Spring break day three and four

Since Mother Nature had other plans, we went with the flow.    The kids had been talking about "Ripley's Believe it or Not" since last year.   We all enjoyed some very interesting facts, photos and objects.   We even managed to get the kids to sit still long enough to get a photo of all of them at once!

We decided to stop for a quick cheap lunch at Wendy's.   We want the kids to be hungry for tonight's meal!

Next we thought we would try the Hollywood Wax Museum.   After King Kong had us in his grip we should have run the other way!  Not worth the time or the money.   We actually had to look at the names on the figures many times to see who it was...they were that bad!   We did pose with some of them, but it was a speedy trip through and then we heard a chorus of "Can we go swimming?" from the kids.

It was raining pretty hard after leaving the wax museum so back to the hotel and the kids swam until they were prune material.   The next outing was to Whipper Snappers  All you can eat Lobster and Crab buffet!  Sounds great...right?!   Well, not so much.   The lobster was whole and you had to tear it apart.   Parts of it wasn't as tasty as I remember lobster tasting.   I actually enjoyed the crab legs more than the lobster.  Now we can say we ate there, can't say I will ever go back.   Very expensive and really not any better than eating at Red Lobster...I would pick RL any day over WS!!   And unfortunately early the next am, I was bowing to the porcelin throne as something made my stomach very sick.

The kids finished the day in the pool again.   I think we would have saved a lot of money if we had just let them swim the whole time!

The next day it was rainy...I see a trend here!   We decided to go to the Talking Caverns.   The place is owned by Silver Dollar City who at one time added sounds and gaudy lights inside the cavern, but fortunately SDC realized that what they were doing was not well liked...in fact scared many people.   The Caverns are now being leased by an organization that cares about the ecosystem of the cavern.   It was wet outside and wet down inside the cavern.   The temperature outside was cooler than the cave so it was a warmer way to spend some time.   And we learned some interesting things to boot!   Chuck was our guide and a very good one he was!   We went 100 foot down inside the cave.  Then we had to climb back up 265 stairs!  Can you say workout?!  Mother Nature sure did a fantastic job in the cave!

We were going to see a movie, but timing is everything.   We had worked up an appetite in the cave, so it was time to recharge our bodies.   Timing again had us going back to the hotel to chill for a while before the next time for the movie to start.   A quick nap for Mark and I and the girls played with their dolls.   Then we took off to find the movie theater...without results.   So back to the hotel and the kids were more than ready to hit the pool again.

This morning we said our sad goodbyes and we all headed for home.   We knew that it was snowing our way.   It was lightly snowing in Branson before we left.   Oh well, there is always next year!!

Spring break day two

Woke up this morning to find the sun trying to shine.   It's surely not going to snow?!   However, by the early afternoon it had clouded over and the wind was blowing very hard.   North sky looked ominous with dark clouds and you could feel moisture in the air.

Mark and the girls ate the continental breakfast while I wrestled with a few more zzzz's.   Then we decided to go to WalMart and pick up a few things we needed to stock our fridge with and things that I had forgotten to pack.   Plus I thought it might be in our best interest to see if they had end of season hats and gloves.  They did!!   The girls were so lucky to find some really cute fuzzy hats.

We then headed down to the old Branson area to find something different for lunch.   We wound up at the Farmstead House and it was pretty good.  The girls also stopped and chatted with Branson Bill.   Then we wandered around in Dick's 5 and 10 for a while before heading out to the Tanger Outlet shops.   It was really starting to get cold by the time we were out there and we decided to come back to the hotel so the girls could go swimming.   It wasn't long after we were back at the hotel that the first flakes started coming down.   They really started adding up!

The girls have some new outfits from Justice and Mom and Dad's bank accounts are lower.   The girls were real excited.  Jordis, Tessa and Kendalan did a quick style review for me!   With the snow coming down heavily, our friends were taking it easy out on the freeway.   It looks like our trip to Silver Dollar City will be postponed until later on this season.  Good thing there are so many things to do inside here.

Our friends ran into the heavy snow and it slowed them way down on interstate.   We would rather they go slow instead of pushing too hard to get here.  Our plans are changing by the hour.   Looks like Silver Dollar City is out and in door things are in.   We will regroup in the morning to decide what we will be doing.   What ever it is, it will be fun!!

Spring break in Missouri

It's time for spring break!   We are spending four days in Branson, Missouri to meet up with our friends.   Lucy and Tessa are from the same orphanage and was adopted on the same day.   I had emailed with Lucy's Mom before we met up in China and then we met in China and we have been friends ever since!!   Branson is about half way for each of us to meet and there is so much to do here that the kids enjoy.

                      Jordis resting on the ride down.

However, someone forgot to tell Mother Nature to be nice!   Branson is supposed to have snow tomorrow and a 50% chance of more snow on Friday.   But on the upside, there are lots of things to do inside if Mother Nature does drop some flakes on our heads.   So let it snow!!

                                          Yummy....my liver and onions!!

We stopped and ate at Lambert's.  The girls loved catching the "Throwed rolls!"   Then on to Branson and to
our hotel the Hotel Grand Victorian.   Nice so far.   This is the first time we have stayed here.   Very clean and the hotel staff has been very nice.   The girls love the pool.   Zora and I wandered around the lobby tonight while the little girls were swimming.    They leave their Christmas tree up all year round and decorate it for the holiday.   Right now it is in it's Easter finest with Bunny's and eggs all over it.   Very pretty.   Tomorrow our friends will arrive...unless the snow stops them.    We plan on checking a few things out and I am sure that the girls will want to swim again!!

Spring musical

Kendalan's spring musical was this week.    She bugged asked me for several weeks "Mom, what am I going to wear for my program?"   She had a couple of dresses in my closet picked out and I kept putting her off saying "There is no need to get in a hurry."   So three days before the program I let her try on one of the dresses she wanted to wear and she thought it was perfect!   I did too...that is until I ran a few errands the day before the musical.   I saw a dress on a sale rack that was screaming Kendalan!!

I sure wish I knew how to make my girls be more outgoing and less self conscious.   They are real goof balls at our house and with people who know us, but put them on a stage and they are shy and quiet

She tried to hide behind her teacher as they filed into the gym.   Even though she was trying to hide, it actually made her stand out more!   Then she stood on the bleachers making faces.  Ugh!   I was so proud of her because this year she actually sang...and I could hear her!   Last year she stood there and lip synched.  Now if we could get over stage fright!

She was pretty cute...even if I do say so myself!!

  

CNY, snow and more!

Chinese New Year we headed into town and ate with our friends at a new restaurant there.    Great friends, food and our fortunes were good too!

This week the "Winter Storm of 2013" hit our area.   Officially we received 11 inches of snow.   The girls were excited because they had two days off from school.   Jordis, Tessa and Kendalan spent some time shoveling snow and sledding.   RaeAnne went to a friends house and was snowed in for a couple of days and ZoraLin spent most of her time either in bed sleeping or in front of the computer.   These were lazy days for the girls as Mom was at work.   The forecast is for at least 8 to 12 more inches of snow in the next two days.   Mom and Dad are hoping that the meteorologists are wrong, but the girls are voting for more snow days!

Today was Bubby day!  We celebrate the anniversary of when each child's adoption was completed.   So 20 years ago today Nicholas officially became a member of the family.   His choice for dinner was Mr. Stirfry.   We all left with very full tummys.

We are all missing a certain little girl here, but we are very excited that she is doing great at her new home.   She has seen a few doctors and most have been hopeful.   They have pointed our friends in the right directions for help.   She has started Kindergarten in her new town and is excited to be back in school.   The great thing is that we call several times a week to see how things are going.   

Braces

RaeAnne had her braces adjusted for the first time Monday.   The poor girl has been hurting ever since.   I have offered her Tylenol or Ibuprofen, but she is trying to be stoic and do without.   She came home from school today and was starving.   She said that nothing was soft enough to chew without it making her mouth throb.   I finally convinced her to take some Tylenol.

Tessa also saw the orthodontist Monday.   She will be getting expanders put in the end of February.  She will also probably have braces on her front two teeth to move those where they should be.   They think that she will have expanders on both top and bottom for 9 to 12 months.   She is one unhappy girl!!

Decisions

Things have continued to be tough around here.   It has been stressful on everyone...even the cats and dog have felt the stress.   Linzi can not seem to learn that the cats will bite and/or scratch when they are constantly being messed with.   Eegan has claws and he will not only use those, he will bite.   Linzi has scratches on her face, hands and stomach.   Yet she just can't stay away from the poor cat.   We have noticed that she is getting tired of the scratches from the cat, but instead of staying away from him, now she seems determined to hurt him in any way she can.   She has tried to stand on him, kick him and smash him with heavy books, toys, you name it.  

Linzi knows that when she sits on the toilet, she needs to scoot back.   If she perches on the front of the toilet she pees all over the floor.   Simply scooting back a little bit and things work great.   One of us have to be in the bathroom all the time with her.   Same thing when she poops.   If you are not in the bathroom with her she will stand up just as the poop is dropping out and drop it on the floor.   I am not sure where this behavior is coming from?   If we are in there she will do it right.   

If we are not downstairs with her when she wants to play.   She will go into every one's bedroom and find things that she is not supposed to get into.   If someone goes downstairs with her she will play with the toys just like she is supposed to.

Lately she has decided to run around the house and OPEN doors.   Completely opposite of what she was doing.   Most of the doors she likes to open are the outside doors.   This is not such a great idea when it is freezing outside.   So again, we have to watch her 24/7 to see what she is doing.    She remains in our bed to keep her from wandering at night.   It was the only way we felt comfortable.   It is not conducive to our sleeping.

We have very good friends who adopted their first daughter when we adopted ours.   We have kept in touch and we get together every other year.    They had been praying about Linzi and our family.   He told them that they needed to help us.    She came out, spent a long weekend with us and took Linzi home with them.   She is going to work with Linzi one-on-one and home school her.   They also live less than 20 min. from a very large city with all the resources needed to get Linzi the help she needs.   We will be able to watch Linzi grow.    Linzi is still our child, but we are ecstatic about the great care she is receiving.   They are doing respite care.

Our home is quiet.   The girls have stopped fighting.   We have stopped fighting.   No one is yelling at anyone anymore.    It is almost tranquil.   We needed the break.   We miss her.   We call them everyday to see how Linzi is doing.   How they are doing.   Linzi has not stopped, she is keeping them busy, but there aren't as many in their home.   They have the element of youth on their side.   They only have two other daughters.  

Respite care....it has saved our sanity.    Will it remain just respite care?   We don't know.     Have we failed?  NO.   We do feel that her orphanage officials really stretched the truth about Linzi's condition on her referral reports.   We know that they wanted her to get out of the orphanage and get to the USA for help.   I know that it was because of Him that I was the one who arrived in Tianjin to meet Linzi.   If it had been someone who did not understand the Chinese process, they may have very well left her in China.....happens all the time.    Even though Linzi's needs were much more than our family could handle...I knew that I needed to bring her home to get the help she needs.   If not with our family, then with a family who has the time and is close to the resources she needs.     I don't know what she would have done in China after she aged out of the orphanage.  

It has been super tough.    I knew immediately that Linzi had more going on than what we were told.   I knew that we were not going to be able to do as much as she would need to become the person she deserves to be.    But I knew leaving her in China would not be any help to her.    We couldn't help but love her...she is so cute and cuddly at times.    She usually always has a smile on her face.    Our agency told us that they would be behind us 110% in what ever we chose to do.    They kept telling us to give it time.   And yes, we could see some progress, but in the mean time our family was slowly breaking apart.   You can't give 110% to one child when you have 5 other children.   It just doesn't work.   

This is one of the reasons that our blog is now private.   If those of you who stayed around are angry with what we have done...you are welcome to leave our blog.   I really don't need nasty comments about what we have done.    It is the best for Linzi and our family.   Not too long ago I would read something like this on someone's blog and think to myself.   "Why would they want to disrupt?"   Well, now I can say I have walked a mile in their shoes.   I completely understand!   Until you are in this position there is nothing that you know about what you are going to have to do.    It SUCKS!!