Friday, June 19, 2009

SIX FLAGS! MORE FLAGS...MORE FUN!


Almost the whole gang...minus Amanda and Anna on the Train.












Grandpa bought everyone six flags season passes for the summer. Thank you, Grandpa! Jailynn had a blast and loves all the big rides. She was not afraid of anything and felt very insulted if she could not ride the roller coaster because she was too small. We all had a great time, except for the hot Texas weather!

Life with Jailynn



We are enjoying our life with Jailynn. She is spirited, determined, loving, fun, and full of life. Jailynn is not afraid to tell us when she is mad...more like show us...she is always the center of our attention...she loves exploring her new home and playing with her brother, sisters, and pets! Jailynn is a joy to be with and we are all happy to have her with us. Not to say life is all peaches and cream...we have had adjustments to make and still making some adjustments. Adopting an older child is an adventure and it is important to consider the childs perspective when dealing with behavior issues. Asian children are not taught the same as American children when it comes to social skills. They are not always taught to wait thier turn, share, respect others, boundaries, ect..ect.. Growing up in an orphanage environemnt also has a big impact on behavior issues. Then add a huge communication and culture barrier, taken away from the only home the child has ever known and you can have a recipe for disaster. The important thing to remember is to keep a certain perspective in mind when issues come up and have a sense of humor and relaxed attitude, giving lots of love and limits and it is posible to get through to the child. Jailynn is making huge strides and she is adjusting to our family. She is speaking some English and learning fast. Jordyn is adjusting well to being with her sister, but she has had to realize that we are Jailynn's parents and she is her sister. In our house, we can have to many chiefs running around and not enough indians. Jonmarc, Jordyn, Amanda, and Jailynn all try to be the boss! Then we have a lot of chaos!! To say the least...we have a very interesting time...and try to add fun. I hope this makes sense...I just wanted to share a little from my heart. Adopting an older child takes work, effort, commitment, love, and understanding. My heart breaks when I hear of an adoption being disrupted or not working out because of the issues involved. When we have a bad couple of hours or day...I think about Jordyn and how far she has come. Jordyn went through a hard time because she was afraid and grieving and did not fully understand what was happening. Now, Jordyn is such a sweet, loving child. She has adjusted to our family and dearly loves her family. She is so attached to us and to her famiy. I know that Jailynn will continue to attach to us and bond with us.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Jailynn's First Trip to the Beach



















We were blessed to spend the weekend with my sister and her family at the Galveston Bay in Sea Brook. My sister lives right on the Bay and we could just walk down to the beach. We had loads of fun bonding together at the beach. Jailynn loves the water and the waves. The second day we played in the sand and built sand castles.

Jailynn's 1st Thanksgiving

My GuestBook

Hi! I am glad you are visiting my blog! Please sign my guestbook or leave me a comment. It will mean so much to me, Jordyn and Jailynn!

The rest of our family

In case anyone was curious: Here are som pictures of my oldest son, Joey and his family. Joey and Kym have three children: my beloved grandbabies: Hayden 4yrs old, Noah 22 months old, and Phoenix 9 months old. We have been helping Joey and Kym get on their feet and they have been living with us since December. They are now able to get their own place and will move out in April. I will miss them and miss the babies. I will just have to babysit!

God Is Awesome!

myspace

myspace

I am Praising God tonight because He has Heard my cries and answered my prayers. We have recieved a generation donation from a wonderful family toward our fund raising efforts. We have also recieved generous donations from wonderful people through this website and through Jailynn's Prayer. So far, the total fundraising has reached a total of $4000!!!!!!!! Thank you! Thank You! Thank you to everyone for helping us to bring Jailynn home! We are hoping to travel sometime this month and still need to raise money. I know that God is providing for our family through the unselfish and generous giving from special and wonderful people like you!

We have our LOA!!

Lilypie Waiting to adopt Ticker

Happy Holidays!

Happy Halloween (a little late)

Our Fun At the Texas State Fair

Amanda's Party!

Jordyn and Amanda's Birthday Party