"The Heart" has a brain, too

We like to kid around that G0D gave us one child of every flavor: The Brains, The Heart, The Braun, and The Beauty.  It is not that cut-and-dry, though, of course.  For example, The Heart, pictured here at our school table, has a pretty darn good brain.  He just turned four in May, and is reading at a late kindergarten level.  He does his big brother's math when we're not looking.  He reasons like a kid twice his age.  Don't be fooled by his charm and his sentiment; he is thinking way harder than anyone knows.  He might look like he is standing off to the side chewing his nails, but he is taking it all in.  Between his way with people and his sharp mind, I predict politics, or business, or perhaps the leader of a world-wide movement of change?  For now, however, we'll continue to type-cast him as "The Heart."  Its easier that way.

p.s.  Glory's surgery went well!  Praise G0D.  

sugar buzz ramblings

It is 10:35 p.m. on Thursday in East Asia.  Glory is in surgery in Little Rock.  Daniel is perusing the town with his buddies.  I told him to go, so he wouldn't hear all of the intimate things we ladies sat and talked about over frosted brownies in my living room this evening.

I shamelessly ate two of my own brownies.  Is it terrible to like your own baking?  Aren't we supposed to be too self-critical for that?  Maybe its a sign that I'm moving past self-criticism.  Maybe that happens in your 30s?  Or maybe I just really like chocolate and it matters not how I get it.  Or both.

I just have to say that I LOVED our Women's Time tonight.  We meet ever-other Thursday evening, and it really is time invaluably spent.  Tonight, however, was sweeter than I'm used to.  A new woman has joined our ranks, and we are thrilled because she is 60 and knows about life beyond raising gradeschoolers.  My pen was racing across the back of my printout as I scratched down nearly everything she had to say.  There is nothing like the wisdom of those who have lived longer than we have.  Not to mention she is an adoptive mother of two kids who came to her from Russia in 1996 and were nearly teenagers at the time.  This woman has been through it, and has lived to tell about it.  Somehow I feel like I'm going to make it, too.

I am looking at the back of my printout right now, and I will share the top three tidbits from the evening (not necessarily from our new friend, but mostly spurred on by her presence, I think).
1.) PROBLEM: We (moms of young children) feel like we've lost ourselves.  Where did I go and who is this bedraggled, used-up, butt-wiper staring back at me from the mirror?  Why don't I get to go out every day like my husband and feel the cool breeze lift my hair?  ANSWER:  Perspective.  Choose to say, "Thank you, G0D, that I GET to stay home with these kids!  What a privilege.
2.) PROBLEM:  I find myself stooping to their (the kids') level.  ANSWER:  I am a woman, and women are gifted with empathy.  In this case, it is a bad thing.  I am taking on the anger of my four-year-old.  Wow!  How enlightening is that?!

Snapshot just taken: ready for surgery.  xoxo

3.)  PROBLEM:  One of my children needs a heart-issue addressed, but I am changing an explosive diarrhea or I am baking brownies for Women's Time (hopefully not simultaneously).  ANSWER:  Carry a notebook around in my pocket and write down whatever needs to be addressed so that I can come back to it with that child at a better time.

Well, now that my sugar-buzz is wearing off, and Daniel seems to have found something really fun to do out there in the streets of our fair city, I think I'll go check the progress of Glory's operation on her Facebook page and then wash my face and climb into bed to read another chapter of THE HELP (thanks again, Lance and Leah) until my eyelids get too heavy and then I'll pray for Glory and go to sleep.  I hope that when I do, I'll be thinking about the 4th tidbit I would have shared if I would have shared 4:  G0D is faithful, and he has never, nor will he ever, take his hand of guidance from me.  Amen and good night.

today!

The surgery has been moved up to today!  At 7 a.m. Thursday morning, September 29, and for the rest of the day, please be praying.  Glory will be undergoing open heart surgery.

"When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' your love, O L0RD, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." -Psalm 94:18,19 

to carry on

Dear Friends and Family,

Glory is in the hospital, after having been at home for some months with her lively, dinosaur-loving sister; her awesome mommy and daddy; and her grandma-extraordinaire.  She had a heart cath done recently to check the progress on that one stubborn artery (the one we are all waiting on to grow so she can have her next big heart surgery), and the cath yielded disappointing results.  The stubborn artery is not growing like it needs to be, so there can be no surgery for now.  The waiting commences.

In the mean time, however, the doctors are going to perform a different surgery, in an attempt to give that artery every advantage to grow.  That surgery will be in a couple of weeks.  It will be a hard surgery for Glory, and it will not be "the one" that she desperately needs.  She can not go home now.  She will remain in the hospital until the surgery, because her oxygen is too low.  Her heart is trying its best, but she only has half of it, you remember, and it has been operated on several times.  Everything hinges now on the growth of that artery, and the fighting spirit of our precious Glory Girl, and the will of G0D.

Please pray.

Also remember Glory's family in your prayers, especially her mommy, my all-star sis-in-law, Kerry.  I will never understand what she has been through, and continues to go through.  Those of us moms who worry about our kid's stuffy noses (that includes me) need to be carrying Kerry right now.  She needs to carry on, and sometimes, carrying on is not all that easy to do.

For His Glory,
Kayla

a Rupp day off

Monday is Daddy's day off.  You would think that one more adult in the house would mean less stress for everyone.  On the contrary.  It simply amounts to one more stressed-out adult.  Therefore, on Mondays, to keep from going crazy in our tiny apartment, we pile into our mian bao che and drive to places like this:

Pick your battles, so they say.  Today I let Zion wear dragon pajamas to lunch.  Is it clear how many battles I am fighting?

Questionable, at best.  We've gotten to where we hardly notice this stuff anymore.

to play games,

and eat pizza with "pepperoni" and Chinese peppers,

and dance (be forewarned, you might get jealous of my dance moves).

no apologies

I would apologize (to you and to my boys) for all of the Jubilee posts these days, but I missed two whole years of her life so I think my behavior is completely justified. Not only that, but I am certain that the boys will understand, when they are old enough to care two hoots about their mother's silly blog.

*a smile and a wink*

So here is another pic I had to post, because even though it is fuzzy and makes her look like she is plugged into the wall, she just looks so darn Chinese!  I love it!

Thank you for giving!

Though we've not yet met our goal, I couldn't wait any longer to say a big "Thank you!" to all of you who have given to our Lifesong grant so far.  We are that much closer to wrapping up the financial side of Jubilee's adoption.  We are SO thankful that you felt moved to give on behalf of this amazing child.  We have your names and will be sending each of you a personal message (on a card which was handmade by a deaf Chinese woman), but please except this general extension of gratitude in the mean time.  May you be blessed as you peek in our blog over the years and watch our little girl (who you helped bring home) become the woman G0D intended her to be. 

For now, she is a giggling 26-month-old who loves music, routine, kissing and hugging, Nerf guns, salmon cereal, her mommy's Coke Zero, folding and putting things away, Band-Aids, and her family.  We feel so honored that G0D has chosen us to be her mommy and daddy!