Updates

So a lot has happened since my last post. I decided last Saturday to tackle my laundry room instead! I was checking out one of my favorite blogs & decided that day was THE day to do a makeover on a very used area of our house! I will post about that as soon as I snap a couple more pics.

Until then, I have been playing around with our mantle. March is one of our favorite months around here. It's mine & hubby's birthday month. It's also our 6yr olds 4th Forever Family Day on St. Patrick's Day! Plus green is a favorite color around here ;)

So here is what I came up with! Even Sushi, our beta fish, made it up there.

Blessings,

Tracey

Lots of Ideas

Aaron & I (mostly me) have been searching for a different house for a while now.  We are used to moving every couple years to a new location, so we have been getting the itch to move here lately.  We have decided that we will stay in our area a little longer...well at least til our daughter graduates next year.

Now that we have decided to stay put, we need to fall in love with this house.  It's a great house, in a great neighborhood.

The only problem is I am ready for a one story house outside of a subdivision.  Until then, we (really just me) have to make some changes around here.  I have so many ideas floating around in my head now.  I have been driving Aaron crazy!  He has been a great hubby & just smiles at me, tells me to write it down and humors me.  I have been on Pinterest & my favorite blogs The House of Smiths , Our Vintage Home Love, & Remodelando la Casa.  They have beautiful homes & do all their designs and projects on a budget!

There is a big need for a fence to keep our 2 youngest away from the road.  They are drawn to it & it puts fear in me every time they are outside.  This takes priority & also will give them somewhere to play safely so mom can work on this house.

The room that is currently driving me nuts right now is the kitchen.  I hope to eventually paint the builder grade dark cabinets white, put up a back-splash, install under cabinet lighting & add hardware to the cabinets.  Until then, I am focused on the eating are of the kitchen.  I recently moved the computer back into this area so the boys & I wouldn't have to keep going up and down the stairs so much.  The problem is it takes up room & I had to push the table over.  This has made the light off center & is driving me batty!

Driving you crazy too?  So now I'm off to explore more ideas & hopefully will get a plan in action.  Maybe some new paint will make me feel inspired.

Blessings,
Tracey

P.S. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow...my boys are super stoked!

Happy Valentine's Day

I love my husband! He is a very thoughtful guy, but not big on Valentine's Day or flowers. I have only gotten them a handful of times in the past 14yrs. Usually it is after dropping a bunch of hints.  Yesterday he surprised me! He was gone all day at work so I didn't expect anything, but the UPS "cupid" arrived with a dozen roses, a teddy bear & chocolates! Now my dining room smells like roses & looks great!

My beautiful daughter Ashley also gave me a gift!

Graysen making his Batman Valentines for his class

Jaxen being very serious (as always)

I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love!

Blessings,

Tracey

Lent

Well today marks the 1st day of Lent.  Ash Wednesday.  I am not Catholic or any other denomination.  I am a Christian who feels that I need to give something up that means something to me, something I do everyday.

I decided to give up Facebook.  I know some of you may not consider this much of a sacrifice, but I do.  I am always on FB or checking FB.  It is my main way of connecting with family & friends.  It is also a huge time suck!  Don't get me wrong, I like FB & I think it is great.  I know it is nothing compared to Jesus giving his life on the cross or God giving his Son to die for our sins.  It is something I will think about daily & every time I do, I will turn my thoughts to Jesus.

So who wants to join me?

Anyone?

What will or would you give up until March 30th?

Blessings,
Tracey

Chinese New Year

This past Saturday we celebrated the Year of the Snake with our local Families with Children from China group.  Chinese New Year is fun for the boys & a great way to socialize with other children from China.    This year our FCC took Province pictures of the children in each group.  Both of our boys are from provinces that don't have a lot of adoptions. Our boys were the only ones in the picture for their provinces.  Graysen is from Liaoning Province in Northeast China & Jaxen is from Guizhou Provice in Southwest China.  I will post later this week about each of their provinces.  Until then I will leave you with pictures from the celebration.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Happy New Year!

Lots of Chinese crafts!

Followed by a Dragon Dance

Blessings,

Tracey

Our Boys

Let me start off by saying that if you know me, really know me, then you know that I absolutely love kids born with Cleft Lip & Cleft Palate!  I think these cuties have the most beautiful smiles & I love to see how a surgeon can completely change their life with one surgery!  As most of you know, we have 2 boys from China & both were born with bilateral cleft lip & cleft palate. This is where the "cupid's bow" the area between your nose & mouth does not close.  This usually occurs in the early stages of pregnancy.  I have read that it is usually hereditary, but also can be caused by lack of folic acid during pregnancy.

Our 6yr old, Graysen, came home from China with his lip & palate closed. He had a small hole (fistula) in his palate which can happen during the healing process due to the palate being pulled so tightly.  He has had 5 surgeries since he has been in the U.S.  He attends speech therapy a couple times a week & will have another surgery in a few years followed by years of orthodontics.

Jaxen, our 4yr old, came home from China with his lip partially repaired, but his palate still wide open.  We have done 2 surgeries since he has been home and he also attends speech therapy twice a week.  Their lives were forever changed by being adopted, but a big part of that was the free initial surgeries they received while they were still orphans in China.

 I don't know what non-profit paid for their surgeries, but I do know that both Smile Train & Operation Smile provide this life changing ministry.  I love to see the before & afters.  The children were beautiful before & after, but their lives are changed in a huge way!  The whole world opens up for them.  If you can donate to one of these charities, then please do!  Here are pics of what my boys looked like before & now.  I have only shared these pics with family & a few friends before.  Please donate to a ministry that does Cleft Lip & Cleft Palate surgeries, consider adopting a child with CL/CP & most of all PRAY!

Graysen

Jaxen

Aren't they beautiful?!  I think so!

Blessings,
Tracey

Romans

I'm excited about diving back into a Bible study with our church! Last year we together as a church went on a Journey & read through the Bible chronologically using YouVersion. Aaron & I also went on a mission trip to Guatemala. It was an amazing trip that forever changed me & I have never felt closer to God then I did that week! Since our Journey ended I have been craving a study. So today marks the beginning of Roman's where our great teaching pastor over the next year will dive into the question "What Does "Saved" Mean Anyway?

Blessings,
Tracey

Chinese New Year 2013

Today we celebrated Chinese New Year with our local Families with Children from China group. It is always a wonderful time for the kids to get together, make crafts, eat a delicious lunch, watch the children participate in the dragon dance & finally pop the firecrackers (bubble wrap)!

Blessings,

Tracey

Graysen Marcus Zheng

So yesterday I was showing off the new blog to Aaron, when Graysen noticed that the last post was all about Jaxen. He said I should make one about him.  I love this kid!  So here it is!  Here is a couple photos showing how Graysen has changed since he came home back in March 2009!  We are going to be celebrating his 4th Forever Family Day on St. Patrick's Day!  Aaron likes to refer to Gray as a CIA (Chinese Irish American)...LOL.

Our very first picture of Zheng Sen

He only wanted his Baba & was very upset on Gotcha Day

Adoption Day he became Graysen Marcus Zheng!

Graysen is now 6yrs old & such a happy, active, smart & entertaining guy!  

We are incredibly blessed to be his parents!

Blessings,

Tracey

Jaxen Eli Hua

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on one of our blogs!  We have been very busy as a family of 6.  My last post was on our old blog at Raisin' Punks . We were waiting to leave Hong Kong with our newest member of our family, Jaxen Eli Hua! That was well over a year and a half ago!  I plan on now posting at least once a day about something interesting, funny or crazy that happens in our family!  If anyone knows our boys, then they know that we usually have plenty of material each day ;)  Since our last post on our old blog was about Jaxen, I will end with some pics of Jax & how he has changed since!

 Meeting Hua Guo Hai in Guiyang

 Laughing the next day!

 Jaxen Eli Hua

Our crazy boy this past fall!

Blessings,

Tracey