Happy New Year 2011

January 1, 2011

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

Dear Friends and Family,

As we end the adventures of 2010 and embark on what God has for us in 2011, we rejoice that our Sovereign God’s perfect plan includes our sanctification and joy—even when we don’t understand His ways and His thoughts.  It is a great encouragement to know that God’s intentions are not limited by our understanding.  As we look back over the last year we can rejoice in the accomplishment of His plans with certain hope that the New Year will bring more evidence of His love in our lives.

The past year has had several unusual twists and turns.  Kirsten’s life has been filled with travel and plans for travel.  The travel occurred when she made a mission trip in March to Mexico and a school trip in June to France.  If you are keeping track, that is four continents for her before the age of 18.  The spring and summer also held some college exploration trips.  Her heart is to major in French and become qualified to teach English as a foreign language as a missionary in a French speaking country (preferably in Northern Africa).  These experiences and desires pointed her in the direction of Wheaton College as the best place for her to continue her education after graduation next June.  After  working hard in school, taking the ACTs, and completing her application she was rewarded with a letter of acceptance into Wheaton.  We are so proud of the young woman she has become and is becoming through God’s gracious plan.  Her departure will be very difficult for the rest of the family, especially her daddy, but we all know that it is the right thing at the right time and are eagerly waiting to see how God provides for her and prepares her.

Andrew’s year has been one of sports and music.  His trombone playing has progressed wonderfully.  It’s amazing what regular practice will accomplish.  In the spring he once again played baseball and thrived defensively.  His stroke at the plate really came around at the end of the season and he played a significant role in the team’s third place finish in the final tournament.  In the fall it was football.  As a member of one of the South Falcons seventh grade teams he performed extremely well on the offensive and defensive lines.  The real joy and success, however, came as the year closed as a member of one of the school’s basketball teams.  In his first venture onto an organized team in this sport, he really made a huge impact by leading his team in rebounding virtually every game, playing great defense against the other team’s big men, and growing in his understanding of ways to contribute on offense.  He has declared that this is indeed his favorite sport—not unusual for a boy who has grown as much as he has this year passing both his sister and mother in height and confidently telling his dad that he is next to be passed.  To top things off his academic team of teachers named him the student of the month for December—way to go, Andrew!

At the close of 2009 Jadon had been with us only seven months and was still struggling to make any sense out of his new life in the United States.  A year later, after 19 months, there is significant change in his behavior, his understanding, and his demeanor.  Yes, there are still some very difficult and trying times, but in general he is a real joy to have around.  The expectations of him at school in third grade are much greater than they were in second grade—and he is meeting them well in regard to his behavior.  We are fortunate to have had many partners in this effort—counselors, school personnel, church friends, and family.  Academically, it is a real challenge, but his teachers and parents are very encouraged by his tremendous abilities and potential and are truly amazed at the progress that he has made in such a short amount of time.  He began piano lessons in September and has done well there (with a tremendous teacher).  Every time people who do not have regular contact with him see him again they marvel at his growth in terms of language and communication.  Virtually everyone who meets him likes and enjoys him.  He is really a funny guy—now it is sometimes even intentional.

Ruth has continued to focus her energies toward serving others as a helper and a life-giver.  Most of her time and energy are spent as mom and wife as she seeks to make the home a haven of security that enables growth for others.  She continues to teach private voice students from both Altoona High School and Chippewa Falls High School during the school day three days a week.  In addition, she has joined a team of women at church who are teaching the “Little Church” group during the message (Jadon loves this, by the way).  Her passion for people is seen in her continuing efforts to stay in touch with friends and relatives across the country.  Facebook has become a valuable tool and she recently joined the army of phone texters—thanks to Kirsten’s fine instruction.  She has also met on a semi-regular basis with a former student of Alan’s who is now an intern for Campus Crusade for Christ on the UW-Eau Claire campus.  Her favorite book of the year (other than the Bible) was “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan.  Her crazy love for her family is fueled by the crazy love that she experiences from her heavenly Father.  It is exciting to see and experience how God demonstrates His crazy love to all of our family through her.

Alan’s spring semester was quite the adventure since he was on sabbatical from the university, doing a sabbatical project that involved observing classes and interviewing teachers and students at four high schools in the Twin Cities area, and taking classes in St. Paul.  It was a very different semester but a welcomed change of pace that did provide some refreshment.  This summer he came back to the university to serve as an orientation adviser and began an internship in two different school districts.  The internship continued into the fall semester when he went back to teaching full time.  It was difficult to go back to school after experiencing a more reasonable work load and the flexibility to accomplish some real scholarship and learning.  He continues with the internships and hopes to complete that process this spring.  He is amazed at how God has used recent circumstances, especially connected to Jadon, to teach him some very important lessons about himself.  God is working in mysterious ways, but good ways—even if we don’t understand them.

Thanks for the role that all of you play in our lives.  Even if we haven’t seen you in years, you are remembered and God has used you in remarkable ways to impact us—even recently.  May He bless you with a perspective that allows you to worship Him for His grace that is demonstrated to all of us in ways that we can’t even begin to grasp since His thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts.  May your 2011 be filled with an awareness of His touch!

Blessings to all in Christ Jesus,

Alan, Ruth, Kirsten, Andrew and Jadon Rieck

June days

We finally made it out of school.  Jadon's last couple of weeks of school were relatively uneventful (a major accomplishment, especially with so many unstructured events happening).  I (Ruth) credit the Lord with this accomplishment.  I was talking with one of the teachers one day and she mentioned that Jadon just seems so reactionary.  That got my brain whirling.  I wondered if his constant going a mile a minute and talking so fast and his erratic behavior might all  be related.  I set him down and suggested that what he really needed to concentrate on was slowing down and thinking.  He told me later that worked.  So we were very happy with the way school ended.  Andrew and Kirsten finished without much fanfare as well.

Heading into summer we were initially very busy with baseball games.  Andrews team improved steadily throughout the season (as did Andrew).  They nearly made it into the championship game of the tournament...held back by some very questionable umping.  They won their consolation game by a landslide.  We all cheered frantically.  It was both relaxing and a ton of fun.  Andrew had a couple of huge hits that would have been home runs inside their home field park.  It was a nice end to the season.  Andrews slow start kept him off the all-star team but he was pleased where he wound up, nevertheless.

I entered into some summer homeschooling with Jadon.  I have new respect for homeschool moms.  But we are making progress.  Jadon's reading seems to be improving...although not as fast as I would like.  I just want him to catch up with his class.  He's been a trooper though and puts up with my tendency to push.  He's even started doing some reading comprehension exercises and although he balked at them initially he seems to be getting the hang of it.  I know this will be of tremendous assistance when it comes to taking the 3rd grade WKCE test in October.

Currently Jadon is taking swimming lessons.  So far so good.  Alan has taken him to give me a little down time (which I appreciate tremendously!!!).  Jadon loves the water and has done a fairly good job listening to the instructor.  Hopefully this is a big step in the right direction.  I know that swimming lessons don't provide a lot of structure.  Jadon has had the hardest time adapting to unstructured circumstances.  He's not done yet...but I'm hopeful.

We've also tried him at the neighborhood playground program at one of the local parks.  That has met mixed reviews (even less structured than swimming lessons) but we're hoping that by the end of the summer his relational skills will have improved and he will have gotten much better at adapting to changing routines.

It's really been a pretty big summer so far.  We've had one "family" wedding to start the summer, Alan sang in a second while Andrew, Jadon and I vistited good friends living in Kohler we met in China last year.  (Imagine going all the way to China to meet a family living four hours from us!!!)  That was a wonderful weekend and we all came home refreshed.  This weekend we have my uncle's 80th birthday celebration and my parents are having their 50th wedding anniversary celebration a couple weeks after that...lots of preparation before that happens!  Then we're capping off the summer with another wedding...the biggest!!  Alan's sister has finally met someone worthy of her!  We're so excited.  Everyone is going to have a part.  We'll have to let everyone know how that goes.

Kirsten comes home from France tomorrow.  It's been very strange not having her around for two weeks.  I've missed her terribly and can't wait for her to come home.  Everyone (except Jadon who will stay with a babysitter for the first time) is going to Minneapolis to meet her flight.  We can't wait.  There will be stories, I've been told and lots of pictures to view.  I guess her time away has been a preview to what I'm looking at a year from now.  It doesn't seem possible that my baby is now a senior in high school...which reminds me...Karen, we need to talk about senior pics!

Gotcha Day...one year later

Okay...as usual I'm a little late. "Gotcha Day," the day we met and brought Jadon into our family is actually May 4. The day itself was pretty laid back as far as celebrating goes. I had to work, giving voice lessons all day and Alan was in the Twin Cities. We celebrated as a family this past weekend by going to Mall of America in Bloomington, MN and letting the kids ride the amusement park rides there. Jadon got off his first ride (the ferris wheel) and declared this the "best present ever!" After several hours we left to have dinner at Lucky China on Robert Street in West St. Paul by recommendation of our friend Barb Pentecost. The food was by far the best Chinese food with have had in the states. None of us left feeling as though we'd ever had a better egg roll too. Alan's parents and his sister, Paula and her fiancé, Greg joined us in this celebration as well. A good time was had by all.

As we look back over the last year it is so amazing to review everything we have come through. Now that we are a year away from it we can recognize that the difficulties we encountered in Guangzhou those ten days there with Jadon were probably due mostly to fear (by all of us)--though we couldn't see it at the time. We really weren't prepared for the effect it would have on the existing relationships. We knew there would be challenges but we weren't prepared for the types of challenges that we would face. We expected some delayed development and were prepared to re-work through some developmental stages with Jadon. What we weren't prepared for was the dramatic fashion these played out or the frequency of what we now consider regression. This is by far the most challenging thing any of us have ever done.

But it is also one of the most rewarding things as well. We are seeing Jadon mastering the language (though he's not there yet he has come so far). While he did not know the alphabet a year ago he now can read quite a number of children's books with very little difficulty. His desire for this seems to grow at a more and more rapid rate all the time. School has been an adventure for Jadon, us, and the school personnel. Overall, he has benefited tremendously from all the care, concern, and hard work they have put in. His ELL teacher is truly a gift to him and to us. She has been more than tremendous.

The relationships with the family continue to grow. He regularly shows his affection to each of us, sometimes in unique ways. He and Andrew have lots of adventures and some real brother moments. There are occasionally some rapids to navigate, but that is normal with brothers. He has grown in his connection to his sister, but we see the biggest change in his connection to me. We continue to work on trust so he feels safe sharing his feelings--there is a way to go there since he has blocked them for so long, but he is making progress.

We returned home one year ago today. My what a difference a year makes. We have been blessed by Jadon's presence in our lives (it came with many challenges, and still does). God is working in all of us and we are so thankful.

It's been a long time

Wow. When I (Ruth) opened our blog for the first time in forever I saw that our last post was Thanksgiving. Yikes. I get an "F" in blogging. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me...I've never been good at journaling. I take writing more seriously than I need to so rather than just expressing myself I will write and rewrite and re-rewrite and re-re-rewrite...you get the picture. I've thought about this off and on for quite some time so here goes...

A lot has changed since November. We experienced a major holiday and two minor holidays since then. That is significant because Jadon has this fear of being left out of events. The week before Christmas he was a bear at school and lost privileges along the way. He wasn't quite so bad at home but was a lot more edgy than what we had come to accept as normal. He was terrified that everyone in the family would get presents but him. He was also very fearful of sleeping in the basement with his brother. (I guess that doesn't surprise me too much though. Basements aren't my favorite either and Andrew still leaves all the lights in the entire basement on when he's down there alone.) He kept thinking he was seeing ghosts (I think partly because he saw Disney's The Princess and the Frog). We learned the hard way that he doesn't clearly see the difference between fiction and reality as our older two did. Needless to say, Christmas morning was a hoot (even though it started at around 4:30 for Andrew and Jadon--to their credit they didn't wake us up until around 7)! He couldn't hardly believe all the presents he received.

We thought things would settle down after Christmas. Although we celebrated with my family right after New Year's he wasn't told about presents there until it happened. The anticipation wasn't there. What we failed to forget was that Jadon had been invited to a birthday party the day before school started again. He was a nervous wreck having never been to a birthday party before. But he did great. (Of course it was a pool party and he loves the water.)

Shortly after Christmas we decided it was time to separate the two boys and give them their own rooms. Tensions had escalated before Christmas and once Jadon got home with all his new loot he was a possessive bear, making life miserable for Andrew. Andrew especially has been happy with the new arrangement (and his queen size bed!). He's even managed to make his bed almost every day as requested. (I'm quite proud of him for that one.) Jadon has adjusted well and likes his own room for the most part. He has mentioned several times that he'd like to go back to the way things were...not on your life!

Then came Valentine's Day. We didn't mention anything before notice came home from school. Then we had to go to the store and buy the valentines that very night. A few days before his party he again started acting out terribly. When I questioned him he admitted that he was afraid nobody would give him any valentines. I assured him that wouldn't happen but trust levels still aren't where I hope they'll be next year at this time (or even now, for that matter) and the acting out continued. He came home from school the day of his party very pleased with all the valentines and candy he received which begged the question, "Now Mommy was right, wasn't I?" He sheepishly had to agree. Things have actually been a little better in the trust department since that time.

Which brings us to the present day. His winter report card came home yesterday. Academically he's showing some significant progress. He even got a "4" in music for his ability to sing a 3-note song (meaning he is exceeding the end of the year standard for second graders). It only seems right I guess. God put him in the right family. The area that still needs improvement is in his behavior. While he's shown considerable progress in understanding what is appropriate behavior in school he is very inconsistent and frequently needs reminders about what is appropriate. We've decided that his "toddler" mindset of the world revolving around just him and nobody else mattering needs to have some enlightenment. It's a tough balancing act so pray that God gives wisdom in how we go about this. So far, so good. The report today was that he had a great day at school. Yeah!!!

Now, since the Rieck family consists of Alan, Ruth, Kirsten and Andrew as well as Jadon it seems only right to include an update of our lives as well.

Alan is currently taking administrative classes at Hamline University while he is on sabbatical. He is extremely busy with his observations for his sabbatical project as well as taking 12 credits. But Mr. I-love-to-go-to-school seems to be handling everything fairly well. The information he's been gleaning from one of his classes is even helping us on the communication front...always a good thing!

As a junior Kirsten gets at least 10 informational college brochures every week. She's starting to consider her options. She currently works at Fazoli's but is hoping to find a position that will give her more hours. She has an interview next week after turning in an application last night so she is hopeful.

Andrew is taking trombone lessons now along with piano. He seems to be excelling which is fun for two musical parents. He's starting to settle more into the middle school expectations and has had fewer anxiety attacks regarding his schoolwork and tests recently. He's been doing very well, getting A's in most of his classes.

And I am busy two full days a week with voice students. I currently have 12 students which can be a bit draining since many of them are young and require a bit more energy from me. God has also been opening my eyes to sin in my own life in the most unexpected ways. I can't say it's been a lot of fun, but I am grateful that He is showing me where I am in need of continued growth.

Above all, the last few months have started to bring all of us into a new equilibrium which had been way out of whack when Jadon first came home. I'm sure we'll continue to need adjusting, but for now...life is good. Praise the Lord!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

With the onslaught of family, I (Ruth) was too tired to do any blogging last night...so as usual I am "a day late and a dollar short." All my family was here to celebrate with us. It was a pleasant day.

We spent a fair amount of time trying to prepare Jadon for this special day. Still he can be so unpredictable...we weren't sure what to expect. We shouldn't have worried...he did fine. He ate well, declaring the meal "Yummy!" He shared his toys with his cousins without any fuss at all (although he did grouse a bit this morning upon discovery that a number of them had been left lying on the floor...who can blame him for that?). He ended his day with a "sleepover"---he and his siblings on the basement floor. He thought that was pretty good.

Kirsten and I managed to escape for awhile and take a walk...something I desperately needed after eating waaaaaaaay too much food. We had a great time talking. I so enjoy her. She has been a great encouragement to me. (I know others attest to this also.)

Alan was able to do his own escaping and talk with his family for awhile too. He kept everything balanced...his usual role when the whole family is together.

The most major mishap of the day occurred when Andrew ripped a piece of skin from his big toe running to come to dinner. Poor guy was left with blood running down his foot and tears running down his face. But he was brave and allowed me to clip away the damaged skin and bandage his foot. He waited to got through the buffet line until the very end, placing his foot gingerly above his head as he waited. It did not seem to affect his appetite much when he finally got his food. I predict he will be fine in no time.

We certainly have much for which to be thankful. In the past year we brought home our son after a long wait. We have come through the trials...maybe not with blazing colors, but with a much deeper awareness of God's grace bestowed on us in the mundane things of everyday life. What a gift that is!!!!! We have once again experienced our God who lifts us from the pit and sets us on the Rock; leaned on friends who pray tirelessly for our progress and Jadon's; and observed the love of our church family on a deeper level. None of us has experienced any major illness despite all of us being exposed on more than one occasion to the H1N1 virus. God is good.

Happy Birthday Jadon!

Okay...we're a little slow, like we are with everything these days.

Jadon celebrated his assigned birthday on November 7. He turned nine. The week prior to his birthday was filled with all sorts of difficulty, mostly bad choices in behavior at school. He was excited, afraid and overwhelmed all at the same time. It made for some very excitable behavior and a great deal of hyperactivity. Thankfully his behavior at home was not too bad!

About a week before his birthday Jadon and I (Ruth) went birthday present idea shopping. Jadon was fairly flying. He confided in me that he had never had the occasion to open a gift before. No wonder he was exited!

Friday morning I took cupcakes over to school with some extra for the principal, her secretary and the ELL staff (it had been quite the trying week for them...we wanted to show some appreciation). The cupcakes were left in the office until the afternoon when they were brought out for a special celebration of him. Jadon related that it was a very nice experience for him. I am so glad. He waited so long for this.

We left for Geneva, IL after Jadon was done with school on Friday. We had movies for the kids to watch in the car so that helped keep everyone calm and engaged in something other than making trouble. Traffic was heavy for some reason so the going was a little slower than normal. We arrived at Alan's parents' home around 9:30, an hour after Jadon's normal bedtime. Jadon walked in and took over the place! We finally got him to bed around 10:00.

The boys slept together (probably won't happen again). Since neither one is accustomed to sharing a bed space they both were awake fairly early the morning of Jadon's birthday. Jadon was ready for his special day. After breakfast we allowed him to open a package that had arrived the day before from his friend Drew (whom he knew from the orphanage). He was ecstatic to have received two "racing" motorcycle toys. After lunch he opened his scooter from us. He'd been hoping for a scooter and played happily with it up and down the sidewalk in front of his grandparent's house much of the afternoon.

Aunt Paula and Greg showed up after lunch also and brought several gifts. They allowed him to open the Star Wars Lego sets they had brought. Looking back, we are very thankful that he opened several of his gifts early. It made it an easier transition for him.

By late afternoon Alan's cousins had arrived. Alan and I busied ourselves in the kitchen making dumplings (a favorite of Jadon's) while Alan's mom was busy making chow mein. Alan's dad helped cook the dumplings. Yummy! We finished off the meal with funfetti cake.

Once the dishes were cleared Jadon's remaining presents were whisked in. Jadon had been waiting all day for this! Along with a couple of cards with money he received several games (good gifts because he needs to interact with the family to enjoy them), new pajamas and slippers, a Matchbox fire hose (a politically correct title for foam ball gun!), a new Mario Wii game and a final gift from us--the Jesus Storybook Bible (a wonderful Bible storybook...we'd recommend it to anyone with very young children). He has used or played with every single gift and enjoyed them tremendously. Thank you everyone!!!

The first few days home after the birthday weekend were hard. Jadon liked the idea of having a special weekend celebration just for him. It was a very hard reality that not every day will be all about him. Thankfully that only lasted a couple of days. He seems to be adjusting fairly well since then, settling in more at home especially. He still has minor lapses, benign tantrums that are usually quite easily nipped in the bud, but we are very pleased with the ways that he has demonstrated his trust and love.

When we consider that Jadon has only been with us for just over six months it is astounding to count what has been accomplished in that short time. It is still a long road in developing the man of character that I envision for Jadon but God is so faithful in showing us how He is working. His new storybook Bible has presented more than one great conversation about his relationship to us as well as God's sovereign action in his life. It is amazing (and even humerous) how God "sets" Jadon up to hear these stories... the discussions are so much more poignant than even I could have dreamed. Praise be to God who gives the victory!

Struggles and Triumphs

It did not take us long to learn that Jadon has a very strong will. It developed over years of hurts and struggles no child should ever endure. It has served him well in many ways. He is a survivor. The problem we are discovering with this is that breaking him out of survivor mode and into family mode is quite challenging. We want to break the sinful will without breaking the spirit (much as a horse is broken well). The pattern of struggle and triumph is weaving together a complex pattern that has two sides...an ugly one full of sinful beliefs and habits and one that is developing into a beautiful pattern we pray will become more and more like Jesus.

The pattern of struggle and triumph has become more pronounced as Jadon has spent a number of weeks at school now. He has needed to learn that there are rhythms to his days but they are weekly rhythms and not daily ones. As he has learned this his patterns of behaviors have become less extreme...weekends are becoming more enjoyable for the family, teachers are generally having fewer behavior problems to deal with on Mondays, etc. Having said that...his behaviors are still erratic and unpredictable. Often we are learning to expect problem behaviors because they usually follow bad attitudes (much like any parent would experience with a birth child).

He still demonstrates behavior that is not what you would expect from an 8 year old. Last week he rubbed his mittens in chalk dust from a drawing on the blacktop and then spread it all over his face and jacket. (He was quite the mess when we picked him up from school.) His peers gathered around and stood laughing. In his culture at the orphanage this would have been good in his mind. His wonderful ELL teacher, Becky, explained to him that they were laughing because he was doing something very childish and not because they were enjoying him. This led to a discussion between Jadon and I (Ruth) over matters of heart. We talked about his own hurts and how all the other children at the orphanage had similar hurts which prevented their hearts from growing the way they normally would. We discussed how the children in his class didn't have those same types of hurts (at least I would expect most don't) and that they would look at things that would have been perfectly acceptable in the orphanage and find them very silly. Jadon longs to develop friendships, but is finding it very difficult due to rather frequent episodes like the this. My heart aches for him to grow in his development (which he has...just not as fast as I would like for his sake).

All that said...despite the difficulties there are plenty of successes as well. Jadon is opening up and talking about the wounds he has received over the few years of his life that he remembers. He has spoken of some pretty significant bullying he received at the hands of the older boys in the orphanage--for us an explanation of why he had such a hard time developing attachment to Andrew. The other day he declared that "in China Ge ge (older brother) bad; in Megua (USA) Ge ge good." It's truly wonderful to see Andrew and Jadon rolling around on the ground, laughing and giggling and just having fun. Andrew is learning to appreciate Jadon in ways that he couldn't just a few weeks ago. And as Jadon appreciates Andrew as someone who is good and safe, he is finding love for him open up in his own heart.

Jadon and I have come to at least some understanding as well. He and I have had a couple of very significant encounters which have not only demonstrated the depth of the love I have for him but have also revealed the depth of love he has for me. I think it surprised us both! He still doesn't show the respect that I will eventually expect from him but he has become more affectionate and loves to snuggle and kiss on a pretty regular basis. Most days he will very willingly do what he is asked as well (even if he needs the occasional reminder---what child doesn't?). He does love to help and will frequently volunteer even if it would be much fast and easier if he didn't...so we go slower and work a little harder.

Jadon's interactions with Alan and Kirsten have their own unique twists too but I don't think they have had as many significant changes as we've seen in his relationship with Andrew and I. Jadon still loves cuddling with Alan over a book. He doesn't see Kirsten as much now that school has started since she is not only still a very social butterfly but has three jobs she's working right now (all for the purpose of a trip to France).

In every relationship he very much wishes to have absolute control...which is, of course, a pipe dream for anyone! Therefore, the triumphs and struggles persist.

Please keep praying for us as we all work to understand just who Jadon Rieck really is. We want to parent and interact with him in ways that are meaningful and will have the greatest impact in a positive way on his heart and mind. And may the glory be given to Jesus!!!!

First Days of School

Jadon went to school last Thursday. We had no idea what to expect. When he came home he talked non-stop about how wonderful school was. On that first day he was fortunate to have his ELL teacher who had been tutoring him all summer be able to spend the majority of the day with him so he could get some understanding of what was happening. On Friday he had an aide for much of the day and his ELL teacher was able to be with him part of the day. He was pretty excited when it came time to go back to school this morning (at least initially).

We are very thankful that this transition has gone pretty smoothly. Jadon is needing to learn a great deal of things in this process and we realize that this is probably very difficult at some level. He says that he is learning more English and his pronunciation has definitely improved. In the meantime, we continue to grow as parents for this wonderful little boy. It has been a tremendous transition for us to come to know how best to deal with and raise him.

Keep praying for all of us. We are growing together as a family and it seems more natural to have Jadon as a vital part of the family. One of the more exciting moments happened on Sunday when Andrew was having a rough emotional time leaving a friend and Jadon was empathizing with him. He looked as though he was just hanging his head but later told me that he was praying for Andrew and that Jesus would help him feel better. We were thrilled with this. God is working in all of us!!

Safety and Security

In the midst of the roller coaster ride we decided to seek out some additional help. Ruth and Alan have had the benefit of some advice that has been very helpful. In the discussion about some of Jadon's adjustments we were reminded about the importance of providing him a sense of safety and security. The suggestion was that we find a job for Jadon that would give him the knowledge that he had an important place in the family. At the beginning of the week we determined that the job would be setting the table for our dinner meal. Andrew has the job of clearing the table and Kirsten has the job of loading the dishwasher. It seems to be accomplishing a little of what was desired.

In addition Jadon was asked to help Andrew clean the basement the other day after tutoring. When he got home, the two boys went at the task and finished it in record time--pretty well also. After that Jadon chose to clean their room as well. We believe that this gave him a sense of control and contribution that is vital to his feelings of safety within the family. It has been fun to watch the two boys do more and more together this week as well.

We now have only a week and a half before school begins. Jadon has made tremendous strides through his tutoring (we are so blessed with such an outstanding teacher). He will start the year a bit behind his second grade classmates, but can certainly catch up. It is our hope that prior to going to school that he will continue to feel more and more a part of the family and know that his home is a place of love, security and comfort. His English is getting better all the time, but he still has a tendency to speak very quickly and if you are not accustomed to his unique pronunciation of several words, he can be very difficult to understand. This is a potential source of frustration for his classmates and for him. We pray that he will not feel defeated in school and thereby come to dislike it.

Please continue to pray for all of us. While things have been better that past few days, we still have much to learn and are very fragile emotionally. Pray that God would continue to grant insight into how to help Jadon know his safe and secure position within our family. Pray that we would continue to see him as a greater part of the family as well. Pray for his preparations for school and that huge adjustment--it has the potential to really rock his world.

Thanks to all of you for your faithful prayer support. It is so incredibly needed. Through this experience we have come to know our extreme dependence on God, but also have come to see the grace that He give to us as His own adopted children. It is amazing how God uses things to show Himself!!

Roller Coasters

The past month has brought with it a slew of new experiences for Jadon and new emotional highs and lows for everyone. A few weeks ago Jadon experienced his first boat ride (as far as we know)...on the Mississippi, no less, thanks to Ruth's sister Sharon and her husband Mike. He even braved the cold waters for a quick dip with Uncle Mike a bit downstream of the Dresbach dam. He also got to take in part of a baseball game to watch the Eau Claire Express play. Unfortunately we got rained out that night and had to leave early. But he did get to experience cotton candy for the first time!

He's grown a great deal, both physically and intellectually. His English is quite a bit better. He uses it almost exclusively now (although when he talks fast it sounds more like Chinese!!). He is beginning to learn the importance of using final consonants since it makes all the difference in what some words mean. One day he asked Alan very nicely if he could please have "ay." Alan responded by saying, "Go fish" (since we had been regularly playing a go fish game with letters). We learned from some hand gestures that he had actually wanted an "egg" to eat. We still have these problems, but it is improving.

While things have been improving on this front there are some struggles that we face in the process of establishing boundaries, appropriate behaviors, and relationships. Emotionally, we are all very tired. Jadon seems to be testing boundaries with more regularity now that he has some understanding of home and options around home. With the limitations of the language still upon us this is very challenging since we do not always know if he understands our explanations. It appears to us that Jadon was used to being top dog in his orphanage setting and that he still struggles with being the little brother. His relationships with Kirsten and Andrew run hot and cold at times. He is still a bit clingy to Alan and this creates difficulty for all of us.

Please pray for some emotional equilibrium and stability for all five of us. Pray that Jadon would come to know safety and stability within the family and that his appreciation would be for all the relationships. Pray also for the transition back into the school year. Alan will be back at work pretty full-time next week and the kids go back on September 2.

Among some of the other highlights of the past month are: 1) Kirsten is now a licensed driver. She passed her test the very first time and does a very good job. She has taken the boys a couple of different places and it has been great for her to have that freedom. 2) One week in July Andrew was able to attend a junior high basketball camp at Camp Forest Springs. He really enjoyed it a great deal and felt that God really challenged him and met him there. 3) That same week in July Kirsten spent in Mississippi on a youth group missions trip. She enjoyed being with the people and having the opportunity to go to New Orleans and see so much French. 4) Andrew had the opportunity to go to Hayward for a week with his best friend Jake. Jake and his family have been such a huge blessing to all of us, but especially to Andrew. His time there is definitely a highlight of his summer.

Thanks for your support and hanging in there with us. We covet your prayers and assistance as we seek to learn to be the family God intends us to be. Blessings to you all.

Family Pictures

Our friend Karen has been such a blessing to us over the years. She is the mother of Andrew's dear friend Jake, served as kids Sunday School Coordinator at our church, was a tremendous support to us through so many things (along with the rest of her family) and is a fantastic photographer!! Since she has recently moved to the Twin Cities area, we took the whole family that direction to meet her and her family for dinner and a picture taking outing. As a bonus Andrew went with them to spend a few days. You get to enjoy her great work and great eye here.

Yesterday at church Jadon became very interested in the song "Agnus Dei" especially the Alleluia section. He sang with some gusto there, drew a picture of Pastor Matt preaching, copied some words off of the screen, and then launched into writing "I like my . . ." (an exercise that he is doing in writing a book in his tutoring sessions. He decided that he liked Matt and wrote I like my Matt. I pray that God is speaking to his little heart and drawing him to Himself.

Jadon continues to make steps of progress. Sometimes are slower than others. He has been telling us lately that English is hard, so we are trying to encourage him. He seems to really respond to the encouragement. Pray for him. He doesn't like to be wrong or to make mistakes. Pray for us that we would encourage him honestly and in ways that speak to his heart.

Oh the Glorious Days of Summer

All is not always work at the Rieck house! Today, for instance, we celebrated the Fourth of July quietly as a family - relaxing, packing for various destinations (Kirsten to Mississippi; Andrew to Camp Forest Springs; Alan, Ruth and Jadon to Chicagoland to visit Alan's family for a few days)and, of course, watching fireworks. The day was gorgeous with partly cloudy skies (keeping the temps down which is great because our air conditioner conked out--Yikes!). Happy Birthday, America!

After dinner we pulled out some sparklers for the boys to run around with (Jadon had obviously used them before) and roasted marshmallows...a big hit! Then it was off to watch the Eau Claire fireworks. To avoid traffic problems we decided to try watching them from the parking lot of Chancellor's Hall on the university's upper campus. The view was slightly obstructed but not bad at all. Jadon really enjoyed his first American fireworks display.

On the warm days this summer activities have included splashing on the slip and slide, riding bike and playing at the school playground. A favorite activity is actually digging in the sandbox there.

Jadon is making wonderful progress in his tutoring. His English is improving by leaps and bounds these days too. He has started using complete sentences all in English over the last day or so. It's been refreshing. We have expressed appreciation to him over and over again. He has started acting more and more like the typical younger brother too. Yesterday after he'd been told no one was going to play on the Wii for awhile he ran after Andrew (who had gone downstairs to get his shoes) yelling, "Andrew, Mommy said no 'ping ping'" (Ping ping is Jadon's term for the Wii) I had to chuckle to myself. Things have seemed to start normalizing. God is so good.

Go Fish!

A long time between posts. At this rate nobody is probably checking this anymore. It is a good therapy to write none the less and hopefully someone does read. As we have stated previously, we really appreciate the love and support of everyone and especially the prayer support.

Jadon continues to adapt (as do the rest of us). His tutoring has gone generally very well (although today was less than stellar on his part). We are very blessed to have such a great teacher and tutor and it is making such a huge difference in all of our lives. One of Jadon's favorite activities from tutoring is Go Fish. He has come to know his letters (upper and lower case) well enough to play that game with the whole family. It is good practice when he has to say, "Daddy, do you have M?" The v sound is a challenge, but it gets easier every day.

When we stop to look at all that has happened in the last two months (two month anniversary of Gotcha Day is July 4) it is pretty incredible all that this little man has had to take in. He really has done a remarkable job in that regard.

We had family photos taken on Monday evening at a park in Stillwater. Hopefully we will be able to share some of those very soon, so check back. Please pray for our continued efforts to communicate and understand one another. Jadon now knows how to tell us, "I don't know" or "no understand" so we know when we are making some progress or more is needed. Pray for his continued need to learn language and culture. It has got to be so overwhelming. Thanks much.

Thankfulness

Thankful. That is the meaning of Jadon's name. It also is probably the best word to describe our heart's gratitude to our loving heavenly Father for all that He is, has done, is doing and we trust will continue to do.

There have been times that I've (Ruth) had to remind myself that Jadon's name means "thankful" and that I am truly thankful to the Lord for His gift of him to us. Monday was such a day. Jadon had been showing a lot of favoritism toward Alan which was hard on all of us to the degree that Jadon nearly shunned anyone in the family who wasn't Babby (Jadon's Chinese name for Daddy). I was feeling a bit "bruised" Monday morning when the siren of an emergency vehicle sounded through the house. Jadon was with me at the time. He got all excited, pointed at me and proceeded to act out what appeared to be me dying. I was stunned. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! After awhile I asked Jadon if he really wanted Mommy to die. He replied, "Yes." Again I couldn't believe what I was hearing so I decided to put the question a different way, "Do you want a mommy?" "No" came Jadon's reply back to me. I was devastated. I called Alan who proceeded to call Bechy Zhou (Jadon's ELL teacher who "happens" to speak Mandarin). Becky graciously came to the house later in the afternoon and proceeded to discern that Jadon had been frightened by the sound and had chosen to tease as a way of dealing with his fears. When Becky explained the questions I had asked he demonstrated great sorrow for the misunderstanding. He hadn't understood my questions but had chosen to answer anyway.

That was a turning point. Now that I reflect back I can seen how God used the misunderstanding to bring us closer together. Since that time Jadon and Mommy have gotten along just fine most of the time. We are so grateful to our Lord and Father for His wonderful provision of Becky. His grace constantly amazes me. Not only will Becky be one of Jadon's teachers in the fall, she has started tutoring Jadon in some basic English and math skills. He has a long way to go in order to be ready for second grade in the fall but Becky feels it's doable. So far I am needing to sit close by where Jadon and Becky are working or Jadon refuses to stay on task.

This week we experienced the unpacking of some of the children's books that have been put away for quite some time. Jadon has enjoyed exploring those books tremendously. He has also become much more steady on the bike (starting, riding and stopping), however he needs to learn that when he closes his eyes or tries to look any place other than where he's going he will fall down. Today we made a trip to the local pharmacy on the bike across several streets together. He did great! He used the mandoline to help prepare the vegetables for the grill. He also helped shuck the season's first corn and then helped to de-silk it. He enjoyed the corn very much...an all American boy!! A warm day even allowed us to enjoy dinner on the screened porch. Thanks God!

I am also very thankful for the work God is so obviously working in Jadon's heart. He has started running around declaring "God made me!" He also loves singing along with several worship choruses..."It's all Your's God." He may not completely understand what he is saying, but we are encouraged at the progress of his heart. Again our hearts overflow with thankfulness.

School's Out

It's official. Kirsten is now a junior in High School, Andrew is now a Middle School student and Jadon is going to second grade!! Yikes, time flies.

The week has turned out well. Thanks to everyone who has been praying. Jadon seems to understand that Daddy has to work and is appearing to enjoy his time with Mommy even though he is still anxious and excited when Daddy returns. The week has been very productive. In the past two days he has seemed more interested in learning English words and speaking English phrases. His interactions are a hoot!

This morning Jadon went back to the doctor for a follow-up appointment. It went very well. The doctor was very pleased with his 3 pound weight gain, his increased use of English, his obvious settled feeling and responsiveness, and that his ears were still very clear. She was very encouraging and affirming to us.

This evening the family went to the home of one of Alan's colleagues for a gathering of the Education Cohort faculty and spouses. This is a group of people with whom Alan works everyday in team-teaching students who are preparing to be teachers. This group has really been a key to his enthusiasm and energy at work. He takes things that he learns from them in class and applies them to other classes all the time. We all had a great time. Jadon especially loved the fact that they had a cat and two large dogs. These people also presented a gift card (shower sort of) to Jadon, Andrew and Kirsten. What a great gift. It was a wonderful evening with people that are great colleagues and good friends.

Updates

It has been a whirlwind for us. Jadon went to school yesterday to meet his class for next year. His ELL teacher (who speaks Mandarin) was with him. Believe it or not he was fairly shy in the process. The boys who sat with him were very concerned about him and how he would be successful if he did not understand things. They asked his teacher if he was speaking Spanish. This week is also a big week because Alan is at school pretty much full time getting ready for orientation duties during the next three weeks. That leaves mom and Jadon at home together by themselves since school doesn't end until Thursday for Kirsten and Andrew. Things went well today and we pray that God's grace will continue to sustain all of us through these transitions. Yesterday Jadon and Andrew had a little water fight. Andrew graciously gave the super soaker to Jadon and he was left with a water bottle that didn't hold all that much water (see pictures). Also, you can see the progress that has been made in riding the bike. Now he just needs to learn to start by himself and he will be off to the races.

We're Still Here

Life gets busy doesn't it?

We had a really good Memorial Day Weekend. Jadon and Andrew spent much time working together to defeat the Empire in the Lego Star Wars Wii game. It was good for them to work together and to have some fun. Jadon did more bike riding and became more familiar with the family as Alan's parents and sister came to visit.

It was very difficult for Alan to have his parents leave. He enjoyed having the support and the additional adults with whom to interact. He has always appreciated his parents, but that appreciation just grows as time goes on.

Kirsten turned 16 on Wednesday. Unbelievable that she is at that point already. She is such a blessing. Ruth and Alan commented to each other that they feel more blessed by her than they could ever be a blessing to her. She doesn't agree, but that is probably a good thing.

Andrew won four ribbons at a 5th grade track meet. He was first in every event in which he was entered. He has had a very good year. It is amazing to watch him move quickly from boyhood toward manhood. He is growing physically again, but is also growing in so many other ways.

Jadon is beginning to use more English phrases. He of course still knows more Chinese than English and is a bit frustrated when he can't get his ideas across to us--he tries Chinese with great gestures, but we don't always interpret correctly.

Next week will be a very interesting one for us. Alan will be back at work for Summer Orientation 8-4:30 beginning on Tuesday. This will be an adjustment for Jadon. Pray for us.

More soon.

Referrals for Our Original Travel Group

We are so excited for a group of people with whom we waited for so long. Our original log in date with the CCAA was March 13, 2006. That date finally received their referrals today and we couldn't be happier for all of them. We are praying for them as they take the next steps of preparation to travel and meet their children.

On the home front, Jadon spent some time this morning watching Sesame Street, playing with train, de-potting a plant, and using sidewalk chalk. The afternoon was spent watching Alan's dentist appointment and telling us that he doesn't need to go to the dentist, playing "Star Wars" (sort of) on the Wii, finding some old toys and some creative ways to use them, playing cards with mom (and having the game end after he cheated with a war), and telling us that he was hungry. After dinner it was off to the playground at the school and home for short game and bath and bed.

Everyday Jadon picks up a few more English words. This is helpful, but we need to remember that he has only been here a week and that this is going to take some time. He definitely knows more English than we know Mandarin though.

Ruth's voice improved slightly today since she was trying to avoid using it when she could. She continues to battle fatigue even with sleep. So, it is off to bed now with hopes of a good night's rest and some more energy tomorrow.

Bike and School

A big day in the Rieck home! Jadon found Andrew's old bike and decided that he wanted to learn to ride it. It is Alan's new exercise program. Since we don't have training wheels and Jadon is a bit on the fragile side (doesn't like it when he has any type of scratch especially if it is even slightly bleeding), Alan needs to run alongside to help him balance at this point. He did pretty well for a first time, however.

This afternoon we took Jadon to school to meet his ELL teacher. This was great!!! The teacher speaks very good Mandarin Chinese and was able to talk with Jadon, assess where he is at in his education, and learned a great deal about his personality also. It was such a great encouragement to Ruth and Alan. Based on his developmental level and on his educational level we believe we have a good plan regarding his schooling for next year.

In discussing how to best help him prepare for next year we asked about ideas regarding a tutor for the summer. The teacher suggested that she may be able to help out with that as well. Again, such an encouragement and reason for hope on our part. It was a wonderful meeting and very productive.

Jet Lag Blues (for Mom and Dad, anyway)

Why is it that the kids, who already have more energy than we ever remember having, recover from the jet lag so much easier than do the parents? For some reason the transition back to this time zone has been particularly challenging. Ruth and Alan are both tired of seeing the clock between 3 AM and 5 AM.

The transition for Jadon has its ups and its downs. We have days that seem like we make great progress and seem to understand one another and we have other days when misunderstandings create tensions. We have days when in our efforts to guide Jadon in the path of righteousness we run full into fits and hard feelings. Jadon has finally stopped regular and extended coughing spells. He occasionally has a clearing of the throat or something like that, but he seems much better. He is sleeping fairly well. His language skills are going to need a great deal of work and he doesn't seem to be where we were led to believe he might be with his arithmetic skills either. We hope to get him into school to meet his ELL teacher later this week and get some guidance from her regarding what might be best for his schooling. Please pray that we might have discernment regarding what would be best for him and would facilitate his success without boring him.

Ruth continues to struggle with her voice. The inconsistencies in sleep don't help, nor does the need to talk pretty continuously to Jadon during the day. We welcome your prayers with us for her healing. Alan got his grades done today just minutes before the deadline. Nice to have that behind, now there are other things to catch-up on after the trip to China. Andrew is back into baseball and played his first game (his team's fifth) tonight. They did not win, but he played very well in the field at first base. Kirsten had an orchestra concert last night that was really quite good. We all went and Jadon sat through it well (even though it was almost 2 hours long).

We will continue to post as we can. We appreciate your interest and your efforts to follow our journey and support us. Your prayers have been apparent in our lives and we thank you for joining us in this journey.