Maryn's First Seabrook Island Adventure

So many things to celebrate this weekend.  Friday, October 3, was my birthday.  This time last year, we were early on in our wait to find our baby girl.  And I was turning 40 - gasp.  One year later, we are at the beach celebrating Miss Maryn, celebrating the fact that she is home, and, celebrating my young age of 41.  Not to mention, October 3 also marks three months home for our little one!  

 For several months now, I have mentioned a few times that I would love to rent bikes at Seabrook and bike all over the island as a family.  We arrived at the beach Thursday night and all five of my kiddos were giddy to find bikes waiting on us at our house!  In true Maddox fashion, she jumped out of the car and quickly proclaimed she was going to ride on the back of a bike driven by her daddy and she was going to pretend she was on a motorcycle!  

 With all of us on the appropriate bikes and helmets in tact, we took off on our first bike outing to North Beach.  I decided mid-trip that maybe this biking adventure should have occurred after a few trips to the gym to get into shape - my 41 years are showing, not to mention I was toting an additional 30lbs:0.  

We arrived at the beach, and we promptly took Maryn's shoes off to put her toes in the sand.  Her reaction was much like I thought it would be - NO WAY was she putting her feet down into the soft, scratchy sand.  She had the same reaction to grass when we first arrived home.  

 We went to plan B and strapped her shoes back on and off.she.went.

 The bigs were so excited to show her everything from the sand to the sand dollars to the jelly fish to the horseshoe crabs....

 and, of course, the water.  We all knew she would love the water!

 In no time, she took off her shoes and cautiously stood at the tip of the shore, feet waving in the air.  

 And as soon as she decided maybe the wet sand wasn't so bad on her feet, she promptly knelt down to get her fingers wet - she was mesmerized.

 And then she was introduced to sea creatures....she even held a conch shell with a baby crab inside.  

 Meanwhile, the bigs were taking it all in. 

 P is our happy-go-lucky kiddo - he just loves everything in the moment whether it is playing his favorite sport or spending time walking on the beach with his family.  

 C - well, he was not in the mood for pictures and protested against a face shot.  However, I snapped it just to document that I did try to get a picture of his perfect 14 year old face.  

 MK and her baby conch shell.  She was searching and searching for one without a crab so she could take it home and share with her friends.  

 And back to this little one....watching her all morning was delightful.  Her expressions as she tromped through the water went from happy....

 to insulted when she fell....

 and then back to happy!

What a joy it was to spend the day watching this sweet girl take in her first day at the beach!

Sky Top Apple Orchard 2014

With our wagon packed and our camera in tow, we headed out into the fields to find the largest, roundest apples available.....

these tough guys spent their time exploring among the orchard - they may have been found climbing a tree or getting lost in the bamboo forest....as usual, whatever they were up to was full of fun!

Meanwhile, our big girls - friend SK and MK - spent a moment in the fields making bracelets out of wildflowers....

our littlest ones share a few of their apples....

and they humored us with a posed wagon pic :)

Our friend, Andi-Grace, has been home since February with her family!  We love that our families have connected and we treasure the time that we get to spend with them!

Maddox says, "Look mom, no hands!"  Never.a.dull.moment.

Little Maryn was taken with the challenge of eating her very own apple....

Maddox enjoyed this challenge too, with a bit of help from her mom!

We found a shaded spot and let the girls just hang out while the boys found a great spot for football!

A great day of fun picking our favorite fruit!

Until next season.....

The Fashion Show

Six months ago, we packed everything we owned into boxes and moved it all into storage while our new home was being built.  Slowly, we are now unpacking said boxes and enjoying seeing the things that we have done without for six months.  For the girls, it has been like Christmas!

Last weekend I found the dress-up trunk and the girls immediately began begging to play with the clothing.  Of course, I said sure!  So off they went....

and then they would return with a new pose as well as new clothing to show off!

It became a production and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the girls plan their next costume and declare their talant

They posed every pose one can think of....

and they giggled....

they had their individual dressing rooms....

of course, the best part for me was watching them together, loving each other so easily and freely....

it's these moments that I live for....

it's in these moments that I know they are making lifelong memories!

"A sister is a forever friend" - author unknown

3 Months of Forever

Maryn Gentry, I want you to know how much we love watching you grow.  Three months of forever looks good on you!  

 You are a mover and a shaker.  Three months ago, we took you in our arms and whisked you into the bright sunshine for the very first time in your life.  23 months old, and you had never been outside.  Now, you are so terribly sad when you have to come inside after playing outside. The grass was not something you enjoyed at first.  Yet, today, you walk freely on the grass with or without shoes!  Over the weekend I took you out into the drizzling rain.  You held out your hands as if you were trying to catch the raindrops and you "ooohhhed" and "ahhhed" and giggled as it fell into your palms.  It occurred to me that this was the first time you had experienced rainfall.

 You are so sweet!  You love to hug on your babies.  You give kisses freely to us.  You say all of our names.  Today I called, "Colin....Colin...." and your sweet voice echoed mine saying, "Col-win....Col-win...."  We are all smitten with your sweetness and take every opportunity to hug you tight!

 Last week we decided the time had come for you to transition into going to bed by yourself.  You are quite pitiful during this task.  You scream. Your lungs serve you well.  Your siblings cave.  Specifically, Maddox.  

Maddox cannot take it - hearing you cry makes her so sad.  So, she decided last week to sneak into your room and have a tea party with you.  This made you so very happy!  

And then there was yesterday.  Yesterday you cried and cried.  I walked in your room to assure you that you were ok and that made you even more mad.  I sighed and went downstairs to read with MK.  It's what we do each day - you nap, Maddox looks at books on her bead, and I read with MK after lunch.  Yesterday was different.  Thirty minutes later, I climbed the stairs to Maddox's room to get her for speech.  I was surprised she was not on her bed.  And she wasn't on the floor.  In fact, as it turns out, she wasn't even in her room!  She was with you.  Asleep.  In your room, on your bed, with you all curled up on top of her sound asleep as well!  

 The past two Sundays you have been going to the church nursery for the first hour.  You are not so sure about this arrangement but you tolerate it with snacks and rides in the stroller up and down the hallway.  You are adjusting and we are so thankful for the kind hearts that care for you during this hour.  They are the same sweet group of people who cared for Maddox when she was adjusting and we have faith that you will do just fine!

You are growing, Maryn.  In fact, your Aunt Nellie (Kellie) noted how you had grown since she saw you just a few weeks ago.  Your recent check-up noted that you have grown 3 inches and gained 2 lbs!  Amazing.  You are funny about food.  We have found that you will eat something for a day or two and then not want anything to do with it again.  You came to us eating bananas and broccoli - now, you won't touch either!  You do love to feed yourself and you like this activity no matter how messy you may become.  And you love your chocolate milk.  And ice cream:)

We love you to pieces, Maryn, and we are so thankful for the light that you have brought into our family!  

Happy 80 years young to these two!  

We enjoyed a fun-filled evening with Ryan's siblings and their children celebrating G-Mom and G-Dad's 80th birthdays! 

This little one weathered a HOT day at her brother's baseball practice - the glasses were a big help!

Though we live in Georgia, none of us pull for the Bulldogs....so, on this day, the girls donned themselves in full-blown Gamecock attire and supported our number one team!

Ms. Carol came for a visit to bring some special bows for our precious Maryn!  Of course, the big sisters were all about "sharing" said bows.  We have known Carol and her family since Colin was born 14 1/2 years ago!  We are so thankful for her and her guidance through the years as well as the many bows and hair accessories she has provided for our girls!  

Look who found her Barbie jeep and is on the road again!  Maryn wasn't totally sold on the idea but she held on tight as Maddox whipped the jeep around our backyard....Maddox was yelling, "Maryn, HOLD ON!"

That is right, Maryn, hold on....one never knows what our little Maddox is going to do next!

Why?

Why?  

Family asks.  Friends ask.  Acquaintances ask.  Strangers asks.

Look into the eyes of this child.

An orphan.  Lost.  

And then look into the eyes of this child.

A loved, treasured, baby girl.

We visited Maryn's orphanage just four days after she was placed into our arms.  I held Maryn close to me during the visit.  Her reactions were blank.  She definitely didn't smile at the caregivers.  She didn't cry either.  She was really unmoved by the experience.  As we were leaving, though, that changed.  We were invited to go and see the playroom she spent time in each day.  We walked into the room and I placed Maryn on the floor.  My thought was that she would run free, play with familiar toys and I was hoping to see a smile that wasn't forced.  In the four days she had been with us, we had not really seen her walk from one place to another and play with toys.  We tried to get her to walk across the room and interact but she enjoyed sitting and playing with a few toys in once place.  Her smiles were few and far between.  She did not smile without a lot of effort on our part and hers as well - it wasn't her norm.  She didn't really cry either unless Ryan came too close or I left the room.  I placed Maryn in the middle of the room thinking she would walk over to a favorite toy and begin to play.  After all, this room was what was familiar.  The smell was familiar.  The people were familiar.  

She stood still.

No tears.

No smile.

She had a blank stare.  

The nanny came in, her nanny, the one who had been with her on Gotcha Day.  The nanny was animated and looked genuinely happy to see Maryn.  

Maryn just stared at her as if she was searching for an answer.

No tears.

No smile.

She was empty.

The change is profound.  If you have met Maryn during our months at home, then you are well aware that this child is not the same child we met in China.  Maryn smiles easily.  She laughs.  She runs.  She giggles.  She kisses.  She hugs.  She plays freely.  She is so happy.  She is loved and adored!

For the family members who ask "why," I pray they see the answer in her sweet face.  

For the friends who ask "why," I pray they are touched by her story.

For the acquaintances who ask "why," I pray they seek to learn more about adoption.

For the strangers who ask "why," well, my cynical answer to them is "Why NOT?"