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!