China – Dwimble.com

Visit from the Hatchers

Louanne — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 11:00:30 +0000

2007 and 2016.

The Hatcher’s were on our first adoption trip to China. They adopted their precious Jaida when we adopted Nadia. Amy and Jaida were coming to Texas for a girls weekend to see Magnolia Market. They stopped to see us on their way in and out of town. It was so wonderful to see them and the girls had such a fun time playing and catching up.

Looking at a photo album of their past visits.

Thanks for coming to see us Amy and Jaida. It was a real blessing to catch up with you and see the girls together again.

China Camp 2016

Louanne — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:21:09 +0000

China Camp 2016 was the 6th for Nadia, 4th for Amelie and 1st for Dani. And you know that Dani was so excited to attend for the first time after watching her sisters go in 2014 and 2015. She was also super excited that her buddy Charlotte could come too and they stayed in the same hotel.

Day 1 fun.

Day 2 fun. Sharon, Jade, Gwen and Karsten all came down to visit us.

Dani with her teachers. So sweet.

After camp with Alyssa and Caitlin.

Jeng Chi Moon Cakes

Louanne — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 10:30:59 +0000

The Peterman’s came to visit us in early August and all the girls drove up to Richardson to see the Moon Cake “knocking” (forming) at the Jeng Chi restaurant. I wanted to take my girls last year, but something came up so I was glad we could take the Peterman’s. They do this once a year in preparation to sell Moon Cakes for the Autumn Festival. It was very cool to watch and listen too while we had lunch. I was also really happy that I hadn’t hyped the deliciousness of the food too much. Jess and the girls loved everything! We took frozen dumplings and pork buns home for later.

These are the shrimp dumplings and on the plate behind the AMAZING green onion pancakes.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNO9yDjmvi0

Chinese New Year Celebration 2015

Louanne — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:00:59 +0000

February 2015

The girls and I drove to Richardson for the the Dallas Chinese Community Center Chinese New Year celebration. When we were almost there Nadia asked me if we were going to be the only ones dressed up in silks. Just at that moment I saw an elderly gentleman with his groceries dressed in a traditional silk shirt which I pointed out. As we were looking for a parking spot all the girls could see where Chinese people and Nadia yelled out, “This is like being in China! Cool!” The girls were also excited about seeing the lion and dragon dance.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTbzB1u7djc

The Dragon Dance was so fun for the girls and we had great seats.

After the celebration we visited with some friends and then decided to eat at the Jeng Chi restaurant and bakery. I had liked their facebook page months before and was excited to try it. The food was AMAZING and authentic. The green onion pancakes were so good I almost wished it was all I had ordered. The girls gobbled up their food and we took a to-go meal home to Mike who couldn’t join us because he was working. It was a great day and I am so glad that I made the drive all the way up there.

1 Year with Dani!

Louanne — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:00:27 +0000

Dani on her first night with us. March 2, 2014

Dani with us 1 week. March 9, 2014.

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

We love you Dani! You have brought so much joy to our family!

Wish you Happy Forever

Louanne — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 11:00:24 +0000

Half the Sky is a US charity that operates in Chinese orphanages that was started by Jenny Bowen. She is amazing and her story is amazing and the amount of lives touched by her is AMAZING!!!

From Amazon:

“Wish You Happy Forever chronicles Half the Sky founder Jenny Bowen’s personal and professional journey to transform Chinese orphanages—and the lives of the neglected girls who live in them—from a state of quiet despair to one of vibrant promise.

After reading an article about the thousands of baby girls languishing in Chinese orphanages, Bowen and her husband adopted a little girl from China and brought her home to Los Angeles, not out of a need to build a family but rather a commitment to save one child. A year later, as she watched her new daughter play in the grass with her friends, thriving in an environment where she knew she was loved, Bowen was overcome with a desire to help the children that she could not bring home. That very day she created Half the Sky Foundation, an organization conceived to bring love into the life of every orphan in China and one that has actually managed to fulfill its promise.

In Wish You Happy Forever, a fish out of water tale like no other, Bowen relates her struggle to bring the concept of “child nurture and responsive care” to bemused Chinese bureaucrats and how she’s actually succeeding. Five years after Half the Sky’s first orphanage program opened, government officials began to mention child welfare and nurturing care in public speeches. And, in 2011, at China’s Great Hall of the People, Half the Sky and its government partners celebrated the launch of The Rainbow Program, a groundbreaking initiative to change the face of orphan care by training every child welfare worker in the country. Thanks to Bowen’s relentless perseverance through heartbreak and a dose of humor, Half the Sky’s goal to bring love the lives of forgotten children comes ever closer.”

In October 2013 when we were matched with Dani and I saw a video of her being held by a Half the Sky nanny my first thought was, “Jackpot!” I had read and heard enough from other parents whose kids had been in the program while waiting to be matched to know that Dani was most likely being very well taken care of. HTS trains the workers and nanny’s about how important it is for the kids to get a lot of attention and touch. They teach them how it will help them develop properly.

When we met Dani she had a big belly and chubby cheeks. She was healthy and once she was done being afraid of us, happy. She knew what it was like to be loved. She knew how to accept affection. She was far ahead of most institutionalized children. All because of the love and care received in the HTS program at her orphanage.

About a month after coming home, Jenny Bowen came through our area on her book tour. I took Dani to meet her and get a photo and book autographed.

I could go on and on, but instead I am going to have a giveaway! This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry, but I wish it will also give you HOPE. Hope that anyone can make a difference. No matter what has happened before, you can make a difference.

The publisher of the book is the Skoll Foundation and they have given me 5 copies of the eBook version to give away.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Dream

Louanne — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:00:15 +0000

In mid-April 2013 I woke up one morning after having an incredibly vivid dream. In the dream I was at my cousin Jenn’s house and her 3 boys were playing with my 3 girls. It was a really happy dream and the kids were having so much fun playing together. The thing is, both of our families only had 2 kids and Mike and I certainly didn’t have plans for more. I mean we had just sold our crib, given away our highchair, baby toys and all the clothes we had under size 3T. I texted Jenn and told her about the dream with a “ha ha ha!” at the end. I didn’t think about it again until Mike told me the next morning that he thought maybe we should adopt again. WHAT? Needless to say we had a brief discussion, but then it was time for us to go to church. I was completely and totally distracted during the sermon – thinking about my dream and thinking about what Mike said. Then while visiting with people after church a friend came up and said, “Hey Louanne. I know someone who wants to adopt from China and is wondering which agencies have the best reputation right now. Can you get me that information?” I thought, “Suuuuuuuuuuure. And I can use that info too.”

The next day was Monday and I had to wake our girls up for an appointment or something, which is out of the ordinary because we usually let them sleep as long as they like. I was trying to wake Nadia up when she sat up, half asleep and said, “Are we going to China again?” WHAT?? Mike and I hadn’t mentioned anything to her so I asked her what she meant and she said, “I thought we were going to China again.” I walked into Amelie’s room next and woke her up and said, “Amelie, what were you dreaming about?” She said, “Clowns.” Whew!

A couple of weeks went by and at that point Mike and I had decided on a new agency, applied and mailed our first check. Then I get a call from Jenn saying, “Guess what? I am pregnant. I was pregnant when you texted and didn’t know.” WHAT???

Fast forward to August 2014 and my dream came true with one difference – Jenn and Chris had a girl instead of a boy

Look at these precious children!!

6 months ago today

Louanne — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 02:49:38 +0000

6 months ago the most amazing toddler joined our family. She was angry and suspicious, but also curious and obsessed with food which worked out in our favor. She went from mostly silent to chatting in baby Chinese to saying SHOES. The love of shoes lead to her desire to leave the hotel room at any time to go anywhere – she just wanted to out and exploring. We saw that she knew how to be loved, make eye contact and that boo boos should be kissed.

Fast forward and she has been through major bone surgery, 8.5 weeks in a body cast, and learned to walk and run again. She understands everything we tell her, and is still obsessed with food, but now she eats slower because she has learned the food won’t run out.

She loves to sing, chase her big sisters around, be held by Mommy and Daddy, play dough, stuffed animals, baths, shoes, stickers and of course food.

Her smile lights up the world. She has the most delightful personality. I can’t imagine our life without her.

We love you Dani and are beyond blessed that you joined our family!

Meeting new friends at the zoo

Louanne — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 20:48:12 +0000

The whole group (click to see album)

On the first of August we arranged to meet some online friends in real life at the zoo. I was really excited because Kristy and I had become friends on Facebook through the adoption community. We found that we have many things in common or of common interest. They traveled shortly after us and their little on has the same hip condition as Dani. She will even be having the same surgery at Scottish Rite this fall. I am so thankful that she drove her girls all the way up here to meet us at the zoo. It was also the first birthday of one of the new baby elephants so they had “Nothing Bundt Cakes” for the first 1,000 guests. The girls and I walked over to see Bowie get his special birthday cake.

I thought it was really cute that the zoo keepers kept the big elephants back while the little enjoyed the treats. After a little while they let the adults join in

I was happy that Dani let me put her near this statue because the last couple of times we went to the zoo she sort of freaked.

The girls were really cute together, but in this pic I think Dani had decided she was the “owner” of the kangaroo.

Dani loved going on the zoo carousel for the first time.

We rode the train back to the entrance which is always fun. **Thanks for meeting us Kristy!! It was a blast!

After we said our goodbyes I took the girls over to La Playa Maya to share queso and cowboy enchiladas. And once we started eating I asked myself why we haven’t been there in so long? It’s so YUMMY!!!

Expedition China Unit Study

Louanne — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 23:37:43 +0000

Do-A-Dots make learning fun! (click to see album)

*A catching up blog post*

As we were preparing to leave for our trip to China in February to meet Dani, I did a Chinese New Year unit with Amelie and a more in depth China Unit study with Nadia. I thought it would be fun to study because our house was filled with endless discussions about China already. We used one of the Amanda Bennett studies again because they are so convenient and easy to use.

On each of the 5 days of study we learned about a place in China, a Chinese animal, a Chinese invention and a missionary to China. It was very informative and we watched quite a few interesting and beautifully filmed videos.

As always Nadia loves putting together her lapbook at the end. It gives us a chance to review everything we have learned and talk about our favorite parts of the study.