Happy Couple

 

Giant Milestone

Jeff and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary yesterday. Wow. You have to be really old to have been married that long, don't you? We don't feel old, but there is a disturbing amount of silver in our hair. Maybe that is what the term "silver anniversary" really refers to. Anyway, no big, exciting activities. The longed-for cruise became a few-day getaway which evaporated when our childcare fell through. I guess these situations are why most people don't start over with second families at our age. No matter, we had a wonderful evening out together. It was amazing to recount our lives over the last 25 years and realize just how busy and how blessed we've been. No wonder it flew by so quickly. I feel extraordinarily privileged and blessed to have a patient and gentle husband who has been willing to live with my idiosyncrasies all these years. I sure couldn't be married to me. We praise the Lord for the relationship he has given us and for the way he has kept us together through the better and the worse. We thank him for our wonderful daughters and all the joy they have brought to us and will continue to bring us in the years to come. We are indeed a blessed family.

The wait for mei mei goes on. And on. And on. For whatever reason China is moving at a snail's pace where referrals are concerned. The most recent referrals covered only 5 days worth of dossiers. This is in comparison to the 1 to 2 months worth of dossiers which were consistently referred each month during our wait for Samara. This has been going on for several months now and no information is being given as to why they are moving so incredibly slowly. We're trying to be patient but it gets harder each time they do this. At this rate, it could take 42 months before we get a match. I don't for a minute believe that will happen, but the not knowing is quite frustrating. We are praying it begins to move more quickly as we certainly would like for Mara and her sister to be close in age. I repeat the mantra, "God's time" but as usual, it is hard to really feel as patient as that sounds. It has been almost 4 months since our dossier was logged into the system. At this point last time we were only 2 months from referral. Now we are just hoping we can somehow get there and home before Christmas. That is becoming harder and harder to imagine, however.

Mara moved into a "big girl" bed this last weekend. We have been dreading this event and left her sleeping in a crib way beyond the age any of our other girls slept in a crib. But she tends to be a bit destructive of things within her reach, especially books and toys that can be taken apart. After months of discussing what needed to be removed from her room, how to "lock" the sliding closet doors and drawers, we finally decided to just put the bed in her room with no other changes. She's slept 3 nights and 3 naps in there with nary a torn book or dissected toy. She is of the belief that she can't get out of bed until we tell her to in the morning. I will not disabuse her of that opinion. Thank you, Lord! She is oh so proud of her new bed and drags us in there several times a day to show us how easily she can climb on top. This bed was Nikki's before she took a hand-me-down from Jeff and I a few months ago. This gave us the opportunity to point out how big sisters give the beds they've outgrown to their little sisters. So Mara has formally relinquished her crib to the littlest sister. "Mei Mei have Mara's crib, Mara too big." (We've got to work on her grammar!) Would that all of Mara's issues were this easily resolved!

Nikki's tenure in Beauty and the Beast was stretched an extra month as 5 sold-out shows encouraged the director to have an encore weekend. This last weekend, they had 2 more performances, both sell-outs once again. We went again on Saturday night and they surpassed themselves. The performance was absolutely wonderful. Though it was her third time through Mara was sad when it was over. At the end, she stood with the rest of us and clapped her little heart out. It was very cute. Then she asked, "more mama?" The sad news--nope, no more. The good news--she just look resigned and said, "oh." No temper tantrum. She's growing up.

The performance was judged on Saturday night for an opportunity to perform at The International Thespian something or another in Lincoln, Nebraska this summer. They will find out in a few weeks if they made it in. The top 10 performances (worldwide) are invited to perform at the festival. Nikki definitely did her part to make the performance worthy. She is such an adorable silly girl, not to mention the cutest dancing champagne bottle I've ever seen.

Katelynn is in California this week chaperoning a high school service trip with the church youth group she helps with on a weekly basis. We missed having her home for break, but it sounded like a fun week. We hope she is having fun--we haven't heard a word.

Nikki got the sad news that she has been waitlisted for the school in Pennsylvania that was her first choice. I was sad for her, but it did lighten my heart to think that she may indeed be staying in Colorado come August. They fill openings from this list so there is still a chance she may be accepted. I guess we will see what God has planned for her. I'm very torn. I think it would be a wonderful experience for Nikki, but I really dread her going so far from home.

I guess I better quit for now. I hear a small voice bidding me, "come in."