Last Church

Today was the most sad and most wonderful church. 

It was our last church with Abigail home. 

Now I know because I've done this with Anna of course... Abigail will come home. And she will live here in the summer too. But today was our last church with her before she's in a different world. The last childhood time she would be at church with us. And how I will miss her next week. 

But it was also oh so wonderful. As we were walking in our associate pastor asked about her going to college and right there as we were about to walk in she gave her a blessing before Mass. It was the Franciscan blessing and it was just so special. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you

May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 

May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. 

And then we walked in as we were waiting for Mass to start our very special friends (who usually don't go to that very early Mass) came in and sat right in front of us just as they always did when our girls were little. It was a hug from God.  

The actual Mass was especially wonderful and prayerful. 

And then as we were about to leave a woman who runs the whole religious ed program wanted to talk to the girls and wish them well. She also brought a card Abigail had written when she was in second grade thanking this person for helping her get her First Communion all those years ago. 

After our Back to School Blessing (yesterday, I just haven't blogged it yet) this felt so beautiful. 

Four Drivers In the House

Well this happened today! 

Abigail took her drivers test and she passed! 

And it was pretty exciting to say the least!  

She worked pretty hard fitting in all that practice this summer (even with a huge summer job)

First Fall Feeling Day

Today is rainy and cool. Mid 50s. I have a sweater on and I lit the fireplace in our living room. 

Days like these I am so glad that I already decorated for the fall because it's already oh so cozy in here and I'm soaking in my last days before school starts soon. 

This might sound weird but I'll miss my home. Puttering around. Jumping into home projects and having the time to complete an idea that pops into my heart. 

I will certainly love the slower weekends that September are. This year with Abigail in college I'm hoping to use my day to day time better and have a lot less (maybe none?) work for school on the weekends. We will see. 

 

Let's Just Do This

Right now our 'playroom' has this one area that is full to the brim. 

With college move in less than 2 weeks away it's go time here. 

I go from moments of energy and go go go... wash the sheets and towels, count the pjs to make sure there are enough 

to

moments of {sigh} can't believe this is happening. 

I've got one more week of summer before I return full time to my classroom. But for some reason I don't feel stressed. Sure, I have lots to do and the to do list just keeps on going, but I know I can do it. 

I remember when Anna was a three year old toddler and we enrolled her in a two day a week (2 hours) preschool. It was the sweetest most darling place in the world. Anyway, it was a week or so til it started and I just kept thinking, "I'll be fine once it starts". I hated 'waiting' for it to start. I knew once I got into my new routine I'd settle in and all would be well. Well, I kind of feel like this now. Let's just 'do this' and then the waiting and agony of saying goodbye and driving away without her will be over. 

 

Adoption Day

Twenty One years ago today a little baby was placed in my arms.

I was on the other side of the world. 

There were no adoring grandparents in the room. There were no aunts or uncles or cousins. 

It was just Scott and I. 

And the Holy Spirit. We could feel the wind and the warmth. We were not alone. 

And although the day didn't go exactly as expected, it was a glorious one;

because the word orphan was erased from Jiang Qian's name forever, 

and she became Anna Jiang Qian. 

And I am so very very blessed to be a part of God's redeeming plan in her life. May she know his love, feel his tender care, and always know that she is treasured.  

If you want to see some videos, here they are: 

Stowe!

One last getaway before our girls head off on their own adventure. {college and grad school} 

This was our fifth trip to Vermont at the end of the summer. 

2021

2023 more more more more  more 

2024

And here is 2025: 

 

We always stay at the Green Mountain Inn. It's right in the sweet little Stowe Village - walking to everywhere including trails for hiking, restaurants, shops, everything! 

Here's a peek at our room because it's fun to look back! 

Some fun from our first day

Sunday:

hike

Mass

farmers market 

shopping / hiking to a waterfall 

flatbread pizza for dinner

hike again to the top of Stowe

watching a movie in our room

Monday: 

Cafe on Main for breakfast 

rec path to lunch

river

shopping and ice-cream

dinner

hike again

swimming and movie

Tuesday

breakfast at Cafe on Main

shopping

heading home

stop at Vermont Country Store 

 

Launch Day!

Anna has always been a dreamer with a rich imagination. From the moment she started talking her vocabulary was so beyond 'normal' that people were always saying to us, "she has such verbal skills" or "her words are amazing". 

She was born to be a writer. 

Anna graduated from College of the Holy Cross with a degree in psychology and a minor in creative writing and Chinese.  Although she has decided on becoming a school psychologist (more about that back here) we knew that writing would be a part of her life. 

So she wrote a book and self published it. 

I first read the book when Anna was studying abroad in China. At that point it wasn't a book but printed on computer paper in a big stack. And I loved it. It actually helped me though missing her because the book was so 'her'. 

Then when she got home from China she decided she wanted to get just a few printed so she could give them to her viola teachers and conductors, one for her grandpa (who also loves to write books), and one for our family. (here is a post from Christmas day with a picture of her giving the book to her grandpa) 

But I encouraged her to "get that book out there", "launch that baby of yours into the world" 

So she did. She figured out how in the world to get Amazon to print it and all of the other logistics that go along with that. 

So I decided that it would be fun for Anna to have a Launch Party online to celebrate and to let the world (ok, just family and friends) know about our new author! 

I took the photos for her insta account and then she made a post. 

We made a gift basket for someone to win who "liked and shared her post" and wrote a question. 

She used the questions people asked to create little videos about her book, the writing process, and her as an author. She did an amazing job and was just adorable in those videos! 

At 8:00 pm yesterday she sent the videos to her 'stories' for anyone who wanted to to tune in. And they did!

Congratulations Anna on your book. It was so much fun celebrating you. You were meant to be an author telling the world a story as God 'writes' the story of your life. ❤