Bret has had around 7 or 8 surgeries since she had her accident and was burned in China. I don't think she had any before we got her. I know I repeat myself a lot about surgeries, but that is what we do. Bret is such a trooper and never complains or much less cries. However, she had an appointment last week that was a little unexpected. I was talking with the doctor and all of a sudden Bret started softly crying. That made me tear up and then I looked at her doctor and he started tearing up. He said he would give us a minute and then he made his escape. Bret and Cokie have been his patients a long time and I think he is really fond of them. When we got home Bret said she didn't feel well. I took her temperature and it was 100.8. I think that was the real reason she wasn't herself at the appointment. I think the doctor thought it was the stress of all her medical treatments.
On the way home Mike and I decided we deserved a good meal and stopped at Olive Garden. Lyric had tagged along and got lucky.
She only weighed 4 pounds 14 ounces, and my Dad thought I was going to kill her. He said I didn't have the motherly instincts. He was a little different. He called her Whitley for 3 days until I finally screamed, "Her name is not Whitley!!"
My Grandpa called her the Million Dollar Baby. Long after he got dementia he would remember her name, but not mine. Here he was 88 y.o., and he would have to ask to hold Whitney. I thought he would kill her. But he was the sweetest man I ever knew and I didn't have the heart to tell him no.
Guess what I'm hoping for? I'm also hoping she looks like Whitney. Whitney is SUPER smart, and I'm hoping she is just like Whitney... not that Brian isn't very smart too. : - )
Whitney's 1st day of kindergarten. She was so excited. I watched her walk in. Then I got in the car and just bawled.
Another reason I enjoyed Whitney starting school so much was because I knew when Brady started Kindergarten it would be like...look out! Whitney's teacher said things like, "I only have one child this year Whitney's caliber and last year I didn't have any." Brady's teachers used words like "terrorize."
My Dad knew she was really smart. He said it was because she was German??? He would tell me, "Sandra if she doesn't turn out it'll be your fault."
When she was about this age computers were just starting to get big. My Dad called me and told me to get to his house quick! I went in and he said, "Sandra!! Whitney is emailing an old man and his name is Bill Z!" I had to think for a minute, but I wasn't too shook up. Then it came to me... "Dad that is Aunt Adria's new husband." My Dad... "Oh."
Long story short. Whitney graduated from Marian University turned into a "practicing" Catholic and married Brian (that Catholic part was part of the deal : - ), bought a house and then got pregnant. I'm positive my Dad would say she turned out.
My friend in China knows this boy and says he is a great kid! There is a lot of information about him below.
He is being advocated for as "Oliver." Oliver is on the shared list - however, if you go through WACAP, they have up to $9500 in financial aid!
This is what she told me about him:
Please note: I asked my friend what special needs in China's school means and her response to me was this:
Or special education school. For kids are having very minor special needs like cleft palate or any other kind of disabled kids. Kids could be wonderful there just having different looking than normal look people.
Dear Sammy,
I met this child on the spot when visiting the orphanage, he is a sweet boy. The belowing is written by the orphanage staff who does the dossiers for children.
"His Birthday is June 21, 1998. He is Cleft Palate after surgery. He had not been suffered any serious injury.
He is outgoing and open. He likes sports, e.g. Basketball, run, badminton, pingpong, soccer, rope, yoyo, etc… He is very good in basketball, badminton and yoyo.
He likes to help young children.
He is studying in Special Needs School which is just outside of the orphanage.
His school result is not so good, though, he is so good in physical achievement and dancing, he attends to school sports game and do performance on festivals events every year.
He is dying for being adopted by family, he is eager for having a warm home which belongs to himself.
When I first talked to him, he dare not look at me, he’s so shy with blushed face. Now we are like good friends. Every time we talk, he is very happy. He has many questions to ask me, always ask me whether there is a family to adopt him or when he could go abroad. I tell him that I’m working hard to find a family for him."
Love you always,
More important information on the boy below:
Here is some more info about the child Sammy is advocating for. Praying this child who ages out on June 21st will find his family in time- he really wants a family so badly! -Brooke :)
He is being advocated for as "Oliver." Oliver is on the shared list - however, if you go through WACAP, they have up to $9500 in financial aid! Since, he is in Dongguang Province you will have no extra inside travel cost. It sounds like a family already adopting will have no extra cost to give this boy a family.
1、 Does Oliver want to be adopted by a foreign family?
He wants to be adopted by foreign family.
2、Besides basketball, what other activities does he like to play or do? He likes playing badminton and yoyo.
3、What does he wish to be when he grows up (job, etc.)? He wants to be an athlete or a sports coach..
4、Would he like to have siblings? Yes, he likes to grow up with siblings if he have.
5、Does he prefer to play with older children or younger children (or children the same age)?
Yes, he likes playing and sharing fun with other guys.
6、Is there anyone at the orphanage in which he is close? He gots many close friends in his class.
7、What are his favorite foods? He loves juice very much.
8、If he had one wish, what would that wish be? He wishes to be a painter.
We have been blessed to travel to China twice with our friends Teri and Mike. Our last trip we got Remi and Shepard and they got Reagan. Reagan invited Remi and Bret to her birthday celebration this weekend. The big one-four! They had a blast! But, turns out Remi is frightened of horses. So, I guess you could say Bret enjoyed the horse part a lot more. Teri said she felt bad, because Remi got such an ugly horse. She said it was the most tame though. I was thinking... "Oh, how ugly can a horse be?" In this day and age of political correctness run amok are you allowed to say a horse is ugly? Let me tell you this horse may be tame, but it is worse than ugly. That'll teach Remi not to be such a weenie!!!
Reagan has the big dimples and is in the pink. She and Remi have been home about 18 months. Thanks Reagan and Teri for inviting the girls!!
Compare this face to this...
face! Remi's face looks like it does when Mike asks her what she learned from the sermon on Sundays. The way Remi likes sports I'm really surprised she was scared of the horse. She can get very competitive on the basketball court.
Mike and Teri took the girls out to dinner.Three cute Guangdong girls!
They went shopping and Reagan got her ears pierced, which always is a big day in itself!
Right on time! Mike brought me my chocolates the day after Valentines! He knows I insist he buy them the day after so they are on sale and I don't feel so guilty. It isn't really that romantic since I have to wait till he gets home from work and I'm like, "Did you get them?!?!?!" Then he wants to talk, but I'm ready for him to leave me alone with my chocolates. : - )
OK, the Godiva is sweet, but not romantic, or at least the way we do it. But Mike surprised me with something else this year. After taking the kids to school the morning of Valentines Day, I checked my email. I had an email from Mike telling me to click the link below. It is probably more dorky than romantic, but Mike is as sweet as the candy.
