Tuesday, July 29, 2008

One Year of Tru Love !

What a year! Has it been a year already?!
One year ago today we met our Tru. On July 29, 2007 we flew from Beijing to Gansu Province , China . Within 1.5 hours we arrived in Lanzhou , checked into our hotel and there was soon a knock on our door. Special Delivery!

The First Night:

Our pouting, nearly crying, sad little guy was handed to us so that we could begin our lives together as a complete family.



He was so sad that it brings me to tears just thinking about it. He would not even look at us for the first 24 hours.

Lin-Ley wanted to play with Tru and talk to him. He would push her away and turn away from her.













The Next Morning (Our First Full Day Together):

I think this is my absolute favorite photo from our whole trip. Look at Tru's face!









Later that day Tru began looking up and making eye contact.


We were being as silly as possible trying to get Tru to smile.


Yes! There is that contagious smile!















Our Second Day Together:
After the ice was broken there was no turning back.


This is another of my favorite photos. That pink cup was Tru favorite toy for the remainder of the trip.



















And that was that. From that point forward he has been the happy, smiley, lively, courageous and inspirational Tru that we all know and love.

So here is a summary of Tru's first year:


* 70+ Doctor’s Visits including: pediatrician, developmental, urology, audiology, genetics, orthopedics, endocrinology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, cardiology, and prosthetics.

* 6 Emergency Room Visits

* 3 Surgeries


We could not be more fortunate to live in an area with world respected medical care just 20 miles away. The military insurance has been absolutely wonderful and with a little coaxing/insisting/pleading Tru has received all of the medical care he has needed and then some. In addition, other than the cardiologists and one prosthetist, all of Tru’s care providers have been female and all of them have been young. In my book that has also made a huge impact on Tru’s care – or maybe it just made me feel better.

So here are a few photos from tonight:
Tru loves to sit in Airborne's bed in our bedroom. Tonight I turned the t.v. on so he would sit there and I could just watch him for a while.






What a gift!


Even with everything he has been through in the last year he is the happiest little boy I know. Oh so happy! (more tears…)

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Another Chinese Poem

Friday was Lin-Ley's last day at Chinese Summer Camp. She begins Drama Camp tomorrow. Yes, that's what we need - more drama!

Lin-Ley wanted to share another Chinese poem:


And once again Tru had to have his turn:


Just being silly tonight....

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Happy Birthday Dear Dallas

Today is Dallas' birthday. I forget how old he said he is now. I think he said he was in his late 20's (again)!


This is a recent photo with Piggy. Dallas is holding up the package of gum to show Lin-Ley he did receive his Father's Day package.








Unfortunately when we spoke with him today he was not feeling well. He seems to have caught a severe cold. Lin-Ley learned he was not feeling well and began to talk his ear off telling him how to take care of himself and then the conversation led to her previous illnesses. I finally had to take the phone away so he could rest.

Happy Birthday Daddy! Feel Better!!

Here is video Lin-Ley made for Dallas last week. She has been in a Chinese Summer Camp the past several weeks and has flourished there.


Of course Tru had to have a turn in the front of the camera but he is obviously more interested in seeing himself in the screen on the back of the camera. "I want it!"


65 DAYS AND COUNTING!!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

5th Annual China Girl Picnic

Road Trip! Once again we traveled to New York (near Syracuse) to reunite with most of the families that we traveled with to China in 2003 when we adopted Lin-Ley. Colleen and Becky and of course their husbands Art and Dean have been kind enough to act as “The Committee” and organize this event each year.

This year Dallas obviously could not make the trip with us so it was just the three of us. The thought of driving for around 8 hours each way with the two kids was a little daunting but we went for it. There were loads of snacks, drinks and toys in the van and we made an early start on Friday morning arriving in Syracuse by 1:30PM. The kids watched and I listened to High School Musical 2 about three times that day. Over all the trip was not half bad. We only made two stops on the way up and I had the snacks and drinks close by and just handed them back as needed.

We finally arrived in New York!















After arriving at the hotel I tried to convince the kids to take a nap. No dice. I guess they had lots of built up energy to expend so they were wired and ready to go. That evening we went to dinner with a few of the families at a local Chinese restaurant. That mini-reunion was short lived. Tru was so full of energy and only wanted to walk around. As he had done that morning during breakfast at Cracker Barrel he walked around from table to table telling everyone “hi” and looking intently at their food. He refused to sit and let everyone else finish eating so we had to make an early exit. By the time we returned to our hotel Jim, Donna and Mackenzie had arrived. They always stay at the hotel with us. Lin-Ley and Mackenzie were anxious to hit the pool as was Tru. He kept saying, “Water, Water!!” A few minutes of swimming and playing around and it was time for baths and bed.

Bed time was interesting. I had called the hotel earlier that week and asked if they could provide a crib for Tru and they said yes. When we arrived they brought in a small pack-n-play which could accommodate an infant. Plan B. Luckily I had brought along our bed side-rail just in case Tru had to sleep in the bed with me. (That’s the great thing about driving instead of flying – you can bring along everything you think you might need. And that’s about the only advantage over flying as far as I am concerned.) Let’s just say Tru is not a real cuddler. I have tried to lay him in the bed with me at home and he has wanted no part of it. Now we had no choice. That night after the long day of driving, dinner and swimming, Tru lay down next to me and within 4 minutes he was snoring. All night, while Lin-Ley slept soundly in the bed next to us, I kept getting punched, kicked and head-butted. Tru spun around and around in the bed like the hands of a clock. I do not know how he gets any rest.

Saturday – Picnic Day – China Girl Reunion.
This picnic means so much to us all. It’s like an annual love fest of sorts. It is amazing how our families are so closely bonded after spending two weeks together in China and having never met previously. Every year we get together and visit and watch the girls run around. There are hugs all around. So much fun!

Unfortunately I did not get as many photos as I would usually but I had two kids to keep up with. In addition I have to try to keep Tru in close proximity so that I can try to catch him in case he falls (usually hitting his head). And this was Tru’s first year to meet the girls so I had to make sure he met all of them. First impressions….

The pavilion where we were picnicing was next to a volleyball area with sand. The girls took full advantage. Tru instantly went over and as a way of introducing himself began trying to take all of their tools. No luck Mister! Find your own toys!

Tru finally came inside and discovered the wiggle riders. Once he got on there was no getting him off.

Group shot. Becky (our resident photographer – see her blog My 2 Cuties), Donna with Mia T., Michael, Laura with her daughters, May and Claire. Mia S. impresses all with her hula hoop action.


The China Dolls – This is a group shot of all of the children in attendance who were adopted from China. Tru and Beth’s big sister Mary decided not to join in for this photo.
Left to Right: Top Row: Beth, May, Lana, Sara, Drew, Lin-Ley, Mackenzie, Maria, and Julia,
Bottom Row: Claire, Hannah, Mia T., Lucy, and Mia S.

2003 Travel Group (Lin-Ley’s China Sisters)
Top Row: Sara, Mia T., Mia S., Lin-Ley, Mackenzie, and Julia
Bottom Row: May, Hannah, Drew and Beth
This is 10 of the 14 girls in our group. We have never managed to get all 14 families together at these picnics. Maybe next year.

Family photo. Tru refused to be in the photo unless I allowed him to bring along the pink ball.








Time to hit the beach. Shoes and all. Actually Tru has to keep his shoes on at all times for balance so I brought along an extra pair.











Lin-Ley takes a spin in the paddle boat.







For some reason Lin-Ley thoroughly enjoyed playing with the seaweed.









Tru just decided to wear the seaweed. Check out his right leg.












The Roarkes and The Braatens








The girls were working together to build something with the sand. Tru helped by gathering water in his bucket, walking into the center of the girls and then pouring the water onto whatever the girls had managed to build. They fussed at him each time but we went right along with his water duties.

Each time Tru went into the water to fill up his bucket he plopped down into the water, filled up his bucket and then stood up and headed toward the girls. (This photo was provided by Becky Green – Thanks Becky!)

Time for birthday cake.











Each year we celebrate all of the girls' birthdays with a huge cake.














And that wrapped up another great reunion. But we had one more piece of business…

During Tru’s lake side adventures he managed to fill his prosthesis socket (the part his residual limb fits into) with murky water. I had anticipated a need to clean the socket after the picnic and swimming so Dankmeyer (the company that made Tru’s prosthesis) was kind enough to change the permanent rivet to a removable screw just before the trip so that I could clean it as needed. Well… I had never tried to take the socket apart in fear of not being able to get it back together correctly. It was time for more on the job training….

I mentioned that I needed a screwdriver to take apart and clean Tru’s prosthesis. Michael had one and we tried to take out the screw. It was twirling around but not coming out. Dean saw us struggling and came over to take a look. He instantly knew we needed more than a screwdriver. Luckily Dean and family were camping right there at the park and he went to their camper for a supply of tools.

Tru watched anxiously. He kept saying “leg, leg!” and was unsure if Dean was going to take his leg away





Finally Dean managed to remove the screw, we cleaned up the socket (pouring out about 1/4 cup of water) and then Dean put it back together again perfectly. Thanks again Dean!!!!!!!!!!!



Dean jokingly told Tru that when he gets older it might be cool to put some water in his leg again with some goldfish. The girls might really like that he said.











Later that evening the Greens and Wileys met us and the Roarkes back at our hotel for some more visiting, dinner and swimming. When they turned out the lights in the pool at 10PM that was our cue that it was time to call it a night.

I was planning to leave the hotel by 8AM for the drive home but Tru decided that a wake up time of 5:15AM was even better. So we got up, packed the van and headed home. Luckily traffic was great and we got home quickly with another stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch. It is a tradition!














What a wonderful weekend. We are already looking forward to next year!



This is a fantastic photo of everyone in attendance!












This photo was also provided by Becky Green . Becky is located in the center of the photo with the blue blouse. Thanks for sharing Becky!!
As I said before I did not get nearly as many photos this year and therefore have not included everyone here. If you want to see more fantastic photos including individual family photos please visit the Our 2 Cuties blog. You will find the link on the right hand side of this page.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Latest With Lin-Ley

Lin-Ley has had many questions about Heaven lately. The whole concept of Heaven amazes her and has sparked quite a few questions. So we will start there with her latest observations:

* “Mom, why does it rain all of the time?” My explanation was that God knows that the flowers, tree and grass need water to grow so He sends rain.
Several weeks later we were getting ready to leave for school / work and I told Lin-Ley to wear her tennis shoes rather than her sandals because it was going to rain that day. Later, in the car, Lin-Ley asked, “Mom, how do you know it is going to rain today?” I told her that I had heard the weather man’s report on the radio that morning. Then she put two and two together and said, “Does he live in Heaven with God?”

* Several days before the end of school I picked up Lin-Ley one afternoon and the first thing she said once we reached the van was, “Mom, am I just the perfect kid for you and Daddy?” Of my answer was an enthusiastic Yes! Then she added, “You needed a beautiful, beautiful, beau-ti-ful little girl and here I am!”

* Dallas’ birthday is coming up and Lin-Ley asked him several weeks ago what he wanted for his birthday. He quickly answered, “I want another baby.” (For the record - he was just joking.) Without even having to think about it Lin-Ley answered, “No Daddy! We are NOT having any more babies!!!”

Lin-Ley and her classmates participated in the recent graduation ceremony at her Chinese School. They each recited verses (in Chinese) of a poem about Mother’s Day. Lin-Ley was the second performer.

She walked out on stage, recited the first two sentences, stopped, looked into the audience and smiled, put her hand on her hip and said (in English), “I don’t remember the rest.” The audience loved it and started laughing and clapping. Then she gave a little bow and passed the hand held microphone to the next classmate.

Somehow Lin-Ley had convinced her teacher to give her a headset with a microphone. She thought she was something!










Hope you had a nice 4th of July. It was a quiet holiday for us but we managed to hit a local parade. I did not get many photos because Tru refused to stand or sit still more than about 20 seconds at a time.

Here Tru takes a quick seat and offers me some grass. He spent the entire parade picking blades of grass and bringing them to us to eat. Pretending to eat is one of his favorite activities lately. Apparently our DVD player has some delicious food inside of it because he visits it daily and brings Lin-Ley and me pretend food which we must eat.




Lin-Ley strikes a pose with her friend Jordyn.




Happy Independence Day!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Home Improvements – What A Mess!!

It has been a busy (and have I mentioned messy) couple of weeks around the Herpin household. Our house is now 128 years old and believe it or not has never been insulated. Under our rather new vinyl siding is the original clapboard exterior of the house. No insulation. How can that be we wonder? Regardless – it was time to insulate for two reasons: 1. The amount of money we spend every winter on heating oil is unreal 2. As much money as we spend to heat the house we still freeze!

We have actually put off the insulation because we knew that it would destroy our interior walls. They would need to drill holes throughout the house and blow in the insulation. But then we found out they could insulate from the exterior of the house. Now that’s a whole different ballgame. Let’s do it!

Pa-Pa Bill arrived on Father’s Day to help supervise the home improvements, run errands, and help out with the kids so I could run errands. He arrived on Sunday and the first project (insulation) began on Tuesday. Lin-Ley was home with Pa-Pa that day so she was to help supervise. Somehow she talked Pa-Pa into letting her lay on the couch in front of the TV. But she did call me at work soon after the work began to tell me, “Mom! Come home quick! Those men are pulling the skin off of our house!!”


There was one man who went around the house pulling off strips of siding.
The second man came along and drilled holes along the wall.





The third man blew in the insulation and patched the holes. Then the first man came back behind them and replaced the siding.












Simple right? Well, yes, but here comes the messy part….
I came home for lunch because I wanted to see how things were going and I was curious to see how the process worked. When I walked into the kitchen my contact lenses instantly clouded up. It was very odd and I could not figure out what had happened. Then a ray of sunlight came through the kitchen window and I saw that the whole room was one big dust cloud. Oh… I can’t even tell you!!!

Have you ever watched the television show “Dirty Jobs”? I had my own version of that show at our house that day. I walked into our bedroom which has painted wooden floors and it was coated with dust. Everything in our house was coated. I just stood and looked around and was overwhelmed. The floors were so slippery that once we were home that evening Tru kept slipping. I had to sit him down until I could get a couple of rooms’ floors vacuumed and mopped before he could even walk around. I guess this just shows just how drafty the house really was. I had to keep telling myself that it was all worth it because we would at least be warm next winter. We better be VERY warm!

So the only thing to do (after I got past the mental breakdown) was to play the Glad Game. Have you seen “Pollyana” (classic Disney movie)? If not – rent it! According to Pollyana in every situation you can find something to be glad about. So I’m glad that:
1. The house is finally insulated.
2. Everything in my house has had a good dusting, mopping, and/or thorough cleaning (whether I liked it or not!)
3. It’s over!


Next on the agenda – new windows throughout the house. The house still had the original windows which was part of the appeal when Dallas and I first saw it. They were wooden framed and still had the original and functioning pulleys and weights. Loved them! However they were super drafty (even with storm windows covering them) as well and it would not have made much sense to insulate the house and not replace the windows. Luckily this project did not prove to be very messy. The men sent to perform the work with very experienced and have done a great job. It really put me at ease the first day they were here to see how precise they were and how careful they were. It was very sad to see the old wooden windows go and especially sad to hear the weights fall into the walls when they cut the ropes and pulled out the old pulleys. But I must admit that the new windows look fantastic.
Getting started on the first window.










Check out Supervisor / Pa-Pa Bill in the background.












No Window













New Window













Before












After









Time for a bubble break!
There’s Pa-Pa Bill supervising again.











And of course our Model/Princess/Barker Beauty had to show off one of the new windows in her room.





I have kept Dallas up to date on these messy adventures. He said that he was awarding me the Good HouseKeeping Seal of Approval.




Well I’m worn out just reliving these events!