Milestone

\ 4 Comments

Tonight I finished lesson 100 of my Conversational Chinese class. I love this series of lessons! Everything builds on the previous lesson and is explained really well.

20 lessons to go and I’ll be moving on the intermediate lessons.

I haven’t gotten much conversational practice, as this is a video series. Once I finish the Conversational Chinese class, I hope to start using a forum for language exchange so that I can start practicing producing sentences, rather than just trying to understand what is being said. I used lang-8 to practice my written Japanese and will use it to practice Chinese as well.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Kinokuniya

\ 3 Comments

On Wednesday, Jeff and I visited Kinokuniya, a bookstore over in Seattle. They carry a large selection of books in Japanese and a smaller selection in Chinese. I was very surprised to discover that almost everything I picked up is traditional Hanzi, which is what our girl can read. Mainland China uses simplified Hanzi, while Hong Kong and Taiwan use traditional.

I know most of my posts lately have been about buying stuff for our future daughter. It’s one of the few ways I can feel close to her as we prayerfully await Chung Yi’s decision about continuing our adoption process. Our part of the adoption process is done until everything is submitted to court and then processed by the judge. In the meantime, we wait, we pray, and we shop to prepare for her arrival home.

I had a lot of fun in the bookstore. I spent two years studying Japanese so can read a little bit. Unfortunately, I’m a bit rusty but I still had fun picking out words here and there at the bookstore. I’m now learning Chinese and can read a lot of basic sentences. So it was fun for me to explore a bookstore that I can read in tiny pieces.

My best find? Something I desperately wanted to bring home but left there for now.

Title: How to Cook Korean Food
Language: Chinese
Country purchased: United States

I loved how that book is basically circling the world! I would love to experience the irony of learning how to cook Korean food in America while reading a book in Chinese.

We ended up buying three different manga titles, either the first two or three in the series. A book of paper dolls. And an activity/sticker book about Minnie Mouse. I hope that having books in her own language will help Zhi Zhi feel like she won’t be so lost here in the US. I can’t wait to show her!

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Clothes shopping – round two!

\ 4 Comments

Jeff and I visited the other nearby mall last night and browsed the summer sales. I don’t think we’ll be buying anything else until we get a better idea of her taste in clothing and favorite colors, but we are having a lot of fun!

A pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The jeans were on sale for $13!

Two short sleeve shirts and one long sleeve shirt.

And another pair of pajamas because they were too cute to pass up! Zhi Zhi is wearing Hello Kitty in a lot of her photos but I’m not sure if she still likes it. I hope so, because we think it’s really cute.

Everything has been folded and added to the dresser. I can’t wait until our Skype call when I can show her everything we’ve bought for her. It’s fun to shop for girls!!

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Clothes shopping!

\ 4 Comments

Jeff and I debated for quite awhile about whether we should go clothes shopping now or closer to the end of the adoption process. Since we are waiting for a Skype call to be scheduled, and since it is vital for Zhi Zhi to see how much we want her to be our daughter, we decided that we should get a few things. Hopefully she likes everything!

I had to look up a few children’s clothing charts online to determine what size she currently wears. Then we decided to buy a size too large in case she has a growth spurt between now and travel. Just in case we receive an growth update in the next 90 days, I kept the receipts.

First, Zhi Zhi’s dresser arrived on Friday! I love it!

We bought Zhi Zhi a couple small things – a package of socks, a headband, two pairs of tights, and two pairs of leggings.

A pajama top (still need to find a pair of black pajama bottoms to go with it).

A pair of pajamas…

… and a matching hoodie.

Two tops that can be worn over jeans or a skirt.

A dress.

A fall-weight jacket with hoodie. (Apparently hoodies are really popular right now!)

A t-shirt.

A workout outfit. The bottoms can be worn long or rolled up into shorts. Her profile says Zhi Zhi loves to run so hopefully we can go running as a family!

The entire stack of clothes.

Everything has been folded and put into the dresser!

I had a LOT of fun shopping. First, I love shopping in general. Second, I was buying clothes for my future daughter!!

I look forward to buying more. This isn’t nearly enough and is mostly summer clothes. Around here, we dress warmly 8-9 months out of the year so I usually focus on buying fall/winter clothing. Unfortunately, what’s on clearance right now is summer clothing. Everything I bought was on sale except the dress and the purple jacket.

We do so hope that Zhi Zhi likes what we bought her! At least she’ll know that we are preparing for her to come home. And if she doesn’t like these clothes, we’ll buy her more. Sounds like fun to me!

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

What He has done for me

\ 2 Comments

Come and hear,
all you who fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me.
Psalm 66:16

This week has been challenging. My faith has been tested and I am seeking God more than ever.

13 months ago, we stepped out in faith when God called us to start the adoption process for a (then) 10 year old girl. We were intrigued by her and grew to love her as much as you can love a child you’ve never met. We have seen God work several miracles on our behalf, each of which added to our conviction that we are walking in God’s will for our lives.

Then on Wednesday, we received an email we weren’t expecting. The agency said that our child, the girl we’ve already started thinking of as daughter is still not agreeing to be adopted. The agency gave us two options: voluntarily terminate the adoption process now or wait until the end of August, at which time they will speak with her again. If she’s still saying no, they may terminate our adoption.

We fell to our knees in prayer. We asked others to pray. Since the very first day we found her profile, we’ve been praying that our girl’s heart will be softened toward us, that she will want to be adopted, that she will accept our love.

We sent several long emails to our agency, asking questions about the scant information we’d been provided and begging them to keep advocating for us. We told them that we will never give up on our girl, that we are fully committed to her adoption. We asked that they please try to get a Skype call scheduled so that we can talk to Zhi Zhi, let her ask us questions, and so that she can get an idea of who we are.

On Wednesday afternoon, we finally received the sheets for Zhi Zhi’s bed. They have been on back order for two months. The very day we receive an email asking if we want to terminate the adoption process, we receive the final piece of Zhi Zhi’s bed. Frame. Mattress. Sheets. Comforter. Pillow. Stuffed animal. It’s all ready. Was the timing a matter of irony? Or a quiet reassurance that everything will be ok?

Thursday was a day of prayer.

And this morning, we receive a very welcomed email. Our agency reassured us that they want this adoption to succeed. They answered several of our questions, giving us more insight into how the adoption process works and what goes on behind the scenes. They inform us that a Skype call is in the works, that we will be given the opportunity to get to know our girl and to help her get to know us. And what was even better news to my ears? Zhi Zhi agreed to the Skype call. She isn’t being forced into it. She agreed to it.

This evening, Zhi Zhi’s dresser was delivered. We ordered it on July 4th and it arrives the very same day that we are given hope that our adoption process will continue. Irony? Or the hand of God again reassuring us that everything will be ok? I believe that God is at work in our adoption, that He is still working to bring our daughter home. We have seen evidence of God’s hand guiding our adoption throughout the entire process, starting the day I heard a whisper saying that “this is the day you’ll find your daughter” and continuing through today.

All I can do is continue to trust.

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Urgent prayer request

\ 4 Comments

Zhi Zhi is still against the idea of adoption. The social worker will continue to discuss the importance of family with her but they have said that if Zhi Zhi is not agreeable by the end of August, the agency in Taiwan may terminate our adoption process. Please pray that her heart will be softened toward us. That we can hold on to our faith and never let go. That ultimately God’s will be done, both in Zhi Zhi’s life and in ours.

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Goofy? Me?? No, her!

\ 1 Comment

Zhi Zhi’s host family described her as “goofy.” After rereading her updates and seeing the additional photos from the host program, I’d have to agree with that description. In preparation for our Skype call, we’ve been brainstorming various ideas to break the ice.

Like my new finger puppets? There are 10 total and they are really cute! I hope she finds them goofy and that we can make her laugh on the call.

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Just 18 Summers – A Book Review

\ 2 Comments

Just 18 Summers is the next review book in my stack. I read this entire book while sitting in the Chicago airport, waiting for a huge storm to blow over so that I could fly home to Seattle. It definitely filled the time well and helped me to forget that my flight was delayed several hours.

From the Amazon description: After the tragic death of Butch Browning’s wife, Jenny, four families begin to realize how precious—and fleeting—their time together is. Each is at a different stage in life: Butch is facing single parenthood. The O’Reillys are expecting their first child. The Andersons are approaching an empty nest, and the Buckleys are so focused on providing their children with everything that they’ve forgotten what they truly need. With just eighteen summers before their children are grown, how do they make the most of that time when life so often gets in the way?

I laughed. I cried. I rolled my eyes. I completely blocked out all the chaos of the busy airport and soaked up a story about love and family and regret and redemption.

This book reminded me of the importance of holding my daughter close, of treasuring each day with her and loving her to the best of my abilities. I pray for her daily, that God will keep her safe until we can travel to bring her home. The parents in this book had 18 summers to love their children. I will have much less, as my future daughter is already 11 years old. But I hope to pack an incredible amount of love into the years we do have together.

Thank you so much to Tyndale Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Posted in: Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Shipped! Finally!

\ Leave a Comment

At the end of May, I ordered two comforters and two sets of sheets from Pottery Barn Kids. We received the comforters quickly but the sheets were on back order. Obviously we don’t need them right away but I have still been anxious to finish making the beds. I’ve been checking the website every week to see if they were available yet.

They shipped today!!

The tracking website didn’t yet have an estimated arrival date but it listed three day priority shipping, which would put them here Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m so excited!! I can’t wait to finish making our girl’s bed.

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged:

Busy week and a new recipe

\ 1 Comment

This week was busy enough that I forgot to blog. Oops! I spent a few hours this week doing some deep spring organizing. I still have a few areas around the house where our belongings are not organized, just stacked into piles or shoved into corners. I want our house to look intentional! I’m still working through the last stack of papers and will then start sorting through our pantry.

No real adoption news this week, just some random shopping to decorate our home. I hope to post pictures once I finish the organizing.

I made a new Chinese recipe this week, Sexy Spiced ‘n ‘Ginger-ed Veg, Rice Noodles & Crispy Tofu. Whew! What a long recipe name. It was really good the first night but did not reheat well. We preferred the Lo Mein recipe from last week. However, we will definitely use the idea of including jiaozi (dumplings) in future stir-fry recipes. That was the best part!

I haven’t picked out a recipe for next week but want to find something Taiwanese. Maybe a side dish instead of an entree. I’ll have to search around and find a website with Taiwanese recipes. Happy cooking!

Posted in: Adoption, Uncategorized \ Tagged: ,