English is coming along

SongLian is learning English at rocket speeds which has led to some delightful moments (enjoy, we sure are enjoying this gal!): *At the Christmas Eve service CoraGrace slipped her shoes off and SongLian turned and yelled (yes, yelled), "SHOES ON!!!" *While helping SongLian go to the bathroom while we were swimming, a large puddle began to form on the floor, I told her uh-oh, did you go potty? It is ok. She looked at me and said, "No Mama that water." (Duh! I am wet!) *(Warning this one may be too much information). While in a public restroom: "Oh! Mama, you going poop!" (yeah, nice and loud) *While helping to set the table pushing her little shopping cart (with the place-settings in the cart) she rammed into the card-board box club house which fell over. She looked down at it and said, "Oh, excuse me." as she passed by. *While reading and acting out the Christmas story SongLian played the part of the angel who told Mary she was going to have a baby. As Kyle read from the Bible SongLian shouted at Mary (CoraGrace), "You! Baby Jesus. You! Baby Jesus!" A bit later she began to belt out Hark the Herald Angels sing when Kyle got to the part about the angels visiting the shepherds (no cue here). *Most common phrase: "That's Mine!" *Sweetest words: When I say I love you at bedtime she now says, "I love you too." *She is very good at ordering us to "wash your hands!" and "brush your teeth!" *She was so excited about her new Hello Kitty outfit . . . I put it in the wash and she sat and watched it go round and round. She called to each member of the family, "Watch Hello Kitty, that mine, tomorrow." When I hung it on the laundry line she kept pointing to it, "Wet hello kitty. tomorrow." And first thing in the morning? "Jammies off!Hello Kitty!" *And lots of, "Mama! Watch!" *"Mama, could I help you?" (Translation: Mama I need help). In the same light: "Mama hold you please."

Christmas Letter 2012

Christmas Greetings from the Hardee Herd 2012 It would be hard to not entitle this year “The Year of the Adoption” for our family as that has been a BIG part of our year. 2011 ended with the fantastic news that we had pre-approval to adopt SongLian and from there the paper-race began (easy to say now). We received travel approval the end of September and 9 days later found ourselves finally on that flight to China that we had dreamed about so much. October, 8th was our SongLian day, and we can’t imagine life without her! Our experience in China was wonderful; we are so thankful that we were all able to go. We stayed a week in SongLian’s birth city: Hangzhou and then 4 days in Guangzhou, where the U.S. Consulate is. Noah’s favorite part of China was seeing the Six Harmonies Pagoda. CoraGrace enjoyed visiting West Lake (the beautiful lake in Hangzhou), Shaman Island (Guangzhou shopping), and Dairy Queen (go figure!). Josiah liked Pizza Hut (um, ditto on CoraGrace’s) and the Mexican food restaurant in Guangzhou. Eliza enjoyed seeing China: the people, stores, streets, etc. AND of course the highlight was getting my girl (#2). The kids were international-travel troopers throughout the trip and boy did it feel good to be HOME! Pre- China we had a fantastic summer of adventures (in our trailer) together: Mt. Shasta, Shingletown, Clio-Cousin-Bash, Canyon-Hot-Springs, Cottonwood Creek, Washoe Lake, and Placerville (Whew! How did we manage all that?). Lots of good family time (both immediate and extended). Noah Jordan at 11, is in 6th grade this year. (If you remember) Noah homeschooled through the Charter School last year and started this year homeschooling (so we didn’t have to take any work to China) this year. He happily (!) jumped back into life at the Christian School the week after we got back from China (note school “backpacking” trip above). Noah roared around the soccer field this fall and is just beginning the basketball season (last year it was fun to watch Noah grab for the ball like his Daddy with those long arms—looking forward to evening games in the (dark) winter). The highlight of Noah’s week is youth group; we are entering a new season of parenting around here.  At the ER before receiving 13 stitched for a pumpkin carving accident () we discovered that Noah is now the 2nd tallest person in our family. Noah and Josiah worked together all last spring to help earn their plane ticket to China—it was a grand adventure to make and sell hot lunch at the Christian School once a week together. It is a blessing to see Noah’s soft heart with SongLian—he packs that girl around and is so good to her. CoraGrace Elizabeth at 9, is in the 4th grade at Plumas Charter School (she enjoyed her 3rd grade year at the Christian School and did a biography report on Rosa Parks—see picture above) Our mornings homeschooling are lovely, and then she attends science, art, music, Spanish, and computers Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at the Charter School. Fridays, CoraGrace loves helping Nonna in the kindergarten class. She played on Noah’s soccer team this fall (and played some impressive defense) and continues to dance beautifully (this year she was in all but 3 of the Christmas Recital dances!). Last spring CoraGrace began to volunteer with Horses Unlimited, a program which works with special-needs kids and horse which is a win-win for CoraGrace. She shoveled a lot of poop and got to ride in exchange.  CoraGrace loves to study cookbooks and bake: she is getting quite good! This afternoon my house was filled with the smells of white chocolate brownies and banana bread. She loves to craft with Eliza when we can find the time. CoraGrace loves having a sister! Those two are beginning to whisper and giggle together like sisters.  Josiah Jameson turned 6 in September and is in Kindergarten at the Christian school with Nonna as his teacher. He again played soccer this fall; let no ball get past this guy! These days he is my game buddy and will pull out a board game and ask to play most every day. He’s spent the weekend helping Kyle build a wall in the garage for a playroom and is now making us a Christmas present at the workbench out of scraps of lumber (no peaking!). He loves to build things—out of wood, craft stuff, legos, blocks—he is the builder. When we passed the mill the other day he told me he wants to work there so he can buy wood real cheap.  Josiah’s weekly highlight is going to Nonna & Pop’s house on Thursdays to build Legos with them. They’ve managed to put back together several of the sets form my childhood. We still love this guy’s smile and sense of humor; I think God gave him a partner in crime as his (new) little sister is rather silly herself. It is fun to watch these two slowly find friendship in each other. Over the last few weeks they gravitate towards each other more and more. Josiah is so sweet and gentle with her and has taught her half the English words she knows. SongLian Roella turned 5 October 8th and is an amazing little gal (it blows my mind to think all she has bravely dealt with in the last two months). She spends her mornings doing “schoolwork” with Mom & CoraGrace and bumps along with Hardee-life in the afternoons. She is rapidly learning English. It seems that she has a new word or phrase every couple of days (we are up to 2-3 words together). She loves to sing and quickly started singing along with all the music for the dance recital, radio and music playing around here. She is our running radio. I was out shopping yesterday and the folks around me enjoyed the running medley of Christmas tunes blasting from my stroller. She happy joined dance and performed in the recital. She is a trooper and loves to be with the other kids. What a wonder for her when she got glasses and for the first time could see the world around her. She loves to cut, glue, color, and craft. SongLian is full of music and laughter—what a gift! We start physical therapy next week and are hoping to get some more answers over the next month (the medical world moves like molasses!). Eliza has been busy teaching music and dance classes, along with running a household (life). We had a lovely garden again this year; someday we will get our yard “landscaped” but for now Eliza has fun tinkering around out there.  Kyle still works at the Electric Co-op; he got a new job in accounting under the new fiber line project (still at the co-op)! He is always working on things around the house (his latest project is THE WALL in the garage—we need one more space around here so are creating a playroom). Also he continues to coach basketball and soccer (he is a great coach). Busy? Yes. But oh so blessed and richly overflowing in blessings!. The pets! Oscar and Saddie continue to nap in odd spots. Patches is mellowing and is a great little dog. She loves to come along with us on our adventures. She is always a bit nervous when the suitcases come out; “will this be the trip they forget me?” Josiah got a fish for his birthday; “Big Blue Bob” is a nice fish.  Christmas blessings to you! Praying you know the blessing of God’s hope & joy this season.  Kyle Eliza Noah J. CoraGrace Josiah & SongLian