COME WITH ME TO CHINA!

TRAVEL JOURNAL TO CHINA

***

You can journey with me to China by clicking HERE

***

Introducing WenChun & BaoBao....English names TBA!

http://www.lestertraveljournal.com/

I'm bringing our boys HOME!!!!

WenChun & BaoBao, we love you so much!!!!

Forever Family Day #3

Sunday, September 19th is Max's Forever Family Day but since I will be in China we celebrated it today. Max and Vivi were both so excited because they knew that they would get to choose a Chinese outfit to wear....they both wore theirs to school....they were so proud :-). Max wanted pizza for dinner so pizza it was, and brownies but not just any brownies, he wanted white frosting and then M&EMMIES on top. Each FFD we give them a small gift from their birth country. This year he got kissing pigs. I think it was the year of the pig when we traveled for him. Three blessed years with this little guy! Max we love you BIG!!!

Thank You!!!

I can't believe that the time has come and I will be leaving for China TOMORROW!!! Before I leave I wanted to share a few things. First of all, Paul and I want to thank everyone for all your prayers and encouragement...I have received so many emails, calls and texts from friends and from people I've never even met, some that even though I've never met in person, are treasured and are forever friends and from some that sent me an email saying you don't know me but I follow your blog and please know our family is praying for you and yours.....I am blown away by the kindness and love that we have been given from so many. We also want to say thank you to everyone that supported us financially....we are so appreciative, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Another Wonderful Surprise!

On August 12th it was WenChun's birthday, we didn't want to send something to one and not the other so we sent them both something. We sent a letter that was translated by Angela at Ladybugs N Love, a backpack and art supplies for each and like the last care package a self addressed stamped envelope (to Angela). We told WenChun in the letter that we would celebrate his birthday when he comes home. Below are pictures of the items that Angela gathered for the care package and THE LETTERS they sent back to us, a drawing by BaoBao....I call it Royal Love :-), he is a very talented artist(and at only 12 yrs old...AMAZING!)...check out all the detail and I have been told that WenChun is equally as talented in art. WenChun sent us several origami birds.....tiny origami birds so little I don't know how he made all those tiny folds. I have made large origami birds and it's not easy making them big. I have a feeling we are going to have A LOT of art hanging in our home and I already have an idea for where I need some origami birds :-). CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Again like last time they wrote the letters and then translated them themselves on the back.

***

just keepin' it real :-)

ONLY 2 MORE SLEEPS!!!!!

The Boys Room!!!!

Here is a look at it before....when it was the Vivsters room.

BEFORE

And here it is today.

(but you don't see all the MESS...i have all my traveling stuff in there....that is why i didn't show the complete wall where the party deer is...there is only so much shoving around one can do :-)

Paul built the beds (with Vivi's help :-) and I cut and stained the boards for the headboards but together we ALL helped construct the headboards. I like the idea of having a large vintage letter sitting on the top of their headboard that starts with their name....speaking of....it would be nice if we knew what their names were going to be.....YEP, I leave in 8 DAYS and we still don't know what their names are going to be. We are back and forth...we do know they want English names and they want Mom and Dad to choose a name for them. Doesn't this seem all to familiar....I did the same thing with Viv :-/.

****

Paul re-worked the lockers. We had them years ago when the boys were younger and when we moved to the lake we let Mark and Amy, our friends and now neighbors :-) use them and when they moved into the house next door they weren't going to use them so we got them back. They were 3 across and they would have been to wide so Paul took one top and bottom locker off.....it wasn't an easy job....bless his heart I bet there were 5000 little bitty screws. My man can do just about anything! :-)

***

What 's on top of the lockers....this sign was in Hayden's room...see Paul it is good to hold on to goodies and store them in THE Storage Building AKA, The Man Cave. (so Paul, NO yard sales while I am gone to China...PLEEEZZZE) The jar that is holding the chalk is a peanut butter jar and I painted an address label and lid with black flat spray paint.

***

The easel is a thrift find from years ago that has been living in The Storage Bldg.

****

The flowerdy stained glass windows are gone :-( ....they are still there but just hiding under a ceiling tile covered with cork. They will hold beautiful art from our outstanding artists :-).

***

Paul made the table top out of old lap boards that were inside the walls of our friends house that they gutted. They gave us a lot of these boards and Paul has been busy making some really wonderful things....like a kitchen table for one....I'll take pictures of that and share soon . I waxed this desk and put inexpensive legs on it that we found at Ikea.

***

I just love this hanging lamp....it's just a clamp work lamp from Lowes and Paul re-wired it and we hung it on a really really really long chain. It gives off the best light for reading or drawing in bed.

***

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful old bench...thrifted, 10 BUCKEROOS.

***

The infamous Party Deer...he's been around a while and has made his home in all the boy's rooms. Over time I will add to the globe collection and they will fill the top shelf.

A BIG (pickle) jar of bouncy balls....what boy doesn't like bouncy balls.

***

Here is the other end of the room....both boys like basketball....the ceilings are 12 foot so I thought, why not! The backboard is made out of the same old wonderful lap board. The chalkboard is an old door that our neighbors (Mark & Amy) gave us....another treasure out of their old and wonderful home. The coffee table is a large piece that was cut out of the center of a tree and I put casters on the bottom. I used it at the house when we lived at the lake but it was way longer.....paul shortened it. It will be the perfect place to play Chess, Backgammon (no, i'm not the chess and backgammon player of the fam, that would be Paul....i know your surprised), Jenga (now that's MY game :-), cards or whatever. SOON...so very SOON!!!

***

One of my favorite thrifted items is the basket in the corner...I got it for FREE...it looked so bad that the man was glad I took it off his hands :-)....filled it with balls to shoot baskets....Max and Viv have had a BALL..LOL...playing basketball. The aquarium isn't set up yet.

***

So this is it....this is where many memories will be made!
AND WE CAN'T WAIT!!!!

working together....getting ready for THE BOYS

viv helps dad and chills at the same time...LOL...great idea :-)

Paul re-wired work lamps and we hung them over the beds for reading lights.

i'm working on a post of the finished product.