More Christmas Extras

Jili and her side pigtails!!

If you get a chance, read the previous blog. It highlights our Christmas, but here are a few other small stories and happenings.

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On a smaller note, Jili and I bought T.J. an inexpensive little Carol Clock from Tractor Supply Company, and we set it up two nights before Christmas. When we bought it, Jili said, "Oh, I know Cuckoo Clock". I couldn't believe she said that: to my knowledge, she has seen one cuckoo clock months ago, and she made that generalization. I must say, that clock brought us so much joy. Even in the hustle and bustle, it would play a Christmas Carol every hour; and every hour, we would all stop to listen and enjoy it. It was our little ounce of Christmas Spirit in the backdrop of all of the chaos. We loved it so much that we located another one to spread some Christmas cheer to Jili's Godparents' family. It's truly the simplest and unexpected things in life that remind us to slow down and live in the moment.

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At my parents' house, we talked about seeing Santa on Christmas and his affirmation of going to see the children in China. My parents and I asked Jili if she thought Santa went to China. "Yes," she said. "Do you think that Fang Fang and your friends in China saw Santa?" "No," she answered, matter-of-factly, with a stern face. I asked again, and rephrased it, "No," she replied again. I think Jiliang has a true understanding of what priveleges children in a orphanage do not receive. There is no Santa when you are an orphan. This Chinese New Year, I would like to send a care package to Jiliang's orphanage, and if anyone would like to contribute even a dollar, you can do so online. I will try to do it in the next few weeks. I like to send cakes, because I get to receive a picture of the children enjoying them. Anyone who chooses to donate any amount will definitely get a copy of the children enjoying it.

I don't know if you recall when Jili saw photos of her friends in China receiving chocolate coins last April. A woman that I met online, whose daughter was also adopted from Jili's orphanage, traveled to Jili's orphanage on a homeland tour with her daughter. Jili saw her friends eating chocolate coins, and she was so mad. I thought that she would be excited to see photos of her ophanage friends, but instead she wondered where she was when they were eating chocolate. She gave the look, "I didn't get chocolate in China! Where was I when they were indulging in chocolate?" That told me that treats were rare or nonexistent in an orphanage.
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I will add more photos of Jili's Christmas soon. I am in the process of hooking up my new scanner/printer, so I will scan/upload her new Christmas portraits. :) Yes, I went without a working printer for too long. I am so excited about my new scanner. In the meantime, here is a photo of the kids on Christmas Eve on the main page. It was taken on my phone, so the lighting is not too good, but I love the picture. :)
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Blessings!
Jill ;)

Jiliang's First Christmas & Finding the Christmas Spirit

I'm sorry that I didn't post updated pictures as promised. This Christmas was really busy - as always for us all, I suppose; but this Christmas in particular really snuck up on us. I changed jobs in December, and the busyness of learning a new classroom and administrative teacher duties kept me busy in December. The same day that I started my new job, T.J. started swim lessons. Every night, Jili and I watched him swim, and every night that Scott was not working, we all went as a family, and T.J. made us proud. By the time we ate dinner, and went to swim lessons, it was always time for bed when we got home, except for the night when we picked our newly-cut Christmas tree. There were other holiday stressors, and of course, getting Jiliang's hair was an event in itself - a good one though.
Every day, Jiliang asked when Santa was coming and when she could open her gifts. She didn't understand the whole meaning of Christmas and the point of staring at wrapped gifts. "Why can't I open them," and "Why hasn't Santa come yet?" She must have wondered, "Who is this Santa, anyways?" More than anything, I really wanted to give her the Christmas of a lifetime, one that she so deserved.
The Tuesday before Christmas, Jiliang got her hair. :) I made a portrait appointment for the kids for that night, excited about mailing photos out in cards the following day. However, Jili cried about her new hair. It felt funny - not the reaction that I had expected. Therefore, I rescheduled the appointment for Wednesday, already feeling guilty about the Christmas card defeat. I sent Christmas cards out faithfully for years. This year I threw in the towel - just like that. I had so many more things to accomplish, like baking cookies with my kids and visiting Santa. However, I forgot that I had made dentist appointments on Thursday --oops--that threw a wrench into my cookie-baking operation. Luckily, we made to our local Diner to see Santa, and off to our dentist appointments we went. An unexpected trip to WalMart followed to stock up on baking supplies, which delayed my cookie-baking even more.
The following day, I rushed to Sears to pick up our portraits, and back home to get ready for Christmas Mass. Afterwards, we enjoyed Christmas festivities at a family friend's home, and the kids got to see Santa up and close. I even got to eat some handmade Christmas tamales. Yummy!
Santa called the children up one by one, and when he got to Jiliang, she rushed to see Santa Claus without hesitation, as T.J. had given her the scoop on the man in red. Santa said, "This one came all the way from China to see Santa," and Jiliang nodded. Then, she told Santa she wanted a tractor for Christmas. As Santa left, he said, "Ho, ho, ho...I'm off to take presents to the good little children in China,", and Jiliang lit up and said, "Yeah, MY CHINA", and nodded with the Magic of Christmas.
Back home that evening, I enjoyed getting the house ready for Santa. However, for the first time in at least OVER 23 YEARS, I did NOT make a single Christmas cookie. Usually, I do not go to bed without at least 5 different types of cookies made, even if it means staying up through the night. This year, I opted to go to bed, though after much Christmas preparation, it was still past midnight. T.J. bribed my mom out of 5 of her amazing sugar cookies, because he was certain that Santa wouldn't come unless there were cookies, and carrots for Santa's reindeer. "It's okay Mom," T.J. said before church, "You don't have to make cookies now, because I have some of Grandma's sugar cookies." He had all of his bases covered.
I had let both Jili and T.J. both sleep in T.J.'s room on Christmas Eve, since they were so excited about Christmas. It literally took 20 seconds for T.J. to fall asleep, and in no time Jili was out as well. It reminded me of the verse, "while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads." :)
Christmas came and went. The children enjoyed Christmas and delighted in every gift. When Scott got home from his tour of duty, we woke up the kids at 7:30 a.m. T.J. jumped right out of bed, and Jili was slow to wake, as always, clinging to the covers and kicking and protesting for sleep. She sat in the living room - lifeless -and watched T.J. open his stocking and Santa gifts, until T.J. opened his Zhu Zhu pet from Santa. She came alive and checked her own stocking to find a pink Zhu Zhu pet for her too. Forget the big ticket items, the Zhu Zhu pets and tractors took center stage. They tore through our gifts, then we headed to my parents' house for breakfast and gifts, and then to Scott's parents' home for gifts and dinner.
That Christmas night, I sat and told Scott that something was missing, and we were both in agreement that Christmas came and went quick this year, and the whole hustle and bustle had wiped us out. I wanted the whole perfect Christmas for Jiliang's First Christmas, but somewhere it all went awry. The kids seemed content, of course. In essence, we agreed that we didn't have the Christmas Spirit this year. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, and I love the Spirit that it fills me with each year. I looked at all of the unwrapped and wavered that all of the gifts under the tree couldn't make up for surpassing the True of Meaning of Christmas.
What we concluded was this: next year, we are going to celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas, and slow down and cherish those special moments with our family. Every year, I try to honor the Birth of Christ and I do struggle with all of the hyped, materialistic gift-giving every year. Every year I try to find that balance as to how much of that interferes with the real meaning of Christmas. This year, I really felt that I stepped backwards. I am not saying that I don't want to give gifts next year, but I do want to take more time to create lasting memories with my children and celebrate giving in a more meaningful and profound way, and if that means that there are less gifts under the tree and more gifts of the heart, so be it. If it means less running to and fro, that's perfectly fine with me.
Christmas night, T.J. said, "Mom, we didn't make cookies," and he named a couple of Christmas specials that I promised we would watch, and crafts that I promised we would do. I responded, "Well, we can still do that. We'll just make them the day after Christmas. And we did, just not for Santa Claus. As I thought of all of the should-haves and would-haves, I realized something that our Priest said at Mass, which went something like this: Christmas is a special day, but the Spirit of Christmas and the celebration of Christ shouldn't live in our hearts only at Christmastime.
In conclusion, the True Celebration of Christmas came a bit late for us this year for reasons I just can't fathom, but I can say that I spent the last week with my family - especially my children - listening to sweet Christmas music, sipping holiday tea, baking cookies, doing puzzle and games, playing with toys watching spirited Christmas movies and shows, and planning of all of the fun we will have next Christmas. I neglected my blog, my emails, my cellphone, and I apologize for that, but I needed to experience to the First Christmas with my new family of FOUR.

Today, the holiday season of Christmas has ended, and this New Year's Day, I carefully put away each ornament, remembering the importance of each one, and I wrote another annual post-Christmas entry in my son's memory ornament. Each year, when I take down the Christmas ornaments, I write my son a note about Christmas: this year, he was old enough to hear the entries for the first time (when we hung the ornaments), and he was surprised to know that I had written a memory down for his every Christmas. Therefore, when we were wrapping the ornaments back up, he said excitedly, "Mom, don't forget to write a note in my ornament!" Every year, I get to tell him how much I love and appreciate him, and now he reads it the following year. I will do the same for Jiliang too, starting this year.
We learn so much from our children. This year, my son and daughter taught me to take a step back and relive the Christmas Spirit through their eyes. And that is the True Meaning of Christmas: Love. This New Year, Rejoice, and know that it is never too late to find Christmas in your Heart.

"For God So loved the world that He gave Him one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
~John 3:16 (New International Version, ©2010)


Happy Christmas and New Year. May you receive countless blessings and God's Amazing Grace in 2011.

With Love,
Jill and family

Jiliang is Getting her Dora Hair tomorrow! And More Christmas Blessings

Yeah! Jili is really excited about heading to South Rockwood, Michigan tomorrow to get her "Dorla" hair. Afterwards, we are heading to Sears to have Christmas pictures taken of T.J. and Jili.
I know that I have been neglecting my blog lately. We have had a lot of family changes and chaos around our household (including a job change for me), but all on a thankful and positive note (except for the part where my son dropped my laptop and knocked out my hard drive). I do promise, however, to post pictures on Wednesday, to showcase Jili's long-awaited hair. She is so excited!
On another positive note, Jili had a great report at her last cardiology appointment in December. She is doing awesome and we were able to eliminate one of her heart medications. The repair to her heart is looking very, very good; and the pressures to her lungs may only be slightly elevated, but very close to Normal! That was such wonderful news. In turn, it was a positive experience for her as well, because at bedtime she said, "Mom, I had fun at the doctor's today. I want to go back two more times."
Jili is really blossoming in every way. Her English comprehension is great and she speaks in lengthy, complex sentences. I love it when she answers a question with, "Well, actually..." or when she tries to negotiate something.
Halloween was well-received by Jili. She had no qualms about Trick-or-Treating in the dark. We did, however, work our way up from daytime to nighttime trick-or-treating.
Thanksgiving was very low-key. We did the whole turkey and fixings on Wednesday, since Scott had to work on Thanksgiving. Thursday, we had dinner with my family; and Friday, we met up with my friend Jessica and her family. Jili was a little quiet at first, but quickly warmed around the other children. It was quite a large crowd of over 2 dozen people and she eventually mingled in well. We admired her social progress. However, when Scott mentioned to the kids that we were leaving, Jili asked, "Dad, where I go?" It broke Scott's heart to think that she was still concerned with us leaving her, or always wondering when her permanence in our family might come to an end. Of course, he said, "You're coming home with us Baby!"
After that, we spent a lot of time talking about "Jili's house" and who lived here, and that none of us were ever leaving. Somehow, the turning point was Christmas. Putting up the Christmas tree, seeing her China picture on an ornament, and hanging her stocking helped her to see that she belonged here. We have really turned a huge corner on her sense of security, and Jili has really established herself as a part of this household this Christmas season, which really makes my heart soar.
She did make an observation about her Christmas ornament from her China referral picture from last year. "Mom, why I not smiling in this picture?" I tried to tell her that it was taken when she was in China, before I brought her home, and before she met us. I asked, "Were you happy in China?" She retorted, "No, I happy! I no go back to China!" Clearly, I didn't communicate that well, because she only heard "China" and feared of going back. T.J. translated it better. He walked up and said, "You were not smiling, because you were in Chi--na. You had no Ma-ma and no Da-da. You were sad. Now, you live here with Ge-Ge (Chinese for Big Brother), Mom and Dad." Clearly, she understood T.J.'s words, and would later retell his words to her dad, her grandma and her Aunt Leah with every reason to smile in the present.
The other new thing is that Jili is starting to become a Daddy's Girl. Yes, she melts Scott with every cute face, every new discovery, and every tear shed. She has really warmed up to her dad, who has waited so patiently for her to open up to him in her own timing.
Things are going very well and we feel extremely blessed this Christmas season. We had a family gathering at my cousin Kristy's house this past Saturday. Jili arrived and in no time she was mingling with the folks she knows very well as "Family". She disappeared into the basement with T.J. and her older cousin Gracie, who is like a big sister to Jili. After we got home, she said, "Mom, I had a good time at Gracie's house. Next time, I want to bring my pajamas and sleep there." Wow, that is a huge 180! She is understanding that she is a part of a something forever: A Family who loves her unconditionally - and that is the greatest Christmas gift of all.
Thank you for keeping Jiliang in your hearts and prayers! We feel very blessed this Christmas season. May you witness God's love in your life, the True meaning of Christmas, this Christmas and always.
Jill :)

Making Me Smile

Here's a few things that make me smile:

T.J. says, "Mom, Jili hit me like this," and imitates how she hit him.
Jiliang says, "NOOOO!!!" and then, shockingly, she continues, "I hit you like THIS!" and imitates how she karate-chopped T.J., as if to say, Get it right Big Brother.

Nanjing, China ~ February 23, 2010

I am working on getting my China pictures uploaded to another site, because I never did that with all of the chaos in our return home. I realized that I had not even looked at my China pictures until recently. Here are a few pictures that I really enjoyed taking.
The first few days in China was super-hectic, and I was so ready to get home with Jiliang. Running around doing all of the adoption business was stressful. I was staying in the business (banking) area of Nanjing, and there was really nothing around me except banks with guards everywhere. I remember thinking, "Well, at least I am safe." Literally, we walked around the block and there were banks, a few food places, and on the sidestreets with small vending and housing areas.
Honestly, it looked like an American City, much like Chicago. Honestly, I am not a city girl. I longed for a Starbucks though. There was a very cool, two-story grocery, but it was quite a jot, and required crossing a very busy intersection. In China, they make their own lanes and drive insane. However, I never saw a single accident the entire time that I was there. I remember thinking that I flew halfway around the world to be in a place that looked like an American city, but everyone spoke English. I longed to see the Chinese culture and pagodas.
When my guide, Fred, picked me up to begin our Nanjing sightseeing on February 23rd (2-24 in China), that is when the fun began. I could post countless pictures here, but these are a just a few - okay, more than a few.
If you understand my sense of humor, you might appreciate the humor of the subway sign rules. Fred asked what was so funny and asked if we had signs like that in America. I replied no, but that we could probably use more explicit signage in the states.


Nanjing Wall:


The Nanjing Wall was built to was built to ward off attacks from the Japanese. As a form of Quality Control, the emperor created a system in which all of the bricklayers inscribed their bricks. If their brick crumbled, the bricklayer was put to death.



Jiliang really took to my guide Fred (AKA: Uncle Fred), who was with me on Gotcha Day.




Chinese McDonalds:



Jiliang got two McDonald's toys: One was a Pucca (Chinese girl) toy and the other one was a Panda with philosophies on life inscribed all over it.

Confuscist Temple Market Photos:






Do you see the police boat in the corner? I wish I would have snapped a photo of it then. The entire time we were in China, I never saw one fire truck or fire station.

These photos are just several out of hundreds that I took during one day of sightseeing in China. I hope to upload all of my China adventures very soon. Thanks for looking.
Jill :)

April 2010 Video

Here is a cute video that I found of Jiliang trying popcorn for the first time. She accidently gets bumped off of the stool at the end. She requests this video often and laughs at it every time.
I am going through my old photos and realized that things were so chaotic after I got home, that I never posted my China pictures.
Can anyone suggest a good website for photo slideshows?
Thanks,
Jill :)

One Year Ago Today ~ November 6th, 2010

Scott and I quietly celebrated today. Exactly one year ago today, we first saw Jiliang's photo. The special part about the Anniversary of first seeing Jiliang was that we didn't expect to find our daughter that day, but we both fell in love with her photo on November 6th, 2010. Somehow, everything that we had perceived about the beautiful little girl with the red sweater and nylon running pants, next to her favorite blue bike at the ophanage was true - yet now happier, healthier, more exhuberant, strong-willed, sweet and sassy. We fell in love a year ago! It's sort of like when I first found out I was pregnant, or when I first heard T.J.'s heartbeat and saw his ultrasound photo. It was like falling in love once again.
Yet, that day, that perfect timing that put her photo in front of us at that perfect moment was nothing short of a Miracle. Yes, many of you know that 1106 is my lucky number, and has been since I moved from 1106 Murray Drive, my childhood home. Even though I was home sick today, nursing a sore throat and a cold with soup, warm tea and a blanket, I was still reminded that today was my lucky day: "Today, was the day that I fell in love with the 3rd member of my family!"

May God Bless You All on this day! And may you all experience the joy of falling in love many times in your life!

P.S.
I will post Halloween photos soon. I am surely in need of some R&R this weekend, but I will post soon. I was certain that Jiliang would be frightened by all of the Halloween festivals, but on the contrary, she absolutely loved ALL of the Halloween festivities, especially Trick-or-Treating! Me Too! :)