March 31, 2005
Today Lili was admitted to Children's Hospital in Columbus for an eye infection. She is doing well and we expect her home before Monday. Tracy is staying with her at the hospital and all the nurses and Doctors are doing a very good job keeping Lili happy. I will update when I know more. -ScottMarch 29, 2005
Michael and I got up to the UP of Michigan, returned back safely Saturday, and enjoyed Easter Sunday with the family. While up there we enjoyed hiking in the woods, walking on top of the snow and following tracks of a friend who had walked earlier in the day with his dog Igor. We were able to stay on top of the snow in most places and Michael (90 pounds) laughed when dad (90+ kilograms) broke through the snow up to my hips! We made it home late Saturday evening and got up early for the Easter basket hunt, and then attended Church services. We were going to put the "Iced Out" picture in the Bellefontaine Examiner, but decided more folks would see it here! -Scott
Lili can't play a note, but sure looks C-U-T-E Headline from home, seems appropriate at Mighty-MacBridge In places, the trails were turning to Snirt SNow/dIRT
(Thaqua Falls Trail at the dump crossing)Bald spot needed a cover, so Lili loaned me a hat She's Ornery with a capital "O" !
(Lili is too)Lili likes to look pretty, and be held by daddy
(Nicholas can really play piano now)Chris proves that Lili doesn't have all the good looks in the family
(Lili is still searching for her basket)Michael and Bill discusing the route back to our cabin
(with Igor his dog)Further from town the trails were still in great shape An interesting cord-wood cabin near ours March 22, 2005
Today the boys and Lili had their Easter pictures taken at Wal*Mart. This is Lili as she looked right before she left.
As usual she is held by a customer to our store! -Scott
Lili and Jeff (Customer) before her Easter PictureMarch 21, 2005
Today we had all the kids in the store and they were very well behaved. To reward them, we went out to dinner at a local Henry's Restaurant. I took a couple of pictures there and will post them below. Lili was begging for rice this afternoon, so I had to cook some up for her. That meant Lili was not real hungry. She eats anything we put in front of her, but she still loves that rice. Three of the pictures are from this evenings meal, and the last one is after Michael dressed her up with some funny stickers. If you look closely, you will see he has her in a beard and mustache! Just like daddy ;-) -Scott
March 20, 2005, Palm Sunday
Today the boys were very good in Church. Being Palm Sunday, the service lasted longer than the usual hour, and they were just wonderfully behaved. Lili was very active as usual, and tried her best to entertain us. She is not so good at staying quiet for so long. We often get comments on the kids being well behaved, and today they deserved them all. Today I received by Third Degree in the Knights of Columbus. It was a good day for me. Michael and I are anxious to go to the cabin this Wednesday after work. I am anxious to spend some quality time with him. This coming week the boys are out of school, so I will be busy with them and Lili at the office. We do not use day care, so in the summer and on the school holidays, they are all with me at our computer store on M-W-F while Tracy works. I feel very fortunate to be able to have them with me. They have their own room with TV/VCR/DVD and computer games, so they are entertained and provide quality care for Lili. She is right in my workshop when the boys are not here, so she will be glad to get into their play room.It is understandable I suppose, but lately I have been missing Gracie Jo much more. I has been three years, and I remember her loss as though it were yesterday. Our loss is made easier because I know we will see her again. The Easter season brings this into clear focus. Michael and I will be driving home next Saturday so we can spend Easter as a family. He wanted to see Lili doing her egg hunt at Grandma's house. It is also a good photo opportunity for me as well. -Scott
March 16, 2005
On Wednesday of next week, Michael (13) and I are going up to the cabin for a long weekend of relaxation. We are looking forward to some quality time together, and get in some photography and snow shoeing. Lili was at work with me today at our computer store and a 4 year old little boy came in with his mom. They were just chatting each other up and having fun. She has started talking noticeably more this past week. I strongly believe her attendance at Nursery school has helped her develop her speech skills faster. There is something to be said for being with kids her own age, and the wonderful teachers at the Discovery Center in Bellefontaine seem to enjoy her being there. They seem to teach her something new each day, and then Lili comes home and tries to share her day with us.We are looking forward to April 15th. We will be traveling to Eastern Ohio to visit Nicholas's (9) birth family. I can not believe it has been nine years since we adopted him. I get a kick out of folks who ask us if our Children know they are adopted. [Christopher (8) and Gracie Jo (2002) are birth children] When folks ask, I tell them, we never not told them! We find it interesting that before Lili, we could go out to dinner with the kids, and no one would ask us if our kids were adopted. Lili must have a special smile, because we often get asked if we had to travel to China. We don't look at it as had to, we looked forward to seeing China. It was a wonderful trip that exceeded our wildest expectations. I am sooo looking forward to the end of summer when we travel to get Maggie Jo! We also get asked about our adoption agencies. We are so lucky that both were top notch and we highly recommend them. eMail us with questions if you are considering adoption. -Scott
March 13, 2005
Lili and her brothers had a good time in Church today. She met up with her friend (also adopted from China) and then we ate at the Hunan Dynasty Chinese Restaurant. She learned a new way to eat an orange with no hands from her brother Nicholas. Today is Christopher's "Jesus Day" and he is spending it with Tracy. He will have his first communion in a couple of weeks, and this day prepares him for that. Lili has started to ask about her "sister" Maggie Jo. She hears us talking about a new baby, and is starting to get interested. I can not believe that in 6 months we will have a new little on in the home! -Scott
March 11, 2005
Today Lili tried on her "Spring Collection." Tracy had her in the family room, and Lii was trying on one little outfit after another. She was really having a good time! She would even layer them and look like Cindy Lopper (Remember the 80's?) Lili has a personality that is really starting to shine. Her brothers have a huge influence on her attitude and she crawls up into their beds to kiss them goodnight most nights. We have to watch her much more closely now, as she runs down the hall when she get a chance. Fortunately we do not have a second story, so she is really happy with the run of the house. She loves her Tuesday and Thursday trips to Nursery school and again told me all about it tonight.Michael, Nicholas and Christopher are turning out to be fine young men. I know that when we are out and about they are always looking out for each other. Michael is really trying to be a good big brother, and Nick and Chris are still vying for position in the pecking order. I am proud of each and every one of them. -Scott
March 9, 2005
We have been very very busy the last month finishing the editing of the movie of or trip to China. It seems I shot a bunch of video while we were there, and Tracy and I worked very hard over the past year editing it down to a very delightful 75 minute DVD. We mailed them to all our travel group and family and friends. We can also mail you one if you would like. Just send me an email and I will answer you with the details.Lili is doing extremely well under the tutelage or her three older brothers. They teach her things every day. They love her and are helping her grow up right. She now asks for things, and if she does not get her way, has mastered the art of the pouting with a rolled lower lip! She is a copycat of her big brothers, unfortunately both good and bad. In other words she is growing up a normal child.
Is Lili Shy? No way! She is open arms to anyone who smiles at her. She can melt hearts with her big black eyes, and has me wrapped right around he finger. She loves jumping in puddles and playing in the snow. Lately the weather here in Ohio has allowed her to do both on the same day!. She expresses herself so much better since starting Nursery School at our local Discovery Center. They have made her much more outgoing and are working with her speech skills. She tells us what she does at "School" when she returns home and enthusiastically shares using her arms and legs to act out her daily activities. I will try to get some pictures uploaded tomorrow.
This past weekend we honored the third year of Gracie Jo's passing (March 6, 2002), and I simply cannot believe it has been three years since God took our little girl from us. I still do not understand, and have accepted that I never will. We have come so far in our ability to deal with her loss, and yet I remember that horrible morning as if it were yesterday. I think we have learned that talking about it is helpful, and hope we are of some comfort to others who have lost children. Lili has helped us heal, and I look forward to explaining to her someday who Gracie was, and how much Lili's joining our family was helpful in our healing our process. -Scott
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