Lucy Lou & Vivi too

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T23:21:00.002-05:00

Circle S Farms October 2010

2010-10-14T23:40:00.009-04:00

My princess and HER favorite princess

2010-07-30T23:22:00.003-04:00

Today we had a Princess Party with a few moms from Lucy's preschool. Back in June, our church youth performed a wonderful "musical" for VBS, and one of all of our girls favorite characters was Princess Ditzy. (Princess Smartie was also a fav, but she is on vacation with her family, so poor Ditzy was on her own!) One of the moms in our group happened to ask this sweet girl if she baby-sat, and she said yes, so we hired her for a couple hours today... Yes, we CALLED it a Princess Party, but it was REALLY a MOM'S AFTERNOON PARTY. We all brought a snack, and one mom brought some adult beverages, and while the kids played with Miss Ditzy, we socialized.

I must admit I felt a bit guilty about a.) sipping the adult beverage at 2:00pm, and b.) about sipping said adult beverage in front of some innocent sweet 15 year old from church that was meeting us all for the "first" time . She just giggled and ran off with the girls, and I promise you no one got silly.

The girls loved their special time, and the moms have decided that we just might have to make this a monthly thing! Ahhhh! Love my "mommy time!

Vivi's 1st Year Photos

2010-07-20T22:00:00.010-04:00

Happy Gotcha Day My Sweet Vivi Grace!

2010-07-01T06:14:00.004-04:00

Happy 1ST Birthday My Sweet Baby Girl

2010-06-28T22:57:00.008-04:00

Swimming at GG's (Great Grandma's)

2010-06-11T23:21:00.006-04:00

Easter 2010

2010-05-18T22:27:00.004-04:00

Better late than never, right......?

"Bug" at 7 months

2010-02-14T23:58:00.006-05:00

Still a big girl, Vivi is wearing 12-18, and 18-24 month clothing. Although she has already worn some of Lucy's PJ's from China (when Lucy was age 16 months) she wore one of Lucy's outfits for the first time recently. I went through all of Lucy's clothes the other day, and unfortunately I don't think I am going to be able to used many of them for Vivi. *Sigh* Maybe I can sell some of them to make money for child #3.

She is now going to bed around 9:30 or so, and sleeping until 5ish. Mark still gives her the AM feeding, and she usually goes back down until 8-9:30. She still eats like a champ, and is prefering her fruits over her veggies. Orange veggies are yummy, green veggies not so much!

Vivi now has her two bottom teeth, and is rolling over both ways. She still is not sitting up on her own ALL the time, but LOVES to throw herself out of her BUMBO seat. Although she is not yet crawling, she can slide herself on her belly quite a distance, and it is getting to the point where big sister Lucy can no longer leave her toys laying around.

Although her adoption is finalized already, we signed papers for our agency stating that we would provide updates to her birth parents. Although the judge reminded us in court that we were not legally bound to this agreement, we feel it is an honor to do so. Her birthmom and birthdad entrusted US with their PRECIOUS DAUGHTER'S life, and the very least we can do is provide them with updates about her. We will continue to provide them every month until she turns one, and then 2 times a year until she is 18. Every month, I end every letter to them asking for more contact. We would cautiously like to have more, as we feel this would be in Vivi's best interest. At the very least we would love to have contact back and forth by mail, where we could ask questions about her family history and exchange pictures, so when the time comes to share her story with her, we have more info. Although we received a WONDERFUL social/medical, that, and a blurry cell phone pic of her birthmom, are all we have. Please pray for us that someday they might respond.

Here is sweet Vivi at 7 months....

Please VOTE, and help bring this sweet boy home!

2010-02-03T22:16:00.006-05:00

Go to https://getaheadin2010.usbank.com/Story/2183 and vote for them to help them win $5,000 for their adoption. You can vote once every 24 hours. Contest ends February 28th. So far they only have 78 votes. The top story has over 1,000.

Lucy 4 Year & Vivi 6 Month Photos

2010-01-23T23:00:00.007-05:00

Meet the newest NOW PERMANENT member of our family! She is officially OURS!!!

2010-01-04T22:33:00.008-05:00

Vivi with John, our adoption agency director before our hearing

Our hysterical social worker Trina with our final adoption decree. She cracks us up! She handed us Vivi at the hospital, did all 7 of our post placement visits, and showed up today to witness our Finalization. We love her!

The FINAL COVETED paperwork!

Today was THE DAY! I was so nervous. This was new for us. Lucy's paperwork was pretty much all finalized at the US Consolute in Guangzhou. This was a BIT different.

We had to hire an attorney.

We had to be questioned under oath by said attorney.

We had to be questioned by the judge. A not joyous judge might I point out.

Although things seemed to be going okay until the judge cleared the room, DESPITE Mark and I saying it was okay for people to stay.....UH OH!

He proceeded to ask something along the lines of how we thought we could afford another child when Mark made THIS, and our debt was THIS. Were we charging all our groceries on credit cards he wondered? (I mean I knew things were tight, but we can afford to eat!)

Our jaws were on the floor.

The agency director and social workers jaws were on the floor.

I even think our attorneys jaw was on the floor.

I swear you could hear the crickets chirp!

The judge, in his attept to get us all to close our collective mouths, went on to start quoting numbers. Numbers that WERE NOT OURS. If they were, none of us could figure out how. We again stated out income/debt ratio which the agency verified, and it was time to move on. WHEW.

Our agency director spoke a bit how it was his recommendation the we have permanent placement of Vivi, and our attorney echoed his sentiments in the form of a request.

As the judge handed forth his fianl decree, I disolved into tears! She is ours!! Vivienne Grace is ours FOREVER!!

Our attorney proceeded to ask the judge if we could approach the bench for some pictures. He so "happily" obliged! If you could see the photos, I think you would have an inkling of what this was like. I may need to start an additional PRIVATE blog to share photos of our whole family that I am not comfortable sharing with people out there I don't "know"................

Thanks for all the amazing and wonderful comments on here and Facebook! We have enjoyed sharing our journey to Vivienne Grace with you!!

Our "Bug" is 6 months old!

2009-12-28T23:18:00.011-05:00

I can hardly believe it. Vivienne Grace is 6 months old today! Sometimes I feel like it was just yesterday that she joined our family, and sometimes it feels like she has been here forever.

She is such a big girl! On Christmas day, she weighed in at almost 19 1/2 pounds. She goes through clothes like CRAZY, and is currently wearing size 12-18 months in most brands, and size 18 months in Carter's pj's. To put it in perspective, when we adopted Lucy at age 15 1/2 months, she was around 16-17 pounds. Vivi is pushing out of the clothes and pj's Lucy wore while in China! In case you were wondering what we feed her, until last week it was mostly formula! We had introduced a few foods here and there since age four months, but she didn't seem real impressed. Last week during dinner she was sitting on my lap, and as I was eating my soup, she would tilt her head back and open her mouth. Let's just say she has gone full force with her daily meals since then! (And OH BOY did I feel guilty!) So far we have tried rice cereal, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and today, bananas. Let's just say baby girl loves her some sweet potatoes! WOW, she really makes a go for them!

She rolled over for the first time December 5th. Of course I missed it. I was gone for the day spending time with the family I used to work for, and she did it for dad. (I mean come on girl, I am with you day in and day out and this is what I get...sheesh! I mean, you even said DaDa first...Grrrrr.) She has been a rolling fool ever since!

She is so close to sitting up on her own, but does great when supported a bit. The girl has great abs..I swear one of these days she will go from lying on her back to sitting straight up, and most likely it will scare the crap out of me, but I will still be proud of her!

She's not a huge fan of tummy time, but when she does tolerate it, she holds herself up and is pulling one of her legs up like a frog. Mommy and daddy made a quick trip to Targ*t this weekend for a baby gate so we aren't taken off gaurd when she takes off crawling.

She continues to be in awe of her big sister Lucy, and vice versa. It is ovious there is a bond there that I hope continues forever. Lucy can make her smile like no one else can, and loves to be by her side. They sit next to each other in the morning to eat, and will lay together on my lap to rest. Lucy hates for Vivi to be at grandma's alone, and gets upset when her friends Lexi and Linley want to hold or play with her. (Hmmm, a bit jealous perhaps?)

She shows NO interest in holding her own bottle while she is fed, and think about it...would you if you were a princess and had queen mommy to do it for you?

Didn't think so.

She loves her voice, and let me tell you she has a big one! She squeals, screams, and laughs hysterically, but do NOT make the girl mad. There is no going back! I call her my 0-60 baby. She can go from being happy to screaming in, well, you get it!

Especially when hungry!

She is still a good sleeper. Some days 2 twenty minute naps, other days one long one (1-2 hrs) but will sleep from 9:30-8:30 with just one feeding. Sometimes even longer. I am very blessed that my hubby does the early morning feeding around 5 am before he gets in the shower for work. (What's that?...Me spoiled? Yeah, trust me...I know! Get this, I am also allowed to sleep in on most weekends! Is he a dear or what????)

We go to court to finalize our adoption next week.

It will be a bittersweet moment for me.

For many reasons.

It will most likely mark the end of our adoption journey as a family. Let's face it, adoption is EXPENSIVE, and I don't know how much more our credit can take for awhile.

Also, I have been fortunate enough to have met some great social worker's during this journey. If it had not been for one in particular, Denise, Vivi would not have been placed with our family. ( Long story WAY short, Denise came to our house to do a homestudy update for our Nepal adoption. She happened to ask how we found Nepal, and when I explained through an agency we were looking at for Ethiopia, she pointed out something so simple, yet so mind blowing. If we were open to race, why not adopt AA or bi-racial here in Ohio. And she was right. Why not?) This will mark my close continued conversations with these people.

People I would call to ask a question or voice a concern, and end up talking to for a LOT longer than we all bargained for. People I could bounce thoughts off of...... I know I will still be able to chat with them from time to time, but it just won't be the same. I had to laugh at the end of our most recent (and FINAL!!!) post placement visit. As the social worker walked out the door to her car, she turned and looked at me and said, "You'll be back!" with a sly grin. Will we? Only God himself knows. I sure would like it.

On the other hand, how JOYOUS finalization will be! No more paperwork. No more monthly visits. No more fire inspections by the State Fire Marshal. No more checking of all my outlet covers and cabinet locks. No more fingerprinting. No more background checks from the BCI, FBI and local police. NO MORE NICKEL AND DIMING ADOPTION EXPENSES!

But, the HAPPY and most IMPORTANT part of finalization??

Miss Vivienne Grace being a PERMANENT part of our family. The family who LOVES her, ADORES her, DOTES on her, and will CHERISH her forever and ever! How awesome is that???? And for that......we cannot wait!

Watch Out American Idol! (Maybe....)

2009-12-27T22:53:00.004-05:00

Away in a Manger take 1:

Away in a Manger take 2:

Sisters In Love!

2009-12-18T22:34:00.004-05:00

My Kiddos

2009-12-18T22:16:00.004-05:00

Game Day at the "Shoe"- GO BUCKEYES!

2009-11-21T23:09:00.009-05:00

Today we were fortunate enough to be able to watch the Buckeyes beat Michigan at a party at the Horseshoe. Although the game itself was in Ann Arbor, we still had a ball! The Huntington Room was all decked out!

We got to watch a little of this:

Indulge in a little of this......

and A LOT of this.........

During halftime we were able to take a tour of the 'Shoe. This is the view of the Olentangy River and Schott Center from the Suite floor.

The view from the Press Box

The Suite in which Ellen Tressel (Coach Tressel's wife) entertains during home games

And the absolute best part......down on the field! It was AWESOME!

Lucy was so excited to run for a touchdown!

And there it is ...TOUCHDOWN!

Hard to tell, but this is Vivi in the middle of the Block O...just HAD to do it! LOL!

And on the 50 yard line

We had so much fun! Although both girls were pretty darn sick yesterday, 24 hours of antibiotics and some Tylenol seemed to do the trick. I even got some cute family shots worthy of a Christmas card. BONUS!

Vivi's first time seeing Santa-Christmas 2009

2009-11-16T21:38:00.010-05:00

I guess you will all notice that Santa is down one kiddo....Miss Lucy! She has been terrified of the man since I forced her to sit on his lap (SCREAMING BTW!) back in 2007. I mean CRAZY afraid! If she even knows Santa is in the building, she will keep looking over her shoulder, or will hide under her blanket. We were hoping with the addition of Miss Vivi to our family this year, that that would change! (She doesn't do ANYTHING without her little sister!) Ummmm, no way..not even close....!! Did I mention NO FREAKIN" WAY?? I am not joking when I say that she would not even step foot on the same FLOOR of the mall with the happy fella in the big red suit ! She stayed upstairs with grandma, peering through the glass partition with one eye ever so slightly cracked open. When Santa looked up and waved to her, she covered her face! Gotta love my strong willed gal! LOL! Vivi on the other hand was a dream! I am so excited to send one of these pics to her birthparents!!

On another note, BOTH girls had their ears pierced today! I was only going to have Vivi's done, as Lucy (and daddy!) has always been so adamant that she did NOT want her ears pierced. While doing paperwork to get Vivi's done, Lucy decides she wants HERS done too. I didn't think she would go through with it, so I agreed. All be gosh darned if the girl went ahead and did it! Didn't even flinch! And, as she sat there beaming saying "DADDY WILL BE SO PROUD OF ME!", I was silently thinking Mark is going to kick my as*! It didn't help that another mom from church just happened to be walking by at the time with her girls and said to me "Is this something you and your husband have discussed?". Oh yeah...she DID. I wanted to hide under the chair! (Turns out she and her girls want THEIR ears pierced but THEIR daddy has said NO.) After we left the store I let Lucy call daddy and tell him what ~~she~~, I had done. Turns out he was cool with it, especially after hearing how excited she was. Hmmm, who would've thought??

Now, if I can just channel that enthusiasm into getting a picture of her with Santa....

Our First IFIF (Interacial Families In Friendship) Get Together!

2009-11-14T23:13:00.009-05:00

Tonight was our first IFIF group meeting. Although they meet once a month, this was the first one we were able to attend. I am so sorry we didn't get the chance to attend sooner! It was SO FUN!!! Although I am known to be completely outgoing, I can get pretty nervous when I am the "newbie"! I should not have worried because everyone was so open and friendly! In total there were over 75 people, including kiddos! Although the majority were domestic adoption, there were a handful from Ethiopia, 1 from Liberia, and a few the children of interacial couples. What a BEAUTIFUL diverse crowd! (Even another couple like us who recognized us from COFCC events, with a daughter from China the same age as Lucy!) Lucy found herself a new friend and fellow diva in a sweetie named Natalie, and Vivi a new boyfriend in sweet 8 month old Sam! We cannot wait to see them all again next month!
(sorry for the poor pictures! this is what happens when you are too busy yakking and leave hubby to do the photos.......you know, the hubby that HATES to take pictures... especially the ones you are yelling for him to take from ACROSS the room when you see something cute happening as you are too busy, you know YAKKING! LOL!)

Our 2009 Halloween Pumpkins

2009-10-31T22:31:00.012-04:00

These were our attempts at carving pumpkins this year....... the first one was Mark's and mine. It is suppossed to be the Chinese symbol for love, but it was a bit more intricate than we originally thought once we got started. There is even a whole section missing in the bottom of the symbol, but I figure not bad for a couple of novices! LOL! The second one is LuLu's. We gave her a marker and told her to draw what she wanted daddy to cut. What you see is what you get! We about fell over laughing, but she is one proud little girl! I wish I could have cartured the smile on her face when Mark took her out to see them lit on the front porch...it was priceless! Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Fun with the Cousins

2009-10-27T23:49:00.012-04:00

Ebert's Pumpkin Farm - Oconomowoc

This past week we traveled to Oconomowoc, WI to visit my family, and introduce them to the newest member of our brood, Miss Vivi Grace. The usual 7 1/2 hr trip from Columbus became 10+ hours with a 3 month old tagging along! LOL! We have hit 2 malls, been swimming, had Vivienne's first visit to the pumpkin farm, and spent many wonderful hours with family and friends. I must say that I never see joy radiate on my daughter Lucy's face like it does when she is with her cousins. There is a connection there, a bond, that I can see she truly shares with them. I am fortunate that no matter what family dynamics I may have with my family.....she still has this.

Vivi has also done well! The first few days she slept little at night (making for a TIRED mommy and daddy!) but the rest of the week she has slept like a trooper. My mom has really enjoyed her time with her, although I feel my brothers are both a bit uncomfortable with the fact that she is AA. (DISCLAIMER!!! THEY claim they are not...) I knew all along in the adoption that this might be the case with some people, but I had hoped deep down that when everyone finally met her, that all that would be washed away. That she would be accepted like any other member of our family. That she would capture their hearts with her cute little smile. But, it is what it is, and fortunately I have some time left to work on them before she becomes aware.

We head home tomorrow, and Thursday is Trick or Treat, so I hope to have some more pics posted soon!

Don't Ask...Long Hard Day

2009-08-24T22:42:00.003-04:00

And yes, this is how she falls asleep EVERY time..........

Vivi Grace at 2 months

2009-08-24T22:34:00.003-04:00

Our sweet girl is now two months old. I can hardly believe that it was 8 weeks ago today that our social worker called with the good (um GREAT!) news!

She is growing like a weed! We haven't weighed her in the last 2 weeks, but at 6 weeks she was already 10.2 pounds. She now has the cutest chubby cheeks and double chin!! I cannot wait to hear what her Dr says at her 2 week check up next Monday.

She is all but done with the colic (AMEN!) and has still been sleeping 5-6 hours at night. We seem to have a routine. I stay up and give her the last feeding at night (or AM! LOL!) and Mark gives her a bottle before he leaves for work, allowing Lucy and I a chance to sleep in a bit.

This girl LOVES her baths! Put her in the warm water and she smiles, giggles and kicks everytime, no matter how tired she may be.

We still cuddle every evening/night, and I have been accussed on more than one occassion of spoiling the little bugger. Um, I DON'T THINK SO! LOL!

Lucy continues to rock the big sister thing, and has shown NO SIGNS of jealousy. I am so proud of her !! If a diaper needs changed, she is right there to help, if Vivi is fussing, she plugs the binky in before I can make a move! And, she is SOO proud of herself!

I am sorry if you think I am sugar coating things...I really am not. If I could have 20 more of Vivi, I would....... If we knew Lucy would have handled it this well (honestly, we were worried!) we would have been on the next adoption sooner!! God has truly blessed us with the BEST baby and BIG SISTER, and to HIM we are eternally grateful!

CCAI #1168 Reunion in Cincinnati Aug 7-9, 2009

2009-08-20T22:32:00.014-04:00

Saturday we visited the Newport Aquarium

And then the kids played in the pool....

Lucy & her new crush Zach

Sunday we said goodbye

We had another sucessful and wonderful reunion with our China travel group. Because we all adopted off of the SN list, our travel group was quite small...only 4 families total. (One family has been unable to join us for the past two meetings..) This gave us a chance, I believe to become much closer as a group. I love that when we meet now, it feels like seeing family again. We all just seem to pick up where we left off, and the kids (siblings included!) play together SO WELL!! It truly is a joy to be able to meet up with them every time!! Thank you Miller and Debono families for another great weekend! We wish we could have spent more time with you all!! A special THANK YOU to Ron who has taken the time these past 2 yrs to plan these weekends, and to both families for coming to Ohio so that we could be a part of it! We love and miss you guys!

Sweet Vivi Grace

2009-08-19T22:43:00.003-04:00

Baby girl,
Do you know how much you are loved? You are loved many times over. You are loved to the moon and back. You are loved to infinity.
At night, when it is just you and I, I get lost in in our snuggles. I drink in your sweet baby smell, and I hold you tight. It is in these moments that I am in awe that you are another's flesh and blood...that you were carried in someone elses womb. That she loved you SO MUCH, that she gave you to me. ME! To love you, to cherish you, to raise you as my own. To her, your first mom, I am forever grateful. You could not fit into our lives more perfectly. You could not fit into the crook of my arm more gently, and you could not fit in my heart more profoundly.
You, Vivienne Grace, are our answer to prayer. You are our miracle. Our sweet baby girl, our daughter!
I love you,
Mom

CCAI Travel Group #1168 Reunion 2009

2009-08-07T23:36:00.009-04:00

The Three Amigos- Phoebe, Josh & Lucy together again!

Vivienne Grace is 1 Month Old!!!!

2009-07-26T23:41:00.010-04:00

Our baby girl is one month old today! She still rocks the bottles, and enjoys sleeping, but unfortunately (and expectedly) we have hit some colic. It flares up late evening, and continues until about 1-2 AM. Not every night thank goodness, but 3-4 nights a week is enough for me!

Lucy continues to do well. She loves holding Vivi, getting her diapers ready, and replacing her binky when needed. It doesn't hurt that I have also pulled out all the baby toys again that have been packed away. I think Lucy is playing with them more now than she did back then!

My mom came in last week when Mark went back to work full time, and gave me some much needed help. The house was still in a bit of chaos, and it was nice to finish organizing things and catch up on some sleep. It was also nice to spend some time with my mom, and to allow her some time to bond with my newest daughter. We also did some shopping, and all of us girls got some new clothes.

The social worker comes tomorrow for our one month post placement. I need to have a birthmom letter and pictures ready. I bought the birthmom a card a few weeks ago, but have yet to write it. So many things have been running through my head. There are SO MANY things I want to say to her..to convey to her...but I just don't know how to put it in words so that she can "feel" the emotion I am trying to share. I wish I could just meet her for 2 minutes.......

I pray in time this may happen.

I am just taking my time and enjoying my family. God is good!

Jazz & Rib Fest 2009

2009-07-24T22:08:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay

2009-07-15T23:38:00.008-04:00

It has been 2 weeks since our sweet daughter was placed in our arms! She remains a champion eater (at her check-up last Friday she had already gained a pound and grown an inch!!) and a pretty good sleeper (although I am still pooped!!). She fits our family like a glove, and we couldn't imagine not having her around! Don't get me wrong...things have DEFINATELY changed, but I am trying to relax and not put to much pressure on myself. Two kids are A LOT different than one! Lucy continues to embrace her role as a big sister. She is helpful and attentive, and her tantrums have become less frequent. Her biggest fault is wanting to hold her all the time...not bad I am thinking.........

We figured it would be an all or nothing thing with her, and are JOYOUS she seems to have chosen the more positive route. I pray it is NOT just a novelty thing and that she will continue to mature as her sister gets older.

Vivi's skin continues to darken and become more beautiful, and she has a STUNNING head of curls. I must admit I am a bit afraid of her hair......dealing with African American hair is all new to me, and there are so many cute styles I will be able to do....it will just be a challenge trying to learn them all! I am fortunate to have a bloggy friend (this is a shout out to you Stacy!) willing to show me the ropes, and I am eager to speak with her soon!

Thanks again to all of you who have been thinking and praying for us! Thanks also for all the sweet comments. I am sorry I haven't been able to post much on yours, but I AM able to read them late at night while cuddling, and I have been thinking of you all, it is just hard to type one handed (hence my all undercase posts to some of you..lol!)!

Hugs, Me

Vivienne's bedroom...almost finished!

Vivi meets the Adamo's

2009-07-14T23:20:00.005-04:00

Today we went to UA to visit good friends of mine. T and Eileen are the sweetest girls and have been such a help to me over the years. Lucy and I have always loved to spend time with them! It was only fitting that they meet the newest member of our group.......... They invited us up to visit, and spend the afternoon with their family.

They also spoiled us with all this! Lucy got a slip and slide, Vivi got 2 outfits, a blanket and hairbows. And me....I got over 2 dozen roses and a bunch of balloons! They treated us like rockstars! THANK YOU ADAMO FAMILY! We really enjoyed our afternoon!

One Week Gotcha Day!

2009-07-08T23:52:00.000-04:00

A Morning of Pampering

2009-07-07T23:01:00.007-04:00

My best friend Emily and her daughter Becca came back to Ohio to see us and meet Miss Vivi the week after she was born. We had a free morning to ourselves (Mark was home for Vivi) so we decided to go pamper ourselves and the older girls with their first pedicures. They loved it, and we had a chance to spend some time together and catch up. Afterward, we met up with some other friends for lunch at O' Charley's* .

and then onto lunch w/more friends

Lucy & Dustin

Friends meet Vivi

2009-07-06T22:18:00.004-04:00

My best friend Em and her daughter Becca drove in today to see the newest addition to our family. Em's old neighbor, and our friend Betty invited us all to her house for dinner. I was SO excited to see Em, and Lucy was overjoyed to see Becca again. Miss Vivi soaked up the love and was more than happy to be passed around!! Afterwards, the girls and I made our way up to GG's (my grandma's) house to have some cake for her 82nd birthday. Unfortunately we missed dinner at Hunan House with her, but wanted to make it up to her in the end! Happy 82nd Bithday GG! We love you!

Friends Forever!

It was also Grandma's B-Day!

First Bath at Home/ Low Key 4th of July

2009-07-04T22:07:00.001-04:00

About Vivi Grace

2009-07-01T23:39:00.004-04:00

About sweet Vivi....... I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, but God has gifted us with the BEST baby! She is SO ALERT, and seems to go with the flow. We have only had her 9 hours, and she has been awake over 3 of them. She eats like a champ, and loves to be cuddled. The nurses were sad to see her go, because they said she was such a joy to be around these past three days.
As for the birth mom. She had been adament from the point of giving birth that she didn't want to know anything about us, or us about her. That has been hard for me to stomach these past 2 days because I really want my daughter to have some sense of who her bio parents were. I have prayed and asked others to pray, and this morning called Dina (social worker) to tearfully tell her at parental termination to please convey to birthmom that if she changes her mind, we would embace her. Dina came back and told us did not only did birthmom allow a picture of herself to be taken for us, but took our picture as well. She also said that someday when she gets settled, she may contact our agency and ask for all our photo and letter updates. I will take that! Please continue to pray for peace for her. My joy is her pain, and that thought is never far from my mind.
Time for me to try to sneek in some sleep! Enjoy some more Vivi cuteness!

Vivienne Grace

2009-07-01T17:26:00.002-04:00

It's A Girl!!!..............continued

2009-06-30T23:56:00.002-04:00

Hi All!
Sorry this follow up is coming so late! As you can imagine, the last 24+ hours have been such a whirlwind in our household!
I received a call Monday morning around 10am from our adoption agency. Knowing we had a meeting with the director the next day, I just assummed it was a confirmation call. Imagine my surprise when on the other end introducing herself was the BIRTHMOM SOCIAL WORKER "Dina"!! She started with "I have a situation for you..........." and went on to explain that baby girl had been born Sunday morning at 9:20 am, weighing in at 7 lbs 1 oz, and 18 1/2 inches, and needed a forever mommy and daddy. Were we interested she asked? I sat there stunned and shaking. All I could muster was, "Can I have your number and call you back? I need to ask my husband. Oh, and are we the only family you have called?" (Smooth Jill, smooth.....) She gave me her number and I called Mark at work.
Surprisingly he answered the phone, and I said "Congrats babe! Your're a dad! It's a girl!" He thought I was joking. See, just the night before, after Lucy had fallen asleep, he and I had sat outside and discussed the whole adoption thing. His EXACT words were "This needs to happen now, I am getting tired of the not knowing." I assurred him this was not a joke, and told him about baby girl. After sharing what I DID know at that point, I hung up with Mark and called back "Dina", and told her it was a go!
I know you think I was nuts, I prefer to call it shock, but I just went back about my day. Lucy had a playdate at her friend's house, so I dropped her off, and then started to do some cleaning. I remember I was cleaning the bathroom when it hit me as a flood of tears. I was going to be a mom again! All the paperwork, all the wait, all the answering NO when someone asked if we had heard anything....it was all over. Reality had finally hit! How was this going to effect Lucy? How am I going to handle two children? And then...OMG, we have NOTHING for an infant!!!!!!!! I needed and wanted my best friend who is now living a state away. I wanted someone just to hug me and say....."You can do this in 2 days Jill! You can!" So, I sucked it up, and the whirlwind began again!
Family got on the line looking for hand me downs until we can get settled. I (or we) have hit T*arget, Once U*pon a Child, B*abies R Us, TJ M*axx, and a friends house trying to get my hands on everything I think we might need. I guess we will learn while we were under the gun so to speak!
So, here we are.......... it is past midnight and here I sit wide awake "talking" to you all! Assuming all goes well, baby girl should be placed in our arms in less than 14 hrs. I say "assuming things go well" because we know that the birthmom and dad could come forth and take their daughter home with them. As DEVASTATING as this would be, it IS their right. She is THEIR daughter still (and always will be) and it is a reality that this could still happen. I would ask that you please pray for us..that we DO get baby girl, but what I truly want, as PAINFUL as this is, is for the birthmom to make the right decision for her and the baby. I ask that you pray for us that God's will be done. That birthmom and dad have some peace in there decision. And that baby girl remains happy and healthy.
I would LOVE to share more of baby girl's story, but feel that it is HER story to tell. Not mine. We do have a name picked..I think anyways. (We are not required to have a name yet, but seeing as I had a cat for 9 yrs named Kitten, the social worker thought it might be a good idea to do it now! LOL!) I will try to get pictures of Gotcha Day posted tomorrow when we return home!!
THANK YOU to all of you for your sweet comments and prayers. They are felt, and appreciated!
Hugs, Jill

IT'S A GIRL!!

2009-06-29T11:16:00.001-04:00

We have another daughter! More details to come!

Our B E A U T I F U L Vacation Home

2009-06-28T18:49:00.012-04:00

Lucy & Garrison

2009-06-28T18:43:00.003-04:00

We met Garrison and his awesome mommy and daddy, Mark and Laura, on the beach. Turns out he and Lucy are the same age, and that coincidentally, Garrison was adopted from Russia! They will be celebrating one year as a family in July. We hit it off, found that we were renting houses back to back, and ended up going to dinner and spending some wonderful time with them. Unfortunately, we are in Ohio, and our new friends live in Atlanta, but we hope to stay in touch and see them again sometime soon!

Vacation Photos At The Beach

2009-06-28T18:19:00.008-04:00

Lucy and Aunt Leslie

Vacation Photos From - Kiawah Island 5/30/09

2009-06-28T18:02:00.005-04:00

Karin's Baby Sprinkle

2009-06-22T23:37:00.003-04:00

Happy Fathers Day & Dora Live w/Linley & Kaylee

2009-06-21T23:14:00.001-04:00

more VBS (dress up day)

2009-06-19T22:58:00.001-04:00

Pirate Mac & Cheese

Praising God

We are so blessed to have such AMAZING and TALENTED teenagers at our church who dedicate themselves year after year to teaching the preschool children about GOD.

Vacation Bible School w/Abby

2009-06-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

Princess "Whoopsy Daisy" - Lucy's favorite

getting tattoos

playing games

Just Hanging out at a friends

2009-06-15T22:33:00.003-04:00

2009-06-12T23:17:00.003-04:00

Hi friends!!
My friend Becky from http://bilbybunch.blogspot.com/ is doing a fundraiser to bring her next daughter Jada home from China! I promised I would help her out, and I hope you all might be able to do the same! Head on over to http://chloecloset.blogspot.com/ and check out some of the items she is selling. They are a wonderful family, and it is going to a WONDERFUL cause....SWEET JADA!
Thanks guys!
Jill

Kaylee's Birthday

2009-06-11T23:16:00.007-04:00

Then we took the girls to play at the creek.

Until we saw this....

WHOA!! Anyone know what kind of snake this is? I have an idea....just want some feedback!

Kiawah Island - Lucy's first time seeing the ocean

2009-05-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

Playdate at COSI

2009-05-28T12:45:00.003-04:00

Washing cars w/Daddy

2009-05-24T23:26:00.001-04:00

More fun with friends

2009-05-24T12:17:00.001-04:00

2009 Asian Festival

2009-05-23T23:24:00.012-04:00

A Day At The Park With Friends

2009-05-21T23:17:00.002-04:00

My second Gotcha Day!

2009-05-08T23:00:00.008-04:00

Today we celebrated our 2 year Gotcha Day! Two years ago, our precious daughter Cen Li Kun, was handed to us in a hot, stinky gov't office in Nanchang, Jiangxi.

To celebrate, we headed to Dave & B*sters......

Aunt Leslie & Me

My Uncle Tom

Me playing games

See how excited I was when Linley arrived?????????

Me and my best buddy Linley - we are like sisters!

Now we have our prizes, let's head home to bed!

Happy 2nd Gotcha Day dear daughter!

We love you!

XOXO

Mom & Dad

2009-04-28T23:24:00.004-04:00

My cousins and Uncle James came to visit me at the hotel to go swimming.

Lucy & Kelsey

Lucy with Grandma Sue

2009-04-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

Once in Wisconsin, Uncle James came to visit.

Mommy & Lucy Road Trip

2009-04-23T23:08:00.000-04:00

On the way to Wisconsin Lucy & I stopped to stay with our best friends Jim, Emily & Becca.

Becca, Lucy & friend Gracie

Lucy's Zoo

2009-04-10T23:23:00.006-04:00

Shadow

Kitten

Gabby
Alley
Willow

Woofie

Playdate with Kaylee

2009-04-07T23:12:00.006-04:00

Lucy having fun.

Lucy after being told to share.

Chilling out

Daddy's Birthday Dinner

2009-04-04T22:53:00.003-04:00

Lucy, Uncle Tom & Aunt Leslie

Fun with friends

2009-04-02T22:46:00.001-04:00

See what I mean?? Here is another example ....we really don't need a son!! LOL!

2009-03-25T22:24:00.004-04:00

Who needs a son when you have a daughter like this????

2009-03-15T23:17:00.002-04:00

OUCH! That hurts......

2009-03-11T14:58:00.001-04:00

Just heard from my social worker that or profile has been now shown 7 times and we have not been picked. No feedback either. Now that is like a punch in the stomach. What gives Lord?

Fun with Friends

2009-03-03T21:55:00.004-05:00

Lucy's GI Visit

2009-02-25T23:59:00.002-05:00

Most of you already know, but our daughter was adopted from China off of the SN list. She is HepB+. Because of this, we do some yearly testing (bloodwork, ultrasounds) and meet with a GI Dr to check on Lucy's ongoing status. This disorder effects the liver and can cause death. It appears that Lucy was given this disorder inutero, therefore, at we are very fortunate at this point that her body does not regognize there is anything wrong. This means her immune system is not fighting it, therefore causing no problems with her liver. Our visit with the GI Dr today was incredible! Not only were her liver functions GREAT, but we received an update about some studies that we had heard about last year. The Dr said that she feels these studies showed that there would be a combo of drugs available by the time Lucy is in high school to cure HepB. What incredible news!!
Please do not assume because of this news that we will not advocate for her medical care. It is proven that people who are HepB+ have a higher incidence of liver cancer. Lucy also has a small percentage of a chance of liver damage as well. We will continue to get the best care possible for our daughter, and continue to pray for the best!
This news was just to great not to share!!!!

Oh no you didn't......... OH YES I DID!!!!

2009-02-20T22:17:00.002-05:00

Lucy Lou before

Lucy Lou after

Yeah.......... I had it chopped off. You might be thinking something along the lines of 'what was SHE thinking??!!?'. Well, I'll tell you. Lucy would ~~cry~~ scream everytime I even picked up a comb or brush, let alone ponytail holders. I figured life would now be easier- for ALL of us! She seems to like it, and I KNOW my in-laws are just going to HAVE A COW, but I figure someday she will "get" what iit all means to have longer hair and then we will grow it again. Until then, enjoy the bob!

Comments on your comments and adoption news..

2009-02-09T22:46:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to THANK YOU all for all the wonderful comments you left on the post about our Miss Lucy's 3 Year photos! You were all so sweet that you made me blush!!
A lot of you commented on how she 'just loved the camera', or 'looked comfortable in front of the camera'. You are right...but this was THE FIRST TIME in quite awhile, if ever really, that she was like that. I must first give credit to P*ortait I*novations and their WONDERFUL photographer Libby who coaxed those sweet smiles out of my daughter...she was great with Lucy! Next, I should point out that we were the ONLY ones there for over an hour, so Lucy wasn't distracted. I am very happy with the way they all turned out and can't believe how big she is getting!

On the adoption front.....I heard from our latest social worker last week that our profile has been shown 3 times. She could not tell me however if we are "still in the running". I did ask if there was any feedback from the BM's and she said no. She also e-mailed me today and asked for more copies of our profile as there are only 2 left. They will be hand delivered tomorrow.

What I don't get is that there are very few (5 or 6 INCLUDING us) open to race.....we have been shown THREE times....obviously to BM's that fit our profile......kind of making the odds pretty good right?? I am NOT obsessing (although Mark would disagree!) I am just merely curious why were aren't being chosen.

I am NOT to the point where I think we should change our profile. Heck, it's only been 3 months, and trust me, I know it is GOD'S hands not ours....but I'm just sayin'.......LOL!

So, there you have it! Thanks again to all of you who are following along for the sweetest comments ever!! Love ya!

P-A-R-T-Y

2009-02-08T23:20:00.006-05:00

Our best friends Jim, Emily, & Becca came to visit this weekend from Indiana, and we decided last minute to have a gathering at our house. We just love getting "the crew" together and the kiddos always have such a good time. Can't WAIT to do it again!!

Lion Dance

2009-02-01T22:31:00.004-05:00

Lucy was absolutely TERRIFIED of the lion dance......crying AND shaking. After it was over, she was still shell shocked (as you can tell rom the look on her face!). These were her responses.......

Our local FCC Chinese New Year Party

2009-02-01T21:28:00.003-05:00

Lucy's 3 Year Photo Shoot

2009-01-30T22:12:00.008-05:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

2009-01-26T21:45:00.004-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!! Our COFCC festival isn't until this weekend, so pics will be posted then!
Enjoy the holiday!!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

2009-01-26T21:45:00.001-05:00

Chinese New Year Party at Mason's

2009-01-24T22:18:00.003-05:00

Thanks Lori, Kelly and Mason for having us over.

BTW, Happy Birthday Lori.

Lucy's 3rd Birthday

2009-01-21T22:26:00.005-05:00

Today was Lucy's actual birthday (okay, about as actual as a child from China can have with estimated birthdays and all! LOL!). Although I (mommy) actually had to "work", we still had a fun day. We started off at an indoor gym we frequent we friends, and then after a brief nap in the car, it was off to dinner. (Matching outfits courtesy of the DiMickele Family. Abby already had hers from Christmas, and they bought Lucy hers for her birthday.)

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl! Mommy & Daddy Love You!

..and then onto my birthday dinner!

Chinese...yum!

Lucy's Birthday Party at World of Bounce

2009-01-21T21:27:00.004-05:00

A early birthday gift to Lucy from T and Eileen

2009-01-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

Two years ago today....

2009-01-19T20:46:00.002-05:00

.....we got "the call". It was a Friday morning and I was at work. The phone rang late morning, and they had NO caller ID. It was a complete shock! Denise from CCAI was on the phone, and said she had a "little peanut" whose file they wanted us to look at. She was 11 months old and on the special needs list. I was shaking and in tears!! "OF COUSE!" I shouted at her. (Keep in mind we had NO IDEA this was coming........we were in the "regular" program and had submitted a MC list, but were told the chances of receiving a match for a YOUNG child from the SN list was probably not possible . Also, we had only been "Logged In" for 3 MONTHS. Yes, that's right, 3 MONTHS! Like I said, complete shock!) When I finally was able to open her pictures, (thanks T!) I was in love! Now it was time to find my husband. Would you believe he was NO WHERE to be found?!? I think I called his work and cell phone at LEAST 30 times. His mother was actually the first to hear about her and now SHE was in charge of tracking him down! After finally talking with Mark we agreed to go ahead and accept her referral. (I am wondering now if that was the quickest Denise has ever had a return phone call!) We called all of our family and friends, and gathered that night at Dave & Busters to celebrate. I remember staying up until 3:30am just staring at her pictures! These were our first glimpses of Cen Li Kun, now our precious daughter Lucy!

Finally - we have snow!

2009-01-13T22:42:00.003-05:00

Miss Lexi Turns 2!

2009-01-11T22:39:00.004-05:00

& Pooped

Blog makeover!

2009-01-08T21:22:00.001-05:00

My friend Dawn finally redeemed her blog makeover from my great friend Kim! You can check out the new "do" with her cuties Jilli & Dru here.

Congrats again Dawn and THANK YOU KIM!

Kim is a stay at home mommy to 5, most recently adding Miss Phoebe from China who was a heart "baby" from the SN list. We traveled together and become close friends. She just taught herself blog design and is hoping to make a little extra money. She is super talented, and wonderfully priced. I urge you to check her out. Her familly blog is http://sevenmillers.blogspot.com, and you can check out her BB Blog Design here

Adoption news........

2009-01-05T21:23:00.002-05:00

Got your attention didn't I................
I talked to our agency today. Our profile was given to a potential birthmom. Yep, that's all I know. Usually they give out 3-4 at a time. I know that counting us, they only have 6 families open to race. This could mean nothing, so I am really not getting my hopes up. REALLY...I am not. Just some new news for us. Our profile has only been activated for 7 weeks, but between losing our money to Commonwealth (crooks!) and losing money to the Nepal program (our fault for switching) we really have been on this "journey" since last February. I do know that God has his hand in everything, so it is what it is....
Ahhhhh, the joys of adopting!

Fun with Friends

2008-12-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

Eileen, Lucy, Abby Therese

Having fun singing w/the Wii

COSI w/cousins

2008-12-29T23:03:00.000-05:00

I'm Done!!!

Spring...in winter???

2008-12-27T23:22:00.001-05:00

Kind of strange, but here it is 2 days after Christmas, and it was 68 degrees. Not so funny until you realize that we live in Columbus, OHIO.
Yep, that's right. We had the doors and windows open today as the Christmas lights came down. (I mean who WOULDN'T take their lights down on a day like today....oh yeah, all my neighbors! LOL!)
Actually, the lack of snow had been quite sad. (And no, all you people living up north, I don't want what all YOU guys have...I'm just sayin'....) Lucy really enjoyed the snow last year, and we were kind of hoping she'd like it again this year too.
The snowsuit and boots are still just taking up, at this point anyway, MUCH needed space in this small home. Heck, by the time we actually get snow everything might just be to small! LOL!
So, to all you moms who have pics of snow on your blogs...yeah, I can admit it..I am a bit jealous!
Here's to a snowy January!

Merry Christmas everybody.

2008-12-25T00:22:00.000-05:00

Tub Time

2008-12-23T22:19:00.005-05:00

A Christmas Angel

2008-12-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

I am not sure how to begin this story. It still is kind of a shock to me.
A couple days ago I received an e-mail from a good friend. Although only 5 miles away, I haven't seen her as often as I like since I quit work to stay home with Lucy.
This woman is truly a diamond in the rough. Although I have many Christain friends, this person exemplifies what it means to "walk the talk" when it comes to the Lord.
Anyway, she sends me an e-mail asking how we were doing and how the adoption was going.
I told her we were doing well, that Lucy was potty training and in her big girl bed now. I also shared with her that for some reason I felt that it has been put on my heart to adopt a third....shocking even to me because we don't even have a second yet.
(I told Mark in Guangzhou that although I had always said I just wanted 1 child, that I felt we would be back in China one day. I was completely dumbfounded when I realized that the CCAA was now implementing stricter rules, and that we were no longer eligible .....thanks Prozac.)
Anyhow, although I don't know why, I still feel I will be back too my daughter's homeland, just to do what , I don't know.
I mentioned to her that I didn't know if finances would allow it, but if it was God's will to keep adopting, He would supply.
She wrote back a few hours later that I (little old me) had been put on HER HEART lately. She and her family had decided to take their $50 and "pay it forward". She said she had prayed about it, and that God had said that if she talked to me, and I mentioned anything about money, that I (yes, little old me again!) was to be the recipient.
I am not sure why I shared about the POSSIBILTY of #3 with her. We had barely mentioned it to our families at this point. It just came pouring out.
She also mentioned that God had told her to add money to that, and that our check would be in the mail for our adoptions. It seems adoption is on her heart because she has family that had dealt with infertility and adoption, and it made her think of us.
Part of her letter said, "....this is a good reminder that the Lord is in control, and He will provide for His will! I know you guys are not living in want and can provide great things for yourselves and Lucy, and soon these children, but I just wanted to bless you."
What I haven't shared with you yet is that I have been praying more lately. Praying that HE would provide a bigger presence in my life once again.
So, THANK YOU Christmas angel. You know who you are, and you will truly be blessed. We WILL pay it forward somehow, and I cannot wait to share that with you.

Mommy/Daddy words that come back to bite you in the butt!

2008-12-16T20:31:00.003-05:00

Okay, Lucy has been absolutely hysterical lately! Mark and I are finding that our words are getting thrown back in our faces.

Some of my "favorites":

-Lucy was being naughty and talking back. I pointed my finger in her face and said angrily "YOU BE NICE!". She looked at my finger, then looked at me and said, "no, YOU be nice!"

-Lucy was in the tub making a "cake" and I tried to join in. She grabbed the cup back out of my hand and said "This is NOT for you, it is too dangerous!".

-One of Mark's books was lying on the floor of the car, and Lucy was demanding to see/look at it. When he told her no, that it was HIS book, she looked at him and said, "we share dad, REMEMBER?!".

We are also in the process AGAIN of potty training (this time around is going MUCH better thank you!) and the crib came down Sunday (per her request!) so needless to say life is quite interesting around here..........

I tell you, the girl is KILLING me lately. Could this be why we are adopting a boy this time around ?????LOL!

What a sweet Thank You! You are welcome Phoebe!

2008-12-15T22:49:00.004-05:00

World of Bounce

2008-12-11T23:09:00.001-05:00

The best part about being a stay at home mom...checking out the hot stay at home dads! LOL! Just kidding hon..........or am I??? HeeHee! (Karin and Jen...told ya I would do it!!)

COSI - The Body Exhibit

2008-12-04T22:51:00.003-05:00

AND THE WINNER IS...........

2008-12-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

THANK YOU ladies to all of you who entered.....but we have a winner!!!!!

Mark put the names in a bag, and Miss Lucy picked..........

The WINNER is................................................

DAWN from Dru & Jilli!

Thank you Dawn!

I will give Kim your blogsite, and have her contact you for your makeover!

Maybe I should do this again?

Blog Design Giveaway!

2008-11-24T15:21:00.006-05:00

Hey Ladies! Like my new blog design?
My good friend Kim (from our CCAI travel group) has recently begun doing some blog designing, and would like to make a go of it as a business. She has graciously agreed to do a FREE blog makeover for one of my friends! I am so excited! She is a hip momma to many kiddos, the most recent, Phoebe, from China. All you have to do is leave me a comment at THIS POST between now and next Monday, and I will draw a name.

Her prices are great, and she wants all her clients to be 100% satisfied. Feel free to check her "ad" in my sidebar for more info.

GOOD LUCK!

My Kiddos

2008-11-22T21:21:00.003-05:00

These are my kiddos. You all know Miss Lucy, and you all have seen Joey before, but I never really explained much about him. Perhaps I was afraid I would be judged, perhaps because the truth is painful. Joey is the son I placed for adoption 18 years ago as a scared young girl. Although he had always just knew me as Jill, he found out I was his biological mother in 2000. I remember that day vividly. We both just sobbed and sobbed. Last week he flew to Ohio for a week to visit with my family. During this time he confided in me that he is angry about me adopting Lucy. I pretty much had figured that out, as he really didn't have much to do with her. I cannot blame him for his feelings, and take responsibility for it. Things were just SO different way back then, and I thought I was doing what was best for HIM. But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, and I get that. The night before he flew back to Wisconsin, and said he would let me take a picture of the 2 of them together. My heart was so full of joy! I know he still doesn't fully understand, but I feel this is a great first step. And hey, I will take what I can get. I love them BOTH!

Photoshoot Friday

2008-11-21T22:10:00.003-05:00

Friday we had a fun photoshoot with our friends. Becca is 4, and is from Hunan. Her mom Emily is my best friend, and was my mentor through CCAI. They moved to Indiana last summer, but drove 3 hours back just for the pics! Linley is 2 and is from Guangxi. We met her mom Shannon through Emily, and we all became fast friends. Then of course there is our Lucy, almost 3 from Jiangxi. Are they not the cutest? We mommies are so proud!

Sad news

2008-11-20T22:12:00.002-05:00

Mark's grandfather passed early this morning surrounded by family. I feel so sorry Mark's mother, as she has lost her mother, brother, and now her father all in the last year and a half. I remember the pain I felt when my father passed away. It was a pain I have never felt before, and have not felt since. I also remember thinking that "part of me" was lost. One of the two people responsible for ME was gone forever. I know when I lose my mother, although I will be surrounded by loved ones, I will somehow feel alone. Knowing this, I feel for her in a special way. Both people responsible for HER are gone. My wish for her is that she knows I truly care for her, and am so PROUD to call her my mother-in-law. She is a strong strong woman who would do anything for anyone, even sacrificing herself. I pray the Lord provides her peace and comfort, and loving people for support. I know the next few weeks and months will not be easy for her, so please continue to pray for her and her family. Thanks to ALL OF YOU who left such sweet messages last night. They did not fall on deaf ears.