Hi everyone--
Well, this year has not been the best one for keeping up on our family blog... I'm going to be catching up on entries over the coming days, but I wanted to pause for a moment as we say good-bye to 2014 and reflect on one of the most hectic years ever for our family...
The beginning of a new year always seems so fresh, new, exciting. In contrast, bringing a year to a close invites reflection and a chance for taking stock.
2014 was a good year. How could I label it otherwise? During this year, Emmy and I got to do both Disneyland and Disney World. Britti got married in a beautiful ceremony in May. Trixie joined our family in April. Emmy had a record-shattering year in 4-H, including one state championship and several awards at the state and county levels. Chelsea studied abroad in the summer and then returned to pursue her degree in accounting at Baylor. Ellie-Kate continued to grow as an athlete, a reader, and a person. Roger and I both finished authoring books. Yes, 2014 was a very, very good year.
Perhaps it was too much of a good year. By November, I was just exhausted. Helping to plan the wedding, finishing the book, leading two Girl Scout troops, advising the 4-Hers, teaching classes, working on NCA--2015, coaching Ellie-Kate's soccer team, attending Emmy's sports events, serving as PTO co-treasurer, keeping up with our animals and schedules and the house... Just a lot...
Unexpected developments added to our stress. In August, I made the difficult decision to change churches. Even though we truly love our new church, leaving our church home of 20 years was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. In September, we learned that Izzy had cancer, and, after a valiant fight, he passed away in November. I battled a recurrent sinus infection, likely because I allowed myself to get run down... Just a lot...
As I look forward to 2015, I'm resolved to take care of myself better... to scale back... to permit myself to get enough sleep and exercise... to keep my eyes squarely and firmly on God, for guidance and provision. To seek Him first always and to reaffirm my walk with Him as the priority. Professional accomplishments will fade away... People come and go, but He remains constant, and I need to remember that He will light my path (and that I should have eyes for seeking those rays of light).
In 2015, I'm looking forward to a year filled with more rest, relaxation, joy with family, fellowship with friends, and focus on God. And now, as we spend 30 more minutes in 2014, I praise God for Brittany Nicole, Chelsea Meagan, Emmy Grace, and Ellie-Kate. I praise God for Roger. I praise God for Brookfield Church and for the opportunity to live in Athens and to teach at OU. I praise God for our home, our pets, and the many rich blessings of friends and family. I praise God for providing us with a way to be with Him, even when we inevitably make mistakes that could otherwise keep us from being with our perfect, holy Heavenly Father. I praise God for moments of reflection that remind us that our time here is so temporary-- just a blip, really, compared to the vastness of eternity--so we need to check our priorities, egos, and distractions as we steer our eyes and hearts to what matters in the long run.
Thanks for caring about our family! We look forward to more time on the blog in 2015, and we wish you a wonderful and blessed New Year!
Christie
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Izzy-- July, 1999--November 10, 2014
With incredible sadness, I must share that our cat, Izzy, passed away just before 9 a.m. this morning. In his 15 1/2 years, he overcame partial amputation of his tail, battled back from a stroke, and fought valiantly against lymphoma. From the moment that Chelsea found him in a bush as she was going in for kindergarten shots at Dr. Gaskell's office, Izzy displayed his resilience, tenacity, and sense of humor on a daily basis. He loved his family and had a special fondness for... seafood. We will miss him so much, and we said good-bye late this afternoon with many tears yet incredible joy that we have so many precious memories, several because he made one miraculous recovery after another. We thank MedVet - Columbus and Kroner Animal Care for all of their help over the years, and we hope that Izzy enjoys reconnecting over the rainbow bridge with his older brothers, Pookie and Gizmo, and tolerates his often irritating older sister, Nellie, for eternity. Izzy, you will always be one of a kind, and we are so grateful that you will forever be part of our family and our hearts.
Izzy worked hard during rehab at Medvet, and his therapists were so impressed with his determination... February, 2013
February, 2013: We didn't know if Izzy was going to make it. He couldn't move when we got up to Medvet. Yet, he not only managed to move but also was ultimately able to jump on the couch, climb the stairs, and do nearly everything that he could before the stroke.
Coming home from the hospital... February, 2013...
After surviving the stroke and living well for several months, Izzy went off of his food for 15 days. Blessedly, Dr. Wallace at Medvet prescribed a steroid that shrunk the tumor, inspired him to eat, and ultimately gave us nearly two months more with him... September, 2014
Saturday, November 1, 2014
State and County Fair competitions... August 12, 2014
Emmy had an AMAZING year!! County results included: Racing the Clock for Awesome Meals (1st), Pet Pals (1st), You and Your Dog (1st), Novice B (2nd), Pre-Novice (2nd), Intermediate Dog Showmanship (1st), Pro Showmanship (1st), Rally (2nd), Rabbit Senior Showmanship (3rd), Senior New Zealand Doe (1st), Grand Champion New Zealand, Grand Champion Class 6, Overall Grand Champion Best of Show Rabbit Show!!! State results included: Racing the Clock for Awesome Meals (Outstanding of Day AND Clock Trophy Award!!), You and Your Dog (3rd), Drill Team (2nd), Showmanship (14th), Freestyle A (4th), and Pet Pals (Gold Medal). She also won Outstanding Exhibitor (Intermediate Dog and Intermediate Rabbit) and Skillathon winner (Intermediate Dog and Intermediate Rabbit) as well as the County Achievement medal winner for Food and Nutrition.
Six years ago today... November 1, 2014
Hi everyone--
Just wanted to take a moment and celebrate precious memories from six years ago... Six years ago today, Roger and I drove up to Columbus and met with a doctor in the International Adoption Clinic. We had received a file on an adorable baby girl with beautiful brown eyes. The computer referred to her as "Kristin;" the file referred to her as "An Yu Fang."
Holding our breath, we asked about the heart condition. The doctor assured us that most children have a hole in their hearts until they are six months old. To be sure, he quickly consulted with a pediatric cardiologist. He returned quickly and assured us that it wouldn't be a problem.
We exhaled a bit but then asked about spinal bifida occulta. The doctor told us that she actually had the "good kind" of spinal bifida. We might have a few problems with potty training, and she might be self-conscious in a low-cut bikini, but, otherwise, no problem.
We barely dared to take a breath. We pressed on. What about her hip displacia in both legs? The doctor replied that we might be able to fix it with physical therapy but that it could require surgery in one or both legs. Okay, we asked. What was the likelihood that she would be able to walk? The doctor looked surprise as he answered, "Oh, 100%!"
We finally were able to breathe. At that moment, I realized just how much that I had fallen in love with that amazing little girl. I was so relieved. Roger and I looked at each other, and we hurriedly thanked the good doctor and pretty much ran to a pay phone to call the adoption agency.
Our hearts sank when the answering machine took our call. Anyone, anywhere in the entire world, could lock in on "our baby" before we could claim her as our own in the morning. I prayed so hard that our adoption agency would file the paperwork before anyone else, anywhere in the entire world.
Six years later, I cannot even imagine if that interaction had gone differently. Ellie-Kate is such a miracle. In so many ways-- physically, socially, spiritually, relationally. She is absolutely, completely OUR daughter. At times, I don't even remember the whole biology thing. She's just our's. I am absolutely convinced that God ordained her to be in our family as our child... the talented, sometimes sassy, always loving little sister. I have trouble even thinking back to our emotions as we drove back to Athens, not knowing for sure that we could ever refer to Ellie-Kate as "our child."
Praise God for allowing everything to work out exactly as it did... For our friends to encourage us to visit with the doctor... for the doctor to give such an amazing and comforting report... for the agency to claim her for us... and for Ellie-Kate to defy all odds by actually being (arguably) our most athletic child, to boot!
As always, thanks for caring about our family!
Christie
Just wanted to take a moment and celebrate precious memories from six years ago... Six years ago today, Roger and I drove up to Columbus and met with a doctor in the International Adoption Clinic. We had received a file on an adorable baby girl with beautiful brown eyes. The computer referred to her as "Kristin;" the file referred to her as "An Yu Fang."
Holding our breath, we asked about the heart condition. The doctor assured us that most children have a hole in their hearts until they are six months old. To be sure, he quickly consulted with a pediatric cardiologist. He returned quickly and assured us that it wouldn't be a problem.
We exhaled a bit but then asked about spinal bifida occulta. The doctor told us that she actually had the "good kind" of spinal bifida. We might have a few problems with potty training, and she might be self-conscious in a low-cut bikini, but, otherwise, no problem.
We barely dared to take a breath. We pressed on. What about her hip displacia in both legs? The doctor replied that we might be able to fix it with physical therapy but that it could require surgery in one or both legs. Okay, we asked. What was the likelihood that she would be able to walk? The doctor looked surprise as he answered, "Oh, 100%!"
We finally were able to breathe. At that moment, I realized just how much that I had fallen in love with that amazing little girl. I was so relieved. Roger and I looked at each other, and we hurriedly thanked the good doctor and pretty much ran to a pay phone to call the adoption agency.
Our hearts sank when the answering machine took our call. Anyone, anywhere in the entire world, could lock in on "our baby" before we could claim her as our own in the morning. I prayed so hard that our adoption agency would file the paperwork before anyone else, anywhere in the entire world.
Six years later, I cannot even imagine if that interaction had gone differently. Ellie-Kate is such a miracle. In so many ways-- physically, socially, spiritually, relationally. She is absolutely, completely OUR daughter. At times, I don't even remember the whole biology thing. She's just our's. I am absolutely convinced that God ordained her to be in our family as our child... the talented, sometimes sassy, always loving little sister. I have trouble even thinking back to our emotions as we drove back to Athens, not knowing for sure that we could ever refer to Ellie-Kate as "our child."
Praise God for allowing everything to work out exactly as it did... For our friends to encourage us to visit with the doctor... for the doctor to give such an amazing and comforting report... for the agency to claim her for us... and for Ellie-Kate to defy all odds by actually being (arguably) our most athletic child, to boot!
As always, thanks for caring about our family!
Christie
Friday, October 31, 2014
Saying good-bye to the 2014 Athens County Junior Fair... 8/9/14
Ellie-Kate and Britti eat one last dinner at the Lion's Club booth...
Ellie-Kate got one last chance to go on the kiddie rides... On the one hand, it's great that she's so tall for sports... On the other hand, it's sad that she's so tall because she won't be able to go on the kiddie rides again next year... Our baby really is growing up...
Ellie-Kate and a girl from her softball team rode on the kiddie roller coaster together.
Chelsea and Ellie-Kate
Ellie-Kate had a great time at the barn dance! Actually, Chelsea and Britti enjoyed the line dancing too after we finished taking down our fair booth. Meanwhile, Emmy was at a pre-season soccer scrimmage... Let's just say that she was definitely NOT happy about missing so much of the fair due to soccer two-a-days and then the scrimmage...
Other than soccer conflicts, we had an AMAZING county and state fair!! Emmy just had incredible dog and rabbit shows and food judging. Britti did a super job with 4-H judgings and the fair. Chelsea Meagan had an awkward fair... She was too old for 4-H and Junior Fair Board but too young for official, adult roles. Thus, she volunteered throughout the fair and filled in gaps where the Junior Fair Board members weren't available. It was very cool to see Britti and Chelsea running the Wednesday poultry show together :) Ellie-Kate enjoyed the kiddie parade, rides, and all of the animals. We're so blessed that all of the girls love the fair. What a special time for our family :)
Last day of the 2014 Athens County Junior Fair... August 9, 2014
Brittany, Becca, Sabrina, Chelsea, Adale, and Sierra all participated on the Fair Queen Tractor Pull team
They pulled hard and came in a close second (to a much more, well, well-equipped team). They walked off the track and vowed to train harder for 2015!
Britti, Adale, Sierra, Becca, and Chelsea
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Halloween, 2014: TBT
TBT: Six years ago tonight, we had just finished trick or treating, and, over pizza, I confided to our friends about this beautiful baby with amazing eyes. Roger and I had been approved for the Special Needs List, and I just kept going back to one of the babies. I could close my own eyes and see her looking at me from the top left corner of the screen (and still can!). As I told our friends about this baby, I shared that her special needs seemed to go beyond what we had agree...d that we could handle. Yet, I couldn't stay away from staring at her photo, every time that I turned on the computer. Blessedly, our friends encouraged us to get more information about the precious baby in the picture who would soon become our incredible Ellie-Kate. Thanks to Dan Modaff and Jennifer Butler Modaff for being such great friends and such an important part of our journey as a family. Trick or treat night gained a special place in our heart that night, six years ago.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Auction Day-- August 8, 2014
Emmy had another incredible day at the fair. At the pre-sale auction announcements, she won Intermediate Skillathon for Rabbit, Intermediate Skillathon for Dog, Outstanding Intermediate Exhibitor for Rabbit, and Outstanding Intermediate Exhibitor for Dog. WOW!!!
Emmy also was recognized for earning her 5th Athens County Dog Champion Title!! Other club members earning titles included Chloe, Olivia, Tyler, and Abby
Chloe, Nicki, Olivia, Emmy, Abby, and Tyler
Emmy and Ellie-Kate
Chelsea helped one of her former campers with selling her Reserve Grand Champion Turkey!
Emmy and Coco-- 8/7/14
The Athens News was kind enough to run a special issue about the Athens County Fair champions, and it needed a picture of our Dog Pro Showmanship Champion!! Thus, we re-created a picture of Emmy, Coco, and their awards from the county dog show.
Thursday, August 7, 2014: Athens County Junior Fair
Ellie-Kate in the kiddie tractor pull competition (Let's just say that her upper body strength is MUCH more impressive than her leg strength...)
Emmy competed in the first ever Iron Chef competition on the Hillside Stage. She won first in her category and reserve champion overall :) Emmy had just an incredible fair, even in the "fun" categories!
Adam and Chelsea were the judges. (Chelsea would be an even tougher critic than someone who didn't know her.)
Working the poultry show... August 6, 2014
Chelsea and Britti worked the poultry show together... just like old times :)
HIgh School Orientation-- 8/6/14
Yu-Shin, Emmy, Kali, and Patricia all compare schedules after orientation. How surreal to be at the high school for orientation right smack in the middle of fair week!
Emmy at her very first high school locker!
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