Last Days of Summer

Wrapping up the summer with a birthday and a trip to Galveston.  Looking forward to a great school year!

Welcome Eve

Eve made it safe and sound to Houston, Texas!  We already love this sweet girl like she is our own.  She is registered for school and settling in nicely.  Like every new situation there are adjustments to be made, but I have no doubt that she will flourish here and we will remain family after she returns home.  

Exchange Student

Today is an exciting day for our family.  We will go to the airport and pick up our CCI Greenheart exchange student.  She is a lovely girl from China.  Her name is Eve and she is 15 years old.  She will spend the school year here with us to practice her English and learn American culture.  

When we first adopted Mia, I thought since she was nine at the time that she would be able to keep her Mandarin language.  Especially since she attends Chinese school during the year.  However, this is not the case.  She doesn't want to speak her native language.  Perhaps it is too difficult to go back and forth in her head.  Especially since we do not speak Mandarin.  Maybe she thinks "what is the point of having to do extra work and effort."  So, how do you make an 11 year old understand the importance of one's own language and culture?  I will not give up and I know some day she will appreciate the prodding of her parents.  It is my prayer that having Eve here will give Mia the opportunity to keep her language and she will see that she can be a Chinese/American girl and have the beauty of both cultures in her life.  

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." 

Hebrews 13:2

  

My last post we were jumping into January and now we are here moving into August.  To say life has been a whirlwind would be an understatement.  It's like "Well it's been so long since I have had time to blog why start now."  The other day Mia wanted to see her blog.  I realized how long it had been and that I had to get back into the writing mode.  So here goes my attempt to get caught back up.  

Mia's 11th birthday has come and gone.  You can see from her pictures that she is truly our Princess.  I wouldn't recognize this as the same little girl we travelled to get one and half years ago.  She has truly blossomed.

Mia Joy 

11 Years Old

Princess Cake

The end of fourth grade came and Mia is probably the only child who was so sad to see summer come. She actually cried and has cried several times over the summer.  She will start a new school and has been having anxiety over another change and loss of friends and teachers.  This is a part of older child adoption that is painful.  She was taken away from her school, teachers and friends in China and now she feels the same pain.  But I know this trooper will adapt and make friends with no problem.  When you see Mia smile you can't help but smile back.


Below are a few pictures of Mia from summer camp at Lutherhill.    Other than not wanting Mom there as a sponsor she had a great time.  She didn't like the fact that the other campers didn't have their mom's there.  I have been a sponsor for our church youth group for several years now.  Guess it's about time to retire.  

Arts & Crafts

Mia and her sister

Fun on Jungle Joe

  

Jumping into January 2013

January started off with a week long trip to Florida.  We had a fantastic time visiting with family, seeing the ocean and spending a day at Magic Kingdom.  I put most of my updates on Facebook, but want to keep up with my blog too.  It's hard to get the pictures off the camera, onto the computer, posted on Facebook and downloaded to the blog.  Not to mention running the house and everything in between.  So if I'm a little behind in life....at the end of the day.....it's all good.  

     

Mia had a fantastic time at Disney.  She is not into riding the rides, so we mostly stood in line waiting to get autographs from the princesses. Here are a few of her favorites.

Mia's favorite princess is Snow White.  This is as close as we could get.

Jasmin, Aladin and Princess Mia!

Princess Tiana

Rapunzel

Cinderella 

Sleeping Beauty

Mia's favorite Disney Character by far is......Dopey she loves Dopey!

Dopey

The day wouldn't be complete without the castle lit up at night.  Pictures don't show the real beauty.  It was amazing.

Disney was magical and fun, but I truly believe Mia's fondest memories will be her first trip to see the ocean.  Nothing compares to God's creation of waves, sand and shells.  She has been looking forward to seeing the ocean since she first came to America.  We are looking forward to taking her again this summer when she can  swim and enjoy the water.  

It's amazing how much joy a child can bring to your life.  I have been told many times how much of a blessing we are to Mia, but in fact we are the ones who have been blessed beyond words.  Seeing life through her eyes and sharing in this adventure has been the greatest gift.  Thank you Lord!!

Mia Joy

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas my family and friends!  How fast the season comes and goes.  Time for another New Year to begin.  I'm not sure where 2012 went and 2013 is fast approaching.  So happy to have had four of our five children home for the holidays.  

Enjoying a Christmas Eve tradition of opening one present.  Of course it's pajama's picked out by mom.

Mia's first Christmas morning was fun.  The girls had to wake her up so she could enjoy what "Santa" left under the tree.

Later we went to Grammy's & Poppy's for Christmas Day.  We are so blessed to have such a big family to spend the holidays with.

But let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas.  The birth of our Savior.

Mild He lays His glory by,

Born that man no more may die.

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

~Wesley

May the new year bring you love, peace and blessings! 

Gotcha Day One Year Later

Gotcha Day Dec. 19th, 2011

First Touch

Mia Joy Qing Wilson

Years ago I opened a fortune cookie that read "Seek Joy".   Little did I know that my joy would come in the form of a precious nine year old from Hubei, China.  As I write this blog today I am on day five of the flu.  Mia is home sick too.  So is Baba.  Not how I envisioned the day.  However, her first words this morning were "Today is my Gotcha Day.  What we do today mama?"  Even as sick as she is she knows that today is special.  

Last week Mia was getting ready to go to the bus stop.  It was cold outside and we both had on our coats.  She looked at me and said "That is the coat you had on when you first touched me." I looked at her and said "That is the coat you had on that day too."  For a moment in time we were transported back to a memory  that cannot be described with words.   That is what is so special about adopting an older child.  I would have thought nothing about what we were wearing.  In fact, I was probably lost in the hustle and bustle of getting off to school.  But not Mia.  She sees life through different eyes and a completely different pace than I do.  That's what I love about her.  She keeps me grounded in the moment.

The year has not been without struggles.  We have had eye surgery and countless doctor visits.  Fortunately she has gained six pounds and has grown two inches. Amazing what love and proper nutrition can do.  Older children do come with personalities and traits already intact.  However, I can honestly say that it has truly been an easy year.  The only issue as a parent I have had to face is her independence.  Being an older child in an orphanage she had to fend for herself.  We struggle a bit when it comes to her independence.  She doesn't want my help most times and at first it hurt my feelings.  When we are at church or around friends she is very independent and likes to be around other people.  She has an infectious smile and has many friends of all ages.  I  have learned to let her go and realize this is just who she is.  Miss social butterfly who brings joy to many people.  

Looking forward to spending our first Christmas at home together as a family.  She knows it is Jesus' birthday and is excited that we get to spend it together.  Can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in the coming  year.  

"Joy is the direct result of having God's perspective

 on our daily lives and the effect of loving our Lord enough to obey His commands and trust His promises."

Bill Bright

Seek Joy!!