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New Pictures

2008-10-12T09:27:00.002-04:00

Grandma came to visit for the weekend and we went to get some new family portraits done.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-01T20:47:00.002-04:00

Weekend In The Yard

2008-09-21T20:24:00.000-04:00

Millions of people were without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Ike and the storms that it spawned - and we were part of that. We count our blessings that we only lost power and had no real damage. Of course being without power for almost 5 days was a challenge and nobody is rushing back to cool-water baths anytime soon, but it was also fun too. The children were out of school and got a chance to enjoy the end of summer weather.

We spent most of the weekend in the yard, cleaning up our yard and then helping our neighbors. Parts of several trees came down and there were a number of broken limbs lying around as well. Of course as we cut and raked and piled the logs in the fire pit, the kids took some time out to play and Jordan got out his go-kart. Joshua wanted a "car" too so he got to drive the lawn mower around in 1st gear.

Daddy took Sarah for a few laps on the go-kart and pushed her on the swing. She was not happy that she was too small to drive, but it seemed that some play time with Daddy was a fair substitute.

As I write, the "burn pile" (as they say here) is still smoldering, and we're finally sitting back to enjoy the evening. The lights and computers are on and there is fresh food and hot water - and the family is all relatively happy and healthy. We're truly blessed.

Windy Day!

2008-09-15T11:00:00.002-04:00

Storm Update From LG&E

As of 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 15th, 231,000 LG&E customers and 30,000 KU customers remain without power.

At the height of the wind event, about 301,000 LG&E customers and 75,000 KU customers were without power. Strong residual winds from Hurricane Ike caused extensive damage across the LG&E and KU service territories.

Crews are on the scene working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible; however, it is anticipated that this will be an extended outage period for customers. This event has resulted in the largest number of LG&E customer outages in 30 years.

From: http://www.eon-us.com/storm/default.asp

Remembering Together

2008-08-23T14:20:00.003-04:00

One of the things that Jordan, Joshua and Sarah all love to do is look at picture books. That is doubly true if the pictures involve them. Mommy and Daddy both love to scrapbook - preserving memories - and the children enjoy looking at their past and hearing all of the funny stories. In fact, before Sarah and Joshua came home, they each got photo albums from home ... so the tradition starts early in this family.

Mommy has been spending a little bit of time at her scrapbook table and all of the children have watched her for the last few days. Finally, Joshua decided that he wanted to try it too. After an emergency run for more supplies, Mommy and Joshua sat down at the table together.

One of the wonderful gifts that we received when we brought Joshua home was a set of pictures of him as a baby. He loves to laugh at the pictures of him running with a balloon for a sword and a blanket for a cape as a little boy. He wanted to preserve these and Mommy and Daddy thought it was a great idea.

After a lesson with the tape and the cutter (I think he got tired of hearing "be careful" over and over and over) Joshua got to try his hand at the art of scrapbooking in his own book. With some help and supervision from Mommy, he took to it right away. It was great to watch the two of them sitting there as they spent the afternoon scrapbooking together.

Take me out to the ball game

2008-07-20T20:39:00.003-04:00

Saturday was a Cub Scout outing at the baseball game. Joshua loves baseball and Jordan loves hanging out with his friends and staying up late, so we figured it was going to be an all-around winner - we were not disappointed.

Before the game, we got to hang around outside the park in a humid 93° and play with the other scouts. Jordan and his friends took Joshua right along with them in running around. They got a good look at a State Police display that was set up - including a wrecked car (remember to buckle up) and a display from the SWAT team which were both acclaimed as very cool. We also got to parade around the field before the game.

We took our seats and the home team hit a home run into the section next to us. We had our share of hot dogs and snow cones - which are key to enjoying a summer ballgame. After a while, boredom set in so one of the parents took a few of the boys over to the small playground which is inside the ballpark. Of course the boys all spent the time chasing a little girl around the play area.

As the game wound down, the boys were anxious for part 2 of the evening, camping in the outfield! After the game we went out and picked up our tent and sleeping bags and headed for center field (you can see the top of our tent under the Kindred sign in this picture). Once the tents were set up it was time for baseball, frisbee, and tag. We got to watch "The Sandlot" on the jumbo screen and the boys were surprisingly quiet during the movie. As the credits rolled, the games began again until Daddy and the other adults began calling a halt around 1:30 AM. It had cooled off to 90° so sleeping was oh so comfortable. Daddy got to sleep on the ground while Jordan and Joshua had camp beds, but everyone managed to get at least 2 hours of sleep. 6:00 AM came early and we packed out for home - where we all napped on the sofa during the day. It was great to see the boys just being brothers and friends as if they had always been that way.

New Bike For Joshua

2008-07-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Ahhh The Wonders of Jet Lag

2008-07-12T23:33:00.002-04:00

Waking up at 4 AM - falling asleep at noon - waking back up at 6 PM and still wide awake at midnight. That wonderful little thing called jet lag.

The family is home and happier now that we're getting the right amount of sleep (even if it's not at the right times). Tomorrow we begin to fight the jet lag in earnest. But for today - naps and haircuts were the order of the day. We also went to our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner and were disappointed after having the real thing just a few days ago.

So now we're planning on spending a week getting acclimated and settled in as a new larger family - should be a lot of fun.

A Reason To Visit Taiwan

2008-07-10T02:50:00.001-04:00

Yes, it tastes like beer and green tea - but not in the good way.

Sad and Happy

2008-07-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

We spent today seeing the sights in Taipei and acting out on our frustrations. Joshua began the day a little sad, which is completely normal - and then like any other family he promptly passed on the sadness and frustration to everyone else. But also like any other family we hung in there together and by bedtime it was all hugs and smiles.
We started the day at Taipei 101 the tallest building in the world open to the public (soon to be passed by the tower in Dubai). Thanks to the wonders of technology we lost all of our pictures from there.

We left 101 and had a nice long talk (with some translation help - thanks Nick) about how misbehaving only means that we will no go have more fun. We will keep repeating the same message over and over because it is true - we are a forever family and nothing can change the love we have. After a little while, we went on to the martyr's memorial and watched the changing of the guard. It was great to watch the precision and dedication of the soldier guards as they honor both civilians and soldiers who died in defense of Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan maintains much more of a sense of reverence about the memorial as opposed to America's "tourist" mentality at our monuments.

Next we went to see the Grand Hotel, the first 5-star hotel built in Taiwan. It truly is "grand" and of course very expensive. Inside, we took a look around and learned how to play "rock, paper, scissors" going up a staircase - simple fun, but a big source of smiles.

After a quick trip through the Handicraft Promotion Hall, we went to dinner at another restaurant with no forks. It seems that we're now a family fairly skilled with chopsticks. Jordan even sang the praises of a meal that did not consist of chicken nuggets but instead was made up of dumplings and noodles.

All in all, it was an interesting day filled with both tears and laughter. Pretty much as we expected - lots of work, but a lot of love too. It's definitely worth it.

Keelung

2008-07-08T22:25:00.001-04:00

Tuesday saw us getting our final paperwork completed without much hassle so we're now officially ready to come home - at least according to the US Government. Soon enough we'll be on a plane.

We wanted to see some of the island in the time we have left, so we went to Keelung - a smaller city - to see some of the island's culture and history. Taiwan has a unique geography, a long history of being fought over and occupied, and a rich Buddhist tradition which all have their effects on the country.

First we went to the sea coast near Keelung. Taiwan is very mountainous and seeing mountains running right down to the sea was beautiful. Keelung Island is just off the coast and is beautiful as well.

The children enjoyed getting out in the sunshine and running around. They tried the binoculars to look out at the boats and generally did all the great things kids do on summer vacation. They seemed to enjoy their Nintendo DS Lite games for the majority of the trip, but eagerly dropped them as we got to each stop.

The city of Keelung was the next stop - and we took the rest of the day exploring the area. As we came into the city we could look out over the harbor and see the "Hollywood" sign - or at least the Keelung version. We went through the city with our friend Nick pointing out special buildings and interesting things. We headed out to "The Queen's Head" which is a place where wind and water have eroded rocks in interesting patterns - one which looks like a Queen's Head.

When we got there, it was as hot as the surface of the sun, only more humid. We walked out to see the rock shaped roughly like a head and were warned that future generations may not get to see it since the "neck" is wearing thin. It's probably because the queen is sweating so much.

We drove into town for a quick lunch at a place that had no forks or knives to eat with. Taiwan is so westernized that it was great to eat authentic local food served in an authentic way. We had beef noodle and vegetable noodle - and Daddy and Joshua also had some pig ear.

Next (as we drove we talked about the fact that only the high mountains in Taiwan ever get any snow) we stopped by a temple that is the center of the annual ghost festival. The local people prepare foods that are very artistic - rice and vegetables that are formed into miniature animal sculptures. These are to get the ghosts to come out. The temple senior people also can do incantations to keep ghosts away from a place. We enjoyed looking around - and finding a nice place in the shade to sit and relax. The beliefs of the local people were interesting as well, and Nick did his best to translate exactly what the belief and practice are.

Further up the mountain - at the top in fact - we came to a large Buddhist temple. You can actually climb up in side the Buddha - at least when it is open - and see the countryside. There is a huge bell there as well and Sarah, Joshua and Jordan took turns ringing it using the huge log striker. They needed a little help to get it going sometimes.

After walking around the temple, we went down to visit a military park and looked at the encampments that have helped defend northern Taiwan for hundreds of years. There are still cannons there and the local people know that this is still an important place to defend their homeland. For our part, the boys seemed to enjoy running up and down the steps and playing war. Sarah seemed to be running out of steam so Daddy carried her up the last steps and hills back to the car. By my count there were about 11,000 steps.

Finally, on the way back to the hotel, we stopped by a local coffee shop. Like the name says, it was very Nice Coffee. In Taiwan in the summer (did I mention it is hot here?) they drink a lot of iced coffee and iced tea. Everyone had a nice cold drink except Mommy who only likes coffee hot.

We've had our share of problems here, sadness at all the changes, but we're holding together pretty well. We can't wait to get home!

Family Time

2008-07-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

On Monday we spent a few hours at AIT --- essentially the American Embassy in Taiwan, but since Taiwan has a complicated political history they can't call it an official embassy, so it's just the American Institute in Taiwan (it looks like any other US immigration office we've ever seen). We got most of the paperwork done and need to go back Tuesday to finish it up. Many thanks to Ann for helping us there and a big hello to the Boyles who we met as they were adopting as well.

After AIT, we got to spend some family time together with nowhere in particular to go. It gave us some time to get on each other's nerves and play together and whine and laugh and it was wonderful. We visited Taipei 101 (the tallest building in the world until the new tallest one opens in Dubai next year). We plan on going back later to go up to the top, but today we just went in to look around the mall and have some lunch.

After that, we went back to the hotel, took a nap and enjoyed a little more relaxed time. The boys read and napped - and after all of the changes of the last few days the down time was great. Later in the afternoon our video-game-head-boys got to play on the computer and watch TV. Apparently if it's rectangular and has flashing pictures Jordan and Joshua love it. Personally it's a little weird watching all the people on Disney channel speaking Chinese, but the boys can't get enough of it and frequently have both TV's going.

Sarah is having a little more difficulty, partly because now there is someone else to share Mommy and Daddy with and partly because she is just tired and cranky from the jet lag. She's adjusting.

In the evening our driver and friend Nick took us down to one of the "night markets" in Taipei. This is a place where some stores stay open and some vendors move in and everyone goes out to eat and shop and crowd together. We got to try Dragonfruit juice and Fried Stinky Tofu (Joshua loves this stuff) as well as getting to experience something that everyone here takes for granted.

Finally to wrap up the evening we went to a nearby Buddhist temple. Joshua told us that we had to be quiet and respectful (it sounded like he had been told this about 1000 times before). It was very beautiful outside and inside, and many people were there performing the various rites. As we walked through, Mommy and Daddy had some discussions about faith and practice while the children started to fade rapidly toward sleep. We got back to the hotel and the three of them were snoring within 5 minutes of walking in the door. Tired, but a happy family!

Pictures

2008-07-07T18:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday

Driving down to the orphanage...

with a quick stop at McDonalds......and then through the city to get our boy!

Sunday

The family at the museum...and having a quick lunch...then outside...to play!

Day 2 - Fun In Translation

2008-07-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

We spent Sunday in the Science Center (and then traveling back to Taipei to our next "home-away-from-home"). Joshua had a great time leading us to and through the museum and even when he had no idea where we should go, he confidently lead the way. The dinosaurs were a huge hit, since the museum had not only a bunch of bones, but also a few dinosaurs that were animated. They even had a parent and child T-Rex which took turns roaring. Of course an entire museum with only about 10 signs in English was a bit of a challenge for some of the family, but we managed.

It seems that in Taiwan there is a McDonalds on every street corner and even in every large store. Of course there was one in the Museum and so we stopped. We have eaten more McDonalds on this trip than we have had in the past year.

All of the children were excited that we were coming to Taipei - especially Joshua who kept asking how far we had to go on the ride back. Sarah slept a good part of the day, but the boys had a lot of fun in the car on the way here. It seemed like they had known each other for years.

Joshua speaks Mandarin with just a little bit of English, and up till today we always had someone around to translate which was very handy. Tonight we had our first taste of life without a translator which was a lot of fun. The whole family is learning another language and we had plenty of laughs as everyone mispronounced everything. This will be a great experience and we're all going to learn a lot as this family comes together. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

New Boy In The Family

2008-07-05T19:39:00.002-04:00

After a bit of negotiation, Joshua is finally with us!

On the way to the orphanagewe had difficulty finding it (it's in the middle of the city) and were told that our appointment was on Sunday, not Saturday. We went anyway, of course. When we got to the orphanage we were again told that our appointment was Sunday - but this time we had someone to talk to face to face and told them that we were supposed to pick him up on Saturday. A few phone calls later, we were allowed to meet with Joshua but we could not take him with us. A few more phone calls and we were permitted to take him out shopping with us but we HAD TO have him back for a party they had planned. By the time we got back from shopping we were told that there were even more phone calls and that we were allowed to take him home with us. It was a good thing that we just kept on going whether than listening to the first "no".

The orphanage staff threw a "going away" party and gave Joshua gifts and sang him some songs. Then they asked us to stand up and tell all the children a little bit about Joshua's new home. Once we were done, his favorite teacher packed his suitcase and we drove across the city. We're staying with our friend Kristin who is a missionary here until we head back to Taipei for a few days of completing paperwork.

God really blessed us with a beautiful boy - a great addition to a weird and wonderful family. He also blessed us by putting the right people in the right places from the orphanage workers to the adoption folks to our new friends in Taiwan. It's been a real joy so far.

The plan for Sunday - a visit to the local science center and then a long drive back to Taipei.

Packing Up

2008-07-02T22:06:00.003-04:00

As I write this we're finishing packing and getting ready to leave in the morning. It's a little hard to believe that in about 48 hours we'll get to hug our little boy for the first time. Unfortunately we still have half a world to travel - and so it will be back to the suitcases after a brief coffee break.

For those who helped us with donations, loans, house sitting, moral support, kind words and prayers we say a heart-felt thank you. We know that we are Joshua's dad and mom, but we also know that life is best lived in love and community and we know that our community of friends and neighbors is a very necessary part of our lives. We appreciate each of you and we don't say thank you nearly often enough.

OK, shutting down now - and packing up. Tomorrow we fly across the world.

Traveling Light

2008-06-11T20:50:00.001-04:00

We booked our tickets to Taiwan (1 point for the assist, Ma, thanks!) and we'll be on our way July 3 and returning July 11. Flying through LA can be an adventure, so we're sure to have lots of fun along the way. Of course, prayers are always welcome!

The anticipation is building and we all can't wait until Joshua is home.

More soon!

Talkin' To Our Boy

2008-06-06T21:08:00.004-04:00

This morning was a special treat for the family - we got to talk to Joshua for the first time. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we had a video call with him via MSN. The video was slow and the audio was choppy, but it was better than the latest Hollywood blockbuster to us.

We got to talk to Joshua for about an hour. He had translation help from an American missionary who lives nearby but we got to tell him all about his name, and a little about the new life that is waiting for him.

Everyone was shy at first. Then as we started to talk it got easier and easier. Then Joshua started laughing as Jordan made weird faces and started making funny faces of his own. All the kids got into the act - even Sarah. They were all giggling at each other and it was great to see.

We all got to sing the alphabet together (you know, the ABC song) and Joshua sang us a song about a tiger. Jordan and Joshua talked a little about climbing trees and soccer and boy stuff.

At the end of the call, we said wo ei ni (I love you in Mandarin) and Joshua smiled and said wo ei ni right back. That was the best part for mommy and daddy.

One more month and we get to go to Taiwan and bring our son home! We're still fund raising, so if you can help at all, please let us know.

It's Even More Official Now

2008-05-31T22:49:00.000-04:00

We got our final judgment and we're going to Taiwan! We can not wait!

It's a Bit More Official Now

2008-04-13T10:50:00.003-04:00

We got our court date! May 20 will be the hearing in Taiwan (we don't need to go, but we'll be represented there) and then we wait for the decision. It's usually a month before the official decision and again we'll be represented for this. Then, finally, we will get to go pick up our son!

We can't wait - only a little while longer until the adoption is official.

The people we're working with are estimating July for travel. With airfares on the rise, this could be an expensive summer "vacation" - but well worth it!

Hey, It's Snow Problem!

2008-03-08T22:43:00.002-05:00

When we moved to Kentucky they told us they hardly ever get snow. 3 winters later, we've had 2 major snow storms.

At least this one was on a weekend so it was really no problem. We had plenty of time to get out and play in the deep snow. Snowball fights. Snow angels. Later, snowmen!

Then, thankfully, it all melted away into the spring!

Another Step

2008-02-21T20:12:00.002-05:00

In the last two weeks, we got our "official" referral, got a few much needed financial boosts and wrote a bunch of checks. Pretty normal around here, I guess.

We sent back the official referral paperwork and the process will take 3 to 4 more months according to what we were recently told. Well, at least the first big payments are off and on their way to the various agencies, which is a load off of our minds.

This weekend we'll be making up a package to send to Joshua including a family DVD, which should be a real laugh putting together. God certainly is blessing us in this process!

One Step Closer

2008-02-03T23:20:00.001-05:00

Joshua is one step closer to coming home! We just got word that his court papers are on the way, which means we may be traveling in a few weeks - or more likely a month or two. We can't wait for the envelope to get here. Signing that paper and sending it back is a big step forward in the process. We just can't wait for Joshua to meet his forever family.

Of course, this puts new pressure on our fund raising efforts, since we'll need about $8,000 in the next week and have about $3,000. As we always have, we have faith that God will provide in His own way and in His own time. He knows what it will take to bring this boy home and we know that we are being called to do the adoption. All that remains is being patient enough to see it through.

Thanks to family and friends who are helping, praying for and supporting us. This journey, just as it was with Sarah, is an eye-opener to the good side of people, and we look forward to you all joining us in welcoming him home.

Bring Joshua Home Fundraising

2008-01-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

We're now working to raise money to bring Joshua home! We need to raise a total of around $15,000 to complete the adoption - and the first $4500 is due now! If you can help (with any amount large or small) please click the "donate" button below which links through PayPal to a special account that we have set up just for this adoption. Thanks!!

And They're At It Again

2007-12-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

Well, we have decided to adopt again. Several months ago, we began a search for a child (or maybe 2) who fell between Jordan and Sarah, and we just fell in love with a little boy in Taiwan. Today, we got word that we have been approved by the orphanage, and we are wonderfully excited at this blessing!

We can't wait to bring Joshua home - hopefully it will only be 3 or 4 months as the case progresses through the courts. More news to follow as we have it.