Can You Believe It!

Jake went skiing twice with his Ababa. He loves it! I can't wait to go with them again, maybe this weekend. Jim said he was able to turn himself mostly in one direction. I think he is fabulous and adorable in his equipment. At 3 1/2, he is getting an early start. He will soon be one of those little ones that whips by the rest of us with ease and confidence. I am so proud of him.

Oh, What a Christmas!

After waiting years and years to celebrate the holidays with our child, we did! Technically, this was our second Christmas together, but last year Jake did not participate. He was still in the post-adoption shock of a whole new world. This year, he knew and anticipated the fun. We opened an advent calendar each day to help him count down. Then, Christmas Eve we spent with my family. The whole family gathered for a sing-a-long that moved many to tears. Then, we drove home to spend Christmas morning at home with just the three of us. This is a picture of Jake's smile at 7:30am just before opening his presents.

After breakfast and play time, we traveled to Washington D.C. to spent time with Jim's sister and family. It was relaxing and enjoyable. The whole series of special events will stay as some of my favorite memories.

Our Sweet Boy in China

Zhi Gu looks like he is growing up. When Jake saw these latest pictures, he mentioned the phone in Timmy's hand. It reminded me of the report we received of Jake when he was in Ethiopia. The report mentioned that Jake loved electronics. They will share that in common.

I recently found an on-line support group of parents who have adopted special needs children from the Henan province. The advice and information is helping me to feel closer to our son. Also, we received some critical paperwork from the Immigration office. Hopefully, we are on target for me to travel in early March. It would be wonderful to have Timmy with us for his 3rd birthday which is April 23rd.

Meanwhile, we are just days away from Christmas. Jake is super excited. These last two days, he has gone skiing with his Ababa. I was sorry to miss the fun. Aparently, he loved it and is learning a lot. Hopefully, I will see him at is soon; maybe over Christmas break.

Cousins Playing

Jake and his cousin, Joshua, braved the cold weather to enjoy some play time at the park. They ran around and chased each other while Mike and I caught up on life. It is wonderful to watch the boys play together. Afterwards, we all enjoyed some hot chocolate and warmed up at our house.

My school has collected over 300 bibs for orphanages in Timmy's area. A website for orphans in the Henan Province listed bibs as one of their areas of need. http://www.henankids.org/ I put the request out to the students and families and they have responded generously. These bibs will be packed into my luggage and carried over to needy children in orphanages; like the one Timmy spent time in. This project helps us feel closer to him. We also received two new pictures which I'll post soon.

Meanwhile, Jake is getting very excited about Christmas. He opens a new section of his advent calendar each day and promptly gives the chocolate to his Ababa. We share that in common - dislike for chocolate. :) I am looking forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with him and our families.