A year ago today, Scott and I were sitting on the tarmac of the Beijing International Airport on a Chinese airplane watching a very detailed safety video about how we were to take off our glasses and high healed shoes if the plane was to crash! I remember feeling very apprehensive about the fact that we may indeed crash because we were experiencing the first snowstorm of the year in that huge city. We ended up being stuck on that plane for hours anxiously waiting to get our wings de-iced so we could FINALLY go meet our son! The seats are smaller on a Chinese airplane, and I remember starting to feel a little claustrophobic. I remember almost having a panic attack thinking that the flight would get cancelled and we would not be able to pick up Jonathan. The China-doll flight attendants (they did look like dolls - just beautiful) started serving our breakfast while we sat on the runway watching the snow rapidly accumulate outside. We had the choice between a "Chinese" breakfast or a "Western" breakfast. Scott couldn't really understand what the flight attendant was saying when she said "Western", so he ordered us the "Chinese" meal. I was starving.....stress does that to me. We received a hot-foiled disposable tray and a cold one. I ripped open the hot one and was presented with a pasty-textured white substance. I carefully took my spoon out and had a wee taste. GROSS!! It kind of tasted like a cardboard box (don't ask me why I know what that tastes likes). I desperately started searching for a packet of sugar (the fix-all), but found only salt. The Chinese don't care for sweet things very much, so I was really feeling out of my element. I think what made it worse was the couple we were traveling with was sitting behind us. They ordered the "Western" meal which consisted of scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and all that is beautiful and wonderful. I do have to admit the sausage looked like a pale human index finger, but I'm sure it tasted wonderful!! We finally took off (4 hours late) for Nanjing where we would pick up our long-awaited son at the adoption agency.
When we landed, there was about a 45 minute van ride to the city. We were already late for our appointment, and our guide, Lilly, called them and told them we were on our way. We were all considerably nervous, excited, terrified, and overjoyed - all at once. Having those mixtures of emotions go through your body on an empty stomach is a real rush - I recommend it :).
The driver of the van got lost! Marcella (the other adopting Mom) and I were almost jumping out of our skins. Finally, we pulled up to this two story building that looked like it might fall down at any minute. We had no idea what to expect. We thought that maybe we would be brought into a room and have our children brought to us. This is what I read on many blogs of people who have adopted from China - but every city does it a little differently. We grabbed our cameras and gifts (it is a custom to bring gifts for the orphanage director and nannies). We anxiously stumbled through the front door of the building. Now, I can remember this like it happened yesterday - I looked to the left of me at these big, glass double doors. Standing there with his face pressed against the glass looking out at us was Jonathan! I couldn't believe it!! Marcella pointed and said, "There's Jonathan!" (She'd seen pictures). I think I was in a little bit of shock. I wish Scott had videotaped my face, but he was trying to turn the thing on thinking we would have plenty of time to get our cameras ready before we saw him! I remember running to the door, but Lilly, our translator, got there first. She scooped Johnnie up and hugged him. I waited about 10 seconds then pried him out of her arms (I've never been known for my patience)! Johnnie was all smiles. He didn't know us at all, but he let me hug and kiss on him. He played with Scott and I, and we had big fun. Scott and I were shocked at how big he was. The latest picture we had of him was months old, and we just assumed he would be a little guy. I think we only had one outfit with us that was big enough for him. Johnnie was dressed in several layers which consisted of mostly Hello Dolly and pink girl clothes (there were probably not many boys in the orphanage). All the other kids being adopted had already left with their parents because we were late getting to the adoption agency. The only ones left were Jonathan and Marcella's son, CJ. We stayed in that room for a while, signed some papers, went upstairs to have our pictures taken, then we climbed into a cab and left. Jonathan sat on my lap (no car seats and usually no seat belts in the taxis). Jonathan never cried. He went willingly with us and enjoyed the ride. We spent the day in our hotel room getting to know this little fella.
Like I said before, I can't believe a year has gone by. He's now potty-trained, speaking English, and having a BLAST with us. God is an amazing God. I can't shout out praises for His awesomeness enough!!
We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a New Year filled with the blessings and hope only our Father can give. We love you!!!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
HE'S THREE!!
Jonathan Lin Watson turned three years old on Friday! He is very proud of himself. Friday was a busy day. The morning started off with Jonathan and I dragging ourselves in the car at an early 6:15 while the temperature was -7. We proceeded to drive to the Fairbanks airport to pick up 300 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts which were flown to us overnight from Seattle. No, the donuts weren't for Johnnie's birthday but for a fundraiser the senior parents were doing to make money for this year's Grad Bash. We then took the donuts to the school and had Mrs. Hursh's Government class full of seniors unload them from the car into her room. While Johnnie and I were unpacking the donuts from the big boxes (I was actually unpacking them and Jonathan was playing with legos), the class of 20 decided to sing Happy Birthday to him. It was hilarious. Jonathan was standing there in front of the class smiling at the kids serenading him until it hit him that he was the sole focus of 40 eyes and 20 big voices. He proceeded to back up slowly, still half-smiling/half panic-sticken, and hide behind my legs......very cute!!
We didn't have a big celebration on Friday as we were having a combination
housewarming/Johnnie's 3rd birthday costume party on Saturday. Scott and I dressed up as 70s hippies, and Jonathan was Batman. Again, he was very proud to transform himself into batman. He tried to fly with his cape, but it didn't quite work out as he had anticipated. We had about 30 people come to our party - we had a blast.
Kaylee (our senior) is getting ready to go on a two-week trip to China at the end of December. She will be teaching English to about 80 high school students in one of the southern villages. I'm really excited for her as she has never done anything like this before. I'm also extremely proud because she worked her tail off this summer cashiering at the Commissary, and she was able to make enough money to fund this trip by herself. She used some of her 'car' money, but it's OK. Please keep her and the ones she's going with in your prayers as they embark on this great adventure.
My Grandpa, Mom, and Uncles had an interesting experience about a week ago. They encountered God. My Uncles came home to find my 87-year-old Grandpa semi-conscious on the floor. They called an ambulance, and he was rushed to the hospital. His body temp was only 88 degrees, and his pulse was very week. The doctor ended up breaking the news to Mom & Uncle Nick that he could not find a pulse and he was gone. My mother fell apart and called to tell my step-Dad and brother. After about 15 minutes, Mom & Uncle Nick went into the room to say their good-byes to Grandpa. When they walked in, they were informed that the nurse had found a faint pulse! After some tests, it was determined that Grandpa had a severe case of pneumonia. They treated him for that and hypothermia due to his low body temperature. They put him in a sedated sleep for about three days so the medicine could take effect. He was on a respirator and feeding tube. The doctor warned that Grandpa could have brain damage because of the lack of oxygen to his brain. Three days later, the doctors brought him out of the sedated sleep, and Grandpa was alert with bright eyes and understood what they were saying. He couldn't talk because he had a tube down his throat. Since then, he has been moved out of ICU into his own room and is almost fully recovered! Praise God!! I'm trusting God to use this experience in the lives of my Uncles to bring them to a knowledge of Christ. God can and will go to extremes to draw attention to Himself!!
I pray all is well with those who are reading this. I miss you all very much. Please email me at watson56@juno.com and give me an update on YOU!
We didn't have a big celebration on Friday as we were having a combination
housewarming/Johnnie's 3rd birthday costume party on Saturday. Scott and I dressed up as 70s hippies, and Jonathan was Batman. Again, he was very proud to transform himself into batman. He tried to fly with his cape, but it didn't quite work out as he had anticipated. We had about 30 people come to our party - we had a blast.
Kaylee (our senior) is getting ready to go on a two-week trip to China at the end of December. She will be teaching English to about 80 high school students in one of the southern villages. I'm really excited for her as she has never done anything like this before. I'm also extremely proud because she worked her tail off this summer cashiering at the Commissary, and she was able to make enough money to fund this trip by herself. She used some of her 'car' money, but it's OK. Please keep her and the ones she's going with in your prayers as they embark on this great adventure.
My Grandpa, Mom, and Uncles had an interesting experience about a week ago. They encountered God. My Uncles came home to find my 87-year-old Grandpa semi-conscious on the floor. They called an ambulance, and he was rushed to the hospital. His body temp was only 88 degrees, and his pulse was very week. The doctor ended up breaking the news to Mom & Uncle Nick that he could not find a pulse and he was gone. My mother fell apart and called to tell my step-Dad and brother. After about 15 minutes, Mom & Uncle Nick went into the room to say their good-byes to Grandpa. When they walked in, they were informed that the nurse had found a faint pulse! After some tests, it was determined that Grandpa had a severe case of pneumonia. They treated him for that and hypothermia due to his low body temperature. They put him in a sedated sleep for about three days so the medicine could take effect. He was on a respirator and feeding tube. The doctor warned that Grandpa could have brain damage because of the lack of oxygen to his brain. Three days later, the doctors brought him out of the sedated sleep, and Grandpa was alert with bright eyes and understood what they were saying. He couldn't talk because he had a tube down his throat. Since then, he has been moved out of ICU into his own room and is almost fully recovered! Praise God!! I'm trusting God to use this experience in the lives of my Uncles to bring them to a knowledge of Christ. God can and will go to extremes to draw attention to Himself!!
I pray all is well with those who are reading this. I miss you all very much. Please email me at watson56@juno.com and give me an update on YOU!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
1-Year Anniversary of Jonathan's Referral
Today is the 1-year anniversary of when we received our referral for Jonathan! As I've been re-living in my mind the incredible events of October 5, 2007, I thought it would be fitting to copy an email message I sent out last year explaining the events of that awesome day. The message was written a couple days after our referral because I was too overwhelmed to put it all into words before them. I pray you would praise our God of miracles with me as you read this message:
October 7, 2007
I just want to give you a testimony about Friday when we received the referral. The adoption agency contacted 120 families on the special needs list that they received 33 referrals on Oct. 1st. They were in the process of matching them to families and would begin making calls on Friday, Oct. 5th. 20 of the 33 children were in the age range we had asked for (6 mos to 2 years). There were 14 girls and 6 boys. Scott and I had never thought about adopting a boy. We started talking on Monday about how wild it would be if we ended up with one! Over the next few days I started thinking about it more and more. Before long, my heart was BURNING inside me for a boy. The chances were slim that we would receive a referral in this batch as there were 120 families on the list. They were even smaller that we would get a boy (.05 percent!) But God doesn't play the 'odds'.
So, I got up bright and early on Friday morning. I was on pins and needles begging God to let that phone ring. I tried doing my morning Bible study but couldn't concentrate. I got out my hymnal and sang "Great is the Lord". I checked my mail (we'd only told a couple people we were praying for a phone call), and one of our friends from Maryland said she was gathering her kids to pray for me & for a phone call. When I read that, I just broke down and started crying out to God for a miracle. I prayed He would let that phone ring.....and that it would be for a boy.
The phone did ring, twice. Neither call was the agency. I went back to my Bible study and was reading in Acts about when Paul healed the crippled man and people were marveling at what Paul did. Paul was telling them not to be in awe of him, but in the power of Jesus. As I was reading that, my cell phone rang. I got up and answered it. There was a pause then I heard, "This is America World". My heart about stopped. She went on to tell me they had a referral for a little boy. I
just about lost my mind! I got off the phone and waited for the email that would contain his medical records and picture. I had already told her we would take him (you have 10 days to accept a referral). I can't even begin to tell you the emotions going on in my body! I was literally running around the house with my hands in the air praising God. I think I scared poor Jackie! The rest is almost a blur. I was running on an adrenaline high for about 8 hours afterwards.
God is a God or miracles and faithfulness. This has been a long journey, and it has ended much differently than we had expected (getting a boy instead of a girl). You know, God knew the deepest desires of our heart when we didn't. Our family gives our Father all the praise and glory for this wonderful gift.
October 7, 2007
I just want to give you a testimony about Friday when we received the referral. The adoption agency contacted 120 families on the special needs list that they received 33 referrals on Oct. 1st. They were in the process of matching them to families and would begin making calls on Friday, Oct. 5th. 20 of the 33 children were in the age range we had asked for (6 mos to 2 years). There were 14 girls and 6 boys. Scott and I had never thought about adopting a boy. We started talking on Monday about how wild it would be if we ended up with one! Over the next few days I started thinking about it more and more. Before long, my heart was BURNING inside me for a boy. The chances were slim that we would receive a referral in this batch as there were 120 families on the list. They were even smaller that we would get a boy (.05 percent!) But God doesn't play the 'odds'.
So, I got up bright and early on Friday morning. I was on pins and needles begging God to let that phone ring. I tried doing my morning Bible study but couldn't concentrate. I got out my hymnal and sang "Great is the Lord". I checked my mail (we'd only told a couple people we were praying for a phone call), and one of our friends from Maryland said she was gathering her kids to pray for me & for a phone call. When I read that, I just broke down and started crying out to God for a miracle. I prayed He would let that phone ring.....and that it would be for a boy.
The phone did ring, twice. Neither call was the agency. I went back to my Bible study and was reading in Acts about when Paul healed the crippled man and people were marveling at what Paul did. Paul was telling them not to be in awe of him, but in the power of Jesus. As I was reading that, my cell phone rang. I got up and answered it. There was a pause then I heard, "This is America World". My heart about stopped. She went on to tell me they had a referral for a little boy. I
just about lost my mind! I got off the phone and waited for the email that would contain his medical records and picture. I had already told her we would take him (you have 10 days to accept a referral). I can't even begin to tell you the emotions going on in my body! I was literally running around the house with my hands in the air praising God. I think I scared poor Jackie! The rest is almost a blur. I was running on an adrenaline high for about 8 hours afterwards.
God is a God or miracles and faithfulness. This has been a long journey, and it has ended much differently than we had expected (getting a boy instead of a girl). You know, God knew the deepest desires of our heart when we didn't. Our family gives our Father all the praise and glory for this wonderful gift.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
What a Summer!
Since our last post a couple of months ago, we have moved in to our very first home in North Pole. It's been awhile since I've moved with a toddler! It took a little longer to get unpacked than usual, but we're all settled now.
Kaylee and Jackie started school. It's hard to believe that Kaylee is a senior. She is having a blast so far. Jackie is enjoying JV cheerleading and is looking forward to getting her braces off in a few weeks.
Johnnie and I flew to Seattle on Sept. 6th and had a wonderful time seeing many family and friends. My friend, Sonya, who worked at AK Airlines gave Jonathan and I guest passes; we were both able to fly round trip for just over $300 total!! My Mom's cousins threw Jonathan a 'Welcome to the Family' party, and we had a blast.
Mom & Jim watched Johnnie for the three days I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile breast cancer walk. There were 3500 walkers in Seattle and 400 volunteer crew members. Together, we raised 8.2 million dollars for breast cancer research! My feet are still blistered, and I'm hobbling a lot, but all the pain was definitely worth the experience. I walked my friend, Sherry, who I went to Jr/Sr high school with.
While in Seattle, we got to visit the locks (where boats go from Lake Washington into the Puget Sound (fresh water to salt water) and the Woodland Park Zoo. Johnnie has seen the zoo animals in books, but never in real life. It was a blast!!
Scott has been busy getting the house ready for winter. He has cut down, chopped, and stacked about 5 chords of wood to burn in our wood-burning stove. I never knew cutting wood was so much work!! He's taken a couple of weeks off to hunt moose in the local area. He hasn't had any luck yet, but he's grown almost a full beard while on leave and looks very handsome! I had to laugh when he picked Jonathan and I up at the airport because his beard is sprinkled with gray. Oh, the joys of aging!
Jonathan turns 3 years old next month. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying. This boy has grown leaps and bounds not only physically, but also in speaking English. This boy is a sponge, and he is extremely interested in figuring out how things work. I have a feeling we're going to end up with a lot of disassembled items around the house :).
I've started watching our pastor's 2-year old daughter part-time. She and Jonathan have a lot of fun together. I'm going to begin doing pre-school with them soon.
I'm staying busy heading up the PTSA and Graduation Bash at the Jr/Sr High School. I'm going to start doing some volunteer work in the North Pole and hope to run for city council in the next couple of years. Now that we have permanently settled down, I would like to do everything I can to make this little city the best it can be!
Until the next time I write, be blessed and keep loving Jesus!!
Kaylee and Jackie started school. It's hard to believe that Kaylee is a senior. She is having a blast so far. Jackie is enjoying JV cheerleading and is looking forward to getting her braces off in a few weeks.
Johnnie and I flew to Seattle on Sept. 6th and had a wonderful time seeing many family and friends. My friend, Sonya, who worked at AK Airlines gave Jonathan and I guest passes; we were both able to fly round trip for just over $300 total!! My Mom's cousins threw Jonathan a 'Welcome to the Family' party, and we had a blast.
Mom & Jim watched Johnnie for the three days I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile breast cancer walk. There were 3500 walkers in Seattle and 400 volunteer crew members. Together, we raised 8.2 million dollars for breast cancer research! My feet are still blistered, and I'm hobbling a lot, but all the pain was definitely worth the experience. I walked my friend, Sherry, who I went to Jr/Sr high school with.
While in Seattle, we got to visit the locks (where boats go from Lake Washington into the Puget Sound (fresh water to salt water) and the Woodland Park Zoo. Johnnie has seen the zoo animals in books, but never in real life. It was a blast!!
Scott has been busy getting the house ready for winter. He has cut down, chopped, and stacked about 5 chords of wood to burn in our wood-burning stove. I never knew cutting wood was so much work!! He's taken a couple of weeks off to hunt moose in the local area. He hasn't had any luck yet, but he's grown almost a full beard while on leave and looks very handsome! I had to laugh when he picked Jonathan and I up at the airport because his beard is sprinkled with gray. Oh, the joys of aging!
Jonathan turns 3 years old next month. I can hardly believe how fast time is flying. This boy has grown leaps and bounds not only physically, but also in speaking English. This boy is a sponge, and he is extremely interested in figuring out how things work. I have a feeling we're going to end up with a lot of disassembled items around the house :).
I've started watching our pastor's 2-year old daughter part-time. She and Jonathan have a lot of fun together. I'm going to begin doing pre-school with them soon.
I'm staying busy heading up the PTSA and Graduation Bash at the Jr/Sr High School. I'm going to start doing some volunteer work in the North Pole and hope to run for city council in the next couple of years. Now that we have permanently settled down, I would like to do everything I can to make this little city the best it can be!
Until the next time I write, be blessed and keep loving Jesus!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
BLESSED AND BUSY!
The past ten weeks have flown by since our last post! Let's see.....we bought a house in North Pole and move in two days. We put an offer on it way back in May and have waited for the sellers to find a house. Out of all the many houses we looked out, this is the only one we both fell in love with immediately. We will live about five houses down from our pastor. They have a little girl a few months younger than Johnnie. I'll be watching her Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and doing a pre-school program with them.
After much prayer we decided to enroll Jackie at the base school (at her request). She tried out for JV football cheerleading and made it! We have such a great school. She is very excited. She just found out today that her braces will come off on October 6th!! Oh, the joy.
Kaylee is playing tennis again for the school this year. She had her senior pictures taken on Monday, and they turned out beautifully.
Scott moved to a new squadron last month. He's first sergeant at the Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) and is even busier than he was before! He has just three more classes to complete before he graduates with his bachelor's in management in March 09!
I've volunteered to be PTSA president this year at the school as well as heading up this year's graduation bash (an all-night lock-in for our graduating seniors). Jonathan and I are preparing to fly to Seattle in September. Jonathan gets to meet my side of the family, and my friend, Sherry, and I are going to walk the Susan B. Komen 3-Day, 60-Mile breast cancer walk. This will be the second walk I've done; the first was four years ago in Maryland. I quit my Kraft Sales Rep job a few months ago because I was working too many hours. I took over the stocking for a couple months over the summer until they could find someone else, and tonight is my last night. I'll be looking for another part-time evening job when I get back from Seattle.
And Johnnie.....he has grown like a weed! He is the cutest little guy I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his Mama!! His loving and very curious personality has come out in full-force. He keeps our entire family very busy! :) The boy climbs like a monkey and fights sleep like I've never seen. Whenever he starts to get the least bit tired, he starts running around the house in circles with a big grin on his face. He is more fun to watch than any TV program!
Our new phone number and address are:
Scott, Julie, Kaylee, Jackie, and Jonathan Watson
1005 Chris Turnaround
North Pole, Alaska 99705
(907) 385-0970
God has just blessed us so much this year!! We are humbled and oh-so grateful.
Talk to you soon.
After much prayer we decided to enroll Jackie at the base school (at her request). She tried out for JV football cheerleading and made it! We have such a great school. She is very excited. She just found out today that her braces will come off on October 6th!! Oh, the joy.
Kaylee is playing tennis again for the school this year. She had her senior pictures taken on Monday, and they turned out beautifully.
Scott moved to a new squadron last month. He's first sergeant at the Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) and is even busier than he was before! He has just three more classes to complete before he graduates with his bachelor's in management in March 09!
I've volunteered to be PTSA president this year at the school as well as heading up this year's graduation bash (an all-night lock-in for our graduating seniors). Jonathan and I are preparing to fly to Seattle in September. Jonathan gets to meet my side of the family, and my friend, Sherry, and I are going to walk the Susan B. Komen 3-Day, 60-Mile breast cancer walk. This will be the second walk I've done; the first was four years ago in Maryland. I quit my Kraft Sales Rep job a few months ago because I was working too many hours. I took over the stocking for a couple months over the summer until they could find someone else, and tonight is my last night. I'll be looking for another part-time evening job when I get back from Seattle.
And Johnnie.....he has grown like a weed! He is the cutest little guy I've ever seen, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his Mama!! His loving and very curious personality has come out in full-force. He keeps our entire family very busy! :) The boy climbs like a monkey and fights sleep like I've never seen. Whenever he starts to get the least bit tired, he starts running around the house in circles with a big grin on his face. He is more fun to watch than any TV program!
Our new phone number and address are:
Scott, Julie, Kaylee, Jackie, and Jonathan Watson
1005 Chris Turnaround
North Pole, Alaska 99705
(907) 385-0970
God has just blessed us so much this year!! We are humbled and oh-so grateful.
Talk to you soon.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Big Changes Coming!!!
Let's see......in the past six weeks, we traveled to Anchorage for Jackie's bowling tournament where she placed 16th out of 50. Not bad at all considering this is the first year she's ever bowled! We were able to have dinner with some friends of ours from Anchorage. We went to church with them 12 years ago, and they have been following our adoption journey. They finally got to meet Jonathan face-to-face. We had a great time.
Scott and I decided a few months ago we were going to retire in Anchorage. When we drove down for the bowling tournament, we kept our eyes open for areas we might want to make our home. After we came back and thought about it, we decided Anchorage and its vicinities have become too crowded for us. We made the decision to make Fairbanks our home. We started house-hunting and have made an offer on our first-ever home; it is located in North Pole. We will find out soon if the offer was accepted. This is all very exciting and terrifying at the same time. We have never, in our 18 years together, set down permanent roots. With the exception of January through March, the Fairbanks area is paradise to us. We figure if we love it here 9 of the 12 months, we are blessed. I think it's those really cold and dark 3 months that keeps so many people from settling here!
We were able to re-adopt Jonathan on April 17th. It was fun. We met our lawyer at the state courthouse and went before a judge. Jackie and Jonathan came with us (Kaylee was at school). The judge asked us questions, and Jonathan started singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in the middle of the process. He is so funny! All we're waiting on now is his U.S. birth certificate. We have our 6-month post-placement interview on June 7th, and all we have left in this amazing adoption process is the 12-month post-placement in December. I can't believe how fast time is flying.
Jonathan is doing GREAT!!!! He is so funny. Johnnie wants to be big soooooooo badly. We bought him this little scooter-bike awhile back. Now that it is nice outside, we go and ride it on the sidewalk. Whenever a child rides by on a "big" bike, he stops and points and cries out, "BIKE"! Then he looks down with a very sad face and points to where the peddles would be if the scooter-bike had them. I went and bought a hot-wheel bike made for kids 2-5 years old. Jonathan was so excited when Scott was putting it together. When Jonathan hopped on, though, his little feet couldn't quite reach the peddles. No matter how he stretched and maneuvered his legs, he just could reach. So now he just scoots around like he did on his little scooter but feels better about it because at least this one has peddles!
Jonathan is growing like a weed! He absolutely loves yogurt and milk. I had to up my food budget money because up here, milk is over $4.00 a gallon! He's beginning to communicate with words more, but his favorite way to get his point across is using motions and body language. He understands what we say, though, so I figure his speech will come. Jonathan turned 2 1/2 on April 17th. He loves being around other little kids at church. The house we put a bid on is only a few houses down from our pastor and his family who have a 2-year old daughter. It would be great to move in there because they also have a 17-year old daughter who is Kaylee's best friend!
Kaylee's last day of school is today. Next year she will be a senior!!! She will be taking a pre-nursing course our school offers. When she is finished, she will have 12 college credits at graduation. Kaylee is planning a mission trip to China this Christmas. She is working hard to save her money. She will be gone two weeks in December. This is one of the only times the Chinese Government allows Biblical teaching - during Christmas. It's a little terrifying having your child travel across the world without you. I have to remind myself, though, that she is God's child first. He trusted Scott and I to raise her to love Him. He has set in her heart the desire to go and teach little kids the Gospel, and I'm excited for her!! I don't envy her that long plane ride, though.
Scott is preparing to go bear hunting this weekend. He is so excited! He and his buddies put out their bear bait last weekend. Bear meat is excellent to eat. Our freezer full of moose meat is a almost gone, so I hope he gets one. That's about it for now. I'll update again in about six weeks.
Blessings in Christ,
Julie
Scott and I decided a few months ago we were going to retire in Anchorage. When we drove down for the bowling tournament, we kept our eyes open for areas we might want to make our home. After we came back and thought about it, we decided Anchorage and its vicinities have become too crowded for us. We made the decision to make Fairbanks our home. We started house-hunting and have made an offer on our first-ever home; it is located in North Pole. We will find out soon if the offer was accepted. This is all very exciting and terrifying at the same time. We have never, in our 18 years together, set down permanent roots. With the exception of January through March, the Fairbanks area is paradise to us. We figure if we love it here 9 of the 12 months, we are blessed. I think it's those really cold and dark 3 months that keeps so many people from settling here!
We were able to re-adopt Jonathan on April 17th. It was fun. We met our lawyer at the state courthouse and went before a judge. Jackie and Jonathan came with us (Kaylee was at school). The judge asked us questions, and Jonathan started singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in the middle of the process. He is so funny! All we're waiting on now is his U.S. birth certificate. We have our 6-month post-placement interview on June 7th, and all we have left in this amazing adoption process is the 12-month post-placement in December. I can't believe how fast time is flying.
Jonathan is doing GREAT!!!! He is so funny. Johnnie wants to be big soooooooo badly. We bought him this little scooter-bike awhile back. Now that it is nice outside, we go and ride it on the sidewalk. Whenever a child rides by on a "big" bike, he stops and points and cries out, "BIKE"! Then he looks down with a very sad face and points to where the peddles would be if the scooter-bike had them. I went and bought a hot-wheel bike made for kids 2-5 years old. Jonathan was so excited when Scott was putting it together. When Jonathan hopped on, though, his little feet couldn't quite reach the peddles. No matter how he stretched and maneuvered his legs, he just could reach. So now he just scoots around like he did on his little scooter but feels better about it because at least this one has peddles!
Jonathan is growing like a weed! He absolutely loves yogurt and milk. I had to up my food budget money because up here, milk is over $4.00 a gallon! He's beginning to communicate with words more, but his favorite way to get his point across is using motions and body language. He understands what we say, though, so I figure his speech will come. Jonathan turned 2 1/2 on April 17th. He loves being around other little kids at church. The house we put a bid on is only a few houses down from our pastor and his family who have a 2-year old daughter. It would be great to move in there because they also have a 17-year old daughter who is Kaylee's best friend!
Kaylee's last day of school is today. Next year she will be a senior!!! She will be taking a pre-nursing course our school offers. When she is finished, she will have 12 college credits at graduation. Kaylee is planning a mission trip to China this Christmas. She is working hard to save her money. She will be gone two weeks in December. This is one of the only times the Chinese Government allows Biblical teaching - during Christmas. It's a little terrifying having your child travel across the world without you. I have to remind myself, though, that she is God's child first. He trusted Scott and I to raise her to love Him. He has set in her heart the desire to go and teach little kids the Gospel, and I'm excited for her!! I don't envy her that long plane ride, though.
Scott is preparing to go bear hunting this weekend. He is so excited! He and his buddies put out their bear bait last weekend. Bear meat is excellent to eat. Our freezer full of moose meat is a almost gone, so I hope he gets one. That's about it for now. I'll update again in about six weeks.
Blessings in Christ,
Julie
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Almost Four Months!
Boy! Jonathan (Johnnie) is growing like a weed. I think he's grown about two inches since we brought him home! He is the joy of our lives. I don't think I've ever been so sleep-deprived, or maybe God purposely took away those memories of getting up with the girls night after night after night. Jonathan is still sleeping in his toddler bed at the foot of our king-sized. He continues to struggle with nightmares and will call out, "MOM!" in his sleep. If I don't answer him back, he will start crying. I can't imaging what goes on in his sweet mind at night. He probably fears he will wake up back in the orphanage or that he will wake up and we won't be there. We're going to begin the process of moving him to his bedroom this summer. Our pediatrician said to start moving his bed a little closer to the door each night, then out in the hallway and finally in his room. The thought cracks me up! I can't image Johnnie willingly laying in his bed in the middle of the hallway :).
Jonathan is the most loving child! He loves to be hugged and cuddled with, and since my love language is physical touch, I'm in hog heaven! He will often be playing with his toys then drop everything and run up to me for a big hug and kiss. When he's had enough, he runs back off to play again. That child must have received about a million hugs and kisses from this family in the short time he's been with us. It's like each one takes away the loneliness and loss of physical contact and security he experienced in the orphanage.
Scott and I decided it was time for me to quit my part-time Kraft Foods job. I have three more weeks left. I can't wait until I can stay home with Jonathan full-time! Jonathan is starting to talk in English a lot more. His favorite TV shows are Big Comfy Couch and Sesame Street. He's beginning to recognize his letters and numbers, and he still loves to take apart everything he can get his hands on to see how it works. He can zip up his jacket by himself and is fascinated with watching me tie his shoes. He likes to unlace them and try to lace them back up. He does pretty well!
Jonathan got his first haircut as a Watson last week. I had the lady put the clippers to his hair, and he looks so adorable! He kept laughing and squirming around because the clippers tickled the back of his neck and head. The girls like his hair longer, but Scott & I like it short. I told them when they have kids of their own, they can do whatever they want with their children's hair :).
We are headed down to Anchorage on Thursday the 10th for Jackie's youth bowling tournament. Kaylee has to stay home because she can't miss work & school. We are meeting some old friends of ours from our first church when we lived in Anchorage 14 years ago! We are also going to check out some property for when we retire. We haven't been down to the big city (the biggest in Alaska) since we had to re-do our fingerprints at the FBI headquarters for the adoption last March. I'll be celebrating my 41st birthday on Saturday. It will be a great day! Last year at this time Scott was deployed to Saudi Arabia and the projected date our adoption agency gave us for getting our Chinese baby kept increasing. It wasn't until after Scott came back from the Middle East that we decided to go on the Special Needs list. It was just a couple months after that we received our referral for Jonathan! The folks in our original group (to get healthy girls) are still waiting for their referrals, and it looks like it will be another eight months or so before they get them.
We have an appointment with a judge on April 17th to re-adopt Jonathan. This is the final step (well, almost) in this incredible journey. Our adoption agency strongly encourages families who have adopted overseas to re-adopt their children in the U.S. While the overseas adoption is legal in the foreign country and with Customs and Immigrations, there is no paperwork at the U.S. courthouses and with vital statistics so the adopted overseas children cannot acquire a U.S. birth certificate. The re-adoption is handled by a lawyer who files all the necessary paperwork with the courthouse. We have a 15 minute appointment with a judge, sign some paperwork, and we're done. After that, on June 7th, we have a 6-month post-placement review with our social worker, Linden. China requires 6 and 12 month post placement visits when you adopt one of their children. The 12-month post placement visit in December will complete our adoption process! Wow!!
We have some friends on base who at this very moment are getting ready to bring back their adopted little girl home from China. Her name is JiJue (they kept her Chinese name), and they will be coming home in just three days! She is turning 2 in about a week, and I can hardly wait for Jonathan to meet her. I think they are going to be good friends. Well, that's about it for now. I'll update again in a few weeks. It is April 8th and there is still snow on the ground! In fact, it snowed the entire weekend!! Spring is in the air, though. Praise God!!
Jonathan is the most loving child! He loves to be hugged and cuddled with, and since my love language is physical touch, I'm in hog heaven! He will often be playing with his toys then drop everything and run up to me for a big hug and kiss. When he's had enough, he runs back off to play again. That child must have received about a million hugs and kisses from this family in the short time he's been with us. It's like each one takes away the loneliness and loss of physical contact and security he experienced in the orphanage.
Scott and I decided it was time for me to quit my part-time Kraft Foods job. I have three more weeks left. I can't wait until I can stay home with Jonathan full-time! Jonathan is starting to talk in English a lot more. His favorite TV shows are Big Comfy Couch and Sesame Street. He's beginning to recognize his letters and numbers, and he still loves to take apart everything he can get his hands on to see how it works. He can zip up his jacket by himself and is fascinated with watching me tie his shoes. He likes to unlace them and try to lace them back up. He does pretty well!
Jonathan got his first haircut as a Watson last week. I had the lady put the clippers to his hair, and he looks so adorable! He kept laughing and squirming around because the clippers tickled the back of his neck and head. The girls like his hair longer, but Scott & I like it short. I told them when they have kids of their own, they can do whatever they want with their children's hair :).
We are headed down to Anchorage on Thursday the 10th for Jackie's youth bowling tournament. Kaylee has to stay home because she can't miss work & school. We are meeting some old friends of ours from our first church when we lived in Anchorage 14 years ago! We are also going to check out some property for when we retire. We haven't been down to the big city (the biggest in Alaska) since we had to re-do our fingerprints at the FBI headquarters for the adoption last March. I'll be celebrating my 41st birthday on Saturday. It will be a great day! Last year at this time Scott was deployed to Saudi Arabia and the projected date our adoption agency gave us for getting our Chinese baby kept increasing. It wasn't until after Scott came back from the Middle East that we decided to go on the Special Needs list. It was just a couple months after that we received our referral for Jonathan! The folks in our original group (to get healthy girls) are still waiting for their referrals, and it looks like it will be another eight months or so before they get them.
We have an appointment with a judge on April 17th to re-adopt Jonathan. This is the final step (well, almost) in this incredible journey. Our adoption agency strongly encourages families who have adopted overseas to re-adopt their children in the U.S. While the overseas adoption is legal in the foreign country and with Customs and Immigrations, there is no paperwork at the U.S. courthouses and with vital statistics so the adopted overseas children cannot acquire a U.S. birth certificate. The re-adoption is handled by a lawyer who files all the necessary paperwork with the courthouse. We have a 15 minute appointment with a judge, sign some paperwork, and we're done. After that, on June 7th, we have a 6-month post-placement review with our social worker, Linden. China requires 6 and 12 month post placement visits when you adopt one of their children. The 12-month post placement visit in December will complete our adoption process! Wow!!
We have some friends on base who at this very moment are getting ready to bring back their adopted little girl home from China. Her name is JiJue (they kept her Chinese name), and they will be coming home in just three days! She is turning 2 in about a week, and I can hardly wait for Jonathan to meet her. I think they are going to be good friends. Well, that's about it for now. I'll update again in a few weeks. It is April 8th and there is still snow on the ground! In fact, it snowed the entire weekend!! Spring is in the air, though. Praise God!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
3 Months Home
Time sure does fly when you are chasing a very energetic and completely adorable toddler around the house! I can honestly say it seems like we have had Jonathan since his birth. My heart is as attached to him as if I had given birth to this weet boy. He does bring much joy and laughter into our family.
Potty training is going slow but steady. He tells me he has to go potty about 70 percent of the time. We're in no hurry. We have some good, quality time together in the bathroom when he's sitting STILL on the toilet :).
Jonathan's understanding of English is coming along wonderfully. He's starting to talk a little more. He looks intently into my eyes and speaks sentences to me. I can sometimes recognize a couple of words. He has a hard time making the 'f' 'r' and 'l' sounds. He is a determined young lad, and I know he will pick it up soon.
Jonathan loves playing with the kids in the church nursery on Sundays. He has a little friend, Aden, come over to play with him Monday nights while his parents go to class. I have noticed that my sweet boy can be a little bossy at times. I guess he's a Watson at heart! We bought him a little scooter, and there is a path being worn in our carpet as he scoots in a circle through the kitchen, hallway, and living room. We are all excited for the snow to melt. It's right at 0 degrees today; we still have a few more weeks of this weather.
Jonathan loves green beans. I had him in his high chair at the edge of the kitchen right next to our computer in the living room (he likes to be able to see me when he's eating and I'm working on the computer), and was munching on his favorite vegetable. I looked over and noticed him joyfully squeezing the juice out of the green beans and watching it drip all over his tray. He was having a blast, so I continued with my computer work. Scott went to clean Jonathan up, and our funny boy kept pointing to his nose and giving Scott a 'sad' look. It turns out he'd stuffed a green bean way up his nose. It took Scott a couple minutes and a pair of tweezers, but he victoriously retrieved the vegetable. I wonder if the nutrients were absorbed through his nasal lining????
We started Jonathan's re-adoption in the U.S. In order for him to receive a U.S. birth certificate, we have to go through the U.S. courts and re-adopt him. We had to get a lawyer to draw up all the papers and will meet with a judge in April sometime to finalize the paperwork. After that, we have a six month post-placement home study and a 12-month to complete (a requirement of China). We now have Jonathan's social security card and US passport. If I had to count up how much time in the past three years I've spent on paperwork linked to the adoption, I'm sure I would be shocked!
That's about it from the Watson household. I'll update again in another six weeks or so. Thank you for your love and support.
Potty training is going slow but steady. He tells me he has to go potty about 70 percent of the time. We're in no hurry. We have some good, quality time together in the bathroom when he's sitting STILL on the toilet :).
Jonathan's understanding of English is coming along wonderfully. He's starting to talk a little more. He looks intently into my eyes and speaks sentences to me. I can sometimes recognize a couple of words. He has a hard time making the 'f' 'r' and 'l' sounds. He is a determined young lad, and I know he will pick it up soon.
Jonathan loves playing with the kids in the church nursery on Sundays. He has a little friend, Aden, come over to play with him Monday nights while his parents go to class. I have noticed that my sweet boy can be a little bossy at times. I guess he's a Watson at heart! We bought him a little scooter, and there is a path being worn in our carpet as he scoots in a circle through the kitchen, hallway, and living room. We are all excited for the snow to melt. It's right at 0 degrees today; we still have a few more weeks of this weather.
Jonathan loves green beans. I had him in his high chair at the edge of the kitchen right next to our computer in the living room (he likes to be able to see me when he's eating and I'm working on the computer), and was munching on his favorite vegetable. I looked over and noticed him joyfully squeezing the juice out of the green beans and watching it drip all over his tray. He was having a blast, so I continued with my computer work. Scott went to clean Jonathan up, and our funny boy kept pointing to his nose and giving Scott a 'sad' look. It turns out he'd stuffed a green bean way up his nose. It took Scott a couple minutes and a pair of tweezers, but he victoriously retrieved the vegetable. I wonder if the nutrients were absorbed through his nasal lining????
We started Jonathan's re-adoption in the U.S. In order for him to receive a U.S. birth certificate, we have to go through the U.S. courts and re-adopt him. We had to get a lawyer to draw up all the papers and will meet with a judge in April sometime to finalize the paperwork. After that, we have a six month post-placement home study and a 12-month to complete (a requirement of China). We now have Jonathan's social security card and US passport. If I had to count up how much time in the past three years I've spent on paperwork linked to the adoption, I'm sure I would be shocked!
That's about it from the Watson household. I'll update again in another six weeks or so. Thank you for your love and support.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Six Week Update
Wow! I can hardly believe just 6 weeks ago we were traveling back from China. It seems a lifetime ago. The whole trip is like a blur now, and I'm thankful I have pictures to help me remember the details!
Jonathan is doing GREAT! Hi is all settled in to the Watson family and is our daily entertainment. We hardly even watch TV anymore - he is going to grow up an entertainer of some sort, I'm sure of it. He took his first trip to our pediatrician a few weeks ago. He had a TON of initial blood work done (to check him for all sorts of diseases and to see what immunization shots he received at the orphanage). He was given 4 shots which led to an 102.9 fever the next day. It's been awhile since I've had a toddler - I freaked out with the high temp & called the nurse. She assured me it was normal...I vaguely remember the same reaction from the girls all those years ago.
I heard from our doctor the other day, and Jonathan has a clean bill of health. His iron is a little low, so he'll need to take iron supplements for about six months. We are praising God that our little guy is healthy.
We are now in the midst of potty training. We figured when he started bringing me a diaper as he needed changing, it was time. He's doing pretty good. I think in a few weeks he'll be completely out of diapers.
Jonathan is understanding English well. I'm amazed at how quickly he is picking it up! He doesn't speak as much as he understands. Most of his jabber is what we call "Englese" (English/Chinese).
Jonathan is a climber! He's all boy. I have a feeling I'm going to end up in the ER with him several times in the next 16 years with broken bones and stitches!!! The Lord knows how I don't handle that stuff well....I've only had to deal with stitches to Kaylee's chin when she was 5. Neither girl has broken anything yet. Jonathan is a tough little guy. He's fallen a couple of times (off the couch, etc) that has left me wide-eyed and breathless, but he just bounces back up. He's amazing!
We are into a nice routine now. I had to go back to work (I'm a sales representative for Kraft Foods at our base Commissary). My main working day at the store is Monday. I didn't want to leave Jonathan with a babysitter, and so God worked it out to where I don't have to. Jackie (our 15 year old) is home schooled. We've changed her school schedule to Tuesday through Saturday so she has Sunday and Monday off. She watches Jonathan while I'm at work on Mondays. She likes it because she gets paid (and because she loves watching Jonathan). He has bondid with both his sisters well.
Jonathan's main source of communication is pointing. He walks around all day with his little index finger out in front of him pointing to this and that. He's so cute. He loves to go outside. January and February are the coldest months in Fairbanks, and we can only go out for short periods of time. It hit -40 for a couple days this last week. We had to stay inside on those days. I can't wait until this summer when we set up the trampoline for him. He is going to LOVE it (I can sense a trip to the ER). I'm so glad we bought the safety net that goes around the trampoline when we purchased it last year.
That's about it for now. I'll try to update the blog every month or so with new pictures and stories.
Jonathan is doing GREAT! Hi is all settled in to the Watson family and is our daily entertainment. We hardly even watch TV anymore - he is going to grow up an entertainer of some sort, I'm sure of it. He took his first trip to our pediatrician a few weeks ago. He had a TON of initial blood work done (to check him for all sorts of diseases and to see what immunization shots he received at the orphanage). He was given 4 shots which led to an 102.9 fever the next day. It's been awhile since I've had a toddler - I freaked out with the high temp & called the nurse. She assured me it was normal...I vaguely remember the same reaction from the girls all those years ago.
I heard from our doctor the other day, and Jonathan has a clean bill of health. His iron is a little low, so he'll need to take iron supplements for about six months. We are praising God that our little guy is healthy.
We are now in the midst of potty training. We figured when he started bringing me a diaper as he needed changing, it was time. He's doing pretty good. I think in a few weeks he'll be completely out of diapers.
Jonathan is understanding English well. I'm amazed at how quickly he is picking it up! He doesn't speak as much as he understands. Most of his jabber is what we call "Englese" (English/Chinese).
Jonathan is a climber! He's all boy. I have a feeling I'm going to end up in the ER with him several times in the next 16 years with broken bones and stitches!!! The Lord knows how I don't handle that stuff well....I've only had to deal with stitches to Kaylee's chin when she was 5. Neither girl has broken anything yet. Jonathan is a tough little guy. He's fallen a couple of times (off the couch, etc) that has left me wide-eyed and breathless, but he just bounces back up. He's amazing!
We are into a nice routine now. I had to go back to work (I'm a sales representative for Kraft Foods at our base Commissary). My main working day at the store is Monday. I didn't want to leave Jonathan with a babysitter, and so God worked it out to where I don't have to. Jackie (our 15 year old) is home schooled. We've changed her school schedule to Tuesday through Saturday so she has Sunday and Monday off. She watches Jonathan while I'm at work on Mondays. She likes it because she gets paid (and because she loves watching Jonathan). He has bondid with both his sisters well.
Jonathan's main source of communication is pointing. He walks around all day with his little index finger out in front of him pointing to this and that. He's so cute. He loves to go outside. January and February are the coldest months in Fairbanks, and we can only go out for short periods of time. It hit -40 for a couple days this last week. We had to stay inside on those days. I can't wait until this summer when we set up the trampoline for him. He is going to LOVE it (I can sense a trip to the ER). I'm so glad we bought the safety net that goes around the trampoline when we purchased it last year.
That's about it for now. I'll try to update the blog every month or so with new pictures and stories.
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