Although we are having a wonderful time in Guangzhou, tomorrow will be our last day here. Since everything went so well with the chest x-ray, I called the consulate Monday morning and they agreed to move our appt up 2 days (today!). This means we are going home two days early. Lidia's a little disappointed since we've met such nice families here & made friends. There's a lot to do here and it is pretty relaxing, I admit. But Mike and the other kids need us at home and I miss everyone. So tomorrow is our last day. We'll go to the swearing in ceremony in the afternoon at the embassy, then we'll get her visa to come home. We'll leave the hotel Wednesday at 6 am and take a flight to Beijing. Then from there we'll fly to Chicago, and then on to Charlotte. That's a little over 20 hrs actually in the air, not including the 2 layovers. We're flying stand-by again, but the seat availability looks pretty good & it'll be so great if we get to ride in business class again. That really makes a difference on a long trip. Thanks again Kim & Jeff !!!!
Can't wait to see all my other kiddos and give everyone a huge hug! Briella is so excited about going home. Today she said "America Wednesday" to a shopkeeper. She is so well adjusted - I can't believe we have been so blessed yet again to receive a child that so naturally becomes part of our family. She has been simply delightful, happy & smiley. She is talkative and chats with our guide a lot. She also tries to communicate in English and does quite well. By the way, she's a wiz at math... been testing her on different math problems, and she gets them all perfect... and fast. At one shop, she added up in her head what she thought our total was, and before the shopkeeper used his calculator to add up our items (about 14 items), she told him what she thought it was. Well, she was off by 12 Yuan (their dollar). Turns out there was 1 item stuck in the bottom of the basket that she hadn't seen and it was exactly the difference.
Tomorrow morning will be my last chance to email, as I am packing up the laptop and mailing it off to Nancy's brother who lives back in Briella's province. It is for him, but I've had the privilege of using it while in China. Thanks Nancy!!!
Well, can't wait to see everyone... we're supposed to arrive in Charlotte about 9:45 Wednesday night, about 27 hrs after we step foot on our first flight. I can't wait to see Mike & the kids at the airport. Here are some pics... hugs to all
Briella and our guide Sarah, who took good care of us!
Lidia standing in an underground tomb of an emporer buried 2,000 yrs ago
Octopus for sale at local Walmart
Maybe your in the mood for sting-ray instead?
Such little parking space - so they have double stacked parking
Last year while I was here for Ben, the terrible earthquake happened - this time we had a typhoon that landed ashore this province, but thank goodness I don't think there were any injuries
Fun in the streets!
Inside our beautiful hotel
Photo op!
At Lucy's Diner - wonderful western food. Briella says "hamburger please"!
Dinner with new friends
Out on the town
Bittersweet Goodbye
Happy, thankful, and having fun!
Saturday, July 18th, 2009
We arrived last night to our final city here and checked in to The White Swan Hotel... as beautiful as ever. The flight was short and pleasant and Briella was thrilled, especially during take-off and landing. Lidia loves it here in Guangzhou! We've met many families here that are from the states and have had lots of fun with them, walking, shopping and then going to dinner with another family. Their son reminds me so much of Brent. They adopted a 10 yr old girl that was just so scared and we could see her quietly weeping. Briella became friendly with her and they became friends, just chattering away in Mandarin. That is the family we had dinner with and it was a good time. I believe Briella really helped her to feel more comfortable.
The GREAT news is...... Briella had all her medical evaluations this morning and her chest x-ray was perfect. This is great news and means that her positive TB skin test was a false positive from her previous vaccination. Yay! She will now be granted a visa to come home. She also had 4 vaccinations and not a flinch. She has had a perfect transition so far... she is very sweet, playful, shy at first, smart, and confident. She has not shed one tear the whole time. She's already learning some English words.
Here are some things on the agenda for the next few days... paperwork, a museum trip, our consulate appt, swearing in ceremony, the zoo, and getting her visa to come home. We are fitting in a little shopping, swimming, and visiting. A few of the shop owners remember me from previous visits.
Love to all of my kiddos back home and thanking God for all of my blessings
On the way to the airport. Lidia has small hands... Briella's are TINY
1st airplane ride was a big hit!
Beautiful sunset above the clouds
A new boat for Mike.... well, it IS bigger!
Breakfast at The White Swan Hotel... one of the best amenities here
4 shots and a chest x-ray equals a clean bill of health!
Briella did so well with all the medical stuff, including 4 trips to the hospital in her province
Lidia sewing some little silk pouches at a local shop
Time Together
We are really enjoying seeing different things in this province. We took a trip by car, about 3.5 hours away, and looked around Briella's hometown area. It was rainy and overcast, but we had fun. We had local food on the way down, and then more Chinese food later for dinner with some of the adoption officials. Lidia did very well with the food (better than me!) and we had a good time. It was nice for Briella to see her town once more and capture some pictures and memories. Last night after we got settled back at our previous hotel, Briella and I went down to the pool. She has never been in a pool and just stayed in the kiddie pool the whole time. She loved it. We don't have the same room as last time, so now we have a lake view room and it is very pretty at night. This morning we went for a long walk all around the lake that is here at the hotel. So VERY hot and humid!!!!!!!! We leave in a half an hour to go back to the hospital to get the result of the TB test. Briella continues to do very well with the transition. She is happy and sweet. Her personality is very easy going. At the pool, she showed me how she counts well in English... she counted to about 50. She's not the show-off type so she probably knows more than she shows. She really likes running and volleyball. Well, signing off for now. Here are some pics... love to everyone back home... I miss you!!
Briella when she was younger
Briella when she was younger
Lidia and Briella at a restaurant in her town
Lidia can pick up a peanut with chopsticks!
Having fun at the restaurant
Enjoying our time on the boardwalk in Briella's hometown of Xiamen
Making the best of a l-o-n-g care ride!
Very happy to try the pool for the 1st time 
So tiny! Bathing suit is a 7-8 & fits perfect - she's 11!!
The heat index is about 100 degrees! The pool is a great place to be
Walking around the lovely lake with our guide Helen
Beautiful area!
Great photo op!
A beautiful lotus flower
Official Paperwork and Xiamen
Yesterday we completed the official adoption paperwork, and now it will be processed this week and we will receive her passport on Friday, before flying to Guangzhou. Then in the afternoon, we played a game of bowling at the hotel, and it was super fun! Briella really liked it, and had never tried bowling before. Next we played ping-pong and spent more time laughing and chasing that little ball around than actually playing the game. We had a blast. Lidia and I were very competitive while bowling; but I did manage to beat her score. Lidia is hilarious at ping-pong :o)
We also went to the hospital twice to accomplish getting the TB skin test for Briella. It is such an event to visit a hospital here and so different than back home. Most of the time, it seems like complete chaos and the conditions are so different than what we are used to. In the end though, she received the skin test and we go back tomorrow to let them look at the result. So far, I don't see a reaction, but it gets looked at tomorrow and the next day we must go back again, as they look at the result both at 48 and 72 hrs.
We packed up our things this morning and left most of our baggage at the hotel, just packing lightly for 1 night because today we traveled to Xiamen. In a little while, we'll go see the orphanage, but we're not allowed to tour it, due to the swine flu. China is taking a very cautious approach with regard to the flu. Hopefully Briella will be able to say a final goodbye to her friends here. We might also be able to go see the spot where she was found at 1 day old. We stopped for a Chinese lunch at a university on the way. We are traveling with Jack, who's the head of adoptions for this province. He's super nice. He ordered all kinds of interesting food for us. When we got back in the car, I told Lidia that I was proud of her... she made no faces or odd noises regarding the food. This is a big accomplishment for her. She was very poised & she did try some new things. She will NOT try using the squatty potty though. This is mostly what's available outside the hotel, so it takes some strategy to avoid. You definitely need stronger leg muscles to use it effectively!
Gotta go now... just got the call that we are leaving. Here are a few pics... 
Briella and I are completing the paperwork that will make us a family..... forever!
We Have Briella!!
What can I say? This little girl is precious! She is petite & tiny, with a sweet smile and she is a little shy. She is warming up to us just fine so far. She looked a little nervous, but not afraid. I was nervous too! She and Lidia played Barbies in the hotel room after we finished with paperwork and discussions. The orphanage director is very nice and well spoken. She has known Briella since she entered the orphanage at 1 day old. We meet again in the morning for more paperwork and to have the TB test done.
After the girls played Barbies, we walked around the hotel, showing Briella the pool, the bowling alley, ping-pong, etc. Then we caught a taxi and went to McDonald's. The taxi rides here are like being on a carnival ride. Briella and I had a chicken sandwich, only problem is that mine had a bonus feature... a little roach inside my sandwich wrap. Oh well, I got another one and ate it. You gotta do what you gotta do! Then we walked around the shopping area in the same building as McDonald's, and we learned that Briella's never been on an escalator before. She was so careful (and cute!). We came back and Lidia wanted to go for a night swim. Briella and I just watched. She does not know how to swim. I told her (by way of our electronic translator) that I could help her tomorrow, and so far she just smiles and says no about that.
Well, we need to go to sleep now. She and Lidia are watching something silly on t.v., and they're both giggling up a storm on the bed together. Here are a few pics from today.
We're in Beijing
Lidia and I are now 4 nights into our trip and all is going well. We flew into Beijing and did some sight-seeing there for 2 days, while we got used to the new time zone. We were able to fly 1st class to Chicago, then business class to Beijing... thank you Kim & Jeff !! It was awesome :o)
This evening as I post this, Lidia is sound asleep and I am pensive in the still silence... thinking about meeting my new daughter tomorrow and humbled that God would entrust me once again to have the privilege of being mama to another beautiful child of His. Briella Xiyao has waited 11 long years for her forever family. I wonder if she has butterflies too!
Yes, I am a little nervous... but mostly just in awe. I've learned that the very sweetest blessings anyone can receive are the ones that come by way of true faith. The more I trust Him, the sweeter life gets.
Lidia learning how to stretch silk
After my 4th trip here, my guide finally clarified for me what this sign means...a place of mental rest for the emperor and empress...Mike, maybe you can build one for us?
Our guide takes us to the Forbidden City
Lidia goofing around at the jade factory
Touring the historic Hutong area
Getting ready to climb the Great Wall
Pretty steep!
Working up a sweat now.
Stopping at the top to catch my breath
What a place to take a rest!
Yak meat anyone? We found this at the airport while we were looking for a breakfast snack...
View from the van as we got closer to our new hotel
A couple views from our hotel room
Beautiful area
Time to Go !
Arriving at the airport at 4:30am
Lidia and I getting ready to depart on our long journey
July 6, 2009
Well, the time has finally come and early tomorrow morning Lidia and I will take our first of 8 flights for our journey to bring Briella Xiyao home. Lidia & I are packed, clothes for Briella packed, orphanage donations packed, Brinley & Bayla are packed, paperwork is ready, all laundry (2 adults, 7 kids) is done, stocked up on groceries, house has been cleaned (and I finished painting several walls), check lists, reminders & schedules typed up and handed out...now today I will tie up a few other loose ends and then relax a little and enjoy being with my sweet family.
It is doubtful that I will be able to post to this website while in China. The internet is heavily monitored there and blogger is blocked, as are many other websites. I hope to have internet access and will send updates and pics by email back home to Brianna, who will upload them onto this site. A friend of mine that just returned from China with her little boy told me that certain key words within emails will cause my email acct to be disabled. So, be careful to exclude or encrypt words in any emails to me, like; China, or other Chinese city names, words of faith, like God, prayer, etc. (so sad), or words like orphan, orphanage, etc. Her email acct was disabled. Or just encrypt it, like; *hina, pr*yer, etc. I've never experienced this in my previous 3 trips there, and don't know why it seems this way right now. Enough of that!
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel one last time to a far away land. We will not have a travel group, and it is just Lidia and I (and our guide). We will start off flying from Charlotte to either Chicago or Dulles airport, with a layover and then on to Beijing. After we're in Beijing for a couple days, we will then fly on to Fuzhou which is the capitol of Fujian Province, where Briella is. We will then travel to her smaller town of Xiamen, then back to Fuzhou. Next, we fly to Guangzhou in southern China, where the U.S. Embassy is. Then, either back to Beijing to fly back to the states, or we'll take a train to Hong Kong, then fly back to the states. China is taking strong measures to protect their country from the swine flu. We'll be thermoscanned on the airplane, in the airport, and at different checkpoints, to be sure we aren't sick or with fever. People who are sick with the flu, or have been in close contact with someone who is, may get quarantined. I even purchased travel delay insurance, in the unlikely event we get delayed because of that. There are also brand new immigration requirements in place that require adoptees (from any country) to be tested for TB. Our trip is longer this time due to this testing. Usually we've traveled about 13 nights, this time it's 16 nights. Maybe if the TB testing goes faster than expected, we'll be able to come home a day early. If not, we hope to be home on July 24th. Yesterday, the entire congregation at Parkwood Baptist Deaf Church prayed over Lidia and I. A very teary-eyed woman came up to me after and signed to me "you are so lucky". Yes, I am blessed indeed.
Since I haven't posted in a while, here are some recent photos of our team...
Briella Xiyao Jordan, age 11, patiently waiting for her family to come... Lidia and I will welcome her into our family on Sunday, July 12th.
Briella is from Xiamen... a coastal town in southeast China. You can see it on the map, just across the East China Sea from Taiwan. 
Blake and me...
Brianna and Dakota prom night
Brianna the night before her mission trip to Honduras...they will reach out to the deaf Honduran community 
Our Brianna Faith in Honduras... making a difference
Posing with a sweet Honduran girl...Brianna wants to be a teacher of the deaf
Beautiful girl... beautiful view
Happy Hands Deaf School/Ministry in Honduras
Nancy made Brent a beautiful cake to celebrate his 13th birthday !
Brent getting ready to enjoy his cake... Mmmm !
Taking a break from swimming... Brent looks like Mike more & more !
Lidia with her new haircut ! (6 inches cut)
Isn't she pretty??
Lidia and her principal... she received 5 awards, including the President's Silver Academic Award and a nomination for highest character. Now on to middle school !
Ben and his teacher Anna Hawkins... so sweet of her to come to his baseball game
Ben participated in our county special olympics... he's ready to race !
Bayla waving him in to the finish line
Ben received 3 gold medals... he was really happy !
Ben's teacher Anna and the class
Ben writing his name in english & chinese on the school sidewalk
Ben really enjoyed being on the baseball team with Brent
Bayla and Brinley enjoying the lake in our neighborhood
My sweet baby girls
Travel Approval is here !!!!
June 18, 2009
Well, I received the call today from my agency. They received our travel approval today. This is the very last paper we needed. It looks like Lidia & I will be flying out on July 7th, and returning home on July 24th (my birthday!).
This trip will be about 3 days longer than our previous adoption trips to China, due to the new immigration procedures. Between the swine flu issues (very heightened awareness in China) and these new immigration requirements, this will definitely be a little different than the norm. Briella will have to have a TB skin test, then wait 2-3 days to see if there's a reaction or not, and if there is, she'll need a chest x-ray. In addition, she'll likely receive anywhere from 5-8 immunizations at her medical visit required by the U.S. Embassy. So, there are some unknowns... and these new procedures only start on July 1st, so there will be some families that will be before us, but not too many.
I wonder how Xiyao is feeling and what she's thinking. Lidia is excited about the trip and about meeting her. Bayla and Brinley will be staying at Aunt Traci's, then at grandma & papa's house. This is a big help to Mike, who is so busy with his jobs. Thank you Traci & Walt... and Grandma & Papa !!! We really appreciate you guys and it sounds like the girls will have a wonderful time with you. Brianna will help here at home with Brent & Ben. This will take a LOT of coordination with so many of us going in different directions, but I know it will all come together!
Also, please pray for Brianna's mission trip to Honduras. She leaves the day after tomorrow and will be there for 1 week, reaching out to the deaf community in Honduras. I am so proud of her.
Check out her website at www.hearts4honduras.blogspot.com
We aren't sure if she'll be able to post to her blog while there, depending if they have internet access. She is the group media person, responsible for video, photos, and journaling the trip.
God has been moving mountains in this big family of ours. We are very blessed!!!!
What a nice surprise !
April 18, 2009
While we were sleeping last night, it was daytime in China & Lori King was at Briella's orphanage & sent me this email along with pictures. Lori just adopted Levi (a little cutie!) and had the opportunity to visit the orphanage. Her blog address is www.paulandlori-kingskids.blogspot.com if you'd like to take a peek. I met Lori on a forum for families adopting from this specific orphanage. Here's what she wrote...
Dear Lisa,
Your daughter is so sweet with a very ready smile. She is very friendly and seemed like a happy little girl. She was very curious about why we wanted to take her picture and was told that it was for her Mommy and Daddy. I asked the director if she was aware if she was being adopted and she is. Maybe you were already aware of that, i wasn't sure. I think they tell them as soon as they are matched with a family.
Enjoy the pictures!
Lori King
Here are the pics she just took... (click to enlarge).jpg)
God is my strength...
April 16, 2009
When we face challenges... when we are tired and frail... when our doubt is bigger than our faith... WHEN FAITH AND FEAR COLLIDE... Where does your strength come from?
I would never have fathomed that God would take me here... this place where I am right now. I believe with every cell in my body that God has me exactly where I am supposed to be. When I truly trust in His plan, that is when I experience His wonder.
I'm so humbled and excited to announce the coming of my new daughter!
She's a lovely 11 year old girl living in Fujian Province, China. Her name is Xi Yao (pronounced see-yow). Her name means "Hope" in Chinese.
We will name her Briella XiYao. Briella means "God is my strength".
We just received final approval from China, and Lidia and I will be traveling in June to pick her up. We can't wait !!
Here she is...
Psalm 121 ~ "I lift my eyes up to the hills. Where does my strength come from. My strength comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth."
Ben can HEAR !
Here is a video clip of Ben's 1st activation. This is just a portion of a 15 min video. It seemed like a magical day for Ben. He was happy. We had previously taught Ben how to say 'Mama' and 'Father', although he's never heard himself speak those words. We've been told that what he's hearing is nothing like what we hear. Could be sounding to him like beeps, noise, possibly with some pitch. Only Ben knows what he's hearing right now. His brain will have to discover a way to process these signals into something recognizable for him. This is especially hard after living 11 years in silence. The audiologist says it will be a long and slow process. He was really excited about everything though, and we walked out of their office trying everything we could think of to see if he could hear it... stomping our feet, slamming the van door, crinkling leaves next to his ear, hearing the van horn, listening to cars driving by, etc. On the way home, he was anxious to see if he could hear any of the movie on our portable dvd player we had taken for the trip. Mike hard-wired him directly to the dvd player, since they gave us a wire that will connect Ben's processor directly into the "output" of an electronic device. I was worried that he would be overstimulated, with all we were trying, not to mention all the typical chattering and such with having 6 kids in the van, but he liked it. He said he was hearing things on the movie...don't know how it must have sounded to him, but he was happy. After the 2.5 hr ride home, he and Brent rushed around the house with great zest, trying out everything that makes a noise... the piano, the toilet (we have a loud turbo one), the ice dispenser, running water... just a little bit of everything. He stayed up until 11:30, even though the doctor said he would probably be very tired from all the brain stimulation. This morning, he woke up late and was anxious to put his processor back on right away. After a couple hours, he took it off for a break. We are to ease him into the 4 levels of volume that they've programmed it for now. Then when we go back in 2 weeks, they will turn up the volume, and send us home with 4 more sub-levels to work on at home. He is receiving all the frequencies right now, just at a low volume. The school system will be changing some things about his IEP, to include that all of his teachers make sure they are voicing when signing to him. He'll also get auditory verbal therapy at school, and I need to be present for those sessions, so that I can receive the training also, and work with him at home. For now, we are just taking things day-by-day, and knowing that God is working a miracle in Ben :o)
24 Hours to Activation !!!!!
posted 1-8-2009
If you want to witness pure joy & delight, just look at Ben's face :o)
Here he is just 1 week after his cochlear implant surgery, with his surgeon Dr. Craig Buchman, UNC Chapel Hill Children's Hospital. Picture Ben giggling as he skipped into the operating room. This pic is his 1 week post-op... he healed so fast and easily.
(you can click on pics to enlarge)
This time tomorrow, we'll be in Chapel Hill for Ben's 1st activation. Ben has been counting down these last 4 weeks since surgery, and now he's counting down the hours. He's asking a zillion questions about anything and everything that has to do with his activation and about hearing in general. His questions are excellent and are an indicator as to his desire, anticipation, and intelligence. I have told him that learning to hear will be slow... as we've been told. There will be 3 activations, 2 weeks apart... to ease him into it. I told him that the professionals say we'll have to be patient... he disagrees... maybe we'll just have to let Ben show us :o)
I plan to post a video of his first moments of activation. We are letting all the kids miss school tomorrow, because they all want to be there in the room with him. Hopefully the room will be big enough for all of us! (Mike, me, Brianna, Brent, Ben, Lidia, Brinley & Bayla)
We'll be back home in the evening... ready to begin witnessing Ben's miracle, and seeing him discover a whole new world he always dreamed about...
Thank you God
Christmas 2008
We had a wonderful Christmas! We had lots of Mike's family come up from Florida to spend this special time with us. It was awesome, and I love it when the cousins can spend time together :o)
Our family... Christmas 2008
Here we are with Mike's family that came to visit ~~ all 20 of us !!!!
My sweet hubby ...
Mommy, how much LONGER until we open presents?
Ben's perpetual smile :o)
Brent having fun with cousins David & Jake!
Brianna (on right) with cousin Samantha
So nice to spend time with my sisters, Wendy & Traci
Brinley, Bayla, Hannah & Sarah made birthday cards for Jesus & here they are at the post office getting ready to mail them to Heaven... so sweet!
Valentines or Christmas?
Poor Brad...little girl cousins have attacked him!
Back home from Chapel Hill...
Ben's surgery was a success! He is recuperating nicely. He was just giddy with excitement all the way to the operating room. Today is the 3rd day after surgery and he's just been hanging out at home. We go back to Chapel Hill on Monday for a follow up. Then back on Jan 9th for the 1st activation. He is very anxious to get this bandage off his head, which will be in 2 more days. He's handling everything really great. He's a super kid. We are so thankful God paved a way for us to be his family, and for the gift of Ben getting to hear. Stay tuned for updates...
Pictures of our room at the Ronald McDonald house...
Ben thought the hospital pajamas looked a bit like karate clothes...
Bayla & Brinley playing in the waiting room at Chapel Hill Children's Hospital...
Ben in the recovery room...
Leaving tomorrow for Chapel Hill...
12-7-08
Well, tomorrow I will be taking Ben to Chapel Hill. His cochlear implant surgery is the next day (12-9). Bayla calls it his "ear-plant" surgery. He is so excited. He's been counting down the days. We'll stay 2 nights in Chapel Hill... we hope to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House this time, if they have space available. It'll just be me, Ben, Brinley & Bayla. Mike will stay back to work and take care of the rest of the kids. Ben's biggest question is... what sports will he be able to play? I do remember the doctor saying he should never play football, or soccer, since there is too much chance that his head could get hit. A 15 year old boy at church who also got his implant at age 11, plays baseball and basketball. He had the same surgeon as Ben. So, I'm anticipating Ben will get approved for the same... we'll see. He really likes sports, and he's pretty athletic. Ben will have his 1st activiation on January 9th, where they'll turn on his sound. I think they will start with lower frequencies at first, then we return back to Chapel Hill every 2 weeks a couple more times for complete activation. In the next few months, it looks like we will be going to Chapel Hill at least 8 times. Please join us in prayer that Ben's surgery goes well, and for his introduction to the hearing world.
Since I haven't posted an update for awhile, here are some pictures from; the fall festival at church, Brinley's 5-year old birthday party, decorating the Christmas tree, Thanksgiving, and more.
2 beautiful princesses, ready to go to the Fall Festival at church....
2 goofy guys, going to the Fall Festival...
All princesses LOVE cotton candy !
Brinley turns 5 !
Putting up the tree... Ben's 1st Christmas !!!!!!
(Lidia's retains her "chief-of-staff" position for the decorating department)
Lidia with her teacher after the D.A.R.E. graduation at school
AND A FEW PICS FROM THANKSGIVING
Blake and me...
My sister Wendy and my Mom...
Bayla with Aunt Wendy...
Bayla with Aunt April...
Ben must have taken 1,000 pics !! (well, it seemed like it anyway)
That's all for now!
Blessings <><
Lisa
School days...
School started August 25th. Even though Ben's bus comes at 6:30 in the morning, he runs down the driveway with sheer glee everday! He always prays at the dinner table every night (which is such a sweet blessing) and he never forgets to thank God for school. I was nervous about the early bus time, since he's not a morning person, but here it is already Oct 2, and he's gotten up every day joyfully at 6:00. He rides on a special bus for kids in the exceptional childrens program, although it looks like a regular school bus. There is always an extra aide on the bus, which is good because Ben usually sleeps the whole way home (45 min) and the aide wakes him up. The bus driver and aide are very nice, and seem to be hand picked to work with special kids. Ben waves goodbye to them everyday, until the bus is out of sight. I was very impressed with all of Ben's teachers, from his main teacher for the deaf, to his speech/language pathologist, the ESL teacher, and the interpreters that go with Ben when he leaves his class... like to go to recess, lunch, music, etc., where he and another boy from his class (Taylor) join a regular hearing class for those activities. Ben gets homework everyday. I'm learning a lot about teaching Ben. Since my ASL experience is only 1 year & Ben's is almost 6 months, at times we must break out the ASL dictionaries & the english/chinese electronic translator. It gets even trickier when the two ASL dictionaries have different signs! There are concepts that have seemed challenging to interpret, like subtraction with regrouping, math word problems, odd & even numbers, ABC order (he didn't know the american alphabet) and much more. But, Ben and I have gotten through it all... and in fact, he's brilliant. To my surprise, one night the teacher sent home 2 little books, and part of his homework was to read them to me. It was only a few weeks into school and I wondered, how will he sign this to me?? His written english was zero at the start of school. He's never been taught the signs for connecting words like "the" or "is"...because ASL drops all those types of words. In fact, the way Ben will learn written English is by sight. Meaning, he must remember each word by sight, instead of sounding it out like a hearing person. Well, I was impressed! I just had to video it.
More Miracles...
7-24-08
I just knew God had a plan for Ben. Not only is he a happy, bright, super-cute boy...not only am I so blessed because he tells me "I love you" and gives me hugs....not only did we get approved for the grant that will handle all of his hearing loss costs...but now, after seeing a top surgeon and spending 2 days at Chapel Hill Hospital, the doctor has determined that Ben can get a cochlear implant !
Ben is so excited about this. He kept asking after every test if the answer was yes. I reminded him that this is a "process" and to be patient. When we got the green light after his last test, we went outside the hospital to call Mike who was back at the hotel with the rest of the kids. Mike & the kids stayed with us through the first day of testing, but we decided staying back at the hotel and swimming was a better choice for the 2nd day, so I told him I would call when we were done to come pick us up. Ben & I walked outside where we could get a signal. I got Mike on the phone & immediately gave the phone to Ben and I told him to tell Dad "yay!". Ben grabbed the phone and did his "tarzan" shout with joy in his voice. He stunned everyone around us...and I was just cracking up :o)
So, our next appt is Sept 3rd and I believe surgery might be around October. We were hoping to stay at the Ronald McDonald house, but found out that they only allow 3 people to a room...we had 7 with us, so the Hampton Inn gives special rates to people who have a referral but can't stay at the Ronald McDonald house. We met lots of other Chapel Hill families there who had come to town for follow-ups or testing. We spent time with one family in particular who has 2 children with cochlear implants. Both parents are hearing. The kids are doing so great.
I am posting some pictures here of our trip to Chapel Hill & swimming at the hotel. Brinley's 1 year "gotcha" day was yesterday, so I just sent in her 12 month report with pictures. We had to send a family picture and we hadn't taken a new family picture since Ben came home so here's our newest family picture...it's always a hysterical challenge to get us all together!
(click on picture to enlarge)(right click on picture to print for yourself)
...it's grueling, but we do have some fun at it !!!!!!!!
Summer Happenings...
7-13-08
Well, we are in the middle of summer and everything's going so well. We've been quite busy around here. The kids have completed 2 weeks of summer camp at Parkwood, with 1 week to go, which will be 7/21-7/25. Brianna goes white water rafting in W.V. this week on a 3 day trip with the deaf youth group. Bri has been an excellent camp counselor/interpreter. Ben completed all his testing for school. He did the tests in Chinese. We took a family "field day" trip to UNC Greensboro to check out the campus there for Brianna & to find out more information about the program they have for the interpreting/teaching degree. That was interesting and fun! It was good for Brent, Lidia & Ben to also see what college is all about. Brianna started her new job at McDonald's, so she works 2 evenings a week at the chinese restaurant and a couple days a week at McD's. Grandma & Papa Mack came for a visit...and I launched my home business, selling books, dvd's & cd's on Amazon. This week will be especially interesting because thurs & friday we will be at Chapel Hill for Ben's evaluation. We hope to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. This leads me to share something that happened today...
After church, we went to McD's for lunch. After that, I took the kids to Sam's. Bayla & Brinley absolutely love going to Sam's due to all the free samples of food they get to eat! It was Ben's first visit there. He's so interested in everything. Anyway, we are in the line to check out and I'm signing to Ben, as he's helping me put the items on the belt. He helps me a lot, by the way, he pushes the cart around w/the girls in it. He lifts heavy things for me. So, the lady in front of us asked me if he is deaf. We got to talking...her little girl Jada who is 7 was with her. Jada is deaf with a cochlear implant that she rec'd at 2 yrs old. She has excellent speech & hearing skills. Well, we ended up hanging out a little after we both checked out and discovered that Jada's surgeon was Dr. Buchman, which is who Ben will see this week at Chapel Hill. We also discovered that Tiffany (Jada's mom) is also an optician like me. Jada's mom was very positive about their experience. They showed Ben how easy it is to put the processor on or take it off, and something *clicked* with Ben. He's seen people at Parkwood with implants, but none of the kids his age have one. I think he kind of understood what it is, but today he was more interested. Maybe since I told him he's seeing the same doctor as Jada, he had a heightened interest. He asked me if Jada was really "talking" to me. I explained to him that Jada is deaf like him, but with the doctor's help and with the implant, she is able to hear & speak. He looked at me and signed "I want that". I also explained to him that some people cannot get the implant, like one of his friends at Parkwood, and that's okay too, because deaf people are beautiful. So, as we're walking out, I asked him what would be the first thing he would want to hear if he is able to get one. Here's what he said... fireworks, a balloon popping, the dog barking, watching a movie with sound, lightening, a baby crying... he seemed so excited. I need to try to make sure he understands that we need to be happy with whatever God's plan is for him. We have been so very blessed again... we have been approved for a NC state grant for Ben's hearing needs. This is SO big. This grant will cover all of his tests this week. He'll see Dr. Buchman after his full audiological workup. He'll also have an EKG, an MRI, and an ABR. If they determine he's a candidate and we go the implant route, it will cover the surgery & equipment, which I've heard is maybe 70-80k. Our health insurance may provide some coverage, I'm not sure yet, but whatever isn't covered, the grant will take care of. I'm so grateful for God's provisions.
In closing, here are a few pics from camp this past week. Look at Ben in that soldier pose...last week at church we had God Bless America Day, and it was so awesome. Ben told me he wants to be a soldier. I learned later that he cannot join the military due to his deafness. I learn something new everyday. Anyway, he sure does look serious about his pose! {click on pic to enlarge it}
My Brianna Faith...
6~27~08
Brianna has been very busy lately. She is working as a camp counselor/interpreter for 3 different weeks of camp at Parkwood church. This week was just great! It has been an eventful week for this kids. Brent, Lidia & Ben all went as campers, along with Bri. Camp is all day, and they've gone bowling, swimming, to the park, a fancy Japanese restaurant, the movies, McDonald's, and more...even a trip to Old Salem. Ben has loved every bit of it. This week was mostly hearing kids, but there were a handful of deaf kids too. There are 3 interpreters, including Brianna. In July, there are 2 more weeks of camp at Parkwood, but these are for the deaf children. There will be some hearing siblings there too. Brianna will be responsible for certain groups and functions. This has been a great experience for her so far. Brent & Lidia will also attend the deaf camps.
Brianna also landed a 2nd job (at McDonald's). She just picked up her uniform yesterday. She'll still work 3 evenings a week for Nancy's chinese restaurant, and also work McD's a couple days a week. AND....she got her driver's license yesterday! She's so happy! I let her drive the kids to camp today. For now, we are letting her use Mike's blazer.
I'm really proud of her. She has a sensible & caring heart. She's part of our deaf bible study group on Wednesday nights...they were collecting goodies to take to a homeless shelter. Bri & Lidia stayed up until 1:00 in the morning one night. It had been a long day of camp, then work for Bri, but they stayed up late & baked a bunch of cookies & muffins to take in the next morning. Each & every goody they made had a note of encouragement on it. Lidia wrote some in Spanish with English translation. I was so impressed by their dedication and willingness to share about their joy for the Lord. Here are a couple pics!!!
Yes, we are home!! Been too busy to post :o)
Oh my, where do I begin?
First of all, Ben is doing great! Better than I ever imagined. He is a really nice kid. I believe that he has already bonded to everybody in this big family, and he has jumped right into every situation. He's very playful, funny & loves to joke around. Some of the highlights of the last 2 weeks have included; Ben getting to meet both sets of grandparents and some other extended family, swimming practically everyday at the beach here in our neighborhood, going to Lidia's 4th grade class with Ben, Brinley & Bayla to give a presentation on China (that was very special), Ben has pulled out 2 teeth (his own), he has been to the audiologist & ENT doctor, had all his titers done at the pediatrician (he was unphased by the blood draw), been going to Lidia's softball tournament games (Lidia's coach saw the longing in his eyes, and they included him in practice...man, for a boy that has never played baseball, can he ever hit a baseball!), and Ben was invited behind the counter at Nancy's Chinese restaurant and she put him to work! He was just dying to work, so she gave him some tasks which he did great at. He worked for about 1.5 hours and she gave him a little pay...he was thrilled. He wanted to do it everyday! We've also been very busy doing paperwork and footwork for Ben's admittance into school. He'll be in the deaf program here (still not sure what grade they will put him in), and he'll also receive ESL services. There is a LOT of red tape involved, but we are getting through it. Ben loves our dog Maggie (or any animal), he has learned how to swing on a swingset, ride a scooter, go 4-wheeling, throw a football & of course some baseball. He desires to do everything. Tomorrow Ben and I are going to spend the morning at school to visit the deaf class. They are actually moving the deaf program to a different elementary school than the one it's at now, and the main teacher is changing. But it will be nice to expose him to the program and to meet some kids who will be his classmates for this fall.
I have to share something funny. Okay, one day Ben came to me while I was on the phone with the school system to show me that he had a loose tooth. It didn't look especially loose. He came back to me 10 min later with the tooth in his hand. He proceeded to go downstairs to Mike's office and show him that he took his tooth out. Mike said after he showed him, Ben tossed his tooth in the grass! I told Lidia about it when she got home from school, and she said hers is in the grass too...telling me how she had shown Ben a tooth she recently had lost, and he took it and threw it in the grass. So I told Lidia maybe this is a cultural thing in China. Lidia then said, "well in Guatemala we throw the tooth on the roof and make a wish!" I got a kick out of that...we have so many funny moments at this house! He has proceeded to pull out another tooth...I showed him how to put it under his pillow, which really perplexed him, and I exchanged it for a dollar bill. He hasn't come to me to show me the dollar, so I don't know if he's found it yet in his bed. I guess we'll see!
I also would love to share a very sweet message from my mother-in-law. I am so touched that all of my children are so loved by all of their extended family.
Here is her message...
[[ We had a wonderful weekend in North Carolina with Mike and Lisa, and of
course, the kids. We had not spent much time with Brinley since she arrived
to the family last summer, so we wanted to share in all of the family times
along with the newest addition, Ben. Lisa, Brent and a friend, Susan, went
to China about 3 weeks ago and arrived back in the States a week ago. We
certainly did not know what to expect but I, personally, came away feeling
so great about the adoption of Ben. He is the happiest boy, a ready smile
from ear to ear and big dimples. Mike said he might be hesitant to give
hugs, so I shook his hand at first but could not keep from hugging him. He
responded well. I am sure he is getting used to hugs. He is tremendously
alert, bright, interested in everything that is going on around him. When
they got to Mike's home on that late evening, Mike said, Ben would not
sleep. He tried out everything that he saw, "flipping lights on and off,
the refrigerator, all appliances, toys, pictures, behind everything and
super aware of everything." Mike feels that he has an engineering mind and
I hope that they will keep that in their minds as they direct him toward a
future of his own. I brought him a book that one uses as a tool for
learning. With the felt pen in hand, he looked at every picture and the
dotted letters which help someone learn to spell, and with lightning speed
he tore through every word, writing it exactly and perfectly next to the
word. It seemed as if it took no skill at all. I had thought that Lisa
could use it to begin a home schooling until school was arranged for him.
He is WAY ahead of so many things. We spent some hours down at the "beach"
their local lake down the street. Ben had a life vest on and saw the others
using the "noodles" to float. After a long time he took a noodle, marched
around the dock then, with a guttural sound of announcement, he ran to the
edge of the dock and jumped in!!!!! We were all SURPRISED!! I doubt that
he had ever swum in his life, but he was not afraid.
Later he kept trying the Razor scooter and attempting to get balance in
order to ride it. This was in the street! Lisa and I stood nearby and
motioned to him to be very careful and aware of cars. He came down a long
driveway right into the street but began to be careful as well. He
surprised us by "signing" to us that he had just seen a rabbit in the trees.
In such a short time he has obviously come to love his new family and
especially Michael. He seems very taken with Mike and having his very own,
FATHER.
Cesar and I had to leave on Monday to get back to Tampa. We left sadly,
knowing that it would be some time before we could enjoy the family again.
I have begun to realize that being "deaf" is probably not so bad! Why??
Because one is not impaired by all of the sounds of this world, "computers,
TV, radios, stereos, IPods, cars, transportation, and a thousands other
things that vie for our time and effort!" Without sound, everything else is
amplified and perfected above what most people know. There is complete
"focus" on things that surround one. Ben can learn so fast and seemingly so
easily. He watched Lidia's softball game, borrowed a bat and ball and
attempted to hit the ball on his own. This is a child who is focused on
life and is enjoying every minute! It was a JOY to be a part of this
amazing weekend.
Please pray for Mike and Lisa as they guide all of their children.
Thanks for your interest and your prayers. Love, Jocelyn ]]
Well...that's all for now
Here are some pictures...
This is a gorgeous oil painting that I brought home from Guangzhou. I thought it was a beautiful mix of Lidia, Brinley & Bayla. It was painted by a Chinese man that goes by the name of "Ben".....meant to be!
The end of the trip going home sure was tiring...over 25 hours of travel !
Brinley & Bayla loved skinning the corn (is that called corn husking???)
Ben working at Nancy's restaurant ~ he LOVED it!
Pictures in our backyard with Grandma & Grandpa Jordan
Fun at the beach in our neighborhood
Ben loves to go to Lidia's games!
It's past midnight on Monday ...
Update for today...
May 13, 2008... Ben's official date of adoption
and just smiled ear to ear to see us and to hug on us. One of them even tried to give Susan some of her own candy...so sweet. Ben loved to show us around. The
orphanage director is amazing... nice, sweet, outgoing, and she gave a little ceremony for us and the other families that were adopting to show her thanks to us for
bringing China's children into our families. There were 7 families total at the ceremony and together we represented 4 different countries. It was very nice. The director adores Ben, and so does all the staff at the orphanage. They all stroke his face and hug him. Ben had no problem saying goodbye to everyone...he wasn't sad...he seems ready to move on to his new life. Ben is officially ours and he is really at ease. All of our adopted children have transitioned so wonderfully...we are really so blessed.
Today I met my new son...
and more girls asking Brent for a picture...
We are in Tianjin now...
Here in Beijing...
Well, 21 hours after we left our house, we were finally in Beijing. The airplane ride was smooth...just very long. The stretch from Dulles to Beijing is 13.5 hours and those last few hours are a doozy! We are at the Peace Novotel Hotel and it is very nice just like I had remembered from last year. The breakfast is good. Yesterday was our first day of sight-seeing. We went to the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tieneman Square, Altar to Heaven, we visited a silk factory, took the Hutong Tour, and then ended the night with an acrobatic show. The touring was really nice and we have our guide, Michelle all to ourselves since we are not in a travel group... but unfortunately, I had started to feel under the weather before leaving NC, and it turned into a sinus infection/fever/and overall achyness as if someone has beaten me up :o(
I haven't been sick in probably 2 years...what a bummer. I was really hurting during the sight-seeing and on top of that, the weather was actually quite cold, which we weren't expecting...and a little rainy toward the end. No sun to be found all day!
I began my antibiotics I had brought, and I'm taking drixoral and ibuprofin. Today we have woken up at 5:30a.m., which is better than yesterday when we kept waiting for morning to arrive by getting up at 12:00 a.m., then again at 3:00 a.m. I think our body clocks are getting more used to the time zone.
Today Michelle picks us up at 9:00 a.m. again and we go touring again... this time to the Great Wall, Summer Palace, and I'm not sure where else. The sun is shining today, so that is good :o)
Tomorrow we take an afternoon train to travel to Tianjin. It will take about 2 hours to get there and our new guide will be there to pick us up and take us to the Holiday Inn Tianjin. The next day is Monday, and it is the day we get Ben. I am really praying to feel all better by then so I can be a lot more "with it". Brent and Susan are doing great. We had a Chinese lunch yesterday and they both thoroughly enjoyed it.
I hope this posts okay because I cannot access my blog (it's blocked), so I am posting remotely. I'm attaching a few pictures, I hope they come through.
Signing off for now...
Lisa
