My husband is a GENIUS!

This old lady is having trouble lifting two wheelchairs and a weighted walker in and out of our big van when I go anywhere with the kids by myself.  So Ethan and I went to a medical supply store this weekend to try out ramps. The aluminum one weighs FORTY-SIX pounds, and then I would have to wrestle it through the side aisle in the van. Definitely NOT an improvement.

We've come to the conclusion that we are going to have to have a lift.  But a lift doesn't happen in a weekend.  We will need to seek funding for one (they are very expensive -- hopefully insurance will help!) and then it will need to be ordered and professionally installed. In the meantime I was desperate to have SOMETHING to help me get the equipment into the van.  

Last night Ethan took the boys outside with him to work on a project.  Look what he did!

This is for pushing ONLY the chairs up - no kids in them, and is a temporary fix until we can get a ramp, but wow.  It surely saved my back today!  If anyone else is in a similar situation here is what he did.

 

He used two, 2" x 6" boards and trimmed the corners to fit in our bumper.  Also note the cord.  He drilled holes and put a knotted cord through the top part and the bottom part so even I can get the boards properly spaced to hold the wheels.

 

 

This man knows me well, so he built outside "guards" so I don't run the wheels off the boards.

They are lightweight, and flat enough to stash UNDER the seats.

I'm so thankful for this, and my kids will be too.  It means we will get to go out to fun places more often!  If you think of it please be praying that we eventually find what we need in a lift.  Thanks!

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival 2015

We were able to connect with a local chapter of FCC - Families with Children from China - to join in a group celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.  This is also referred to as the Moon Festival.  It is a major celebration in China, and one that we've adapted (we don't worship the moon here, rather its creator!) and remember with our children from China each year.

In the past we had a simple family celebration at home, ate a Chinese meal at the picnic table, read a book about the holiday and gazed at the moon.  This year we had a full out autumn party with a large group of families at Shaw Farms.

The first thing we did was check out the animals.  There were goats, pigs. chickens, ducks, horses, calves, alpacas, etc. and our kids never tire of looking at them.

And Pat took the tractor out to plow for awhile....

Once we busted everyone out of jail, it was time for the hay ride.

I'm always impressed when a business takes the time to consider those who are differently-abled and prepare for them.  These guys didn't miss a beat.  They pitched out a couple bales of the straw, got the ramps then decided Isaac was lightweight enough that it was easier just to pick him up, chair and all, and put him on the back of the wagon.  Big kudos to SHAW FARMS for their great staff!

Hay ride!

It began to sprinkle rain when the hay ride was over, so we ducked in a barn and sat on straw bales to listen to a live blue grass music band.  Yeah, not very Chinese, but the kids enjoyed it anyway.  At one point the singer invited them to dance, so four of them stood up and did a little jig.

Dinner was fried chicken, sandwiches and chips.  There were various desserts, but the one MUST HAVE was there - MOON CAKES, handmade by someone in the group.  A Moon Cake is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region of Asia in which they are made.  We've had them with fruits, meats, egg yolks, lotus bean paste, etc. The version that was made for this event tasted like fig newton cookies to me!

 One thing that moon cakes all have in common is they are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family.  I've heard the Moon Festival likened unto the equivalent of Chinese Thanksgiving. These days people give moon cakes to demonstrate their wish to family and friends for a long and happy life.  During dinner teenagers read us the story of the holiday - in English and in Mandarin!  What a treat for our boys!

Group games followed dinner and included Tug of War, a potato toss and sack races.

We went one more round to see the animals then called it a day.  Many thanks to the FCC chapter, we had a great time!

Baseball!!!!!

Today our youngest four kids tried their hand at BASEBALL!!!  The  Joe Nuxhall Miracle League gives children with special needs the opportunity to feel "normal" for a change.  It seems that our children's lives have been full of the things that they CANNOT do, so today was just so awesome!
 
 See Jen's smile?  It was there the entire time.  As you may remember she was pretty much invisible in her orphanage, not allowed to participate in most of the activities because of her mobility issues.  She was sooooooo excited to play.  And let's just say she charmed the crowd.  They were cheering her and her BIG SMILE on to the home plate where she stopped and bowed to them.  LOL! At one point the announcer called her "Miss Personality" and referred to her as his favorite. 

Can you imagine?  Just two years ago she was special to no one, and today a group of parents WHO GET IT were there cheering her on.  It was such a special time for her!

Each child was paired with a "Buddy" who gave them as much (or as little) help as they needed.  No surprise that Isaac needed very little help.  Also no surprise that he could hit that ball HARD!  And he has a new nickname - WHEELS.  As he zoomed into home plate the announcer jokingly said, "Wheels!  You are going to get a speeding ticket!"

Pat and Abigail in the outfield.

In the dugout.

In the dugout.

You know, we all have our challenges.  I could give you a list of things that this fifty-some year old body is struggling with these days.  But most of my needs aren't visible.  People don't stare and ask questions when I walk by.  But my kids with visible needs -- they have spent their lives being stared at and feeling different when all they want is to just live their lives and fit in like everyone else.  Today they had that chance.  It was totally worth getting up at 7AM on a Saturday to make it happen.  Looking forward to spending the next several Saturday mornings with this league.

With their "Buddies."

Our Ramp - painted, trimmed and complete!

I just realized that a couple of months ago I'd updated you about the ramp being completed, and some landscaping going back into the area, but I never showed it as finished.  Since adding the ramp extended the planting area a few feet further into the yard, I ended up having to move all the hostas to the backyard.  They were getting scorched in front.  So, no WOW plants, but after painting and adding trim the ramp looks great!    Isaac zooms right up in his chair, and Jen has a much easier time getting her walker into the house.  Come on up!

Looking down the ramp onto the porch from the front door.

Looking up the ramp from the porch swing towards the front door.

So thankful to the crew who volunteered their time and made this happen!

 Tomorrow is a big day for us.  We leave to bring Isaac home!  We would greatly appreciate your prayers.  These trips are so hard.  Hard on the parents, hard on the kids who go, and hard on the kids who stay at home and wait.

Jennifer is especially having a hard time with our leaving.  Please pray for Jen and Abigail and those who will be staying at the house to care for them.

And please keep Isaac in your prayers.  So many changes are about to happen in his life.  Although most of them will be best in the long haul, leaving everything familiar is HARD.  Pray for him to have peace and to quickly feel like he is a part of the family.

In the meantime, our house is hopping with activity.  A work crew showed up this morning, and building has really begun on Isaac's ramp!  Our house will have a different look to it when we return. 

The Ramp Work Has Begun!

After waiting for several weeks for the county to approve the holes that were dug (really?) and then enduring some unusually freezing cold days, the work on the ramp has begun!

 

Our front yard and porch are a muddy mess, but progress is being made!

 

Four men from a local church (not even the one we attend!) are volunteering their labor on this chilly day to get the posts set for Isaac's ramp!

 We are very thankful for those who have a heart for the orphans who have come alongside of us to help in such a practical way!

 

The plan is for Isaac to be able to enjoy our front porch with the rest of the family.  We love to sit out there on nice days and just talk.  The ramp will come out in the middle of the current railing, have a turn around deck, then come down parallel to the porch to join where the sidewalk starts.  The posts you see are for the guard rails.  I'm so excited to see this coming together!

Which Ramp?

What is bugging you?  Some of us wear glasses or hearing aids.  Perhaps it is an ulcer or one is prone to heartburn.  Maybe you have allergies or acne. Some might walk with a limp or suffer from something that isn't visibly apparent to the rest of the world like fibromyalgia or arthritis or another auto immune disorder.  Let's face it, as humans we all have things about us that aren't perfect. 

Did you know that Isaac is a paraplegic?  He seems like a really wonderful boy in every way, but in China if your legs don't work it is devastating.  Usually you aren't allowed to go to school, and forget about finding a job. Just navigating through the streets is impossible in some areas.  In the states his future is so promising.  He can pretty much be anything he wants to be as long as it can be done in a sitting down position.

 Funny thing, sometimes we are called to things outside of our comfort zone.  Like a child who is a paraplegic.  We don't love him any less because his legs don't work.  It is a non-issue to us from that angle.  The uncomfortable feeling comes from attempting to figure out how to make things easier for him.  We've never had a child who can't walk at all, so it is new territory.

The "ramp man" Jim, (a wonderful guy with a great big heart for orphans) was here again today.  This is the third time he has come to help us try to figure out how to install the ramp so Isaac can be independent and participate fully in family life.  We have three plans, none of which are ideal, and we need to make a decision.  While the eeny, meeny, miney, moe approach is tempting at this point, we really do need to weigh the options (along with their pros and cons) and make a deliberate decision. We'd appreciate your prayers over the next couple of days as we sort it all out.