Why I Wish Virginia Was Closer to Ohio

Maliana ~

A couple little tidbits before I get to our fun weekend with our friends from Virginia. We took a break from prepping for our houseguests after a summer storm early in the week to meet Audrey and
go play on the playground and puddle jumping at my old elementary school.

puddle jumpin' party!

Go Cougars!

I also discovered a secret weapon I will be sure to revisit many times in your teen years, as posted in my Facebook status below...

Theresa Hart ~ just discovered that my very poor attempts at doing a foreign accent, any foreign accent, embarrass Mali to no end...I must store this knowledge for when she is a teenager!

As you get older I am discovering how important it will be to have a variety of ways to embarrass you. Unfortunately honey, it’s a family tradition. Just ask Lao Lao, Wai Gong, Memaw and Papaw.

Nonetheless, I forgot all about embarrassing you for the rest of the week and weekend and instead we concentrated on just having FUN! Our friends from Virginia, (Stacy, Sierra, Laurel, and Cadence) arrived on Thursday afternoon and for the rest of the weekend it was loud and chaotic fun for us all.

The first night we took it easy with dinner and some pool time at home. You loved having a sleepover and had your first overnight guest in your bunk with you.

checking out the water beads they brought

super cool!

getting the Chinese floating sky lantern ready

up up and away

sleepover buddy

We woke up in the morning and had a breakfast picnic before heading out to the zoo.

cruising the zoo in style

on the train ~ choo choo!

obligatory photo booth picture

You and I unfortunately had to leave early to go to your speech appointment while Daddy stayed at the zoo so they could see more animals. It worked out because while Cadence slept on the way home,
they were able to take their time and drive all through Westerville so Stacy could show the girls some of the landmarks from her own childhood (since she grew up in Westerville just like me). Once we all
met at home you kids hit the pool to cool off before it was time to head to uptown Westerville for Fourth Fridays.

having a blast

This particular day Laurel (whom you were thicker than ever with this weekend) made the comment “I wish I were Mali” and when I asked why she said, “Because she’s so cute and silly and fun!” Then as we drove into Westerville, Cadence made the comment “I like Mali’s house!” And even earlier in the day, Sierra had wanted to take pictures with just you and her, and all weekend I would see her having little conversations with you, explaining this or that to you. Little details like these are so sweet. And I think I can honestly say that the feeling is mutual from you to them as well. You were so crazy and giddy all weekend, clearly in love with each and every one of these people. As you weaved through the Fourth Friday crowds holding hands with Laurel, it was a precious sight for me to see you briefly turn around, grinning from ear to ear, and find me in the crowd to give me a thumbs up. And I’d also be willing to bet that that goofy grin and thumbs up pretty much sums up how the rest of us felt this weekend too.

historic ~ your first piece of gum EVER given to you by Patty via
Cadence (when it was given to you, you said, "But I'm four!?" since my big rule was
'no gum until you turned five'...clearly you were ecstatic when I said "go ahead")

you loved it!

stopping for some DQ

as you can probably guess...Cadence more than manhandled
my hair before I finally put her down, ha ha.

none of us grown ups had any cash but we managed to
scrape together enough pocket change to give all of you
kids a bounce in the bounce house...because
who can deny joy like this?

We met Joe and Patty (Stacy’s parents) briefly at Fourth Fridays and then stopped to say hello to some more old friends of theirs at a restaurant on the way home. Needless to say you kids were all pretty tired when we arrived at our house. Cadence immediately went to bed, but I had promised Laurel we could do a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt, so that is what we did with you older girls on their last official night with us. You kids loved it. I just wish we had had the energy to do more.

Once you pint –size people were in bed, (or in your case, safely nestled on my lap and fast asleep), Stacy and I got a couple glasses of wine and sat and talked until around midnight. After the chaos of
the day, it was nice to soak in the peace and quiet, and get to know each other a little better. As I went to sleep that night, I couldn’t help but feel so grateful. Not only has adoption blessed us with you
(the greatest blessing of all), but as I’ve said before, it has blessed us with some amazing friendships that may never have been discovered otherwise. Of all the seemingly random occurrences that might or might not have happened, and all the winding paths that each of us have taken, Daddy and I both feel so randomly lucky to know this particular family. It’s not the most common thing for me to feel so comfortable with new friends, yet I do. It’s nice to know that friends can be found in the most unlikely of places and circumstances, as long as you are open to them.

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break."


Later in the weekend as I related our adventures to Lao Lao, we both agreed that that red thread proverb must extend well beyond just parents and children.

On Saturday morning, we each had other places we needed to be after breakfast, but then all met back at our house for a walk through the neighborhood and down the trail, to the park near where Stacy used to live. You kids played on the playground and then we all headed down to the creek where all of you could get good and dirty. Next time they come to visit, we will definitely head to the creek first thing. I swear you kids could have probably stayed there all day.

Stacy was smart and bought us all donuts from Schneider's in
Westerville...yum!

popsicles ~ a staple this weekend

I freakin' LOVE you man!

Once home we enjoyed more pool time before it was time for them to head to the hotel to spend time with their grandparents (Joe and Patty). It was so fun to have them stay with us and it was sad to see them leave. As they pulled away, you stood on the front porch screaming, waving, and oh yeah, completely naked. I joked earlier that while we were at home (particularly between you and Cadence), I don’t think all four kids were dressed at the same time all weekend. Once they had driven away, both you and Cadence were asleep within minutes (if not seconds).

picture text to Stacy ~ "y'all wore her ass OUT!"

reply text from Stacy "Same here! Insert blanket,
close eyes...Out like a light!"

Sunday morning, Jenny next door came over and as she asked you about everything you did with your friends she said, “You have quite the life, don’t you Mali?” You just grinned. Why yes, I think you do kiddo.

With them leaving for Virginia on Monday morning, we got one last hurrah in and visited them in their hotel on Sunday evening. We brought Carsonie's stromboli and got to sit and chat more with Joe and Patty (I can definitely tell where Stacy gets her wonderful personality), and then go crazy in the hotel pool. I don’t know that I have ever been in much louder of a place than in that pool where the acoustics just made all of your screams echo even more deafeningly. Daddy came down later with Joe and Patty and said that they could hear all of us in the pool as soon as the elevator doors opened (all the way down the hallway!)

taking turns jumping and starting to swim to Daddy
(I just love Cadence's goggles)

super silliness

they were so nice to let us come over and
crash not only the hotel pool but also
their hotel room ~ brave souls, ha!

Joe and Patty, with all their
grandkids, plus one

We finally left for home after 9pm, hoarse from all the screaming, and exhausted from a weekend jam-packed with fun. On Thursday I had been nervous before they all arrived, hoping that we would all fit in our house comfortably, that things would go smoothly, and that they would all enjoy themselves. Thinking back on the weekend, I have no idea why I was so worried. With this crazy crew, fun is their middle name.

Love,
Mama