Old Friends

In January, Shelly was in town visiting her family. It was great getting together with old friends. Sara came down from Edmond and joined us as a surprise for Shelly. Our kids played together and it was a wonderful experience. Who would have thought ten years ago when we were roommates that our children would play together. We were missing one of our roommates, Sonia, who lives out in California. Someday we hope to all be together.

Fascinated

Ok, so we have sick kiddos again! I don’t know what is up this year with all the sicknesses. Bo has ear infections, but thank the Lord his parasites are finally gone! Jachin woke up Sunday night with a fever again. He had a high fever for three days just a week and a half ago. He has been home from school Monday and Tues, and he will be here again tomorrow. Kimberlyn is as healthy as ever. She must have an immune system of steel. But the thing that stuck me in the midst of all this, is that I love my kids. They are so different, yet that is what makes it exciting. Today was the perfect example:

Jachin: He was sick with a high fever, and yet here are a few of the things I heard from him

“What do you like doing most? I like praising God. Next I like snuggling with you Mom.” “You are the best Mom I know.”

Then he proceeded to check the dog’s water and food, which is his new chore.

Kimberlyn: In the 3 hours of preschool today she managed to be picked for the weather report due to good behavior, and then she had to sit on the bench for running and screaming. How is that possible? But that describes her very well. When she is good she is very very good, and when she is bad she is awful.

Bo: Being a two year old he is naturally bipolar. Today he was mischievous, whiny, and extremely happy. I especially liked it today when he came up to us and started talking gibberish and using his hands like we do in conversation. Then when he got to his “punchline” he started cracking up. It just made me smile to think that two months ago he was nonexpressive at the orphanage. He has come a long way.

Tag your it!

We had so much fun last night playing Nerf Tag. Jachin was given a gift card to Walmart from his Mimi and Pa. We left yesterday to go pick out the perfect toy. Well, after looking over the entire toy and electronic sections, the final decision was for Nerf Tag. Jachin was so excited to play this with his Daddy. So the evening consisted of Jachin and Andy running around the house like mad men. I think Andy had as much fun as Jachin. Kimberlyn took a turn, but she didn’t want to be shot. She liked wearing the gear though. Bo also loved the activity in the house. He ran around laughing and picking up all the stray bullets. He was Andy’s little helper. He would retrieve the bullets and run them to his hideout. The guns only hold 6 bullets at a time, so you can imagine how quickly they need to reload. Thank you Mimi and Pa!

Sickness and Scooters

So the norm around here lately has been one sickness after another. We have had parasites, ear infections, never ending runny noses, coughs, colds, fevers, immunizations, and now the stomach virus! I am tired of doing laundry, remembering to give antibiotics twice a day, and staying in the house. The weather has been too cold to even allow the well child to go outside and play. This cold weather is probably the reason for all the sicknesses anyway. We were able to go outside yesterday for a little while and play on the new scooters and tricycle. Bo doesn’t know what to think of the tricycle and would rather push it around. He also didn’t like walking on the grass at first. He can’t figure out why we yell every time he goes into the street. I am sure it is very confusing. But the time outside playing with Daddy was something everyone needed!

Our Children's Personalities

It is always so fun to see how your children, although raised in the same home, have completely different outlooks on life. Here are a few examples:

Story #1

Jachin and Kimberlyn were with my parents while we were in Haiti picking up Bo. Kimberlyn was in a bad mood and Papa was trying to handle the situation. So he said the infamous words, Happiness is a choice. Well, Jachin responded that Jesus wants us to be happy. Then Papa said, “I choose to be happy.” Jachin said, “I choose to be happy.” Kimberlyn said, “I choose to be sad.” My dad was baffled. Then Jachin responded, “Well, then your going to Hell.”

Conclusion: Jachin is black and white. Kimberlyn is not affected by guilt.

Story #2

Bo is 2 years old. He has proved that many times the last 3 weeks. He has also become more comfortable with us. Well the typical situation has happened many times where we say No, Bo smiles, and he does it again. But the interesting thing is that you can change his mood with a simple tool.....a ball! If he is crying and in a bad mood, you can simply bring out a ball and he suddenly cheers up. I hope this continues his whole life!

Conclusion: Boys are easily distracted.

More stories to come I am sure!

Our adoption journey is complete!

I am so thankful that Bo is finally home! We have kept a detailed account of our adoption process on our adoption journal www.youbelong.net/mcdonald. Now I will have only one website to keep up with, which means I may start blogging more on here. I have enjoyed keeping a record of our lives and it has allowed me to express many feelings this past year. I just wanted to thank everyone of our friends and family for praying for us throughout this whole ordeal. We have a video for our friends that still have children waiting for them at GLA that is very touching. We also have a photo album of our trip. Enjoy!

The Party was a Success!

Jachin and Kimberlyn had a joint birthday party this past weekend. We did a cowboy theme, which they both were excited about. We rented two ponies which the kids could ride and brush. They had so much fun! We were a little worried that the party might be rained out, but the weather cooperated at the last minute. I don’t know what we would have done if there were no horses. They were the main attraction. We had hot chocolate and cupcakes. Yes, I made 40 cupcakes! But the main success of the party was the gift. It sounds strange, but we chose to have everyone bring donations for a pig instead of presents. World Vision is an amazing Christian humanitarian organization that fights poverty all over the world. You can get a Christmas catalog from them that lists things like a goat, a cow, a pig, or a fishing kit. They basically provide a needy family with this gift, that keeps on giving. With a simple barnyard animal, a family will have a way to feed and provide for themselves year round. We were hoping for around $50 to pay for a share of a pig. However, we received $173 from around 20 children. We were able to buy an entire pig from the party donations. So not only did we have a great time, but we were able to give to someone who is in need. And Jachin and Kimberlyn were great about the whole thing. It is truly amazing to see a 4 yr old and a almost 6 yr old say it is ok to not get presents. They had to work through the initial idea, but by the time the party came around, they were excited to be giving to someone that had nothing. I am so proud of them!