What does it all mean?

I have much to post about since we have been busy the last few weeks but that means sitting down and editing pictures...haven't done that yet but I really wanted to get this posted before I forget the details as this also serves as a family scrapbook.

In one month from today we will celebrate Hudson's FOURTH birthday. NOT possible. In many ways he seems still so "baby" to us but then things like yesterday happen and we have to remind ourselves he is almost four.

He has always been sensitive but we are really starting to see what a tender heart he has. He has never been into TV or movies until recently. He was watching Finding Nemo for the first time about a month ago while I was getting ready and when I got out of the shower he was crying...He said "the mama is gone"....(I had forgotten how traumatic that first scene was..) and then more tears when Nemo got lost and dad was frantically searching....Oh, SOO sad...Another day it was Cars which is the only movie he has ever shown interest in. He has watched it MANY times but this day when Lightening gets left behind...TEARS...."Mack, pease come back"....

SO, yesterday...the girls call me as I am leaving work (I work one day in the office, the rest at home). "Hudson started crying and won't stop and he wants you". They put him on the phone and he is dong the crying where he can't stop"...K, break this mama's heart so I step on the gas. The girls have him outside when I drive up and he starts sobbing harder and throws his arms around me and buries his head in my neck....won't even look at me. He is holding a picture of Mark and the girls tell me he has been for awhle and won't let go of it. It was a picture from about 7 years ago and is of Mark in his brother's kitchen...all alone...??? (Why was the picture taken anyway?). When Hudson finally gets calmed down enough he shows me the picture and says "Daddy is all alone, where are you?" BREAK MY HEART!!! I told him "I was there" and he then really looks hard at the picture "NO, he is alone"...I told him I was taking the picture...more tears.....He really was so upset for about 30 minutes, wouldn't let me put him down. We always reassure him when we do go anywhere "We will come back" and the night before last he went to a soccer game with Mark. When he came home several hours later he ran in to me and said "I CAME BACK!"

Bedtime has also gotten difficult again....not wanting to be alone.. HMMMMM, so what does all this mean? A normal part of development? I don't remember this in any of my other three kids. Adoption issues???? I was just reading some adoption material last night and how at about age 4 they don't "get" it (that they were adopted) but they are beginning to understand time and space. Probably a combination of the two...
SO...any advice would be appreciated.

I am looking forward to catching up on blogs....I have missed seeing your families! School starts next Wednesday, Hudson started speech this week, Jordan's soccer games have started and Madi and Kailee will soon be having VB games...and lets not even talk about homework.....bye bye lazy days of summer!

The Hina's in Texas!

Our travel group waited un unusually long time for our TA's and during that wait there were six of us that became pretty close, emailing each other, sometimes many times a day, encouraging each other, praying together and we came to call ourselves the "gabby girls". It has been a year and four months since we parted ways in Beijing and Chicago. Last night Mark and I were able to have dinner with the Hina's, Dave and Amy (one of the gg's) and their darling girls. They have moved 40 minutes down the road from us, leaving the wonderful weather of California.


It was so fun to catch up with each other although we have kept in touch thru email and blogs. Their daughter Jocelyn was the smallest and youngest of our group. A year old when they met her in China she weighed just over 10 lbs, she was so fragile. What a blessing it was to see her jumping, climbing, and running around. Her big sister Cali takes such loving care of her Mei Mei and we are excited to spend lots more time with them. Hudson's sisters have been gone since Thursday and he was thrilled to have two girls to play with. They were an active bunch at Pei Wei but once again, SUCH a blessing to have such vibrant healty kids!!

We sure wish the rest of the Gabby Girls could have been with us...and our whole group for that matter!!!

Why do the Chinese kids have their eyes closed?

Jocelyn then...

...and now....
Checking out their fortunes

The Hina's are now Texans!!!

We are so glad you are here!!