"We need a little Christmas, right this very minute"

Although suitcases were unpacked, clothes, adoption paperwork, mail and other messes were all over the house.

I had secretly wondered if we would even take out Christmas decorations this year. Being extremely practical, and also wanted to simplify life for the family as we transition, and for Joy as she tries to understand her life here in America, I'd thought that maybe we would forego Christmas decorations at home. I'd thought that maybe we'd wait until going to Grandma's cabin at Christmas for all of that mess. We are having a houseguest the first week of the New Year, then we leave on a Mexican cruise my parents are taking on us to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. Why add that work on top of all that?

All those ideas went up in smoke when the children decided, late Monday afternoon, that we needed to have Christmas decorations. Max took them out to get a tree, and they began after dinner to pull out all of those boxes and decorate.

Joy was all over it. This turned out to be great! She has been engaging, playing with the girls, and teasing the boys; but because of her being slow to communicate, she is a bit on the outside. She enjoys trying to talk with friends with her "QQ" instant messaging service; but the time delay isn't working out for her. She watches Chinese soap operas on the internet (something I look forward to phasing out as her English gets better). So working together on stringing lights on the tree and decorating was the perfect group activity.

I decided I wanted to introduce to Joy what Christmas is all about. I sat her down with our "Babel Fish" instant translation service (from google). As I began, she impatiently said, "Mom, I know all about christmas...it's Santa". I began daily short lessons (over the course of the week)giving an overview of God's relationship with Man, and how it led to Christmas.

Originally, if I had had my "druthers" I would not have wanted Joy to come at this time of year. I would have chosen everything to be simple, and calm to help her get used to her new home. Instead, I can see how God perfectly worked out that she would come now. Because it's Christmas time, the other children are on school break, and I have been able to devote my time to working with her, a little every day, on the Rosetta Stone English program. She is also enjoying the extra time people have to get to know her (although she is really only interested in meeting our family...she is very self conscious, and basically un-interested in anyone outside of our family right now). I need time to understand this attitude. It is also wonderful for her to notice how often her name is used right now, and for us to explain the reason for it.