Ian is 10!

Happy Birthday to our oldest! 10 years old...I cannot believe my baby boy has turned 10.

We had no idea what we were doing as parents when we brought Ian home from the hospital 10 years ago. I remember having this strange surreal feeling when we buckled him into his newborn car seat and the nurse put him in the car to go home from the hospital. Were they really trusting us to care for such a tiny little baby? This is just a dream, right?
Well, here we are 10 years later. I think we have all grown up a bit since that day. I have seen Ian turn into an independent young boy. He is growing and maturing in many ways. The past few months he has really stepped up to the plate of being the oldest brother. He helps me with the little girls when I ask him to and he sticks with his younger brother when I let them go on bike rides to the library or around town. He gets excited about learning new things and enjoys talking about his new found knowledge. He started 4H this year and enjoyed being a part of the Lego Robotics team. He also started t-ball this summer and I think he is enjoying that too.

Lego Robotics competition this past winter

There are a few stories from this past year that stick out in my mind that shows me how much Ian is growing and maturing. The one that happened just recently is fresh in my mind so I will share it: The children from church (and the community) did a closing concert for their VBS program. Ian was supposed to sing just a little part of a song with one other boy. During the concert I noticed only the other boy got up to the microphone to sing. I wondered what had happened to Ian singing that part with him. When I asked Ian about it after the concert was done, he just told me that the other boy really wanted to just sing a solo by himself and Ian knew it was important for this boy so he just said, no big deal, he could sing the song by himself. Now you have to understand that this is my son who if anyone asks him to sing a solo, act a part in a play, or be anywhere on center stage, he will take the part (or at least try out for it!) He enjoys these types of opportunities. ( I have NO IDEA where he gets that from. Ahem!) So, this thoroughly shocked me when he told me about this whole solo situation. I am seeing a glimpses of him thinking of others above himself every once in a while. Insert proud mommy smile! :)

This boy likes to climb trees

Making Indiana Sugar Cream Pie for his state project at school

 

Birthday celebration with Grandma and Grandpa Penner

 

We are so very proud of the young boy you are becoming, Ian. Yes, we have our battles of the wills here at home, but you will always be loved by us. Your passion for learning is contagious to me and all your ideas exhaust me sometimes, however, I hope that I am never squelching that flame you have to test out those ideas. You are one special boy and I am so glad you are in our family. I love you!

 

 

Happy Birthday Lucy

Happy 3 years of life to our Lucy Fei. My, how she has grown since her last birthday.

2nd birthday

 

 

3rd birthday

No more bottles before bed. No more diapers (except at bedtime). A few more understandable words spoken. A bit longer hair. :)These are a few of the changes that have happened since her last birthday. In the words of my sister: "It's all good!"

We tend to have a busy, busy Father's Day weekend, so we celebrated both Ian and Lucy's birthday Saturday evening. Grandma and Grandpa Penner came over for supper and apple pie (celebrating Father's Day too) and cake and ice cream.

 

Lucy, Happy 3rd birthday! It is so fun celebrating your special day with you. Your smile is such a bright start and end to my days. I look forward to what the next year has in store for you. We love you so much and are so happy you are in our family. 







Gotcha Day Cake

Last Tuesday we celebrated Lucy's adoption into our family. I could not figure out what we were going to do to celebrate. At one point a few weeks ago I thought, no matter what we did I would like a special cake made for our special day. So, I asked the best cake decorator I know, Amy, if she was up for a challenge. Oh, she was up for the challenge and did such a great job! The cake was decorated just as I had pictured it in my head and it tasted great too. It was hard to cut it because I didn't want to ruin it. :)

 

 We had Grandma and Grandpa Penner and Uncle Mark over for cake and ice cream in the evening. First though, the girls needed to get hair cuts, so off to Miss Sheila's we went. Lucy now has some fringe. hee, hee!

 

 Thank you so much Amy for using your talents to help us celebrate such a special day in a special way!

**HUGE side note.........My brother and his wife are just hours away from meeting their daughter, Lilly, for the first time in China. You can follow their journey here. I am beyond excited that there is now "One Less" in this world.

Dance

As promised, I have posted Isabelle's 1st dance recital video. This is one song the cute little 4 and 5 year olds danced to. Isabelle gets a little confused about her proper place after the girls do their little train ditty, but she handled it well. I was getting nervous that she would have a meltdown and start to cry when she noticed she was in the wrong spot, but she didn't. I think I would have. There were A LOT of people watching her which is different from her little practices in the Butterfield gym. She did great and I am very proud of her. She seemed like she was in her element in her dance classes. I think she enjoyed it. :)

Izzy and her friend Ava at practice (early in the year)

Dress Rehearsal in the gym

 

Ava and Izzy at the recital

 

 

Happy Gotcha Day

Today we celebrate Lucy's adoption into our family. Here is the year in review: 



Gotcha Day - May 21, 2012

 



Place of abandonment

Place to call home





First plane ride to the U.S.

Having fun at home

First birthday at home (June 16, 2012)

First visit to the doctor (vaccines - ouch!)

First "real" haircut (not a buzz cut)

First visit to the Fairmont Water Park

Boys first day of school. Saying good bye.

First harvest

First U of M Adoption Clinic visit

First surgery while at home (tubes in ears)

2nd dose of anesthesia while home (Dental procedures under anesthesia)

First time being sick at home

First carved pumpkin

First Christmas

First Minnesota Winter



Sleeping in her toddler bed. Ha!

Lucy and her favorite blankie - "Purple"

Wearing "Gotcha Day" outfit at home

Sneaky girls outside of room asleep

First Mother's Day with the family together

Lucy Fei - You are beautiful!



 At times Jason and I talk about how much it hurts or bothers us that we missed so many memories from Lucy's first 2 years of life. We missed her first smile. We missed her first steps. We missed her first tooth poking through. We missed her first babble or spoken word. We even missed her first surgeries to repair her lip and palate. However, as I have looked through pictures over the last year with Lucy at home, I remember so many memories that we have been able to make with her. We weaned her from her bottle. Yes!!!! It used to take 45 minutes to one hour for her to fall asleep. We stayed at her side while she fell asleep those first few months. We now read books, rock a little, and off to bed she goes. She is comfortable in her bed. We have celebrated and praised her for working hard in speech therapy and have been there when her words started to make sense to us. We have been able to get her out of diapers and into big girl undies. Double YES!!!!:) We see how she plays with her baby doll. With care, she holds her baby and sways back and forth like a little Mommy. She makes us laugh when she plugs her nose and says "stinky" when her baby needs changed. We enjoy listening to her sing, and I may be biased, but I think she has signs of being musically talented. I look in the rear view mirror as we are driving and see hands lifted high when KLOVE plays a song that she recognizes. We have witnessed a sad, sad grieving child blossom into a happy energetic 2 year old that blends right into our family. There is nothing like seeing healing happen before your very eyes. We have witnessed healing in Lucy's life and have realized the healing that comes when our Heavenly Father draws close to us and says, "Don't be afraid child. I love you. You are mine."


"What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people."  ~Psalm 116:12-14