Catching UP!

Chapman

Home SIX months

Now 2 1/2 years old

I pinch myself daily when I think of her story and how she came to be ours!  She is everything sweet, sassy and preciousness all bundled up into one!

 Miss Maryn

Our ballet star

And she LOVES this lion, it is likely I have posted a pic of her with it before!

Every week she asks for a picture beside the lion as we walk into ballet

 

 Our seven year old diva

Maddox has been asked to be a part of a arts infusion charter school that will open in the Fall!

We are thrilled for this opportunity for her!

 Sweetness even in her sleep

She has started wanting to go to sleep in our bed - this from the child who screamed the very first night we had her in China because she wanted to be alone in her bed as she fell asleep.  Her growth physically AND, more importantly, emotionally has been an amazing thing to experience with her.

 It was a school holiday and these girls had gift cards to Build A Bear burning in their pockets!

 And in true Drafts fashion, after Build A Bear, we headed straight to Bruesters for a little ice cream treat.

 A certain little Drafts did not appreciate it when her ice cream was all gone!

 Four months ago, our Chapman had her spinal cord untethered.  We had a post-op visit with her neurosurgeon last week who said she looks great!  So thankful!  The most fabulous part of the visit was the fact that she did not cry one.single.tear.  I was amazed.  The fear that she once felt each time we entered a medical facility has now been replaced with a certain cautious approach vs. the screaming one she once felt was necessary for survival.

 Annie

It is my favorite

No way around it!

 I am pretty sure Maddox and I sang every word to every song together!

 Maryn Gentry

Oh, how I love her even when she makes poor choices...

 This little one felt it necessary to take a black Sharpie marker to just about everything in her sight.....a fan, her bed, her dresser, her bathroom counters.....all the way to include toys and an Aquaphor tube.  Being one of six, I am going with the assumption that she felt it necessary to label what was hers (26ish items to be exact!).  I am pretty sure this will be the story that one will hear many times over the years to come!

 Our baby boy turned SEVENTEEN

Baby Boy

Geez, who knew he would grow up so fast!

 This pic sums up my heart in a flash....my oldest and my youngest sharing joy together!  Chapman loves Colin to pieces!

 Oh Colin

You made me a Mama and who knew the journey we would go on together in life!  What a privilege it is to be your mother and have a front row seat in watching you grow into a young man!

Attachment

It is required with each adoption that the parents take ten hours on basically all things child psychology related to adoption.  Most studies focus on trauma and attachment/bonding.  As with most things in life, no reading or studying can ever take the place of an actual personal experience.  All four of our girls have come to us with very different initial reactions.  One came to us and was smiling within minutes though she would not allow me to hold her; the next two came to us screaming loudly, passed out cold and then awoke and grieved in their own special ways; Chapman was the quietest, most compliant one.  She walked out to meet us and never made a peep.

She looked around at the large room and she gazed everywhere but at us.  She was in awe of everything around her.  I picked her up and, though stiff as a board, she didn't whimper at all.  I took all kinds of candy and snacks as a peace offering to her....I offered her a lollipop which she took and never opened but gripped it as if it were going to save her life.   

I worried about this little one.  She didn't cry.  She didn't smile.  She was stoic.  I even asked the nannies if they had given her some medicine to calm her for traveling.  They denied giving her anything.  I thought to myself that we were going to have our hands full teaching her to attach.

Two days after meeting her, we traveled to her orphanage for a visit.  It was there that I witnessed one of the sweetest yet saddest moments of our time in China with Chapman.  It will forever be in my mind the pure joy that spread across Chapman's face the moment she spied her foster mother in the room with us.  For all of thirty minutes, Chapman was held by the foster mom and they were cheek-to-cheek almost the entire time.  The smiles were contagious.  Love was in the air and it was precious.  And then it had to end, it was time for us to leave and Chapman was not happy one bit.  She cried hard, the biggest tears and loudest screams we had heard since we met her.  And I quietly said to myself, "Thank you Jesus!  Thank you for this blessing and thank you, thank you that she has known love!"  

That day at the orphanage was life changing for Chapman.  I believe it was more significant to her than the day she met us.  She was in her element at the orphanage and the staff and nannies adored her.  She knew it too!  She knew how to work the room and she did so with a smile that never left her face.  And in one moment, that all came to a stop.  After kissing her little head, the foster mom handed me a screaming Chapman and made a break for it.  

And that was it.  

We walked away and never looked back.  

But there are those moments of wonder in my head.  I hurt to think of what she has been through.  Two years she spent in the care of others. 

I look at her in awe daily.  She is the sweetest, feistiest little thing!  And goodness we have all witnessed the temper - it is honestly hard not to laugh at her when she gets mad!  Looking beyond all of that, I see her braveness.  This little girl was speaking another language when we met her, she knew only the smells and sounds of an orphanage, she shared everything and owned nothing, nothing was hers and hers alone, not even the clothes on her back.  

We are just days away from celebrating six months with this little one.  Six months and she now will run to you and say, "Hug! Hug!"  What she is really wanting is for you to hold her.  She wants you in her eyesight if you are home with her.  She will not think of going to anyone who is not a member of our family.  She wakes early in the morning and calls for me, I get her and put her in bed with me (Ryan is usually gone by this time) and she cuddles right up, puts her thumb in her mouth and drifts back off to sleep.  She feels safe in our home.  She is learning to trust.  She is happy and has no problem letting us know if she is unhappy.  She knows she is loved and adored.  She knows she has an audience to encourage her every move.  

Yet, even with all of these things and the time that we have had together, there are the moments when she retreats back to our China Chapman, our Chapman who occasionally you can still find gazing in awe at what is around her.  Sometimes, she quiets and gently lays her little head on my shoulder for protection. Six months we have had the pleasure of loving this little girl.  We all don't remember a life without her.  She has wiggled herself right into our hearts and not a day goes by that we don't thank God for leading us to our precious baby girl! 

Snow Mountain...and a bit more!

Georgia doesn't see snow.

So, when you live in Georgia you must seek out the snow.

And since the weather is more spring-like this year, snow was hard to find in Georgia.

 But we did find it....

 and we were able to play for a bit in the white dust....

 bigs and littles, olds and youngs....

 and for two hours straight, we ran up and down and up and down the big hill to tube....

 memories were created....

 because, well, mom may overreact about a few things and scream a bit louder than others....

 but the littles kept it all in perspective and waved their hands in the air....

 the smiles were contagious...

 and there were moments that I just wanted time to stand still....

 there is absolutely nothing more breathtaking than seeing your children enjoy life in its simplest forms....

 we even got snowed on....

 and one of us thought that it felt so good so she stayed in the snowfall for a bit....

and then, just like that, our time was up!  Our snow day had ended and we were on our way home again with heads full of memories and looking forward to our next journey together!

 One Hundredth Day of School

It's a big deal, y'all!  And this girl was over the moon excited about the celebrations at school!

 These two

Sister Friends as they used to refer to themselves!

They are the best!

 Chinese New Year

 In the past we have done some huge celebrations with dances and lanterns....

 this year we took it to a whole different level....

we found a new Chinese restaurant for dinner with friends....

and then we all headed to Airstrike to jump the night away!

 Fun was had by all but the next day some of us needed a bit of a nap....

 Baseball season is in full swing...

Pryce and his two favorites spent a few weeks conditioning followed by a few days of tryouts....

and Pryce made the JV team!!!!  We are thrilled for him!  

 This little one is just too cute!  Seriously.

There is a just a sweetness about her and it is hard not to just want to scoop her up and smother her with kisses!! (And donuts make her happy!)

 Father-Daughter Dance

 A Daddy and His Girls

Five pieces of my heart.  

Love them.

 This girl left for the dance totally dressed in "todays" period...

 and then arrived home dressed in the 1920s attire!  

 Swimming in February with a sweet friend....it's just what the doctor ordered!

 Sometimes in life, we are gifted with friendships that come from the most unexpected places and happen at times when you least imagine.

And sometimes in life we sit back and say "thank you" for the blessings of sweet friends.

In early 2008, standing in line waiting to be fingerprinted once again for MK's adoption, we met a couple who was just beginning their adoption journey.  

Nine years later, here we are sitting by the pool catching up while our five daughters from China enjoy their time together!

 This little bit had a mind of her own at the pool....

 I naively thought she would just sit with me and happily watch the girls swim - after all, she hasn't been the least bit interested in the pool during her five months with us!

Well, thirty minutes into our swimming time, she proceeded to take off her clothes and let us know that she was ready to join the pool party!

 Sisters really are the best of friends....

 MK and her friends at the Daddy-Daughter Dance....I love the friendships she has made at school!

 Our family.

So thankful for our time together.

 This girl.

Maryn Gentry, she is full of life and has a mind all of her own!  

She is all about dressing up and the accessories she travels with to ballet will sometimes take your breath away! Ha.

 Sweet Chapman.

She is going to Mother's Day Out one day a week.  

She really isn't so sure this is in her best interest but she warms up to the idea after a few minutes and she settles in nicely!

 We are so thankful for this program and for the teachers that pour their hearts into our little girls each week!  

A month and a half into 2017 and I find myself wondering where the time has gone!  The older I get, the faster time flies.  And the faster time flies, the more I truly want it to just slow down.  It really is a constant struggle within me....finding time to "do it all"....the busy-ness of life sometimes overcomes me and I just want to run to the beach and take it all in as I watch my children enjoy their time by the ocean.  It's our happy place for sure.

We have started date nights with the children, one child each week (and Chapman of course!)....I want them each to know how much we adore them and value their place in our family.

We are making decisions that will take us into the next school year....some of those decisions come easier than others....

We are trying our best to provide guidance to our teens, making sure we are giving them the tools they will need to live their lives independently - again, I struggle with this and sometimes dread the change that will inevitably come with their growth.

Chapman continues to thrive.  To watch a child go from caretaker love to family love and be surrounded by her team of cheerleaders day in a day out....there is just nothing like it.  Nothing. 

Maryn is growing so fast too!  She is busy "reading" to us daily and rhyming words - really cute to see her little mind at work.  

Maddox Ren.....her teacher adores her....and her teacher was sure to tell me just how much the children adore her too!  She really is the sweetest kiddo - an old soul with a huge heart!

MK continues to be in her element....she is in chorus, art club, ballet, piano, and, she has been on the A Honor Roll all year!!  She loves school and all it has to offer!

Pryce is moving right along in his 8th grade year as a homeschooled student.  This will be his last year at home with me and as excited as I am for him to move on to high school, I do admit daily that I am not quite sure what I will do without him!  He is such a good helper to me each day!  

Colin....Colin got a JOB!  We are thrilled for him and pray that this opportunity will open doors for his future in college and his career path!  He continues to dual enroll at the local university....and the funniest thing to hear him talk about lately is his "fifth grade math class"....he is so funny to listen to.  

Ryan....dear Ryan.  Bless him.  He puts up with us all.  He is definitely our backbone.  He is the one we all go to when something is lost....he is the one we all go to for just about anything we can't figure out ourselves.  He is our glue and we are thankful for this guy.  

Six children is no joke.

I have definitely been humbled a bit.

I have learned that giving grace is something I should probably do more of.

The time in a day is never enough to meet the needs and desires of all.

Truthfully, it can be hard,

But, oh so worth every moment and I wouldn't have it any other way.

In the beginning I would kind of wince when I told people I had SIX children.

Now, I just laugh and smile because, honestly, my family, my SIX,  is everything I ever dreamed of and MORE.