Why would we even want to sell?

Given the current dramatic decline in the real estate market, this is a fair question, and we’ve been asked it more than once. I’m sure our neighbors are convinced that we must be on the verge of foreclosure! Sometimes it seems like we’re about the only seller not in that unfortunate position. But it basically comes down to the fact that even though we’re selling low, we also may have the opportunity to buy low. Property taxes in California are based on the sales price of the home - whether it was 2 years ago or 20. If you bought the median home in Los Angeles county in 1985 for $125,000 your property taxes are still holding steady at $1500 per year. However, if you bought the median home in 2005 at $500,000, your taxes will forever be a minimum $6250 annually. All of that to say, if we trade houses now, even if our mortgage goes up, we could end up saving money living in a significantly larger home. So as much as we love our home, it would be kind of a bummer to miss out on that opportunity. We can’t wait to see what God has planned!

...or not

Apparently our buyer has decided to move to New Mexico instead of here. Dramatic change of plans huh? So back we are to square one. I'm a little bummed, but it helps to know that God's plans are undoubtedly better than mine.

SOLD!

We sold our house yesterday! Now the (hopefully not too) tricky part is finding a house we like more than this one at a reasonable price. We have our eye on two in particular, but we'll have to see how much the sellers are willing to discount them for us. I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, I'll be busy rearranging furniture, packing, organizing a garage sale, and picking out paint colors... in my head, which makes for some sleepless nights.

Our cyclists... and a fan

It's been a big week at our house: Parker learned how to ride a bike - without training wheels! Alyssa hit this milestone last summer, but when we pulled out the big bike she received for Christmas we left the extra wheels on so she could get used to the height. Last Friday we decided to take them off, and by Tuesday Parker was insisting that his training wheels be removed as well. Though he hasn't yet mastered the starting and stopping part (hence the fat lip!), he's doing remarkably well for a 3 1/2 year-old on his second day... at least in this mom's not-so-humble opinion! For now, our sweet little Reagan is happy to sit in the back of brother's pick-up and cheer them on, but I have a feeling it won't be long before she wants to get in on the action too!

The boy loves his mama!

Once a week after dropping Alyssa off at school, my parents take Parker for a "doughnut date." Needless to say, he always has a great time, but it's clear he still thinks of his mama: he always comes home with half of a sprinkle doughnut for me - the bottom half!

Are you kidding me?

When we re-finalized Reagan's adoption last month, I really thought we were done with adoption paperwork. I was wrong. It seems as if the process is never-ending! I found out yesterday that it will take another 10 months to get a California-issued birth certificate! We also still need to change Reagan's name on her social security number, which has to wait until we receive our tax returns are processed. Then we have to apply for another certificate of citizenship in her american name, to the tune of another $420! Fortunately I have this precious little face to motivate me...

but does it really have to be so hard? It's no wonder so many are intimidated by adoption!

Spring!

I love spring! I really don't mind winter, especially because ours are so mild, but there's just something about the new life this time of year brings. I love the green hills, new flowers, and most of all, daylight savings time! The kids sleep a little later in the mornings, we take long walks together in the evenings, and there seems to be so much more time to do things outside - like plant sunflowers:

I warned you!

I'm still here... just drowning a little in tax returns, (still) sick kids, houseguests, writing a mid-term exam, and trying to keep a show-ready house! We're taking a break today to visit old Walt D., so if you're lucky I may have a few cute photos to share tomorrow. I know... you're on the edge of your seats!

Since I have nothing of real interest to share, I'll refer you to a few of my friends (or "friends")who do:

Nate is blogging his insights into the Shepherd's Conference our church is currently hosting.

Amy challenged me to be more purposeful in the raising of my children.

Kelly is sharing the story of her daughter's domestic adoption - you know I'm always a sucker for a good adoption story! (start here)

Laurie is just about to pop with baby number three and plans to blog while in labor! This is the same Laurie who recently returned from adopting 8 month-old Shawn from Vietnam, joining 20 month-old Jackson, also from Vietnam. And I thought our kids were close together!

Heidi could use your prayers for a little good news in the adoption department. They've been on the verge of travelling to pick up little Claire for way too long now, and are still being held up by our government.

Lisa wrote about the potential for humiliation when you take on a teaching role - something I encounter every time I face my undergrads! But she reminded me of the silver lining - humility- which is something I definitely need more of.

So that should keep you busy for a little while. I'd link a little more, but my smallest sicky is finally stirring. Duty (and joy!) calls.

Dinner and a show at Uncle Pete's Firehouse

Presidental mob-scene

Monday... President's Day... what better way to celebrate than a trip to the library of one of our greatest? Air Force One, presidential limo, beautiful gardens, views, and special activities for the kids... sounds like fun, right? Well, it would have been if the place hadn't been mobbed! It seemed to me like an obscure place to go, but apparently thousands of other families had the same great idea. It was so busy that the only available parking was over a mile away at the bottom of the steep mountain drive. Needless to say, we decided not to take that hike and ended up at the local ice cream shop instead! So, we still got a cute picture, but not quite the cultural experience I had envisioned. (I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately!)

Tax time!

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before that I’m a (mostly-retired) Certified Public Accountant (exciting profession, I know!). This time of year, of course, is traditionally a pretty crazy one for us CPAs. In the past I’m managed to avoid much of the tax crunch because I’ve never worked in a tax department. However, this year I’ve volunteered to spend a dozen hours or so each week working from home for an organization that prepares returns for pastors and missionaries. I’m not a tax expert, but my knowledge has grown exponentially over the past few weeks, and I’m actually starting to feel like I know what I’m doing! Unfortunately, the time I’m spending with 1040s and W-2s is time that I had previously spent with you, my bloggy friends. I still plan on keeping you all up-to-date as much as possible, but please forgive a couple of months of what will likely be photo-heavy and deep-thought-light blogging!

Well intentioned

I had resolved not to post any more photos from Disneyland for a while. Dan and I had also resolved to take the children to the local Tet festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year, in honor of Reagan's heritage. However, a most-appropriate backdrop for Minnie and my sweet little asian baby, coupled with a house-bound trio of sick children on the day of the festival, have defeated all of my good intentions. So, here you are stuck again viewing Disney pictures with no hint of the authentic celebration I was planning on telling you all about! Maybe next year...

Done!

A short interview with a very sweet, tootsie-pop-bearing judge and several hundred pictures later, the re-finalization of Reagan's was finally completed this afternoon! Though the legal implications were far less than that of the Giving and Receiving ceremony in Vietnam, it was surprizingly emotional. The judge, clerk and attorney general (who played photographer for us) seemed genuinely excited for us and pleased to help make it a very special moment. But the quote of the day came from Parker who understood that the ceremony would legally change Reagan's name. As we were walking out of the courtroom he asked me, "what is her name now mama?" I told him, and he said "oh, that's a nice name!" Though we've been calling her that for over a year now, it's a relief to know that we have the approval of the state of California and the three-year-old!

Official... again!

After Eight months, several errors by our adoption agency, multiple trips to the courthouse, and too many fees to count, Reagan will finally be adopted (again) tomorrow! Since Dan and I both traveled to Vietnam, Reagan has legally been ours since the Giving and Receiving ceremony there in May, but here we are replaying the game through the California system. The real carrot at the end is a U.S.-issued birth certificate. There are added benefits related to inheritance issues, and we will legally change her name to ours as part of the process, but mostly we didn’t want to have to depend on our ONE official copy of her Vietnamese birth certificate for the rest of her life – that’s just way too much pressure! I anticipate that the court hearing will be much like the one in Reagan’s hometown - a few signatures and photos, maybe a couple of little speeches exchanged - and though this one doesn’t change Reagan’s legal status as our daughter, she feels so much more like our daughter this time around. For that reason tomorrow will be a special day.
The day of Reagan’s first adoption was a little overwhelming – for her and for us. She had just left everything and everyone she had ever known, including the caregiver who clearly loved her and the four walls that had been her whole life, for the arms of some very odd looking, odd smelling foreigners. She was content – even happy (she repeatedly laughed and smiled at me that day!) – but her sweet little personality was still hidden. We had loved her in concept for almost two years, cherished her photos for 5 months, and visited her in her orphanage for three days, but she was still very much a stranger to us.
However, today I love Reagan in the deepest, mommy-est sense of the word. I know her as only a mama could. I understand her cries, her babbles, her patterns, and her preferences. I cherish her giggle, her swagger, her soft jet-black hair. I love the way she laughs at her brother, cuddles with her sister, can’t stop kissing her cousin, and embraces her role as daddy’s little daredevil. She just fits into our family. For all that went into finding her, bringing her home and now making her a Californian, it’s so clear that God made and choose her just especially for us. Reagan Thao-Van was “ours” legally on May 15th, 2007, but now she’s “ours” because she’s one of us.

Packed and ready...

No offers thus far on the house, but the kids are all packed!

House for sale!

In spite of the current, well publicized housing slump here in southern California (and elsewhere!), we've decided to try to sell our house. We love our home and will be very happy here if it doesn't happen, but one of the houses in our neighborhood is in foreclosure and could prove to be a good bargain. It's larger and has a pool, and with mortgage rates falling may even end up costing less each month than our current home. The only trick is getting our house sold first! Our realtor (my father-in-law) says it will be a miracle if it all happens the way we're envisioning, but for that we're grateful because we wouldn't want to move if it wasn't very clearly in God's plan. So far, it looks like His plan may be for us to stay here: it started pouring the day we listed it and hasn't let up since. We've received more rain in the last week than we did all of last year combined! Southern Californians don't go out in the rain (we like to pretend that we really do have a winter), so needless to say we haven't seen a lot of potential buyers. And in addition to the weather conspiring against us, three little kids tend to make it difficult to keep a "show-ready" house. We'll see how long I can handle it! So, if you live around here and want to be our neighbor, come brave the rain, rescue me, and buy our house!

My favorite time

Every night, before dozing off, Dan and I talk. We lie in bed discussing everything from the kids and work to ministry and dreams. There is no television in our bedroom, no desk, no kids, no computer, no distractions – just us. Our conversations may last only a few moments before we both succumb to the call of slumber. On other occasions we’ll lie there for an hour or more. Sometimes our talks are tainted by frustration and tension, but more often then not they are full of love and support for one another. While Dan and I naturally talk to each other throughout each day, I cherish the time we’ve set aside at the end of each to reconnect, and I savor the sense of oneness those moments foster in our marriage.
The sad part is, I have neglected to reserve such a time for the most important person in my life: Jesus Christ. Of course I talk to God throughout my day – I pray while driving, washing dishes, folding clothes, showering – through all the normal stuff of life, but I do not consistently set aside a block of time to really communicate with Him. Just as I see my relationship with Dan suffer if we too often miss our late-night talks, I can’t expect to have a deep, personal connection with God if I don’t talk to Him without distraction. As faithful as I might be to discover Who He is and what He says through Bible study, listening to His Word being taught, serving Him in ministry or worshiping through song, it can quickly become one-sided and mechanical if I’m not regularly confessing my sin, seeking His will, thanking and praising Him in prayer. So, I’ve made a resolution, as lame as it might sound, to spend 10 minutes a day in focused, personal conversation with my Lord. I’m embarrassed to even admit that such a resolution is necessary, but thought if I confessed my failure here, perhaps some of you might be willing to hold me accountable or be encouraged to join me. I trust that 10 minutes will often turn into more, just as my talks with Dan often run late into the night, and that those moments will bring glory to my Savior as I come to know and enjoy Him with greater intimacy.

Brave again

Well, today Parker had yet another reason to summon up his courage: a gaping gash in his head! Apparently Skull had a close encounter with Cabinet this morning, and the result was a shiny new staple. With the staple came stickers and a new toy for bravery, so the boy is already back to his happy, energetic self. I'll spare you the photos because pretty it isn't. Did anyone warn me just how different raising a male would be?!

My brave boy (and girl)

This is a post I promised to Parker in commemoration of his first trip on the Matterhorn! The boy is terrified of the "little kid roller coaster" in Toon Town, but couldn't wait to jump on what I think is a far scarier (and bumpier!) ride with Daddy this afternoon. He loved it so much that he had to take me back for a spin too. And of course, once little brother conquered his fears, big sister quickly dismissed hers and also joined in the fun! Why do I get the feeling that this is a sign of things to come?

I’m back!

I’m sure I haven’t really been missed here in the blogging world, and you all have probably been just as consumed with the holidays as I have, but I have to admit that it has felt a little strange to be so out of the loop. Not only has this blog been lacking new posts, but I didn’t even read a blog for almost a week! Just today I finally caught up with all of our agency’s families who are in Vietnam trying to bring their new children home - I don’t think stories of those first meetings will ever grow old for me! Between Christmas (which didn’t wrap up until the 30th for us), spending extra time with family, New Year’s, after-Christmas shopping, putting away the decorations, making room for all the new toys, and reading the two new books I received for Christmas, my blogging time was quickly squeezed out. Honestly, the books probably are the most to blame. I’m the kind of person who can only read if that’s the only thing on the agenda. It a novel isn’t compelling enough to consume in a day or two, it’s just not worth reading. For that reason I have to force myself to leave them on the bookshelf until we’re on vacation or nothing would ever get done around here! In the five days after Christmas I read 1000 pages, and even with Dan home there just wasn’t enough time for blogs after that! So all of that is a rather boring explanation of what really could have been said with the title alone. Sorry about that… I’ll stop now, but hope to be back with something slightly more interesting to say soon!