Catching Up

Hello everyone. I know it has been a while but we just are not good at constant post. Too busy I guess. We do keep up with all your blogs just don't update ours near enough. So while I have a few moments to spare I thought I would write to you all and tell you what has been going on in the world of the Incredibles.

Baelin is growing so much and is as beautiful as ever! Her speech however has not progressed any. We have taken her and gotten her hearing and eyes and everything we could evaluated and they have come to the conclusion that due to her special needs status in China and the anti-seizure medication that they had her on has enabled her to be a 1 1/2 delayed in speech and some occupational milestones. We have fought like crazy to get her into a school since March and have finally succeeded in getting her accepted somewhere. I thought the Chinese government was delayed and off their rockers but ours has put any dilemmas we had over there to shame. Apparently most of the schools that offer special needs tutoring or education around this area is for people who are on welfare, medicaid or both. We make too much money to enable her to be enrolled in the few full time programs around us. Our tax dollars pay for ever child in the schools but ours was refused for the simple fact that we did not qualify for medicaid. CRAZY!! They don't even offer to let us pay out right. So the school we wanted her in wont take her and the the other place that will can only see her 30 minutes twice a week. We finally found a school that would take her but want us to apply for TEFRA which has proven to be a nightmare. This is a sub-set of medicaid for people who make to much but has a medical condition that qualifies. So we are in the several month process of that now. Think the school is still going to let her in regardless but if we get denied we are unsure if they will kick her out. So if anyone has any suggestions here we would love to hear them.

The Mrs. and I are doing well. continuing to knock a day at a time out of our careers until we can retire together on day.Haven't tried investing in the Lottery yet but we now have one here in Arkansas. Hear the risk are high but the return could be nice. LOL We have made several new friends from China. There is a research facility for the Government close to our town and it employees a lot of people from China who are here on Visas and then hopefully get to stay so while they are here we get to meet many of them and have a Chinese group at our church now that meet for Bible study while we have regular church services. Most all of them have a daughter and are here for that reason. It is nice to be able to connect with them and have something in common with them. Most of their daughters are friends with all of ours and we enjoy having them over for cookouts and fellowship. They want to teach our kids and us Chinese but think I may be too set in my ways to learn a new language. May just let the kids.

Seems like ages ago since we crossed the big pond to bring Baelin home and since we have seen some of you. Hope to reunite one day and let our daughters all meet again. Baxley, our oldest is getting into that test your boundaries age so that has been fun to begin. We know she will be fine once she grows into being a woman but the journey there may age me twice as fast. Blaise has already had three or four small countries contact her to rule over them one day I think. If they have not she may destroy them and take them all over before she is 7. Ive never seen so much Drama and Genius wrapped into one small cute package as that one. I'm praying for the intelligence to stay ahead of her so that she don't out smart me one day. lol

Well it was good to catch up with you all and I enjoy keeping up with all your blogs as well. Talk to you all one day. Take care and God Bless

One Year 3 months...and here we are.

Hello out there strangers!! I know you are all wondering why we are so horrible at this posting thing and the honest answer is I don't know. It is not like it takes a lot of time, we just can not ever think to do it except when we are away from home. Anyway you caught me at a great time so here goes the updates.

Baelin the littlest angel of ours has now been with us for over a year! It truly does not seem like that long ago in thought, but looking back through the photos and blogs it has been that long. We have come to a standstill in her being able to speak. She isn't really not progressing it is just at a rate slower than frozen molasses and only we can ever tell any changes at all. She is totally inaudible to the lay person, but to us we know exactly what DA means. The problem is that she is smart as a whip but can not make it through to her mouth. If we were to throw a hundred random photos on the floor and literally say "Go find the one with a pink shoe, and yellow sun" she would bring them to you. Although she can not even say drink or momma. So we went to a speech therapist and had her evaluated and they think she is about a year and a half delayed on her muscle tone in her mouth and throat more likely due to the lake of interaction. So we start therapy next week to see if we can not get her caught up. We also had her turning in feet evaluated and come to find out she is as limber as a new born. She can turn her feet in a almost a complete circle. When she walks with her feet turned in it is because she wants to and or tired.
     I would love to start potty training but she can not tell me when she needs to go so it is a bit difficult to get her to go when she can not translate that back to us. But all will work out in God's time. We are patiently waiting and at the same time want it to hurry. I'm sure you understand.
            I was reading Tonya's post on Matti and found myself asking the same thing? Would we ever go back to do this again? Jami and I both have evaluated the concept of it and neither one of us are totally against the idea. Financially it would be hard like Tonya said to come up with another 30,000 plus, but at the same time, we think if we really wanted to so this we could probably gather it in the two or three years it would take to do this again. Then there is the thought of China again or somewhere else? This crisis in Hattie had us on the look out for temporary homes for some of the children they were bringing over and of course we were not able to do so but we wanted to. There are so many children out there that need loving families and so few willing to go and make the provisions to do so. It is sad to see children pass the age of adoption and then watch them be turned out into a world of corruption and no hope. I applaud any and all who have taken on a child from anywhere and tried their best to make a difference.
            Mrs. Incredible has started her Masters program this semester and after being out of school for almost 10 years is kinda hard for her to get back on the saddle without being hesitant She aced this first semester and  I know she will get the hang of it soon, will she like it again...no, never. Complete it? That depends on how much it interferes with her daughters. Baelin has actually started crying when you leaver her now. That is a very good sign that we are missed and she doesn't want us to leave. The first time she did it I felt like the most horrible person in the world and at the same time had the biggest grin on my face because she didn't want Daddy to walk away!!
         I am continuing along, planning vacations, playing with my angels, and entertaining the wife. Trying to save the world one day at a time as each crisis comes along. I love my job and cant wait to go every third day but muss my ladies as soon as I walk out of the door.