Wilson Halloween 2012

Mulan - there are no Mulan patterns out there; fortunately, I was able to adapt a bathrobe pattern

Such a lovely Chinese Princess

My clever costume: "Clumsy Substitute Teacher"

Dan's - Train Engineer

Zai Jian, Katherine

Getting ready for the Sunday School tea party

Mr. Ted drawing on a sweatshirt for all of Katherine's friends to sign

The lovely Miss Nora and talented Mr. Ted - best Sunday School teachers EVER!

Excellent pinkie form at the tea party, Dan

From front center, clockwise: Katherine, Nora, Dayna, Alaina, Cailian

Katherine's farewell gift wasn't ready in time, so the girls are looking at it online

Dayna is really missing her friend

Dayna chose this sweet stuffed puppy to send back to China with Katherine, so Katherine would have something to hug when she missed Dayna.

2012 Pumpkin Patch Visits

The Loneliest Word

Goodbye.

I hate that word.

The only thing harder than saying goodbye to a dear friend is watching your daughter go through a heartwrenching farewell.

Dayna and Katherine have been so sweet together this year. Katherine's family was on a 1-year visa to visit the States. This was the first time Dayna really got to know a Chinese family. We've learned so much more about Dayna's native culture because of this sweet family.

Katherine has been coming to Dayna's Sunday School class since last October. In December, the night before the Christmas program at church, Dayna shared that Katherine probably didn't have fancy clothes, so she just wanted to wear an "everyday dress" so her friend wouldn't feel bad.

For Dayna's birthday, she was allowed to choose ONE friend to do a fun activity with her. She chose Katherine.

In the course of the year, we have come alongside Katherine's family (together with a few other families at church.) We have loved them. We have shared God's Word with them.

After saying goodbye, I'm left wondering if we did enough.

But that really isn't the question, is it? I should be asking...were we faithful?

And so I console my sweet daughter who misses her friend, and I trust Katherine and her family (and their hearts) to the One who made them and designed friendship in the first place.

Katherine's family left Dayna her bike and a bag full of clothes they couldn't take with them. Dayna is wrapped up in too-big clothes with Chinese labels and "soaking in the smell" of her friend, Katherine.

We're so grateful for this experience.

Hopalong

Guess who's sitting on her couch with an elevated foot, waiting for a friend to deliver crutches? Yup...that would be me.

I was three blocks from Dayna's school to pick her up today when I stepped off the curb into a pile of leaves...with nothing underneath. I must have stepped into a hole or storm drain. Getting ready to go to urgent care tomorrow morning if it's not better.

Growing Up

13 months

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years - Kindergarten

6 years - 1st Grade

7 years - 2nd Grade

Nebraska City 2012

 Every October we head to Nebraska City for some fall colors, fresh apples and family pictures. Enjoy.

 

Brandon Heath / Matt Maher

After the busyness that led up to last weekend's conference (blog entry to follow), I surprised Dayna with tickets to the Brandon Heath concert at a local church last night. Brandon is her second favorite singer (Toby Mac wasn't in town this weekend...) and she sings his songs all the time. She and her best friend spend hours making their own dance to his song "Give Me Your Eyes." So, I scrimped and saved and bought some tickets for a "girl's night out."

We started with dinner at her favorite Chinese restaurant.

 Got to the church early to find our (really great) seats.

And waited for the music to begin.

Matt Maher opened the concert with some really great songs...but I was saddened when he left the stage without singing my favorite.

Dayna was super ready to hear "Give Me Your Eyes" and couldn't stop singing or beaming when she heard the song.

The Church Sisters (16-year-old twins) performed some incredible bluegrass music mid-concert.

 Then Brandon came back...in the middle of the audience...not far from us.

 At the end of the concert, Matt came back and everyone sang "Hold Us Together" (the one I was so disappointed to have missed earlier in the night) as a finale. (See this entry to see why the song is so special to me.)

We snuck out during the encore to get in line for autographs. While we were waiting, we visited with Micah Bournes...a gifted artist who uses the spoken word to convey the gospel. He was so kind...and it turns out he has lived in Bend, Oregon for the last two years (and knows where Boring is!) He will not commit to being either a Duck or Beaver fan, though.

This t-shirt will be a great reminder of God's faithfulness this past year. (And it now has Matt Maher's autograph on the left sleeve.)

We got to meet Matt Maher...

...and Brandon Heath got to meet his biggest 7-year-old fan.