Post Script on the Olympics- our little claim to fame

We are in Oklahoma now, but for years we live on the same old dusty dirt road that the Karolyis lived on- the Olympic coaches for the American Gymnastics team. They have a ranch with exotic animals and that is also where the Olympic training center for the American Gymnasts. It's kinda an unlikely town for them to pick. New Waverly, Texas- about 950 people in the whole town, about 70 miles north of Houston. There is a small unassuming sign on the dirt road that says "Gymnastic Olympic training Center" with an arrow, that's it. 4 years ago the girls swept the Olympics with medals I was so excited, I wanted to put a "way to go" sign next to there's or something. The sleepy town didn't raise an eyebrow, didn't bother them at all to have such famous people living amidst them. I guess maybe that's why they chose New Waverly. :-)

Olympics

I am not a sports fan. I fortunately married someone with even less interest in sports than I have, at least I played a few sports in college. :-)
But we do watch the Olympics. I love to watch and always have. We have a particular fascination with it this year with it being in China since we have two Chinese daughters. The opening ceremony was spectacular, we let our girls stay up and watch it and they were so excited to "watch China". We enjoy the sites and incites of China and it's people.
It is amazing to us just how different the Chinese value a person. It is all about looks and performance. I was so saddened for the little girl that sang beautifully for the opening ceremonies but was not deemed pretty enough to show her face, so another girl who could not sing, but looked good lip synced her song. That poor child, what does that do to her self esteem? And are her parents ashamed of her or proud of her?
We've watched gymnastics over the past few nights and I just can't help hoping the Chinese win knowing the athletes competing have so much at stake. If they look to have talent, they are taken from their parents at the age of 3 and groomed for gymnastics, only visiting their parents once a year. We heard tonight how one of the gymnasts called her parents and begged her parents to let her come home. They told her this would change her life and made her stay. How sad that they will either be national heroes or bring shame on themselves based on the outcome of these games. I am relieved for them that they did so well.

Hmmmm

One of my children, I won't say who, has been raiding the bathroom every day for 2 weeks. It started when I opened the cabinet over the toilet when Brent's sisters got here to get them some soap and washclothes. I guess my children had no idea that cabinet opened. Ever since then I find soaps, liquid soaps, with no lids, towels, powders and nic nacs missing from that shelf. One day the entire shelf was emptied! I searched their room and found the stuff next day in her bed. Evey day she gets in trouble and solemnly tells me she will "never take that stuff again". the next day, more stuff missing.
today their bedroom had baby powder unleashed on it and I coughed every time I went in there, I finally realized they had dumped powder right on top of a fan and it was stirring all around the room.

Tonight we heard strange noises coming from the bedroom when we thought everyone was asleep, Brent went in there and came out a few minutes later with lotion, washclothes, an antique glass powder cup and a plunger! He found it all in her bed and she was rolling on them in her sleep.

Ewwww.

Lucy's smile

This is Lucy's new smile. She is constantly biting her lower lip. It looks pretty funny but I guess it is hereditary.

at the park

Today we had a small front that brought our weather out of the triple digits and even into the high 80's. It felt so nice. We took the girls to the park in the evening. They love the slides and the swings. Karianne kept tripping on the mulch ground. I asked if she was ok after the second fall and she brushed herself off and said she was fine because she's a "pretty tough girl". Yeah right.

Help China understand English

If you followed our blog while we were in China a few months ago you know what a kick we got out of the "English" signs we saw everywhere that made no sense at all. Brent often said he wished he could get a job fixing all of their signs for them so they made sense. Well, we're not getting paid for it, but finally someone in China cares enough about their image to ask those of us who speak English our opinion. Take this fun survey to see if you understand the intent of the sign or not and maybe leave a comment for a better way to say it. :-)


http://bringinghopetochildren.org/language.html

Bathing Beauty

Here's Lucy getting her bath. She is really good at sitting up now, she also likes to splash. the "bathing beauty" actually refers to me because I get so wet now when I give her a bath. HA! :-)

In the news

I won't comment on the news site and engage those people, but I just have to say somewhere for the record how hurt I am by the comments left on that story. It was not easy to share my testimony. I wish the story was told in full so those people really knew our life story and how God has formed out family.

In the news

One of the local news stations came out and did a story on me about a month ago, it finally aired today.

Click here to see it.

Will Rodgers house - take 2

We went to Will Rogers house this morning, bright and early to make sure it would be open. It was, we made it! Felicia toured the house and the girls got to pet the animals and chase the chickens on the farm. The view of the lake from the farm is just gorgeous. Angie and Amy kept picking up the "pebbles" on the sidewalk and throwing them. I don't know how long they had been doing it before I saw them, but I ran over and told them NOT to touch THOSE pebbles, they used to belong to the goats! I don't think Angie believed me. I had to keep my eye on her. She loves to throw rocks.