January

The kids starting playing Upwards basketball this month.  This means that every Saturday morning is filled with back to back games.  Lilly was timid at first, but is getting more and more aggressive.  She has scored a couple points each game.  Liam is great on defense.  He doesn't really care if he touches the ball at all.  He just likes being part of a team.
We've had some snowy and icy weather.  Liam has had a couple e-learning days (snow days, but he is required to do homework).  Liam and I celebrated National Lutheran School's Week with fun dress-up days.  We are also getting ready to celebrate Chinese New Year, which is in February this year.

Liam's e-learning assignment was to read to family member.  He chose to read to Mars & Lilly.  They were a good audience.

Both kids were #14, but on different teams.

Liam took one for the team and got smacked in the face.

"I can't put my arms down!"

Lilly's dolls know how to party!

Pajama Day

Book Character Day

We got a lot of use out of the fireplace this month.

Neon Day

Hawaii Day

Firework art projects for Chinese New Year

Family movie night - Born in China

My little tap dancer

Talking with my Daughter

When we decided to adopt Lilly, I was thrilled to have a daughter.  I have a special relationship with my mom and envisioned having the same with Lilly.  I knew that we would have to build that relationship intentionally.  However, Lilly bonded so well, so soon, I was certain that we would have the mother-daughter relationship I longed for.  
Then, we discovered Lilly was hard of hearing and something was missing.  I wasn't able to talk with my daughter.  I could read her cues and she could read mine.  Our relationship was completely non-verbal.  It could get frustrating.  We were creating our own language.
Then, when she began to learn sign language, I began to learn sign language.  As we eased into this new communication, we learned new cues.  The frustration happened less often, but I still longed to talk to my daughter, really talk, more than just one or two words signed at a time.  And then, as if a switch flipped for Lilly, she began to talk.  Her little voice started sounding like real words, and those words became short sentences.  I'm sure to anyone else it sounds like gibberish, but I can actually hear words and phrases.  The other day Lilly said, "Hey Mom, whatcha doing?"  I understood it!  It wasn't prompted or signed, just spoken as well as she could (still approximating sounds), but I knew what she was saying.  Tears welled up in my eyes.  I thought, "I can talk to my daughter and she can talk back."  We still have so far to go. Most of the world cannot understand Lilly.  But, I can talk with my daughter, and understand her.  It makes us that much closer.  My prayer is that some day we will sit and have lengthy talks about school and boys, faith and life.  For now, I'm content with "Whatcha doing Mom?"  

December 2017

In addition to celebrating Christmas, we've had a great month, full of family activities.  We took the kids to West Lafayette to see a Purdue basketball game. The kids had a great time and especially loved staying in a hotel overnight.  Liam was happy to walk through the Neil Armstrong building.  He saw a few familiar faces on the wall.  Lilly danced beautifully in her Nutcracker performance.  It is great to see how far she has come.  She was beautiful!  We went to Concordia's Embassy Christmas concert as a family.  The kids enjoyed dressing up and getting hot chocolate afterwards.  We decorated sugar cookies and the kids made a gingerbread house and train with their cousins.  
Over break we went with Grandma Kusch and the Harts to a Pistons game. The kids got to shoot a free throw after the game.  We also went to the Henry Ford Museum.  There was a special exhibit called, The Science Behind PIXAR.  It was fascinating to see how much math and science goes into a PIXAR film.  We ended the day by seeing Star Wars in the IMAX theater!
When we got home from Michigan, the kids spent lots of time with the Herman cousins.

Liam at his annual eye exam - no glasses needed for either kid!

Kids at Dad's Christmas open house for work

The kids had their first Upwards Basketball practices

Liam at his Christmas Program

Liam with cousin Lucy Penner

We got Just Dance for Christmas - Lilly loves to dance to Moana