Now We Are Six

A Thursday in February, 2012

2012-02-15T18:56:00.002-06:00

Time flies and time stands still. Not sure what it's doing now, but we are moving towards Something Big. More than one something, even.

Caleb told me last week that there were 100 days until his graduation. That's big. The countdown is on. Yesterday morning I attended a meeting with other senior moms to plan the banquet after the ceremony. I feel a little like I am looking down on someone else... surely this isn't me, this isn't my child who is now less than 100 days from graduation. Time flies.

On Monday I made a second visit to the orphanage I blogged about before Chinese New Year. A room full of special needs toddlers, some blind, some mentally challenged, all alone in the world. I sang songs again, stroked faces, hugged and tickled and clapped hands. I fed. I felt again the insignificance of my contribution to their existence, but I also sensed the ministering angels that my dad and my sister reminded me must be there with those little ones. It was hard, but it was good.

I had a call a couple of days ago from the company that will do our pack and move on the China side. They are coming next Tuesday at 10 AM to do a preliminary survey of our household goods. I remember this. Done this before. I remember the planning of it all- what should go in the air shipment? How about the sea shipment? Once they are packed, I won't see the items in the sea shipment again for 10-12 weeks. We're having our parents here in May for graduation... will my house be half empty? Maybe. Depends on whether or not we want to live in our house here half empty for a while, or have it half empty in the States for a while. It actually makes me laugh a little at this point! We will figure it out.

On a lighter note, Scott got his braces off! He had had just about enough of them and was pretty pleased to be finished. Last of the boys to finish. Can I just say that he looks SO good? :-)

Our dear, dear friends the Stevensons are coming soon. Coming to Shanghai. Ahhh. What a treat it will be to have them with us, to see and understand a bit of our lives. We've been so blessed to have most of our family come to experience a bit of China with us, but not any friends from our Other Life. They are the first and looks like the only. Thank you, friends! Can't wait to have you here on my couch with a cup of tea. :-)

After factoring in the 14 hour time difference, the other day I placed a call to Steve's Sanding Service in Chicago. Steve answered. I was requesting a quote for having the kitchen floor refinished in the home we haven't set foot in for four years, seven months and some odd days. Funny it was, to chat with Steve about working in that house, my house from my Other Life. In a few months I'll be there again, probably meet Steve and have him redo my floor. Funny. Time flies.

This week I had to officially tell Concordia that the Liptak family will not be back next year. The email requested that I list each current student, followed by their status for the 2012-2013 school year. For a moment, time stood still. I typed each name. Caleb Liptak, graduating, not returning. Seth Liptak, not returning. Madelyn Liptak, not returning. Gwendolyn Liptak, not returning. Deep breath. Sigh. We are moving on.

I love my life, I love that we've lived in China. So very thankful. Glad we're not finished here yet, that there are some months left. Hoping and believing that God will provide more opportunities for us to "mix it up" as we leave this place, to see a different side of life, to see Him show up in unexpected ways.

Saturday Morning Valentine Cookies

2012-02-11T01:37:00.003-06:00

Gwen and two friends had fun this morning decorating and eating heart cookies. Yum!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Madelyn's Fan Dance

2012-02-06T23:17:00.001-06:00

Ah-ha! Finally got this to work. This is a performance that Madelyn's PE class did at the Concordia all school Chinese New Year assembly. Her hair is in a ponytail, and she is a bit to the left of the instructor in front, who's hair is also in a ponytail. :-) Enjoy!

Langkawi Part 2

2012-02-06T18:43:00.000-06:00

Few more pics from our Chinese New Year trip... a game of chicken in the pool!

The beach where we stayed in Datai Bay has a small reef out from the shore. It was badly damaged in the tsunami five years ago and is slowly recovering. It was fun to poke around a little with mask and snorkel. :-)

Here is the maze of little crab trails covering the beach by low tide, and the tiny balls of sand they roll to form their tunnels. Scott is in the distance on the beach. Picture in first blog about Langkawi of one of these teeny crabs.

We had fun one late afternoon when Seth had his guitar down at the beach taking what I call "album cover" photos of him. Can't you just see it on the front of a CD?

Or this one?

This variety of monkey is a bit more shy than the ones with whom we shared our fruit bowl. These guys with the big eyes and apricot colored babies hide out in the tree tops, eating only leaves. We spotted them a couple of times. Love that cute baby! Doesn't he look like a stuffed animal toy?

On this morning, we were climbing 600+ steps to a waterfall. The friendly monkeys hopped along the way with us. Here Madelyn is having a conversation with one of them.

We rode the Langkawi cable car, one of the longest and highest I've ever been on, to the top of the mountain for an amazing view of the islands all around. On a clear day they say you can see all the way to Thailand!

Amazing sky bridge at the top... these pictures are for you, Andrew, since you knew about this bridge before we did. :-)

Dinner among the trees on the beach patio... cool look with all the lanterns! After dinner we loved walking out on the beach to look at the stars. Amazing how many there are when you get away from the lights and smog of the big city! The heavens definitely declare the glory of God. :-)

One afternoon we went out on this Hobie Cat. Seth got a mini lesson from a local and sailed the boat basically on his own, with just a little help! The water looks calm by the shore and it actually took us a few minutes to catch a breeze and get out, but once we were out from the bay the waves picked up and it was a bit of a challenge to control this thing.

Later the same day Seth gave wind surfing a try. He found out that it's not as easy as it looks.

He got a great upper body workout, pulling the sail up again and again! I was amazed he stuck with it for an hour... I think I would have been back on the beach in ten minutes. :-)

I helped with a reef clean up project one morning. Once or twice a month, when the tide is at the very lowest, the resort encourages guests to come help rescue small, unattached live corals to put in their coral nursery, and to remove dead and broken corals and loose rocks that are tossed around by the waves, damaging the live corals. Here are a few live corals.

The recovering reef, at the lowest tide of the month. It looks like a bunch of brown rocks, but there is an amazing amount of life in it.

Loved Langkawi! What a beautiful place. Missed having Caleb with us...

APAC Tournament

2012-02-02T23:16:00.001-06:00

We're pretty pumped up here for the Asia Pacific Athletic Conference basketball tournament being held at Concordia this weekend. Guys' and girls' teams from five other schools around Asia have come to Shanghai for three days of tough competition. Yesterday was a rough one for our guys, losing two games, but they came back strong this morning and won by 50 points. Caleb has been looking forward to this tournament this whole school year. It's a pretty big deal to him as a senior, and thus to us, too. Praying for him to enjoy the play regardless of the outcome!

These posters of the Concordia guys' team are part of the decoration for the tournament. This top one is hanging outside on one of the school buildings, and the one below is in the main gym. Love the game faces on these guys! Funny story... these were ordered to be be 3x5, meaning three feet by five feet. Mistake made in translation though, and they turned out to be three meters by five meters! Makes the game faces a bit more intimidating! Caleb is on the left side of the V in the one below, third from the front. Can you find the top of his head in the other poster?

The tournament opened yesterday morning with a pep rally for the whole school. The elementary school students were all given the blue and gold noise maker sticks... fun for them! All visiting teams were introduced and welcomed, and Concordia's new mascot (What exactly is a phoenix supposed to look like, anyway?) was unveiled for the first time. All the students are being excused from a class or two a day to attend some games. The elementary classes are assigned a visiting school to cheer for! Seth is helping announce the games for the streaming video feed, and also with the live blogging.

Here's the shot of the day of Caleb from one of the games the guys battled through yesterday. Again with the game face. :-)

Photo credit for the picture above goes to our friend Marc Ulbrich, Caleo Photos.

Another guys' game in about an hour... hoping this morning's win gives them great motivation this afternoon! Have to mention the girls' team... as usual they are playing really, really well and winning! :-)

To all our Shanghai friends who have repatriated... we miss you cheering with us in the stands!

2012... Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-30T21:28:00.000-06:00

Chinese New Year is still going here in Shanghai. Lots of restaurants and market stalls still closed, and the local children have been out of school for weeks. Still some fireworks to be heard every night, although the all night bashes have ended.

Madelyn and Gwen both had the opportunity to perform in Concordia'a all-school Chinese New Year assembly. Madelyn's PE class performed a very cool fan dance, where they snapped their big fans open on cue in quite a dramatic way! I am trying to load a little video clip of that, but Seth isn't home and I need his help to get it to work. Gwenny was in an after school program for several months where they learned two different Chinese dances. I helped her group with hair and make-up before the performance.

Waiting in the hallway outside the gym for their turn to perform.

Dragons abound... here is the display of stuffed dragons at Carrefour.

This cool guy at an outdoor mall is created out of CDs.

Not sure about this one, he seems to be created out of rocket ship parts! Not really. :-)

A little more holiday hoop-la at Carrefour.

Tower of dragons!

I thought this CNY decoration with the dragon cut out of layers of a Chinese traditional dress was interesting.

Again with the same idea, but in a vase shape.

Gwenny and friends at her classroom CNY party!

Langkawi

2012-01-25T23:44:00.000-06:00

We are on the Malaysian island of Langkawi this week for the Chinese New Year holiday, five of us. Caleb is not with us as he is taking part in a Concordia athletic council service trip. We are managing to have fun without him, although we feel his absence!

This notice is posted on the balcony door in our hotel room. We arrived here in the dark the first night. Knowing that there are monkeys here in abundance, I woke the girls the next morning by encouraging them to look out the windows to try to spot a monkey. To my surprise and their delight, there was one waiting on the balcony railing when they opened the curtain. He was the happy recipient of part of the contents of the fruit bowl in our room!

Flying squirrels have been another fun wildlife discovery here. They are not the acrobats the monkeys are, but their unusual body shape and statue-like posture is interesting.

Jungle path to the beach

This little crab is about half the size of my pinky toenail, but he busily rolls up little balls of sand to create a tunnel for himself. As the tide goes out, the beach is slowly covered with thousands of the sand balls created by these busy workers.

We all enjoyed kayaking around a close little neighboring island. Madelyn and I make a pretty good team. I do admit to allowing her to paddle while I rested just a little!

The girls have loved this slide! There are quite a few families here this week, and they've made friends with a number of other kids. The goal has been to discover which body position allows for the fastest sliding!

The view from our room. We are in a little bay called Datai Bay. I bet you can find it on Google Earth, Dad. :-)

This is the Island of the Pregnant Maiden. Can you see her, lying here on her back, looking up at the sky? We saw this island on a boat trip, and went inland a little ways to a beautiful fresh water lake in the middle of the island.

Here we are docked on the Island of the Pregnant Maiden.

We all enjoyed swimming in this fresh water lake. It was very deep, but a comfortable temperature and such a scenic view all around! Incidentally, Gwen learned to dive off the dock here for the first time.

Later on during the boat ride we went to an area where these majestic eagles, who closely resemble American Bald Eagles, gather to fish. The tour boat drivers throw chicken skin into the water to draw these birds, who are supposedly lazy hunters and are happy to eat it. We loved watching them soar and dive!

Our little sand cake creation. :-)

Tarzan Seth

One of our many monkey friends, enjoying a breakfast orange provided by the girls. :-)

Thoughts After Orphanage Visit

2012-01-20T00:37:00.000-06:00

On Monday I went with a small group of women to a government orphanage here in Shanghai. These women go every week; it was my first time. I've been thinking about the experience these last few days, trying to make sense of it and wondering what I should do (if anything) now that I've seen this place.

I'm not sure how large the facility we went to is, as it seemed to be a part of a block of buildings. It is down a little lane, not facing a main street. It has a relatively nice front entrance. It is several stories high. I know that some of the children in this place have some type of special need, but I don't think they all do.

I was sent to help in a toddler room, the other women went to a room down the hall. The toddler room was filled with cribs, at least twenty, arranged in rows end to end. There was a small area at the end with a table that appeared to be the work area for the care givers. There were several children in a type of low wooden chair with a bar in front to keep them in. I later realized they were tied into these chairs. The rest of the children were laying on their backs in the cribs.

I was given no instructions other than to see where I could help. I could not communicate with the Chinese care givers to ask them, so I just began going to the cribs one by one. The room was cold, but the kids were dressed in many, many thick layers, including coats. I looked into the faces of these children, nearly all of them awake. Some were whimpering, some crying loudly, others just looking at the ceiling. I talked to them, stroked their faces, softly sang "Jesus Loves Me" over and over again. I wiped tears away... my own. I tickled a few of the babies and got a few smiles.

As I write about it now, it doesn't sound so bad. The children were all safe. They were warm enough. They were well fed, in fact I was able to help with feeding them and witnessed the fact that although the food was spooned in by the care givers at an alarming pace and high temperature, it was certainly an ample amount. I think what really got to me was the overwhelming boredom. The children were laid on their backs in bed or tied in chairs by their arms. The care givers took care of physical needs, but it did not appear to be anymore than that.

I later asked the women I came with if there were toys anywhere, or playtime. Sounds like there is a playroom, but it is apparently deemed too cold by the care givers. They don't want the kids to get sick, complicating their jobs, so they only take the children there in warmer weather.

So all winter they wait. They sit, tied in their chairs so they won't crawl out to explore. They lie on their backs in bed, waiting only for their turn to be fed, changed or bathed.

Why did this wreck me completely this week? Why did it consume so many of my thoughts? What does God want me to do now? I was happy when it was time to leave the orphanage, but even while I was there I knew I would come again.

The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all my heart, soul and mind. The second is like it, to love my neighbor as I love myself. I know these little ones are my neighbor. I know that Jesus says whatever I do for the least of these, I am doing for Him. Loving Him, loving them, loving Him. A circle of love.

I mulled this verse over and over this week, wondering if just showing up once a week and loving on these kids for an hour is enough. What else can I do? I have had lots of ideas. Take a picture book to show them? Bring mobiles to hang over cribs? Bring a heater so some children can use the play area? Just get one baby out to dance in my arms with me for a few moments?

I am still thinking. I am praying for these little ones. I can't forget their faces. I am comforted by the fact that God sees and knows each one.

To Him this life is a moment, a breath, a vapor.

And then there's eternity.

At Malley's Ice Cream Parlor

2012-01-18T01:33:00.000-06:00

Catching up on some Christmas break photos~

Our second annual evening out at Malley's to celebrate Seth's birthday... below four cousins study the menu in search of the most delicious concoction!

Lissy is pretty happy with her puppy dog sundae. :-)

Naomi admires Nannie's Christmas shirt, in between bites of ice cream.

Birthday boy... taller than both Nannie and Pa!

Cousin Girls

2012-01-15T22:53:00.002-06:00

Love, love this cute photo of Madelyn and Meredyth Jenna just sent me! The old fashioned look is so fun and the girls' expressions make me smile. :-) Thanks, Jen!

Still My Christmas Boy

2012-01-15T04:53:00.000-06:00

Seth sure has grown up while we've been in China, evidenced by the annual stocking photos we take of him each year. Fifteen years ago, hours old Sether was brought to me in the hospital tucked inside this stocking. The top photo is from 2007, our first year in Shanghai. The second photo is from today... taken a bit later than his birthday as he really is a Christmas boy, born on December 23.

Don't you love his cool shoes? They were his one request for his 15th birthday.

He's Back, Baby

2012-01-13T09:30:00.002-06:00

After missing the first half of the basketball season with his ankle fracture, Caleb is back and playing strong. Tomorrow his team will be playing in a tournament for the international schools in Shanghai, and in a couple of weeks, after Chinese New Year, they will be playing in the Asia Pacific Athletic Conference tournament against international schools from across Asia.

Last Friday night Concordia won by 20 points against their big rival. Caleb had a great game, with 13 points and 12 rebounds. He later declared it the most fun night of his life. These photos were taken during that game.

After having been denied the chance to do something you really want to do, when you finally can participate again it is oh, so sweet. So happy for our guy.

Photos courtesy of Marc Ulbrich, Caleo Photos

White Elephant Gifts!

2012-01-13T03:22:00.002-06:00

We had a fun night at Pa and Nanny's house a few days after Christmas, exchanging, trading and stealing white elephant gifts! There are always a few things in high demand... giant frog, anyone?

Seth is opening... Madelyn seems to know if it will be a good one or not.

Uncle Andrew strikes an MJ pose with his one red glove gift.

Emma Clare seems pretty happy with the stuffed animal she has claimed.

Justin and Jenna show off their prize bathing beauty candles!

She's 12... Oh, Can It Be?

2012-01-10T06:21:00.001-06:00

Madelyn Ruthie Rose (we've unofficially added a third name for fun) is twelve years old today! Our millennium baby, always turning the age of the new year. She's had a fun day, despite the fact that it was a regular school day. It happened to be a "free dress" day (no uniform!) and she and her friend Hannah wore their matching shirts. After school they had some time for snacks, listening to music, and playing with American Girl dolls before going back to school to watch their big brothers in the boys' varsity basketball game.

We had a yummy dinner that including lots of silliness... boys were rhyming everything we said. Lemon pie and strawberries for dessert. Not sure what Gwen's glum face is about... love everyone else's smiles! Fun with gifts after dinner~ see the new paints below!

Now we're all quieting down for the evening... Gwen to bed, boys to homework, and Madelyn just got out of the shower. I can hear her humming in her bedroom down the hall. That's our girl, always a song in her heart. Praying that it continues to flow out of her in the coming years!

Last Round

2012-01-01T09:24:00.000-06:00

One more time I sit in the lounge at the O'Hare airport, waiting for a flight to Shanghai.

Six years and a few weeks ago we left the US for what we thought was a once in a lifetime trip to China, the trip to bring Gwen home. We never imagined that this flight across the Pacific would become old hat, that we'd have the elements of the trip down to an inexact science, even to the bagel shop at O'Hare where we get a baker's dozen of our favorites to tide us over until the first of three in-flight meals is served.

I can't believe this life we've come to love in China is in it's final chapter. Sigh. Scott and I have often said it's been the greatest adventure of our lives so far. We've also noted how in many ways our lives in Shanghai are pretty ordinary. It's work and parenting and church and school and friends. Good stuff.

We have so many details of our move back to the US to sort through. As I contemplate all the decisions to be made about what household goods to keep, timing of packing and then receiving air and sea shipments, renovations to be made in our Chicago house, visitors still to join us in Shanghai, graduation festivities for Caleb and his subsequent move to college, school to choose for the other kids, etc, the complexity of it all seems not unlike the adoption process. Adoption took us to China for the first time. Six years later we are preparing to come home from China amidst nearly as many details.

I read a great book a few months ago about preparing yourself and your family for a child leaving home. It talked about how having a child leave home for college is such a major life altering event that it's best not to have any other life stressors at the same time, such a move or a new job. LOL. In our family we're going for the trifecta in 2012!

I'm not sure what this blog will look like in the coming months, nor how often I'll post. I have Christmas photos I'm sure I'll share. Basketball tournements are coming up, and after his broken ankle at the end of volleyball season and the months of healing and rehab that followed, Caleb is raring to get out there and play the second half of the season. I'll probably have some pictures from that. I mentioned visitors... we have several sets coming (can't wait!), so there will likely be some posts from their time with us. But if you'll indulge me, I will likely use this spot as a place to journal my thoughts and our family's feelings about the big changes we have coming.

I'm excited to see what God has next. Bring on 2012! :-)

Christmas Morning in Shanghai

2011-12-16T22:47:00.002-06:00

This afternoon we head to the US for Christmas! Can't wait... looks like there is even snow in the forecast! This morning we had our own family celebration together, kind of a tradition now to celebrate in our Shanghai home, to have a "Christmas morning" a week or so before the calendar says December 25. We started out with the girls taking turns reading the Christmas story from Luke.

Madelyn found this mini MacBook Air for her tech-y brother Seth... really a little mirror. :-)

Madelyn's creative gift certificate for her other brother... can you tell what it is from the graphics? Took him a few minutes to figure out!

"I Love Shanghai" shirt from my guys... love these two guys!

Caleb found this phone holder that makes the phone look like the bag car phone Scott had twenty years ago... are we really that old?!

Letter jacket! Seth turns 15 in a week... and graduates in 2015.

Mosaic lamp... I took a class in September to learn how to do this... been saving it for Madelyn since then.

Last was a bone for Trigger... she's been gnawing on it since she opened it. Should keep her busy while we're away!

We're on our way to you, dear ones. Can't wait to see you all. :-)