What We Have Been Up To - Fall 2015

Family of 5 = Busy-ness times 5!

We are loving every minute of it and would not have it any other way!

Pryce began Social classes this year.  Social is a formal dance club for 7th grade and up.  Pryce and his friends have a great group attending their class....

watching these two young men grow together makes my heart smile.  They have been inseparable since first grade and I love their friendship!

And Kayley.  Kayley is Pryce's partner for Social.  Kayley was a fellow kindergarten classmate of Pryce's and now they homeschool together.  So fun to have them together on the dance floor!

After six years of homeschooling everyone, Colin and MK went to school this year.  Colin is adjusting and has gone from "hating" it to "sort of liking it".....we are almost two months in and neither has come home crying and that, my friends, is great news!  Where I did know that it was time for Colin to branch out, MK was another story.  I felt as though she would be happy at school and benefit BUT it wasn't something that I could be certain of.....

and then I found this - her math exercises from school and she wrote "I love school"....this made my heart happy and was confirmation that school is a great fit for her! 

And then there are these two....Chloe and MK together = laughter.  They are hilarious together! We are so glad to have Chloe right down the street from our home.  The girls go to school together, bike together, have sleep overs....who knew that God would put this sweet family in our path and they would become our extended family! 

Maddox and her friend Brooklyn are inseparable.

They call each other "sister friends" and I love hearing those words!

Maddox will tell B, "My number is bigger than yours but you are bigger than me so we match!"  

They had their first sleepover and they were both so sweet and so tired when it was all said and done!

Oh Maryn.

Our lives changed for the better when we met you!

This little one is all four of her older siblings balled into one three year old body....

there is silliness, stubborness, sassiness, hilariousness, seriousness....

she is a ray of sunshine to my soul!  

She has begged to go to her "bal-yay" class like her sisters....

finally, I had a moment and was able to take her to try out a class....and she loved it!  She was so excited to be like her sisters and she could not wait to show them what she had learned! 

And there are these two girlies....Kendyl was a baby in Maryn's orphanage that we met while we were visiting....Kendyl is now home and thriving in her family's care.  She is Maddox's friend, Brooklyn's, sister.  It is surreal to hold a baby girl that you first saw in an orphanage crib clinging to life....she was so sad and so fragile....now, she is full of life and part of a forever family!  And the girls will grow together!

And Noah.

Oh, this boy!

We do miss him so!

He is in Shanghai awaiting medical care for his heart.  The plan is to perform surgery on his heart.  We pray this is the answer to his health being healed once and for all!  His story is AMAZING and we know that God has big things in store for his life!

One last jaunt to Seabrook Island was in order for our Labor Day weekend!  

Our kiddos wasted no time at all planning our days and putting in the lunch orders for the beach picnic that always occurs because no one is ready to call it a day or go in for a break!

This baby girl asks every day if we can go to the beach!  To think that just five months ago, we were having to literally peel her off of her brothers so that she would put her feet in the sand!  She has come a long way and is now another Drafts beach bum!

These three girls.  Where you see one, there is always another and where there are two, there are usually three.  MK is most always the leader and her two followers are never far behind.  

I pray their relationships thrive as they grow together.

Sisters by chance, friends by choice....this is a quote MK shared with me the other day.  

All six of my loves.  Football, sand and water, that is all we need.

Walking on water:)

More of following the leader....

Late one afternoon, the rain began to fall.  So, in order to entertain everyone, I suggested we play a family game.

Beanboozled.

Bleck.

Not sure why anyone even does this but nonetheless, we were equipped with a trashcan and some good tasting jelly beans to help us when we came upon "baby wipe" or "lawn clipping" jelly beans. 

Bleck.

And the beach is not the beach without a good bowl of ice cream!  Maryn eats hers best!

Labor Day was spent celebrating Jay-man turning 8.  Maryn loves time with Pop!

Jay-man was most impressed by his baseball cake and by the Nerf wars that took place for the better part of our stay.  All boy.

Gran and Pop wanted a "grans" picture....these two pics will forever be some of my favorites.

MK is not about attention.  And she shies away from most people, even my parents.  

My dad teases her and makes her laugh a lot.  He loves her deeply and just wants a good smile from her!  So he took this opportunity to sneak in a kiss.....she had no idea!

And then she did....and the whole room was full of laughter.  Even MK! 

Three baby girls.  Crazy how fast they are growing up!

And our whole handful....5 seems to be our magic number!

And this guy.  He supports us all, through the crazy and the crazier....we love you Ry!

The "Giraffes"

Our name is so simple.  Drafts.  However, when you say it, no one seems to get it.  They are always asking to please spell our name.  When picking up pictures one day, the lady looked and looked for my pictures and could not find them anywhere.  I noticed she was looking in the "G" folder and the problem was solved when I told her to look in the "D" folder - Drafts, not Giraffes.
When I was doing reading recovery with a student one day, I was wearing a giraffe pin.  The child said, "Hey, your pin is just like your name! Giraffe!"
And, our kiddos' friends.  "Mrs. Giraffes" and "Mr. Giraffes" are what we respond to.
So, it was only fitting that we take a pic under this lovely giraffe!

Noah's HOPE

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

 The moment when the picture of a child you have prayed for becomes a reality is always surreal.  Noah was so brave.  And so willing to go with us.  And so happy.  No tears.  No goodbyes to those who seemed familiar.  He acted as if he had known us for years and he never looked back.

 We all watched intently on the drive home wondering what he would do.  We were prepared for the seatbelt battle being that he had likely never been in a car much less buckled into a car.  We were prepared for car sickness - towels packed, bags ready, and change of clothes on hand.  Thankfully, none were needed.  We drove well into the wee hours of the morning, he slept on and off, played with a little fan on and off, and drank his beloved water on and off.  

I wondered what he could be thinking.  

He is only 6.

New country.  New language.  New smells.  New experiences.  

We arrived home and he excitedly unpacked his bag showing us all of the items inside.  And he checked out his room and a few toys.  

We said goodnight, tucked him in and asleep he went.  

 The next morning we all waited anxiously outside of his room for him to awake. 

Thankfully, he was all smiles and ready to take on the day when he awoke.  

He played and laughed and ate and immediately began to weasel his way into our hearts.

This was the beginning of his new life.

A life of hope and future.

 When we traveled to China last year to adopt Maryn, we met many families who were adopting the children they had hosted the previous summer.  This is where the seed was planted inside of me to host a child in our home.  We do feel like our family is full.  We have a whole hand of kiddos and we are navigating through teenager-hood and toddler-hood 24/7.  

But I do struggle with knowing that so many children wait.

Hosting allowed our family to do a "mission" trip of sorts together, in our own home, without traveling and within our financial means. 

And mission it was.  Our main goal for Noah was to find his forever family and to gain as much knowledge about his medical challenges for potential adoptive families.  This child's file was/is just that - a file with many words about a child who is much more precious than words can ever describe.  

 Fifteen years ago, while attending a Discovery Toys party, I met Connie and her baby girl, Abby.  We became fast friends and began a playgroup that included Abby and our son, Colin.  

On Colin's first birthday, we moved to Boston, MA.  

Not long after, baby Abby and her family moved away to SC - right to the town that I grew up in. 

Last summer, as God would orchestrate without us knowing, our family bumped into Connie.  We mentioned that we were in the process to adopt our Maryn and would be traveling very soon to bring her home.  Connie told me her dreams of adopting from China.  Their Abby was adopted domestically as an infant.  With Abby and their two bio boys support, they were praying about adopting once again. She felt a strong desire for China adoptions but also the domestic programs as well.  

That was that.  A conversation.  We became FB friends and life went on.

And then came this little guy! 

 I am pretty sure they were smitten at first sight - that first picture that I posted on FB.  

They met and the rest is history.  

The host program has changed this little guys life.

He came to us with one list of diagnoses and left with a new list.  Medically, he is fragile.

But, more importantly, he left us yesterday to go back to China with HOPE.  He has a family who adores him and will go to the ends of the earth to care for him.  

Our hearts hurt today that he is gone from our home.  Tears have been shed and our home is eerily quiet.  I would be lying if I said we have handled this all in stride.  Goodbyes are not my thing.  At all.  Even knowing that he will be home soon, even knowing that he has a family, even knowing he is loved by many....I am struggling today.  I miss him.  We all do.  

Our lives are once again changed by the needs of an innocent child.  We are humbled to have been allowed to be a part of his story.

Maryn Gentry is THREE!

Our "surprise" baby girl turned THREE years old on August 2, 2015.  

What a true blessing she is to all of us.

We celebrated her on her special day...

and we celebrated her during our mountain adventure....

and we celebrated her with friends....

because when you turn 3, it is all about the fanfare, not the gifts!

This little one has her brothers wrapped around her little finger....

and her smile, as well as her belly laugh, will brighten any room.

And those lips...those perfect little lips...

Celebrating the life of this little girl is a gift....

at the age of 3, her speech is exploding, she jumps in the pool and swims without floaties to the stairs, 

she counts to 20 - minus a number or 2 at times, she goes into her church classroom without any hesitations, she loves to ride her bike and does so at a fast rate of speed....

she is potty trained, her sweet tooth reigns, she has met all of her goals for early intervention, she is a bit spicy and a lot sweet, she can unbuckle her carseat - not necessarily a good thing, she will go to Mother's Day Out for the first time....

and she remains the child that keeps us on our toes.  Maybe it is just the age but I have a sneaking suspicion that she is going to always keep us on our toes....just last night I enjoyed 5 minutes peace while chatting with a neighbor and the girls played together upstairs....when all was said and done, Maryn came down with lipstick all over her face, hands, and clothes as well as mascara streaked across her forehead.....and lipstick all over our stairs....eeek.  But it is in these moments that I love this little girl to pieces....Happy Birthday baby girl!

Change is in the Air

Here's to the most handsome sophomore in town!  He embarked on his journey at 7:15am yesterday and had nothing but horrible things to say when he returned home at 3:00pm.  One of Colin's best qualities is his humor.  He is hilarious so even though he had unpleasant things to say, this mama was in stitches laughing about his description of his day. 

I do pray that he develops a more kindred heart towards school.  Having been homeschooled for the last six years, change is tough and, according to Colin, he is already deserving of a break:) Ha!

 This little Miss was all smiles prior to going to school as well as upon her return from school.  School just fits her.  MK was more than positive about her day and cannot wait to go back tomorrow!

 It was especially nice to have Chloe by her side for this new adventure!  Chloe was calm, cool and collected which made MK much more comfortable.  We are so excited to have Chloe and her family here with us!  We adore them and as they are setting out on a new adventure of their own, we are glad to get to spend this time with them!

 Ryan has always been MK's safe-hold so she was more than glad to have him by her side as she began her day.

 We began homeschooling many moons ago basically because I wanted to know what it was like.  The deal was that we would do it for as long as it was working for all involved.  Our first year, Colin was in 4th grade and Pryce was in 1st grade while MK was in a Mother's Day Out program.  These years are definitely some of my most treasured times with my children and I have been so thankful for every moment with them.  Last year was tough.  We had a high schooler, middle schooler, elementary schooler, preschooler and a baby - a newly adopted baby who desperately needed her moment with mommy.  More than anything, I value the time I have to spend with my children.  I found that being the mom and being the teacher was much more than my head could wrap itself around at one time.  Doing geometry while potty training is just CRazY!  So, we are trying something new this year.  C and MK are going to school.  Pryce will remain homeschooled.  Maddox will attend a local private, half-day kindergarten while Maryn will go to Mother's Day Out three days a week.  And our deal is that we will do it so long as it is working for all of us.  While we are not ready to fully call it quits to the idea of homeschooling, we are open to trying new things and seeing if it is a better fit for our family!   

 We are so thankful to have good options for schooling our children.  And we are especially thankful to have teachers who will love and guide our children during their time of learning at school!