Christmas Eve began with the decorating of our gingerbread house....not sure if they decorated as much as they ate. Following our decorating fiesta, the children and I parted ways from Ryan. This is our tradition, just me and the children. We normally find ourselves amongst the frenzied shoppers of Target or the likes. And then it was off to a special lunch, just the four of us. Meanwhile, Ryan did his "work" at home.

During the early afternoon hours of Christmas Eve, we all dressed and prepared for church.

Gran and Pop met us at church. Following church we had friends over for our annual chilli dinner and reindeer food making party....always lots of fun and laughs.

When everyone had departed, the opening of one special gift began - the pjs. Gran and Pop always supply the holiday jammies for Christmas. Then the children made their way out to sprinkle reindeer food. MK wasn't so sure she wanted to share hers, she was more interested in whether or not she could eat some too!

It was getting late and all were anxious for an attempt to slumber so that Santa could make his way in. With Pryce nestled in beside Pop, the reading of Twas The Night Before Christmas and the Christmas Story began.

This is not even a posed pic. Both of them were out and neither even noticed that the books had been put away. Excitement did not get the best of P. However, our eldest struggled and struggled with going to sleep. He tossed and turned, we laid with him, we gave him Tylenol for fear Benadryl would do opposite effects, nothing worked....finally at 2:00ish AM he was at least drowsy so we all called it a night.

And then exactly 3 hours and 45 minutes later, with C being the first voice we heard, the sounds of laughter and joy and LOUD squealing rang in! This is our pic on the stairs, pre Santa.

And Pryce, even in the wee hours of the morning, was able to pull off a fantastic Happy Birthday Jesus performance with some squeaky choir members....

.....and then this happened - gifts, many desired gifts, were found....

and put to use.....

.....and we watched and marveled in their joy!

Holiday Quotes

10. "Since we are so ready for Christmas to be here, can we just celebrate a few days early?" Two reasons why we can't and did not. One, I explained that it was Jesus' birthday and the celebration was about HIM and not US and the gifts we were anticipating. Two, I was thoroughly enjoying the season, the parties, the movies, the downtime. Christmas takes so long to get here and then it is over way too fast.

9. "Ok, but I am not going to sit on his lap!" MK stated this one, imagine. MK has never been a fan of Santa. She says he has a funny beard and she doesn't know him so she isn't going to talk or sit with him. The children and I visited the mall one afternoon. The boys and I coerced her into sitting in Santa's chair, with them no doubt, and Santa came in behind them and took the cutest picture ever. Then she proceeded to tell him all about the scooter she was wishing for and how good she had been all year.

8. "I just added one clothing item to my list - SOCKS." Poor Colin. Really, poor boys. Socks do not seem to last long in our home.

7. "He is looking at me! Why he in my room?" This was not a statement, this was a squeal of horror that we had to work MK through. We have our elf, Matthew. Matthew is harmless but his little eyes do look a bit questionable and this tends to make MK a bit nervous at times, especially when Matthew perches himself on the bookshelf in her room.

6. "I have an idea. On Christmas morning, before we see what Santa brought to us, I want to play Happy Birthday to Jesus on the piano and we can all sing to Him." Loved this idea. Pryce has been taking piano lessons since September and he loves to play. Sure enough, Christmas morning came and at 6:00am, before walking into our living room, we all gathered around the piano to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

5. "I am so sad about baby Maddox cause she is not with us for Christmas." (MK) "I guess Maddox is celebrating right now." (P - prior to our Christmas Eve service, he knew Maddox was waking up in China on Christmas Day.) "I wonder if Maddox even knows it is Christmas." (C) Yes, our little one was on our minds no matter how many presents were received and how many family members surrounded us.

4. "Hey Pryce, what does that do?" Pryce says, "Don't worry dad, it is on my list and I will show you how it works on Christmas morning!" The confidence in Santa is heavy around our home....good thing he listens well and came through even on those last minute gifts. We have two children who had lists that stuck from the moment they were written. Our third child had three different lists and none of them contained the same items. Tricky.

3. "All I want for Christmas are my two tonsils." This was said by Colin to his doctor. Finally, Colin was deemed strep free after four rounds of antibiotics. YAY. The shocker came when the doctor announced that MK tested positive. No telling how long she has been walking around with strep. No fever. No complaining of a sore throat. No sleepless nights. Nothing. She was as happy as a lark. No clue. We go back this week for another swab to see if we are all clear.

2. "I love being out and about during the Christmas season. Everyone seems so happy and it makes me feel good." Tis true this year, we all enjoyed being out in the bustle of things. One of our favorite days was going to the mall. We do not frequent the mall so this particular day was a treat. The children enjoyed their first Auntie Anne's pretzel, we took a photo with Santa, we looked, we dreamed, we ran into our minister and his wife - a fun treat, and we just enjoyed our time together knowing that we were on no one's schedule but our own. It was nice.

1. "Just think, next year you will be a family of six!" Wow, there are days that I can't believe it is happening again, we are going to be parents one more time to a beautiful little girl in China. Most days it doesn't seem real. And then, I am reminded.

First Annual Christmas Decorating Party

We have thoroughly enjoyed all that this season has to offer. While remembering the reason for the season, we have tried to surround ourselves with family and friends to celebrate this special time of year. Yesterday we were fortunate enough to invite friends over to decorate cookies and cupcakes. A special bonus came when they all suggested we make it a lunch date complete with lasagna soup - if you have never had this, try it. It was a great time. After a fun filled day, the children each brought their sleeping bags down, cuddled up under the tree lights and we watched the movie Elf - very funny. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

The beginning.....everyone intent on decor.

The middle.....everyone forgetting the decor and moving on over to the taste test....

The end....can you even find the cookie?

The aftermath....this is the effect that sugar has on little ones!

So much fun, so thankful for our friends!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Another Approval

Today we received word that our I800 Provisional Approval was granted and the letter is in the mail - hurrah! Basically, we are one step closer to Maddox.
In other news, we enjoyed a fun filled weekend with our families. The children loved spending time with their grandparents, cousins and extended family. They are so proud of their new hoodies that they received as gifts and MK has been busying herself playing with her new dollhouse furniture! They mentioned tonight that they thought Christmas should come a night or two earlier this year - they are way excited!
In a strep update - I took all three children in, lined them up accordingly on the table and the doctor swabbed them, one by one, including me. 24 hours later I called in for results. "Mrs. Drafts, the good news is that you and the boys are negative! But the bad news is that MK is the only one who tested positive!" YIKES.

G - Gigs or Grams?

The boys are all about the latest electronics and their specifics. While P was eating a bowl of cereal, he was reading the nutritional values on the side. He looked at Ryan and said, "Hey Dad, Golden Grahams have 2 gigs of protein, that's pretty cool."

Today I had a re-do. In October, I was deemed mother of the year on the day that I forgot completely about MK's ballet party. Well, today, I not only remembered, I even took gifts and snacks! I think today was a prime example of how when one slows down, it is amazing what one is capable of remembering! This week has been slow. Both days you would have found us all donned in our pjs until after lunch, drinking hot tea and doing schoolwork. It has been WONDERFUL!

Back to the party....MK was so excited to be in attendance. She talked of her friends non-stop until we arrived at which point she promptly delievered her gifts and readied herself for the parent performance. I must say, I was quite proud of her. She continues to grow up.too.fast.

Jekyll Island 4H

One of the many advantages to homeschooling is that you can pick and choose field trips that you would like for your children to participate in. Our co-op planned a trip to Jekyll 4H. Hands-down, the best field trip ever. Well organized + great classes = happy children/parents.

Beach Ecology, even in December, is interesting....who knew what "sea pork" was before this class?? Not I, though we have seen it many, many times. And who knew the holes in some of the shells you find are supposed to be there???? I always thought it was a shell defect but apparently the holes are a means of the moon snail getting its nutrients.

Dock Study, the children were each given a net to fish with off of a dock. When they each had collected something in their net, we discussed what it was and its purpose. (It was COLD. We were on water with lots of WIND. Where was I? On our bus away from the cold talking to Ryan who was informing me that we had, indeed, received our LOA.)


Heading into the marsh....

The children got a kick out of painting their faces with the mud found in the marsh. Supposedly this is the type of mud used for facials.

Some parts of the marsh were muddy and wet. We each wore boots to avoid getting our feet wet. Colin told me when he put his boot on that he thought it had a hole in it. I told him he was fine, there was no hole and that his boot was just cold. When we entered the water portion of our marsh tour, he slowed down quite a bit, and complained again about his boot. We were with several other people, we couldn't turn back so I, being the way sympathetic person that I am, told him to basically suck it up - he was fine. Poor kid. We got back from our class, he took his boot off and promptly rang his sock out. His foot was soooo wet and even more cold.....I felt like mother of the year :)

Next up, shark dissection. EWWW. Pryce took one whiff of the shark and immediately made it known that he would not be participating in this class....he proceeded to sit at a table next to us and ask for updates. Colin, however, LOVED being allowed to cut and perform surgery on this little guy. The children got to remove the stomach which included a fish and a scallop. They removed his eye as well as his brain and heart.....it was truly a remarkable experience and one they will not forget soon.



We participated in a Herpetology Lab. Where Pryce was not interested in the shark dissection, he was more than excited about holding the various reptiles.

We toured a Maritime forest and it was beautiful.

Our kiddos. Once again, the relationships that our family has formed during our homeschooling adventures are irreplaceable. I am so thankful for this experience for all of us.

MK's thoughts on Christmas at the age of 3:

MK and I were spending some time together Saturday having our nails done and having lunch. On our way home, I decided to make a quick run into a store. While we were visiting, we saw Santa. A lady asked if MK would like to have her picture taken with him, you know, sit on his lap, share her desires for gifts, etc. MK quickly pulled back and said, "NO!" Ok, no picture. We walked away and I asked her why she was afraid of Santa. Her response, "Well, he has a funny beard, that's what!"

While MK was away visiting my parents, she helped them decorate their Christmas tree. She told them that they needed a star on top of their tree to remind them of Jesus. When she came home, she stated to us that we, too, needed a star on top of our tree to remind us of Jesus. We visited our friends and MK walked into their living room, looked up at their tree and said, "See Mom, they have a star on top of their tree. They will be thinking of Jesus but we won't because we don't have a star. I really, really want one!"

Christmas Tree Farm

The Christmas tree farm is a tradition for our family. We look forward to our visit every year. The tractor ride, the chill in the air, the happiness that surrounds us.....

the impending search for THE perfect tree,
the roaring sound of the saw,

the measuring how wide......

and the measuring of how tall.....

the snack selection......

and the games, can you find him????

Another MK statement

MK: "Daddy, Pop and Gran really want me to come back to their house."

Ryan: "Yeah?"

MK: "Yes, I'm in their heart."

MK stayed for three nights with my parents. She was so excited to visit them! Clearly they are still on her mind! She had a date to lunch with Pop and a "girl date" with Gran shopping. They baked cookies, visited the donut store and decorated the Christmas tree. We were so proud of her for being a big girl....she missed us but she was soooo big while she was away!

Letter Of Approval (LOA)

Tonight, after not seeing Ryan and MK for three days, the boys and I descended upon our home once again to be united with our family! We were all so excited to see each other. Hugs were in order, stories were told and there was a celebration to be had. MK said, "Well, our family is all together again but there is still something missing." I said, "What?" and, as if I didn't already know what she was going to say, she said, "We are missing baby Maddox and I am so sad about that." Well, MK, we are (FINALLY) one step closer!!!! Yep, we FINALLY, after exactly 70 days of waiting, received our LOA on Wednesday, December 1! We proudly present to you Maddox Ren Drafts, born 7-27-2009, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China.

From here, we are thinking (hoping) it will be around 3ish months until we travel!!! Yippee!

Happier Post

This year, my parents surprised the boys with an early Christmas gift and gave them the Polar Express themed train set. YAY! The boys were beyond excited! For years, they have received train cars from my dad at Christmas so they are over the moon knowing that they can now attach their cars to an engine. We had to set the train up immediately and unless the boys are doing schoolwork or we are not home, they are under the tree with the train! It whistles and puffs smoke and provides countless hours of entertainment. The boys have even come up with a scheduled time to trade out the cars for new ones so that each car gets to ride the track. Let the season begin!

Meanwhile, MK is away for her first multiple night sleepover at my parents house. We have never left her for more than one night since she has been home with us. She was excited, we could tell, because she kept asking, "Is today the day I go to Gran's house?" It was a bit sad to hear her on the phone though as she said, "Hey, I miss you momma. My tears are still hear cause you not with me." She quickly recovered and word has it she was allowed to stay awake to watch Rudolph! Who is she going to miss next week I wonder???? I am thinking it will be Gran after all of the extra attention that I am sure she is to be given during the next few days :)

Not A Happy Post

Tis the season to have strep throat, wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah! We are feeling like we are on the movie Groundhog Day and we keep reliving the same old stuff. Much to our dismay, C woke up feeling a bit "streppy" yesterday. Though his throat was not screaming "STREP" at me as it has in the past, I took him in just in case. Sure enough, he was positive. This makes our 4th episode, and our 4th antibiotic for this little guy in the past two months. And, as a precautionary measure, we are treating P as well. P has similar symptoms and is just plain tired all.the.time. He wasn't with us at the dr. so they did not swab his throat but it does seem likely that he is harboring strep as well. Please say a prayer for these two. They will do a re-check in two weeks and we will go from there as far as treatment. That, coupled with our agonizing wait for our next approval, LOA, well, we are not boding well in our home. So many have asked if the wait is hard. Yes. And I believe it is harder the second time around. With MK's adoption we didn't really know what we were waiting on and we didn't know how to track other families who were in the process at the same time with similar timeframes. This time, we know all of the above and it is heartbreaking for us when we hear that there are other families receiving their approvals when they were matched with a child AFTER we were and their paperwork was in China AFTER ours was. No good. MK said just last night, "I am so sad about baby Maddox cause she is not here with us!" So, we wait. Still. And our child waits. Still.

It seems every Thanksgiving in our family brings something new. This year we were able to be with Ryan's family for the better part of Thanksgiving day, eating dinner with them, playing games, and just visiting. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that Ryan's entire family, siblings and all, are together. Though our children are much younger than their cousins, they always love to feel older and be included with the "big kids" at G-Mom and G-Dad's house.

(This is what a child will do for money when prompted by an uncle.)
With our bellies full, we then set out for our second destination - a hotel in SC, in a small town where my parents both grew up and where my grandmother still lives. We checked-in and made a mad dash for the indoor pool. To our surprise, we walked into the pool area to find my great-aunt and three of my second cousins....this was only the beginning. I have a large family. Large. And they were all in this small town celebrating the traditional Thanksgiving that I grew up celebrating on the farm. This year, they all flooded the local hotels to stay an extra night to celebrate something huge - my grandmother's 90th birthday. However, before we could celebrate her birthday, we were to enjoy homemade french fries at the annual Thanksgiving night french fry gathering. I am not quite sure who came up with this tradition but it is sticking. The young, the old, and everyone in between gather together, make homemade fries, talk football, and eat until the heart can take no more. This year, during this time, I was introduced to a food item that I would not recommend - spicy ketchup. EWWWW.

My grandmother was one happy lady on Friday. She had her five children, 11 grandchildren (number 12 was working) and 14 great-grandchildren all in attendance for her birthday bash, not to mention her own sisters, nieces, nephews, their families, cousins - basically everyone you can think of in a family, they were there, all in one room, all smiles, all recollecting the good ole' days, all taking pictures of this occasion, all sharing in my grandmother's 90 years on this earth. It was a perfect end to a perfect Thanksgiving holiday. A perfect reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

When we were adopting/waiting for MK, her speech was my biggest concern. Now that she has been home for 2 1/2 years and speaks fairly well, I do not worry so much. In fact, I find myself being entertained by some of her words. For example, we just finished lunch. I told the children if they finished all of their milk, we would go get an Icee to kickoff the holiday weekend. MK was not too interested in her milk but she drank it. Then, she came in and said, "Mom, I drank my milk and now my 'tomach is hurting." Love the imperfect sound of "tomach" coming from her mouth....she is, quite often, irresistibly cute!

The Bell School

Last week we attended a one room school house and ventured back to the year of 1912,

back to a time when prayer was a way of beginning your day in school,

back to a time when quill pens and ink blotting pads were a means of communicating,

back into a time when children were encouraged to share their work daily with their peers.

The children enjoyed the classic spelling bee,

we learned what the Sears Roebuck catalogue was used for - do you know???

The boys participated in 1912 chores,

and then it was time to wash-up, complete with lye soap.

Lunch was served.

And recess was enjoyed!

A great day was had by all!