Mommy Retreat ~ China Style

 

So we've been in our new home for a few months now,

and Daddy has been here the past month.

 

And shortly after he arrived home ~ I came to realize something

 

I'm tired.

 

 

And because he is wonderful,

he blessed me with a mini retreat

 

9 days in Beijing

 

Alone

 

It did my Spirit good,

to have this time to rest.

 

And look around at the beauty I'm surrounded with,

 

This YeYe was marching to music being played over a loud speaker

here at the Back side of the Forbidden City

 

I think I cried e.v.e.r.y. day here

 

I was so tired.

 

The 2 yrs preparing to move here was amazing

Seeing how God moved mountains ~

 

However it was once we arrived,

and we all 'exhaled'

 

That I realized I was needing some help

 

And I found my Help in one of the most unlikely places.

 

In one of the heaviest polluted cities in the world.

 

My Spirit was refreshed,

My joy returned

I got my breath back

 

 

"In the morning,

 O Lord, you hear my voice

in the morning,

 I lay my requests before you

and wait

in Expectation!"

 

(Ps5:3)

 

Everywhere I looked I saw joy

 

And Life!

 

And Laughter ~

 

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations."

 

Beauty everywhere ~

 

One of my favorite Galleries ~

 

And I witnessed stolen moments of such tenderness ~

 

Love the pets here!  LOL

 

So thankful to be back home now in Zhongshan,

but so thankful for my time in Beijing!

 

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn

and your healing will quickly appear"

 

Flash Back Forever Family Day 2013 ~

 

I thought I lost these photos,

then just the other day here in China

I throw in my extra SD card and

Wow!  There they are ~

 

 

Carrie from Second Generation

Cake Design

made THE best forever family cake.

 

I wanted a visual to show Ping

and Lukai how 'connected' adoption is.

 

We celebrated at out 'Adoption Support Group' night out

with other adoptive families.

I believe we're the only International Family.

 

(Daddy had been gone a while by this point)

 

Explaining China Mama, CWI Ayi's, Forever Mommy

and all the important,

never forgotten

precious people that are apart of their story

 

 

We know that as their Forever Mommy and Daddy,

we are just pieces in their puzzle.

 

God has a plan for your lives you two,

and we are so honored to be a part of it.

 

We are forever grateful for the choice of Life

their Birth Parents chose,

and the care given through the CWI and Foster Families

and hospitals, and Social Workers.

 

 

Small Traditions ~ Permanency China Style

Something that I have learned,

since bringing our Ping home ~

Is that 'traditions', no matter how small

are very good, and healthy

and encourages permanency

in the heart of a child struggling to Attach

One of ours back in Canada was

Saturday night ~ Pizza nights

Well some of those traditions can't continue here,

so we're trying new ones.

Pasta night!

It may boring ~ but it is quickly catching on.

You see, these ingredients are not

easily found here, and they are significantly

more expensive.

So our 'cheap' meal night in Canada,

has become ~

Fancy Pasta night here!

So thankful for small traditions,

Step by step,

it's these things that make our new home

feel like our forever Home

Permanency

After supper family time ~

 

Something different I've noticed here,

the 'way' we do family has changed slightly ~

 

 

After supper clean up,

before the girls go to bed....

 

..we are playing games.

 

I love it!

 

Tonight's game was 'Skip Bo'

It was so much fun!

 

Even the teenagers join in sometimes!

 

Sometimes they don't,

but it's always better when they do.

 

We're living 'on top' of each other

here in this apartment

and so far......

so good!