Our Piece of Paradise

Podcasts are a wonderful thing...

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 19:52:00 +0000

Living in the ginormous Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, there are many opportunities for driving long distances. Especially if you live on the fringe of the metroplex like we do! So my podcasts are an important way for me to pass the time, stay awake, learn something and enjoy my time on the road. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Wretched Podcast: Todd Friel does an awesome job of talking about daily events in and out of the church from a Biblical perspective. His 2 hour weekday radio show is full of humor and wisdom! He has a pithy 5-10 minute daily podcast you can get for free but if you become a Wretched Club member, you can get the entire 2 hour broadcast for free in podcast form, downloaded to your device. Or, you can stream the broadcast live or stream anytime as the previous show is constantly streaming on a loop via the website.

2. The Briefing: This is another great Podcast that I just recently discovered through a friend. Usually under 30 minutes, Al Mohler discusses the day's news headlines and other "cultural conversations" happening from a Biblical worldview. Excellent analysis, insight and a great way to start off your day!

3. Grace to You Pulpit Podcast: This is the link to each sermon preached weekly at Grace Community (John MacArthur's church) in Southern California. Excellent. Period.

4. Countryside Bible Pulpit Podcast: In a similar vein, this is the podcast from the pulpit at our church. Most of these sermons are preached by our pastor, Tom Pennington, but it also includes guests and other pastors in the church who preach from time to time.

5. Truth Forum: This is a new podcast started by David Parson, founder of Truth Remains. It focuses on topics relevant to Christians endeavoring to be faithful to Christ in the midst of a cultural whirlwind. And he's started off with notable guests such as our pastor, Tom Pennington, John MacArthur and Al Mohler! So of course, it's a given this a new favorite of mine!

So that rounds out my top favorite podcasts. But I'm always looking for more! So if you have one you love, let me know!

Lazy Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 19:44:00 +0000

I love this tip from Linda Parelli on how to motivate the lazy horse. Two in my herd come immediately to mind! It will be fun to try this with them...

Gospel Meditations

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:23:00 +0000

We love our church. Have I mentioned that before? I am so thankful that God led us to Countryside Bible. One of the things the elders and pastoral staff has asked us to do as a church, is read along together in either Gospel Meditations for Women or Gospel Meditations for Men. I'm a little behind, but this was part of my reading today. This is it - in a nutshell. Our need for God, our need for a perfect Savior to be the substitute for our sinful selves. Soli Deo Gloria!

Hello 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:07:00 +0000

Can I just say I relate to this commercial?

Just to keep it all in perspective and remember where my focus should be, here is a great prayer that was in my Grace Gems email this morning:

(Matthew Henry)

"My times are in Your hand!" Psalm 31:15

Firmly believing that my times are in God's hand, I here submit myself and all my affairs for the ensuing year, to the wise and gracious disposal of God's divine providence. Whether God appoints for me . . . .

health--or sickness,

peace--or trouble,

comforts--or crosses,

life--or death

--may His holy will be done!

All my time, strength, and service, I devote to the honor of the Lord Jesus--and even my common actions. It is my earnest expectation, hope, and desire, my constant aim and endeavor--that Jesus Christ may be magnified in me.

In everything I have to do--my entire dependence is upon Jesus Christ for strength. And whatever I do in word or deed, I desire to do all in His name, to make Him my Alpha and Omega. I have all from Him--and I would use all for Him.

If this should prove a year of affliction, a sorrowful year to me--I will fetch all my supports and comforts from the Lord Jesus and stay myself upon Him, His everlasting consolations, and the good hope I have in Him through grace.

And if it should be my dying year--then my times are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. And with a humble reliance upon His mediation, I would venture into the eternal world looking for the blessed hope. Dying as well as living--Jesus Christ will, I trust, be gain and advantage to me.

Oh, that the grace of God may be sufficient for me, to keep me always in a humble sense of my own unworthiness, weakness, folly, and infirmity--together with a humble dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ for daily grace and strength.

Happy New Year!

If People Were Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:59:00 +0000

I came across this video from SmartPak Equine and thought I would share. Horse people will find it humorous. Other people…well,...you may think it is…strange.

Happy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 21:42:00 +0000

Today is the first day of Spring Break and it is a GORGEOUS day in North Texas. I mean gorgeous. It's currently 76 degrees, 7 mph winds out of the south. Such a nice reprieve from the cold front after cold front after cold front this winter that has brought us ice, snow, sleet and sub zero freezing temps! Yes, Spring is on its way, I do believe!

I woke up this morning and decided to take a supplement that I haven't taken in quite awhile. One of the added benefits to this supplement is it is a good mood lifter for me. I mean within an hour the world is a grand place, everything is coming up roses & I'm a happy girl!! It's not over the top but a general great attitude is a wonderful side effect!

I was thinking about some of the issues we're facing as a family, pressures with work and other commitments, big projects I have yet to tackle and complete (despite setting goals for myself year after year). Usually I can't think too long about these "problems" or I become overwhelmed. I think it's not doable, it's not going to work, I'm going to fail, etc. etc. But today, all my plans to address these issues seemed a good idea, a good plan, and would result in a good ending. And I was encouraged.

But I stopped and remembered that nothing had changed in my circumstances from yesterday. The same problems and issues were present. The same seemingly insurmountable trials and tribulations existed. But my attitude was different. My feelings were different.

And it reminded me of the study were are concluding in our Women's Bible Study at church. We have been going through Kristie Gant's Hope in God: A Biblical Perspective for Understanding, Overcoming and Preventing Depression. Let me just say. It's excellent. I mean excellent. Even if you've never struggled with depression, it's excellent. It's really a study of the attributes of God and is just so well written. I've learned so MUCH!

One of the things that has stuck with me was the section called "What Do You Know?" which addressed the fact that we must live by what we KNOW, not by what we FEEL. Kristie writes, "Feelings are a wonderful gift from God, but I must let true, godly thoughts control how I feel, and not allow how I feel to control my thoughts…feelings respond to thoughts with little concern for what is real or true…It is interesting to note that the Bible never commands us to change our feelings. Rather, our feelings will change as we control our thoughts in obedience to God's Word." She quotes Matthew 22:37 which states: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your MIND. This is the first and great commandment." and she quotes Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - [Let your mind] dwell on these things."

Later she goes on to say, "If you are a believer, God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will use His Word to change your life by transforming your thoughts. As He transforms your thoughts, your feelings will come in line with reality. God says over and over to guard your mind and your thoughts." She then quotes several verses, the ones which stood out to me were Lamentations 3:21-23 "Yet this I call to MIND, and therefore I have HOPE: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Later she says, "Thoughts are so fickle when left to themselves! They will run from one thing to another, telling you whatever your flesh wants to hear. And when they do so, they inevitably produce feelings that are hard to control. When you find your thoughts running wild and untamed, you must come against those thoughts and force them out…'…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.' 2 Corinthians 10:5 When you determine that a thought is contrary to the Word of God, put it out and tell yourself truth about God instead. Repeat truth to yourself over and over until the thought has completely left."

This is so true! And it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. I don't (or shouldn't) need a pill to change my outlook on life or my feelings. I texted this to my husband this morning and said, "I am reminded how much FEELINGS can affect my outlook. Nothing has changed about my circumstances or about God's truths and promises. It's just my outlook and how I FEEL. I need to constantly remind myself of God's unchanging truth, love and promises in order to battle my constantly changing feelings."

And that's my deep thought of the day! Ha!

So with that being said, I'll leave you with some links to some videos I posted on Instagram (and Facebook) of some of our adventures from today….hope they work!

Happy 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 23:20:00 +0000

Well, if you're like me, you're probably wondering where the holidays went and how can it be possible that the kids return to school next week? Our break from school and schedules was wonderful. We had a relaxing, quiet Christmas at home. We survived some cold temperatures and hunkered down in front of the fire most nights and stayed up late, and slept in late as well ;-)

As my mind thinks back on the last year, and looks ahead to the coming one, I have a few resolutions I thought I'd share...here they are in no particular order:

1. Get back to riding.

Since a week or so before the girls started school, I can count on one hand the number I've times I've been out too ride. I miss my horses so much! And they are all just standing around, getting fat hay bellies and letting their muscles atrophy! My arena looks like a pasture and will take some dedicated dragging, weed killing, and working over to get in shape to ride again. I'm not setting up any other goals for myself other than getting back in the routine of riding two or three of them 3-4 times a week. We'll see where I am in a few months and then maybe I'll readjust. I just want to get back to jumping and training again (and maybe some selling of a few of them before the year is over)!

2. Institute once a week family meal.

Okay, I will admit that we don't sit down at the table to eat as a family every night. And we really never have. With Jason's schedule, it was always easier to make the kids' food, feed them, get them ready for bed, and then eat with (or without) Jason later on. But our girls aren't getting any younger and with ballet and riding schedules competing for our time, I know we need some time to connect. I was really inspired by something I saw on Pinterest which I thought would make the whole thing a lot of fun.

http://beautyandbedlam.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Amazing-Family-Dinner-Time-Tradition-Conversations-starters.jpg

Just click on the link to go to this woman's blog. She has created a pdf you can download and print out with conversation starters to use at family dinner nights. Put them in a jar and let one person pull out a "starter" each meal. I thought it was cute and would be easy enough to add my own, should I be so creative, as time goes on.

3. Keep a thankful jar.

Well, at least that's what I'm calling it! On the heels of family meal time, this seemed another good "jar idea". This time the inspiration came on Facebook...the picture explains it well:

4. Organize!

If you've seen my Pinterest feed over the last few days, you'll see I'm researching different ways to organize some aspects of our family life. I think I've narrowed it down to a few options. Now I just need to implement! This lady has a TON of organization ideas on her Etsy site:

5. This little blog o'mine.

I want to post more regularly. I know I've said that before and I've done good and not so good jobs of keeping up with it. But this is my baby book, my family yearbook and keeper of our memories. I want to be more dilligent at remembering life while the girls are still young. Goodness knows we missed out on several years already with two of them. So, I'm going to try and make a few posts a week. It may not be exciting but it will be about our kids (mostly) and what's going on with them and the horses and the farm. And that's what I want to remember!

6. Get my Christmas cards sent.

And by Christmas card - I mean the picture from December 2012 that I didn't get sent out, and the picture from December 2013 that I need to send out, both before December 2014 rolls around!

7. Remember what is most important.

We are so blessed and thankful for our church, Countryside Bible Church. Pastor Tom Pennington, the elders, and the deacons and members have been so influential in our lives. They keep pointing us toward Christ and as this new year commences, I know and have already been reminded, that we will face many challenges and trials this year; in addition to many blessings. Remembering who is sovereign and having a Godly response to whatever circumstance God ordains to lay before me is what I strive to do.

I was reminded today of Philippians 1:27-28 "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents."

Another verse that has been at the forefront of my mind lately is Colossians 1:9-12 "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthend with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."

This is my prayer for 2014.

Until next time...

Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:31:00 +0000

I started this post back during Thanksgiving but didn't get around to finishing it. However, I think it's still the season to be thankful - isn't every season of our life supposed to be this way?. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessaloninans 5:16-18

So Ava was looking through her latest Young Rider magazine and found this ad in the back. She thought it sounded like a lot of fun:

I responded with an "Ahem! Doesn't that sort of describe your life on an everyday basis?!?" I mean we're not an "official" working horse farm but we do have horses and we do work! There is never a shortage of chores to be done around here!

But it got me thinking...how many things (tangible or intangible) in my life do I have and either take for granted or don't even recognize? I have been convicted lately about enjoying life with my children instead of being so busy that I'm rushing right by them or spending entire days without really "talking" with them - can I hear an "Amen!"?? Certainly I'm not the only busy mother who feels this way (which by the way - I saw something on Pinterest or Facebook recently that said something to the effect of "I don't know why they call it 'stay-at-home-mom' because I'm never at home!")

So I thought I'd list some of the things I'm thankful for below, in no particular order:

1. My Haven

I call this my haven, for lack of a better word, because this is where I spend my most treasured time each morning. I get up usually around 4:30 (notice that those windows are DARK at this time of day) and here I spend a good 1 to 1 1/2 hours every morning for my quiet time (prayer, Bible reading, Bible study and maybe 5-10 minutes at the end for some Pinterest or Facebook time ;-) I have all my neccesities - iPad with Olive Tree installed, coffee, pen, paper, and candles. It is uninterrupted quiet time - no kids or distractions.

2. My Family

This gives you a sneak peek of what our Christmas cards will look like (that is, if I get them out in time, unlike last year). It was one of the last warm days before ICEMAGEDDON 2013 hit. I think of the 12385 pictures I snapped a few turned out ok ;-) Ava is now 11 (going on 18), Amelia is 6 and Audrey is 3. They are all full of life and keep us on our toes! One of my goals for the new year is to spend more quality time with them. That's such a cliche but I feel like I spend a lot of time with them doing busy stuff - not enough fun time or relaxing time. And of course Jason is included in my sentiments - he's just not in the picture!

3. Gorgeous sunrises

Okay, a little sappy perhaps but every morning when I see the sun coming up I am reminded of Lamentations 3:22 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

4. Jesus Christ and His sovereignty

While the ice storm that hit has delayed plans and caused some problems, my pastor was wise to remind us of God's sovereignty with this verse: Psalm 147:16-18 “He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.”

We were very fortunate that we did not lose power or have any pipes burst like last time such a strong cold front invaded North Texas in 2011. However, I am reminded that even if we did lose power or have other "terrible" or unexpected things happen that God is still sovereign, He is still in control, He has ordained every moment, circumstance and situation in my life and He is working it all for my good and His glory! How can I be anything but grateful and thankful for everything in my life (the perceived good and bad things) knowing that?

2 Corinthians 11:27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Baby It's Cold Outside

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 21:38:00 +0000

We are into our fourth day of temperatures hovering around 32 degrees. A monster cold front swept down Thursday night bringing rain, some sleet and ice but thankfully, no snow! It's also our fourth day of cloudy skies. It's starting to get a little bit depressing! Yet there is beauty to be found in the cold and somber scene:

Icicles cling to evergreen branches...

Icicles line all the gates and fencing up in the horse pastures...

It's a good day or a nap...hope you're staying warm wherever you may be!

I've Found It

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 22:42:00 +0000
Okay. I'm done. I've found my dream stable/tack room. I've submitted the following picture to Jason for his perusal and to base the new designs for my barn around this.

Everything about this space is perfect. From the white walls to the pictures on the wall to the monochromatic color scheme. We'd just have to expand it a bit to have at least 8 stalls. With turnouts.

But I'm sure Jason will be able to come up with something ;-)

First Day of School - 4 Days Late

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 21:49:00 +0000
I had meant to get this up sooner...but, well, you know...life happens. But at least I'm doing it now before the first week is over!

Amelia was very excited to start first grade....she was a little put off by the fact that Mrs. Featherston was not her teacher again...I think she thought she might have the same teacher her entire school career! But she is settling in fine, despite her BFF, Gracie, not being in her class this year. They do, after all, still get to see each other at lunch and PE.

Ava is starting fifth grade...10 going on 18...sigh...tween years have hit and we've only just started the double digits. And with that comes all the drama and angst that I thought I wouldn't encounter for another few years. Does that mean if we started early, it will end early?

Nah, I didn't think so either.

Ava's BFF also was not in her class for the first time this year. She's adjusting well though and was happy to have scored one of the iPad 4's that was handed out to the students. She's thinking that in addition to ballet and horse back riding lessons that she will run for student council this year.

Should be a great 2013-2014 school year!

A Midsummer's Night

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:09:00 +0000
Ava got it into her head that she wanted to sleep out in the barn by Tinkerbell, her horse. I was a little skeptical and really not that enthused about it. I mean there are spiders and snakes and dirt and all kinds of things that come out at night up there! But, she caught me in the right mood and as soon as the word "ok" was out of my mouth, she was setting up her tent on top of a few stall mats in the main aisleway.

There are three little faces peeking out of that tent but only two had permission to stay up in the barn. The third one was not happy about missing out on the fun with her sisters and may or may not have been bribed with an iPad to play with in bed that night...

I have to hand it to them...they picked a great night (low was 62 - in August people....I tell ya, we've had an awesome summer) but they stayed up there ALL. NIGHT. I thought they'd be back in the house with the first howl from a coyote in the pasture.

But they stuck it out. This is what they looked like around midnight:

I must apologize for the grainy pictures. I only took my iphone because like I said, I didn't expect them to stay up there - I thought it would be a short evening! But they were playing away on their Nintendo games. Jason said he went up there one time and heard Ava telling "scary" stories to Amelia. They had their dream lights and flashlights and felt perfectly safe and were having a grand ol' time. Ava was happy to report she checked on the horses at different times and caught various ones laying down to rest.

And of course, our faithful family dog, Rosie, was nearby. She spent most of the night laying down outside the barn, scanning the property for any intruder or predator that might approach the barn. Ava said at one point a coyote started howling fairly close by and Rosie took off running and barking towards it. It soon was quiet again ;-) Good GIRL!!!

Around 8 am they came straggling back into the house. They finally went to bed around 1:30 AM, according to Ava, and spent the rest of the day laying around the house, trying to recuperate from their late night.

Now THAT'S what good summer memories are made of...

Until next time...

Trial By Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 14:12:00 +0000
I have so much to catch up on! But instead of trying to recap the last six months or so, I figure I'll just post as things happen and catch up a little here and there as I go...

One highlight of this summer was a beach trip we took to Destin, Florida a few weeks ago. We definitely will be returning there soon - lots of fun! Here's one picture to tease you with...

On the way home, Jason was getting tired and we realized its silly to have him do all the driving when there are two drivers in this family! So, I had him slap the "Student Driver" sticker on the back of the motorhome and I drove this 45 foot bad boy for a few hours from south of Dallas all the way to Denton!

The only unexpected challenge was that after I got going, we realized a little too late that we were heading into Dallas traffic...and Dallas CONSTRUCTION! Anyone reading this who lives in North Texas right now understands the mess that almost every freeway is in the metroplex at the moment as the state has decided to upgrade and reconfigure almost everything! I am happy to report that we made it through unscathed! Despite narrow lanes, many LARGE trucks passing in the next narrow lane, detours, heavy traffic, potholes and many orange cones and barrels scattered throughout the roadways!

We're taking another road trip soon and I plan to log some more miles...so watch out fellow drivers! ;-)

Until next time...

Magic's Prognosis

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:45:00 +0000

I've been trying to post this update for well over a week now! I sit down to type some out, get a few sentences written, and then something interrupts or my day gets going and this is put on the back burner! Ack! So, back to May 30th, Thursday afternoon, the day before I was scheduled to take Magic to get her x-rays...

I decided I should practice trailer loading her as last time we loaded, she did fairly well, but it had been a few years. With plenty of room to ride on my property and a vet, farrier, and trainer that come to me, there isn't much occasion to go anywhere. So, while Ava was taking her lesson, I pulled Magic out of the barn, opened up the trailer, and quickly discovered a wasp nest in the ceiling! Glad I checked before I was about to leave the next morning! I got rid of the nest and then proceeded to load Magic. And that's where it started to fall apart.

I was shocked to learn that apparently, Magic and Tommy have swapped brains at some point since our last trailer loading adventure. Magic did NOT want to get in that trailer! She would paw at the entrance, look inside, crane her neck as far forward as possible to sniff the grain in the feeder ahead, but did not want to get in. I did get in her a few times in the 20-30 minutes we were out there but all four legs were shaking like leaves on a Fall day. I didn't push it too much with her since all the in and out, trying, lifting to load, was most likely aggravating her injury. Normally, I would use techniques like making it her idea to load by working her whenever she was outside the trailer (circles, side passing around the trailer, etc.) and letting her rest whenever she would go inside the trailer. But again, all that work would only aggravate that injury. This is why it is best to practice trailer loading THROUGHOUT the year, my fellow horse lovers! While I didn't wait until 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave, waiting until the night before when she has an injury wasn't the best idea either!

I decided to keep the session short since she did get in for me a few times. We ended on a good note, then I put her back in her stall for the evening, not sure if she would load for me in the morning!

Bright and early the next morning, I took the girls to school and found these ominous guys waiting for me on my roof as I drove up the driveway...

These buzzards were just taking a load off, I'm sure, but I didn't like them staring me down as I drove up to the barn and started to get things ready to go! I spent a good hour getting things ready, turning other horses out, mucking stalls, etc. I called ahead to the imaging center to make sure they had an extra stall available; I decided I would take Aeriel along for comfort, support and encouragement for Magic to get in the trailer!

It was time to get ready! Aeriel jumped right in and loaded like a pro, standing still and waiting. Magic loaded easily enough (yay!) but turned around and wanted to come out right away. And quickly. And in a right-brained, sort of panicking sort of way. I let her do this for quite awhile - in, then turn around and come out right away, because at least she was getting in for me without hesitating! I sort of laughed to myself that my focus and worry had so quickly turned from getting answers about Magic's injury to just getting Magic in the trailer and would she load again when it was time to come home? The main anxiety inducing element of the trip was not what would the x-rays reveal, but would Magic load? Would she freak out in the trailer? Rear? Kick? Injure herself more? Would she load again? Would we be stuck at the imaging center overnight!?

Because I was now taking two horses, and not knowing what this place was like, I called my wonderful neighbor who luckily, was available to watch Audrey for me while I took the horses to the appointment! While Magic was getting in, I still hadn't been able to close the divider but I felt optimistic I would be successful getting her in. So I put her back in her stall, ran down to the house, finished getting ready, printed out directions to the facility, got Audrey situated in the house with my neighbor, then went up to the barn one last time. I prayed Magic would just load easily for me if I was supposed to go. We had about 5 minutes and if she didn't load within that time, I was going to cancel the appointment.

Lo and behold...she loaded! First time out of her stall, straight into the trailer and for the first time, she didn't even turn around and look behind her, but put her head out the window and nuzzled with Aeriel whose head was also out the window next to her! Hallelujiah!! I slowly closed the divider, tied up her lead rope, closed the trailer doors and waited a bit to see what Magic would do. She was whinnying and pawing a bit but no kicking or bucking. This behavior is what she exhibits at feeding time or when a buddy leaves the barn so I felt better knowing this was her "normal anxious" behavior. Without more hesitation, I was off! I wanted to snap a picture of them in the trailer but I just wanted to get GOING! So I did.

I allowed plenty of time to get to my destination (total drive time was about an hour) as we were going through major construction on the 114 (local peeps will know what a nightmare that is near the airport right now) and I was planning on going about 60 mph the entire way. The drive was uneventful and despite the distance, the directions were simple and direct. Thankfully, my goose neck trailer is super easy to drive and manuever. You barely feel like you're pulling anything!

We arrived about 20 min before our appointment and I was able to park quickly and easily. With a tech to help me, we unloaded the horses and put them in their stalls to unwind and get acclimated a bit before they took Magic away.

Here are Magic and Aeriel in their stalls. I thought it was kind of cute because while they knew Magic's name and had her stall labeled appropriately, I never told them Aeriel's name so this was how they labeled her stall:

They were late getting Magic in (but there was a lot going on - seemed they were having a specialist in equine ultrasound visiting so they were conducting a seminar with about 20-30 people there. They were also conducting classes on dental floating too. We got there right around lunch - a catered lunch of beef brisket, ribs, etc. YUMMY! They were kind enough to offer me some but my stomach was too wound up. I passed ;-)

So, anyhooo (I know this is turning into a novel...) they took Magic across the facility to the main exam room. Here she is standing in the "stocks". She looks drugged but she's not - just licking and chewing (a great sign of relaxing) after braving that roll up door in the background and loading into the confined space of the stocks. You'll also notice how she's standing with her back right leg sort of rotated to the outside. This has been her normal stance of late - but is not "normal" ;-)

They took vitals, a short history, and then the vet came in. They took her back out, trotted her around, did a few flexion tests (she was only showing up as grade 2 lameness). We discussed the areas of concern when there is a kick in the top of the hip, where they would shoot for xrays, then they sedated her and took her back for xrays! Normally they allow the owner in the room when they shoot, but because they needed lots of "juice" to shoot that deep into her tissue, I had to wait in the waiting room. I was praying they would be able to get a good shot because if not, they would have to do a bone scan or competely knock her out so they could lay her down on the xray plates!

After 20 minutes or so, the vet came back in and ushered me to his office to go over the xrays as they were able to get some good shots!! The news was good and bad. Bad news was that yes, she fractured the point of her hip. Here is what her hip should look like:

See how the outer edge is nice and smooth? Flat as it curves down?

This is how Magic's bone looks:

It's jagged, broken, rough. And yes, that little white triangle near the top? It's a bone chip. What we were afraid of.

So what is the good news? The good news is that the joint below this point, in between her hip and her hock (can't remember the technical name of the joint) looked fine. That joint can sometimes be a more critical junction and injury. The other good news is that stall rest is the treatment. No expensive procedures or treatments. Just rest. For 3-4 months. Sigh. I've been through a lengthy stall rest with Belle before. Twice. Good thing here is, Magic doesn't have to be attached to a zip line in a halter the whole time. She can move about her stall and connected run at will. The vet thought it was a great sign that she was moving so well at this point and that she had a great chance of full recovery. The only other little problem might be those bone chips. There is a chance they will need to be surgically removed. I'm hoping we don't get to that point!

Now that the xrays were over, we gave Magic some time to wake up from her sedation, then we loaded Aeriel back in, and thankfullly, feeling a little drunk still, Magic didn't put up much of a fight loading back in the trailer. And we were back on the road to home!

The ride home was also uneventful and both horses were glad to return to the barn! I felt like I had run a marathon when I got back. I was so happy things went smoothly and it was a big accomplishment for me to do this on my own considering a few months ago I had never even hauled my trailer before! But I knew it was time to put on my big girl panties and do this, despite my nerves. I do have ELEVEN horses at this point and I should know how to trailer on my own!! I do want to make it to some schooling shows this summer so this was good practice. I'll get a chance to repeat this adventure too since they want to repeat xrays in six to eight weeks ;-)

Update on Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Mon, 27 May 2013 14:24:00 +0000

Dr. Lampe came out on Wednesday and discussed some treatments we could do to help Magic heal. Then he saw her move in the round pen and said she absolutely needs to get it x-rayed. The concern now is that she might have fractured the hip or somewhere in the hip joint. There may be bone chips, etc. and the treatments involve procedures that might make that worse. Dr. Lampe wants to see exactly what is going on in there before we proceed. The complication is that this injury is potentially deep inside her hip - too deep for his portable x-ray machine. I need to take her to the Animal Imaging Center in Las Colinas. They have the most powerful x-ray machine in the metroplex and thus the best chance of getting a workable image. If that doesn't work, she will need a bone scan which is lots of $$!

Between my schedule and the Imaging Center's schedule, I couldn't get her in until this Friday, the 30th. In the meantime, she is in her stall, on 2 grams of Bute a day, and perhaps this extended rest period will allow her to heal properly and we can avoid the trip to the Imaging Center all together - which will be an adventure for me with Audrey along and driving the trailer about an hour away into city traffic and streets! At least Magic loads easily...still, say a prayer for me!

And on this relaxing Memorial Day, I will leave you with this cute baby bird we saw on our front porch. Looks like today is the day he learns to fly! He looked rather perturbed with this adventure. Momma was nearby, flittting in and out, cheeping at him constantly...too cute! (Sorry for the graininess - I took this through the leaded glass on our front door with my iphone, zoomed in.)

Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:21:00 +0000

My fabulous vet, Dr. Lampe, is coming this morning to re-examine Magic, one of my OTTB (Off Track Thoroughbred). Several weeks ago, I found her and Tommy standing in the north pasture like this (Magic is the dappled grey):

I thought it a little strange. It was a glorious day and they weren't grazing - just standing. But still, the do take little naps from time to time. An hour later, I noticed that while Tommy had moved on, Magic was still standing in the same spot. I went out to investigate and discovered she did not want to move or put weight on her right hind leg. At all. I examined her - no swelling or obvious injury on her legs or body other than this seemingly innocent scrape on her right hip:

It took me quite awhile to get her out of the pasture and up to the barn. My vet came out and determined she had been kicked right on the point of the right hip. We were afraid of a break or fracture but it seemed, as the hours passed, that it was unlikely. Most likely, some soft tissue damage. Antibiotics, anti inflammatories on board and 2 weeks off were hopefully going to give her the time to heal.

So now we are almost a month (I think) from the injury and she's still not 100%. She looks mildly lame at walk and trot but when she canters, after a few strides, she runs 3-legged, holding that right rear leg up. I'm concerned that it's not healing. Hopefully today will reveal some reasons and a new path to full recovery!

It's frustrating because she was making such good progress under saddle! I was getting ready (hopefully by the end of the summer) to put her up for sale.

I'll try to post here when I have more news.

Just Another Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:21:00 +0000

When events like the Oklahoma tornadoes happen, I often think of the people (and in this case, children - I can barely type that as I think of my own children) who perished. Did they wake up thinking, "Okay, I have this and this planned for today. I have to get to work, take the dog to the vet, swing by the grocery store. And oh yes, there may be some severe weather this afternoon. Hopefully if we get hail, it won't damage the roof again.", etc.

Little did they know their life would be required of them that day.

I think about myself. Are those the same thoughts I'm having today? Will my life be required of me today?

If it is, I have the security of knowing where I am going when I die.

What about you? Do you know where you're going when you die?

"Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:5-6

"...let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Have you repented and put your trust in Jesus Christ? If not, don't delay. Your life might be required of you today.

I'm in so much trouble...

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:59:00 +0000
...because I agreed to have two thoroughbreds brought to my barn for me to "try out". And oh my. I like them MUCH more than I thought I would.

This is Brego. He is 3 years old. Fresh off the track. He's 17.2 hands. And he's a love. I'm in love. And I haven't even tried him out under saddle yet.

He's gorgeous. And flashy. And I can't stop looking at him. His registered name is Despicable. But he's oh so not despicable.

This is Willow. She's 4 years old and after she was retired from the track, she spent a year hanging out in her vet's pasture. She had a baby. And now she's ready to get back to working.

She's 16.2 and it's difficult to get a good picture of her because as soon as she sees you, she's over in your face wanting to nuzzle. She's a love too.

In fact, these two are arguably the best behaved horses in my barn.

I said I would try them out but if I was interested, I could only keep one. Well, they're both so fabulous I'm keeping both. I can't wait to see how they develop...

And I just have to add that this picture (found on Pinterest and here on the web), pretty much describes my husband. It doesn't describe the horses (other than being OTTB) but it does my husband. He didn't blink an eye and in fact, helped coordinate the opportunity to try these to out and eventually buy them.

He's the best.

Pinterest Preoccupation

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Okay.

I admit it.

I have become ~~obsessed~~ preoccupied with Pinterest. I've been a member for over a year now, but it wasn't until the last few months I really started to get into it. I think I didn't understand how to use it effectively before. And I think now that more people are on it, it's much better (I mean what was the point of needing to be "invited" to join Pinterest in the beginning? Were they trying to make it seem exclusive or an honor or something?)

I was never one of those people who would tear pages out of magazines and save them in an "inspiration book". I never had a cork board full of pictures and quotes for inspiration. But I do pin a lot of photos. And I've found that many of the links have lead me to GREAT blogs that I now follow! For example, take this great blog on organizing your life and home: Delightful Order. She has a monthly challenge to help you organize one facet of your home. January was organizing papers in your home. As part of that theme, she recently posted this great system of organizing your warranties and manuals.. Another great thing about her blog is every week you can link up and share how you have organized something pertaining to the challenge for that week/month. It's a great place to find other ideas and inspiration if her system doesn't seem like it will work perfectly for you. She also has a good post on how to organize your child's important papers and from school related items. She creates these fabulous binder and folder labels that she sometimes offers for free or is an inexpensive product you can buy on her Etsy shop. I plan to do several of her projects.

Another great blog I found was The Small Things. Kate is a hair dresser by trade so has tons of great tutorials on hair and makeup but also fashion. So many of the blogs that deal with this subject are authored by young 20-somethings and while they can be good too, this is more my groove (because she seems a little bit closer in age to me or perhaps it's because I found out through a reference she made to The Popcorn Shop she visited growing up as a little girl, that she also grew up in Wheaton, IL! ;-) Her YouTube channel is awesome. I've already bought several of the hair products she has recommended and they've been fabulous!

Another great one I've started following is Pink Pistachio (another fashion/lifestyle blog) and House of Rose (a great organizational/DIY decorating and renovations blog).

I've found lots of other inspiration...from photography to fashion to all things equestrian and horse related to ideas for decor and projects or things to do with my kids. If you're curious what I'm up to Pinterest, click here to see my boards and start following!

Until next time (and happy pinning!)

Don't Judge...

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 22:33:00 +0000

...but I just got this out of my living room yesterday:

Notice that half of the ornaments are off? Well, I had s l o w l y been working at it but I so despise putting up and taking down decorations. I love them when they're up, it's just so much work! I think I'm going to simplify my decorations next year.

When we took the tree out, we also rearranged the furniture and took out a chair so it feels much roomier in the living room now! I LOVE it! There's a few other things and knick knacks I want to get out of the living room and I think it will feel even better. Oh that reminds me, I have a post I want to do about the kitchen table and island we re-painted. Love how those turned out! I have some future plans for our office as well...

But I digress...so back to the topic of airing my dirty laundry...here's another issue I've let go on far too long...

What can I say? She came to us used to a nightly and morning bottle of milk. We bought this bottle in China and she loves it. It brings her such comfort (along with that pink blanket, (or "ganget" as she says) that I just haven't been able to make myself wean her from it. None of my other girls had a bottle this long. Sigh. I hope she doesn't have bucky teeth because of it!

However, I have to say, we have bitten the bullet and started potty training and she is doing EXCEPTIONALLY well! After five or six days of this, she has only had a few accidents. She is doing so well and I'm happy to see she can be continent and I have high hopes that she will be out of diapers soon!

With the nice weather, we've been outside and up at the barn more this week. Amelia really wanted to ride her horse, Butters, the other day. So we pulled out the tack and took a little spin. She had a blast.

And when someone else saw her older sister having a blast, she decided to try it too!!

This was her first ride ever by herself and what a milestone! If you had seen this girl and how absolutely terrified she was of our horses, cats and dog when she first got home, you would understand how wonderful this is!

And what was more surprising, is that when I went to squeeze in an extra ride on my horses a few days later...well, Audrey decided she wanted a ride then too!

She looks like such a little peanut up there! I was surprised she wanted to ride Magic because obviously, Magic is much bigger than Butters! But Audrey didn't seem to notice. Hopefully with the warm and dry weather predicted (unfortunately, we still need more rain) I'll get some more riding in this week.

Until next time...

Best Laid Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:41:00 +0000

Well I had hoped to make at least a post a week but time has once again gotten away from me. I'm starting to add back in some activities we had dropped since returning home with Audrey (like the wonderful women's Bible study Wednesday mornings at my church.). I have missed that so much. The discipline of studying the word of God, in an inductive study, and having the accountability and fellowship of these other women is such a gift and blessing to me. So that has added another aspect to my week, albeit an important one, that has challenged me to keep up with my other daily chores so that it is not a hinderance.

Pinterest has also become a fun, although completely unproductive, time waster for me! To be fair, I have to admit I've found some great recipes, organizational tips, and some great outfits ;-) on there! I usually indulge in Pinterest once a day, after I've put Audrey down for the night and I'm sitting outside her bedroom door, waiting to hear her quiet down before I go back downstairs. I have to do something while I'm sitting there or I would go mad! But Pinterest is great for inspiration and I've definitely found it there!

I'm also back on the bandwagon to lose those stubborn 10-15 pounds that have eluded me since I shed my post pregnancy weight 10 years ago. So I'm up at 5:00 to workout, do my bible study, then hopefully get the girls up around 6:15-6:30 for school. Man. It's hard to get up that early. Especially after we've been sleeping in and staying up late from Christmas break! Can I hear an "amen"?! This is now my mantra:

I'm still behind in a gazillion things but I'm trying to loose my perfectionist attitude toward some areas of my life and just keep on moving! I'm afraid if I don't start adding these things in I want to get done, they will never be done!

Next up? (Besides getting my Christmas cards and Audrey's announcements out?) Getting my horses back in shape on a regular riding schedule. Doing something with at least 2 of them each day, even if its just grooming them in their stalls on the cold, windy days (like today - high was only 37 degrees!) I have a feeling I'll be consulting the following guide when I do ride - you play with and ride the horse that shows up and I have a feeling I'll need to remind myself of how to adjust myself and methods in order to have a successful ride!

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9

What We've Been Up To...

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Well, I certainly thought I'd be jumping back into the swing of things faster than I have. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get back into my schedule? If it's adjusting to a third child or the fact that as soon as we came home it was Ava and Amelia starting school, and ballet classes, and Awana, etc.? It was a lot to jump back into just a few days after we returned home!

Regardless, there I days I feel I'm hanging in there okay, and other days I feel completely overwhelmed! I have a friend (you know who you are ;-) who thinks I'm supermom! She can't fathom how I get all the things done in my day that I do. Honestly though, this is how I feel most days:

Each day gets a little bit better and now that I don't have to sit in the room with Audrey anymore while she falls asleep, I have freed up an extra 2 hours in my day! It's been a slow progression, but we started off sleeping in the same bed (in China). Once we were home, she was sleeping in her toddler bed and I was on a twin mattress on the floor next to her. After a month or so of that, I moved to sitting in a chair in her room and now, I close the door almost all the way and sit on the floor outside her room. She can't see me, but if she cries out or gets up, I'm right there to talk to her. But most of the time, I only sit there about 10-15 minutes and then go downstairs.

The other thing that very recently has gotten better is how many times a night she wakes up. She used to wake up several times a night and cry when she realized I wasn't there. I had a monitor in her room so I'd wake up from my bed and go up and usually spend the rest of the night in her room. We have slowly moved to me just putting her right back to bed and sitting there for a few minutes until she fell back to sleep, to now I walk right back out and go back to my bed! And now, I'd say she only wakes up one time maybe 3 nights out of the week.

The other activity that has been taking up so much of our time is the numerous doctors' appointments Audrey has been to. We've seen our pediatrician, pediatric neurosurgeon, pediatric urologist, physical therapists, the Spina Bifida clinic at Scottish Rite and now hopefully, we'll be seeing the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon at Scottish Rite in March. Except for the pediatrician and the physical therapist (who comes to our house) all those other appointments have been in Dallas! So one appointment is an all day affair.

Audrey has had numerous vaccinations, blood tests, an MRI of her spine, a VCUG to check for bladder problems, ultrasounds, x-rays and multiple physical exams. And I am very thankful for our medical insurance!

What does all this mean? Well, Audrey has a more complicated form of spina bifida and will most certainly need surgery at some point in the future to address the issues in her back. But for right now, we are waiting. Why wait? Because Audrey is doing fabulous! And there are no guarantees that surgery at this point would help her walk any better than she does now. While she was pretty much potty trained in China, she has regressed since coming home (which is normal and expected). I'm trying to find a few weeks or even a long weekend that we will be home where I can get her out of diapers again. I'm not sure she's ready but it will confirm to reveal if she has any bladder issues.

Audrey is definitely a ham. She's outgoing, gregarious and has the best personality! I know! I am just as surprised that I am typing that as you are to read it, based on what our experiences were in China. She has ingratiated herself so deeply and quickly into our hearts since we have returned home that I've regretted some of the things I wrote. I would hate for her to read them someday. So, I'll shield her from that for awhile, but I've decided to let my comments stand as they were honestly what we were feeling and going through and I want other adoptive parents who haven't traveled yet or been through this experience know and understand what it can be like.

Not everyone has a happy ending - I know several families that continue to have bonding, attachment and discipline problems now that they are home. However, ours is turning out much better than we expected. We thought it would be a rough transition but she has acclimated well to our life and home.

And not that I was worried, but oh my, this girl LOVES her sisters! And they love her right back. She copies everything they do and say, what they wear, what they eat...everything! She understands they go to school during the day, but she usually asks me where they are, mostly for her own confirmation, I think. And when she spies them from the carpool line waiting for the doors to the school, it's like a rock star was walking out. Oh the screaming and excited yells at their sight!

Her English improves daily as well. I knew shortly after returning home that she could understand probably 90% of what I was saying to her but now she picks up new words and phrases every day. Her favorite things to say are, "What are you doing?" "Where are we going?" "Where's Ava?" "Where's Amelia?" "What is that?" (while pointing to something). She also said today, very plainly, "My foot fell down!" when her boot slipped off her foot while I was carrying her out to the arena.

Speaking of the arena and the barn and the animals...well, let's just say THAT transition was a little more bumpy! Her reaction to our docile, loving animals was one of sheer terror! Like someone was ripping her arm off! It made doing barn chores very difficult. But slowly she has come around...

She likes to help me with chores now (in the picture above she was combing Aeriel's nose ;-) but on cold days she is fine to stay in the house with her sisters.

So we've been up to mundane, yet very good things over the last few months...though I'm still trying to get caught up on laundry, balancing the checkbook, and I still need to get my Christmas cards out!

Until next time (which hopefully will be sooner than later!)....

Goodbye 2012 - Hello 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:02:00 +0000
Wow. It's like a ghost town around here! I know! Adjusting to life with a third child (who is 2 years old) has seemed to throw me for quite a loop! I do have an update post I'm working on but I wanted to be sure and do a post within the first few days of 2013.

And this devotional I read from Charles Spurgeon this morning seemed so fitting...so much of what I want to focus on this year...(if you're friends with me on Facebook, I posted some of this already today...)

"Continue steadfastly in prayer." Colossians 4:2

It is interesting to consider how large a portion of the Bible is occupied with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, "People began to call upon the name of the LORD;" and just as we are about to close the volume, the "Amen" of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob - there a Daniel who prayed three times a day - and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain we see Elijah; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of prayer?

We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives.

If He has said much about prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities that until we are in heaven we must not cease to pray.

Do you need nothing? Then I fear you do not know your poverty.

Have you no mercy to ask of God? Then may the Lord's mercy show you your misery!

A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus.

It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honor of a Christian.

If you are a child of God, you will seek your Father's face and live in your Father's love. Pray that this year you may be holy, humble, zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter more often into the banqueting-house of His love. Pray that you may be an example and a blessing to others, and that you may live more to the glory of your Master.

The motto for this year must be, "Continue...in prayer."

- Taken from Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional - Charles Spurgeon

And what more can I say to that except AMEN! And AMEN again!

Re-entry

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:12:00 +0000
Well, this post is long overdue, I know! We've been home for almost a month and I still don't feel like we're completely "back in the groove." Overall, things are going much better than we had anticipated.

So let me bring you up to speed...

We left our hotel in Guangzhou around 7:00 am. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to check luggage and wait for our now delayed flight. :-) It was a short flight to Shanghai, about 2 hours, and Audrey did fairly well. There were a few moments where she was crabby and crying but it was short lived.

Once we got to Shanghai, we collected our bags, checked into our international flight, then made our way to the first class lounge to waste away several hours until our flight left. This actually wasn't so bad. The lounge is nice. I had several cucumber sandwiches for free. There were drinks, food, a chef making some kind of noodle dish, candy, etc. All for free! So we loaded up and let Audrey run around and stretch her legs, burn off some steam for the big flight.

We had been praying about her being calm and quiet on the ride home. And I feel the Lord answered that prayer by moving our hearts to decide to use some pharmaceutical supplement after all! Ha ha ha! So we got that on board, and then boarded the plane!

And can I just say - international first class is N I C E!! Wow. I'm not sure I can go back to coach. Ever. I am so glad we decided to cash in all our miles for this luxury.

This was Jason and Audrey right before we took off. That whole area is just for Jason! Each area took up about 4 airplane windows. It was huge. Tons of leg room, arm room, head room. Lots of room. Shortly after I snapped this picture, Audrey started throwing a fit because she didn't want to sit in Jason's lap anymore, she wanted to sit on my lap. We had already started taxiing but we quickly switched her. She then fell asleep in my arms as we took off.

She stayed asleep through dinner (appetizer, salad, steak with a bernaise sauce - the nice flight attendants pulled out my huge lap tray for me, laid napkins out so it was like a tablecloth, served me my food and even cut my steak for me since one arm was holding Audrey ;-) Not kidding. Great service.

After dinner, I laid out my chair and slept a little with Audrey next to me. The chairs lay flat and they provide a pad to be a pseudo mattress, two blankets, an eye mask, even pajamas! Oh it's heavenly. At first I thought it was a shame we had to buy an extra seat because she's over 2, but we ended up putting her in her own seat for parts of the flight.

We had these two middle seats next to each other and the seat along the window. In the picture above, Jason is relaxing watching his own personal video monitor using his Bose noise canceling headphones (also provided by the airline). And Audrey is stretched out, in dream land ;-)

She slept for about five hours. She woke up at that point cranky. And I was cranky. I was very tired and really wanted to sleep. Everyone else was asleep. So, I took her in the bathroom for about 15 minutes for a diaper change, some warm milk in a bottle and then when she still wasn't satisfied, I let her scream and cry for a bit because there was nothing I could do. When she was done, she went back to sleep and slept for another six hours.

This photo was snapped about ten minutes before she woke up. She slept so well I was able to sleep almost the same amount of time. When she awoke, she had a little breakfast and then we were landing in Chicago! I think I could have kissed each and every crew member as we walked off and walked on American soil!! (Or American carpet ;-) At this moment, Audrey officially became a United States citizen. We breezed through customs, picked up our luggage and re-checked it, then made our way to the Admirals' Club to wait the few hours until our connection to DFW left.

Again the flight to DFW was fairly uneventful. Audrey fell asleep on take off and woke up a few minutes before we landed. Oh my goodness. Were we glad to land and get off that plane!! Here is a video my Dad took of our reunion with the girls and their first meeting of Audrey face to face. We're looking a little haggard but we were oh so happy to be H O M E!!!

Day 14 with Audrey

noreply@blogger.com (Chanda) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 07:52:00 +0000
Well, this will probably be my last post before we are HOME! We cannot wait to get on that American Airlines flight, much less touch down on American soil! Please please pray with us that God would supernaturally calm Audrey for our long trip tomorrow and would even make her sleepy most of the day! We have tried various drugs to encourage the sleepiness and they all seem to backfire so we are going without anything. Yikes!

This morning we met up with our other family at breakfast and then headed next door to a hotel that has several shops with reasonable prices. We bought a third suitcase for a good deal in order to spread out our purchases and weight for the trip home!

We were still feeling a bit ambitious though and grabbed a taxi to head for Shamian Island I order to exchange a few things and get some more photos of the area since Jason and I feel, at this point, that this will be our last adoption trip! :-)

There are many large sculptures sprinkled throughout the island and Audrey was in a good enough mood to cooperate with posing on some.

This is usually what Audrey wants to do with the stroller ;-) I'd be happy to let het do this as it provides stability for her as she walks.

However, she doesn't steer very well (maybe because she can't see over the top?) and she goes slower so we are trying to encourage her to relax IN the stroller!

More sculptures to investigate.

Another example of the western influence seen in this Chinese cowgirl posing for what is probably a magazine shoot.

This is a girl on the move! You can detect the humidity level and influence by the sweaty head :-)

Happy to let baba hold her for awhile as she was finally starting to tire out! I didn't catch it on camera but she exclaimed "Baba!" right before this, gave him a big hug and kissed him on the side of his neck! Super sweet...

Another bride and groom headed to a photo shoot for a magazine. I'm guessing this due to the large size of the suit on the groom and the nonchalance of the bride as she swaggers down the street checking her phone :-)

We happened upon this Catholic chapel (again the British influence) where, as you can see, was a popular spot for photos. Modern brides in China do not want the traditional Chinese wedding gowns but prefer the big, white Western gowns.

Antique gated entrance. I would love to bring those iron gates home and use them somewhere...maybe up at the barn...

Last shot of one of the beautiful streets...

I'm ending this post early, before the day is over because as I said, I don't think I'll have time to post later before we leave. Again, we covet your prayers for a smooth travel marathon day!

Philippians 4:Rejoice in the Lord always ; again I will say , rejoice ! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men . The Lord is near . 6 Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God . 7 And the peace of God , which surpasses all comprehension , will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus . 8 Finally , brethren , whatever is true , whatever is honorable , whatever is right , whatever is pure , whatever is lovely , whatever is of good repute , if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise , dwell on these things . 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things , and the God of peace will be with you.