when east meets south
Here we go, finally getting to the end (the end!) of editing and cataloguing my favorite pictures from our time in China with Clementine. No, not Magnolia… Clementine. I’m just going to get this out there, y’all. This little corner of cyberspace has been sorely neglected. Lots of things have resulted in this sad state of affairs: homeschooling nine, a… Read More
This surgery sort of snuck up on me. I mean, I knew it was coming, but I guess I’ve sort of been in denial. And by denial I mean so insanely busy with homeschooling nine (we’re already four weeks in, yay!) and getting Clementine ready for her own itty-bitty school year and learning to manage life with twelve kids under… Read More
It was just over a year and a half ago that we stood in this same place – Clementine and I. I wasn’t able to put her down because, even though she was 19 months old, she could not walk. She could not stand. She could not crawl. And even if I could have put her down physically, I could… Read More
I can’t even begin this post without being overwhelmed by tears. Happy tears. Sad tears. But mostly the tears that come when I think long on my Esther. And yet, this post needs to be written and this season needs to get buttoned up and tucked away as a sweet memory of all God has done on behalf of little… Read More
One month home with Magnolia. Dang. My name is Stefanie and I am a slacker. I had all kinds of plans to post frequent updates after we got home, writing it all down and taking all kinds of pictures like I did with Clementine. But that just hasn’t happened. I don’t think I factored in the constant level of crazy… Read More
On this day we ventured back to Shamian Island because we could. Being in the same province for both weeks gives you a lot more room in your schedule and so a free day for us meant a quick taxi ride to an afternoon of pictures, shopping, french fries… And just hanging out. Because when you’re trying to keep a… Read More
Y’all. It is so good to be home. And one reason (albeit a teeny tiny one compared to being able to squeeze my babies at any given moment and sleep in my own admittedly crowded bed) is this: The interwebs. There is no VPN required, no wireless kicking on and off, no overloaded data plan, no upload errors, no timing… Read More
36 hours from now we will be leaving this place. So many pictures I want to share, so many words I want to write. But that all takes time. Time I really don’t have right now. Because mama is busy. Yes, I have lots of help when it comes to bubble-blowing, carrying groceries and giving wild piggy-back rides up and… Read More
We had the option of going to visit a Buddhist temple or hanging out on Shamian Island for the afternoon. One guess which we chose. My boys have such fond memories of this place as Asher and I stayed on the island when we traveled for Vivienne and Dalton and I stayed here when we traveled for Tallula. Many ice… Read More
Ph, brave girl. As we left the Civil Affairs office, the tears came. Thankfully the van ride back to the hotel proved to be a great distraction, most likely due to her silly siblings, all trying their very best to make her smile. But after the silly subsided, and we got settled at the hotel, she was understandably serious again…. Read More