Cats no more

Remember these cute kitties that joined our farm a few weeks ago?

Remember Helen, Juanita, Thelma Lou, and Emma?

Well......they've graduated. Right from kindergarten to college. These cute kitties have grown into big ol' cats that make Dad sneeze. Did I ever mention that he is allergic to cats? Like deathly allergic. When he was a boy, a night spent with a cat curled next to his head warranted a speedy trip to the hospital.

That's why we've always had a "no cats allowed" policy around our house. But then we started having a jumbo mouse population around our farm, so we decided to get a few cats "just to keep the mice away". Unfortunately, these cute kitties have done more than that. Everyone (well, some of us, anyway), enjoy holding and cuddling them when we go outside.

And lately, Dad's been feeling rather......um, well let's just say that he's been feeling his throat perform the beginnings of closing up. Ouch.

So our new family rule is: DO NOT HOLD THE CATS. No more cats spending the night curled up on our front porch glider swing. No more pampering. The cats can stay......but let's just say that the rest of us will be keeping our distance from now on!

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So Thankful

I never imagined how great life would be with Isaac! I knew it was going to be fun, but I had forgotten how much joy and laughter a little guy brings to a family.

Looking back, I wonder how on earth we could have ever lived without him. I am SO thankful for him - and the oppertunity to bring him from all the way across the world to our home.

Where he is loved. And taught. And cherished. And adored.

Of course, Mr. Sweetie Pie can easily turn into a Mr. Sour Puss.....but he's learning. Every day.

Can you believe he's going to be a big brother? He hardly seems....well, eligible. But Lord willing, it's going to happen - and HOORAH for that!

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PA!

Here he is - my new little brother! We finally got our PA today (Pre-Approval), so we can finally post pictures of him on the web! Isn't he cute?

And, just like Isaac, he's in pink bows and ribbons. Yes, I said he. It really is a boy underneath all those girl clothes!

This little guy's name is Wu Huai Gang. (Little Wu is what I call him, since he is unamed at this point!!) I happen to think that he is one of the cutest little boys I have ever seen. Besides Isaac, of course. They tie for first place as far as I'm concerned. :) He is missing several fingers, but seems to be very healthy otherwise. And missing fingers? Not a big deal. Most kids adapt so well and can do a lot more than we think they can in spite of their "special need".

And besides missing fingers, he's missing a family. And that's the most important reason for adopting him. In fact, that's the only reason we're adopting him - because it is clearly stated in the Bible to look after the widows and orphans.

I just CANNOT WAIT to bring him home!

So, now you know what he looks like! Hopefully we'll get more pictures of him as we get further along in the adoption process.

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Meet Chocolate

Rosie and Clover taking an afternoon snooze

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Announcing....

Chocolate, the baby goat!

Pearl gave birth to a huge healthy baby boy this afternoon - he looks just like his mom! I would love to post pictures, but unfortunately Courtney took the camera with her to the hospital, so I don't have any pictures right now.

But tomorrow, count on seeing pictures of him!

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Update on Isaac

Thank you all for praying for my precious little brother Isaac!

Update is that he came through just fine and is doing well! Apparently he was busy drinking apple juice and sleeping, so it sounds like he's on the mend.

Please continue to pray for speedy recovery and minimal pain.

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Please Pray

Please pray for Isaac.......he is having his cleft palate surgery today. I feel so bad for this little guy - being in such a big hospital and having to undergo surgery at only 3 years old!

Please pray that:

~The doctor/nurses would do an excellent job on his palate

~He will have minimal pain and quick recovery

~He will not be afraid or insecure

~The surgery would go very well and there would be no complications

Isaac is going to be very sore for several days; he has to be on a liquid diet for 3 weeks. So we will be doing a lot of smoothies, soups, pureed fruits and veggies for a while! Thankfully, he likes all of that, so we should be okay in that department.

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Baby goats....coming soon!

As you all know, our goat Pearl is pregnant.....and was due five days ago. She was five days late last year, too.

So, maybe today will be the day?

I sure hope so. She's begun to show some signs......but yet, we're half way through the day, and no babies yet.

But...expect pictures of her baby(s) soon! Within the next few days, at least. Or weeks. Maybe even months. I'm beginning to wonder if she really is pregnant.

No, I KNOW she is - I can feel her babies moving around! She just likes to take things slow and easy, that's all. Just stay tuned - for both pictures and video.

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Isaac Tours The Farm

I think everyone will enjoy this short little video of Isaac - it shows some of his real personality that he displays on a daily basis! Hopefully the grandparents will enjoy this, too. There is a funny little bit at the end that, well, let's just say, exposes what my brothers are really like. (If you've got brothers, you'll understand.) I apologize for the windiness - it was very windy and is kind of irritating on a video, but, oh well.

Another funny bit for today - the field directly across the street from our house is growing chili peppers, and lately they have hired a lot of Mexicans to weed it (and if you live here in the Southwest, you'll understand that these Mexicans are also illegals.).

So.....this morning the group was hard at work with their cowboy hats and hoes, weeding away and stopping for an occasional water break. Dad decided to give them a real dose of the patriotic American spirit! He got out his trumpet, went outside, aimed for the field, and blasted out songs like "America The Beautiful" and "My Country Tis of Thee". Yes, those Mexicans got a nice reminder that they are living in America, illegal though they are. :)

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Why boys?

I know there are lots of little boys in need, but most people adopt girls. Could you write about why your family chose a boy instead of a girl both times?

Good question. Really, when people anounce that they're adopting from China, everyone immediatly pictures a cute little girl with black hair, perfect almond eyes, porcelain skin, etc. (Interestingly enough, this describes our new brother perfectly!)

But adopting a boy ? Why? Are there even boys to adopt? Most people think that you can only get a girl from China, but this is simply not true.

China has a one child policy; each family is allowed only one child, or, in special cases, two. Since each family only gets one, most want a boy to carry on the family name. So when they have the "misfortune" of having a girl, they simply give it up for adoption and try again. That's the reason for the abundance of little girls available.

But...there's another side to the coin. Since most Chinese parents want a boy, they also want a perfect boy. They want a healthy little boy. So when they see that their son has an ugly cleft lip or something equally "horrific" like missing fingers, limbs, or any other special need, they almost ALWAYS give them up for adoption, as well. So really, there are a huge number of boys available for adoption.

Believe it or not, the ratio of boys to girls is something like 70% to 30%. Amazing, isn't it? There are actually way more boys up for adoption than girls. And the sad part of it is, that when families adopt from China, nearly everyone wants a healthy little girl. Not many want a girl with special needs - which are readily available. And even less want a little boy with special needs, which are even MORE readily available.

Boys who are given up for adoption have a bleak future ahead of them, because no one wants boys. And I personally think that half the problem is that most families in America have no idea about how many Chinese boys are in need of a home. Everyone thinks girls are the biggest need, but they have no idea.

So the reason we've adopted two boys in a row from China (even though I've always wanted a little sister), is because the boys are the ones that are the most needy. They are the most "un-adoptable". They're the ones that are going to grow up in the orphanage and live with the stigma of "unlucky" and "cursed" the rest of their lives. That's why we have chosen boys instead of girls.

Don't get me wrong; girls are terribly cute. In fact, we've looked at several and I can hardly contain how cute they are! But little girls will almost always get a home. Little boys will almost never get a home.

I am so glad we have been able to rescue two from a life of misery and poverty.

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Questions asnwered, part 3

How do you enjoy spending your free time? How's your Driver's Ed going?

Free time? What's that?

Just kidding. I get plenty of free time, but let's just say that life would be easier if there were 36 hours to my day rather than 24!

If I have a spare hour - that's when Isaac takes his nap - I do whatever sounds most interesting at the time. This includes blogging, cleaning my room, crocheting, Bible study, reading, or sewing. And of course, rare spontaneous activities such as making a movie with my siblings can occasionally occur...we did this recently!

Other things, like school, baking, or cleaning, can pretty much be done with a toddler in my lap or in my arms. Now, it's not exactly efficient, but, it can be done.

Needless to say, it is difficult to study History when Isaac thinks I'm his personal jungle gym. But I LOVE it. Really.

When we were in China, I carried Isaac all the way to their version of a Walmart, througout that huge store, and all the way home. My arms ached. (After our first few days of having him, I had held him so much, and was so unused to carrying toddlers around, I was SO SORE.)

Our guide, JoJo even asked, "Is he gettting heavy? I'll hold him."

While I politely said, "No, that's alright", I was thinking, "Are you kidding? I've waited to hold this little guy for almost two years. I don't care if my arms break - I'm holding him.

So, back to my free time activities. Even if I don't always have "free time", I do enjoy a lot of other things, like milking for instance. It is so nice to be outside at 6:00 when everything is still "morningish" and get get full jars of fresh milk from a plump, tight udder. I just like it. But my sister Courtney has a starkly different opinion about that.

Drivers Ed. Well, I'm working on getting my learner's permit pretty soon, does that count? Dad taught Courtney how to drive and is beginning to teach me. But I am a little worried about barrelling down the high way at seventy miles per hour in the future - how will I ever be able to handle that????

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We've Got the Adoption Bug!

I will be doing a regular post soon - but I just have to announce that something very very exciting has happened.

WE'RE ADOPTING AGAIN!!!

Courtney will be posting a picture of this little guy (yes, it's a boy!) on her blog thisafternoon, so stay tuned!

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A giveaway at Regan Family Farm!

A giveaway! That's right - I love giveaways. They're especially fun when you win one. :)

This particular giveaway is for a beautiful customized skirt from marie madeline studio. By the way, if you haven't checked out any of their stuff yet, please do. They make very beautiful things!!

For the skirt giveaway, all you have to do is go to Regan Family Farm (click here) and do what her instructions say.

Don't pass up this opportunity to win a beautiful skirt!

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Questions answered, part 2

~Hmm... I'd like to know how tall you are.I feel short and am the shortest with all my friends. I always like to see how tall people are. (BTW-I am 5 feet 1 inch AND a 1/2.) :D~Have you and your family always lived on a farm? What led your parents and your family to farm life? :)~ One more! How do you enjoy spending your free time?

I am five foot three and a half. That extra half inch is so important since it makes me taller than my older sister. :) Although I don't think about it that much, I am shorter than most of my friends who are several years younger than me! Oh well. I am a normal height, so I'm thankful for that.

No, we haven't always lived on a farm. Of course, when we we were all toddlers we lived in the city, and then we moved to a small acreage just on the outskirts of town. Then we moved to 21 acres. And then we went back to the city - and now we're on a farm again! We have 140 acres now, which probably seems enormous to most of you; but it doesn't seem all that big since I live here all the time. :)

One reason, among others, that we are on a farm right now is because my parents firmly believe that boys NEED hard physical labor and lots of work to do on a daily basis. Family Boot Camp you could call it. Girls need hard work too, of course. But there's something about a boy and a farm that just go together! Plus, Dad has always wanted to have a family business that we could all be involved in, and he thought we might be able to do something agriculturally. And the last reason is because living out of town does provide a measure of security from a future national crisis of some sort.

The reason I love living on a farm, though, are a little different - I LOVE being able to wake up each morning and watch the sunrise from my bedroom window each morning. I love waking to the sound of birds chirping at dawn (that sounded quite poetic, didn't it?), and I also really enjoy having animals. Although I get quite a bit of teasing about being the "goat shepardess" of the family, I love the privilege of milking each morning.....and then there's my baby, Willie. (Actually, he's a dog. But he's my baby, too.) Beside this, farm life provides a lot of interesting and sometimes unplanned events.

Like yesterday when one of our kittens almost died because of the 108* heat.

And that time when a rabid gopher (according to the boys) attacked the handle of our garden shovel.

Oh, and then there was that day when Jonathan shot a jack rabbit and then fried it up for dinner.

You know, I love livin' on a farm.

By the way, look for pictures of Pearl's baby goats in the next few days! She is due to kid on the 10th, so we're getting close. And I'm getting excited.

Please Lord, let them (or it) be girls!!!!!

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Questions answered, part 1

Hi Rachel,I have also been silently reading your blog. I enjoy reading about Isaac, because I also have a brother adopted from China. Could you write about you're/his adjustments to life in America? You're family's story is probably quite different from ours since our family is Chinese.

Let me first say that adoption is something that is truly amazing. God has definitely laid it on my heart since two of my sweet brothers are adopted, and I really hope I can adopt children of my own someday. Orphans will always exist, whether we "choose" to adopt or not; so giving even one child a home and a family makes a huge difference.

As far as Isaac's adjustments to life in America, he has done surprisingly well. God really blessed us with a GREAT and very smooth transistion when we adopted David, and although Isaac's transition has been just a tiny bit harder, it has still been really easy compared to what many adoptive families experience.

Obviously, he hasn't been attached to us from day #1. No way. When Mom first carried him away from his nanny and into a busy street in China, Isaac's only response was silent tears rolling down his cheeks. I will always remember this. And when we got to the hotel and decided it was time for his first diaper change, he let us know in no uncertain terms that he didn't agree!

But after the first day or two, he quickly latched on to us, and we've had no problems in that area ever since. He has done great with the boys and loves to wrestle on the floor - it's surprising how much energy is tucked into that little body! He will eat most any food and loves to sing and clap his hands to the rythm of a song. Of course, he's brought home a few habits from China....such as smoking. (Yes, it's true - he rolled up a sticker and started puffing a few days ago. Apparently a LOT of people - even the nannies - smoke in China; we saw that firsthand. )

So.....how is he doing? GREAT. (Except for his daily tantrums, of course. But what 3-year old doesn't have them?) Thankfully, he is steadily improving, and they are becoming shorter and shorter.

And my transition? Well....can I be honest here? I wasn't totally in favor of a new little brother at first. I wanted to be, and I knew he would be cute, but I don't like change, and this was going to be a BIG change. A MAJOR one. I wasn't sure if I was ready for it - but thankfully, God really changed my heart about it. As we saw his picture and got closer to the end, He was slowly but surely changing my heart about Isaac and I am so thankful. What a blessing Isaac is! God, as always, knows best, and I am so glad He helped me to trust Him about this. I cannot imagine life without Isaac.

When we were in China, the very first night we had Isaac, Mom was in tears because she had a throbbing headache. Courtney was moaning in the bed because of her nausea that lasted several days.

And I?....was on the floor laying on bath towels and cuddling my new little brother. And eating leftover chocolate doughnuts at 4 o'clock in the morning. Now that is a memory that will never leave me.

Some of you may have your mouths open at this point. Lying on the floor of a hotel in the middle of a massive city in a *seemingly* third world country? Traveling across the world to adopt a child from a dirty orphanage? Who later infested our whole family with scabies? Which meant ripping apart our house and washing every piece of clothing we owned to get rid of them?

Just what kind of weirdos are we, anyway?

Ah, good question. Adoption is not about doing something to make you feel good and righteous and generous. If that were true, where would that leave us?

With a lot less money and a lot more pride.

Adoption is about carrying out God's command to care for the orphans and make disciples of all nations. It's about sharing HIS love with a lost child. It's about making a difference in the life of a boy or girl who doesn't have a family. It's about giving someone what every child deserves - a family that loves them.

And most importantly? The chance to learn about Jesus.

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If there's anything you ever wanted to ask me...

Hi everyone!

So, you're probably wondering why I haven't posted for nearly 2 weeks.

Can you guess???

Busy. As usual. And we really are busy! In an email to a friend, my mom summed it up like this:

School, lots of company, huge garden, behavior issues, never having enough time, scabies, dentist appointments, goat birth, wisdom teeth extraction, another goat birth coming up, watering all of the new trees, massive laundry, huge meals for children that never seem to be full, and the list goes on and on........................

Can any of you relate? But just so you know, I am going to be posting soon. Really.

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But now for today's post. Since I am blank on what to write here, I am going to let all of you do the talking.

Is there anything you ever wanted to ask me? Any questions you have? Any curiosities about our family or daily life?

I know you must have them because I have them too. (About other blogs, that is.) So ask away - don't be shy!


And for all you silent lurkers who read my blog but don't comment, now's your chance! Please comment and ask what you've always wanted to.

"Why does she do that?" "How come she...." "I wonder if...."

Ask away.

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