A few minutes later, my little princess came walking into my bedroom with tears spilling out of her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. I got on my knees and hugged her, then asked her if she wanted to talk. Her response, “I just want to go live in Heaven so that I can wear whatever I want to wear.”

As Grant would say, “I got nothing!”

As far as Sen. Biden is concerned, his appearance is a little too polished for my taste, but he is obviously also very intelligent, very qualified, and like Gov. Palin, seems to have a quick wit as well. I don’t know if he likes to shop or if someone else shops for him, but I would like to get the name of his dentist! He has the whitest teeth I’ve ever seen!

No, I’m not as shallow as I’m appearing. I’m not going to vote for anyone because of their teeth or their sense of humor. I am concerned with the issues. I’m concerned with the economy, with the health care system, and with single moms in particular. Yes, I believe that the church should be taking care of the underprivileged, but unfortunately, we’ve got a ways to go before that actually happens. I don’t want higher taxes, but if I made over $250,000 a year, and a few extra dollars could help some of my friends without insurance, friends who are self-employed or who have been laid off, I suppose I’d be willing to part with some of mine to help them. Robin Hood, socialism???? I hope not, but I know that I’m sounding a little that way.

Bottom line, though, after watching what I deemed an excellent discussion, I was thoroughly disappointed, even ticked off, when I got on the internet for a fact check and discovered that both candidates had lied about their opponents. Surely, they were just spinning the truth as most politicians are known to do, but they LIED. Gov. Palin lied, and Sen. Biden lied. (Gov. Palin actually lied more, but I”m not sure that that makes a difference.) Why do they have to lie? Let me hear the truth and then choose who I agree with the most. I’m not an idiot. I don’t think that I’m going to agree with anyone all the time. JUST QUIT LYING OR SPINNING OR WHATEVER IN THE HECK YOU CALL IT!!!!

The Friday Night Spread - Roast and Potatotes!!!

Anita, Angela, Jeannie, and Corina

Angela, Corina, Anita, and Jenna

Sarah Begging Me to Take Her Picture! HA!

The “juicy” pictures couldn’t be taken because I forgot to bring my battery charger! What happens in Breck stays in Breck!!!

Driving through a lot of cattle land with strong “cattle” stench in the air.
Jia: “Did someone in here toot?”
Mom: “No, Jia, it just smells that way because of all of the cows outside.”
Jia: “You mean the cows are trying to go poop?”

Funniest sign (in Kansas, of course): “Please move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.”
Really???? Are you sure you don’t want us to speed up or run into the back of stopped emergency vehicles?

Funniest sight: While spending the night on the road, we had to have two separate hotel rooms. Rowland and I were loading up the car while William was taking his shower. As we walked back onto our floor, William came walking down the hallway, hair dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around his body, otherwise naked.

On the way to Arkansas, second day into trip - Jia: “Where are we going?” (Welcome to our world, Jia!)

On the way home, second day into trip - Jia: “Where are we going?”
Mom: “Home.”
Jia: “What home?”

William in the middle of Kansas: “Mom, do you have any sleeping pills?” (Yea, right, William! Like Mommy shares her drugs!)

Carson was just generally funny, his cute sarcastic self! Where does he get that from??????

Sleeping in until 10:30 rocked!!! And I think that Anita was trying to spoon me last night so I’m gonna have to find a divider so she stays on her side!! Jean had her own bed in her own room - gotta take care of the surgery arm! Plus, I’m afraid she’ll tell her husband he can’t play with his “little brother,” Rowland, if I’m not nice!

Good morning!!!

Oh, and Anita even suffered riding in my car with my new bumper sticker!!!

Sorry, Guys, but I’m a Mama for Obama!!

I can’t wait to see how all of these personalities interact! Should be interesting!!!

Jia, Momma, and KeKe Heading Out

Moments after Our Daughter Was Placed in Our Arms

Our First Partial Family Photo

Climbing the Great Wall

For days, she screamed for her foster mother, clinging to Rowland and pushing me away at every opportunity. My mother’s heart was so broken as I wanted her to love me like I already loved her, had loved her for a year. I remember crying out to God, asking Him if we had made a terrible mistake. Slowly, she opened up to me. I’d like to say that it was the special way that I held her and comforted her or that she just began to feel safe in my arms. Truth was, though, that she loved me for my Diet Coke and Skittles!! She’d sit in my lap and eat my Skittles and drink my Diet Coke as long as they’d hold out. Eventually, she even fed me Skittles!

Bonding Over Diet Coke and Skittles

Now, she’s my special princess. She has opened herself up to me, completely bonded with me. We have come so far from those days in China with that scared little toddler. Now, she’s a “big girl” who loves to curl up with her momma and take a nap; she loves to go shopping and has very definite opinions about her clothing; she loves to sing and has a heart for Jesus; she loves to be just like her big sister; she loves to laugh and tells LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG, complicated stories; and she told me on Monday morning that she really likes being a Smith!

She also requested Chinese food for dinner so we had to enlist the help of our neighbors Jean and Joe since he’s quite the Chinese chef! And she finally got the Dairy Queen ice cream cake she’s always wanted, even though it said “Happy Birthday!” (Fortunately, she can’t read.)

What a wonderful celebration, better than her birthday for me because it really was our birthday as a family! Jiang Xiao Shen became Jia, and our family was complete!! Thank you, God, for true blessing beyond measure!!! Thank you, God, for giving us the desire of our hearts!! Thank you, God, for the daughter You placed in my arms on September 22, 2004. Happy Gotcha Day, my Shen!!!

My Scared Little Girl

Only an Ice Cream Cake for this Princess!

Two Best Friends - Princess Jia and Princess Cayden

William, Carson, KeKe, Jia, and the “Cousins”

William Climbing Out a Window

Kitty’s View from the Top Floor

Carson Looking Quite Handsome

Tribal Dancing in Traditional Tribal Costume

Do You Think That They Really Had Speedo Shoes??

Enjoying a Picnic Lunch

Carson and His Finest Duck Imitation

After enjoying the cliff dwellers, we moved on to the Garden of the Gods. I have to say that now that I’ve been to Red Rocks, I just don’t think that the Garden is quite as awesome. Still, it was beautiful, and we all enjoyed showing off our strength!

Okay - Still Awesome, Though!

See? Colorado Really Is God’s Favorite State - Can You Blame Him?

The Kids Atop the Balancing Rock

I’m not sure what this says about politicians. Perhaps more research should be done. Can marijuana not be enjoyed by those with huge egos (i.e., politicians in general)? Do those supplying the marijuana have ESP, and therefore, only non-enjoyable marijuana is distributed to future candidates? It might make an interesting scientific study and might offer us a little more information about the physiological aspect of politicians’ brains. It might also show us what a public liar’s brain looks like (versus those of us who lie more privately)!

I want to admit here and now that I was a cigarette smoker, and I LIKED IT. In fact, I LOVED IT! Furthermore, if someone would create cigarettes that would not kill me, I’d be the first to buy them! As for the marijuana…..well, I’m not running for office!

I remember being nervous about leaving him at Mother’s Day Out at a tiny church in the small town we lived in at the time. He was 2 1/2, and there were only 6 kids in his little class, but I worried about him all day long! I remember his setting up Barney and all of Barney’s friends as well as every Disney character he could get his hands on. He would have them perform the videos of Barney that he absolutely loved to watch. He knew every line and even knew all of the lines and songs from the musical “Cats.” Eventually, his “people” knew their parts as well. He would literally spend hours having them perform.

Now, he’s half grown - truly! Instead of Barney, he’s into all classic rock, and instead of having his “people” perform, he’s on stage performing himself. What an amazing transformation - and so quickly! I’m so happy that he’s still my buddy, that he still cracks me up with the humor of his Uncle Douglas, that he’d rather hang out with his dad than anyone else, that he’s just an all-around awesome kid. May God continue to work in his life and create him to be the man He desires, and may God show his father and his absolutely clueless mother the best ways to parent this precious first child. And may my tears quit flowing down my cheeks!

He’s Taller Than His Momma - How Did That Happen?

Carson with His Best Buddy!