Jon Likes to Eat Drumsticks Upside-Down!

Jon is doing amazing. He is saying more words like the sounds of animals and he can also point to his nose. Jon is eating well. He is still doing amazing at nap and bedtime. We are so blessed. Jon does not have tantrums anymore. He is a such a joy to be around.

Potty-training update on Nate. We thought we were getting a bike today, but Nate had another accident. Nate was disappointed, but doesn't seem too affected. Nate and Jon are getting along great. They both love each other and Jon wants to do whatever Nate wants to do.

Dottie is a blessing to have. She is such a helper.

Eddie made his hockey team - the Green Bay Gamblers. He is great with Jon and loves to make him laugh.

Marie94

Here is the verse of the day. Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Jon Is Doing Great!

Jon is sweet and adorable. He is getting along with everybody and laughs and giggle alot. He really likes Mrs. Mary our babysitter too. At nap and bedtime he does not cry when put to sleep which is a huge blessing. He is does not know many English words words, but does know mama, dada, and bye-bye. But Jon understands alot of what we say. Jon also understands when we say "kiss", he will smile and lean his head down so we can kiss his forehead. So cute! Also, when my mom says go get your shoes on, he knows to run to the door. He will also say "ba" sometimes, which means hug in Chinese, which is also so cute! He laughs when my mom says it, though, because she says it different than him. He is wonderful to be around and is such a blessing. God is so great!
About everyone else. Dottie is an amazing big sister - not even a little jealousy. She loves Jon and is always sweet to him. She just got a new bike last night and screamed 'whoo hoo' about five times on our bike ride - very cute. She also just finished her last day of school yesterday. She was in the school play and was very cute as always.
Eddie has hockey tryouts this weekend. He is looking forward to that being over. He and Jon are buddies. Eddie is a great playmate with the little kids.
Nate is adjusting to not being the baby - not always easy when you have been everyones center of attention for 18 months. He is doing ok though. He is hoping to get a new blue bike - contingent on his potty training. At this point we don't feel like the cost of the bike needs to be put in the budget - a hint that things could be going better with the potty training.
And me - I am just finishing my school year. I am looking forward to a fun summer.

Here is the verse of the day. Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

I will keep you posted on what is going on here.
Have a great weekend,
Marie94

Pictures From Home and Family Picture

Making Progress Each Day

Jon is getting better. He has about 1-2 tantrums per day compared to about 7. When he does have tantrums they are less than five minutes compared to a half hour! He is much more enjoyable to be around. His personality is starting to come out more and he is very funny and cute. Jon also learned to eat with a fork. That may not seem like a big step, but it is because we used to have to feed him and now he wants to do it.

My mom said something that I totally agree with. She said that with Jon learning how to use a fork and shortened tantrums, it makes us thankful in the little things. This keeps us close to God, in turn, because we keep thanking and praising him for everything. It is very good.

Here is the verse of the day. Psalms 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what He has done.

We are Home!!!

Hi,
The flight was ok except Jon was really bad for the first seven hours. The last seven he was good though. The flight seemed to go pretty fast. The whole trip seems like a dream. Everyone was so glad to be back together and I didn't realize how much I actually missed everyone until we met up. I am very tired and only slept about 5 hours last night.
Jon is adjusting well. He likes everybody. He lets me hold him too which he didn't do in China.
Jon was screaming when my mom put him down for nap and he finally stopped.
He is also warming up to the carseat and the highchair. He whines a little when we first put him in, but as soon as he sees the food, everything is good.
Jon still has his tantrums, but they are alot shorter and less frequent.
Here is a scary story that I just remembered. This morning, my mom heard Jon in his bed. She let him be because she figured he was ok. But then around 5:15 a.m. we heard a "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!". I didn't know what it was because I was still iny bed. So, my mom told my dad to go check it out and my dad saw Jon laying at the bottom of the steps. Jon climbed out of his bed and tried to come down the stairs (hard wooden stairs). We don't even let Nate walk down the steps by himself. It was was a miracle that Jon was alright and didn't even cry. In China Jon never even stood up in his crib so we never worried about him climbing out. I told my mom later that morning that I was amazed we didn't have to bring him to the hospital. :O So, that was enough adventure for one day.
My mom and I are so glad to be home and to be in our normal routine. I am actually excited to get back to school, church, and the other stuff we do.

Happy to be home,
Marie94

Possibly the Last Post :(

It is a sad day, but happy as well that this could possibly be the last post ever. Happy because we will be on our way tomorrow! The reason is because the internet service lasts until 3 p.m. today. It may not be the last post, though, because we have to go to Hong Kong in order to fly to Chicago and the internet service may be free. So, I just wanted to say goodbye and thank you for your support and prayers.
The plan tomorrow is we have to take a bus to Hong Kong. The drive is 3.5 hours and we have to carry the luggage on the bus. Should be fun. :) Then we will stay in the airport hotel overnight and go to the airport the next morning. Our flight leaves at 12:45 p.m. and is 14 hours. So, we will land in Chicago at about 2 p.m. the same day. The flight to China did not seem long, so we are praying that this flight won't and that Jon will be good.
It will be sad because we will have to part from the families, but we hope to visit them later in life.
Here is the verse of the day. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
I apologize, but I don't have any pictures because it still early.

Have a great day,
Marie94

Happy Mother's Day!

Today, we went to a temple and the artwork was very intricate and precise. There was also an embroidery room, where, sadly, you couldn't take any pictures, but it was very amazing. As my mom, grandma, and I were walking out of the temple, we saw these mice in a small cage. The man with the mice also had an outlet with what looked like a deodorizer but actually shocked the mice. We watched it and when he would do it, the mice would scatter and run wildly throughout the cage. He said that if you did it enough times, it would eventually kill the mice to get rid of them in your house.
After the temple, we went to the tea shop. There were some really cool tea pots. We also got to try some tea. There, I realized, I am NOT a tea person. All of the ones we tried seemed so bitter and bland. But, we think Jon likes tea. We learned that tea has caffiene! GREAT! Looks like we'll be having an all-nighter tonight!
Today, my mom and I went for a walk while Jon was napping. We went to lunch at the hotel restuarant and it was so good. Partly because we were both so hungry. We also walked past this Chinese restaurant where they sold anything from turtles to rattlesnakes. As I walked by, I got major heebee-jeebees! I have pictures for you.
Today, so far, Jon has only had one meltdown, so we are doing well. He is also getting better at changing time.
Here is the verse of the day. Psalm 97:11-12, Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

Posing with the statues.

A man literally hand-painting a piece of art.

Intricate and precise work of part of the temple.

Mom putting sunscreen on Jon

Snake is on the menu at this restaurant

Does shark sound good?

The food was placed near the sidewalk, so when you want to go in, you just pick what you want.

The eel looked the least appetizing to me.

Marie94

Funny Things to Share

I have some hilarious news, but first, we went to a Japanese restaurant. It was the kind where they cook the food in front of you. I had fried rice and ate the whole bowl. It was very yummy. Now about the funny stories. When we were walking out of the restaurant toward the elevators, we saw a guard picking his nose! He was standing up straight and at attention for his job. First, he put one finger in and then switched. We were laughing the whole way up to our room. Our new nickname for him is "Booger Boy". He was a Chinese guard about 40 years old.
Also, my grandma was picking up some baby snacks from the floor, she pulled a muscle. When she walking after that, she looked as if she needed a cane. Very funny. She's ok now.
Here is the verse of the day. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9.
Have a great weekend,
Marie94

We are in Guangzhou!

Sorry that I didn't post last night, but I had started and then forgot to finish. So, what happened today was that we went to the Physical Examination office so the doctors could make sure that Jon is healthy. He had to get a shot and we think that he has gotten a shot before so he really screamed.
Right now my mom has a meeting in our guide's room and Jon is not having a tantrum since she is gone. But the trick is, you have to distract Jon.
Our group went shopping today. We got Jon a toy today and he likes it alot. He is playing with it right now. It was kind of annoying though, because the clerks didn't understand what we were saying when we wanted to get this one "Dancing Car". So, we just left.
At the store and on the bus to the store, my stomach ached. As we got in the store, I started feeling worse and worse. Eventually, I felt like I was going to faint and my stomach really hurt. I was sweating too. So, we quickly got what we needed and headed to the bus so I wouldn't totally fall over. On the bus, my mom, grandma, and I all realaized that I had low blood sugar. I was given some cookies and apple juice and felt better almost immediately. It was weird, because I have gotten that only one other time. We were all assuming that it was from different foods and possibly lack of water. It was awful.
It is nice to be back with families. Because, in Hefei we were obviously by ourselves so we couldn't relate to any of the families. But, here, we can. For example, one family's baby has tantrums like Jon and they say to leave him be. Another family's baby doesn't want to be held. It is nice to be able to talk to people about our problems.
Here is the verse of the day. He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Proverbs 10:17

A dog that we saw at the park.
On the bus, to the Physical Examination Office.
Santa pictures that were hung on the wall at the Phys. Examination Office
Getting ready to be checked
Extreme close-up

Another Traffic Story

So, today we were going for a walk, and as I have told you before, the traffic is very bad. Anyways, we were walking across one of the streets and went right behind a car that wasn't supposed to be going. It stopped because a biker was in front of the car and it almost hit us. But, the car hit the biker and the bike wouldn't start after that. I pulled my mom back who was holding Jon and yelled, "Mom, go, go, go! If I was a cat, I would have about 6 lives left with as many encounters with death as I have had. As the man in the movie last night put, "I wanna meet Jesus, but I don't want to meet Him tonight!" So, that was our adventure for the day. Hope you enjoyed the story.

Marie94

Visit to the Museum and Orphanage

At 9:00 this morning, we went to the outside of Jon's orphanage and we got the director of the orphanage to take pictures of the inside for us. They are good pictures. We also went to a museum about Chinese artifacts and houses. That was good as well.
Jon still loves mom to hold him and he whines at the littlest things when he doesn't get something he wants and it starts to get annoying. But, we can't give into everything because that will make him spoiled.
Here is a joke our guide told us. There were newlyweds and they were getting in an arguement. The wife was very stubborn, so the husband saw a group of donkeys and asked her, "Are those your relatives?". And she said, " Yes, by marriage." I thought that was very funny.
Here are the verses of the day. 1 Corinthians 13. Here is a piece of it: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I also want to thank you guys for all your comments of support and encouragement. You are awesome! I am glad everybody likes the blog so much.
Tomorrow is the day that we go to our last city, Guangzhou. Our flight is at 2:00 p.m. Please pray for us that the whole thing goes smoothly.

Thank you,
Marie94

The park that the kids in Jon's orphanage used to play at.

The door to where Jon stayed.

The different rooms of the orphanage

Jon's friend

One of Jon's nannies and the room that he slept in.

Jon showing off his cute little teeth.

More News

Today, we went for a walk and there are no stop signs or lane lines, and it is so chaotic. So, we had to cross one of these roads. It was windy and Jon's hat flew off his head into the middle of road. My mom yelled,"His hat, his hat!". I instinctively ran into the middle of road not looking at the cars and I have to say it was a miracle no cars were coming either way! I felt very blessed and somewhat frightened,"
Jon also took his first tub and he was sobbing the whole time. But, it was much better than Dottie, because she was practically screaming bloody murder and my family was crying too.
Also, my mom wanted me to let you all know that we are not allowed in the orphanage because of the H1N1 (swine flu), but we are allowed at the outside of the gates to take pictures.
Here is the verse of the day. Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

Marie94

Jon Improving

Today was cool, because we went to the memorial of this Qing (pronounced Ching) dynasty man, Lord Bao. There were many interesting things about him. Also, they wear the most intricate and absolutely beautiful clothes. Something a little gross, though, is that they use different swords to behead the people depending on what class they are in. The lion is for those who are royalty, the tiger is for those in government, and the dog is for common people.
As you can see from the title, Jon is getting better in that his cough is improving and he is starting to eat a little more, which is great. Also, he kissed my mom on the cheek and said "bao" (which means hug) and hugged my mom. That is a big step in attachment, because it is very common for adopted children to not be able to attach to their parents so soon. Thank you all so much for continuing to pray for us.
Jon is so cute and very ticklish.
It was funny because when we went to visit the memorial, he would put his arms out to our guide and when she would reach for him, he would pull away. Very cute!!
What we have learned over the past 2 days is that he doesn't like to be in the sun at all, because when we go outside, he starts to cry. It seems obvious now, but since we are used to the sun we never thought of it.
Also, the reason he doesn't like the stroller is because in the orphanage, he was either held or he walked, so he is not used to it and therefore scared.
Here is the verse of the day.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. - Deuteronomy 7:9

My mom, Jon, our guide, and I taking a picture on what are called the Beauty Seats".
Jon getting tickled.
We have to put sunscreen on Jon, because he is so sensitive to the sunlight, but he doesn't like it much.
The black object in the center of the picture is where Lord Bao was commemerated by putting incense in it.
Jon is all smiles in this picture!

Min tian jian, (See you tomorrow in Chinese!)
Marie94w

Adoption Finalized

Today was busy. We went to the Civil Affairs and the adoption paperwork is DONE and the adoption is finalized! Jon has been great except for the fact that he HATES his stroller and doesn't like to get undressed. He was also very restless at dinner. So please pray for us that all these things will come together.
Also, sorry that my post yesterday was so lame; I was just very tired and could barely keep my eyes open.
Here is the verse of the day. Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. (NIV)

Having fun with lou lou (grandma)
Ever heard the joke about the monkey and the mailman? This is how funny it is.
He loves to be thrown up in the air.
Ooh, ooh, I know the answer. It is that my hat is soo cute!

Have a great week,
Marie94