My Favorite Season

It's always a toss-up. Do I love autumn or winter more?

Definitely autumn...

Until winter arrives, that is.

Either way, I love this season. Right now.

I love the coziness, the chilliness, the crispness. I love the shorter days and the longer evenings. I could go on and on. I was thrilled when it  snowed and sleeted a bit on Sunday!

My favorite time of year is here. May it be long and may we be snowed in for many days in a row!

Classical Conversations Review - 6 Weeks In

As I have mentioned before, our family joined a Classical Conversations homeschool community this year. And, as expected, the children really love it!

Eliana on our nature walk.

I thought I'd tell you a bit how it is really working out for us. We spend about 15-20 minutes per day working on memory work together, then they also listen to all of the memory work for the week individually. There is a lot of memorizing that is expected! Thankfully little brains are like sponges and it is really not hard, it just takes consistency. I love hearing Eliana rattle off all of the prepositions they have learned so far, add the motions and it's really one of the cutest things!

Casper working on an art project

Another thing I really enjoy seeing is their interest and imagination being sparked as they prepare for their weekly presentations. They spend a lot of time researching, writing, and finding pictures or items that illustrate what they are going to talk about. I see that and I think this is why I'm glad we are doing CC!

Freeland hard at work

We are certainly more focused on creative writing with Freeland and Casper than we have been the last couple of years! This was another one of my goals in joining CC and I am seeing the benefits already.

I love watching all of them (Freeland on down) playing and learning with their classmates. They play math games and memory games. They do science experiments and art projects. They are responsible to someone other than me. The tutors do a good job at keeping it interesting and fun.

Annika playing during lunch break. She especially loves the social interaction!

So, over all, it has been a really great fit for our family. Except for one major problem. It knocks me out! It is a long, exhausting day and I'm just not handling it very well physically. And it is every single week. We are trying to think of solutions to this issue, but so far haven't gotten there. I'm hoping that as life slows down now that my China trip and Keith's Ghana trip are over it will seem less overwhelming. I guess time will tell.

I know my physical issues makes it harder for me, but I assume I'm not the only homeschool mom who finds community or co-op day exhausting. How do you deal with it? I would love some helpful pointers! I really want to make this work!

Those Globe-Trotting Martins

While I was in China, about 10 days into the trip, when I was missing home about as much as you can, Keith informed me that he might need to take a trip to Ghana in October. I thought that there was no way I would survive being separated from him again so soon...

Apparently it is beautiful in Ghana!

But...

I'm happy to say he is now on an airplane heading home! We have survived!

The thing is, I'm happy for him to go. It's not like I insist on being the only one who globe trots! But, surely anyone can see the timing was a little rough here!

While he was gone we pretty much just did school, did a photo shoot, went to church, and put in time waiting for life to get back to normal!

One of the photos fro Saturday's shoot

Just in case you are wondering, we don't have any more trips planned for a few months! Just plain old every day living for us for a while please!

Between Two Realities

Last week at this time I was sitting in a seat in a metal tube that was hurtling through the air. I was headed home and could not wait to get here! I'm so happy to be home! I love being here where everything is comfortable and easy! I love being here with my children. I love waking up in the morning and listening to what Annika dreamed last night. I love talking to Keith any time I want to just because I can.

But I have to say, in a lot of ways I still feel like I'm in that metal tube suspended between the two realities that make up my life. I'm here, but the more often I go to China the less successful I am at smoothly transitioning back when I get home. I've met some of those children four times now. This time I saw little faces light up with recognition over and over. These children are so precious to me. Their lives are so very real to me! I can't just go home and get on with life. I have children in China whose lives have become intertwined with mine, at least for a time, hopefully only until their family can bring them home.

It is extremely difficult to even try to explain what it is like. Living and breathing and doing everything here. And loving it, being fully engaged here. But at the same time being always aware of the fact that in another world, children I love are existing in less than ideal circumstances. They are always on my heart and mind.

I used to be able to compartmentalize a little better. But the more real their lives become to me, the less successful I am at this. Re-entry has always been a little difficult, but I somehow thought it would get easier the more times I do it. It doesn't work that way. And it is probably good that it doesn't, but...

They are always on my mind!

Children's Hospital of Shanghai

I have been thinking about this post since Saturday. I want to write it, but it is very emotional for me, so we will see how it goes.

Last week was exhausting on every level. Even for a trip that I know is tiring, last week was exceptionally so. The travel was rough, the days were long. So we were excited when the weekend rolled around and we had some time in Shanghai to relax and re-group.

Saturday afternoon Keely, Gongzhan, and I went to the hospital to visit one of our little Superkids. It is very unusual to be allowed to visit a child in the hospital like this and even going in we did not know if we would all be able to see him or not. We were so excited that we all got to see him and that he looked great and was doing so well! That, in and of itself, was super emotional for me!

But let me give you a little more background. Eliana's finding place was at this hospital. So my heart was full as we walked through the waiting room there where she was found. I blinked back tears as I thought of that moment. Perhaps it is the one place where both of her mothers have been. I thought of her birth mother, and the agony and terror she likely experienced in that place. But I blinked back the tears and reminded myself that this visit is not about me or my little girl.

We went on up to the PICU to see the little boy we were there to see. And again my mind wandered. This is also where Eliana had surgery when she was two years old. I thought of her there, alone and afraid, without me. I can't even begin to process that thought. I had to remind myself to not think about it then. We were there for someone else's child. And it was a joyous visit and a wonderful report to be able to give this sweet family!

Later that night, I allowed myself to try to think about what I had seen. I tried to picture her there. I couldn't do it. I can't wrap my mind around her being there, needing me, while I lived my life, unaware.

I know that God orchestrated events perfectly to place Eliana in our family and I am forever grateful for this. As I keep seeing little pieces of her story and understanding more of her life before she was a Martin, I am more and more in awe of her sweet little resilient spirit.

I wrote this a couple of days ago. I'm going to publish it now. I'm home and enjoying being with my crew again!

Kirby {Fuzhou}

We were at the Fuzhou CWI today. I just have to devote this post to Kirby. We met a lot of incredible kids today, and I could tell you a lot of sweet stories from the day, but today I'm going to focus on one exceptional little boy.

Kirby is 7 years old. He has cerebral palsy that affects both of his legs. He walks with the help of a walker and crawls to get to around. But that is such a small part of ho Kirby is!

He is incredibly smart! He aced all of the cognitive tests that Keely did with him. His teacher said he is a "super star" in his class. But, again, he is so much more than that.

He has a vibrant, magnetic personality. His whole face lights up when he smiles. And he smiles a lot! He is so resilient! Let's just say his life is not exactly easy, but what you see is a happy little boy who is slowed down by nothing! He dresses himself and takes care of his own personal needs. Do you know how incredible that is!?

He has a really great little laugh and speaks in very clear,complete sentences. I want to somehow make him very real to each of you and I feel like words are failing me. This little boy needs us to step up for him. He needs a family. Will you please share this post and help to find his family. I know they are out there just waiting to be blessed by this incredible little boy!

For information about adopting him please contact April Uduhiri at april.uduhiri@gladney.org or contact me.

Together we can make a difference for this little boy!

China- Week 1

We are at the end of week 1 in China. We have traveled hundreds of miles this week. We have seen over a hundred children in 5 orphanages so far. Each day brings it's own range of emotions. It is not unusual to experience both delight and heart break more than once in a day.

The thing I most want to be able to communicate to people who do not have the privilege of seeing all of these incredible children is the intrinsic, individual value of each of them personally. They are little people with likes and dislikes and their own personality and abilities. They are lumped together in institutions, but they are so precious and valuable in their own right.

I've been sitting here trying to choose a few favorite moments from the week to share with you. It is so hard to choose just a few!

Starting in Shanghai, I'd have to say seeing how well Suzanna looks was a highlight. She is a little girl with OI who did not look so great the last time we saw her. She had broken her hip and had been in bed for over 4 months at that time. She had licked her lips and all around them raw just from the sheer boredom of being alone and unstimulated so much. But this time they carried her into the room and her little eyes were bright and she looked so beautiful!

In Changsha I was anxious to see Levi. I love him so much and we are looking for a family for him right now so I wanted to see again for myself how he is doing. And, oh my, is he ever doing well! He is so, so cute and "typical boyish". To see the little sparkle in his eyes and watch him interact with the other children made my heart smile!

The first orphanage we went to in the Jiangxi province was Yichun. By far my favorite moment of that day was seeing how excited little Courtney was over the helmet Keely brought for her! It was beyond adorable.

Next was Jian. Here I got to watch as Jaxon was told about his family. He loved, loved, loved the photo album they sent and kept touching and kissing their faces in the pictures. Here we also had the opportunity to go visit a group of of older kids with more significant needs whom we have known for several years. They seem to remember us and were all reaching out for touch and attention. Seeing them there and then walking away again was so wonderful and so difficult all at the same time.

I have a little favorite at Xingyu, so it is always pretty safe to assume that the highlight of my time there will be seeing Samson. He is doing well, though his heart condition is significant. The best news about Samson is that his adoption paperwork is almost completed! Please let me know if you are interested in adopting him!

I have to mention a couple of other Xingyu children here. There is a little girl for whom we don't have an advocacy name but she just wrapped her little self around my heart! She was so proud of herself for going up and down this little set of steps there. Her smile just says it all!

And then there was another little girl who was blind. As Janell put her hand on her little chest she wrapped both of her little hands around Janell's hand. She was such a sweetheart!

It has been a week full of so many outstanding moments! I know after I am home these moments will come back to enrich my every day life and, as always, these experiences will forever change me.