The Gorge vs. The Rock

If you don't know, my stepdaughter has been a raft guide on the Arkansas river in Colorado for 3 summers. She has become a very experienced guide, and she is an adrenaline junkie.

On Monday afternoon we got a call from the rafting company saying she had been in a rafting accident.... let me tell you that is a call that takes your heart and your breath away all at the same time, I actually think I felt blind for a minute. She had been on a training trip on the Royal Gorge which is the most difficult part of the river in her area, and she was the lead guide in the raft. They were about 15 minutes from being out, and they hit a run that caused the raft to fly up and everyone in the boat did as well. Unfortunately "T" did not land back in her spot, she went up and came down in the middle of the raft and she said she knew instantly she was hurt, she was just hoping not bad. Her leg and ankle immediately swelled and changed to a dark shade of purple. They made it to a pull out place and got help. She said as soon as they tried to move her she knew it was pretty bad.

They rushed her to the hospital and it was determined that she had shattered her ankle and broke her fibula in two places. She was going to need surgery.

We got the call(freaked a little) it is very overwhelming to get a call that your child is hurt badly and you can't be there for them. We felt because she was in a small area hospital that we needed to concur with a ortho surgeon here that having surgery there was the best decision, or did we need to figure out how to transport her to Colorado Springs to a bigger metro hospital with an ortho surgeon on staff? Luckily we found out that there was a surgeon on staff in a town close by and arranged for him to be able to consult with the hospital she was at, and ultimately was allowed to perform the surgery. Anyway, after we determined the logistics we got in the car for the 12 hour drive. It was a long silent ride to
Colorado. We knew she was going to be okay, but it really stirs your emotions when an accident like this happens. We were so relieved that she was fine, and it had not been worse, but then it also reminds you that it could have turned out very different. We have always encouraged her to live her dreams, to be passionate about what she does, and for her that has usually involved risk and danger to a degree. It would have been very difficult to deal with that had everything not turned out the way it did. It was really good to see her face when we walked in. I am not sure who was happier to see each other...her or us??

She had to have many pins and a plate to put her ankle back together, and she had to have a plate and screws put on the back of her fibula to secure it back into place. She will have a cast put on in about 10 days, and will have that for about 8 weeks, and then they will decide if she can switch to a boot, and start physical therapy. Her last summer of rafting has come to a early halt, but she has chosen to stay up there and hopefully in a couple of weeks will be able to work in the office booking trips or something until returning for her last year of college.

It has been an exhausting week, and really has been an eye opening experience. While we can't worry about our kids and loved ones all the time and try and prevent them from doing the things they love, always remember to make sure to tell them you love them, and how important they are to you.

"T" we are wishing you a speedy recovery, and there is no doubt in my mind who actually won this one....as you seem to think that you have an amazing "Gorge" story to tell. I know you will run the gorge again, but this time lets do it without breaking any bones!! The surgeon said he didn't want to see you again:)

Long way home

After 10 short months(felt like it at least) our exchange student otherwise known as our youngest child Shiyu left to go back to China. The house feels so strange and quiet. She called me from the hotel in Shanghai this morning saying that she was there and ready to take a shower and go to sleep. Then she said how strange it felt for her to not be in her pj's having breakfast with us, and that it is amazing how EVERYONE in China smokes!! I told her to get some sleep, and to call me later.
OHHHHH, I miss her so much already. One of the best experiences of my adult life.
We know she will be back next year for college, so we are just pretending that our youngest is on a year long China exchange:)

Thanks Shiyu Magee for letting us go on this journey of a lifetime with you....you are an amazing girl, and we love you very much!!

Can't imagine the loss.....

Many of you have already read about the tragic news of the Chapman family who lost their 5 year old Maria(adopted from China) this week. I can't even begin to imagine how they feel, or how their hearts ever heal from such a tragedy. I just know that when I viewed their video blog it just literally tore my heart to pieces, and just makes you question "WHY?"

If you haven't stopped by their blog to send them a note of condolences or to watch the videos they have so generously shared I invite you to do so here

There are a lot of things I think I could work through......this doesn't happen to be one of them. Please keep this family in your thoughts and your prayers.....they are going to need them:)

Introducing Princess Sophie

I can't believe it has taken me this long to get this picture and news on here.

March 26, 2008 was one of the best days of my life, I flew to Birmingham, Alabama to pick up our newest family member. I was thrilled beyond belief, I couldn't wait to see her in person after waiting 11 long weeks for her to mature enough to leave her momma. But when I arrived and the breeder took Sophie out of her bag.....I just lost it and started to cry!! She looked exactly like Miss Matty when she was a puppy, and I was instantly in love. She is the sweetest, softest, most snuggly little creature you have ever met. She is the princess, and she knows it without a doubt. She goes almost everywhere with me in the car, and she rides happily in her darling lime green bag I got her(of course it has her monogram on it!!) She is oohed and gooed over everywhere we go. She has healed her momma's heart, as I feel as though Matty has been cloned and come back to live with us. So much of what she does, and how she behaves it exactly as we knew life with a black cocker spaniel for 13 years. You can laugh, you can poo poo me for wanting a dog(child) that looks and acts just like our beloved dog who passed.....but I don't care, I feel better, and with the current state of adoption I needed to feel better, so I highly recommend it....it is cheaper than therapy, and way more addicting than xanax!! David said he will start to worry when I start introducing her as my daughter. She does have black hair;)

So just for grins, I will post Matty's picture here, and tell me it is uncanny how much they look alike. You can't see it in Matty's picture, but she has a white chest too!

Also....Princess Sophie sends a shout out to her Aunt Buttercup who loves her, and wants one of her own(Iris needs a friend and won't mind a bit)She can't wait for you to visit again:)

We ate, We drank, We laughed, and We shopped

My lack of posting about the big trip to Canton is not for lack of excitement about the trip, it is because it turned into such a BIG trip that a "real" post was necessary.

There are moments in your life that you feel a bit nervous about an event, and then there are others that well, the nerves really are not there at all. This was one of the moments in my life. We have been planning this event for a few months, and until the last minute we were a little unsure of who would be attending the meeting of the minds(or shoppers) But once we were sure the Buttercup was on the plane headed south we knew the weekend would be just as we had hoped it would be.

Buttercup arrived on-time @ the DFW airport, and found her way to a car that we had left for her at the airport....I had a previous engagement that I could not cancel. She then used the mapquest directions to head for home to relax and mostly to let "the baby" out. She made it with flying colors, including her first trip to Chik-filet. I came home to find her with Sophie and wine and flowers on the island. We hugged, and the weekend started. I knew from the moment I met Buttercup on-line that we would be friends. I knew that she would be funny,cute, smart, insightful, and a friend that always makes you want to be a better person. We chatted, and played with Sophie(who loves her aunt Buttercup) Then I told her we had to run a few errands, which she happily agreed to. We picked up Shiyu from school, who has really been looking forward to meeting these girls. We then went home and just chatted, had some wine, and waited for Miss DeRouren to arrive. She did arrive, but her bags did not, and I must say Ame*ican E*gle must have spent a fortune on customer service training and their shi*ty baggage tracking system. We were told the bag was randomly left due to weight, and that it would come in the morning...."A" remained calm, and was such a good sport about it, I would not have been had it been me. Bags or no bags "A" is just as I imagined her to be. She is my secret pal(sends to me) and I can only tell you she has sent me some amazing things in the last year. Anyway, she is darling, fun, a REALLY good mom who adores her boys, she has a great laugh and an amazing smile.....and boy can she shop. We went home and made due without the bags, we talked, and got to know one another a little better, and planned that we would get up and head to the airport, St*rbucks, get ready and make our way East to meet up with Shelba and her friends. Now we would be here until tomorrow if I told you the luggage experience. I will just cut to the chase and tell you that the bag didn't arrive until 3:15 that day, so needless to say we did not make it to Canton until after 6:00 on Friday. Shelba and her friends had made it to the flea market where it was raining, but they risked life and limb and still shopped and had some Texas bar-b-que. I thought Shelba would be taller, but otherwise she was the artistic wonder that I knew she would be, with one of the cutest kids on the planet, and one of the funniest cousins I have ever met(loved you Melissa, and you still don't look a day over 18) Bobbi Jo and Virgina were hilarous, and so glad that I met them. Bobbi Jo good luck on the adoption of your son. Anyway, we made it in time to go to the Chinese buffet....it seemed to be the local Athens(not GA) dining hot spot. Let's just say that I am certain that Zaget does not know about this dining destination. When Jello, and baklava are on the dessert buffet, you know that you should be eating somewhere else. But the company was immeasurable, hilarious, and I learned that John Tr@volta is gay despite what the average person might say. I also learned that Nicole Kidm@n is really not pregnant....surrogate....SHHHHHHH I learned so much more but I would have to kill you if I told, plus I have sold all of the info to PEOPLE.

The day of shopping in Canton proved to be a wonder of treasures, junk, other peoples junk, and some really good stuff. It was filled with a million dogs, strollers, and fried food. I claim that the best funnel cake maker resides at first Monday trade days....not your run of the mill 1 inch creation, oh no, it is the 3 inch yummy wonder that we enjoyed at the end of our 8 hours of shopping.

The trip home was the highlight: yes if you are ever in the situation of wondering do I take 19 North to Canton or 19 South to Palestine to go back to Dallas.....take 19 North.....trust me on this one. After seeing the funeral procession in the middle of no where, the dead carcass on the roadside, and the vulture society meeting in the town square.....know that you went the wrong way, and regardless of how fast you drive; someone is going to miss their flight;(

The trip was really an amazing journey of fun and friendship that I would not trade for the world. I had a blast, I think the other peeps had a great time and felt the trip was worth the effort( a lot of effort at moments) I feel like I have made friends for a lifetime, and I privileged to be in the same company of these women. I can't wait to do it again, and go buck wild, and drink some crazyass hillbilly wine, and eat free in the holiday inn express lobby!!!

Thanks girls it was a BLAST!!! Pictures to come tomorrow, okay ONE picture, because I sucked that weekend with my camera.

I will catch up someday

Gawd I hate lazy bloggers such as myself

Where does the time go? Can't believe that we are almost done with February, time just seems to pass faster and faster, but we seem to never get anywhere with all the time flying by. I think we are at 17 months at this point, not sure as I don't really keep track anymore, I figure there will be a day somewhere in the future when we get this random phone call that says I am looking at a picture of your daughter. We will say " oh yeah that's right we're adopting"

So much has happened since I really stopped blogging. I know that so much of what we talk about is in reference to our exchange student Shiyu. She has been such an important addition to our family, and we really can't imagine what a loss to our family it would have been had we decided not to have this experience. Really I can't believe what an amazing girl she is, she is so brave, smart, funny, cute, dedicated, motivated, and just an overall great girl. Some of you will get to meet her, and you will just be struck by her smile, and friendliness. She is going to do extraordinary things with her life. We really understand what a negative experience this could be if you were not matched to the right child, but for us they could not have matched us better. Hopefully we will be matched as well with our daughter. We will really miss her so much when the time comes for her to leave, and we really look forward to visiting her and her family in China, and we really look forward to her coming back to go to college....hopefully in Texas!!


We have had so many first with her, and it makes things that we take so for granted so much more fun and interesting. Her first homecoming parade, her homecoming mum, going to football games, her first choir performance, her first Halloween, and pumpkin carving, lest not we forget her first Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, decorating the tree, going to see the Christmas lights, Christmas, New Years, a trip to visit her cousin in SD, making the JV tennis team, making the math team, going on her first college visit to Rice University, her first American version of spring festival, and welcoming the year of the rat. She has become such an American girl, and if you just saw her walking through the halls of her school you would think she was just an Asian American girl, and while she still loves so much about her country, and misses her family and friends back home in Chongqing, she has melted well into our American life. She dresses like an American teenager, she likes to do what most American teenagers like to do, and she can't wait to go to college just like most American teenagers. If you ask her something she replies with "No, I'm good" she will yell from upstairs....."Mom.....do you know where such and such is"? she sounds sometimes just like an American teenager. Her English has improved so much. She would tend to not agree, but she seldom gets her translator out anymore, she hardly ever ask me anymore what something means. I am really proud of her. If only you could have witnessed her talking to the Rice admission officer.....she was so mature and asked such good questions, and made sure that they understood that she would make a great addition to their school.


It will be strangely quiet around here when she leaves. I will not have anyone here to help me with my Rosetta Stone Chinese, she won't be here to walk Gracie, we will not have anyone to cook yummy Chinese food for us, and no one to teach me all the computer tricks that she knows. I won't know how to turn my flash on and off on my camera, and she is always showing me news things on my phone. What are we going to do without her??

Well there is nothing really left to say that is terribly interesting. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures from the last 6 months that I have been so lazy to not get up. I will post more later in the week. We have some fun spring break plans, a few more college visits, a visit to Taylor, and a trip to San Fran in June. We also have a new puppy coming. But that news will have to wait for different day.

Hope all is well on your end, and I will try and do a better job of keeping up. I started this blog with the intention of it being about adoption, then it went to just the monotony of our lives, and now I am just at a loss of what to talk about that would be of any interest to anyone. We all certainly know that there is nothing on the adoption front that is positive, so we will just let that one go. I guess when the next round of referrals come out that we might finally get to say goodbye to 05' I guess that is actually an act of god, because it sure feels like they have been working on 05' forever!!

Rare dogs, tennis balls, and gas!

Wish I had something really interesting to share, but the truth of the matter is......nothing. Well I guess I shouldn't say nothing, Shiyu made the JV tennis team this week. She is thrilled beyond belief, and this is an opportunity that she would have never had at home. With her 13 hour school day in China there is no time for the tennis team.

We are finally taming the wild beast in Gracie. We are hoping to get a friend for her very soon. She is a friend kind of dog, and we have been looking, and we have found, but it is a secret so you will have to wait along with everyone else. We also found out that Gracie is a flat coated black labradoodle....apparently really rare. I will agree she is rare, but more in a personality way. By the way rare flat coated black labradoodles shed, and they shed A LOT!!! Now there is something rare.

Taylor made a move to Durango to Fort Lewis College(?pretty sure that is the name) She has switched her major(yes, 2 semesters before she is due to graduate)-whatever- She is now an adventure education major, and word on the street is that she will only have to be there an extra semester(on her own dime that is)She is pretty fired up about this move, and very fired up about her major. Yes, if you are wondering that means she can go work for Outward Bound...which she could have with her English degree. But what do we know we are just parents.

D spends all of his free time surfing the web for a new car. Did you even know it was possible to buy a car on the Internet?? I am not thinking this is a good idea either, but again what do I know I am just a girl(or so I have been told)

For me I am planning some trips for us for the last 6 months that Shiyu is here, working hard on PinkPolkaDotz, and still nursing my bad back.

We found out that we are sitting on some natural gas, and the gas company is going to pay everyone in the hood for the rights....it is not a huge amount, but something is better than them stealing it from us. It might actually pay for what we spend on gas each year now.

Oh and we are about to celebrate our 16th month of being LID, that is nothing to celebrate. We are walking, but we are not moving.

Well that is all I have going on here, actually more than I realized when I started this post.

Hope this finds you happy, and smiling on your end.

Peace out:)

08'? What happend to 07'?

As I sit here sipping my cranberry margarita with only 3 hours and 3 minutes until we ring in 08' I can't help but wonder where 07' went. I hate to admit that as it would seem that it went by so quickly that waiting another 2-3 years for our turn in China will go by in a flash. But to be honest the year has gone by quickly....actually one of the quickest years I can remember, but there have been some very long moments.

I went back and reviewed my resolutions for 07' and the scary part is that most of those resolutions still need to be worked on, I have made progress on a few. We have seen and done a lot in 07' and had some additions and losses. I would say overall it was an okay year. I am looking forward to 08' and hope there are things that will happen, and some changes we will be able to make.

Here are a few highlights to our 07'

* We bought the BWM and I started my embroidery business, and while it was a slow start, I am overwhelmed with how well my business has done so far.

* We had a few great trips to NYC, San Diego, LA, Colorado and Las Vegas and 7 trips to KC(due to Karen's preganancy with Meggie and being on bedrest)

* We met up with some other adoptive families down in Austin, and had a great time. It amazes me when I think of the friends I have made during this journey. I feel so lucky to have met some, and the hope of meeting others in person. You all inspire me, and make this wait a whole lot more bearable. I look forward to the day I watch each one of you travel to pick up your children.

* We decided to host a Chinese exchange student for the school year. She will arrive in Aug and stay for 10 months. We think this will be a great way to learn about our daughters birth country, culture and heritage.

*While we continue to grieve the loss of our dear cocker Matty, we decide to get on the wait list for a labradoodle puppy. They will be born the end of May, and we will get our puppy the end of July. They end up being born May 29th and we become the proud owner of a black labradoodle that we name Gracie....even though I voted for Ruby. We have had Gracie now for 5 months and she is growing, and growing and growing. She is very smart, loves toys more than any dog I have ever met, and can run incredibly fast.

*We take a rafting trip down the Colorado river in June with Taylor as our guide. It was a ton of fun, and she is amazing at what she does. We were so proud of her!!!

* Our student arrives in August. Her name is Shiyu, and she is 16 almost 17. She has blended well with our family, and kept me very busy. She has transitioned well into American life, and she is doing well in school, and has been a wealth of information for our family in learning about China. What an experience this has been. I highly recommend this to anyone who has considered it. She will forever be a member of our family. We look forward to the fact that she will return to TX to go to college. We also look forward to the day we meet and visit her family in China.

*We welcomed my goddaughter Meggie after a very difficult pregnancy. She came into the world very small, but she has made a BIG impact on our family, and she is growing and thriving, and just your normal 7 month old now.

* I lost one of my sorority sisters in Oct after a brave battle with liver cancer. It had a big impact on me, as it just reminded me how important it is to live life to the fullest and know it is a gift that we are not guaranteed to have long term. LIVE WITH NO REGRET. I also decided that I had to stop living my life always waiting for something.

* I have watched several of my friends travel to pick up their little ones, and it means so much to have the honor and privilege of being a part of something so big and important. I know someday it will be our turn, but in the mean time we will make the most of each day, try to grow and learn as much as we can, and anticipate the day when we see the face of our daughter.

* The CCAA made it all the way through what 3 months this year. I don't know, actually I don't care. I never thought I would make it past obsessing over referrals each month, but I have moved to the place where I actually did not know the last 2 months that referrals even came out. Wow, that should be a resolution in itself. Here's to being a recovering RQ/referral addict.


I do hope that each of you have had a wonderful holiday season. I hope the New Year finds you safe and looking forward to what the year will bring for you and your family. From my family to yours..........Happy New Year!!!! Now make sure you eat your black eyed peas tomorrow for good luck.

Naughty or Nice?

NICE:
* all of my friends in Chicago that understood why I had to cancel my trip. I promise I will come.

* all of my girlfriends here who are just the BEST!!

* my husband for always being willing to lend a hand, and listens to me whine, and for taking vacation time to be home with us the last half of Dec.

* all of my blog and adoption friends who always check in on me.

* my MIL for hosting Gracie at her house since Thanksgiving.... to let her 4 dogs socialize the little beast

* the lady who let me in front of her at Hobby Lobby yesterday b/c I had only one thing:)

* to the dr. office who got me in the same day I called......you ROCK my world.

* Shiyu, for being excited for Christmas and understanding why we didn't get the lights up outside, and being okay with it when I told her we would put lights up outside for Spring Festival(Chinese New Year)

* To all of my customers.....the response has been overwhelming, thank you for doing business with me:)


Naughty:

CCAA..................shame on you, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Out of Review

Out of review!!! Thought it would feel better than this.
I guess it is one step closer.

Off to Chicago on Friday! Going with some friends and meeting up with some friends. Should be fun, and looking forward to some quality girl time, shopping time, eating and drinking time. I hope the weather is better than it is this weekend.

I am very busy with PinkPolkaDotz.....don't forget if you need a gift.....I am your girl. If you are looking for something for your secret pal, just enter secret pal into the coupon code for your discount.

Wish I had something more to talk about, but not much going on here at Casa Rock.

Hope things are good on your end.

Bring on the Gobbler

Turkey-Check
Loaf of very fresh white bread-Check
Miracle whip-Check
Warm and comfy jammies-Check
Macy's Thanksgiving day parade-Check

That's what I will be eating, that is what I will be wearing, and that is what I will be watching.

It has been a grueling week thus far, and I am actually ready for next week to be here. But it is nice to know that we can take a few days off, sit back relax, sleep, eat, and be merry, and no one cares.

Happy Thankgiving, and I will see you on the other side of this one!!

Still here

I am still here, still under the weather, and still have a million photos to post. Lot's going on around here, lot's of change, and lot's of upcoming visitors and hoopla with the holidays. Gotta make this a GREAT holiday season for Shiyu, she is very excited about celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, and mostly she is excited about the kids coming home from college.
She is counting it down....so cute. I told her she will be counting the days until they leave after they have been here for a few days and invaded her space....all of her space with all of their crap!!

I will get around to the photos soon, this I promise. I figure you all are not going anywhere any time soon....I sure know that I am not.

Hope everyone has a Happy Gobble Day, and know that I don't really enjoy the Thanksgiving feast, but Shiyu is really looking forward to it....especially the pie part that D has told her about. I will be watching the Macy's parade, and then I will be waiting for the day after turkey sandwich on VERY fresh white bread with miracle whip....now that part I do like. D will have us out at 6:00 a.m. shopping for all of his Christmas bargains.....last year those bargains did not include one present for anyone but us.

I just have one question.....will this ever end??

**the nausea is back.....no I am not!!!

Song, Crap, and very important question.

* I heard this on this lovely person's blog and was immediately smitten with this song. It conjures up so many thoughts and feelings...............all in one little song. It took me a bit to figure out the autoplay, and still not positive what I did, but it seems to work now on it's own. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have(since I have now played it like 400 times....I swear I am still in 6th grade)

*I have so many pictures I need to put on here to update what has been going on the last few months with Shiyu. She has had a lot of first since she arrived, and we have documented them all, but I suck at getting everything done now.
But stay tuned, because they are coming, and hopefully you will enjoy the accompaniment of Vince Gill and Sarah Evans.

I have been VERY under the weather. As long as I stay horizontal I am okay(sorta) but the second I stand up it all becomes a very different story. It's the can't keep anything down diet, and I must say that my jeans will fit very nicely at the end of all of this......but there is nothing worse as far as I am concerned than feeling like you are going to blow. I have felt this way since Thursday afternoon, and I have moments(okay a few hours) in there that I feel sorta okay, and then the wave comes at me like a speeding train. Yesterday I slept from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 this morning. I think there is something wrong. But unlike my husband who is insisting that I go to the doctor(no, can't even think about getting dressed and getting myself into the car) all she is going to say is that is that it is viral and make sure I try and keep as many liquids down as I can and here is some nausea medicine(which I already have) So unless this is not better by Wednesday I am in my fuzzy robe and staying in a horizontal position, and dreaming that this is an excellent weight loss program as well as allowing me to wallow in pity with the new rounds of referrals.
Happy Sunday:)

**as a sidenote I was not able to attend Martha's services, but my friends were there, and I must say that now I am kind of glad that I was unable to go. I understand the concept of an open casket, but my personal beliefs are that you should remember the person as you knew them, and it is seldom that someone who has died looks like they did when you enjoyed their company.....especially when someone has been very ill. So it sounds like you would not have even known it was her had you not known who's funeral you were at. I want to remember her for the beautiful young girl I lived with in college, and for that visual to always remain, and not have it replaced by a visual of a different person. I know this is terribly immature, but I just think as a child I would want to remember my mother the way she always looked...especially in good health, and I just don't know if you could ever replace the site of her in her casket not looking like my mom.
I made D promise that if I die before him that he swears that the casket will be closed.

I am going to have to do some research into the history of open casket funerals.....I am sure there is some reason for this practice. Cremation is sounding better and better.

With Fondest Memories.............

For the last few weeks I have felt very overwhelmed by the knowledge of knowing that one of my pledge sisters and college roommates was battling liver cancer. She was diagnosed almost exactly 2 years ago, and has been fighting for her life ever since.

I have been very fortunate to have not faced a lot of death in my life, and the death I have experienced has usually been with people that I cared deeply for, but they had lived very long lives. It just seems so wrong to me that a mom of a third and fifth grader who just turned 40 in April was fighting the fight of her life. For whatever reason it has just struck a very strong cord with me. I have spent a great deal of time these last few weeks thinking about what that must feel like, how do you spend time with your children each day knowing it could be your last, what do you say????? All of these questions that I have run through my brain a million times this month. Then I moved on to have I lived a life that I am very proud of? What would people say at my funeral? Do I make the things that are really important.......be important, and appreciate those important things and people?? What changes should I be making with these thoughts and feelings running loose? So many questions, and not as many answers as I would like.
It also puts time into perspective. The thought of waiting 2 more years for this baby is way too much for my brain to cope with, but what if you were told you only had 2 years to live?? Boy, that wouldn't seem quite as long now would it??

I met Martha in HS as we are from the same hometown. We only knew of one another then, but then freshman year we both pledged the same sorority and became pledge sisters. We then became very good friends, and Martha was one of those girls that everyone likes. She had a radiant smile, very friendly, smart, patient, happy, and she was one of the best dressed girls I have ever known. We lived together sophomore year with two other KD's; Missy and Kristy. That was a great room change for me, and I loved living with those girls. I transferred the next year to another college, but I remained active in the house, and enjoyed remaining friends with those girls. I always knew what Martha was up to through many of our friends.

Martha married a great guy and had two great boys...Alex and Clayton. She ran a successful business, and loved being a mom. Martha grew up without her mom, and I know that was always difficult for her. So it breaks my heart that she must have felt so much pain knowing that her kids would be growing up without her.

I really feel so much sadness with her passing, and my thoughts and prayers are with her family. This weekend a huge group of our pledge sisters will be getting together to attend her memorial. I am unable to attend, but I will be there in spirit, and I know that Martha is smiling knowing that all those girls will be together, laughing, spending time with each other and celebrating great friendship and memories.

Martha you will always be loved and remembered for being such a great friend and sister.
Love in AOT
JDR

Please keep this family in your thoughts!!


Mary Martha (Frech) Berry
Mary Martha (Frech) Berry, Bradenton, formerly of Columbia, Missouri died October 28, 2007. Visitation will be Wednesday, October 31, 2007 from 6p.m. to 8p.m. at Palms-Robarts Funeral Home, with a prayer service at 7p.m. Also, visitation will be Friday, November 2, 2007 from 4p.m. to 8p.m. at Krieghauser Funeral Home, 9450 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri with a funeral Mass on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at 10a.m. at St. Monica Church, 1236 Olive Blvd., St. Louis. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Survivors include her husband, Mark Berry; her two children, Clayton and Alex; her father, David and stepmother Linda Frech; her brother John Frech and her sister, Katherine Frech. Mrs. Berry graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1989 and was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. After graduation she taught at Ellisville Elementary and earned her Masters of Education at Maryville University. Mrs. Berry and her husband Mark Berry moved to Bradenton, Florida in 2001 and she started her own Web design and advertising business. She was current President of the Lakewood Ranch Business Club of Bradenton, Florida. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 4151 37th Stree East, Palmetto, FL 34221.,

Gracie, Gracie, Gracie

I am sure you all have been wondering what Gracie has been up to??? No, you say. Well let me just update you anyway.
Gracie is 5 months old tomorrow, and she has the energy of 5 dogs. She is growing very quickly, and in case you forgot let me remind you that I thought that we were getting a dog that weighed around 50 lbs, and at 4 months Gracie already weighed 33 lbs. I would guess she weighs about 40 lbs right now. The vet thinks she will at least weigh 70-90 lbs-Shiyu only weighs 90.

** Gracie is very, very smart, actually she may be the smartest person in the house. Trust me having a dog that is as smart as Gracie makes it very hard to train her.

** We have hired BarkBusters to come and help us train Gracie. We have our 3 rd visit tomorrow. Gracie is still training us. But we are slowly making progress in becoming the pack leader.

** Gracie is no Matty, and I still have moments when Gracie makes me miss Matty more than I ever thought possible.

** Gracie can run faster than any dog I have ever seen, and she will retrieve a ball or toy all day long if you are willing to throw it for her. In turn D is convinced that she can become a fly ball champion. If that works off some of her energy, I am voting yes on this proposition.

**Gracie loves to dig, and sometimes par take in her poop, so she can not be left outside unsupervised by a responsible adult. We are working on these things. Although if she can dig a hole to China I might not care so much about the digging. The latter must stop and we have the medicine to help curtail it. The vet seems to think this is very common, and that I should not be too concerned. Concerned?? Grossed out is more like it.

** Gracie will ride in the car now, she will even jump in and jump out......you have no idea what progress this actually is.

** Gracie is basically housetrained. She never seems to have an accident in her living quarters(the gated kitchen) but we can't have her upstairs for much longer than 20 min or so and she is rooting around looking for a nice piece of carpet to potty on. I am not sure she will ever get to live outside of the kitchen. She does still do the submissive wetting thing with strangers or if she is punished. That sucks!!

** For the most part it is great to have a dog in the house again. I try to not compare Gracie to Matty. But it is hard when she chews up the baseboard, or tears up something(Matty never tore a thing up in her life) Matty was easy to housetrain, and never puddled. But Matty also never retrieved anything in her life, and she also had zero interest in toys. Gracie loves toys more than any dog I have ever met. I have to buy them in bulk. So it is very fun to play with her, she is not much on snuggling, but she sure can get to the ball quickly!!

Now that is a beautiful baby!!

Little Miss Meggie had her first big photoshoot and I think it went exceptionally well. Who would ever know that this baby was born 10 weeks early and spent 5 weeks in the NICU? She even made it to a blog. Here is the link:http://photographybybrandi.typepad.com/blog/

Meggie's Baptism, Katie's Birthday, Trip to KC

I know you have been waiting with baited breath

Sorry it has taken so long to get the answers to your questions. Shiyu has been very busy with school, and getting ready for her first homecoming. She answered all the questions(I think) and these are totally unedited. So we will do this again in a few months. If you ever have questions about China or Chongqing don't hesitate to email me and I know Shiyu will be happy to answer any questions you have.
We volunteered at our FCC culture day last weekend. Shiyu worked at the festival booth. I think she had a wonderful time, and enjoyed participating. I think she was totally blown away with seeing all of the children that day. She told me that it was great to see all of the children being taught about Chinese culture and history.
She searched out all of the kids that had come from Chongqing:)
I had her watch Lost Girls of China the night before culture day, because I wanted her to see the process that each of the families she was going to see the next day had gone through to get their children. I am not sure what she thought overall. I know she felt embarrassed, and she did not like the part where the lady put the sign up in the park. She said she too felt disgraced that she did that, and she felt that she should not have pointed it out to everyone that they had abandoned a child. All I can say is.......very interesting. I know she is very positive about our adoption, she can't wait for us to come to China, and she hopes that our baby comes from Chongqing. But in general it seems to me that very little talking goes on in China about this particular issue. I am not sure she knew or her family knew that Americans were coming to China to adopt their children before she met us.

Alrighty, enjoy, and again sorry it took so long.

What advice did your parents give you about America or Americans?

1.Be happy and we all believe you can do everything!***she told me that the Chinese think that all Americans are overweight. I am happy to report that she told me that she sees that is not true:)

Singing bird wanted to know if we would adopt more children. While I would love to do so, it won't be possible with the length of time this one is taking. We are basically aged out of being able to adopt from anywhere. I would just like this one to come to fruition.

What is your favorite kind of music?

2.I love pop music. Most time I listen to Chinese pop music at home. But I’ll try more different American songs here.

The differences between schools here and in China?
3. I think school is so different from China. At first most school in China is 6 years primary school, 3 years middle school, and 3 years high school. Most kids will go to college. But it doesn’t mean everyone can receive good education. Secondly, we can’t choose the subjects we like. All the students study Chinese, Math, and English. (English class at school mostly starts in middle school, but English is really popular in China and many parents think it very important. Many children study English when they are very young.) We also have Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History, Politics, Geography, and PE. Different grades have another classes such as Computer, Art, Music, and Health. My school in China focuses on Math and Science. But different cities and schools have different systems. The next is we don’t move to different classrooms, only teachers move. And some big schools have a lot of students. So the class is also huge. Like my school in China, we have total more than 6000 students (my school has middle and high school and 4 campus). I think schools here are much better. You can study what you are interested in. And you can choose easy or difficult classes, so you won’t feel easy in some classes or not be lost in class. Physics and math are easy for me, as long as I know the words. The biggest problem for me is vocabulary. Schools here have more teams, bands, choirs and another organizations. School life here is much colorful than in China. It’s pretty good.
The situation is very similar. We also have very rich people, middle class and poor people.
People in China are more conservative than here. So the interacting with the opposite gender hardly happens among middle or high school students. By the way, many Chinese parents and teachers won’t allow students to have boy/girl friend at school (before 18). Cliches are not as common in China because we don't have many groups to belong to, and we don't change classrooms, so our class of 50 or so students stay together all day. So we don't have athletes and cheerleaders, and most of the kids in my class are smart so we are all the same.

(Angela disappointing and miss the most about China):
The disappointing thing is nothing so far
I miss my best friends very much, as well as my family.

(wzgirl: DO you like Turnip cake?……. Favorite color? how do you like the weather?Has your exchange-mother convinced you to become a flight attendant?)
Don't know what turnip cake is.
The Dim sum is much different here than back home. It’s more delicious and sweet here. At home, we don’t usually have desert and only few snacks. My favorite color is Green. The weather here is perfect because I love sunny days. But it’s hot outside. The weather is similar to Chongqing’s weather. Nope, …..I’m too short to be a flight attendant. Haha. It’s a cool job that can fly all over the world!

(bbmomof2 boys: Best experience so far)
Always the movies wait for me! (there are so many movies to choose from. In China she says they wait for the movies, and here they movies are so plentiful they wait for her)
Football~ After I watched the first game, I fell in love with it. Em…..I hope I can play it. It’s true! Haha

(Beeb: where ….for holiday?)
My favorite is traveling. So every labor days, national days(both 7-days off) my dad and his friends will drive to travel. My dad said” Of course I want to travel to big, beautiful, and modern city to have a comfortable vacation. But for you, it’s the valuable time to travel to some place natural and beautiful. Although it’s not relaxing sometimes even hard. After you grow up, you won’t have chance to go to these places and I won’t have enough energy to drive for long time. After you grow up, you can go to any big city you want.” And in winter holiday (during Spring Festival) we enjoy our traditional new year and spend a lot of time with family. We usually go on a family vacation even take my dog. During summer holiday, I’ll travel with friends or my aunt and uncle take me to travel. We always go to another province.

(liene: think of American malls…….)
We also have as big shopping malls as American. I think clothes here are cheaper and more cute than in China. By the way, it’s hard to buy dress shoes! Haha. Not as crowded as in China.
Yes, I love football. “ Just do it.” probably can express my feeling!

(headmeister)
My favorite food is Mexican food and milkshake.
The school surprised me most. I and a lot of people have thought the students here would be allowed to do anything they want and not really respect teacher. But we are wrong. Class is quieter when teacher is talking. The groups are amazing. I am shocked by my choir and our band, team and other organizations. We could never make such a huge united group in my school at home.

I think most Chinese people think you’re so kind and full of love with homeless children. Some can’t understand it even some think it’s China’s disgrace because we can’t make our own babies have a nice life and the government is not good enough what we expect.

Moon Festival-By the light of the silvery moon

By the light of the silvery moon.

Wow, we had an awesome dinner of hot pot and dumplings, and then sat outside and gazed at the moon looking for the girl with her rabbit(Chinese Folklore) and ate mooncakes. SHHHHHH dont tell anyone, but I actually like mooncakes. We had pinapple, lotus seed and red bean. I liked them all. But not as much as I enjoyed my dinner. WE love when Shiyu cooks for us. I do all of the chopping, and she does all of the cooking. No need to guess what I am eating for lunch tomorrow. I am a lucky girl, and I am getting very good at my using my chopsticks!!

**she has enough hot pot spice to almost get us through her 10 months here-thank god!!

**stay tuned to her answers to 20 questions. She has had a lot of homework, so she is about half way through her answers. We will try and have them by tomorrow or Thur.