At Last

Finally, we received an update on Seth. Sorry for the boring details but I want to have an easy reference point to look at. The outfit and book that he has in his hands are from us. That means a lot. Yes, we realize that this update is 3 months old. We just try to do the best with what we are given. Our sweet boy is exactly 10 months today.

7 months
Weight - 17. 63 lbs or 8 kg
Height - 26.77 inches or 68 cm.
Head circ. - 16.92 inches or 43 cm.
Patsakorn is healthy. He has gained 2 kg. and 7 cm. from his last report. He takes 4 bottles of 4 oz. milk in a daytime and takes 2 bottles at night. He takes additional food twice a day. He eats everything and likes to eat solid food. He goes to bed at 8:00 p.m. and wakes up in the morning at 5:30 a.m. He takes a nap 2-3 times a day about 1/2 - 1 hour at 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. He has good hygiene and takes a tablet of fluorine 0.25 mg daily.

The boy got 3rd dose of DPT-OPV and Heptavax B on August 8, 2007.

Patsakorn or "Pat" develops well for age. He can get himself into a sitting position. He can crawl well. He crawls upstairs but not downstairs. He can pull himself to standing position while holding on to a solid object. He is an active and cheerful child. He recognizes face of foster mother and is not fearful of strangers. He allows strangers to cuddle. He like to be held and cuddles (an answer to prayer!) he recognizes is own name is "Pat". He can pick up two blocks and hold one in each hand. He bangs 2 objects together held in hands. He can pick up a raisin using ends of thumb and index finger. He can transfer an object from hand to hand. He reaches and grasps for objects.

Everyone in this family is doing well. Their grandson who is the major breadwinner of the family is very caring and responsible. The home is quite quiet during the daytime as their grandson and his wife go to work and their children go to school Mon. - Fri. However, the family becomes very lively in the evening and at weekend when everybody is home. Pat is well loved by all family members. The social worker has informed the foster family of the news on Pat having a family who applied to adopt him. The foster family is very happy knowing that Pat will be in a permanent family soon, but a little sad that he will be leaving them.

Psalm 100

Psalm 100:1 A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout for joy to the LORD, all you lands!

Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.

Psa 100:3 Know that the LORD, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, Into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.

Psa 100:5 For the LORD is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, His faithfulness to all generations.

Happy Thanksgiving

I have not posted in a while. I love to blog but have been so busy lately.

*I would like to thank Joel's college friend, Shona, for the adorable present. It came on a great day. The longer we wait for updates the more it seems like it is not real. The blanket is beautiful and will match his room perfectly. I will take it to Thailand with us. It is our first gift not from family.

* We leave for Branson tomorrow and I am SO excited. The kids are beside themselves. We spend Thanksgiving with my family on vacation every year. We will eat Thanksgiving dinner at Big Cedar Lodge and go to Silver Dollar City that night. It is supposed to be VERY cold! We are packing hats, gloves, thermal underwear, etc. We are going to eat dinner tomorrow night with the missionary that takes our church group to Thailand each year. Joel and Greg love them dearly. They are bringing their grown adopted Thai daughter, Na, with them. We will have lots to talk about!! This year we are taking a dinner cruise on the Branson Belle. I think the kids will really like it. We won't even talk about the shopping that we do. The condos that we stay at have an indoor pool so the kids can swim. There is also an indoor water park that we might go to.

*Will's class had a Thanksgiving feast today at school. They all dressed up as either pilgrims or Indians. They all chose Indians. Will wore his costume from Halloween and the kids gathered around him. He was the man this morning!

*Kara took humongous chocolate chip cookies for her class. They get to have a special snack but no party.

* We got our Christmas decorations down this week and my house looks like a bomb went off. I am going coo coo. We will have to get it together before we leave. Joel has been a lot of help and has done all of the laundry.

* Joel went deer hunting yesterday for the first time since we have been married. 14 years. He and Alan went to Grenada. No deer to show for it. Seems like a lot of money and time for no meat.

* We sang "Away in a Manger" the other night at home and I started crying. All that I could think of was Seth. It is going to be hard on me this Christmas. We went to a dinner at church Sunday night and a young girl at the table next to me had a baby. He was 2 months younger than Seth. Joel played with him and I loved on him. I couldn't help but get tears in my eyes. I guess I grieve for missing Seth's first year. Babies are the sweetest.

* Mom, Jamie, and I went to Mistletoe Market in Jackson, MS a couple of weekends ago. It was a blast!! I have never been to anything like it before. It is put on by their Junior League and it was really wonderfully done. Every boutique in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas were there (I think). We bought some awesome one of a kind things. There were authors selling their books, artists selling paintings, pottery. Lots of food for sale. There were even 2 cowboys selling honey butter. Believe it or not they were going like hot cakes. I bought some honey jelly that I am going to take to Seth's foster mother. It was made in Indianola, MS. Living at the top of the state I never hear about the neat things Mississippi has to offer. I guess it is because all of our TV, newspaper, etc. comes out of Memphis.

* I have started a new Beth Moore study. It's called "Stepping Up." We are learning about the Psalms of Ascent. Just what I need right now. Psalm 121:1&2 - "I lift my eyes unto the Mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth."

I have much more to catch up on but will have to do it later.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope you enjoy your holiday. I know we will. There is so much to give thanks for this year. We are truly blessed.

Pumpkin Dip

Serve on bagels, graham crackers, toast, etc. I am making it for the MOPS meeting tomorrow.

Pumpkin Dip
1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
1 - can pumpkin
1 - cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon or orange zest

The Bee Movie

We went to see the Bee movie Sunday evening. It was cute and had a good message. God created us to work. Don't mean to get on my soap box but there seems to be a lot of 18 and older folks who don't seem to want to work or go to school. They just want to live off of the parents. I worry about their future and I wonder - where are these kids hopes, dreams, and futures? I will get off of the soap box now.

This family gives "The Bee Movie" two thumbs up!

Our Goodies from Thailand

Joel had a suit made last year and the store keeps your size for up to 5 years. Greg got him 3 more shirts and the sleeves are monogrammed. Joel also wanted a Thai Coca-Cola shirt. I love these wood carvings. I am going to hang them in either the gathering room or living room.

These are pencil drawings that I am going to frame in Seth's Room

Jamie picked out the perfect colors. I am going to use this blue and lime green for Seth's room

Here's one of two Thai outfits that Aunt Jamie and Uncle Greg brought back. Seth has one too.

The black dress is Kara's it is so cute on her. Seth also has a new king shirt. I love it!

A big thank you to Greg and Jamie for your thoughtfulness!

1 little 2 little (soon to be) 3 little Indians

Before they got into their costumes

First picture of the night at my grandmother's house

Kara, KC, Will, and the Bebe - fun was had by all...

Jessica the Hippo

Please don't tell my family that you have seen this video. They will be wanting their own "Hippopotamus for Christmas"!