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are on this adoption journey with me will have some great words for you too!

Jeremiah 29:11-14 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…

Psalm 4:6-8 – Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy….I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Matthew 7:11 – If you, then, though you are human, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 6:8-9 - ….Your Father knows what you need before you even ask him. This, then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

Romans 8:28-29,31-32 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son….What, then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

II Corinthians 1:3-5 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so the we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Fur just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

I John 3:1 – How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Psalm 143:5,8,10 – I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done….Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul….Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Isaiah 55:8-11 – ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seek for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you….’

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Reindeer have Arrived!

2007-11-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this post is largely for my mother and my brother, neither of whom believed when I spoke with them on the phone that plain sugar cookies could quickly become reindeer! Also, this is a neat trick for the rest of you, who I'm sure have about 80 school parties, church functions, cookie exchanges, and other happy Christmas activities all requiring you to bring something cute - because we all have tons of baking time right now! :)

So here's how it works:

1. Take plain sugar cookie dough and cut out circles. (I used a sugar cookie mix, rolled, and cut them with a cutter, but only because my grocery store was out of the slice-and-bake sugar cookie dough.)

2. Pinch each circle in the middle to form the shape of a peanut.

3. Add chocolate chips for eyes and a red M&M for a nose. Break sections from regular-sized pretzels to make antlers and add. (Expect to have to sacrifice a lot of pretzels in this process to get good sets of matching antlers, but who ever uses a full bag of pretzels anyways? Come on, they live in your pantry for too many months and then they get thrown out, right? That's what happens at my house!)

4. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. I put mine in the freezer for about 5 minutes to really set the chocolate chip eyes before I packed them in the cookie jar. I hate doing all this work and then ending up with chocolate shmears all over my cookies! :(

5. Enjoy! Ours turned out to be tasty and quick! We mixed up the dough early in the day (takes maybe 10 minutes including doing the dishes!) and then we made about 4 dozen in an hour this afternoon. Will did all the decorations himself - always a favorite at our house! Sure, the antlers aren't exactly straight and a couple of cookies were sacrificed in the process, but, hey, that's part of the holidays, right? Joy in the journey not just the destination is my motto right now!

6. By the way, I'm thinking you could get creative with this idea, too. I haven't tried it, but I bet you could cut out an oval and pinch it twice and have a great snowman. Maybe decorate with a chocolate chip eyes, M&M buttons, a red licorice scarf, and a pretzel broom? We might try it - probably in January when we have a little more baking time! :)

7. Have fun!

Home for the Holidays!

2007-11-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

We had sooooo much fun on our vacation! We've posted a few highlight pictures below, but they really don't do our week justice. We had such a great family time, with a few days of just our family of three, and then the second half of the week with Paula's parents coming to be with us. Will was in heaven - from meeting Mickey to a whole store of Legos to parades and fireworks every single day! Oh, and let's not forget those rides - this boy can plunge with the best of 'em! He rode absolutely everything that he was tall enough to ride - most of them more than once!

Sorry we've been neglecting our posting time here, but by the time we dug ourselves out of our laundry mountains, it was time to think about the holidays. We spent Thanksgiving at home - just our family of three. Wonderful, relaxing, football-filled, tree-decorating, non-shopping weekend. It was great! We're usually travelling at the holidays, so it was kind of nice to watch the Thanksgiving Parade in our P.J.'s in our own living room! :) We are also usually big time post-Thanksgiving bargain hunters, but we've started trying to change our tune. This year we finished our Christmas shopping before we left for vacation (Hip! Hip! Hooray!) so we could just focus on some great family time instead of running through the mall mazes this holiday season.

Speaking of great family time, we have a momentous occasion ahead! You see, Will turns FIVE this week, and we are in full-blown party mode. He wanted a Lego-themed party, so I have been studying up on how to make a Lego-shaped birthday cake. If it turns out well, I'll post pictures - if not, well... you can imagine that it is a cute idea instead! :) We even have the special treat of Bill's parents coming from Denver just for the birthday festivities. So, I'm sure Will is going to be in five-year-old heaven! Just think, a birthday celebration and Christmas all in three weeks. It's big stuff at our house!

So, please forgive us if we our posting continues to be sporadic at best. Between the birthday and the heart of our Christmas season, our calendar remains full. We continue to be amazed at how blessed we have felt this fall, despite good news or no news on the adoption front. Thanks be to God for peace that passes all understanding right now, and for continuing to be real and present in our lives.

For those of you not on the adoption roller coaster, the situation in Vietnam has been less than stable lately. The U.S. and Vietnamese governments continue to struggle with how to make the adoption process more safe, more ethical, and more fair for the children of Vietnam. Of course, governments aren't always the most moral, logical, or honest folks. (Think about your last trip to the DMV for a new driver's license and then multiply it by 100 and you'll have a tiny inkling of what some of the paperwork related to an adoption can become and how frustrating the process can be at some points!) Still, we continue - especially in this Christmas season - to be so thankful that

"For Unto us a Child is Born, to us a Son is Given,
And the government will be upon his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
There will be no end."
- Isaiah 9:6-7

We are holding strong to the hope that God is so much greater than any governments or bureaucrats. He is firmly in control of this situation in Vietnam and his peace will continue to increase. Please pray right now for the children in Vietnam - for their continued health, safety, and blessing. Pray for the families in the adoption process - for those who are waiting to bring their children home and for those like us who are waiting to be blessed with children and are trying to keep hope in our hearts right now.

This verse above is one of the central sections of the Handel's Messiah. Bill is a self-proclaimed Messiah junkie - he loves to take in the music, the Scripture, the praise. If you have a free hour or two this Christmas season, take a few minutes and listen to it. Chances are, you'll be glad you did. Maybe you don't have the time to go and hear a live performance of it, but at least grab a CD and pop it in your car stereo. You'll be amazed how different your day can be when you really understand even the simplest of lines that "for unto US a child is born!"

Merry Christmas Season Everyone!

Disney Highlights!

2007-11-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Meeting the Mouse!

2007-11-04T18:10:00.001-08:00

WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!
Have a great week, everyone! We'll try to post photos, but I bet we'll be having too much fun! We promise to share the trip with you too!
If you're stuck at home and a little jealous, we recommend the Playhouse Disney site at http://atv.disney.go.com/playhouse/index.html.
They have tons of fun coloring pages to print, games (Will loves the Little Einsteins games), stories, and other activities. Hey, if you can't go to Disneyworld, here's hoping this brings a little Disneyworld to you! :)

Fall Fun!

2007-11-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T09:10:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I keep getting these e-mails from friends saying, "Where are the Cooks?" Sorry we haven't posted in awhile, but we've been having a great fall! Busy, but so much fun! Some of our October highlights:

Will finished soccer! We provided decorations and team gifts for Soccer Awards Night. The kids had so much fun, and Will even got his first real medal! Bill was remembering how special his first team trophy was when he was a kid, and now Will's getting to experience that feeling too.

Paula is serving on the Leader's Committee for Will's preschool. Thepreschool had its Fall Carnival fundraiser last week. It was fun to see all the kids dressed up in their costumes, and we provided a craft project for about 200 kids. Everyone had a great time - especially Will! We all ate lots of corn dogs, bake sale goodies, and candy - what could be a better fall?

Paula also helped with the church carnival this past week too. We've baked cookies, served pies, and hung decorations. Will was a big helper too - stuffing goodie bags and helping decorate. We had a great time at the carnival last night with one of Will's soccer buddies and his parents - and of course, the other couple thousand folks that turned out for the food and fun!

We met our last weekend at the zoo for a Dillon OKC Vietnam Family Day. It was so great to meet all of these families that we have known only through e-mail and blogs. There were eight families in all - four with kids at home, three with referrals waiting to travel, and our family waiting for our referral. It was fun to watch the kids play and interact. Bill & I love to watch Will when he is with little Vietnamese children. You can just see his mind imagining what his new brother might be like. Thanks everyone for a great time - let's do it again soon! You can go to my friend Kerrie's site at http://www.zakmakesthree.blogspot.com/ to see a picture of our whole gang!

We've been celebrating Candy Week - oops, I mean Halloween! - big time this year at our house! Between the Fall Carnival at school, the Festival at church, the school party today, and a bit of trick-or-treating tonight, we should be good and sugared up for awhile! :) I think Will has worn his knight costume about 4 times this week, and has loved every minute of it. Today's excitement includes decorating pumpkin sugar cookies at school and trick-or-treating through the church offices. (Will's preschool is at a great church here in town.)

If all of the business above hasn't kept us busy, we have been getting ready for our big family vacation too! We are going to Disneyworld! Bill leaves tomorrow for a convention in the Orlando area. Will and I are flying out early next week to meet him - and to see Mickey, of course! My parents are even coming for the last few days of our trip to have some special grandkid time. Will has this free vacation-planning DVD that he watches several times a week - as much as I will let him. He knows all the cool rides (and the scary roller coasters too!) and exactly what he wants to do in each park. I expect he will be our little tour guide, because he was telling me yesterday how you get on the monorail and transfer between different parts of Disneyworld. The kid's got it down! I'm sure that we will be posting lots of fun pictures for all of you, but not until we return. There's just too much fun to spend much time in the hotel room in front of the computer! :)

We hope that you all are having a great fall! For my adoption buddies, I know that the wait has been a bit slow and quiet lately. We are so thankful that God has filled our lives with so many other things lately that we haven't had too much time to sit and count the hours until our referral. Sometimes busyness can be a curse, but for us lately, it's been a blessing! Of course, we'll drop everything as soon as we have some good news to share! Keep checking back - there may be baby pictures soon! :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-10-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow's my birthday! We received a really wonderful early birthday present today! The Dillon staff e-mailed us to tell us that they sent our official paperwork over to Vietnam. Our papers are on the move again! For those of you not on the adoption road, this is really good news, because it means that we are still inching closer and closer to completing everything even while we wait to be matched up with our child. Sometimes things tend to slow down a bit during this phase, so we're thrilled that our paperwork wait was really short! I'm all about cheering for every little achievement - however small - in this process, so Hip! Hip! Hooray! :)

I was thinking how funny it is to e-mail and chat with my adoption buddies every day, and yet know so little about their "real lives." I don't know when it's their birthday or where they work or what they like to munch on while watching T.V. - you know, the stuff you pick up about your friends just by spending time together. So, in honor of my birthday, I thought I'd tell you a few things about me that you might never know otherwise!

I love to cook. Not like to cook - I love to cook. I love having a home-cooked meal on the table for our little family of three. I'd rather have a pork roast in my oven on a cool Sunday afternoon than go to the snazziest place in town.
I used to build things. In my previous life, I was a structural engineer. I designed buildings of all types - condos, houses, stores, restaurants, churches, schools - you name it, I've probably built at least one! Now, I do most of my construction projects out of Legos - occasionally Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys, but Legos are the most popular with my four-year-old by far!
I grew up in Colorado, but I really don't like to ski. I was never really enough of a daredevil to be a great skier. There was a time when I enjoyed an afternoon on the blue slopes, but now, after tearing up my knee a few years ago, it's really low on my list. I've felt shaky knees way too often in the past few years for me to ever want to ski again.
Beach vacations do NOT interest me. I really don't like to lie in the sun at all. I have ridiculously fair skin, and I just feel like a lobster in the steam pot the entire time. I really don't have tons of interest in visiting Florida again, outside of Disneyworld and perhaps an overnight in Miami just to see the architecture.
So, given #3 & #4 above, you may be surprised when I tell you that I am absolutely the opposite of a homebody. I don't like to be stuck inside for more than about 2 days, and sick-kid weeks are worse than a root canal to me! I'm a go and do, see and experience kind of a girl. I love to travel, and I love to visit cities. I've been to 40 of the 50 states, and 40 of the 50 most populated cities in the U.S. (Can you believe San Antonio is in the top 10 Most Populous Cities in the U.S.? You can learn something new from Google everyday!) I always want to stay downtown, and the more buildings the better, in my book - I've got to feed that little hiding architect/engineer in me somehow!
Many people joke that my true career path should be as a concierge - I love to tell people the insider secrets about the most fun things to do in any town. When we lived in downtown Chicago, I think I was the only local who actually enjoyed sitting next to tourists on a bus - I could give them enough good, inexpensive things to do to fill their whole trip! I also have guide books for just about anywhere we've ever been, because I love to read and study and learn about the places we are planning to visit. I don't want to miss any of the good stuff - and there's always good stuff! Just today I found a Canterbury Concert, a ballet, and a Christmas Children's Theater performance in Oklahoma City to take my in-laws to see during their next visit. My husband was laughing that only I could turn a trip to OKC into a cultural event! :)

Thoughts for the Day!

2007-09-27T17:51:00.001-07:00

I'm in my deep thoughts mood today, I guess I'll share one of my recent ponderings with you. Recently, I heard a speaker say that, "PAIN IS INEVITABLE, BUT MISERY IS OPTIONAL." Now I'm not normally a fortune-cookie philosophy type of girl, but this one really stuck with me. What an interesting thought to realize that I play a HUGE part in my misery - or lack thereof. Hmmmm......... So, I've been chewing on this one for the last couple of weeks, and I've decided that there just may be something to it.

You see, Bill & I made a pact when we began this international adoption process that we were going to enjoy it. Every single bit of it. Now, for many of you who are in the process of adopting, you may right now think that we were either 1) hopelessly naive about adoption, or 2) totally out of our minds. Let me explain a bit, though, and perhaps you'll understand.

I haven't talked much about the road that got us to the place where we are adopting from Vietnam. I struggled with health issues and infertility for about eight years before becoming pregnant with my son. Then, when Will was born, my heart stopped working the way it was supposed to, and I was gravely ill. I eventually recovered, but the doctors informed us that having other biological children was a serious risk to my life, so adoption became our only possibility for being blessed with other children in our family. We experienced a difficult (and ultimately failed) domestic adoption situation prior to deciding to adopt internationally. God always stayed faithful to us, even though we didn't always understand the whats or whys of our lives.

Now, I'll be honest -- infertility stole a lot from my life. It stole many of the choices for my life and my family that most other people take for granted. It stole my health, it stole much of my youth as I was faced with the reality of cardiologists and pills at age 30, it stole way too much money from my bank account. But a few years ago, when Will was an infant, I decided that I was sick and tired of letting it steal my joy. Thanks be to God, who taught me that I did not have to let the possibility of not having another child keep me from enjoying every single moment with Will. So, we played pattycake in doctor's offices, curled up on the sofa to snuggle when I was too sick to go out, and slowed way down so we could smell the roses.

When Bill & I decided to pursue this international adoption, we followed the same guidelines. I mean, why should a little thing like not actually giving birth to our second son rob us of the joy of expecting him? When I was pregnant with Will, I loved every doctor's appointment, every chance to hear his heartbeat, every ultrasound. I loved decorating his baby's room and shopping for his little clothes. I did not love the physical part of being pregnant, but I sure did love the expectation! I loved knowing every day that I was one day closer to him.

Well, I'm doing the same thing this time around! I'm simply loving every day that I am one day closer to my new little one as well. I love to peek at my friends' blogs, see the pictures of their little boys, and imagine what my son might look like. I love learning every bit I can about his country, soaking up the visual images of the sun going down over Ninh Truan or the water flowing down the river in Can Tho. I've paged through every Vietnam travel book they stock at the Barnes & Noble, taking in the pictures of the country, memorizing maps and city names that I can't even pronounce. I've walked the aisles of the Vietnamese grocery store here in OKC, imagining what the smells might be like in my son's hometown. My husband and I have committed ourselves to travel to Vietnam early just to get to see what life there is really like - waking up on a boat in Ha Long Bay, visiting the ancient temples and fortresses of Hue, taking a train from Da Lat to Saigon.

You might ask what started this musing in me. Well, I'll be honest. I have been probably been doing way too much computer surfing lately, reading the blogs, forums, and chat rooms of other adoptive parents. Somehow, I keep stumbling over this overwhelming attitude of MISERY amongst most of my fellow parents-in-wait. There is this sense out there in blogger-land that the time between when you start your adoption paperwork and the time when you pick up your child is some sort of episode of "Adoption Survivor". It's like you try to make it through without too much collateral damage to your soul. Well, I'm here to say that maybe we all need a little more "MISERY IS OPTIONAL" in our attitudes. Now, I'm not saying I'm perfect, or that I have all the answers. Certainly, there are people who have been down this road before me who've handled in with more grace in their little finger than I will ever have in my whole life. But, through my experiences, I have learned a few choices we can make to be a little less miserable, even in painful situations.

So, in true Letterman style, here's my Top 5 Tips for staying sane in the midst of adoption. If others of you, who have gone before us in this process, or who are riding this grand ride with us, have other suggestions, please post them on your blogs as well. Let's make this our week of really encouraging one another with ways to have good thoughts and make misery optional!

My Top 5:

5. Get a hobby! Adoption is a part of your life, not the sum total of your life! While you are waiting for your child, enjoy life! Take a class, make a new friend, travel, read a great book. For sure, enjoy your spouse (if you are married), your other kids (if you have them), and your extended family. Treat yourself to a lazy morning in bed, a long shower, dinner at a beautiful restaurant, and lots of good nights of sleep. (There may be a shortage of these when your sweet little one comes home - remember, it's not all green grass with new children!) Most of all though, be more than your adoption process - keep being you.

4. Be realistic about your expectations. Wow, am I amazed at how upset adoptive families can get with the waiting process, even though their wait is not longer than their agency told them it would be! If they say 6-9 months from LID to referral, it will probably be 6-9 months! Misery will not make it faster!

3. Fall in love with everything about your new baby. For me, all those travel books and trips to Vietnamese restaurant only make me more excited about my adoption process, not more miserable.

2. Get your information from your agency, not from others. I'm guilty of this one, too, so I can speak by experience here. I made myself sort of nuts for a few weeks, thinking that part of our paperwork process should be shorter than it really was, based on information from other families, rather than from the agency. When I finally called the agency to ask about my papers, they were moving exactly at the speed that they should have been. They felt like they were moving at turtle-pace because my perspective was wrong, not because they really were strapped to a turtle!

1. Be thankful! Don't see thankfulness as a consequence, see it as a choice - even a commandment, if you are a follower of Christ. Find something every day good to say about your agency, about your child's culture, about your opportunity to be a part of this process at all. Remember that our children are pure blessings, not owed to us or expected, but loved all the more for the reminder that they came straight from the Master's hand!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:6-7

One Happy Family!

2007-09-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, don't you wonder why that family looks sooooooo happy? It's because they just received their I-171H Form this week!!!! Hooray! Yippeee! Woo-hoo! Yeee-Haw! If we could think of more cheers, we'd probably add them to the list too!

For those of you unfamiliar with the adoption process, you are probably scratching your head and thinking we're a little off right now. But, for a prospective adoptive family, the I-171H is sort of the crowning glory of paperwork! Funny, huh? It is the form from the U.S. government that allows us to get a visa for our yet-to-be-determined child. It literally says that we are completely, formally, offically approved to be adoptive parents. Almost all the papers we have filled out, notarized, certified, authenticated, and sealed with a kiss have led to this one - so we say again, "YIPPEE!"

So, what's next, you say? Well, our papers will be sent to the U.S. Consulate's office and then on to Vietnam to be translated and officially logged with the Vietnamese government. Hopefully, they will soon meet up there with our acceptance papers when we are officially matched with our son! Boy, are we ready for that part! If you think we are smiling in this picture, stay tuned! Wait 'til you see us when we get to meet our son! We're just hitting the really good part now!

Fall Fun!

2007-09-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

Fall is in full swing now in the Cook household! Will is back in school, Bill is back on the road, and Paula is trying to keep us all sane in the midst of it all! Seriously, we apologize for our lack of blogs lately, but it has been kind of crazy around our parts the past month. We've had a couple of bouts of stomach flu, a minor car accident, a couple of travel weeks for Bill, and a lot of new activities starting up in earnest. Even Max the Dog was sick - we really mean it when we say that this has been "Survivor Month" around our house! (Max the Dog was very jealous of my blog-buddy Julie's daschund, Rudy, who got his very own post recently. So, Max managed to sneak into one of the pictures for his blogger debut!)

Finally, though, we are starting to feel like we're settling in a bit, and we've got the soccer pictures to prove it! Will had his first big soccer game this past weekend - what a hoot! If you are feeling down at all, grab a cup of Starbucks and spend a Saturday morning watching 4-year-olds play soccer! They may not have a clue what they are doing, but they are having a blast! I know I'm a shamelessly biased momma, but I think looking pretty cute too!

Fingerprints and Other News!

2007-08-14T18:26:00.001-07:00

So, we are one step closer to our I-171H today! We had our fingerprints done at the OKC Immigration office. Bill was really excited by how high-tech the process is - definitely not the inkpad of the old '80's cop shows as we had somehow imagined. Everything is done by computer now, and it is pretty sophisticated. I was just so glad that everything went smoothly, and that we finally got this step checked off of our to-do list. Now, we just sit and wait. Literally. There is really no outstanding paperwork left for us to do. We've finished our required reading, our homework assignments, and even tentatively scheduled our CPR classes. So, now we do something else for awhile, until we have our I-171H in hand or until we receive a referral of our child!

A quick update for those of you who've been praying for us and asking me about my leg. I'm feeling better every day, and I'm definitely walking and moving better! I think we've passed the worst of it, and with a little bit of physical therapy, I'll be ready to do some serious shopping in the Saigon markets! No little broken leg is gonna stand between myself and a good bargain!

Since we've got a little time on our hands now, we are escaping the ridiculous heat of OKC and heading to Colorado for a week. We're planning on spending time with Bill's parents & his brothers and their families in the Denver area. Will's most excited about being spoiled by his grandparents, seeing a Colorado Rockies baseball game, and going to the water park. Bill & I are also going to take a night away in the mountains to celebrate our 14th anniversary!

Bill & I both grew up in Colorado, and we cherish the opportunity to get in a little Rocky Mountain High. Somehow, God just always seems a bit closer when you are in the mountains, and I don't think it has anything to do with the altitude. It's just that when you look around at all the surrounding beauty, it's clear that our God is a good God - a creative, loving, artistic, caring God who gave us such a gift of Himself when He created this world. When He created us. I feel the same peace in my heart when I watch my son sleep at night, when I look up and see millions of stars on a clear night, when I walk on a beach, or when I watch an Oklahoma sunset. I guess it's more about God than geography. I still wonder though where I'm going to find that feeling in Vietnam. Maybe on a boat in Ha Long Bay. Maybe in a cafe with my husband in Saigon. Maybe in the eyes of a little girl asking for candy in a small village. My heart thinks definitely in holding my new little boy. There's just some times in life when you really know that God is good.

For those of you who've already travelled to get your little ones, tell us your personal "God is good" moment in Vietnam. For those of you who are playing the waiting game like us, tell us what you think yours might be. It's different for all of us, because we are all as different as our fingerprints. But it'll be there if we're looking for it, that's for sure. If you are one of our family, friends, or just a visitor passing by that's not in the adoption process, feel free to tell us about one of your own "God is good" moments. It's easy, just click the comment button below this post and follow the instructions. Remember though, that anyone can read what you write, so be prepared to share something you aren't afraid for the world to know!

Broken Legs and Other Craziness!

2007-08-09T20:02:00.001-07:00

So, we've had a CRAZY few weeks lately! In the last three weeks, Will & I have made two 350-mile trips to help my brother & sister-in-law take care of their new babies and to help my parents move to a new house. Bill has been travelling so much for work that he has been at home a total of 10 days in the last month. It seemed like we were keeping all the plates spinning pretty well - that is, until I broke my leg last week! No, really, I did! I was helping my parents move to a new house, and I slipped off a 10-inch high stepstool. I stepped down really hard and ended up with a compression fracture on the top of my tibia (the bone in your lower leg).

Now, it seems like the craziest thing in the world to say, but I am SOOOOO GLAD that I only broke my leg! No, our social worker does not need to revisit the psychological evaluation on our homestudy, I promise. Let me tell you why. You see, about 8 years ago, I injured my knee really badly. I had to have a major repair on my knee (and I have the screws to prove it). It took me almost a year to heal and rehab my leg fully. It was actually funny in a crazy kind of way - me, rehabbing like some sort of professional football player!

So, anyways, when I slipped last week and my knee swelled up, I had these horrible thoughts of having to repeat all that work. I had scarier thoughts of hobbling my way through Vietnam, of a very difficult and uncomfortable airplane trip. (Now I know that it isn't really a thrill for anyone to be on a plane that long, but it would be excruciating with a bum leg!)

But, as usual, God protected us from what we couldn't handle. I almost hugged the doctor when he told me that my MRI indicated that my repair was just fine, and I only had a little break. In fact, he didn't even really need to put me in a cast. My leg will heal just fine on its own, and the soreness will eventually go away completely. I'm not running any marathons (now or ever, thank you!) but I'm going to be okay. Thank you, Lord, for not asking any more of us right now. Thanks God that I only broke my leg! :)

Good News!

2007-07-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

We got our letter from USCIS with the date for our fingerprint appointment! Finally, after a couple of weeks of wondering and waiting, we know that we are moving forward with the steps towards our I-171H! Our appointment is August 14. Our non-adoption lives have been full of surprises lately, so please pray that this process will continue to go smoothly. The great news is that Bill did not have any trips planned for that week, so nothing will have to be rescheduled. With his job, that is a huge blessing!

Based on this new information, we can realistically expect our I-171H to be completed by the end of September. We had originally hoped to have it by the end of the summer, but the paperwork just seems to be taking a bit longer right now. We know that God's timing will be good, and that He will open the doors that need to be open at exactly the right time. It looks like we will have a very busy rest of the summer, so hopefully, the wait won't seem so long.

In the Presence of the Great!

2007-07-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

The school supply season is upon us! I've mentioned before that I LOVE a good bargain! Well, we've been spending some of our time in July & August the past couple of years collecting school supplies for children that might not have access to them. In the past, this has always been through church school supply drives, but this year, we have a more personal reason to donate. We are collecting supplies to give as gifts to the orphanages in Vietnam.

Now, mind you, I only buy the REAL bargains. But, somehow, this year, the bargains seem to be abounding. I have already found 9-cent crayons, 50-cent markers, 10-cent pencil boxes - and it's still just mid-July. I happened to mention it to my mother on the telephone one day, and as all good blessing stories go, she e-mailed a couple of friends, and they e-mailed a couple of friends, and well....everyone just wants to help. My parents' Sunday School class members are running around to office supply stores and e-mailing each other about the best sales of the week. Even the sales clerk at Target who innocently asked why I was buying 20 boxes of crayons offered to help, once she heard our story. My brother stunned us by providing an entire case of individual crayon packets from his restaurant.

Now, I know that some people still say really hurtful things about international adoption. (In fact, several of my adoption buddies have had some truly senseless and hurtful remarks thrown their way. I am so sorry that anyone has to hear that stuff!) But, I also wanted everyone to know how many people really care about what's happening and really are excited to help in their own little ways. I want to encourage my adoption and blogger friends to be vulnerable enough to let it be known that there are needs in adoption land. Who knows just how many people are waiting in the wings, eager to help? The sales clerk at Target sure is! If you are interested in helping too, please feel free to tag a comment on this post or just e-mail us.

"A gift opens the way for the giver,
and ushers him into the presence of the great."
--- Proverbs 18:16

Most of all, I want to say thank you to any and all of you who have given your time, your money, and your hearts to help. I wish that I could send you all a personal thank you note, for caring about us and most of all for caring about our new little boy - and lots of other little boys and girls in Vietnam. However, I don't even know any more all of the folks who might be helping and praying and caring for us in their little ways. So, I'll just offer this verse from Proverbs, and hope that your gifts have already and will continue to usher you into the presence of the great! Thank you for blessing us - may you be blessed back many, many times over!

I Just Can't Help It!

2007-07-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

A few months ago when we started our adoption process, we passed a law in our house. No shopping for the baby until we have a referral in hand. Now, I know that a lot of you blogger gals are big-time shoppers. So, before you click that comment button to chew me out, please know that I too enjoy shopping. I really enjoy baby shopping. But, for me, filling my house with baby items without an actual baby takes me quickly to my crazy place. Bill & I thought that it would probably be hard and confusing for Will, too. Thus the "no shopping" law. (Please also note that there is NOT a no-looking law - I've picked out linens, room decorations, furniture...the list continues. But no actual items have been purchased.)

But today I broke the law. Will and I were at Kohl's, and there were soooooooo many cute little baby things. Creepers with puppy dogs and bears and trains. Little soft blue blankets and bibs. All on great summer sales - my achilles heal! My strength was waining. I probably would have bought a ton of clothes if I only had an inkling of what size to purchase. But, I didn't, so I passed through the children's clothing unscathed. (By the way, I also know that we have a trip to Branson, Missouri planned this fall, and they have one of the best outlet malls I've ever visited. They have Carter's, they have Osh Kosh, they have Children's Place. And come September, they will have a lot of my money!)

So, back to the story. Will wanted, of course, to look at the four really messy aisles of toys that they shove into a corner of the Kohl's as bribery to get kids to agree to go shopping with their parents. He was pretty good all throughout our daily errands, so I agreed. As I am standing in the heaps of Dora dolls, Matchbox cars, Thomas Trains, and other assorted toys, suddenly my eyes light up. I notice a darling, brightly colored FisherPrice Tabletop Playmat up on the shelf. It's got nobs, rattles, buttons, mirrors, balls - all those cute things that little hands love to investigate. It folds out to the size of a large placemat or folds up into a 3" X 10" packet - easily packable! It has suction cups to secure it to an airplane tray table! It is all the things I love in children's toys, and it is sitting on the shelf next to a sign that says, "All FisherPrice Toys 50% Off!"

I melted. A girl only has so much will power. And so, for $12.50 after sale (plus the travel game that I had to buy for Will because I haven't figured out yet how to buy for one child and not two!), we are officially moving into "getting ready for baby" mode. A really big step for me. But, finally, one homestudy, a three-inch binder stuffed full of paperwork, one dossier, a couple of big checks, lots of time on the blogs and forum, and a FisherPrice Tabletop Playmat later, I can say that I really think this whole thing is going to happen! We're really going to have a baby in our house!

Showers of Blessings!

2007-07-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful week this one has been for all of the Dillon Vietnam families! We'd like to congratulate our adoption buddies on NINE sweet children finding their forever families this week! The last count I had was five infant girls, three infant boys, and one sweet boy from the waiting child list.

Now, for those of you who are new to the process or who are doing research on adoption, I'll add that this week has NOT been a typical one for all of us. In fact, the last referrals by our agency that I know about for certain were in late April. So, you can imagine that how glad we were that we had so much to celebrate this Fourth of July week!

(By the way, if you are reading this blog for adoption info, please, please, PLEASE do not choose your agency solely based upon how fast they can add a child to your life. Choose your agency based upon how well they care for the children in the country where you plan to adopt, how committed they are to improving the adoption process, how ethical they are in their decision-making, and how much in love with adoptive countries, families, and children they are. It just matters too much!)

So, anyways, it was great for us to see all these families come together with their new kiddos. It also has made the entire process seem incredibly real for us - this is not some distant dream way down the road, but now all the sudden, we know that our day will be here soon too!

Please pray for all of these families that their paperwork is processed smoothly, and that they will get to hold their little ones soon. Please also pray for the fantastic staff at our agency, that handles all of us with such incredible kindness and grace. This is an exciting and yet very busy time for them, so pray for perseverance, for patience (as we all may try their patience from time to time, I'm sure!), and for health for all of them.

Thanks, again, God, for gracing us with your blessings everyday! Thanks most of all for the gift of nine sweet little ones! :)

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-04T12:56:00.003-07:00

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Will and I went to the Oklahoma State Capitol to take care of some of our dossier papers yesterday. It felt like our timing was perfect, being the day before July 4, so we kind of got into the process. Pretty soon, we were taking pictures on the Capitol steps and in the rotunda like a couple of tourists. (In some ways we were, even though we only live about a 15-minute drive away. It was my first visit there in the two years we've lived here in OKC, so you know, if you haven't seen it, it's new to you!)

For those of you who are not engulfed in this pile of papers, the dossier is the official documents that go to Vietnam as our application. They include:

a copy of our marriage certificate
a copy of our homestudy
a police letter for each of us stating that we don't have a criminal record
a letter of employment for Bill & a letter for me stating that I am a full-time homemaker
a doctor's letter for each of us giving us a clean bill of health
copies of each of our passports

Our social worker sent our homestudy directly, so I had nine pieces of paper to submit. We also sent 6 pages of photocopied and signed application forms, but four of the six pages were in Vietnamese, so they didn't seem too real to me. All inclusive, 15 pieces of paper. I know that the agency adds a few more pages of paperwork and some pictures to this packet, but all in all, 15 pieces of paper just didn't quite seem enough to me. It just seemed like such a tiny stack of stuff to indicate how much we want to adopt a new baby boy. How can all this time, energy, effort, desire, and most of all, love, possibly fit into 15 pieces of paper?

Well, we took our pile of papers to the Capitol to have the Secretary of State's office certify the notary signatures on them. Now, this part of the puzzle is usually handled by Dillon, and it always seemed a little hazy to me. So, I thought my adoption buddies might enjoy seeing what a certified document really looks like. Each document gets its own separate certificate from the state where it was notarized saying that the notary's signature is authentic.

I admit I am glad I got to see these documents. Somehow, the big gold seal, the "STATE OF OKLAHOMA" written across the top in very impressive font, and even the little gold grommet that attaches the certification to each of my documents made me feel better. Somehow, it all seemed very official, very approved, very finished. (I just hope that the Vietnamese government sees it that way!)

Suddenly, it was hard to mail my 15 little pieces of paper off. I was a little nervy trusting them to the Kinko's guy, I admit. When he asked if my envelope contained paperwork, and I said yes, and he wrote down a declared value of $100. I immediately said, "NO!! It is worth so much more than $100 to me! In fact, it is pretty much priceless!" He looked at me like I was nuts, and said, "How 'bout $1000?" I nodded, defeatedly, knowing that I could never really express the value on this package. The Kinko's guy slapped a zero on the end of the declared value and carelessly tossed my precious cargo in an outgoing mail bag. I probably paid extra for that extra value, but I don't care. I also freely paid for the Priority Service, Automated Tracking, and some other bells and whistles. After all, this is the most important 15 pages I've ever put together in my life.

The Thanks Bank!

2007-07-01T19:01:00.001-07:00

Our four-year-old son, Will, came running out of Sunday School this morning. He was so excited as he said to us, "Mom & Dad, I got to make a thanks bank today!" So, as usual, amidst the typical post-church flurry of kids being picked up, Sunday School papers flying about the halls, and other pandemonium, I asked casually, "What's a thanks bank?" I admit that I was concentrating on what to make for lunch, afternoon plans, and my general desire for a long nap, and I wasn't listening as well as I should. Will, however, didn't seem to notice, and began to explain, "My thanks bank is a way for me to say thank you to God for all the good things in my life. I drew pictures of the things I am thankful for and put them in the bank. It helps me remember that our word for the month in church in July is contentment."

Wow. Out of the mouth of babes, right? I stopped short there in the hall, and looked down at my sweet son, who is holding up a plain lunch bag with "THANKS BANK" written on it in red marker. He has filled it with little scraps of paper with pictures of simple things he is thankful for - the sun, a rainbow, and Mom & Dad. Suddenly, I am paying a lot closer attention as I ask him, "Will, what does contentment mean to you?" and he says simply, "It is deciding to be happy with what you've got. You and Dad should make a thanks bank, too!"

And that's what we did. Not thirty minutes after arriving home from church, we sat down with paper and crayons and made a family thanks bank. We had great fun drawing pictures of each other, Max the Dog's wagging tail, baseballs and bats, new baby brothers, swimming pools, flowers, maps of Vietnam, and crosses to symbolize Jesus. (Our Jesus portraits aren't so great, so we used a cross instead!) We are planning to keep adding to our thanks bank the rest of the summer. Will says we should get a really big bag, because we have plenty to go in it.

You know what? He's right. We have so much to go in it, that the largest shopping bag we could find would never suffice.

CONTENTMENT: It's deciding to be happy with what you've got.

As I read through Will's Sunday School paper this afternoon, the memory verse popped out at me. Phillippians 4:11-13 says, "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being CONTENT in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do EVERYTHING through Him who gives me strength." I'm going to try to memorize this verse in the next couple of weeks. You might want to try it, too.

As Will would say, you might even try to make a thanks bank. You might be surprised just how big a bag you really need, if you take the time to write down all your thank yous to God. For my fellow adoption buddies, I'm not saying this lightly. I know that sometimes the wait is hard. Really hard. But Will may be on to something about this contentment thing. Contentment isn't having all you want to be happy, it's deciding to be happy with what you've got. Contentment doesn't mean that we won't be crossing off squares of the calendar each day - it's more about how we fill the squares up before they get crossed off.

And maybe, just maybe, thankfulness may be the real key to the riches in God's bank. So, I'm gonna start a sideline here on our blog page of things I'm depositing in my thanks bank. On the gray days, I'm hoping it brings me some encouragement. Hope it brings you some, too.

A Quick Update!

2007-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation this past week in Chicago. So much fun to see the city where we used to live, to meet old friends, and most of all to introduce Will to Wrigley Field! Will loved Chicago, and Bill & I have to admit that we were a bit wistful in some of our old stomping grounds. It is a fun city, especially in the summer, but I'm glad that God has us in OKC right now. God has had good plans all along for us, and right now we are in just the right place for another little boy to fly half-way around the world and join our family!

We came home to the great news that our homestudy stuff is finished, so we could go ahead and process our dossier documents. Hooray! So, without even finishing unpacking, I've been off to the doctor's office, police department, and notary's office in the past two days. Bill, in his usual style, whipped out his laptop, sent a couple of quick e-mails, and got his entire part finished in about ten minutes. Two days later, the FedEx envelopes arrived with his employment letters and our marriage certificate, and he didn't even break a sweat. I wish that I was as cool and collected as he is sometimes. All the time I spend wringing hands doesn't really get the job done any faster! A great lesson for me to learn at this point in the adoption process! :)

So, I guess when I send off this dossier packet to Dillon on Monday, we have officially hit "The Waiting List!" One prayer request for our extended family who has lovingly prayed us through this whole process is that our fingerprint appointment and I-171H would move along smoothly (and I add somewhat selfishly, RAPIDLY!) The I-171H is the final document that we need to be able to get a visa for our new child. The Vietnamese government wants to see it in our hands before we start trying to get approval to travel. We would love to have it in place so that when we are referred a child, we will have one less piece of paper between us and him. So, the sooner that one happens, the better. Hopefully, July will be a good month for us to get this last piece of the paperwork puzzle in place.

In the mean time, we plan to have plenty of BBQ's, see a bunch of baseball games, take Will to swimming lessons, and enjoy the good ol' summertime for awhile! When I actually get the suitcases unpacked, I'll try to post some Chicago highlights, so check back soon! :0)

Homestudy - Hooray!

2007-06-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

We received the completed draft of our homestudy today! Hooray! Thanks to our great social worker and all of the Dillon staff - you guys are the best! They managed to get everything finished for us before we head out on our vacation - an extra treat.

For our friends and family not in the middle of the adoption experience, the homestudy is a critical piece of the puzzle. The homestudy report is done by a licensed social worker, who officially approves us as adoption applicants. This report goes to Vietnam along with copies of a lot of other official paperwork to describe us as adoptive parents to the Vietnamese government. It also is used here by the US Department of Immigration as official clearance to allow us to get a Visa for our new child. (The Visa officially allows us to leave Vietnam and return to the United States with our child.)

So, the moral of the story is that our homestudy unlocks the doors to the next big phase of our adoption process. We are thrilled to be moving that way! Funny, but I've never been so excited to be allowed to fill out more bureaucratic forms! :)

Attack of the Robots!

2007-06-13T17:23:00.001-07:00

Well, Vacation Bible School is upon us! As I am writing this post, we have only one more day of robots and spaceships in our Sonforce Kids VBS theme, and we've all had a great time! Bill and Will made the robots in the pictures out of cardboard boxes, spray paint, scrap wood, and some stickers. Great job, guys! I've been teaching a class of 22 boys that are just about to enter third grade, and I have even more gratitude for elementary school teachers than ever before. The kids have been great, but man is it a lot of work to keep up with them!

Will has had a wonderful week and has learned a lot, too. Thanks to his teachers for all their kindness and hard work. One of the highlights was listening to him sing "Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World" and then tell me how that meant his brother in Vietnam! It's nice to know sometimes that our kids really get it! :)

One of our Bible stories this week was about baby Moses' mother placing him in a basket at the edge of the river to try to save his life. (If you don't know the story, the Pharaoh of Egypt had ordered that all infant Hebrew boys be killed in order to subdue the Hebrews and keep them as slaves. Moses' mother made a floating basket and hid her son in the reeds next to the river, where he was found by Pharaoh's daughter. She adopted him, and not only was his life spared, but he grew up in the palace with the best of opportunities. God used Moses' adoption to prepare him for big things in the future.)

So, I thought a lot about Moses' mother this week. How hard it must have been for her to push that little boat basket out in the water, even though she knew it might be the only way to save her son. Would I have been willing to make that choice? It may be that our future son's birth mother is thinking about the same decisions right now. Bless her for loving her son so much. May we never take for granted the love she is showing to her son. May God make us worthy of the blessings that He is pouring out on us.

I also have been thinking about the ways that God is asking me to let go of my own basket a little bit too. Am I willing in faith to let go of my children (both Will & our future son) and let God have control of their lives? Of my life, too? Do I really believe that God has the best plans for all of us, even if they aren't very easy for me? Even if they make my heart hurt sometimes? Yet again, I learn more from Vacation Bible School than the kids do! Thanks, God, that the rewards of Your plans are higher and bigger and greater than we can ever ask or imagine!

Summer Fun!

2007-06-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

The blog gang is listing their Top 5 Summer Fun Goals. So, here are ours:

1. Visit the local Vietnamese grocery store and learn how to make at least one recipe in my new Vietnamese cookbook (or have fun trying, anyways!)
2. Eat ice cream while watching the Fourth of July fireworks - preferably at the end of a great baseball game
3. Watch the sailboats on Lake Michigan from Wrigley Field (watch out Chicago, here we come!)
4. Survive Vacation Bible School, and help our four-year-old son to enjoy his first real VBS experience. I am teaching a Second Grade Boys class, and the theme is Spy Kids in Outer Space, so I may well be fed to a robot by the end of the week!
5. Spend our anniversary on the top of a mountain. (We spent our honeymoon nearly 14 years ago in Breckenridge, Colorado, and we are going back - just the two of us!)

For the Family...

2007-05-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

Our extended family has been asking for new pictures of our yard and flowers. So, here they are! If you are novice blog-readers, you can click on any picture and it will show full-sized in your window. Then, after you have viewed the picture, use your back arrow to return to the full post. Have fun!

Yee-Haw!

2007-05-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! We took Will to the Cowboy Chuckwagon Festival this weekend. Our little cowboy had lots of fun roping cows, watching cowboys cook over the fire, and making cowboy crafts. Bill & I enjoyed sampling all of the great campfire food. What a true Oklahoma experience!

One quick funny story about Will. We stopped at lunch time to take a break and sit down so Will could eat. We grabbed a spot on a hay bale in one of the music tents. There was a man with a guitar singing old cowboy songs - really nice. Bill and I were enjoying the rest and the music, and Will was munching away on his hot dog. He finished eating, looked up at Bill with a smile on his little face and said, "Dad, this is SO boring! Can we PLEASE move on?" We both just laughed and realized yet again that our sweet little boy is officially becoming a kid!! :)

Q & A Game!

2007-05-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

So the blogger crew is doing a question game right now so we can all get to know each other a little bit better. Here's the questions:

1. Tell us something totally unusual about you.
2. Aside from your adoption process, what is your greatest accomplishment this year?
3. What is your favorite holiday?
4. Tell us the most interesting, funny, or embarrassing story from your wedding.
5. Where is your favorite place in the whole world?
6. Aside from your new little one, what are you most looking forward to about your trip to Vietnam? (Or for those who have already gone, what is most memorable for you?)
7. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
8. What is your best character trait?
9. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?
10. How has your adoption process changed you for the better?

Here's my answers:

1. I have designed and built a couple of ten-story buildings. (No kidding, I have a degree in structural engineering and worked on projects around downtown Chicago for almost ten years.)
2. Enjoying my time as a mom to Will. I’ve only been at home full-time for a little over a year, and I am really enjoying a lot of the little things about being a parent.
3. Christmas – I’m a Christmas decorating nut! We go Christmas crazy every year, but it’s really fun, especially now that Will can really enjoy the traditions too.
4. Our reception was outdoors, and it rained for about the first 15 minutes of it. It is a lot of brides’ worst wedding nightmare, but for us, it turned out great. There were 300 people at the wedding, and the ones that were friends of the family but not our nearest and dearest didn’t come to the reception. So, when the rain was over, we really got to spend time with the people we cared most about.
5. Sitting next to my husband in a totally quiet gallery in the Art Institute of Chicago
6. Seeing the gardens in Saigon. My Vietnamese friend keeps telling me how exquisite they are.
7. Homemade peach on the Fourth of July
8. Empathy
9. Sunsets – one of my favorite things about Oklahoma
10. I’m more thankful than I was at the beginning of the year. God’s been reminding me how the whole process is such a gift from Him – not just the child at the end!

Summertime & The Livin' is Easy!

2007-05-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is officially here for our family. It's supposed to be 80 degrees all week in Oklahoma City, and we have moved into our summer mode. To the left is a picture of one of the blooms on our hydrangea bushes. They are so pretty, and now there are a couple of hundred blooms - literally. Hooray - I got about half a dozen blooms all summer last year, so I'm thrilled! Will's last day of school is this Friday, and then the fun really begins - sandboxes, swimming pools, Popsicles, and Redhawks baseball games!

We had our first homestudy appointment this weekend. Our social worker was so kind and helpful. We really appreciate the people that work for Dillon - every single one has been kind, honest, and helpful. The homestudy interview felt very comfortable, and we got a lot of our lingering questions answered. We don't have our second interview for almost three weeks because of the Memorial Day holiday time, so we have to just sit back and wait. I guess that means more time for enjoying the garden and watching Will's summer fun. Bill & I are really trying to be intentional about enjoying our time with Will right now. We are, of course, so excited about the new baby, but we also have loved our time as a family of three. So, we're going to cherish these next few months as much as we can. (Oh, and we have promised ourselves to appreciate our current ability to sleep through the night! We know that one is going to go by the wayside for awhile when we come home with the new baby!)

Hope you all enjoy your summer too. Have a hot dog and a lemonade for us!

Shameless Pride!

2007-05-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of really good new pictures of Will this Spring. The shot below is at the Dallas Arboreteum at Spring Break. To the right is at the playground at the Oklahoma Redhawks game - Go Hawks! :) He is having such a great time learning all about baseball. He really likes watching players run the bases and of course, singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!"

Introducing Ourselves

2007-05-17T19:02:00.001-07:00

We thought it was high time we introduced ourselves. We are Bill, Paula, and Will Cook, and we live in the Oklahoma City area. Will is four years old and the light of our lives. Now we are so excited that God is blessing us with the opportunity to adopt another son from Vietnam.

Some things about Bill:

He loves the mountains
He is in a medical field
He'll forever love his Baylor Bears
In some cultures he's tall enough to be considered a god (No kidding, he's more than 2 meters tall - a sure head-bonking issue in Vietnam!)

He travels a lot for his job

He works from home

He continues to follow the Chicago Cubs long after they deserve it!

Some things about Paula:

She is at home full-time with Will right now
She previously worked as an engineer
She is a great cook
She loves to garden
She likes to watch baseball and football games
She likes to read Agatha Christie mysteries and the Yada Yada Prayer Group novels
If she could, she would have a Starbucks Mocha every single day!

Some things about Will:

He's just so cute!
He wakes up early and happy each morning
He loves to play with Playmobil & Matchbox cars
He's excited about our upcoming trips, swimming lessons, & VBS this summer
He is so thrilled to be a new big brother soon
He likes to count to 100
He's really into baseball right now, but likes the Cracker Jacks best of all

Some things about our new son:

We don't know his name yet (hopefully soon!)
He may not even be born yet
We are hoping he will be less than a year old when we first meet him
He is going to have a baseball-themed bedroom
He will be from one of five orphanages in the south part of Vietnam
We already love him so much and we can't wait to meet him!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our site! We are finally up and running!

We are so excited to be on this adoption journey!