Happy Autumn

Laughing Linney

Active Abby

Cheesy Qiu

Goofy Guys

Madeline's Haunted Party

Since Madeline's birthday is so close to Halloween, she wanted a spooky-themed sleepover party. I'm so thankful that Lyle was home the day of the party so that he could help me decorate. Lyle took on the task of decorating the front porch. He headed down to the garden and gathered the items for this pretty fall display.

Madeline, however, really wasn't going for "pretty". She wanted SPOOKY! So, we added the cobwebs and some bats and spiders.

The spooky guy on the front porch was acceptable to both Madeline and Mom. I just couldn't do gory. This guy looks like a friendly sort of spook!

Decorating the "haunted library" was very fun! We were generous with our use of cobwebs, with the chandelier getting a heavy coating.

I thought Lyle's painting was great for the haunted house look. He just needed eyes that moved back and forth!

When Lyle picked Madeline up from school he apologized that he'd forgotten it was her birthday party day and he hoped they'd be able to throw together some decorations before the party. She was SO thrilled to walk in and see the haunted library!

We used Madeline's witch costume broom and and hat on the mantle. We couldn't find candle holders for the halloween candles, so Lyle drilled a couple of holes in one of our pumpkins for a fun centerpiece.

For dinner, we had witches brew punch (with a floating ice hand), broomsticks (breadsticks with a fringed edge), witches hands (chicken fingers cut with 5 fingers) and for dessert texas sheet cake with frosting cobwebs and plastic spiders on top. Madeline and her friends had such a fun time! After dinner we played "Bear" and some other spooky games and they had a very fun sleepover--Madeline's first. We had fun putting it all together, but I'm glad the kids are only allowed a friends-over birthday party every other year. It's tiring!

Sweet Sisters

Look what Maya can do!

Surfer pose to help her stand up...

....and she's off to the races! She KNOWS she's doing something cool!

It's pretty funny to see her walking!

It was last Sunday, at 13 1/2 months of age, when Maya decided it was time to walk! She technically could do it before, but her heart just wasn't in it. Now, she's almost running and trying to climb! Watch out! Still, though, her favorite mode of transportation is being carried by Dad and at a distant second, Mom.

We had such a sweet moment with Maya at our last Family Home Evening. We did our traditional "This is the Night We've Waited For" dance (we won't go into detail so as not to completely embarrass our tweener kids), and Maya just looked SO excited and smiled so sweetly at everyone in the circle. It was just a little moment, but it was so special. We felt so strongly how much she needed and wanted a family.

And what a blessing that we get to be that family!

October 8

Before the start of school, our neighbor across the street hosted a formal "tea party" for the little girls on Bay Ridge Dr. Abby looked forward to this like it was Christmas. She was SO excited!

I love this picture of our pretty girls headed to the party. It's been hard lately to see Madeline growing up so fast. I can't believe she's nearly in the double digits! I have to cherish these "little girl" moments with her.

Thankfully we have two other girls who still absolutely qualify as "little"! I am having so much fun during the day with Abby and Qiu Ju! I think since it's been several years since I've had such a tiny one at home, I'm really cherishing this time. Maya is just eating up (literally- she doubled her weight percentile since coming home!) her new life. She is such a joy.

We enjoyed a visit from aunts Cari and Jean and cousins Blake, Sophie, and Tacy. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of them all together, but I know Cari and Jean were taking pictures, so hopefully they'll post some. Tacy is just as sweet and smiley as she can be!

I did get a few pictures of Blake with Charlie. Cari and Tony, this boy needs a hound!

I hardly ever get any photos of Adam because he usually hides when he sees the camera coming. This, however, was his "self portrait". He started Junior High this year, and although it's been a big transition, and a bit rocky, he's really making strides. Sometimes I look at him, and just have to do a double-take because I can't believe he's getting so big!

He cracked us up the other day when he came home from school and said, "Well, I've met my goal. I've made 18 friends." We're not sure why he chose that particular number, but he sounds like he's reached his maximum. He may need to start a waiting list.

Abby isn't always in a camera mood either! Seriously, she can be so sweet, but boy can this girl do feisty! She continues to be an absolutely fabulous big sister and tells us numerous times a day how much she loves "Show Joo", as she says it.

Abby gave a talk in Primary today and she did such a great job. She READ the talk, which she was very proud of. Abby kind of holds out on us. Recently I dropped by her school and was shocked to see her writing sentences! She had told me she couldn't even write all of her letters. Hmmmm. This girl is a mystery!

Some friends from church held a little baby shower for me and Maya. She doesn't have many opportunities to wear her China outfits, so I thought this was as good a time as any. She is SOO close to walking! She's gone as many as 5 steps, but really doesn't want to do it. She pouts and plops down on her rear. She'd much prefer to crawl.

We went to our first "Families with Children from China" event last week. There was a big potluck at a local church and there were about 25 girls there along with lots of siblings and parents. Maya was the youngest, with most girls in the 4-5 year-old range. The oldest looked to be about 9. It was so heartwarming to see all of these little girls, all abandoned, looking so well-adjusted and happy with their new families. I would like to have some of these contacts for Maya as she grows older and maybe wants to talk with someone who can relate to her experiences.

We were thrilled today to hear that Maya's orphanage friend, Summer, came through her open-heart surgery like a true champ! These girls amaze us with their strength and resilience.

Bathtime brings out the craziness in this little girl! She does animal-like screams and makes funny faces. During times like these Adam likes to call her, "Thing from Guiping". We also call her Qiu Qiu, Qiuster, Qiuey, and all sorts of really horrible derivatives of Qiu. Really, we're trying to call her Maya, it's just been hard. Everyone else does, so I think she's accustomed to hearing both names. Whatever we call her, we sure think she's sweet! We're so looking forward to taking her to the temple in December! Let's hope she leaves her "Thing from Guiping" alter-ego at the door!

Foster Care Pictures

I am so grateful that Maya's foster parents took pictures of her while she was there. I really wish I had a photo of them! I think they really loved her. Here, she's wearing a large shell around her neck. I can't imagine that stayed on very long!

What a blessing that she was able to develop her muscles while she was there.

Our guide said that because homes don't have any air conditioning, the people usually sleep on bamboo mats because it's cooler.

Her foster family reported that she liked to watch T.V., but I can't get her to sit for more than a couple of minutes to watch a video. Maybe I need the T.V. down at her level!

It looks like her foster family had a little courtyard.

Practicing her walking in the foster home.

Testing the greenery

This is the kids' favorite photo. I wonder if her foster brother pedaled her around on this bike.

In this photo, it looks like there are pictures of other babies under the glass on the desk. I heard that her family had fostered 5 other babies before Qiu Ju, and I'm betting those are the kids in the pictures. I don't have an address for the foster family, but I can send updated pictures of Qiu Ju to the orphanage, and they'll get them to the foster family.

My favorite foster care picture. You don't see any smiles in the orphanage pictures, although I know she was loved there as well.

Orphanage Pictures

The orphanage gave us 7 pictures of little Jin Qiu Ju when she was living there. The earliest photo is this one, when she was 2 months old. The name of the other baby is written on the back of the photo. She's also a "Jin Qiu", but obviously I can't read the character for the other name. She's a little cutie. I hope she was adopted too.

This photo was taken exactly one month later, in December of 2005 when she's 3 months old.

I wonder if they don't have heat in the orphanage. She's pretty bundled up in all the winter photos. Here she's 4 months old.

Getting a little stronger at 5 months old.

In March of 2006. This was around the time they took her referral pictures. I've seen this sweater on other babies from Guiping. I don't know if they got a bulk deal and have several, or if the babies take turns wearing it.

There was no picture in April, and this one was from May. Her hair had grown and she's sitting up. Back in Washington, at the end of this month, we were just getting her referral info.!

This is the last photo from the orphanage, June 30, 2006. At this point, China knew we were adopting her, and she went to a foster family.

1st Birthday

Yesterday was little Qiu Ju's first birthday! That morning, I had some errands to run and thought I'd take her with me and get some pictures around Poulsbo. She really wasn't in the mood--they never are when they're in a great outfit and their hair is done and the camera has batteries....

Anyway, this one is cute of her at the Poulsbo Marina.

Chinese baby, in front of Scandinavian sign, in American town.

Maya got a "Welcome to the U.S." letter from President Bush a couple of days ago and it said, "Americans are united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals. The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, and that no insignificant person was ever born. Our country has never been united by blood, or birth, or soil. We are bound by principles that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us what it means to be citizens....Welcome to the joy, responsibility, and freedom of American citizenship. God bless you, and God bless America."

Do you think George Bush wrote that? I have my doubts.

The Whittles bought Maya a floater for her birthday and she and the girls had a good time in the pool.

Just in the past week, Maya has made such great strides! We (actually Madeline) got her to finally do a belly laugh! Maya learned to clap and shows us that new trick frequently, and she can say, Mama, Dada, Hi, and doggie! She's doing so well!

We had a wonderful outdoor birthday dinner of barbequed ribs, chicken, spinach dip and bread, green bean salad, and potatoes. As usual, Maya enjoyed it all. Boy, can she put the food away!

The kids baked and decorated Maya's cake. She wasn't so sure about the whole thing. When we sang, it came out as, "Happy Birthday dear (all together) Maya, Qiu Ju, Ju Ju....Happy Birthday to you!"

I was surprised at how much I thought of Qiu Ju's birth parents today, the day she was left at the orphanage, and yesterday, her birthday. There is a mother in China who certainly knows the significance of these dates. I'm sure her baby girl was in her thoughts today and that she's wondering where she is, what she looks like, and if she's happy. I hope that when she pictures her, she sees in her mind a beautiful, smiling, energetic girl who is being loved by a family in the United States.

Our good friend, Nikki Haws, just put together a beautiful video of Maya's adoption. We need to change the format so that we can put it on the internet, but it should be up soon. It's been so fun to relive that moment when she was placed in our arms.

Who knows, maybe someday in the future there will be another China Journey. There was nothing about the process that would discourage us from doing it again, but for now, we're enjoying all 4 of our precious and unique kids.