I'm back! Or just still here...

...since I never left, but I haven't blogged since summer, wow! I just felt like I needed a break. I was going to go private, but I was shocked at how many people actually read my blog! Wow! So I just decided I'd take a break from it for awhile, and now I get to see who is still around.

So what have the Powell's been up to? Here it is!

We did a lot of camping this summer in our new trailer. This picture was taken when we went to Mt. St. Helens.


In August, we realized Ty had a hernia, so on Sept. 2, Ty had ANOTHER surgery! The hernia was repaired, and he proved again that he really does have super-human healing ability.


In September, Ty started a 4 year old public preschool program, and he is growing by leaps and bounds! He was exited from private speech therapy because...well...he's made too much progress!

Every fall our community does a big food drive. It's a competition between two high schools, and on this particular night, our very own "Bobcats" were taking over McDonalds.


So here we are in November...Thanksgiving Day! I have so much to be thankful. I have an amazing class of sixth graders this year, my family life has found it's normal, and life is good. God is good! I leave you with this last photo...of course her shirt isn't true, but it's a good indicator that these two are brother and sister through and through!


Happy Thanksgiving!
From the Powells

Blog invites and the power of a shoe

I will still be going private, but it will require me to send invites, not a password (shows what I know!) So I'll be in the process of gathering emails to do invites. If I go private and you didn't get an invite, please request an invite! This will happen over the next few days as I gather emails. I am so glad so many still want to stay in contact because one thing I don't want to happen is to lose my adoptive parent friends and connections, and I like updating family and friends on our journey with Ty, and now more about our family as a whole.

And no, nothing has happened, but over the years I've heard of things happening, and I just want to protect that. I also just want to keep my circle closed rather than open to all. I'm sure that makes sense.

OK, this week: My list of things to do is a mile long, and Kacie is off to camp, so I should feel some motivation. Nope, none. And why? It's because of this shoe:


After being off work for almost a month, I'm finally getting to a place where I feel like I can start new things. My friend has convinced me to work out with her. I enjoy exercise, but it has been a LONG time, and I've tried to start walking schedules many times, only to fail. So this...I actually had to go buy a new pair of shoes, and I'm not much of a pink person, but wow these shoes felt good on my feet! So if I've purchased the shoes, it means I have to follow through and work out, right?

So off I go today to get my backside kicked into gear with a workout at a gym, where an instructor will probably yell at me...great. If you don't hear from me in the next week, it means I didn't survive the workout. Lord help me...

Going Private--options

Hi there,

Well, I'm going private with my blog. If you'd like a password, I'd be happy to give it to you as long as you are family, friends, or adoptive/cleft parents that I already know. Feel free to email me at my email, facebook, or on RQ (most of you know my RQ name). If none of these work for you, leave a message below and we'll figure something out.

It saddens me out to do this, but it's time. I will go private sometime this week.

Jolene

Cleft Team Update for Tyson

On June 27th, we went to Seattle to visit the cleft team. Of course, Ty was afraid of every doctor in a white coat due to having his appendix out in May.

The long and short of it, they all said, "Come back in a year."

Audiology/ENT: His hearing is "essentially normal" which means I just have a loud child. We will test again next year.

Speech Therapist: Concerned that some air is exiting the nose, so VPI is a concern. That basically means his soft palate isn't closing off to make certain sounds. But as always...it's so minimal that they aren't sure if it will improve, stay the same, or get better. So we wait a year and see.

Pediatrician: Happy with his growth and progress, no concerns!

Surgeon: No surgeries this year, expecially since he just had his appendix out. So we'll come back next year and decide if we need to do more studies on VPI or do a lip revision. The surgeon thought Ty's speech sounded great, but he also said he trusts the judgment of the therapist since she's trained to hear things that he is not trained to hear.

So that's why this post has taken so long for me to write. Basically, we just wait and see. In the meantime, we are doing speech therapy locally until we run out of our 60 visits, which will be soon. Ty is saying ABCs now, recognizes a few letters, and can write a few. I don't work on it much with him since our focus is still language. In fact, he only qualifies for speech under receptive language! It's amazing...Ty is amazing...God is amazing!

Here are pictures of Ty on his birthday, June 22nd. He is now 4 years old!

Summers...how they change

Let's recap:

Summer 08: Waiting for clearance letter to finish homestudy, so I traveled by plane, a lot, to Tahoe/Sacramento for a girls weekend, family trip to Disneyland, then a flight to Alaska and drove back to WA with my sister. Toss in two-three camping trips (in a tent) What an adventure!

Summer 09: Waiting by my computer 24/7 for Travel Approval, and finally off to China in August. No other trips--that was was the trip of a lifetime!

Summer 2010: Ty still adjusting, two camping trips in a tent, lots of little day trips, but nothing major. My dad's heart condition probably contributed to the lack of travel, but I'm happy to say he's doing great!

Summer 2011: AWESOME!!! Bought a travel trailer in April, and we're camping fanatics!

Our latest excursion was to a campground in Southwest WA, and we were about 1.5 hours from beautiful Mt. St. Helens. It was mid 80s, crystal clear, and we thought...what the heck? Let's go! For those who don't know, Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 in WA state. I was 5 years old, and I still remember the ash, the masks, all of it. It changed the landscape completely.





And back at our campsite, here's Ty counting the petals on a flower. He does have his sweet moments!


And I have no pictures, but Kacie and I went to the American Idol concert in Everett last week and stayed in a hotel...just the two of us, and it was awesome! It was her first concert, and other than plugging her ears, she had a great time.

We are home for a few weeks now. Kacie is off to her week-long summer camp next week. So far, what a great summer!

Humbled by daily reality checks

We all have those days when nothing goes right...when it seems like it couldn't get worse...then it does. Jealousy of material things, not enough money, not enough time, wondering why the phone doesn't ring, you know the days.

I used to have a lot of these, and I still do from time to time. But for the most part, I feel blessed everyday. My house is nothing fancy, but it's a roof over my head. My clothes aren't high-end, but I have them. My kids may not have the latest and greatest toys, but trust me, they are not without.

But lately, the Lord humbles me, and I get a reality check in the form of hugs and kisses. Hugs from a little boy who spent two years in an orphanage with no one to hug him in them morning. Kisses from a little boy who only received kisses from a nanny, not a mommy or daddy.

I always thought that I'd get over the fact that our son was raised in an institution for two years, but I don't think I will, and I think that's a good thing. It's a reality check that what I think is a horrible day in my own little world could never be as bad as what my son endured for two years, and what children all over the world endure. Going to bed at night without a kiss from mommy and daddy. Hugs in the mornings, snuggle time after baths, eye contact, stories, experiences...it will give you a reality check like none other.

Material things? Ha! I'm richer than anyone could imagine. I get hugs and kisses from this little guy every day. I get daily reminders of what it truly means to have nothing except a bed that's not yours, not enough food, and not enough love. It's an experience that not everyone has, and it's humbling. The Lord has taught me lessons that neither a book not another person could teach me. I am blessed beyond measure. At times it's hard to watch others be very egocentric or not appreciate what they have, but in this process I'm also learning grace. Thank you Lord, for granting me grace too!

In family news....

Ty decided to take this hanger and pretend he's "roasting marshmallows." I think he's enjoying our camping trips!


Here are the kiddos from our trip to the ocean yesterday. Ty is multi-tasking--flying a kite and playing in the sand. Busy boy!

Camping Fun!

School got out on a Tuesday, Wednesday was Ty's birthday, and Thursday we loaded the trailer and off we went to BEAUTIFUL Lake Quinault, where I grew up. We stayed for 3 nights, and I have to tell you...I was nervous about the whole trailer camping experience. After all, I grew up tent camping, and I was pretty hard core about it, and I still am to a degree. BUT...when you wake up and have heat, that's pretty cool. And when it rained a bit on Friday, the kids just came in and played. Nice.

I couldn't find my camera the whole trip, so I was able to take these pictures on my phone. Not the greatest, but I have to put in a good word for my friends at the Rain Forest Resort. This is where we camped, and you can read my "Yelp" about it here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/rain-forest-resort-inc-quinault#hrid:8WyIfTaWz_Cr4PmNltrowA

I love this place, but if you plan to camp, you should know a few things first, but I would stay there again and again because the lake is GORGEOUS and it is literally in the rain forest, which means lush green trees. Ahhhh...great stress relief. And if you are a tent camper, there are many forest service campgrounds in the area.

OK, so here's what you really want...pics!



The World's Largest Sitka Spruce.



A little bridge on the trail to the world's largest Sitka Spruce.



The front lawn at the resort. They loved it!


Mr. Attitude

How I remember birthdays

Kacie and Ty have birthdays 3 days apart, and I will post pics from both probably next week. It's been busy around here the end of school and birthdays, and we're leaving for a camping trip soon.

On Kacie's birthday, which was Sunday, I looked her and I could remember her birth. Her premature little lungs fighting for each breath as we watched her rib cage collapse with every inhale/exhale. I remembered rocking her to sleep as a baby, looking into her eyes, watching her grow into the beautiful 10 year old she is today.

Today is Tyson's birthday, and what do I think? I think, "Is this his real birthday? What are his birth parents doing right now? I wonder if they think of him more this time of year?" And I also think about how we missed his 2nd birthday and sent him a little cake to eat with his friends at the orphanage, and when I got pictures, they were the first pictures we had other than the referral photos.

We will never know the details of the day of his birth. I don't know if anyone recognized his first birthday. But I know we recognized his second birthday, even a half a world away. And he will have birthdays with us every year because maybe it isn't so monumental to us, it is to him.

He has asked all week, "My birthday coming?" Yes baby, today we celebrate YOUR birthday. Happy Birthday Tyson! He is 4 today. And I am off to buy a bike with training wheels!

Speech Update

Ty will be 4 in two days.

Today I learned that Ty is at the 2 year 7 month mark for Language. While I don't doubt it, I struggle with it. But then, I thought about it another way.

So it means he is still significantly behind in language. He has been home 1 year 10 months, and he had his palate repaired 1 year 6 months ago, and you can factor in hearing loss as well and that he has only hearing at a normal range for a year.

And suddenly, that 2 year 7 month mark isn't look too bad. In fact, it's looking great!

Preschool celebration!

I was able to get away from school for a bit to attend Tyson's preschool celebration on Tuesday. They sang songs and we watched a slide show of pictures from the entire year.



We went to our second speech appointment with the new therapist, and so far, I'm impressed. Ty is in the 16th%ile in articulation, which is low, but not low enough for qualifying for speech. However, he is going to qualify in language, AND we are going to work on some behavior issues within the speech setting. I am thrilled, to say the least! Someone is FINALLY listening to me!

We are into our final days of school. We are out on the 22nd, and Kacie is having her birthday sleep over tomorrow night...I suppose I should start cleaning! Then 30 report cards to do over the weekend. Should be a busy one!

Funny Boy!

Holy Barnacles Batman! Last weekend we took our maiden voyage in our travel trailer to south Hood Canal for a camping trip. We spent two afternoons on the beach shucking oysters and gathering steamer clams.

I wish I had my own pictures to share, but once again, Dan brings the camera and forgets to check for an SD card--it wasn't there. And I forgot my phone, so no pictures from that source either. Fortunately, my friend, who loves Ty like her own, was spending time with the kids in her camper and snapped these photos of Ty hamming it up.






And in other news, we switched speech therapists. This will save me in gas money and time. We will miss the other therapist though, I know Ty will. He kept asking for her over and over. We'll get through it, just another little bump in the road.

Kacie is almost done with fastpitch for the year, and it was another successful year. And as she gets older, it's tough to watch her not be as intense as other kids are. She just wants to play and have fun, so that's where it's at. She's been asked to play on a travel team next year, and she has decided not to. She just wants to play recreation ball, and that's fine with us!

I have school until the 21st. Not sure if I'll survive. I'll keep ya posted!

He doesn't have my eyes

When people meet Kacie, they say, "She looks just like you!" Then they meet my husband and say, "Oh wait, she looks like Dan. But she has your eyes."

I will never hear those words about Ty's eyes.



His eyes captivated me in his early pictures. They are big, bright, and full of expression. In the words of Steven Curtis Chapman, "big brown eyes that disappear when {he} smiles." His eyes dance, show his emotions, his sincerity, mystery. I can see his thoughts...almost. Right now, I can tell when he's scheming his next move on how to irritate his sister, or the sadness in his eyes when his M&Ms are gone. For now, this is sufficient. But in a few years, when I see that faraway look, it could be for different reasons all together, much deeper than just wishing for more chocolate.

Someday he's going to wonder, who do I get MY eyes from?

After watching Kung Fu Panda 2, it made me realize that as Ty goes through his own journey of finding inner peace, he may acknowledge that I am his mom; but is that going to be enough? That is for him to decide, no one else, and it will be on his own timeline. I will be there to support him as he makes sense of who he is, where he comes from, and how he got here. My goal is to be open and honest about what I know about his past and help him to make sense of it. The movie truly went over his head, but someday it won't, and it could open up some pretty heavy discussions.

On a lighter note, here's Ty today playing with pencils. Why pencils when he has a gazillion toys? Again, that is for him to know and for me to just make sure he doesn't poke his eyes out! Then our eyes might have something in common--partial blindness in one eye--and that is a trait I do not want to pass on!

Words I didn't expect to hear so soon

I'm not sure what was going on, but I was holding Ty, and he wasn't happy because he didn't finish his dinner, so he didn't get treats tonight. Out of the blue he says....

Ty: "China. I go home China."
Me: "You want to go back to China?"
Ty: "Yeah, I go home China."
Me: "Why?"
No answer

Me: "Do you remember being in China?"
Ty: "Yeah. I baby."
Me: "What did you do in China?"
Ty: "I sleep."

I have to be honest, I don't think he remembers China. He sees pictures that I have of him as a baby in China, and we talk about it. But I knew these words would be spoken someday; I just didn't expect to hear them one month shy of turning 4.

How did we respond? Who knows if it's right or not, but we told him he's stuck with his us. He's a Powell, and always will be.

And then it was on to whatever grabbed our attention next.

Tournament Champs!

Kacie has been in two fast pitch tournaments over the last two weekends, and her team has won both tournaments! It's been pretty exciting. Last weekend Ty was having surgery, so I missed those games.

This weekend the tournament was in our hometown, and we played 4 games yesterday for seeding, then three games today in a double elimination tourney. Actually, Kacie missed a game because she had to be at her piano recital. We went in seed 1, which meant a bye in the first round--that made us all very happy.

But the biggest news is that Kacie had her first in-the-park home run! It was an amazing hit deep down the third base line. I got a little crazy, there is no debate on that. After hitting a triple yesterday and hitting fairly well, today she had yet to get on base. There were some tears and frustration, so when she knocked this one out there, I was elated beyond words. Her confidence has been restored.

We would have settled for a base hit...but a home run is nice too!

I should have gone off...

...when the x-ray tech at xyz hospital (not Mary Bridge) said to me, "Did you have to learn about therapy to adopt him?"

Let me set the stage.

Ty had been examined up down and all around, and he was flipped out. Obviously his anxiety was sky high, and he was doing the whole, "My Mama" and "Don't leave me!" number. For those who know Ty (or anything about international adoption), this is a typical response to a high-stress situation.

I was asked a few times if I was his mother, fair question in my opinion. And once in awhile the topic of where he was from and when did we adopt him would come up. As we we walked to the x-ray area and back, there were some narrow hallways, and I had to walk in front of the bed rather than behind so that Ty would know I was not leaving him.

And that's when she popped off that question. In my shock, I just said, "Not really, you just have to be prepared for anything related to international adoption."

The more I thought about it, the more angry I got. HOW RUDE! What she was really saying was, "Your son has issues, I sure hope you can deal with it."

And maybe it was a poor choice of words, and if that was the case, then I agree...poor choice of words. I should have gone off...but as always, I was in so much shock I didn't know what to say. I've dealt with racist remarks, rude adoption comments, etc...but this was a first.

We are home!

Ahhhhh...one beat mama here. It's one thing for a planned surgery away from home, quite another when it's unplanned. But the surgery was totally not a big deal when compared to something like palate surgery. In fact, I think this is easier than ear tubes. Just controlling the pain, and he's fine. And really, he's not in much pain at all. When he woke up this morning he was hurting from not having pain meds over night, but other then that, he's doing great!

This picture is a few hours after the surgery. Clearly, feeling no pain! Gotta love morphine. Today he's just on Tylenol w/codene. Tomorrow we switch to tylenol/ibuprofen.

No more appendix

Ty had surgery this morning and came through with flying colors. I was not happy about surgery, but it was too risky to continue to wait and see. I'm on my iPad so when I'm on my lap top I'll tell the tale. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, and hopefully we will go home tomorrow.

Appendicitis?

We hope not. I'm at a childrens hospital with Tyson, waiting for a surgeon. It's so hard to tell if he has appendicitis, so we'd appreciate prayers that he is fine and no surgery is needed! He has signs that it is and signs that it isn't. Ugh! Thanks.

My kid did that?

Kacie now holds the 4th grade girls PE record for the 1 mile run at our school! She ran it today in 6 minutes 53 seconds. I know that genetically she is mine, but when I hear something like this, I think, "Where did she get that from?" And when she was done, she just shrugged walked off like it was no big deal. Yes, she was red-faced and tired, but no biggie to her. Love that girl!

They Make Me Smile!

Happy Mother's Day! These are my gifts 365 days a year.